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    Playa Cafe

    4.2 (626 reviews)
    InexpensiveCuban, Latin American

    Order Playa Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Playa Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    PLAYA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Playa Cafe

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    Cuban sandwich combo.
    Raul O.

    Good place to eat in Miami Beach and affordable prices as well. Love the Cuban sandwiches. Recommend this little gem. Popular with locals and tourists. Check them out.

    Pupusa
    Julia M.

    Very unassuming place, but had delicious cheese pupusas! The ladies were very friendly and kind, and the bathroom was clean.

    Cortadito
    Clarissa V.

    I'm back in after 10 years and it's as delicious and super local as usual. Came back for lunch later with my partner too. Cortadito and juices are always my favorite stop here with out all the tourists and touristy prices

    cuban sandwich
    Christopher M.

    stopped by for a quick breakfast and probably had one of the best cuban sandwiches ever! prices are super cheap too given the location. worker was very kind and also referred to me as papá which was nice

    a man sitting at a counter with a beverage dispenser
    Reshonda S.

    I went to this cafe late Sunday night, around 10:30pm. They are very reasonably priced compared to other places. We ordered the steak plate (comes with 3 sides per order) and the chicken breast plate. The food tasted great. The chicken was a little dry, but the spicy sauce and flavorful rice makes up for it. The steak was very good. I would have loved to return for their fresh squeezed juice the next day, but service was not good. The two-star rating is for the service. The food is a 4, the service was a 1. I didn't feel welcome in this restaurant. Not one server spoke upon arrival or while sitting at the bar for 15 minutes. We went to the register to order, and the woman was snippy and not friendly. We waited 30-40 minutes for the food, then I noticed that it had been sitting on the back counter for 10 minutes before she finally brought it over. Not sure what the purpose of the unfriendliness was, as we waited quietly and patiently; but I will not return. There are too many other Cuban options around the corner.

    best tamale in miami
    Jason C.

    Best cafe in Miami. Go get your pastele tamale fix. Also, good soup. Make sure to get a tamale before they sell out.

    Menu
    KayAnna S.

    A chill location to experience great Cuban food in South Beach. Easy to walk to and there is Bar top seating or you could easily take it to go. Everyone is extremely friendly and make great suggestions! Most agree that you can't go wrong with any option. I loved my chicken fajitas and the butter avocado and fresh tortilla gave it the extra mile. The fajita sauce was just too good. The yellow rice was a great side, very fresh rice too. My friends had the Cuban and chicken sandwiches. Both loved them and I definitely enjoyed the Cuban sandwich as well. Honestly you can't go wrong with any choice.

    Philly Cheese Steak
    Natalie J.

    This is your typical mama y papa estilo Cubano sandwich shop. None of the South Beach I'm in Miami fufu vibes but on some real authentic Cubano vibe with the ladies cracking jokes and chisme behind the counter as you drink your cafecito con leche. We had the Philly Cheesesteak and the Sandwich Cubano. Both hearty and filling, reasonably priced without breaking the bank, and more satisfying than some of the other high priced restaurants nearby. You can tell its a local spot as the ladies behind the counter knew the customers by name and by order. I even got to know the man they call "El Profesor." Listen, whoever this man was, it was a moment and the ladies there love giving him a hard time in the most we appreciate and love you manner. To be a regular here would be nice. It's not fancy by any means, and is quite small with counter space in two areas. Def a place that is busy in the morning but so glad we tried it. Menu is large, I don't think you can go wrong with anything and there is def something there for everybody. We ordered a side of plantains and even that was enough to share with 4 people. They weren't sweet but that has nothing to do with establishment. May not have been the season yet for them. A place I'd come back to after a night of dancing to get a morning fix and cafe con chisme.

    Chicken Soft Tacos
    Genesis T.

    This family owned and operated Playa Cafe offers excellent home style cooking food, and friendly customer service thats populat to locals and tourists alike. Located in the heart of South Beach, this is an excellent choice if you're craving for Caribbean, Latin, Spanish, Cuban anf Central American Cuisine. They also serve their breakfast combos with fresh coffee choices and freshly squeezed orange juice. They also serve sandwiches, tacos, tamales, wraps, salads, croquetas, empanadas and desserts like flan, caramel cakes, arroz con leche, bread pudding and tres leches. One of my favorit meql is the Arroz con Calamares which is just rice cooked with squid meat and squid ink. It is very tasty and the meat is cooked to perfection. Beef and Chicken Fajitas were good too and it is served with your choice of 2 sides with these to chiose from, white rice, yellow rice, salad, plantain, french fries and black beans It is located in 15th Street Washington Avenue, a few minutes walk from the beach, hotels and Lincoln Road Shopping Center.

    Menu
    Dani G.

    EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING HERE! I read reviews before going here and I had pretty decent expectations but wow what an incredible find. This is authentic and flavorful. The staff were kind and welcoming. From the outside looking in, it doesn't look like much but absolutely immaculate food. I have zero complaints and there's nothing I can think of that would have made it better. I will definitely return here when I visit Miami again.

    Jacqueline F.

    We were in South Beach and needed breakfast but wanted someplace low key and not really foofoo but still wanted that South Beach vibe. Get my drift? We found this little hole in the wall restaurant that was literally right around the corner from our hotel on Collins Ave but tucked away so it wasn't too busy. Definitely a locals spot! If you're looking for a good Cuban breakfast place that's nice on the pockets, you found the right place. We were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was here. My husband got the steak and eggs with a side of beans, plantain, and fried cheese. Delicious! I had to make him share with me because I just got bacon and eggs lol. Their bread was also surprisingly good - just buttered and toasted to perfection. Their orange juice is freshly squeezed along with the smoothies that they offer. I would definitely come here again!!

    One counter, very quaint
    Adam B.

    Cramped no frills single counter diner serving up tasty Cuban food at a very reasonable price. The menu is pretty large, but it's basically permutations on sandwiches and thin meats that can be quickly cooked on the grill / griddle. Puerto Sagua is probably a better choice if you want more of the slow cooked stewed dishes or fish dishes, but Playa Cafe is good for quick and filling. Chicharrones de Pollo: Billed as an appetizer, but it comes out at the same time as your meal. So it essentially becomes a pretty meaty and tasty side dish. Despite using no batter, they are so crispy. They us bone-in chicken chunks. And really great with some fresh squeezed lime. I especially like how the chicken skin was extremely crunchy like a pork rind. Queso Frito: Also billed as an appetizer, but comes out with your meal. Essentially a lightly deep fried chunk of queso fresco. Pairs very well with rice and beans, even when you're eating a meal past breakfast. Bistec de Palomilla: Very thinly pounded steak nicely griddled. And lots of yummy onions on top. Not a steakhouse kinda steak, but a great value for the price. Especially filling with the white rice, soupy black beans and sweet plantains. Marinated Pork: A pork cutlet covered in spices and charred a bit on the grill. Really flavorful. Like you definitely need the rice and beans to counter it. But so delicious. Maybe even more personality than the palomilla steak. Maracuya: Frozen passionfruit pulp blended with water, ice and a healthy dose of sugar. Turns into a deliciously sweet and tropical smoothie to pair with the savory meals.

    Cool sign  Translation in English  If you drink to forget,them you need to pay first. lol

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    4 years ago

    Playa cafe is my go to whenever I'm in Miami. The food is amazing and so is the staff. I absolutely love it.

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    Page 2 of 16

    Playa Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Playa Cafe

    Are they BYOB?

    They serve beer so I'm not entirely sure if they are but my guess is that they are not!

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    Amazing place, plain and simple. This is a Colombian-rooted restaurant bar lounge on Washington Ave…read morein South Beach, named after Simón Bolívar, with a menu that leans into Colombian, Peruvian, and Venezuelan fusion. The food was okay at best, honestly probably the weakest part of the whole experience. But that's not really why you go. The live music, the open dance floor, the whole vibe and atmosphere here is top notch. Came here for my birthday week and had such a fun, amazing time. We were thoroughly engaged with the band the whole night, they even handed us instruments to play along with at one point, which is not something that happens at most restaurants. Service was great, and the staff genuinely seemed to be having as much fun with us as we were having with them. Come for the party, not the plate, and you'll leave happy.

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    Havana 1957 - Espanola Way Miami Beach Best Cuban Restaurant

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    My first time in Miami, kicking off a birthday week, and the first place we landed after a quick…read moreand predictably rough Spirit Airlines flight from NYC, RIP to whatever dignity that airline has left. Wanted a Cubano sandwich immediately upon arrival, so we came straight to Havana 1957. This spot has been recreating 1950s Havana since 2010, right down to the vintage memorabilia and the whole "Un Dia En La Habana" concept, and it's since grown into a small chain across Miami and even Vegas. The Ocean Drive location does it right: great service, very friendly and fast, food that was amazing across the board. Loved my first taste of a traditional, genuine Cuban sandwich, ham, roast pork, Swiss, pickles, mustard, all pressed together and served with a mountain of shoestring fries, as close to the source as I could ask for stateside. Ordered a rum and coke and they hand it to you in a genuinely giant glass, perfect for getting the party started, even though it was a random Monday afternoon. Vibes and atmosphere were immaculate the whole visit. Great first stop in Miami, and a great way to kick off the week that followed.

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    Bar Counter Service

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    Shrimp enchilado

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    Mango's Tropical Cafe

    Mango's Tropical Cafe

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    Mehzcla Restaurant South Beach
    Mehzcla Restaurant South Beach
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    Playa Cafe - cuban - Updated September 2026

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