Great Cuban food! There aren't many Cuban restaurants in this area but this place really makes up for it. The food is authentically Cuban with all of the staple options that you would expect. The staff is very friendly and hospitable, creating a relaxed welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant itself is cozy with an old Cuban Cafe ambiance. I'm definitely coming back when i'm in town! read more

I have known about this place for quite some time, but never had a chance to stop in. That changed yesterday and it was a great experience. The owner and his son or very pleasant and the food was wonderful. I got the Cuban sandwich with yellow rice and black beans.. This sandwich was a really good size; hot and fresh off the grill. Even though I could have eaten the whole thing, despite being a really big sandwich, I was nice and brought some home to let my daughter taste it. Now she's gonna bug me to take her... Lol. read more

See all

The food is very good. Pretty authentic for Knoxville-Cuban food. I am from South Florida and I find the Prices are much higher here. I don't know why Pork and beans or Cafe con leche would cost so much. It's not being imported! read more

Overall impression, very cute place, smelled amazing, great pastries, needs better signage. Super friendly folks working the counter. I ordered a guava and cream cheese and a ham and cheese, puff pastry. So flaky and yummy. And oh my goodness that guava inside was delicious. Looking forward to going back and trying one of their Cuban sandwiches for lunch. read more

Pastelito's is a little piece of home. I am born and raised in Miami and even though I am not Cuban, I grew up with the Cuban culture and food all around me. I always miss Cuban food. I have been there a couple times now and both times the family that owns it has been extremely welcoming, inviting, warm, and are from Miami as well. It allowed me to be able to talk about home and made me feel at home. From the pastry's, sandwiches and can't forget the mouth watering croquettes which I am always craving and missing. Everything I have tried has been so delicious and makes me feel like I have a slice of home and a place I know I can do when I have that feeling. The cedar bluff location is small, but the mural in the back is very authentic Cuban place as well. I want them to thrive as people and as a business. Go give them a try and give this small business some recognition. read more

Came in for the first time today and was extremely happy. Walking in, the space smells of delicious baked goods and is nice and cozy. Their pastries are displayed and are all so tempting. We decide to try their gauva and cheese pastelito and also their ham and cheese. And just because we couldn't decide their ham egg and cheese croissant. Of course we had to get something to drink too. I got their cafe con leche and my husband got their mocha. The drinks were served hot and smelled great. My coffee was smooth and slightly sweet and didn't need anything added to it at all. It was perfect because the day was a little rainy and it warmed me up nicely. The mocha was really good not too sweet and easy to drink. The stars of the show were the pastries. They were flaky and tasty. The guava cheese one was my personal favorite you could taste both flavors without one over powering the other. The ham and cheese was a great savory option. And the breakfast croissant was flaky warm and amazing. The staff was exceptional. Super friendly and helpful. It was a warm place that just invited you to come back. I can't wait to go back and try more things. read more

See all

What an amazing local treasure! Everything is excellent! Classic Cubano food, awesome pastries, and great coffees. Staff was friendly, kind, and fun to speak with. The hours are short throughout the week, but definitely worth making the time to stop, eat, and enjoy. read more

See all

Where else can you get Cuban pastries in Knoxville? I don't know! Lucky to have this spot to enjoy. Guava and cheese is an excellent combo. Give it a try! read more

I'm glad I finally found Pastelito's Cuban Restaurant & Bakery. It's a small restaurant on the left hand side of the building which is hard to see from the road. The menu has a good variety of authentic Cuban food and beverages. I ordered the Cuban Sandwich and Flan. They were both delicious. Next time I visit, I'll bring my husband to try the pastries and coffee. The service was excellent and fast. I came around lunch, so it was a bit packed, but everyone ordered to-go orders and I was able to eat there. There were 4 2-person tables and some stools to eat at the window. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

See all

Tried Pastelito's for the first time for lunch. Loved the Cuban sandwich and topped it off with the Tres Leche cake. Will definitely come back on my next trip to Knoxville. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Cuban sandwich and Tres Leche cake. - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We stopped in and had such a wonderful experience today. The staff - husband and wife - were so kind and helpful. Started the experience off perfectly. Bestie had the Cuban and it was delish! So juicy and flavorful and the pulled pork inside was perfection. I had the vegetarian "chop chop" bowl which featured rice, beans and mixed seasoned root vegetables with a side of tostones. I was hoping for sweet plantains, but the option was tostones today. They were still a great addition. We also had the specialty guava and cheese pastry for dessert. VERY buttery homemade puff pastry with delicious filling. I'd recommend you visit. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Vegetable "vegetable chop chop bowl" with tostones, Cubano sandwich, rice and beans. - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Looking for something different I decided to give Pastelito's a try. As soon as I walked in I knew I was in the right place. Clean and nicely appointed and greeted with a smile and hello... seriously service was top notch. I ordered a sandwich and it was quickly served up freshly made. The food was amazing, the sandwich bread was perfect, so in conclusion, give this place a try, for a quick grab and go. Highly recommend... read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Small seating area but clean and nicely decorated - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I love love love this place! The pastries are to die for and homemade fresh daily! They're also massive and definitely worth the price. The owner is soooo sweet. Get the guava cream cheese for sure :) read more

