Living in the community right behind La Giraldilla, I've gotten to know the place well. Their…read morebiggest strength is the ventanita -- the Cuban pastries, croquetas, and cafecito are always on point. Breakfast here also never disappoints, and I'd even stop by for a sandwich at lunch, which tends to hit the spot too. Where it falls flat is the rest of the menu. The chicken soup, which should be a Cuban staple, is surprisingly mediocre, and overall the larger entrées just don't stand out. On the flip side, the people are friendly, the service is good, and they remember your name, giving the place that homie neighborhood feel. It's a solid stop for coffee, breakfast, or a sandwich -- just don't expect too much from the full menu.

We were in Miami from Orlando to celebrate my wife's best friend's birthday and had dinner at La…read moreGiraldilla with her, her husband, their soon-to-be one-year-old, and my wife's two daughters. The experience was top-notch. We started with some Spanish croquettes--crispy, creamy, and seasoned just right. Three of us had a lobster bisque-style soup that was on another level: rich, smooth, and packed with flavor. I had a fresh, simple salad, and one of the teens ordered a churrasco that was grilled perfectly. My wife had the Chicken Alfredo, and let me tell you--it was outstanding. Creamy, flavorful, and done to perfection. She's picky when it comes to pasta, and this one got her seal of approval. The bread they brought out was warm and fresh--one of those little details that sets a place apart. We enjoyed a great red wine recommended by our server, and it paired beautifully with the meal. The service overall was very good--polite and attentive--and they even sang Happy Birthday for the guest of honor, which made the night even more special. Desserts? Yes, we went all in. We shared a tiramisu, a crème brûlée, and another dessert with ice cream that I couldn't quite name, but it was ridiculously good. Everything was plated nicely, tasted homemade, and gave the meal a sweet, classy finish. The only real critique was the clearing of plates. They were clearly understaffed, and at times, our used dishes stayed on the table longer than they should have. In one instance, the next course came out before the table was cleared. Not the end of the world, but worth noting. On the way to the restroom, I caught a glimpse of the kitchen--it was spotless and organized. That says a lot. Yes, the prices are on the higher end, but it's absolutely justified. This place is one of those Miami culinary gems that gets it right. We'll definitely be back. Estábamos en Miami desde Orlando para celebrar el cumpleaños de la mejor amiga de mi esposa, y fuimos a cenar a La Giraldilla con ella, su esposo, su bebé que está por cumplir un año, y las dos hijas de mi esposa. La experiencia fue de primera. Comenzamos con unas croquetas españolas crujientes por fuera, cremosas por dentro y con el sazón perfecto. Tres de nosotros pedimos una sopa estilo bisque de langosta que estaba fuera de liga: rica, suave y llena de sabor. Yo pedí una ensalada fresca y sencilla, una de las adolescentes pidió churrasco que llegó al punto exacto, y mi esposa se fue con el Chicken Alfredo--y déjenme decirles, estaba espectacular. Cremoso, sabroso, y perfectamente cocido. Ella es exigente con la pasta, y esta pasó la prueba con creces. El pan que trajeron estaba calientico y fresco--un detalle que marca la diferencia. Acompañamos la comida con un vino tinto excelente, recomendado por nuestro mesero, que complementó perfectamente los sabores. El servicio en general fue muy bueno--amable y atento--y hasta cantaron Feliz Cumpleaños a la homenajeada, lo cual hizo la noche aún más especial. ¿Y los postres? Fuimos con todo. Compartimos un tiramisú, un crème brûlée y otro postre con helado cuyo nombre no recuerdo, pero que estaba buenísimo. Todo bien presentado, con sabor casero, y un final dulce y elegante. La única crítica real fue con la recogida de los platos. Estaban claramente cortos de personal, y a veces los platos usados se quedaban demasiado tiempo en la mesa. En una ocasión, trajeron el siguiente plato sin haber recogido el anterior. No fue grave, pero sí se notó. Cuando fui al baño, eché un vistazo a la cocina--impecable y bien organizada. Eso dice mucho. Sí, los precios son elevados, pero totalmente justificados. Este lugar es una de esas joyas gastronómicas de Miami que sabe lo que hace. Sin duda, volveremos.

Nice home atmosphere. Excellent service. Clean. Always smiling, nice food selection. Very…read morecourteous and by the way great coffee

I really like this place for Colombian food. It's fresh, tasty, and reasonably priced. So many…read morerestaurants in Miami are overrated and not good quality, but that is not the case here. We used to come here regularly when we lived in Miami. We've moved to a different town now, but still try to stop here when we are in town.

We passed this place so many times, but one day my wife suddenly wanted to try their empanadas and…read morecroquettes--so we finally stopped in, and I'm glad we did. We ordered takeout, and everything was still fresh and delicious by the time we got to enjoy it. The empanada shell was crispy and noticeably thinner than others I've had, which made it even better. The fillings were on point--the chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the ham and cheese was just as satisfying. The croquettes and tequeños were also really tasty. Even though there was a long line when we arrived, the staff handled it efficiently--we waited less than three minutes. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and knew the menu well.

Love us some Carreta! We just went to grab some pastelitos (pastries) from the outside window along…read morewith some fresh squeezed OJ and Cafe con Leche! If you're visiting Miami, make this a spot to stop at for a lunch or dinner or simply just some pastries. Get the guava and cream cheese pastries!

Getting better again. I've been in the neighborhood for 30 years. So this spot has had its issues,…read morebut I'm still supporting my peeps and my food! I order at least 3x-4x monthly. My experience is better each time. My only disappointment is that the portions are getting smaller. Can we fix that? Great go to in a pinch. Convenient, close and good. Service is always lovely and friendly Ambiance is casual and friendly Good spot for CUTLERBAY CUBAN CUISINE! Check it out

My wife and two toddlers walked in and were greeted right away. We were able to sit where we liked…read more Our family was hungry and had just come off the road from driving for 5 hours. Food and coffee was served promptly. Kids were entertained with coloring paper and crayons. Espresso was 10/10- some of the best things have had.

Whenever I need a quick bite to eat or when I wanna eat in the dining room real Cuban food I come…read morehere. It's not the fanciest but man is the food good. This is the stuff we grew up with. Order a sandwich here and you're gonna be hungry for sure because they are great portions and they taste old school like the Milano queen you were a kid and also the Cuban sandwich with the pickle taste wow. But they have great dishes I mean from the seafood platters to the Roja pita you're my goodness they're so good. Of course they are the king and Palomilla with the tennis sandwich or whether you're eating it with rice and beans wow and good masa de de purr o desserts, lord, I think of every dessert that capacity think of from pastries that are Cuban to the Cakes like flan and tres leches this place is amazing. My favorite thing to eat here when I come are the Cortas please ask for them to be hot. They are really delicious. Of course they do have everything else you can think of. I mean their list of sandwiches and their menu is impressive great portions great service. The girls here were really hard. It's a great place legendary

My experience here was awesome. I'm actually still sitting here. I was helped by Patricia who was…read morespectacular; the order came out as I'd hoped for with specific attention to my liking. Her customer service and attention to detail was awesome, ensuring she stopped by multiple times throughout to top off water and check on my experience. I went with the grilled Chicken breast and double side of tostones which tasted fantastic. Of note, I covered the tostones in the garlic like sauce while they were hot, which rendered them a fine combo of crunchy and somewhat soft- in short, awesome. Personally, no meal is finished without some form of coffee at the end. I admit this habit stems from my upbringing and a penchant for American, French and Italian fare but this was no different. I enjoyed a Cortadito which tasted amazing and had beautiful presentation. If I could rate this experience 6 stars I would. They knocked it out of the park. Note: They're FIU student, police and county friendly to boot.

