Where To Eat & What To Order
We'll give you a FREE paperback version of the Dining Guide when you do Miami To The Max!
Miami To The Max! is TripAdvisor's #1 day tour in Little Havana. It has been recommended by Royal Caribbean, Airbnb, Expedia, and thousands of travelers around the world. (You can learn more about the tour here.)
The Little Havana Dining Guide is divided four sections:
1. Describing the cuisine
2. Popular menu items
3. Cuban food glossary
4. Places to eat
How To Describe Cuban Cuisine
Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba on October 28, 1492. As a result, Cuban food is influenced by Spanish, Jamaican, Haitian, and Chinese cuisine.Cuban cuisine is simple and nourishing. The flavors are savory, a little salty, but never spicy. Because of the island’s climate, tropical fruits and root vegetables are used in many dishes (plantains, yucca, boniato, malanga, potatoes, beans).
Pressed sandwiches, stews, and rice dishes with chicken and pork are the basis of most meals
Our Favorite Cuban Dishes Found At These Local Restaurants
El Pub ~ El Cristo ~ El Exquisito ~ Old's Havana
* Prices are approximateAppetizers
CALDO GALLEGO - White bean soup $3EMPANADA - Baked pastry filled with shredded chicken, ground beef, or spinach & cheese $3
CROQUETTES - Filled with ham and cheese $3
MARIQUITAS - Plantain chips with garlic dipping sauce $4
TOSTONES RELLENOS - Stuffed green plantains with Beef or Shrimp $10
HOUSE SALAD- Greens, tomato, onion, oil & vinegar dressing $5
AVOCADO SALAD- Sliced Florida avocado, onion, oil & vinegar dressing $5
Side Orders
ARROZ BLANCO - White rice $2FRIJOLES NEGROS - Black beans $3
ARROZ MOROS - Rice and beans mix $3
MADUROS - Sauteed sweet plantains -$3
TOSTONES - Fried plantains $4
YUCA CON MOJO - Mashed yuca with garlic sauce $3
YUCA FRITA - Fried yuca $3
PURE DE PAPA - Mashed potatoes $3
VEGETABLES - Steamed vegetables $3
Pressed Sandwiches
CUBAN SANDWICH - Roasted pork, sliced ham, melted Swiss cheese, mustard, pickles on toasted Cuban bread $10STEAK SANDWICH - Famous grilled steak sandwich on toasted Cuban bread, with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato $10
PORK SANDWICH - Roasted pork on toasted Cuban bread, with grilled onions. $10
MEDIA NOCHE - Ham sandwich with melted Swiss cheese on a sweet egg roll, with mustard and pickles $10
Beef
PALOMILLA - Grilled flank steak with grilled onions. $13ROPA VIEJA - Cuban-style shredded beef stew with potatoes, onions, carrots, and peas $13
VACA FRITA - Shreaded flank steak topped with sauteed onions $13
CHURRASCO - Grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce $15
PICADILLO - Sauteed ground beef with tomatoes, peppers, and green olives $13
Pork
LECHON ASADO - Roasted, savory pulled pork. $11MASITAS DE CREDO - Diced pork, seasoned with tropical spices, served with garlic mojo sauce. $12
Chicken
ARROZ CON POLLO - Yellow rice casserole with shredded chicken and peas $11BISTEC DE POLLO - Grilled chicken breast topped with grilled onions. $11
CHICKEN MILANESA - Breaded chicken breast topped with ham, melted mozzeralla cheese, and tomato sauce. $14
VACA FRITA DE POLLO - Grilled shredded chicken breast topped with grilled onions. $11
POLLO SALTEADO - Sauteed chicken strips with peppers and onions. $12
Seafood
FISH OR SHRIMP - Your choice of Creole-style or garlic sauce $14PAELLA - Yellow rice casserole, with seafood and shellfish, allow 20 minutes. For 2: $45
Desserts
FLAN - Baked custard with caramel syrup $4TRES LECHES - Pound cake topped with sweet milk, topped with merengue and cherry $5
AROZ CON LECHE - Rice pudding with sweet milk and cinnamon $5
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Cuban Food Glossary
Spanish foodie terms you should know:AZUCAR - Sugar
BONIATO - Sweet potato mashed
CACAHUATE - Peanuts - listen for the peanut vendor shouting "kaka-wate"
CAFE CUBABO - Espresso coffee and sugar
COLADA - 5 shots of espresso served in a styrofoam cup, along with smaller cups, meant to be shared
CORTADITO - Espresso coffee with steamed milk
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE - Garlic, parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar sauce
CUBA LIBRE - White rum, lime juice, Coca-Cola
DULCE DE LECHE - Sweet caramel sauce
FRITA - Cuban-style hamburger with shoestring potatoes
FUFÚ - Mashed plantains, with garlic and shredded pork, similar to mofongo
GUARAPERA - A sugarcane-grinding machine to make sugarcane juice, a main precursor to rum
HATUEY - Cuban beer (bottled in USA)
HELADO - ice cream
MALTA - Carbonated soft drink, brewed from barley and hops
MAMEY - Tropical fruit, with a flavor described as a mix of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries
MOJO SAUCE - Orange juice, garlic, onion, and cumin
PAN CON BISTEC - Steak sandwich
PAPAS FRITAS - French fries
PASTELITO - Pastry filled with cheese and guava fruit
PURE DE PAPAS - Mashed potatoes
SANGRIA - Spanish fruit punch, made with red wine and chopped fruit
TORTILLA - In Latin America, a “tortilla" refers to an egg omelet
TRES LECHES - Pound cake, with meringue and sweet milk.
YUCA (CASSAVA) - Starchy root vegetable, pronounced “joo-kah”
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Where To Eat
Listed by who we drive by first:1. El Pub - 1548 SW 8 St; Phone 305-642-9942
2. El Cristo - 1543 SW 8 St; Phone 305-643-9992
3. El Exquisito - 1510 SW 8 St; Phone 305-643-0227
4. Ball & Chain - 1513 SW 8 St; Phone 305-643-7820
5. Old's Havana - 1442 SW 8 St; Phone 786-518-2196
6. Pollo Tropical - 1277 SW 8 St; Phone 305-856-9221
More Places in Walking Distance
● Cuban Bakery - 1356 SW 8 St; Phone 305-856-8141● Sanguich Miami - 2057 SW 8 St; Phone 305-539-0969
● El Rey De Las Fritas - 1821 SW 8 St; Phone 305-541-8949
● Ahi Sushi Bar - 1527 SW 8 St; Phone 786-99-0779
● Market Deli - 1305 SW 8 St; Phone 305-854-1916
● Azucar Ice Cream - 1503 SW 8 St; Phone 305-381-0369
● El Rey De Las Fritas - 1821 SW 8 St; Phone 305-541-8949
● Pizza Hut - 1529 SW 8 St; Phone 305-642-4411
● Subway - 1356 SW 8 St; Phone 305-541-8455
● McDonalds - 1400 SW 8 St; Phone 305-285-0974
● Fruit Market - 1334 SW 8 St; Phone 305-85-1135
Noteworthy Cuban Restaurants (Not Within Walking)
● Puerto Sagua - 700 Collins Ave; Phone 305-673-1115● La Carreta - 3632 SW 8 St; Phone 305-444-7501
● Versailles - 3501 SW 8th St; Phone 305-441-2500
● Café La Trova - 971 SW 8 St; Phone 786-615-4379
● The Local Cuban at Timeout Market - 1601 Drexel Ave; Phone 786-753-5388
What you should do now
1. If you would like us to be your Little Havana tour guide — to dramatically improve the safety and satisfaction for everyone in your group (like we did for all these people), then call us at 305-260-6855. On this free phone consultation, Michelle, Monica, or Carolina will discuss your needs and suggest strategies to save money. We can do everything from a Little Havana food tour, to a sit down meal and one of our favorite restaurants.2. If you are traveling alone, or with a small group, we encourage you to come do the Miami To The Max half-day tour of the city (not private). We stop for lunch, right near the Domino Park Visitor Center. After, people often say, it was the best thing they did on vacation. Go here and view the options.
3. If you are still in the planning stage, use our "Planning" zone to learn about everything from private charter rates and dining options to travel itineraries, site inspections, and fun things to do.
4. If you enjoyed this dining guide, then so will your friends, so why not copy the URL and share it on Facebook and Email:
https://miamitourcompany.com/foodie-guide-to-little-havana