Ok. Got here and they were open Yay!). Line to the door and worth the wait. I'm a fan of cafe con leche and pretty much all things Cuban. They sold out of a few items, so come early. Folks were friendly and it is a family place. I plan on being a regular. read more

I am honestly beyond frustrated and extremely disappointed. I pre ordered these empanadas on Thursday specifically to make sure they would be available for a birthday dinner tonight. I even stopped by at 2 PM and told you that if they were ready I would gladly take them since I was already in the area. You told me no, and when I said I would come back at 4 PM I was clearly reassured that it would not be a problem and that someone would be there waiting, even though you close at 3. Because of those repeated confirmations, I planned my entire evening around your word. This was not just a casual order, it was one of the main items for a special celebration, and canceling it without even a phone call feels incredibly disrespectful and careless. The least that could have been done was to reach out directly instead of leaving me to find out after the fact. I truly wanted to support a small business, but reliability and communication matter. This situation was handled in a way that felt deeply unprofessional and it put me in a very difficult position during an important moment. read more

I'm so sad. I wanted to love this place so much. I love Cuban food and was really excited to try this place. First of all, there's only 1 table in there. And 2 stools. There's nowhere to really sit. Right off the bat the son seemed pretty friendly. He was helpful. I placed my order for 1 Cuban sandwich and 2 pastries (already made, in the case) at 1pm. 5 people came in after I came in. I specifically told them I was picking the pastries I chose because I didn't have 20 minutes to wait for the fresh ones. People that came in after me started getting their orders really rapidly, even orders much bigger than mine. After 3 people got their orders, the next couple in there was told (after 10 minutes into waiting for their order) that the owner was so sorry for the delay and offered them free coffee. I thought that was kinda rude to me, having been there much longer than them, standing next to me and yet no offer for the same. She (owner) blatantly ignored me. Like I wasn't standing right next to them. Not even eye contact. Finally, after 30 minutes, at 1:30 I asked about my order. The woman had no clue what I ordered (even though she was up front when I ordered it). I told her it had been 30 minutes and 3 people were served before me. She apologized but made a ton of excuses, none of which were relevant when I was there first and had a smaller order. Finally the son said "oh, that's the order in the back that has no ticket, and had been done for quite some time". Ugh! So they finally gave it to me and I asked if this was a normal wait time (so I knew for the future and could plan future visits). The woman wanted to argue that they were so busy ... But again, I was there before everyone else with a much smaller order. I don't want excuses. I surely didn't want to argue. I did get them to give me one of the fresh pastries since they were done (and they didn't charge me) but at 25 bucks for just ONE sandwich and 2 pastries I really expected and hoped for more. I even tipped them. The sandwich was cold (it had been sitting out for a long time afterall). It was also really soggy on the inside. The pulled pork didn't taste homemade, it was kinda slimy like it was prepackaged. The ham was just ok. I'm really not sure what people were raving about. Even super hot I think the mushiness of the pork would kind of ruin it. I didn't even get to eat my food comfortably because it took so long and I had an appointment to get to. I expected 20 minutes to eat. I was shoving food in my mouth in the parking lot of my appointment within 5 minutes of my appointment. Thank goodness it was less than a mile away or I would have just had to walk out on the order. The spinach and feta pastry was not good. I threw it away after one bite. My hubby liked the guava and cheese pastry but that was the only good thing from the entire 25.00 purchase. I'm not thinking I'll be back even though I have appointments in the area every two weeks. It was a real disappointment. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Very cold Cuban sandwich that dripped cold drops when I tried to eat it. - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

So pleased that Knoxville has an authentic Cuban bakery and restaurant where we were able to purchase 2 loaves of freshly baked Cuban bread for our French-dip and Cuban sandwiches. The restaurant is a tad difficult to find since it doesn't front Cedar Bluff as its address seemed to indicate. With only 1 table and a couple of stools inside, the eatery really isn't conducive to a dine-in experience, yet it has a full menu of sandwiches and pastries. We had little room to reach the counter to place our order since one party sat at the table and another party sat on the stools and conversed with 2 others. The bread was the real deal, and the sandwich offerings sounded great, albeit on the pricier side. We will return yet will order food to-go. read more

