Love this place!!! Anytime I am in the area I order 31!!! It's my favorite. The place is always clean and everyone is always so friendly read more

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Last time I was here was 30 years ago. Awesome food, service and even live music. One of my regular future locations for Cuban Food

I love this very traditional Cuban style restaurant, food is always great and consistent over the years. Service is great and people that serve is nice and diligent. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Moros y cristianos, vaca frita, plátano maduro y bisté de pollo - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Ok. So I have to give some history. I was born and raised in Miami and went to Rio when it opened 48 years ago. When I came home to visit from the University of Florida we would always go here. Food was amazing and my favorite Picadillo came on a platter with rice and beans and iconic mound of fries. Was always amazing. Made a trip here this week visiting my old haunts as I haven't lived in Miami for 40 years. I HAD to go here. Oh my. Horrible. Picadillo came in a cup with a spoon like chili. No visible onions or olives. Was barely warm. Plantanos were cold and tasteless. The fries? Oh please. They were barely cooked and were not brown but limp and white. Beans were good but room temperature also. My friend had the chicken and it was passable but his rice and beans and fries were the same. I am so disappointed as a memory of this great place was ruined. There is a lot of Cuban food in Miami that you should seriously avoid this place. Makes me so sad. read more

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Went to one of our favorite Cuban restaurant, we had not been there in a couple of years because we moved away from Miami. The place has completely changed ...the food was horrible and they had a live singer .. the music was so loud that you couldn't hear yourself thinking. This used to have a an old, nostalgic family atmosphere.. for over 40 years.. that made the place special and unique... Not anymore!! read more

My dad was in town and in need of some good ol Cuban food...and you know this is Miami so good Cuban food not that hard to find. He had told me of a place he went to back in the late 70's he'd been to with my grandparents but couldn't remember the name. Then it came to me, it has to be here. When we walked in my dads eyes lit up and told me how the space use to be smaller and the bar area longer..it was nice to see pops reminisce. And I dont have to tell you their famous steak and fries dish is all the talk here and of course what must be ordered. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this spot. The decor is a mix of just ..well..old. But who cares. It has that mom and pops feel to it with all the smells of home cooked meals. Specials are still on a chalk board including desserts. Simple paper menus are given and the cutest water glasses set down. Complimentary bread is sat on every table and slathered with the perfect amount of butter. Today I was with my hubby, pops, and my little sister. We all ordered the steak but hubby had the fried pork chunks and was just as pleased. Some ordered the portion that came with rice and black beans with tostones but I went with the popular steak and fries. Steaks were all tender, fries all crisp (tostones too), rice nice and hot and black beans so tasty. His pork chunks I guess were great cause not one bite was left to share. Noone could finish their meal and had to be rolled out of there. We all enjoyed our late lunch early family dinner and my dads stories made the time here even better. So come relax, pig out and enjoy the food. Just be prepared for a to go bag or a need for a second stomach! read more

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This place has changed so much !! I have been coming here for years and I will sadly never be back. The prices in the menu are outrageous and the quality has gone down tremendously. You also need to be careful with what you order because even though I have been ordering the same steak with fries for the last 10 years they have re worded it so that it no longer includes what you think it includes. Or maybe it does and they took advantage of me. I used to recommend this place but this is one those bird road staples that will likely go out of business soon. Someone told me they have new owners, I don't know if it's true but it certainly feels like whoever is in charge is trying to milk it for everything it's worth before people figure it out and it closes for good. read more

One of the true original Cuban spots left in Kendall. Amazing food. It is definitely a must goto place when I'm back in town. Great steak, chicken, etc it's all yummy! read more

Great place to find good Cuban quality dishes. The prices are a little high for the quantity you get. Place was under renovation when I visited, not quite pleasant to visit during those times. The taste is original. read more

