After driving past Old Cuban Cafe on Goldenrod for years, I finally decided to stop in for a late lunch. The restaurant sits in a converted old gas station, and parking is plentiful with some covered spots that provide welcome protection from the Florida sun. This is clearly an authentic Cuban spot where English appears to be a second language for some of the staff. Communication for a gringo like me was a bit challenging, but everyone was friendly and patient. I ordered a Cubano sandwich at the front counter and was asked if I wanted to make it a combo. When I asked what came with the combo, my understanding was a little limited, but I nodded yes and was asked if I wanted soda or water. I chose bottled water and believe I was credited back about $2 from the combo price. When my order was called, I picked up a basket at the counter holding a beautiful-looking Cubano alongside a generous serving of golden-brown French fries. Seating is simple and casual, and I noticed condiments are not kept on the tables other than salt, pepper, sugar, and napkin dispensers. I returned to the counter to ask for ketchup and hot sauce and was directed to a nearby table with ketchup packets while a small container of hot sauce was provided. The Cubano itself was well pressed with the Swiss cheese nicely melted and the meats heated throughout. The bread held together well and had a good texture. The ham was excellent, while the roast pork was fair. With mojo pork, you often get a mix of lighter and darker sections -- the darker pieces tend to have a stronger, gamier flavor, and this sandwich leaned more toward those sections. The pickles and mustard were well balanced and helped bring the whole sandwich together. The fries were fresh and crisp, though there was a slight hint of older fryer oil in the flavor. The hot sauce had a vinegar-forward profile and wasn't particularly spicy -- it reminded me somewhat of Texas Pete. The combo ended up being a solid value considering the size of the sandwich and the portion of fries. The restaurant also offers a buffet featuring many Cuban favorites, and I look forward to returning to sample some of those dishes along with a Cuban coffee. At the front counter there's also a glass case filled with pastelitos and a nice selection of empanadas that looked very tempting. Overall, a solid neighborhood Cuban spot with authentic character and plenty of menu options. If you're visiting for the first time, the Cubano is a good place to start. read more

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This is one of the best Cuban restaurant I've been to for authentic Cuban cuisine. We were greeted by the staff super friendly and acomedating to our large group. Our niece Levon and her husband will go there all the time and knowing that im Cuban they wanted to share their favorite restaurant with us. Let me tell you all if your ever in Orlando and want some good food, drinks and live entertainment go to Old Cuban Café you won't be disappointed. To start off my nephew wanted a special whiskey he likes and they were out so guess what the owner did, he drove to a liquor store and brought it for him, if that's not great customer service I don't know what is, I was impressed. So my wife and I love to eat good food, she ordered one of the staple Cuban dish Yucca (cassava) frita with garlic sauce, and a Cuban sandwich which not evetyone makes it good but. it was right on point deliciously crunchy and yummy and she ordered a Guava smoothie also very yummy. I ordered the special of the day which was Picadillo (ground chuck) with rice and black beans and sweet plantains and omg it was so yummy I thought my mother was in the kitchen, it was that good. Three kids in our group ordered pastelillos and Cuban lemonade. Gya is not adventurous so she had a burger. They loved it and I tried a zip of the lemonade it was yummy made with fresh lemon and lots of sugar. My niece had the chicken dish with tostones (fried plantain) my sister in laws had the steak and congri. my brother in laws had steak as well. We were all very satisfied and the price was very reasonable a must visit restaurant for sure, I will be coming back each time I visit Orlando. I highly recommend them for their kindness and deliciously yummy authentic Cuban food. The live music was comforting and fun. read more

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Just an amazing experience! I had a large to go order and the staff was awesome! They checked and doubled checked my order and labeled each meal! And on top of the great service, everyone loved the food. read more

