Best Places in US to Find Authentic Cuban Food

Cuban cuisine results from Native American, Spanish, African, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Caribbean roots and influences and relies heavily upon basic spices, root vegetables, and citrus juices, according to the University of Miami.

With the great influx of Cuban immigrants to the U.S. (particularly in Florida), a myriad of Cuban restaurants have sprung up and sought to withstand the tests of time, taste, and authenticity.

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Below are six of the best restaurants that the U.S. has to offer those in pursuit of an authentic Cuban experience:

1. El Palacio De Los Jugos (The Juice Palace)

Located in Miami, this family-friendly restaurant offers lower prices for high quality Cuban cuisine and is well-known for its lechón asado (roast pork), pescado de aguja (fish), and its exotic juices.

2. Havana 1957

This lovely Miami restaurant combines the traditional foods and flavors of Cuban fare with the atmospheric enchantment and class of Cuba during the 1950’s, according to its website.

3. Puerto Sagua

This long-standing Miami restaurant offers late dining hours for patrons to enjoy traditional Cuban comfort food and is well-known for its shrimp in garlic sauce and Cuban sandwiches.

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4. La Caridad

Not all authentic Cuban restaurants are located in Miami. This Los Angeles joint hearkens back to the first wave of Cuban immigrants that settled in L.A. in the 1960’s and is particularly known for its ropa vieja (flank steak cooked in a tomato sauce base) that is served shredded with garlic yucca.

5. Porto’s Bakery and Cafe

Porto’s, which as locations in Southern California in Burbank, Glendale, and Downey, is an extremely popular family-owned business that originated in 1960. Founder Rosa Porto was a talented baker in Cuba working to support her three children with her husband before her family immigrated to California.

Porto’s is especially renowned for its authentic Cuban pastries and baked goods, including guava-stuffed sweet pastries, fired potato balls, and café con leche.

6. Victor’s Café

Located in New York City, Victor’s Café is a family-owned restaurant that has sought to combine authentic Cuban cuisine with the changing times during the past 50 years. It’s been a classy NYC landmark frequented by celebrities and Broadway theater-goers alike since the Del Corral family founded it in the 60’s. It’s often referred to as the “granddaddy” of Cuban cuisine and is renowned for its gazpacho soups and Cuban custards.

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