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Disco volador Caja Caliente
Photograph: Courtesy Caja Caliente

The best Cuban restaurants in Miami for arroz, frijoles and good times

From South Beach to Little Havana and Hialeah, the best Cuban restaurants in Miami serve food just like Abuela’s.

Written by
Virginia Gil
&
Ashley Brozic
Contributor
Ryan Pfeffer
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Sure, people may come to Miami for the beaches, sunshine and partying, but let’s be real: They also come for the Cuban food. With the largest population of Cuban-Americans in the country, this is without a doubt the best place in America to dig your fork into a plate of saucy ropa vieja, shred through a dish of vaca frita or graduate from a Cuban sandwich to a media noche—all with a side of plantains. Right now is a precariously exciting time for Cuban food in Miami, as first and second-generation Cuban Americans are putting their own unique twists on the dishes they grew up on from post-Revolution classics like La Carreta or Versailles. We’ve included both types of restaurants on the list, even the ones that come with salsa (the kind you can dance to!) on the side.

RECOMMENDED: A definitive guide to Little Havana

Top Cuban restaurants in Miami

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Tamiami
  • price 2 of 4

On rainy days, over a holiday, at rush hour—there's no instance when this family-owned restaurant isn’t busy. The reasons are many but are not limited to approachable prices, homestyle Cuban food, an inviting dining room and warm, welcoming service. Need another reason to venture west to Islas Canarias? One word: croquetas. Its mouthwatering ham croquettes have a huge local following—us included. Bring us a few, will ya?

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Midtown
  • price 1 of 4

This small sandwich shop has outlasted Wynwood’s condo boom and continues to be where working stiffs and Wynwood hipsters commiserate over straightforward Cuban fare, cafecito and fresh juices. Service is fast and friendly, but speaking Spanish is a huge plus. We ranked Enriqueta’s Cubano as one of the best in Miami, but don’t take our word for it. Go taste this inexpensive sandwich, featuring buttery Cuban bread, roasted pork slices, ham and holey cheese.

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  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • East Little Havana
  • price 2 of 4

Ranked 22 on the list of Top 50 Bars in the World, Café La Trova is Little Havana’s thriving hotspot, where great cocktails, elevated cuisine and live music collide for the most lively Cuban eating experience in Miami. What else would you expect with James Beard Award winner Michelle Bernstein behind the menu, and Best American Bartender winner and Cantinero extraordinaire Julio Cabrera behind the schtick? These two have produced precisely the sort of concept Calle Ocho deserves, and it’s not uncommon for tables to break out into dance throughout the night. When dinner’s done, keep the party going at the 80s-themed 305 Bar in the back. 

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Miami
  • price 2 of 4

As one of the few Cuban restaurants in Miami that people get dressed up for, Havana Harry’s is at once polished and rustic with lots of wood accents and cozy nooks that are perfect for celebrations, which you’ll see lots of on the weekends. The menu is incredibly extensive, most notably with a comprehensive list of milanesas, a variety of Latin American and fried rice dishes and the ultimate Cuban trifecta: the Tres Vaca Frita, a combination of shredded and fried beef, chicken and pork. Don’t forget to pair your meal with a round of mojitos or a pitcher of sangria (in a commemorative jarra!) and to cap it off with a Cinco Leches, which is the most decadent thing to happen to the Tres Leches ever. 

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It was a sad day when Casa Larios closed its Flagler and South Miami doors, but we’re happy to report that the King and Queen of Miami Cuban cuisine are back! Chef Quintin “Nene” and Maria Teresa Larios have taken over the kitchen at Royd’s, bringing arroz y frijoles to the Redlands. You can once again enjoy Chef Larios’ masitas de puerco and pollo asado along with farm-fresh batidos made with produce picked onsite. It’s all bizarrely set amidst an old Western outpost, featuring live music on Saturdays, a dog park and even a Pioneertown jail – so safe to say, it’s worth the drive. 20800 SW 177th Ave

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Little Gables

Born as a humble food truck in 2016, Caja Caliente grew a fierce following for its reliably delicious takes on Cuban classics inspired by owner Monica “Mika” Leon’s own family recipes. Mika cooks with her mom, Lupita, who you might recognize from the restaurant's Instagram and the duo’s many appearances on TV, from shows like Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern to Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. Stardom aside, this humble Coral Gables spot (with a take-away-only outpost in Wynwood) has an ambitious menu that runs the gamut from modern Cuban tacos and burritos to inspired disco sandwiches and a hangover-curing arroz con pollo

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  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Little Gables
  • price 2 of 4

This Coral Gables gem belongs to a small chain of Cuban restaurants that has been owned and operated by the Vilariño family since the early 1980s. Its name means small house in Spanish and that’s just the feeling you get when you walk in—like you’re dining in someone’s home. With that, expect Abuela-sized portions: steaks the size of your head, garlicky yuca and more seafood options than what you’d find at other Cuban restaurants. The menu is large and suitable for a range of palates, so you won’t get any complaints from the picky eaters in your party.

