I googled good places to eat breakfast in Miami. Well whoever recommended this place, they were right on! The welcoming, the ambiance, the people, the cooks, and most of all, the FOOD and the café con leché, holy! Amazing food, the prices are so dirt cheap for such good quality and quantity of food! I'm a big guy, I can eat a lot. I couldn't finish my plate here, there was so much! Looking for a perfect place to eat? Here's the place! It's amazing, from beginning to end! Try it, you won't be disappointed! read more

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After trying Café Versailles, I couldn't avoid this restaurant which is located almost across from it. I was incredibly satisfied with the food. I got pollo empanizado, croquetas, and a couple of empanadas. Everything was delicious. The portion was so big that I couldn't finish my meal. This is a landmark of Miami and it hasn't disappointed at all. Highly recommended! read more

Don't get stingy guys. I was shocked at the small amount of food you guys face me for the macitas dinner. The quality is decent, but the portions are busted! There's like 3 pig knuckles and that's that. I'm still muerto de hambre! Eso no cave en una muela! read more

La Carreta - This level of stingy isn't Hispanic at all. Más carne meng! This isn't the appetizer, it's the meal! - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Love the food and prices but bummed that part of my order typically has missing or incorrect items. I've gone to the extent of even writing the item names in Spanish to avoid confusion but nada. If not for that, I'd give it a higher rating. Good portions, good prices and the food is always flavorful. I recommend to eat in the restaurant instead of ordering takeout to avoid any issues. read more

This particular location has been around a long time. The food is good, its Cuban, like any other Cuban food anywhere else. Nothing stands out over other Cuban places. Service can be good or it can be just OK. This Carreta is dingy, but they try to keep it nice. I do prefer this spot over any of the Versailles locations. Again good food and definitely hits the spot if you have an inkling for some Yuca, Vaca Frita or coffee. read more

Late joint open till 1am, we got there at 12am!!.... not many establishments are open till late! But, this is one of them. There's people around eating, yes. Servers are friendly, very. Food is ok. I ordered the Grilled Chicken, although that would not have been my first choice. And just because when you come to think of it, for the Ropa Vieja, Oxtail, Picadillo, all these dishes are so yummi, but probably have been prepared since the morning... and they are ready to serve!!! I even asked the waitress and she confirmed my doubts. Given the circumstances that it was very late at night, Grilled Chicken seemed like the "freshest" choice. It was juicy, ordered it with white rice, black beans and some maduros. It was a big portion, but I was so hungry... that almost finished it!! I would say La Carreta is a must visit place in Miami, not the best cuban, but I would say it is the epitome of the cuban culture. read more

Ordered 2 meals of Vaca frita. Food was from the day prior. Cold stale food. Would leave 0 stars if possible. read more

let me preface the review with we had to wait an hour to even get into the restaurant on a tuesday night. we were originally told 20 minutes... that being said i thought the food was going to be spectacular. but unfortunately, service was just above average. ambiance was reminiscent of an american diner, and the food was mediocre at best. kinda disappointed as i had high hopes for this place... read more

Listen up white people this place isn't like your neighborhood Coco's, it's a Cuban restaurant ran by Cubans so don't expect any ass kissing from the staff. Moving on.... I love love love this place! They have the best 'media noche' sandwich and the cafe con leche is so delicious!! I can't remember what the black bean and rice mix is called but it's so tasty! I've had the rabo encendido (oxtail) and I can't remember what else but everything has always been so good. I eat here every time I come to Miami. If you're looking for something a little more "high class" Versailles is literally across the street and they have the uppity service you might like but if you're just looking for quick, inexpensive and authentic meal. La Carreta is the place! read more

La Carreta - My favorites. So simple but so comforting - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Good food but the person in charge take out order check does a really bad job , imagine ordering vaca frita and getting moro and fry sweet plantains and no sing of the vaca frita maybe they were waiting on cows to grow. read more

La Carreta - Where is my vaca frita Lisbeth ? Were u hungry and decided to eat it? - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Visit La Ventanita every weekend for my Cortadito and OJ Mari is the best, she knows exactly how I love my Cortadito no one does it better than her. I love going here not only because of the service but Mari has a awesome attitude, always smiling and joking around with everyone. We need more people like her making your morning fun read more

