I have never been to a CAO bakery before but since I moved out of Little Havana to here, I have been craving some pastellitos. I got it Togo. I order pastellitos de guava, their baked chicken empanadas and pan de bono. I also got a cafe con leche. The service was fast and quick and the coffee was warm and yummy. There are sitting areas if you wanna dine in. I'm looking forward to coming back again. read more

Decent pastries and prices. Will return to try some of their other foods and comment on them

I like stopping by for the coffee. I normally get the cafe con leche and its perfect. It is addictive. CAO is one of my favorite bakeries. It is my go to place when I am invited out for dinner. I stop here and get one of those assorted pastry trays to bring. They make the perfect appetizer. I also get them for me when I hold any event in my home. They normally have them displayed by the counter and have a variety of them to choose from. The desserts here all look so good. It is so hard to just get one. The bakery also makes good sandwiches and some food items. I have had the cuban sandwich before and it was good. The service was fast. It is a nice bakery. The decorations are nice inside. I liked the place read more

So, I've come here a couple of times and enjoyed it, but on this Saturday morning visit, there was an odd taste to the pastelitos--particularly the beef ones. I ordered six ham croquetas which were perfect, plus three each of guava & cream cheese, guava and beef. We couldn't pinpoint it, but we ended up having to throw away half of the pastelitos. We'll give them another chance, but the rating today is only for the good customer service. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Stopped by here thinking I would try a latte but they didn't have any speciality drinks which I prefer to have especially while traveling. We ended up getting pan de bono but they were cold. I just assumed they would be wanted since everywhere else I've had them here in Jersey they have been. Pretty spacious place to sit down and enjoy what you get but we took the 2 to go. Lots of parking. Good service. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

An Cuban bakery spawned from the Vicky Bakery family. Already had an oatmeal raisin cookie nearby and was hunting for a good cup of espresso so noticed this CAO cafe in the end unit of the Del Mar plaza with adequate free parking. The pastries all looked amazing but was here for only one purpose, a hot espresso and for only $1.49 it easily overshadows other cafes in the area. Plenty of seating inside the dining room or the covered outside patio but chose to take it to go and it went down smooth. The gender assigned bathroom was clean and modern, although the toilet seat almost ripped off upon lifting it due to a missing screw. read more

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I was driving home when at the corner of my eye I saw the sign that said CAO and I knew I had to stop. I was pretty hungry and knew exactly what I was going to order. Walked in to a clean and tidy space, service was very friendly and ordered the Croqueta preparada, some Croquetas, and to top it off... guava and cheese pastries. CAO is a staple in our household and I'm never on this side of town so it was nice to stop on, grab one of my favorite comfort meals, and indulge on my drive home. read more

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CAO offers a satisfying selection of coffee, sandwiches, and traditional baked goods at fair and affordable prices. Alongside their sandwich options, they also serve classic Cuban dishes, adding depth to their menu. The restaurant is counter style service, you order pay and they bring the food to your table. On our visit, we tried the smash burger sandwich and the ropa vieja. The sandwich was flavorful and well-seasoned, served on toasted Cuban bread that gave it a comforting, homemade feel. The ropa vieja was enjoyable, though it could benefit from a touch of fresh ingredients to elevate the flavor and brightness of the dish. The atmosphere at CAO is vibrant and colorful, and the space is clean and welcoming, making for an enjoyable dining experience overall. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Pastele Empanadita de Guava - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

It's not what they used to be. I ordered cartadito with evaporated milk and a Cuban sandwich, I saw them heat the sandwich in a microwave and told the lady that was not how a Cuban sandwich is heated. She responded not to worry that she was going to put in the plancha. The sandwich was not crispy and the cortaditos lacked leche evaporada which I paid extra for. They didn't acknowledge their mistakes. Not coming back. There is another Cuban bakery not far at the las olas boulevard read more