Great service! We were a group of about 12 people and although the wait for a table was long, which…read moreis understandable, the food was QUICK to get to our table. Everything was delicious, most had the churrasco but i tried the chicken fajitas with rice and beans and platanitos, they were all delicious! My dad, who is a picky meat eater, enjoyed his steak. We also had my toddler at the table, their high chairs are SECURE. extremely heavy duty and my toddler is a pretty big kid. he ate off of my fajitas and although he can be picky with his food sometimes, he also liked it. They even printed out a fresh coloring page for him. It was a great experience for trying a new place. My family is quick to go to the same restaurants (mostly because of my dad's pickiness) but this was a nice change. at 4pm on a saturday, it's not too crowded or loud (aside from my toddler showing his love for the mango juice by screeching). The server was extremely patient and nice for us being such a big group. Definitely recommend the FRIED CHEESE. Order plenty! they go quick!!

So we had this catered at my job and everything was delicious. My husband is a huge fan of nice…read morefood and we decided to try it after my coworker told me it was reasonably priced. It's always so packed that we thought it was an expensive restaurant. So we decided to give it a try. We waited about 5-10 minutes to get a table so that wasn't bad at all. They had live music. We started of with some cafe con leche and waters. Our waiter was very quiet and didn't really speak to us too much h. Which is my only criticism, but I saw the other servers and they all looked very nice. So I won't deduct any points. We decided to do the $40 parilla with chicken. Steak, and sausage with two sides. Gallo pinto and maduros. I got the baked potatoe on the side. And it came with a big piece of queso frito. We spent $60 and couldn't even finish the chicken which was my favorite thing. The usage was great as well especially with the spicy sauce. There are so many good options. They have ribs that looked amazing when the family next to us orders them. They also have a lot of seafood options.

Me taking my girls out for a night out. Great ambience, great food, and an even nicer staff!…read more I took my girls to this place based off a good friend's recommendation. I was hesitant at first as my girls and I haven't really had much exposure to "Latin" food. We were pleasantly surprised. The steak was a great cut of meat, tender, juicy, and a great flavor. My littlest girl said this chicken is way better than your grilled chicken dad (and admittedly, she was right)! It was a huge chicken breast, grilled to perfection. She even liked the white rice. I haven't been able to get her to eat more than a bite of rice for three years. They served the best plantains I have ever had. I actually have never liked any plantains I have ever tried and I couldn't stop eating these, cooked to perfection! The outdoor dinning area was beautiful. We showed up around 7pm. While we were eating under the nice awning, there was a small family of ducks that was walking around the nice landscaping. When it transitioned to dusk, the lights came on and I had a nice cold Modelo. The owner came outside, made some recommendations, and couldn't have been nicer! The tres leche cake was to die for! We will be back for sure and I would strongly advise you to visit this little known secret!

They have been open for about a month and a half and it's not too shabby! I had driven past it and…read moreknew I had to put this place on my list of places to try. Finally did today and I am satisfied. I wasn't sure if to expect a restaurant (order sitting down) or fritanga style and it's almost a mixture of both. You order the food at the counter, they make whatever isn't ready or if you want something else specific. The food tasted pretty fresh over all. The carne asada was good and they severed 3 pieces. The rice was a little bland for my taste, but over all good. I did take a piece of tres leche to go, so I will have to come back and review that once I've had it

Guys this place is new. Met the owners..they are honest hard working family. Cuban & Colombian…read moreflavors. And some Hondurian ! It's a mix. Lol It's a little mom & pop place, very clean. That's very important to me. Food is good, flavorful & cheap. And may I add Also Fresh! I'm pleased. I gave them a chance and wasn't disappointed. Go check them out & support mom & pop places!! #supportsmallbusiness

The colada was tasty, in a big cup, and like $1.50. Can't beat that. Was in a hurry and was only in…read morethe store for less than two minutes but it looked clean. The glass cases were surprising a bit empty for Saturday morning but the few items in the case looked good. Everything I saw was extremely clean but can't comment on the service, nothing stood out about that.