Very disappointed in the Cuban Sandwich. They did not grill it!!! What!!???? I did take-out, so did not notice this. One of the main features of the sandwich is its wonderful crunchiness. And, the warm interior. The cheese was melted. They must have used a microwave. Pathetic. (I take my Cuban sandwiches VERY seriously.) Who made this? How could such an omission happen? Is it because I'm a "gringo" and they thought I would not notice? Only in Miami (my home town) for just a few days and this was my only chance to have a Cuban Sandwich. So disappointed. read more

5 star plantains, but 1-3 star everything else. I'd give the sangria 1 star (or maybe 2 stars since at the 2-for-1 price it worked out to only $2.50 per glass). I'd give our meals 2.5-3 stars (it was fine, but nothing that either of us were crazy about). But I'd give the plantains 5 stars: hands down the best plantains I've ever had. read more

Great authentic cuban coffee, amazing fresh squeezed OJ.. and ham & cheese empanadas... breakfast of champions!!

Very elegant atmosphere and delicious food take her him for a formal dinner night out or just great dinning authentic Cuban formal dining read more

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Definitely far from the best Cuban food in the city. In fact, it's probably among the worst, and considering it is more expensive than the more flavorful places (although not expensive overall), I have no real reason to come. What brought me in was the late night hours--open til 1AM on a Thurs. The service was actually wonderful! Stellar, without a doubt. The waiter was prompt, incredibly courteous, patient, and took very good care of us. For this, La Carreta has a great deal of charm. The waitstaff, both the hostess and the waiter, had that warm, comforting, abuelita style, which I can definitely get down with. The food, however was a pretty meh... Claudia J's chicken was very flavorful and juicy (although not quite up to the level of Cuban food flavorful), so if you come here, the pollo asado is a great option. However, my fufu was meh. There was a little garlic, but the meat was bland. I loved the piece of crispy skin that they put on top. It was a small piece, but I savored it ;). The fufu itself was kinda odd...really dark colored and kinda like more of a wannabe mofongo reject than actual fufu. Also, they served the dishes with lemon, not limon verde. That was kinda odd...me no likey... Pork and lime are a match made in heaven that should not be broken. As for my sopa gallega, I know it wasn't from a can, but boy did it taste just as generic. The pork and the bean soup itself were bland...as in zero flavoring at all. Cuban food is anything but bland. On another note, as silly as it might sound, the whole menu was in English, without the Spanish equivalents, so it was actually kinda confusing and mildly frustrating. I was like what on earth is cornmeal stew with plantain? Is that supposed to be some rendition of tamal in cazuela or something else? So yea, me no likey the non-bilingual menu. read more

Not sure if all La Carretas are like this one but this one is not good, or the service. Waitress gave us our food and only came back once and that was to give us our check. read more

We were picking up a friend at Miami airport and decided to grab lunch here since I haven't been in six years. I remembered how good it was 6 years ago so I was so excited to eat here. We got here around 2pm and there was a line to get into the restaurant. We waited about 10 mins to get seated. We sat right next to the pick up window, so we could see what the most popular items where being ordered. They give you fresh buttered Cuban bread when you sit down. It's so good! Cafe cubano is a must when you come here. It's so addicting and you feel like you can run a marathon after you drink it. I ordered the roasted pork and it came with plantains, rice and beans. I honestly wasnt that impressed with my food. The pork was alittle bland. And the rice and beans lacked salt. My husband ordered pork chops and he enjoyed it that also came with rice, beans and plantains. I wish I would of ordered the Cuban sandwich instead of what I got because that's all I saw that was coming out. Its definitely not the same as it used to be which was alittle disappointing but at least everyone else liked there food. read more

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To be honest with you, I was bummed out with the food here. First of all, it was dead on a Saturday night. Versailles, down the street was super busy. I had the chicharron de pollo with arroz Moro and it was okay at best. The service wasn't up to par like in the past. The waitress did the basics, greet, took the order and handed the check. Not personable, no recommendations just straight to the point. It lost its umph read more

