Miami/ Food & Drinks
Published on December 17, 2018
Grab coffee, sandwiches and more at Miami Beach's top 4 Cuban spotsLarios On The Beach. | Photo: Elena M./Yelp 

In search of a new favorite Cuban spot? Miami Beach — specifically, South Beach — is the place to be.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Cuban spots around the city, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture next time you're on the hunt.

1. Puerto Sagua Restaurant

 PHOTO: APEX S./YELP

Topping the list is Puerto Sagua Restaurant. Located at 700 Collins Ave. in South Beach, it is the most popular Cuban restaurant in Miami Beach, boasting four stars out of 2,820 reviews on Yelp.

This spot draws beachgoers, tourists and Cuban residents, according to South Beach Magazine. Try the media noche sandwich, piled with ham, pulled pork and cheese or the roast chicken, served with black beans, rice and fried plantains. Check out the full menu here.

2. Las Olas Cafe

PHOTO: JONATHAN T./YELP

Next up is another South Beach favorite, Las Olas Cafe, situated at 644 Sixth St. With 4.5 stars out of 772 reviews on Yelp over the past ten years, the cash-only Cuban café has proven to be a local institution, with favorable writeups in the Miami New Times and elsewhere for its reasonable prices.

The Las Olas version of the signature Cuban sandwich is grilled la plancha style -- with layers of ham, roast pork and Swiss cheese expertly melted on buttered Cuban bread.

You'll also find hand-made empanadas (beef, chicken, spinach and ham and cheese), Cuban pastries (with guava and cheese), and daily specials as well as coffee and breakfast items, according to its website. See this spot's list of offerings here.

3. Moreno's Cuba

Photo: Mark H./Yelp

Moreno's Cuba, a combo bar and café, is another go-to, with four stars out of 868 Yelp reviews. Located inside South Beach's Dorchester Hotel, the all-day Cuban restaurant and bar is known for its live music and mojitos.

Many of head chef Maria Elena's dishes are inspired by family recipes; popular items include Elmo’s Vaca Frita (flank steak marinated in lime, garlic and salt and pan-seared until crispy) and shrimp al mojo (grilled in garlic and lime juice  and served with sweet pineapple chutney).

Try desserts like the guava cheesecake or crack pie (salted caramel on graham cracker crust). Check out the complete offerings here, or head over to 1850 Collins Ave. to see for yourself.

4. Larios On The Beach

Photo: HTET CHO O./Yelp

And last but not least, check out Larios On The Beach, which has earned four stars out of 826 reviews on Yelp. You can find the ocean-themed Cuban spot and event space at 820 Ocean Drive in -- you guessed it -- South Beach.

This spot, from owners Gloria and Emilio Estefan, reopened in 2014 with an updated menu that includes traditional items like the grilled seafood platter and ropa vieja as well as new dishes. 

On the updated menu, expect both smoky and sweet offerings: barbecue ribs with a guava-sweetened sauce, bacon wrapped maduros and lechón flatbread, as well as a Chino Cubano section putting a new twist on Chinese dishes like vegetable fried rice, according to the Miami New Times. (See the menu here.)