A piece of my hometown right here in Orlando. Finally a sandwich with real meat and not just deli meat. It's located in an old gas station so it literally looks like you are in a gas station store, but regardless the food was delicious and worth it. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Media noche - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This spot is located in an old gas station but dont let that deter you. The food is good $15 for a plate though. The service is good, all you have to do is point at the food that you want and they put it in the to go container. They also have a bakery that serves plenty of Pastellitos. I really enjoy the ambience of this spot, I believe they play music while everyone is sitting inside eating their food. Lots of workers come in for their lunch and it's an enjoyable experience. I've been there several times and will continue to support this business. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Pork, chicken - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Tried their pernil with white rice and red beans, beef empanadas, potato balls, chicken soup and ajiaco soup. My favorites were the soups. Both very similar. Both a thicker type of soup with a sazon/tomato flavored broth with carrots, potatoes, and shredded chicken. But the chicken soup has really short noodles in it that look like rice and the ajiaco does not. I noticed too that the ajiaco soup had bigger chicken chunks. Both were equally delicious and hearty and perfect for a hangover which I was seriously having. Next I tried the pernil and white rice with red beans. The rice was sooo good. It was lightly but perfectly seasoned. I wish I could say more about the red beans but my husband ate it all and left me none lol. So I guess it was good?? The pernil was plentiful and also seasoned very well and moist. Tasted great with just the rice since I had no beans to mix with. I also didn't get to try the beef empanadas because my husband ate both of those. Assuming those were also pretty good. I did get to try the potato ball and I loved the crunch on the outside. I wished there was a little bit more beef on the inside and that I had some hot sauce to eat it with too cuz that would have made it really tasty. But overall, I would definitely order from here again. I'm definitely adding this place as a go-to spot for soups too next time I'm in the mood for something delicious and comforting. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Ajiaco soup - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Their coffee is to die for... Can keep you up for hours The food is freshly made and the desserts are amazing. Would help if you can speak Spanish They are very friendly and courteous people. read more

The food seems a pricey for lunch $15-35+ for lunch plates and specials. The most inexpensive items are their sandwiches $15 avg. The fruit slushy avg $5.50 each, are a healthy and delicious start, I tried the unsweetened tea. They must brew the tea because it was so refreshing even unsweetened! Then the food, each plate a full hearty serving of some excellent and savory Cuban food. My wife cooks this way and hers is better, but away from home, a special mother in law "surprise" lunch. Will definitely be back! Very attentive and helpful staff, we had decent service for the time of day. Between the wall murals, the conversations, and the music, very upbeat! read more

I love this restaurant's food; especially their black beans. Their Cuban flavors are very authentic and so delicious. Service is great and the restaurant is very chill, but it has gotten a bit pricey. read more

This is authentic Cuban! I saw it just after getting off the toll and had to pull in! It's next to Esporta Fitness, I say this because Yelp has 2 addresses. There is so much to choose from and based on my cheese pastry and the customers doing carry out and sitting in, everything else has to be good. Is has a coffee / pastry area as well as full Cuban buffet. There is no real menu that I saw and not all the staff speaks English but don't let that stop you. Way delicious! read more

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The ropa vieja is incredible! Love how fresh and flavorful it was, and went perfectly with sweet plantains and red beans and rice. So so good, as authentic as it gets! Not overly salty or greasy either, just like homemade. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Ropa Vieja - Shredded Beef - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

First and last time I will order from this restaurant. My order was delivered with everything I didn't order and on top of that I couldn't eat it! I ordered a combination plate, they sent pork instead of chicken, no beans, very disappointed. read more

Great price for amount of food. Ordering was a bit confusing because there are two places to pay

The food was phenomenal is kinda hard to find Cuban food in Orlando but this place knocked it out the park sucks that the arroz imperial is not on DoorDash or Uber eats read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Arroz imperial - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This place has a really cool setup- an old gas station turned into a Cuban cafeteria. The place is pretty cool. Being a Cuban-American that moved from Miami a couple months ago, it was very hard for me to find a place with decent Cuban food around this area of East Orlando. There was always Cuban food around each corner in Miami- here not so much. I would say this is kind of close to what I wanted but I did have some nitpicks such as others did. The food is decent. It's not the BEST but it's pretty good for what it is. The price is not it though. It is way too overpriced for a plate. I really do think that they should offer a different special every week or every other week and make it a bit lower in price. I think that would help bussiness out a lot. I know I would come here a lot more. But for now, it's not good for the wallet. The staff is really sweet and they do take care of you and help you with whatever you need. I do agree the place looks a little old school and it needs some touch ups here and there. Overall- Decent food, cool place and nice people, just not worth the price read more

Wendy refused to take my order over the phone suggesting I use the DoorDash app which charges extra for simply placing the order. I've placed orders over the phone on the east colonial location so I knew it was that she didn't wanna process the order manually. read more

Great food. Obsessed! Will keep returning. Empanadas are the best. Really affordable. Good service.