Very disappointing experience. We've been here before and considered it a place to take out of towners for a thin steak topped with onions and a mound of fries with a Mamey shake of course. We'd recently raved about this place to friends and decided to go as it had been a while. The pros: they have sanitizer, staff wears gloves, and they use every other table. Warm bread still buttery and garlicky. Cons: we weren't seen for a while. I had to ask staff that was chatting for help to even get water. Our waitress was in the weeds and a kind waiter came and took our full order. Picadillo was tasteless. It's my husbands favorite thing to order at Cuban places - he loves olives and the traditional picadillo. This one was so far from it that Pollo Tropical's picadillo ranks higher than this. This one didn't even have olives - the travesty! My steak had no seasoning. I don't like salty food and this was completely bland. I had to ask for salt to be able to eat it. We won't be going back. Our hunt for another LiLa's Restaurant substitute has officially begun. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Rio Cristal steak - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Terrible. The steak that I grew up eating with a plate full of Jullian fries is now the texture of the sole of a shoe with half of the fries. The service is incredibly slow . Not going back . Ever! read more

What a little gem. I was aimlessly scrolling through Instagram looking at different food reels getting myself hungrier like a weirdo, when I came across a video of this gentle old man who was in the brink of tears thanking all of Miami for allowing his business to survive in this crisis. At that very moment my soul was crying for a nice flank steak and I needed to show my support after watching that heartwarming video. So I was off to the races! I immediately picked up my phone and called the restaurant, but it seemed like everyone was trying to place an order at the same time since I kept getting a busy line. After my third attempt I was able to get through, and a kind lady took my order and apologized in advanced for the long wait time since they were SLAMMED with orders. She advised me it would take anywhere from 40min-1hour, which is expected after that video went viral and many others were looking to show there support as well. Oddly enough, it made me happy to hear that my wait time was long if it meant they had a lot of business. Upon arriving they had the entrance blocked off by a table where people could approach and ask for their order since the entire restaurant was closed from the inside. All the employees were wearing masks including the cooks I could see from afar, and they also maintained proper social distancing. The entire staff was extremely friendly from the moment I picked up the phone till all the way until I got my food. It was absolutely awesome. I ended up ordering the rio crystal steak with fries(a real classic), a grilled chicken with fries(very juicy and tender), and a side order of white rice. The moment I took my first bite of the steak, I was doing my happy food dance which equates to a delicious and flavorful experience. But more importantly the fries were still crispy and drenched with the juices of the flank steak that just deserves a proper chefs kiss. Overall I'm so glad I made the decision to check them out and I advise anyone in the area to give it a try if you're looking to have a delicious Cuban meal that will take you through a roller coaster of positive emotions. Ps. I was so hungry I devoured everything on site and completely forgot to take picture of my meal. Except the fries lol -The Fashionable Foodie read more

Original Rio Cristal - Delicious fries from the heavens - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

This restaurant is a childhood favorite. When you want the Cuban classic, Palomilla steak topped with onions, parsley and a mountain of fries this is the place to visit. There is no such thing as portion control in any of their dishes. Most dishes can feed at least two. The prices are reasonable and the food is made from scratch. Don't leave without trying the Rio Cristal Flan. It is worth every calorie. read more

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I came here after seeing the pic of the plate (the one I uploaded a picture of) and drooling over it on a Facebook post. Display, looks incredible, taste, eh, steak was not seasoned much, surprised for a Latin restaurant that usually does a good job of seasoning. I was very happy to see diet Jupiñas as I'm not a fan of regular soda and those are a rarity. Service, was pretty bad. She took our order, brought our food and never even came by again. We had to flag her down for the check. They are taking precautions with COVID as sitting people away from one another (the place is small) so they'll take your number and call you when a table is ready, staff are wearing masks. Overall, didn't hate it, but it wouldn't be my choice if I happen to be craving a good Hispanic or Cuban meal. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Steak with onions. This is the smaller portion. Yea, crazy I know! - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Went there on Friday, 11/1/2024, to experience some nostalgic Cuban food with my family. The bread brought to the table was not even toasted well. We ordered 3 steak and fries which previously was an economical meal but now was being charged at steak house prices. Our meal turned out to be 100 dollars. We did not even order drinks or had dessert. Everything was charged a la carte. The owner has used the nostalgic atmosphere to overcharge their meals. I will not be going back to Rio Cristal and will reminisce on how it used to be and not what it has become. Buyer beware. read more