We were having a baby shower and wanted to add special desserts to our catered menu. My daughter lives in Atlanta and unable to pastilitos etc. They did an amazing job putting together the trees and delivered to the party. Sandra was incredible. She could not have been any more helpful and sweeter. read more

Stopped here on the way to the airport to grab treats for the trip. We ordered a bunch of the ham croquetas, guava and cheese and coconut pastries. We also ordered cortaditos to go. The coffee was exceptional and all of the food was fresh. I will definitely come back here to try more! read more

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Fresh! Baked throughout the day. I love the customer service. Nothing beats the café con leche. It's the right balance of sugar and caffeeine read more

For Christmas, I placed another advance order with Cao Bakery, and I would love to especially recognize Sandra. From the moment she answered the phone, she was gracious, patient, and attentive, taking the time to ensure that every detail of my order was absolutely perfect. Her professionalism, warmth, and genuine care made the entire experience seamless and truly enjoyable during such a busy holiday season. I have a deep appreciation for Cao Bakery. Although I have never visited in person, they have never disappointed me. Their consistency, quality, and thoughtful attention to detail always elevate my celebrations and make every occasion feel exceptional read more

Quiero darle las gracias de todo corazón a Del Valle, la talentosa cocinera del bakery Cao. Cada día, ella prepara con tanto cariño el pan con tortilla y su famoso sándwich de croqueta preparada, que es una delicia. Gracias por cada detalle y por hacer que cada visita sea una experiencia deliciosa."Gracias read more

Hi, I wanted to bring something to your attention. The staff at your Fort Lauderdale location on Federal Highway has been extremely disappointing. They don't prepare cafecito the proper Cuban way -- they're just pulling an espresso shot and adding sugar after, which is not authentic at all. As someone who just moved back to South Florida, I was excited to find a true Cuban bakery that makes cafecito the way my abuela did. Unfortunately, this feels completely Americanized, and it doesn't reflect the "Cuban American original" you claim to be. Please address this with the team at that location. Their lack of care is giving the bakery a bad reputation, and I'd really love to see this spot live up to its name. read more

"Tuve una experiencia maravillosa en CAO Bakery. Jessica me atendió de manera excepcional, siempre amable y atenta. La atención al cliente y la amabilidad de Jessica son realmente inigualables. Además, el café con leche que prepara está delicioso y me encanta que lo haga diario. También, la supervisora es muy amable y atenta. ¡Recomiendo este lugar al 100% por su excelente servicio y calidez!" Gracias read more

Jessica and Nathaly are the ones who usually take care of me, but in general all the girls are very friendly and attentive. Not to mention the delicious food since I go there so often, they already know I love the churrasco and exactly how I like it, 100%. read more

One of my favorite bakeries and conveniently located for when I need a Cuban coffee! It's clean, the staff is kind and welcoming every time I come and the service is speedy! Couldn't ask for a better experience. Clean and quiet inside ¡Una de mis panaderías favoritas y convenientemente ubicada para cuando necesito un café cubano! ¡Está limpio, el personal es amable y acogedor cada vez que vengo y el servicio es rápido! No podría pedir una experiencia mejor read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Iced Coffee - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

They need to take more pride on the way they make their coffees/expressos and be more patient when a customer is trying to decide on what to order. read more

Ordered from Uber Eats. Unfortunately, they don't offer a notes area because I didn't want the fries at all. Ordered the two eggs breakfast ham sandwich. I thought it was gonna come with slices of ham, but it's chopped ham. The order was huge and seemed like there were 4 to 5 eggs in the order. Bread comes in two slices and was very buttered. Too much for my taste. It also doesn't give you an option to ask for ketchup and they won't give you ketchup with it unless you request it by phone. The eggs were made very fluffy and moist. I didn't eat the fries. But the bread was very buttered in the middle. This portion was so big it can easily feed over two people. What I order here again? I would probably find another place to try it out since this wasn't too bad or too good. Besides the eggs, this breakfast is way too heavy for my taste. No napkins included whatsoever nor ketchup and we had to call in for it the ketchup but didn't realize we also had to ask for napkins in the order. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Scrambled ham eggs, breakfast sandwich. It was huge and can easily feed two super hungry people. - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Cortadito in La Carreta or any other authentic ventanita is incredible, The one here is made with over roasted coffee beans which is common in cheap coffee beans, watery, no body or creaminess. Pastries look great but taste a bit stale, vegetable shortening, no attractive flavors. The quality of their ingredients could be a lot better, not cheap, not very authentic compared to others. read more

Great empanadas, guava pastelitos and cafecitas. There were many more options in the bakery I would go back for

Wow wow wow. This place is a different breed, talk about FAST. I've frequented CAO in South Fl but found myself nearby for work and I'm glad I stopped by. I was greeted and helped by Jose who expeditiously and accurately took my order. I indulged in a cortadito that was the s right amount of Java (instead of some bakery's attempt at milk and sugar) a Pan de Bono and a Nutella pastry. Everything was delicious and hot. The place was very clean and feels like a nice spot for a meeting or a coffee boost. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Delicious and varied pastry selection. - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

My go to for a cafecito in the late afternoon when I news that rush and a coconut pastry. The girls are l very nice taking your order

Although the customer service is great the food is terrible the only thing good here is the empanadas and colada. On one occasion I order a chicken sandwich it was not good at all today I decided to give them another try, I ordered a steak it was the worst tasting steak I've had in a long time no seasoning no love just plan disgusting. Sad because the miami locations are amazing. read more

Always a great stop for some delicious Cuban snacks. I've gotten boxes of pastelitos for meetings and visiting friends multiple times. They are all great. I love their guava to pastry ratio. The cheese are my favorite. Their coladas are great too. If you've never had Colada, it's dark, rich espresso mixed with a ton of sugar for a sweet treat that can be best described as rocket fuel. They have a variety of sandwiches and other baked goods to choose from. Traditional Cuban toast is my go to if I'm looking for a quick breakfast. Really glad to have this Miami staple setting up shop in Fort Lauderdale. read more

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Lol. What a joke. If you want actual Cuban food, with Cuban culture and service.... This is *not* it. We waited close to 20 min for a Cuban sandwich that wasn't even pressed and was pretty much just reheated from the cold case. And that was twice after inquiring about our order. And no, this place had like 2 other small groups (aka 3 or less people) here. My Abuela would flip her shit coming here. read more

Not sure how anyone could rate the breakfast sandwiches as good. The eggs used were gross. The "fried" egg for the bagel sandwich and the "scrambled" eggs for cuban were unlike any I've seen. The fried eggs were like a slimy poached version. The scrambled were like the film you'd scrape from the bottom of a pan. Really bad. Ham and bread were decent so I gave one extra star. I shall not be back. read more

If you need a platter for an event, CAO is the spot! This location is in the Plaza Del Mar shopping center. I always see CAO from the road but I was happy to finally be able to stop in. I placed an order for a platter online the day before and it was ready to go for me when I got there. I was surprised at how spacious this location was since I'm used to bakeries like this being quite small and crowded. They had both indoor and outdoor seating with a very cute patio. The platter was perfect with a mix of mini versions of their pastries. While we were there, we also had to try some of their sandwiches! With the staff's recommendation, we tried the Pollo Milanesa & Medio Dia. If you like items that are sweet and savory, I recommend the Media Dia! It's basically a sandwich with the guava and queso pastry as the bread- SO GOOD. read more

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Food not a fan I had a plain tortilla sandwich how can you mess that up and I know eggs are expensive but darn I wanted to feel and taste the egg on that sandwich and at least have it toasted but no not toasted the empanada was ok had better. Service rushed and we took it to go. Not a fan wished it had been better. read more

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This place gets busy and rightfully so! The bakery items can sell out pretty quickly, but they have so many things for you to choose from. We have been here many times but this time we ordered a Cuban sandwich, a cheese tequeno, and croquettas. There's a chalkboard near the restrooms that they allow customers to write on. I always add my instagram handle for more traffic to my nail business and it works! There's indoor and outdoor seating, the outside area is nicely shaded and the seats are comfortable. I love sipping my cafecito out there and reading a book. read more

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Amazing variety of desserts as well as savory treats. The best flan in town! Always clean and inviting ambiance. Service is not always great, but worth the wait since their food is consistently wonderful. read more

A few of us stopped by here this past weekend for a quick bite to eat. We were served croquettes that were still frozen in the middle. We mentioned it to the staff and they took our croquettes, including a half eaten one, back to the kitchen, microwaved them, and served us the same ones. I don't even think that's allowed in regards to food safety. We were about to mention our empanadas we're served cold out of the hot case, but we noticed one of the staff members fixing her shoe with her gloves on, grasping the bottom/soles, and continues to packaged up an order for another customer... Same dirty gloves, on and all. We tossed out our food and left. This was our second visit, worse than our first, but definitely our last. read more

Their cheese pastelitos are the bomb! Literally my favorite thing at the moment. The empanadas can use some work... they look good but were disappointing. I had the regular chicken and it was veryyyyyy salty. Almost inedible. The fried chicken was veryyyyyy dry m. Not sure what's going on there but I wish they would improve on those fillings. Prices are amazing! Love this place and definitely a staple on my go to spot lists read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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I got a loaf of Cuban bread. It wasn't the absolute best I've had, but it was leaps and bounds better than Publix! I'll get it again.

CAO is okay. It's near Trader Joe's so it was on my way. I usually go to the one in Hollywood (which gets a much better rating) but I was in the area and I was hungry. I don't speak Spanish so I just point at what I'd like. They don't have exactly the same things as the one in Hollywood, though and so they didn't have the ham thing that I mostly wanted. But they had other things that were good. Cuban food is always good, so nothing will make you run away screaming. It's in the same spot where Rubio's used to be. It's a large restaurant with plenty of free parking. And it's right on Federal Hwy, so the location is excellent. read more

Great Cuban bakery. My go to Cuban bakery since they opened roughly a year ago. Old school meets new school with this Cuban bakery. A new generation of bakers takes over creating traditional Cuban eats and treats. But making some items with a new/modern twist. CAO Bakery has several locations. This location is big, bright and clean. It has indoor and covered outdoor seating. It's located in a plaza with sufficient parking. The staff is friendly and helpful. The food at this location is always fresh and tasty. The pastelitos (pastries) are well-made and filled to the rim. The desserts are delectable and sold by the slice or the whole cake. The breakfast, lunch and snack bites are also delightful. Some of my go to faves: Pastelitos - beef, guava & cheese Desserts - flan cheesecake & rum cake Breakfast - breakfast sandwich Lunch - pan con churrasco Snack - ropa vieja papa rellana Visit a location near you and pick your favorites. read more

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Food is always good sometimes a bit bland. Order on app sometimes in-person can be busy.

We got hooked on this place during the pandemic and it WAS great, but the quality and service have declined consistently. The Cuban Sandwich has gotten smaller, they don't press it long enough even when asked, and the counter staff almost always gets something wrong. Today it was that I asked for extra pickles, and instead it came with NO pickles, no mayo and no mustard, and the meat was all piled in the center. Never again. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - A poorly prepared Cuban sandwich. - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

A friend who is Cuban invited me here to have some coffee here. He had a coffee cortadito and I had a cafe con leche. He goes here often, and he is very picky, being a former restaurant manager. My cafe con leche was very tasty, I just added a little sugar. They serve lots of South American goodies, but we didn't order any, so I can't comment on the food. The thing that bothered me was that the eating area was not that very clean. People left tables and nobody came to wipe them down, and it wasn't busy. The area with the sugar and mixers also needed to be cleaned up. The floor needed to be swept. I didn't know that this place was a chain, but there are other locations. I would try the place again, and hopefully it will be cleaner next time. read more

CAO Bakery & Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida