10 Best Cuban Restaurants in Miami, FL

Cuban restaurants in Miami come in dozens of shapes and sizes, and you can't walk two feet without tripping over a version of one. You'll find them tucked away in grocery stores or offering little more than an open window on a street corner from which to order. These are called cafeterias, and are best for Cuban toast and coffee, maybe some hot dishes that they specialize in, or a quick sandwich.

Others are buffets like Blue Sky, offering "food by the pound," which simply means you load up your plate and pay by how much it weighs. One of the most well-known and authentic places to eat Cuban fare in...  Read more »

Cuban restaurants in Miami come in dozens of shapes and sizes, and you can't walk two feet without tripping over a version of one. You'll find them tucked away in grocery stores or offering little more than an open window on a street corner from which to order. These are called cafeterias, and are best for Cuban toast and coffee, maybe some hot dishes that they specialize in, or a quick sandwich.

Others are buffets like Blue Sky, offering "food by the pound," which simply means you load up your plate and pay by how much it weighs. One of the most well-known and authentic places to eat Cuban fare in Miami, El Palacio de Los Jugos, is in a fruit market located on West Flagler Street in the "Flagami" neighborhood.

Bakeries shouldn't be overlooked - while they obviously will offer the expected sweet pastries (don't neglect to try guava pastellitos, or turnover-like pastries), they also serve chicken, ham, cheese and fish croquettes and empanadas.

Some Cuban restaurants are the typical-but-nevertheless-delicious, immigrant-run mainstay, like the always popular Islas Canarias, or classier versions that serve similar but pricier fare on tablecloths, such as Las Culebrinas, a place that makes you feel like you should be on your best behavior. This is the grandmotherly answer to the mom-and-pop place.

Then there are the establishments that offer different interpretations of the cuisine, such as Havana Harry's - a reader favorite - or OLA at Sanctuary, where the innovations continue on to cocktails.

Cubans also versions to American classics such as hamburgers at the rightly famous Calle Ocho joints El Rey de Las Fritas and El Mago de Las Fritas, where President Obama ate on a 2012 visit to the Magic City. Pizza also gets a Cuban twist at residents' favorite Montes de Oca Orignial Pizza Cubana in Hialeah.

If you're looking to concentrate your efforts, start with the local hangout Puerto Sagua on the vibrant South Beach area -a restaurant that's been featured in numerous film and advertisement shoots, it's that emblematic - and then head to Calle Ocho. There you'll find Versailles's traditional 24/7 eats, ranging from codfish croquetas (croquettes) for breakfast to shrimp in Creole sauce (tomato sauce with peas, not New Orleans style) for dinner, as well as handfuls of other Cuban-influenced cuisines - even Chinese!

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