Awesome downtown spot anytime. Ask for Juancho. Best Cuban sandwich in Gainesville. I love the chicken bowl with lentils and mojo.

I had a cuban sandwich. The ham and pulled pork tasted good, albeit salty. The bread could be better. I'm willing to try other menus some other time. They have a arcade game machine where you can play the super old super pacman, galaga, and stuff. I like their interior. read more

Good late night drunk food. It's ok sober food, but nothing will compare to Portos (http://www.yelp.com/biz/portos-bakery-burbank). Bring cash. If you go after all the downtown bars and clubs are emptying out, you're going to wait. Deal with it. read more

WARNING: This place gave my friends and I terrible food poisoning. We all ordered something with chicken in it, and I'm definitely regretting it now. My other friend who was with us ordered a pork sandwich and he seems to be fine. read more

I think I could actually cry right now from how good my food was and how much I want to go back, and as I am typing this I am salivating. Maybe it's just because I'm hungry right now but I would 5/5 = 10/10 go back for some chicken Arepas. It's made so perfectly with such perfect bread. Their pastry's are to DIE FOR, the guava and feta cheese pastry, oh my goodness so delicious. I honestly can't wait till I'm back in Gainesville to go get myself some guava love in bread. I never discovered this delight till I came to this store, so I'd like to thank them for existing. The place itself was a cute little hipster theme. I went there at night out of the blue to get some food, and at first was wary, but the atmosphere was very friendly and I cannot wait to go back! read more

This is a great late-night place, highly frequented by UF students and young people in the town. This was my first time here, and I ordered an aprepa with pork. The service was very quick. The arepa is surprisingly very filling, albeit very greasy, and for great price! The establishment itself was a bit dim for my liking, but other than that, for the good food and great price, I will definitely be back if in this part of town again. read more

Absolutely loved the pork burrito with pineapple-chipotle sauce. Incredible!! Forget El Indo and Burrito Bros., there's a new king in town! One of the best burritos I've had, seriously! Wife had the beef burrito with avacado-garlic and loved it. read more

Is it a bit on the expensive side? Yes. Is it the best Cuban I've had in Gainesville? Yes. The Cuban sandwich from this place is unparalleled. Extra points for this place is really close to downtown and stays open till late into the night - perfect for the late night munchies after partying downtown. read more

Ain't nothing like late night @ Flaco's two words: THE GATOR That's all you need to get there.... read more

The sandwiches here are very good but their cuban coffee leaves something to be desired. There are also issues with the staff, most, but not all, have a holier than thou attitude that has seemed to rub a lot of people the wrong way. read more

Good price and friendly staff. Be careful someone came to me and said that she is hungry and asked for cash just be careful. They open 11-2 am around 1.30 am, flacos is PACKED read more

Mediocre ropa vieja sandwich, and a little pricy too for the size. I say mediocre because there was nothing flavorful at all and was surprised to pay in excess of 9$ for small portions. Long line, so maybe their other stuff is good. read more

Their guava pastries don't even use guava paste. They use strawberry jam and think no one will notice.

I was there late one night after a show and heard some strange warbling in the back. After ten minutes I realized they were playing Radiohead covers back there. I dunno how you do an acoustic version of Idioteque, but it happened. They have Sriracha sauce on the tables. God help me if I ever find it at the store, because I'm going to inject that shit. read more

We went to Flaco's last Wednesday because they had outdoor dining and live entertainment. I had one of the best Cuban sandwiches I have ever eaten, and the entertainment was fun! There were drink specials on a local ale and sangria, too. The staff were polite and friendly, and the restaurant and outdoor dining area all complied with distancing, capacity, and other COVID guidelines. I will definitely stop at Flaco's next time I am in town! read more

There isn't a sandwich on their menu that I would turn my nose up at. I love the Jill's special which is very Thanksgiving Dinnerish complete with turkey, cranberries, and other deliciousness. The Cuban is delicious as well as others that were passed around the table in our group. There is plenty of food and the sandwiches will keep you full! The food comes up fast as well and they have ample seating. I wish I could have packed the entire Flaco's restaurant into my luggage and brought it back to San Diego with me! read more

Flaco's reminds me of the Halal cart in New York's midtown--its busiest hours are lunch, dinner, and then sometime between 1:30 and 2 am when people line up for their drunk food fix. I had the pork taco ($2) from the part in the back, and it was amazing. Very flavorful and juicy. I was still thinking about it the next day! They do stop serving beer in the am, however, so it's definitely a place to wind down the night. read more

What keeps me coming back? Late night cuban food! Who doesn't like empanadas and arepas. The later you get there, there may be a nice wait because they do get pretty popular with the late night crowd. I can't really tell if I like the food better than Mi Apa why would you have to choose? I've also had the cuban sandwich there and can't complain read more

Cuban sandwich is the bomb. Do people still say that??? Probably not but I just did!!! The juice running down my hand as I bit into the crunchy bread was amazing. Service is ehhhh otherwise I would give it 4 stars. read more

Rarely do I give any restaurant 5 stars because there is always a little bit of a downside to every restaurant, but Flaco's actually rocked it. Today I visited this noteworthy Cuban Café and was absolutely floored with how awesome this little place was!! The service was great: 2 wonderful gentlemen were running the place and were so friendly; the scenery along with unusual vibes given off by their artwork really gives this Cuban food spot an individualistic attitude. The food was nothing short of perfect: along with their pink sriracha, the burrito was out of this world. I slightly over-ordered because of my excitement and also got a Ropa Arepa, apparently a hot pick for locals. 100% will be returning, no questions asked. read more

Flaco's Cuban Bakery - Burrito and Ropa Arepa - Bakeries Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Love this place I always come here when I in town great stop open pretty late also a must try

Humans words can not describe the pure bliss of their tacos and arepas, so I won't be using them. Zorp g'lja id's whizpla flub istana. Zree fligh l'kji frum pleghj chubb led! FRINHKS! read more

Love this place! Great variety of sandwiches/tacos/and burritos. They are open late which makes it easy to grab a bite to eat after a night out at midtown or downtown. The owner and staff are very friendly. read more

Food was amazingly delicious and perfectly seasoned. Small menu but what's there is good. 5 picnic tables for seating in downtown. Very casual and informal. Local college hangout and prices. Far from fancy but tasty food. read more

Decent food if you are in the area. Had a sandwich that was good. Prices were good too. Certainly don't avoid it based on other reviews if you are in the mood for Cuban food. read more

I have no clue how a place with meat this amazing thrives in animal-loving, PETA-membership-toting Gainesville. It's gotta be the drunk college students because Flaco's, specializing in Latin American street food, makes the most perfect grub to follow up a night of cheap beer and and a questionable number of shots. And it's awesome while sober too. Try the outstanding Cuban sandwich. As reviewers before me have said, the amazing bread crisps up perfectly on the outside and remains soft on the inside. Bangin' arepas with the tastiest roasted pork sandwiched between griddled corn cakes. Delicious puff pastry filled with guava jam and cream cheese. And the plates... oh, the plates. Deliciously tender ropa vieja or roasted pork piled high atop rice and served with perfectly spiced lentils. I was dreaming about the ropa vieja for months after my first visit to this Central Florida college town. To note, Flaco's has great, smart 'n sassy staff and also hosts some great musicians occasionally in their back room. I could only wish for a place this wonderful near where I went to college. Then again, I might've put on a lot more than the Freshman 15. read more

One of the workers yelled at me and my friend and accused us of stealing someone's order. He yelled at us, cursed at us and ruined our visit. He also slammed his fist on the counter and seemed ready to physically fight us. Management did very little to step in and mediate the situation. Very disrespectful to everyone in our party. read more

I found myself at Flaco's one night when a friend and I were hungry and thought it would be a good time to check out the new corner food joint. I had a few things here and there, some of which were okay and others that were great. I ordered the Empanadas... beef, chicken and I believe a spinach one. These were all mediocre. I've had the best of the best at the MiraCali Bakery (check my review) in NY so it's hard for any other empanada to compete. Of course, these empanadas were different on the grounds that Flaco's is a Cuban Bakery but all in all, the empanadas made the hunger go away, nothing more. A few things to note, Cuban empanadas are flakier than Colombian empanadas. I also have noticed that Cuban empanadas are not stuffed with as much meat and are not as flavorful. I would probably get one again if I went to Flaco's but I'm still stuck on the Colombian empanadas in NY. One thing that Flaco's has down along with any other Cuban Bakery are the Guava and Cheese turnovers. I have been a fan of guava since I was in a cradle and to combine this delicious fruit or fruit spread with cheese is truly a gift from the heavens. For this, I do appreciate the flakier outside because that's the way a pastry should be made... flaky, sweet, and delicious. About Flaco's and its' set-up, it's literally on the corner of University Ave and 2nd. A good thing is that Flaco's is open late so it caters to the night owl students of Gainesville. However, this being the case, beware of going when the clubs get out because you will find yourself waiting in a line for days. There isn't much space on the inside and by way of that, the seating options are limited. Nevertheless, it's cozy to say the least. They have some arcade games in the back which I think is kind of cool yet random at the same time. Flaco's is a cool place to go with some friends after the club or even just to get some snacks. Definitely a cheaper and faster alternative than having to sit-in and order at a diner. read more

I've never been to Flaco's before midnight. Yeah, it's one of those kind of places. Great location if you're downtown. You know when the bars are about to close when a line starts to form outside. I suspect if I visited during the day I'd be a little disappointed, but if you want a quick late night snack that doesn't come from McDonalds or Taco Bell, I definitely recommend Flaco's. I've always been meaning to try the guava and cheese empanada, but one of the issues I have with Flaco's is that they rarely have their full menu available. The arepas are a little on the greasy side, but the spinach and cheese empanada is decent, and the sandwiches aren't too bad either. I'm from Kansas, so I can't comment on the authenticity, but for the price and the convenience I'd say Flaco's is worth the money. read more

Cheap Cuban style sandwiches here. Really liked the Gator Cuban. Bread gets nice and crunchy in the panini press which makes the sandwich. Wait can be a little long since I think they only have 1 panini press that can press 5-6 sandwiches at a time. Line can get long late night on a Friday/Saturday night. read more

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Cheap and tasty sums it up. For late night munchies I stuff my face with the empenadas. You can buy three or four for the price of a sandwich at other places. I've had them all and (for the price) they're good. Yes the chicken ones are a bit dry usually, but tasty nonetheless. I'd recommend the Cuban sandwich for lunch. read more

I wanted to like this place more than I did. The ambiance is totally lacking, and I have to agree with Dan below in that you don't quite get that bang for your buck. I had the tofu empanada lunch plate special with black beans and rice. The empanada was pretty tiny and a little bland, but the beans were really well-seasoned. I ended up still being hungry, though and eagerly ate up the guava and cheese turnover I got for dessert. So tasty! The folks behind the counter are super nice, sincerely interested in feedback, and seem willing to try new things - I think this place can only improve. read more

This is amazing!! My friends and I group of 11 we are from Miami and we drove to Gainesville for the weekend. We were looking for a place to eat and the first restaurant near me was Flacos. We came in and ordered just about everything. I had the dedito and the Arepa de queso. It was absolutely delicious. I would definitely come again. The staff is really nice and welcoming. Must come!!! read more

Flaco's Cuban Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love Cuban sandwiches and try them whenever I travel. This is the best Cuban I have had in my life thus far. Every time I come to Gainesville this place is an absolute must. read more

This place is so awesome! I have eaten here 3 times in the 3 weeks I have lived here, is that bad? Flaco's specializes in cuban and latin street food. It is perfectly located downtown and is equally delicious when sober, as it is after a late night at the bar. They are open until 2:30 am-ish and serve as a much better late night eatery than taco bell or steak and shake. Don't leave this restaurant without trying the cuban. It is the best cuban sandwich I have had in my entire life, the bread is crisp on the outside, and chewy inside. The star of this sandwich, however, is the roasted pork. It is so perfectly flavored, I could eat it all day everyday. The empanadas are fair, I have sampled every flavor, and they tend to be under-seasoned. If you are craving an empanada, go for the beef filling, its the best. Again, don't miss out on this great place, you will be converted. read more

Unfortunately I had the worst experience here yesterday, I walked in to order a Cuban sandwich and I was surprised to see the woman who took my order eating a sandwich of her own and then proceeded to make my sandwich without washing her hands. Her and the other team member that was there with her seemed to be having a good conversation since she didn't acknowledge me and my order until they were done talking. I work in a kitchen so I know proper adequate when handling customers and the hand to mouth contact rule, the health department could have been called yesterday for something so small as her eating a sandwich and then making mine without washing her hands but I'd figure I'd save me the time and trouble and just write a review here. read more

I don't know what a Cuban is supposed to taste like, but from now on, this is what I want it to taste like. Delicious. The lentils were pretty good, but needed some doctoring, as did the plantains. Carry-out, so I can't speak for the atmosphere. read more

It's not going to be the best and most perfect Cuban food you'll eat, but my wife and I had an amazing media noche sandwich, huevos arepas and guava and cheese pastry. The sandwich was freshly toasted with the perfect amount of meat and mayo and fillings. The arepas were sweet and addictive, but perhaps too dry. The guava and cheese pastry was perfect. The Cuban coffee was subpar, but at least it's only $1. For the price, it's a 5-star late night option. Compared to all restaurants at all times of day, it's a 4-star place. read more

The food is good here for late night cravings. It's pretty fast paced and gets packed quickly after bars have last call. My favorite thing to get are their cream cheese pastries and burritos. The only thing that I dislike about Flacos is that there is one side for tacos and burritos and they only take cash. Also a downside is how small the place is. Service is okay. read more

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For me and my wife, for what we like, this is really as good as it gets - better than authentic we say! I'm talking Juancho's turkey sandwich, maduros & cheese sandwich, and the rice and black beans and/or lentils. Those are some amazing dishes. We go for dinner regularly, and it has become a real favorite for us. The pastries and Cortadito's are wonderful as well. We say "better than authentic" because we like it way better the cuban revolution down on South 13th. For what we order and like, Flaco's takes the cake. We like Mi Apa as well, and eat different things there. For cuban sandwiches, Flaco's is king. Flaco's is a real family place - I believe Mom cooks, and the kids work the counter at least some of the time. It is a warm atmosphere. There are different groups of people there at different times, so don't be fooled by the late-night reviewers on yelp - this place is HOPPING lunch time with the suit-and tie crowd from downtown, and is full of grad-student aged folks from 5-9 pm. read more