See all

Arrived mid-morning so the breakfast rush had depleted the stock and they were baking to replenish. Nice variety on the menu. We were greeted when we came in and the staff were patient with questions. After some "negotiation" we determined what was available and ordered. I had the Ham and Cheese Cuban Puff Pastry and my wife had the Guava Cuban Puffed Pasty. They were served up quickly and we both liked our choice. All great so far. We ordered coffee, mine was a Cuban Coffee black and my wife had CAFE CON LECHE. The wait for the coffee was unusually long and we could have finished eating well before the coffee arrived. My coffee tasted great but wasn't hot and my wife was very good also. The dining area was clean and decorated to set the Cuban mood. There was also a TV with Spanish language programming. Tips The place is tucked away in the back of the building and the parking lot marquee does not list the address or "Pastelito's". Not a lot of seating so be prepared to stand or get it to go if it's busy. read more

See all

I was excited to try pastelitos since I have never had Cuban pastries before! The service was great and the worker I met took great care to explain their savoey and sweet pastries to me and their coffee options. I ended up ordering the Chorizo savory pastry and the gauava with cheese sweet pastry. The chorizo pastry was very delicious and the crust was surprisingly flaky but most welcomed. I will definitely order this again. The guava/cheese sweet pastry was kinda odd. It was surprisingly sweet and the cheese was "cheesy" for lack of a better word. It was a white cheese in cubes that I was not expecting. I was not a fan but maybe their other sweet pastries are better. I did not enjoy the coffee all that much. Overall, a good expense! read more

See all

Lovely family owned cafe. I had the chicken and my husband had the Cuban sandwich, Food is delicious and the pastries are AMAZING! I

Love this place! The food is authentic Cuban. Got spoiled when living in the Keys and getting cuban anytime I had a craving, so this place is my happy place in Knoxville read more

Got there fairly late in the afternoon, so the pastry case was mostly empty. Still got two cream cheese and a Cuban sandwich. Everything was delicious, and the sandwich held up very well even though it was another hour before I could eat it. read more

Best Cuban sandwich in Knoxville area by far! Their cream cheese pastries are an absolute delight. We take the pastries home and then nuke for 20 seconds, it's a delicacy. read more

This very quaint eatery is somewhat hidden, but it is worth seeking out. They serve one of the best Cuban sandwiches I've had. So yummy. I took off a star as the black beans need some "kicking up". As a member of a family previously from Key West, the beans need some garlic, spices and a bit of zing (we like Spanish olives and their juice). Give your beans a lift and you'll have some winning Cuban food! read more

Family owned business and they are very nice and helpful. I only intended on getting a sandwich and the mom talked me into also getting rice and beans. I am so glad I listened as I could make a meal of just them alone. The sandwich was made exactly like a Cuban sandwich is supposed to be made and was very tasty. My only complaints are how small the dining and ordering area is and they are a challenge to find. I gave up one other time searching for them but I'm glad I didn't this time. I also suspect that as the word gets out about their food they will have to move to a bigger place. Now I must try them for coffee and breakfast. read more

My wife and I stopped here for lunch yesterday. I'm so glad we did. The food was delicious and the ambiance is great. We both had the Cuban sandwiches with sides of yellow rice and black beans. Everything was amazing. I couldn't figure out what they put in their black beans that made them so delicious. I love black beans but these had an amazing unique flavor. The owner was so kind and helpful. We loved him. We will definitely be going back here again. Thank you so much for the great food and experience. read more

This place is awesome. Quality ingredients and the flavors are on point. That absolute star of each baked item is the bread. I had the steak sandwich and a feta and spinach pastry and you can tell that an abuelita made it with her hands. In case you can't tell, you can see abuelita back in the kitchen! Didn't try the coffee but people seemed to be enjoying it. Nice staff and chill atmosphere. Small, cozy place. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Menu - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

See all

Picked up lunch for myself and some coworkers. We all had the Cuban and it was fantastic. Even after a 20 minute ride back to the office. The pulled pork was flavorful and the bread crust was very good. Their ham croquettes were good too. A definite great find in West Knox. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - three coffee mugs on a shelf - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I found this cute little Cuban bakery. I would definitely recommend this place. It is friendly employees and a beautiful on beyonce. The food is incredible. They offer breakfast and lunch. If you're in the Cedar Bluff area, I definitely would stop here. read more

See all

What a great find! I had the Cuban, which was loaded and very good (and could have shared). My wife had the chicken bowl, was really good and tasty!!! This place is worth a stop! read more