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • West Little Havana
  • price 2 of 4

The self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant" lives up to the hype—even if its ornate, mirrored dining room seems at odds with the casual menu. Up for grabs is every dish to ever be cataloged as Cuban, plus a handful of salads for the health-conscious. The crowd is a mixed bag of camera-happy tourists, aging patrons from the neighborhood who treat Versailles as their commissary, and multigenerational Cuban families, all of whom make for fantastic people-watching.

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  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Flagami
  • price 2 of 4

Since around the '60s, La Rosa's charm hinged on its pre-Castro era hospitality, a time when white-table clothing dining and live music were the norm. Though its pastel pink walls and old timey feel have been completely overhauled, including updates to the bar, a brand new brunch menu and a freshly added happy hour, the level of service remains, as La Rosa is still the place for two-mojito lunches and fancy celebrations. 

With a population that’s 95% Hispanic—and presumably Cuban—we’d be remiss to leave Hialeah off this list, particularly its most well-known outpost, Molina’s Ranch. Only here can you enjoy a heaping bowl of picadillo or lechon asado with a soundtrack of yacht rock and country music, which feels oddly alright. But enough about the main dishes; let’s talk about the one side you cannot leave without ordering: the morros. They’re definitely the most unique in town, a little salty and sprinkled generously with crispy chicharrones. 4090 E 8th Ave, Hialeah

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  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Coral Way
  • price 2 of 4

With 14 locations across South Florida, including fast casual riffs like Sergio’s To Go, this is by far Miami’s most prolific Cuban restaurant. The family-owned business  is always trying to keep things fresh and new, bringing its classic menu staples along for the ride. Watching your waistline? Sergio’s La Flaca menu of low-calorie eats is a gift to any healthy eater with taste buds. Think tasty, wholesome swaps like cauliflower rice, turkey picadillo and whole wheat grains. Most recently, they’ve launched Sergio’s Plus, an NFT membership card that opens access to rewards, perks and a secret menu. 

  • Restaurants
  • West Little Havana
  • price 2 of 4

The city’s staple Cuban restaurant has locations across town, each one featuring a small counter, a rotating dessert display and a buzzy coffee window that doles out strong cafecito and flaky pastelitos. It’s certainly not award-winning, but it holds a special place in Miamians’ hearts when they want downright good Cuban comforts. This small chain of restaurants is consistent in quality, service and flavors, and they also make a mean club sandwich in their signature size: super-size.

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  • Restaurants
  • Caribbean
  • Downtown
  • price 2 of 4

La Cañita gives locals a good reason to visit Bayside, delivering Cuban cuisine with an overlay of flavors from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Puerto Rico. Like La Trova, the kitchen is helmed by Michelle Bernstein, who’s partnered with her husband David Martinez to bring us a savory dining experience with solid rum-forward cocktails and live music every day and night of the week. It’s also incredibly accommodating for large groups. Beyond its industrial interior, designed to feel like a tropical rum distillery, lies a perfect view of the Bayside Marina and bay, making this the Cuban restaurant with the best view in Miami.

  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Olympia Heights

If Little Havana is for tourists, Westchester, where this Cuban diner is located, is strictly for locals. And that’s just who you’ll find here, tucking into extra-large portions of rice, black beans and more Cuban comfort food. Rio Cristal is known for its palomilla steak covered in a mountain of french fries, so definitely get that. You won’t finish it, and you may not even like it, but you’ll avoid a serious case of food FOMO.

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  • Restaurants
  • Cuban
  • Flagami
  • price 1 of 4

This no-frills Cuban restaurant in West Miami is known more for its coffee window and take-out hot chocolate than its Cuban food, which is actually decent. People line up here as soon as the temperature dips below 60 degrees. The reason for the crowds? La Palma’s thick hot chocolate and churros, neither of which do much to keep you warm but man, are they rico.

Almost always teeming with tourists, Puerto Sagua is about the only place to get your Cuban fix in South Beach. It’s held court on the same corner of Collins Avenue since the 1960s, serving Latin standards for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Grab a Cubano to enjoy on the sand (Puerto Sagua is two blocks from the beach) or look around at what everyone else is having and point—you can bet whatever’s on the table will satisfy your urge for Cuban food in Miami if you don’t feel like schlepping it onto the mainland. 

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