This is our go to spot for Uber eats Spanish food. In terms of Uber, it arrives quickly, and the orders are always on point. But aside from that, the food here is really great! Nice big portions, always having some leftover, and overall a lot of great options as well. Everything is your pretty basic dish, which a lot of times when you have a craving, that's exactly what you want. Nothing fancy or over the top, but all delicious. And I could eat the empanadas every single night lol!! read more

Tried this cute little place that was transformed from an old gas station. They even kept the overhead car park . I don't usually post bad reviews unless I am really unhappy with service and this one was not good. The staff were not accommodating as I was trying to communicate with them. I know a little Spanish to know when I am being talked about. They did not like I did not know what I wanted and kept asking questions. Seams not interested in sharing their culture with others and no patience wham someone attempts. Bad experience and I will not be back. read more

The Customer service here is excellent. Every ones treats you with respect and they answer any questions you have. The food is good and there's plenty of different varieties of food..If you don't want anything heavy they also have a bakery and the sandwiches are good.. ONE THING THAT I APPRECIATE AND APPLAUD ,THE FACT THAT THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES OPEN THE DAY AFTER HURRICANE MILTON . Thank you for your food and your service!! read more

I love this place! It was the first time I ever tried Cuban cuisine and omg! From the yellow rice to the pernil, everything was perfectly cooked! They will give you so much food it's insane! I ended up ordering yellow rice with grilled chicken and sweet plantains and my bf got the same but with pernil and pinto beans! It was absolutely delicious! The staff is really friendly too! Overall it was an amazing experience! read more

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My first thought about this establishment, an old gas station now a rundown restaurant. I went inside and the inside looks better than the outside, I could see this place is popular with the amount of people that were walking in and out. When you walk in it looks like it use to when it was a gas station minus the area where you can order food and on the right side where you have already prepared food to be served with your typical Cuban food. I ordered a croqueta, empanada and a pastelito de queso, i have been to many cuban restaurants in my life and many of them in Miami. The food was good and the pastelito taste like the ones from Miami, the service was ok but the person i was with almost got over charged for what he ordered and they didn't seem to care to much about it. This is definitely a hole in the wall restaurant selling very authentic food for a reasonable price. This type of restaurants are very hard to find with good cheap food and ok service typical in Miami. read more

This place is always packed on the weekends but they get you through quick. Whether you are you looking for a Cuban style sandwich or a pastry or cake, there is a section for this. They also have a hot food line where you can choose from chicken to pork to beef. There are many different types of sides of rice and beans and salads. They also serve natural juices and of course a Cuban coffees. You may have to wait in line for a while, but it's very well worth it. The reason I am giving four stars and not five stars because my wife's "arroz con gandules" rice was not the best. I understand sometimes with cooking bulk food this happens. Maybe next time. The empanada with beef and cheese was delicious as well as the chicken croquets. read more

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Buffet style cooking in a very casual atmosphere. The place was clean and the staff was nice. I found the food to be a little on the salty side but it could have just been what I picked. read more

Went in and decided on a tripleta sandwich ($7) instead of the meat, rice and bean combos they also offer. It had ham slices, pernil slices with beef and cheese all between this crunchy crisp bread. It was a bit greasy, a lot filling and hit that hunger spot with a full fledged kick. The quesito I had as dessert was not as delicious as other times so that disappointed a bit. When I asked the gal behind the counter what was in the sandwich she gave me a blank stare... luckily one of the guys picked up a listing they have and gave me the info I requested. Not sure if she was simply not paying attention or if she even cared. Not the best service on her part. read more

First, let me start by saying... WHOA! This place was soo good! And the amount of food I received was out of control. The pork was juicy.. like so juicy my mouth is watering thing about it. The rice.. WELL DONE. No, not like overcooked, well done as in bravo!! I will 10/10 recommend this place. Cant wait for another meal from here read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Roasted Pork Shoulder Plate - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Man... I've come to this place so many times to eat. It's actually one of my favorite restaurants. It's authentic Cuban food, their coffee is amazing. Their pastries are delicious. The food... omg the food. This is the kinda place I could eat at weekly without getting tired of it. They have a big variety of options, from smoothies, sandwiches, rice and beans to even cake. It's super affordable too, all around it's a big win read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The Old Cuban Cafe is located in a repurposed gas station. It has virtually no atmosphere and the only thing that makes it relaxing is the company that you bring to dine here. Bad atmosphere and uncomfortable seating aside this restaurant serves amazing coffee and Cuban sandwiches. The sandwiches are so popular that there is a line ordering them in the morning. I definitely recommend that you visit for a sandwich or a coffee. I ordered every flavor combination of empanadas and only really liked the beef one. I think that there were about ten flavors. Everyone was skimpy and way below average in quality. I think one had a slice of kraft cheese in it. They are a hard pass. The tamales were moist and delicious and the tostones were horrible. They were extremely hard and incredibly bland....very disappointing. read more