Pretty great! Media Noce and Steak sandwiches. Fantastic. Media won. Almond cake frankly was as good as any worldwide I have had including France. And really, what is NOT good with guava? Had guava cheese because regular guava was gone and new was in the oven. Tiny place which is what makes it such a find. Owner/staff are incredibly nice and authentically Cuban. Also, not going to say there are off menu items but jealous of some people got stuff I didn't see ... I think I have a challenge!!! read more

Such a great find! We were traveling through Knoxville and wanted to find a nice quick breakfast spot. My brother and dad got the guava and cream cheese pastry and it was incredibly flakey and sweet. I got the breakfast sandwich with an over hard egg, chorizo, and queso blanco and it was fantastic. The bread was very soft and the chorizo was perfectly spicy. Though it is a very small space with limited places to sit (and no restroom), we thoroughly enjoyed it and will stop again the next time we're in town! read more

Great Cuban food, their cuban sandwich is beyond delicious, the service is very warming and personal, the restaurant is small but it got enough seats to get the job done, it is very familiar and cozy, comfortable and practical. read more

As someone from miami, I do recommend this cuban spot. *pros - cuban bread is soft and delicious and made in house - croquetas super good - pastillios are also very good *cons - they have a chorizo pastry and us cubans do not eat anything spicy or like that and i highly recommend not mixing our delicious food with other cuisines - very long to get order overall this is a family business and they make good food, theres no other Cuban place so this will def be my go to spot . Also i saw a review of someone from miami saying this place is laundering money and shame on you , and i reported your comment. read more

Pastelito's Cuban Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

See all

The Taste of South Florida here in Knoxville, TN. Pastelito's Cuban bakery was a must visit when in town. The cafe and pastels were spot on! read more

Amazing pastry and amazing food choices. All made to order and served hot. Just love the Cuban Bakery and try very hard to eat there when possible. read more

Let me just say thank GOD! We finally have a Cuban restaurant in Knoxville! I love ordering carry out from Here their food is authentic Cuban food the pork is fantastic the plátanos maduros are very good the con gris to die for the yuca asada please give me more! I am so glad they are here the service was fantastic the ambiance was fine. Let me just say if they open another location I would be happy to work there we need more Cuban restaurants in Knoxville read more

Years ago I had just set up for a gig at the World Grotto (I think that was the name of the place) here in Knoxville and hadn't eaten all day. Above the WG was a Cuban place that I don't know the name of and closed a little while after that. They were don't for the day and not serving food anymore that day. They did have a couple Cubans (the sandwiches, weirdo) sitting on the oven and sold my friend and I one. It was my first Cuban. I've had dreams about that Cuban. I've tried some that were close but none of them ever really nailed it. There was a place on Campbell Station that came close. Now, I said all that to say all this, I found it. The Dream Cuban. There's a little place on Cedar Bluff (technically, just off of Cedar Bluff) called Pastelito's Cuban Bakery and they are so wonderful. I had lunch with my wife today and we split one of the giant Dream Cubans. I bought two, the realized the size. And I bought two chorizo and queso turnovers. They're huge too. That's on me. The Cubans are exactly what you want them to be, simple, elegant, tasty, and drippy. The turnover is crispy and sweet. Then you get to the chorizo which surprises you with a little spiciness. Just go here. It's a cute little shop and has endless things to look at. And the people are so friendly and sweet! Go. Go eat there. read more

I am Cuban and I live in Miami. I visit my boyfriend often in Knoxville. I feel very credible to leave this review. THANK GOD there's an actual delicious and authentic Cuban spot in Knoxville. It feels like I'm at a bakery on Calle Ocho back home. -- *Research Miami Calle Ocho*. The restaurant really gives off the Latin vibes! If calories didn't count I'd eat here daily.... I've tried the following; - Pastellito de Queso, 10/10 - Pastellito de Guava, 10/10 - Steak Sandwich A.K.A Pan con Bistec, 10/10 - Croqueta Sandwich, 10/10 - Croqueta de Jamón, 10/10 - Rice Bowl, 10/10 My boyfriend tried the Pumpkin Pastellito back in November and he's still raving about it. If you're unsure what to order to get an authentic Cuban meal. Try the streak sandwich and try any Pastellito, my favorite is the cheese. (Pastellito de Queso)... highly addictive. Liana, Ernie, and Alayn are great! They always provide the best service. I 100% recommend! read more

Very close to my house great food I love authentic Cuban food. I will support any in every small Latino business here in Knoxville. It's a family owned restaurant. Everybody is so friendly. It's a small quaint place and I hope that they make more locations. read more