Since 1979 Caribe Café Restaurant has been serving phenomenal Cuban dishes at 3953 N.W. 7th Street. I have been a loyal patron of this Caribe location for over 30 years. Since Juan Jose Alvarado purchased it in 2005, it has undergone a massive renovation.
Alvarado moved this location away from its Cuban dive-ish tendencies to a cleaner and more reputable restaurant. Juan Jose Alvarado, who once worked at Sergio’s, was involved with the secret recipe for Sergio’s croquetas.
He has created a fantastic recipe for Caribe, definitely one of the best croquetas in South Florida. Their menu runs the gamut of all your favorite Cuban dishes, from the Palomilla Especial Caribe to the Cubano Especial Sandwich.
But, of course, the Cubano Especial Sandwich is the most popular sandwich on their menu; by looking at it, you can see why (ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, & mustard). It is much larger than just the regular Cubano or its brother, the Medianoche, served on sweet bread.
Another favorite of mine is the Cuban Milanesa, available in two styles. You can either go the steak or chicken route with this dish.
The steak or chicken is pounded thin, breaded, and then pan-fried. It’s topped with ham and thick slices of Swiss cheese, which are then melted.
If that’s not delicious enough, they add some parmesan cheese to it for the finish—decadence at its finest.
There are also daily food specials and an atmosphere you can only get in a real deal Cuban restaurant. There are 6 locations in Miami to choose from, and IMHO, Caribe Cafe Restaurant is one you need to visit.
Caribe Cafe Restaurant Locations
| 3953 NW 7th Street – Miami, FL, 33126 |
| 8228 W Flagler Street – Miami, FL 33144 |
| 285 NW 27th Avenue – Miami, FL 33125 |
| 2660 SW 137 Avenue – Miami, FL 33175 |
| 9712 SW 24 Street – Miami, FL 33165 |
| 1750 West 68th Street – Hialeah, FL 33012 |
More Caribe Food Pics
I’ve never had the pollo a la plancha from Caribe Cafe.
Looks amazing!
Seeing the perfectly sliced/uniform mariquitas reminded me of my old favorite Villa Habana 3398 Coral Way (now gone—but they must have lost their long-time chef before they closed because the food went down). They had the best black beans I ever tasted, and the mariquitas with the garlic/lemon was perfection! My favorite was bistec de pollo a la plancha (sniffle) . . .