Many moons ago, we would come here or Lila's for steak & papitas. Being that Lila's no longer exists, we ventured to Rio Cristal for nostalgia sake. Seems like our fond memories will stay in the past. The place itself looks exactly the same. I don't doubt that some of the staff are the same. The bread is meh. But as water people, I do like that they leave the pitcher at the table. My husband ordered the lunch bowl. The server didn't know what that was and had a hard time inputting the order. The lunch bowl is white Rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes and your choice of one Protein. He chose Vaca Frita. We waited a very long time for our food. Everyone around us was getting their food, except us. When it finally arrived, she tells us that they didn't have tomatoes, so the bowl didn't have them. Isn't that some5hing that you should inform the customer about beforehand? It was really no big deal to him, but still. He really enjoyed it though. I tried it and it was tasty. I ordered the Rio Cristal. The steak was really thick & tough, not like a palomilla. And no taste. The fries tasted like old oil. That disappointed me more than the steak, I love fries! For dessert, we had the flan and it was good. Maybe my steak & fries was a fluke and we'll give it another shot. read more

Excelente comida, y gracias a Aurora por su excelente servicio.un ambiente muy sano y familiar

For great, economic family and Cuban food you cannot miss going there! Service great , very personal and ambiance is very cozy

Have been coming here since I was a kid. It's a Westchester staple of Cuban food!! The best mountain of fried papitas ever!! The steak is always juicy and well cooked. The service is good and usually quick. The place is old and so is the decor but that's what makes so inviting! read more

Original Rio Cristal - 51. Super Rio Crystal Steak - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Went because I read that they had the best palomilla in Miami. It was compared to Las Delicias so I had to go try it. Was very disappointed. The fries tasted like grease, and the steak was not tender. Ordered the flan de queso for dessert. The waiter tells us after we took a bite that it was not what we ordered, but he knew we would like it because it tasted just like the "flan de queso". Deceptive. Though the food was brought out very quick, and the waiter was nice, he was also not the most sanitary. He poured water in our glasses while he held the glass with his finger in it. Needless to say, we did not drink the water. read more

Rio cristal is on a strip mall. The parking lot is small but we managed to find a spot. As we entered we noticed the servers are all older ladies. Reminded me of grandma cooking and fussing over me. We were greeted nicely and told we can sit anywhere. We chose a booth. Our server came right over, smiled, introduced herself and offered drinks. I needed a cafe pronto! We ordered bistec de pollo with white rice, black beans & french fries. Bistec encebollado, white rice and black beans with maduros. While we waited she bought us warm, toasted, garlicky, buttery bread and my very strong, already sweetened, cafè. The chicken steak, topped with beautifully sauteed onions, marinated in lime and garlic, was tasty but a bit dry. The steak was topped with diced white onions and parsley, was great, also seemed like it was marinated with lime & fresh garlic, it was juicy and tasty. The rice, fluffy, perfect and so good. The beans, flavorful and creamy. The fries, didn't seem fresh, maybe reheated and the maduros were not whole but both good. I am glad that because of Yelp we found this place and next time we are in Miami we will come back. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Menu - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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I've been coming to this place for so many years and it's till the same. The food is plentiful and it brings me back to my childhood. read more

Original Rio Cristal - XL Rio Crystal Steak - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Been a long time customer of this restaurant, looks like it was sold, food is good, service was good, ambiance not so great taking down walls and removing the drop ceiling was not a smart decision! The restaurant is very noisy! They need to rethink fixing, to get rid of the noise! read more

This is place is an oldie but a goodie. Grew up coming here since when it was right across from tropical park. Their pan con bistec and fries is my go to for lunch. Service takes long sometimes only cause they're so busy. read more

Can we all agree that unless its homemade a GOOD palomilla is hard to find?? This place is amazing and the only place i would order a palomilla from. I have been ordering from here since i was a baby (well family has anyways) where do i begin... Mariquitas with extra mojo, palomilla and papitas fritas are a staple, the white rice is delicious as well.. breaded steak!! Wish i could take it all home everytime! read more

