The best Cuban food in Miami for ropa vieja, vaca frita, Cubanos and cafecito

Only one restaurant can make Miamians from all corners of Dade County drive into the deepest depths of West Kendall just for croquetas, and that’s Islas Canarias. They’re so popular, the Miami-Dade commission named an entire street after them. And though this is incontestably the restaurant’s flagship dish, this establishment has been whipping out impeccable family recipes since 1977, like their succulently garlicky palomilla hidden under a bed of glazed onions.

Time Out tip: Pair your main with a side of their arroz morro cooked with pork rinds, which you can also order at the café and bakery just a mile away. No time to eat in? The 26th Street location touts a drive-through where the number one order is, you guessed it, croquetas.

Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop is a Wynwood institution, serving authentic Cuban breakfast and lunch in a cozy, diner-like setting. Known for their Cubano sandwich, which we’ve deemed as one of the best in Miami for its abundance of cheese and pickles, they also offer traditional dishes like ropa vieja and arroz con pollo, not to mention the only authentic ventanita in the neighborhood for a cortadito on the go.

This year, Café La Trova jumped up nine spots on the list of Top 50 Bars in the World, coming in at number 13. This is Little Havana’s thriving hotspot, where great cocktails, Cuban cuisine and live music collide for the most lively 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 master 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.

Time Out tip: Once dinner wraps, keep the party going at the 80s-themed 305 Bar in the back. 

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.

Time Out tip: Pair your meal with a round of mojitos or a pitcher of sangria (in a commemorative jarra!) and cap it off with a Cinco Leches, which is the most decadent thing to happen to the Tres Leches ever. 

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 the 95-year-old chef’s 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. 20800 SW 177th Ave

You know what tastes better in a taco? Everything, including tender lechon and savory vaca frita. In 2016, Monica “Mika” Leon launched Caja Caliente as a food truck, and today her brick-and-mortar in the Gables doles out Cuban-inspired tacos, burritos, quinoa-based bowls and recipes from her mom’s kitchen. The starters here aren’t to be missed, and if you can’t decide between the plantain balls stuffed with picadillo, empanadas or croquetas (including those from Islas Canarias), the Caja sampler satisfies all.

When U.S. presidents visit, they go to Versailles. This is Miami’s most famous Cuban restaurant, both a meeting point for the local Cuban diaspora and a pit stop for tourists looking to sink their teeth into a flaky pastelito or garlicky plate of tasajo (shredded meat). But as we know, fame and quality are distant cousins—not the same thing. The Cuban food here is just “OK,” served up in a nostalgically gaudy setting with wraparound mirrors, green upholstery and crystal chandeliers. What you’re coming here for is the restaurant's prominence, eavesdropping on the congregation that gathers to talk politics and life at the ventanita.

Time Out tip: Don't leave without ordering a piping hot colada to share with the new friends you made there.

Though its pastel pink walls and old-timey feel have been completely overhauled, including updates to the bar and the addition of a craft cocktail program, the white tablecloth service at this 50-year-old institution on 8th street remains. La Rosa is unique for an old-school joint in that you can definitely get your Cuban classics, except they’ll come garnished with herbs or edible flowers instead of a mountain of french fries or glossy onions.

Time Out tip: They offer a hearty Monday through Friday lunch special, but consider La Rosa a great spot for special occasions, particularly on Friday nights when live music fills the room.

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 yacht rock and country soundtrack, which feels oddly alright.

Time Out tip: The mains are great, but the moros (rice and black beans) here are definitely among the most notable in town, a little salty and sprinkled generously with crispy chicharrones. 

With 13 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.

Time Out tip: For special perks like free coffee and access to their secret menu, join Sergio's newly launched membership program, which will only set you back $10 monthly. 

Versailles might be “the most famous Cuban restaurant in the world,” but its sister restaurant, La Carreta, is the most likely to be visited by locals on a day to day basis. With nine locations across Dade and Broward counties, including an outpost at Miami International Airport, South Floridians can rely on La Carreta for their fill of picadillo, masitas de puerco and a hearty plate of arroz con frijoles at any hour of the day. It’s casual, no-frills and always hits the spot. 

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. 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, making this the Cuban restaurant with the best view in Miami.

Miami is short on elevation, but to find some, you can head deep into Westchester to a small Cuban diner called Rio Cristal. Their signature dish, the Bistec Rio Cristal, is a flat and fried palomilla steak buried under a heaping hill of crispy French fries. And when we say heaping, we mean you might accuse your server of forgetting to bring the meat.

Time Out tip: It’s a tall order, but save some room for dessert; their flan is among the creamiest and most decadent in town. 

Puerto Sagua is the only answer you should accept when asking, “where can I find good Cuban food in South Beach?” It’s sat at the same corner since the 1960s, on Collin and 7th, making it a go-to place to go for a juicy chicken soaked in salsa criolla or a media noche sandwich after a sunny beach day or night out partying.

Every Miamian has their go-to Cuban spot, and for many in Hialeah, Morro Castle is it. It’s as no-frills as a restaurant can be: wooden cafeteria booths and counters with vinyl swivel chairs, a simple ventanita with a steady flow of Cubanos flowing throughout the day. It’s a humble menu of essentials: bistec a la plancha, Cuban sandwiches, and what most people come here for: fritas and churros.

If you like La Trova, then you’ll also like La Cumbancha, Cantinero Julio Cabrera’s Latin-fusion restaurant in the quaint suburb of Miami Lakes. Yes, there are pizzas and pasta on the menu, but a good chunk of what’s listed are creative takes on Cuban dishes, like a Tomahawk cooked in Ironbeer soda and Cuban fried rice. Of course, when the salsa band is playing (Friday through Sunday), even eating a big bowl of spaghetti feels like a night in Havana. Pair every dish with a cantinero-crafted cocktail and you’re in for a stellar night in the ‘burbs.

You want Cuban food, but you also want to catch a vibe. Social 27 is a new addition to Calle Ocho’s Cuban food scene, but here, you’ll want to dress up a bit. A concept brought to you by the owners of Doce Provision, the menu is “Nuevo Cubano,” meaning everything here is also a bit dressed up. The croquetas are topped with caviar, the chicharones swim in an umami vinaigrette, and the vaca frita is braised for 24 hours before it’s served to you in a cast iron skillet. It’s a great spot for happy hour and late nights, as the cocktails are as fantastic as the live bands on Friday and Saturday nights. 2555 SW 8th St