I sometimes work around the block from this take-out place. Sadly to say, this place never gets my…read moreattention - it's too... typical!
Cafeteria window outside of a shabby-looking, painted-over concrete building with doors having iron bars - so typical of Miami! It even looks like a druggie corner, but it's not.
A student at one of the classes where I work raved about their fried chicken one day. Another day, another student came in with a patty that got me hungry. And well over a month later, I come into work, and I was starving... but I knew that I couldn't go somewhere far. So, I gathered up the will to walk around the block, and that I did, through piles and piles of construction materials that people called Biscayne Boulevard.
I got to the cafeteria window, no line in front of me, and none following me, during high noon. In front of me, there was this Hispanic lady in her 40s looking at me, wondering what I wanted in this construction jungle.
"Que tienes para comer?" (What do you have to eat?)
*She points at the small glass display showing hot goods - Cuban pastries, patties, and fried chicken*
*Hrm* "Quiero pollo (chicken). WAIT! Tienes un combo?"
"Si. Con ..." And she mumbles on.
*Ignoring the fact I didn't understand her* "Cuanto es?" (How much is it?)
"Cuatro." (Four)
"Cuatro Dolares? Esta bien." *Tries not to sound surprised by how cheap a combo may be - I had 7 dollars on the spot*
And so she huddles around the kitchen, getting lots of rice, red beans, an admittedly tiny salad with some of the reddest tomatoes I've seen, two pieces of good-sized fried chicken, and two pieces of Cuban toast.
And so for FOUR dollars, she gave me a whole meal that filled me up more than plenty. And I had to ask for a milk shake with mamey (a fruit) to complement the meal for $1.50 more. After getting 50 cents back in change (no charge for tax!), I walked back to my work to eat.
And how did it taste? Well, everything was good. Salad had a simple dressing, but the produce was fresh. Beans and chicken were flavorful, and the milk shake was good also. Is it because this place is also a supermarket? That might be....
So now I rave about this place to my coworkers, to which they roll their eyes and they say "Duh."
*EDITED: The price rose to FIVE dollars! It's still cheap, no worries! Goddarn chicken, cheap prices, but arrive for lunch since they close at 4. And really, don't come here to get bagged chips and sodas - you can go anywhere else for that.