Mierda! This place is terrible. They have ruined a 50 year old business. The palomilla is not a palomilla. Mojo was terrible! Sedanos sells real mojo btw. New owners using old brand name. It's a sticker not a sign of quality now. Recien llegado garbage. Communists don't make good food. Do they know what adobo and Sazon are? The only thing edible was the flan because they don't make it. Will never return. What a shame. read more

Sorry to say that the old Rio Cristal is gone, and the new one doesn't compare to the old. The menu has shrunk from the massive menu that used to be on the placemats to a small hard hearted menu with only a few offerings. Just a couple of bites in and I realized it had slipped quite a bit in quality. They also finally remodeled the place with newer booths but it lost something in the translation. They made the counter into a wine bar of sorts, and have brought in Americanized dishes like chicken salad and wings. The bread on my sandwich was burnt, the steak dry and flavorless, and the famous fries cold, limp, and old. They got rid of the cashier and now the servers come around with one of those computerized credit card machines. The entire experience was completely opposite of everything I liked about Rio Cristal and its previous many years in business. When something is successful, you don't go changing it. The restaurant was more or less empty tonight and if what they served me tonight is what they are serving now I can see why. Truly a shame because this was once the best Cuban food in Miami. read more

Rio cristal is on a strip mall. The parking lot is small but we managed to find a spot. As we entered we noticed the servers are all older ladies. Reminded me of walking into my moms house filled with good smells and her fussing over a stove. We were greeted nicely and told we can sit anywhere. We chose a booth. Our server came right over, smiled, introduced herself and offered drinks. We ordered just water and of course, for my wife, coffee. We ordered bistec de pollo with white rice, black beans & french fries. Bistec encebollado, white rice and black beans with maduros. While we waited she bought us warm, toasted, garlicky, buttery bread and a very strong, already sweetened, cafè. The chicken steak, topped with sauteed onions, marinated in lime and garlic, was tasty but a bit dry. The steak was topped with diced white onions and parsley, was great, also seemed like it was marinated with lime & fresh garlic, it was juicy and tasty. The rice, fluffy, perfect and so good. The beans, flavorful and creamy. The fries, didn't seem fresh, maybe reheated and the maduros were not whole but both good. I am glad that because of Yelp we found this place and next time we are in Miami we will come back. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Menu - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Sorry, won't be going back. The fries were day old or fried in old grease. Asked for Fried Chicken, they gave me baked. Asked for moros, got black beans and rice, dripping in the bag. The yuca mojo was bitter. They have a young guy that works there, seems to have an attitude problem or impaired, picking fights with the grandmother. Spent $61.00 on food that had to be thrown away, don't ask for the steak. By the way, they are NOT going out of business! Better off making this at home of La Carreta or Sergios. read more

This place has the best authentic Cuban food in town. I would recommend trying this place out for your selfs

This place as a whole is as authentic a Miami/Cuban restaurant goes. From the decor, to the staff (most waiters have been there for decades), to the food, of course. Food is good and freshly made. I would recommend that you make space for the Flan as it is the best I've ever had. read more

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Generalmente, no me gusta hacer malos reviews, pero creo que para los clientes de Río Cristal Original, se merece hablar algunas verdades. Primero la calidad de la comida ha bajado significativamente, mi orden del super bistec no sabía absolutamente a nada, como pasado por agua! Tuve que añadir sal y jugo de limo. La montaña se papitas fritas que servían antes no te las podías terminar, ahora ya escasas las papitas! Los maduros duros y el arroz blanco insípido! Encima los precios han subido increíblemente! Lo que antes costaba 10.99 por el mismo plato ahora es $21.00+ y encima tienes que a pagar los acompañantes a parte. Simplemente un robo! Ah espérate si vas a pagar con tarjeta espera un 3% + Subcharge! Quieren cobrarle a los clientes el costa de la remodelación, que al final no deja de ser ni un lugar elegante, más bien un cuchitril! Antes no era elegante pero uno iba ahí por el bistec y las papas fritas! YA NI ESO! Con tantos restaurantes cubanos en Miami, este es una gran pena! Y de la atención para que hablar, la camarera desde que tomó la orden a que nos trajo la comida ya no sabía quién ordenó que! Tuve que pedir agua dos veces porque ni al tanto de eso! Definitivamente no les recomiendo este restaurante a nadie! read more

First and last time visiting this restaurant. The mariquitas were dripping with oil and the oil had a horrible smell...probably old. We sent them back and waited for our food. I ordered the special chicken dish, which was dry and the maduros were cold. My wife ordered a steak sandwich with fries. The ketchup she put on the fries was rancid and she didn't even want to taste the sandwich. We paid our bill and left the food behind. We are now down the street at La Carreta. Hopefully it's better! read more

The best and still going strong. I drive all the way from Broward and now so do my kids. Thanks for keeping it real.

I have been going to this restaurant for years. But, we haven't been since before covid and I'm so happy it was saved. Todays food was amazing We had the Rio Crystal, the super Rio Crystal, and a Pan con Bistec..I would say it was better than before. Our waitress has been there since the 80's and she didn't miss a beat!! Loved having her serve our food felt like I was having lunch at my abuelas house and she was serving us. (She only works Wed & Thurs) The environment was great.. Definitely going back! read more

Great family owned business with great food. No where else can you get there steak and mountain of home made fries. Delicious can't stay away read more

Some of the first things you'll notice while dining at Rio Cristal are their paper menus and the teeny-tiny text populating them. The text on these menus has to be this small too, by the way, because there's just so much Cuban food. Seriously, there's practically no end to how many different dishes they serve! Unless you're in the mood for something specific, you may find yourself browsing the menu for quite a while. Watch out, though, as the hostess will be quick to approach the table and ask to take your order down. She brought a large, cold pitcher of water for the table and welcomed us with Cuban banter. Our waitress was a sweetheart and had the personality of a motherly relative. One of the other Cubans working across the bar started a casual conversation with our party too. He wasn't even our server and he brought me an extra chair to sit more comfortably on. I felt like a guest being welcomed into someone's home. The food came out just how I like it - fast and hot. The Bistec Empanizado was the size of my totally shocked face. The tender, breaded steak came with white rice, black beans, and my choice of fries or maduros. I chose the maduros because Rio Cristal knows how to make them so well! The fried plantains were some of the softest yet crunchiest I've ever had. Let me explain. The center of the bananas were soft and so sweet that I could've sworn they were caramelized. They stuck right to the rice whenever I mixed the two. The tips of the maduros had the texture of burnt steak ends and retained this ultimate, crunchy sweetness from the fryer. There were so many main courses and sides on the table that there was no way we could've ordered more plates. There's this comfortable, Hispanic-family sensation that Rio Cristal brings out that I've come to appreciate over the years. It's a special place I'll continue to come back to for more dinners like this. read more

Original Rio Cristal - Bistec Empanizado - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

This little place called Rio Crystal on bird road makes quality pan con bistec. The meat is juicy, and tender making salivates as you chew, but I have deducted a star from my experience. The deduction is from the lack of flavor of the fries. It was oily and tasteless. The french fries were bathed in oil, and all you taste is the oil if the fries were seasoned and salted and less oily, a perfect rating for the little joint! read more

Original Rio Cristal - Pan Con Bistec Rio Cristal & French Fries - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

There's nothing like a palomilla steak con papitas fritas on top paired with white rice and a fried egg on top. The firs here come served in their abundant portion crispy and served with ketchup for ultimate dipping. It's a simple Cuban diner that's been around and ultimately favorited by the local neighborhood. With fries like that, I added a pan com bistec to my order topped with sizzling Swiss cheese. Comfort food at this level requires a standing ovation. Plus, I've never had a stale mariquita chip served to me here and they don't jip you on the mojo sauce to drench them in. The portions are hefty and the prices are super affordable which makes this traditional Cuban spot a must visit location while in Westchester. Pair it all with a croqueta and you're down for a solid Cuban meal. read more

Normally i love this place, today it completely sucked and they didn't care about their quality of food... French fries were soggy, rice was crunchy, yes crunchy and the waitress admitted they had given me what was left... very disappointed to say the least, I left most of my food and was charged full price... Ridiculous, take your chances... read more