5 beloved Cuban restaurants in Miami

After a venerable four-decade history in the community, David’s Café went out of business during the pandemic – and then popped right back up in the Shelborne. Now the second generation-run restaurant still serves the same great Cuban sandwiches, cafés con leche, and batidos (milkshakes), just from a spot in the hotel lobby instead.

Owned and run by the Garcia family since 1977, Islas Canarias is as dependable as thunderstorms in the tropics. Cuban and Spanish dishes include a homemade tamal, yellow rice with chicken and sweet plantains, and meatballs Catalan style, served with rice and house-cooked potato chips.

This isn’t your abuela’s Cuban restaurant. Dishes like yuca-lote (yuca prepared like Mexican street corn) and guava pollo barbacoa (guava-smoked half chicken with spicy guava jus) take the building blocks of Cuban cuisine and jazz them up for modern times. Look for the vintage car out front. A second location is in Bayside.

Order a mojito and frita sliders. Or tuck into a Coco Loco and a plate of ham, chorizo or cheese croquetas. End on a sweet note with arroz con mango. Whether you’re looking for authentic Cuban or reinvented, Calle 23 has it on the menu. And its live salsa will get you on the dance floor.

From ham croquetas and maraquitas (plantain chips with garlicky mojo) to main courses of lechon asado (roasted pork) and picadillo (ground beef) with Creole sauce, the classics are all represented at this long-standing favorite. Formally dressed servers are quick to greet families and serve Cuban rolls.