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Authentic flavors transport me to Sunday's with family back in Miami many years ago. It is amazing how good food can take us back to a memory. Perfection. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Cuban bread toasted pressed with butter - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Stopped in for a quick breakfast as I was in the area. The ham, egg, and cheese on pressed Cuban bread was nicely prepared but relatively bland. The ham, egg, and cheese provided little flavor and I ended up only eating half of it. A little salt would have made a difference but since I took it to go, I had what I had. I also bought a guava pastry which was good but nothing too special. My cafe con leche was decent but something about it being in a styrofoam cup changes the experience for me. Yes, I know it was to go but cafe con leche just seems ten times better in a real cup. I would not hesitate to try this place for lunch or dinner but the breakfast today was just ok. read more

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Great Cuban food! Feels like and decorated like your in Cuba! The people here are fantastic! I can't wait for another go! So delicious!

How can do much goodness be in one spot? God is smiling on me today since he led me here. I had an idea what I wanted and went inside searching. It was like my food heart (yes I have one of those) knew to go to the cafeteria like counter that is 1/2 of this place. So they have EVERYTHING.... rices - arroz con gandules (pigeon peas), yellow rice, white rice. Then the meats - vaca frita (fried beef) pierna con cuerito (pork w/ skin), bistek frito (fried steak), carnitas (fried pork chunks), fish. Then the sides, platano maduro (ripe fried plantain) tostones ( green fried plantain ). They had more but i was focused on my pork, rice & tostones craving. The left side of the large establishment is an"cafe" style that has coffee (cortadito, espresso etc) appetizers & sandwiches. I regret not going here sooner and always driving by saying "I gotta go there". If this is you too, just go! read more

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Third time I've had to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a cortadito because someone is lackadaisical and forgot the order. I'm done with this place--it's old and tired, not well kept, everyone looks miserable that works there. You leave the place smelling like food because of the lack of filtration. Last shot read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Love the variety to choose from. Excellent Cuban sandwiches. Friendly staff who serve you with a big smile. Most times it is quite and clean. read more

Authentic delicious Cuban food! The repurposed gas station- turned restaurant might throw some people off, and walking in doesn't really make you feel better about it. But when you taste the food you'll see why so many people frequent this place. You can tell it's good and authentic by the number of Cubans and Latino people eating there. The sandwiches I've had (the Media Noche Sandwich and Cuban Sandwich) are fresh, warm, and come in big portions. Their other dishes are also fresh and well prepared. The Quesito are the best I've tried in Orlando so far. I wouldn't come here for the atmosphere, or even the great service. But I will return again and again for the food. read more

Ohhhh mmmmm gggggg! This place is soooooo good! Hubby, little man and I were in town and stopped in for a quick dinner before going on a night airboat tour. We opted to try different items from their buffet line for dinner and our whole family was blown away by the delicious flavors. I am a sucker for sweet plantains and theirs were phenomenal. Perfectly cooked and slightly crispy, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. Our little guy loves the savory plantains and was in heaven chomping on his. The meats, rice and beans were all amazing. We also ordered coffees and tres and quatro leches cakes that were to die for. I wish they had a location where I live. I highly recommend this place. Yum! read more

My colleagues would bring me a pastry from this place occasionally, and it was always fresh and flavorful. So one unoccupied morning, I went there to get a coffee. I was absolutely impressed with the light clean space and all the options provided. There were 5 different kinds of eggs, many traditional Cuban sides, oatmeal, and breakfast meats. The pastry selection was absolutely impressive from guava and coconut filled, to beef and chicken, I had hard time making my choice right away. Friendly, efficient staff, and very delicious cafe con leche! Breakfast with eggs, bacon and plantains with a large piece of Cuban bread with butter, 5 pastries (for colleagues), and coffee, all came down to $11! I will definitely come back there soon. I suggest you check it out for lunch as well. read more

Old Cuban Cafe - Breakfast run - Cafes Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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My coworker took me here for lunch and I'm so glad she did. I loved it. It's in an old gas station. It's a cafe style hot food. They give you a lot of food. Like enough for 2 or 3 meals for me. Haha. They have a bakery as well. I ordered the pulled pork with white rice and garbanzo beans with yucca. The pork was juicy and moist. That's a plus. They have the best yucca I've ever tried so far. I like my yucca mushy. There's plenty of tables and chairs. They do get packed. I'm glad I have a new Cuban go to place in town! read more

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Discusting!!! Worst 43 dollars I have ever spend. Seriously the food is nasty. Doesn't even taste like cuban food. I'm going to ask my bank for a refund. I threw all the food away. read more

Good food so far.... No WiFi. Cafes usually have WiFi. Just bring your own hot spot. Staff was a little aloof or maybe I just need to learn how to speak Spanish again. read more