Egress for impaired guest, this facility is not recommended, at all! Staff very monotone and apathetic. This facility is extremely dirty, musty, old, not inviting nor welcoming. Food is sub par, to be critical a 1.5/5 and expensive. This is literally just a tourist trap! As a local, the fact that this place is on 8st and this name, "la carreta" has survived for so long is because it preys on tourist. You are better of going to President Supermarket to get food, apart from it being cheaper by about 25% the over all quality of food is better. Take the Uber down the street to 19 ave for $10. Theres more giant chickens to take pictures with down there. Eggs were cold, rice was hard and old, beans were old and chalky tasting, portions were just ridiculous for the price and quality was just not there, again. $65 for brunch with just water. And two entrees... my opinion is if you're scared of getting robbed in my Miami... walk into this place you'll see plenty of people (tourist mostly) getting robbed in broad day light! read more

Great local Cuban food. Our Cuban Uber driver recommended it - and even got out for pastry's at the window when we were there! That's how we knew we made a good decision. I had the Cuban sandwich and my husband has the paella carretera and plantains. Both were delicious. We waiting and got our first ever Cuban coffee outside at the window. The line outside never stopped and it made us wish we would have got our food there instead. Hardest part was ordering the coffee and pastry because the worker didn't speak English. However and wonderful Cuban man did his best to help me out - I tried to hey his coffee but her refused :) we ended up with two cappuccinos and a guayaba queso (guava and cream cheese) and it was to die for! Loved this place read more

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Everyone was super nice and friendly I was on vacation and I read the reviews.. they only serve breakfast during breakfast time I waited till 1145 I was there since 10 am to be ble to order from the jm lunch menu technically they should have made me wait till 12 but they didnt ir was sweet of them to hook it up you have to try it I promise you won't regret it read more

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Great food! Very poor service. I had to ask three times for Teresa to fill up my water and asked 3 different people for the check after waiting 15 minutes after I finished my meal. read more

It's ok. I've had a few of their sandwiches which are good but not great. They have a decent amount of seating, but the place usually is packed. I am happy with staff, atmosphere, the sitting, rates too. But the food lack flavor, very average food quality. read more

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terrible food and service! will never go back. just go across the street and get real Cuban food, maybe a bit more but you won't be eating dog food! lol My croquettes where fishy and frozen, even though I ordered chicken! gross!! the vaca frita tasted like anything but that and the waiter was the absolute wors! don't eat here Unless you want to get sick! read more

With the history this establishment , I was totally disappointed at the quality of service and the food at this location. I can comment hard because I used to eat here years ago and I can tell the quality went down. For starters, the waitress was more interested into her conversation with a table and try to push any new parties to either the bar or other areas but not her own. The food quality was poorly with the beans lacking seasoning, and the pork missing that authentic taste combo of the Cuban cuisine. When mentioned to the waitress she indicated that the beans are the best and will go and taste them later to see if something was missing but she tells that there are some dishes she will not recommend because she don't like how they make them. As a customer that's the last thing I want to hear. There were other selections near and I could have gone there but this situation seals my decision not to return to this one. I'm not placing the chain down because the location in Hialeah and the one by the palmetto in the southwest are still cooking great as I have eaten in both recently. read more

I came here on the recommendation of my Cuban friends. I was def NOT disappointed. I ordered a café con leche and 3 empanadas de res. Absolutely satisfied with my order. Café was excellent and the empanadas were incredibly delicious as they were filled with carne de res wrapped in a flaky crust. Drop by if you're in the area. read more

La Carreta - Here for breakfast. - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Waitress was fun and friendly and really made us feel very comfortable. Oxtail was delicious. The food is authentic and I would go back weekly if I lived on this side of the country read more

The Perfect Morning at La Carreta Back then the term "La Carreta"(English: The Oxcart) was used to describe a strong open vehicle with two or four wheels, typically used for carrying loads. Today, La Carreta is a staple latino restaurant with authentic food and flourishing culture. This restaurant continues to supply hard working americans with the traditional delicious "abuela" style breakfast. This place may not be the most popular, but it generates the perfect morning. Undoubtedly, La Carreta provides the best Cuban breakfast. The food strikes me with nostalgia with every bite. As a child, my grandmother would take me nearly every morning to eat breakfast there. I would order the same thing time and time again, without fear of losing any appreciation of the taste I was about to gracefully accept. The warm, soft, scrambled eggs ,wrestling with the small, symmetrical, square ham slices. A bottle of ketchup with a perfect funnel on top is waiting for me to squeeze a messy, but pleasurable amount on the surface of the eggs. In addition, the breakfast also comes with Cuban coffee and Cuban toast. The coffee machine runs all day. The rugged, loud sound of the beans being grinded up is a harmony that is played throughout your entire time there. The aroma of the coffee combined with the smell of burning butter being marinated into your Cuban toast will make your mouth water without fail. After craving this magnificent combination of flavors and smell, it will be brought to you by the most caring workers. The hospitality received at this establishment will change the way you take on the day. The service is quick, funny, and efficient. Undeniably, the culture and positive energy is contagious. People with different backgrounds all gather together in one area to eat and get the nutrients they need for the rest of the day. In spite of the primary language at the restaurant being spanish, the workers do their best to make you feel welcome and understood. Altogether, La Carreta has proven to be an essential restaurant to attend when visiting Miami, Florida. With it's interesting past, flavorful breakfast, inviting hospitality, and rich culture, this landmark has won the hearts of many Americans. Every time I've gone, the experience has felt the same to me, yet every moment I experienced, was perfect. read more

The food was ok. The bread they gave at the beginning was the best part of the meal. The garlic chicken was not amazing. Nothing special there. It was a nightmare for the waitress to split our checks. In fact I'm still here now. It's been almost an hour to figure it out. So make sure you tell them ahead of time to split your check or you'll pay in your time. The manager on duty is pretty useless. And could care less about helping the waitress figure it out other than to give her card to fix the check when she is yelled for. Bottom line is the food is average the service is lacking. No one filled our drinks unless we asked multiples times. I won't be back. It is certainly not worth the hassle. I've seen more efficiency at the DMV. read more

Open 24 hours and is close by Versailles! If you want to avoid the packed atmosphere of Versailles and have Cuban food along Calle Ocho in the middle of the night, this is probably the place to be. I like their pan con bistec sandwich. I had this at the La Carreta outpost by the Miami International Mall (also near Dolphin Mall). Good stuff! Their churrasco carretero is also good, but I kind of prefer the churrasco at El Nuevo Siglo supermarket's cafeteria a few blocks farther into town. The croquetas doesn't look like my type of croquetas. The pan cubano was not recommended but that was an opinion from only one person. Coffee is always good, and there's always people outdoors getting their cup of joe - like in Versailles. Real Cubans though... they don't go to Versailles or La Carreta despite the food not being bad. Remember, you're in Miami, and there are better Cuban places out there - some more gourmet, some with better service, or some that's just plain better to the umpteenth degree. The ones that go to these places are old-timers that want to talk about politics, club people looking for some quick and cheap grub, and other odd sort of people and you'll notice this by the fact that rarely you'll find generational families eating at these establishments. The real Cubans that come to these establishments, come for the bakery, for coffee, or something else quick, reliable, and good - and it's almost never good nor fun to have a fuss with fellow Cubans on where's the best Cuban restaurant to eat. So... if you're in a group of Cubans, it is generally safe to recommend Versailles or La Carreta. Note: Both are owned by the same company. La Carreta is supposed to serve country-style Cuban while Versailles is supposed to serve Havana city-style Cuban. read more

The food here is delicious and being from NYC, I've been to a lot of Colombian style diners. The decor reminded my of just that, except a diner serving a wide array of Cuban food. The parking situation was a bit tough with not a lot of spots outside but we managed to get one. My hubby and I had an advantage since we speak Spanish. The waiters spoke to us in Spanish and we ordered in Spanish and were given some awesome recommendations. So those of you who don't speak Spanish might not feel as comfortable. Last year, my husband and I were actually in Cuba so we were excited to try the food and felt very at ease with their Cuban Spanish. OK so an order of a sampler plate, the Criollo which included yuca, croqueta de jamon ropa vieja, chicharron, maduros (I asked to substitute it with tostones which they did), rice and beans. We also ordered a Cuban sandwich. Everything on the criollo plate was amazing, especially the ropa vieja and chicharron!!! Tostones were amazing so we actually ordered a side order during the middle of our meal and it came with a good ajo lemon sauce. Cuban sandwich was good and came in three pieces. The food portions were HUGE. Dessert was tres leches. Excellent. The next day we went to Versailles, which was basically across the street. I must say I found this food to be much better and more authentic. However, I did have some food that was better in Cuba :-) Oh and there is a sign that says 20 mins only for parking and when we left, we wanted to check out a store nearby and the hostess had to radio some guy in the front and tell him which one was our car so i guess space is really tight here. read more

We had a fmly reunion after many yrs. apart for bkft. There is nothing better than Cuban tostada & café con leche. We ordered the complete bkft w/ eggs, croquetas, bacon, tostada, café con leche, jugo. Was great to be back & be w/ fmly. 12/1/12 read more

If you want the feel of being in Cuba in the 50's this is the place to come to! We have been here several times when in Miami and find this location (the original one) the best of all of them. The atmosphere is homely, the service is friendly and they always manage to assign an English speaking person to us very soon after they greet us. The menu is extensive and the prices are very reasonable and all the dishes we have tried have been very good. The ones that stand out are the Lamb Shank with gravy, the Fried Chicken, Shrimp Creole, Chicken with cheese and not to forget the desserts are to die for.... all washed down with an authentic Cafe Con Leche! We will definitely be back! read more

The food here was pretty amazing as far as Cuban food goes. It's just down the street from it's competitor Versailles, but we specifically wanted to eat here instead as it use to be an old haunt of my parents when we lived in Miami. The first thing they do is bring a round of waters as well as a basket of buttered Cuban bread. We started with the ham croquettes which are house made and extremely delicious, only $1.10 each, get those, get like five of them. Then, if you actually narrowed it down to one choice out of all of the delicious options, be sure to ask about their specialty soft drinks, they have a Cuban soda called Jupina that I always get when I am in Miami for nostalgia's sake, but they have other stuff like the classic mojito's, other mixed drinks, and beer too. If you're in a hurry, they have a pick up window on the side of the restaurant where you can have a quick espresso or a Cuban pastry; enjoy! read more

Amazing! Cafe con leche was delicious. The omelet was to die for!! The steak and eggs was perfect. The deserts were out of this world, make sure to try the tres leches. Cheap food, 100% will come back again. read more

La Carreta - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Very nice place to get the basic Cuban cuisine at an affordable price. It's been years since I had a "biftec empanizado". It was very good. Pass by and get a try of Cuban coffee, pastelitos and other local good stuff. Their fruit juices are worthy of tryIng. Enjoy!! read more

Hot up Miami for an adventure with my older kids and my Cuban born wife told me this is the place to get authentic Cuban food in Miami. Now being married and dating a Cuban for well over 10 years now I have managed to eat a fair share of Cuban food. Most home cooked. This was as good as my mother in laws food. The Vaca Frita (one of my faves) is outstanding. The tostones are like frisbee size and fried to perfection. The sweet plantains are as sweet as they get. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an authentic experience. read more

La Carreta - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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A basic Cuban breakfast. That is what we wanted and exactly what we got. No frills, no gastronomy just food. We each ordered the carretero breakfast and everything was delicious. The grits were amazing! I'm not sure what they put in them but they were super creamy and sweet. For $21 we had a feast with leftovers. The wife had the house potatoes and loved them, they are in a tomato like sauce with onions and peppers. Their cafe con leche hit the spot. The wait from when we ordered to when we received the food was lengthy but the server was on point- super attentive and communicated the delays. Menus is in English and Spanish. Server was fluent in both too. Parking is a but if a challenge but I feel that is the case in 90% of restaurants in this area of Miami. We went early on a Sunday so there was no wait to be seated. If you want a Cuban breakfast you can get at home I recommend you stop by! read more

Again.. Thanks to other Yelpers, we found this place and drove all the way to get there just to eat authentic Cuban food. The service in all Cuban restaurants I have been has been great and this place is exceptionally good as well. We had an awesome, cool waitress who took care of us. We ordered a lot of food but just could not stop eating. It was delicious. I would highly recommend this place. Please be mindful of the crowd and plan to get there on time. They do not take reservations, therefore it helps to hang around there and get in. The food is so delicious that it is totally worth the wait. read more

La Carreta - My yum yum yum Classic Cuban sampler - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida