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    Arco Iris Cafe

    3.9 (142 reviews)
    InexpensiveCuban
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Arco Iris Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    ARCO IRIS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Breakfast before Bucs game
    William S.

    Love this local cafe. Perfect before a Bucs game. Got a Cuban to go for after the game. Good service. Clean and Fresh

    The sign
    Tony A.

    This place looked like an old style shop,it was clean and the staff was friendly, we had breakfast, and it was good. If we're back on this area, we will definitely try their lunch or dinner options.

    Cortadito
    Rodney R.

    It's a must stop when in Tampa for your Cuban food fix. The food is always on point, wide range of selections from sandwiches, breakfast, main dishes, deserts, and coffee. Service is always good and they are always attentive...food comes out super fast so many people come here for lunch. Ambiance is your typical Cuban food establishment with many tables & booths...when in Tampa give this place a shot.

    Vaca frita & Madurai
    Isabella C.

    Have gone here a few times now, found it based off of reviews. Very happy with this place! The food quality is good, the interiors is clean and modern, although we usually take it to go for a picnic. The staff is kind, and they are also fast. The prices are great which is one reason we chose it to begin with. The vaca frita is our favorite!

    Roast pork with special fried rice and platanos. And a lg container of black beans 2 pieces of Cuban bread & soy sauce, which you don't need
    Jen G.

    Roast Pork with Chinese Fried Rice....yummy. Also bought a large container of black beans because I plan to use later with another meal. The pork was juicy and full of flavor and the fried rice was full of shrimp, pork and cubes of ham , very good ! Reminds me of a Cuban restaurant I found in NYC a few years ago that also served a mix up of Cuban and Chinese.This is a nice change up to the usual yellow rice side, ( which I also love,) that you get in most local Cuban restaurants. The black beans were good but this time it was more liquid than usual. More like black beans soup. But they were good with lots of flavor.

    Restaurant inside
    Eddie R.

    I have been looking for a Cuban Chinese place for a long time. I have only seen them in NYC. The number 4, Palomilla steak and Fried Rice, was my go to in NY. SO I was so thrilled to see this here. It was just a expected. Tasty, full of flavor and lots of food. Good stuff. I will definitely be back.

    a plate of fried rice and bacon

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    11 hours ago

    Simple spot with great Cuban food that does the classics well. It's very rarely over crowded and I've never had to wait for a seat.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent sandwiches great service great coffee we had the breakfast sandwich priced right too! Love it!

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    3 years ago

    A Tampa institution! Every dish is authentic just like we cook at home! Their roast pork is delicious!

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    2 years ago

    I ordered special fried rice and it was very very good. The food is reasonably priced.

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    Page 1 of 4

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    La Teresita Cafe

    La Teresita Cafe

    3.9(1.3k reviews)
    0.7 miWest Tampa
    $$

    Brought friends here for lunch and decided to try the milanesa today, with fries and yellow rice as…read moresides. Just as I expected, this place never disappoints. I've only had Argentinian-style milanesa before, and I can easily say I liked the Teresita style better. The marinara sauce on the milanesa brings enough acidity to cut through the grease from the fried meat -- the meat is thin and crispy, but not at all dry. The fries and yellow rice make the meal an absolute steal based on the amount of food you get. My friend had the fried fish, which looked delicious -- excited to try it myself next time. Will definitely be back to try more items on the menu!

    I really wanted this to be a home run, especially being in Tampa, where the Cuban sandwich was…read moreborn, But what I got instead was a foul ball. I ordered takeout at lunchtime expecting something fresh and satisfying. The Cuban sandwich was the biggest letdown. They try to get slick by loading you up with slices of ham while giving you very little pork, when the pork should be the star. I even left specific notes on the order: no salami and add mustard. Somehow, they still left a piece of salami in there and didn't put any mustard at all. A Cuban sandwich without mustard? I don't know. It was so bad I had to take both halves of the sandwich and move all the pork onto one side just to make it resemble something decent. There was one tiny slice of pickle. Don't take my word for it--check the pictures. That's why I always include them. The soup? It reminded me of Lipton soup. No knock if you like that, but this was basically Lipton soup with grease. As for the coffee, it was takeout coffee, so I can't even complain too much. I got it to wake me up, but honestly... after this meal, I should have just stayed sleeping. Overall, really disappointing given the expectations.

    Photos
    La Teresita Cafe
    La Teresita Cafe
    La Teresita Cafe - Where you go in

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    Where you go in

    La Segunda Central Bakery - Welcome to La Segunda!

    La Segunda Central Bakery

    4.3(689 reviews)
    2.8 miYbor City
    $$
    Hipster vibe
    Casual dining

    This place was packed Saturday around 11:30, but didn't take too long to get our food. This bakery…read morehas been here forever and by the amount of people and the amazing food, they will be there for much longer. We got the breakfast sandwich that was amazing, ham and cheese croquet, cinnamon rolls that was huge and the guava and cheese pastry. Very small inside. But everyone just shuffled to make room for each other.

    A while back while visiting Tampa, I had two foodie goals. One of them is to acquire Cuban pastries…read morefrom the 1915 La Segunda Bakery. They have four locations, and we went to the one in the Ybor City Historic District. La Segunda is an institution for Cuban bread and pastries, baking 18K loaves daily and ships nationwide via Goldbelly. Our niece's BF is Cuban, and he said buy anything with guava. In the box (see photo), we bought two each of guava flip (kind of a folded tart or empanada), guava turnover, and guava flip with cream cheese. All of them are delicious! I like the flaky guava turnovers the most even though they didn't survive the transportation across the country in my backpack as well as some of the others. Even though slightly crumbly, still yummy! I also bought butter cookies, sold by the pound. Those are relatively ordinary; I'll skip those in the future. Next time, we are carrying Cuban sandwiches home! I really wish I carried them home. I was having Cuban sandwich withdrawal. This location is older but functional; there isn't seating. Their customers know what they want, and everything moves FAST. If it's your visit (like it was for us), I suggest looking at the menu online to know what to order. The service is friendly, even though I can tell he was a bit exasperated that I didn't just yell out my order and I asked questions. I honestly don't fault him. Busy places have their own pace, and the customers are the ones to keep up. That's perfectly ok.

    Photos
    La Segunda Central Bakery - Cuban Sandwich

    Cuban Sandwich

    La Segunda Central Bakery - New York Style Cheesecake

    New York Style Cheesecake

    La Segunda Central Bakery - Rainbow Cake

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    Rainbow Cake

    Columbia Cafe on the Tampa Riverwalk - The Famous Cuban Sandwich

    Columbia Cafe on the Tampa Riverwalk

    3.7(678 reviews)
    3.2 miDowntown Tampa
    $$

    I would put 3.5 if that was a choice. We had a reservation on Mother's Day. We were seated right…read moreaway. Waiter was nice and he refilled waters regularly. Had the homemade white sangria- very good. Cuban bread delicious. Split an order of empanadas- originally ordered the beef but they were out of that so we had the chicken- good. My husband had not been here before so he got a half and half of the Cuban sandwich and their 1905 salad and liked both. I got the Pollo Manchego and it was very good. My son's girlfriend got the Mahi-Mahi and enjoyed it. Only blemish was my son's meal. He ordered the Palomilla- steak was cold, burnt on the bottom. The server did replace it for him and the second one was better. My husband got the flan for dessert and liked it. I got the churros. They were not dusted with cinnamon sugar (as the description says) and they were out of the chocolate sauce so gave us 2 caramel sauce and 1 guava sauce. Overall it was good considering it was a very busy day for them and we went at 7pm. We will go again.

    Love the location in Ybor and wanted to finally check out this location. It's the perfect spot for…read moreif you're going to the aquarium, waiting to board a cruise ship, or even just walking along the river walk! Our waiter Ricky was awesome! Attentive, helpful, and happy to get us anything we needed. We always love their famous salad!! Highly, highly recommend!

    Photos
    Columbia Cafe on the Tampa Riverwalk
    Columbia Cafe on the Tampa Riverwalk - Columbia Columbia's Original"1905" Salad with "Shrimp Al Ajillo"

    Columbia Columbia's Original"1905" Salad with "Shrimp Al Ajillo"

    Columbia Cafe on the Tampa Riverwalk - Patio

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    Patio

    Soul de Cuba Cafe - Cuban Roast pork

    Soul de Cuba Cafe

    4.2(61 reviews)
    2.8 miSeminole Heights

    Soul de Cuba Cafe 6428 N. Florida Ave…read more Tampa. FL 33604 Listen uo Tampa!! If you're looking for some traditional Cuban Sandwiches, Ropa Vieja, or Lechon Asado, this is your place. This restaurant provides a dinning experience with a visual journey to the past. Owner Jesus Puerto welcomes you and your family to their culture and heritage. Located in Seminole Heights, thier food tells a little story of Tampa's history. I would encourage to come visit them and try out thier traditional cuban dishes. And also they sell and produce their own sauces you might want to try. What we had: 1) Spicy Pork Belly - Delicious 2) Ceviche de Oka Pacifico- seafood delicious 3) Lechon Asado- my personal favorite 4) Fricase de Pollo- Good portion of flavorful food

    This review is based only on pricing and portion size, as the food was takeout brought to me by a…read morefamily member visiting from out of town. I ordered the rabo encendido, which had good flavor. However, at $30, the portion felt smaller than expected. It was ordered with moro but they gave me white rice and black beans, along with two plátanos maduros. While everything tasted fine, the portion size didn't quite match the price. We also ordered chicharrón with tostones for $15. The tostones were good, though the chicharrón was a bit chewy. I was told the total for a party of three was about $200, which felt on the higher side considering the portions. The food had good flavor overall, but the value may be something to consider.

    Photos
    Soul de Cuba Cafe
    Soul de Cuba Cafe - Strawberry Shortcake Tres Leche

    Strawberry Shortcake Tres Leche

    Soul de Cuba Cafe - Cafe con leche

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    Cafe con leche

    Columbia Restaurant - Famous Salad

    Columbia Restaurant

    4.0(1.6k reviews)
    20.8 mi
    $$

    A trip to the Clearwater area isn't complete without a dinner at Columbia. It's always a treat to…read moredine here -- from the Cuban food to the ambiance to the service. Excellent! The food remains solid. We enjoyed the mahi mahi, the thin steak, and the Cuban sandwich. Plus, we also once again ordered the mojito pitcher. It's made table side -- though this time they did not add the rum in front of us. It always made us laugh when they poured a bottle of rum into the pitcher. When we asked, the waiter said the rum was already in the pitcher. That's the only bummer. Great restaurant that continues to deliver.

    This is just over the bridge from Clearwater Beach. Different cuisine and things to choose from…read more Tip: Parking is limited in the strip mall this is in. Suggest valet for $6 or a couple of trips around the lot to find a spot. We sat outside, which was enclosed and heated and your are right on the water. Super cool and great views. We started off with the toasted bread and butter and the devil crab croquet. Not a fan - full of crab but the flavors didn't sit well and really needed some type of sauce to pair with it - we only had hot sauce. The original salad - is a must we shared it across four. It's made table side has cheese and olives in it and was really good. We got ours with a side of shrimp. Main courses - Cuban - it's a classic sandwhich which we shared. Comes with fried plantains which were ok. Again would have been better with some kind of sauce to dip it in. Steak Salteado - good flavor l, was expecting thin sliced steak and it was more like stew meat. Paired with rice and was good. Palomilla - would be better as the sandwhich version. Again this one needed a sauce for dipping. Shrimp "Al Ajillo" - this is a must and the oil garlic mix is perfect for dipping you toasted bread.

    Photos
    Columbia Restaurant - Interior of Restaurant

    Interior of Restaurant

    Columbia Restaurant - Boliche criollo

    Boliche criollo

    Columbia Restaurant - Main dining room at Columbia Sand Key.

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    Main dining room at Columbia Sand Key.

    HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor - El Cubano - Cuban Sandwish

    HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor

    3.4(132 reviews)
    0.9 miWest Tampa

    I had Havana 86 while I was in Tampa for work and ended up eating there twice because it was that…read moregood. The first night I ordered Uber Eats, and the food arrived well packed, hot, and fresh. I ordered the vaca frita with yellow rice and added sweet plantains. The steak was incredibly tender and full of flavor, and the rice paired perfectly with it. The sweet plantains were spot on, and I honestly devoured the entire meal. It was so good that I took my boss back for lunch in person. He ordered the classic Cubano sandwich, and it was done right -- the ham and pork were perfectly balanced, the bread was fresh, and it was grilled just right. We also shared the sampler platter, which was a great way to try a variety of their tapas and appetizers. Everything we tried was solid. I also ordered a guanábana shake, which was fresh and absolutely delicious -- a flavor I had never had before. I liked it so much that I ordered it two days in a row. If you're looking for authentic Cuban food in Tampa, I definitely recommend Havana 86. The prices were very reasonable for the area, the food was consistently great, and it's already become a new favorite of mine. I'll absolutely be back next time I'm in town.

    So let's get the simple statement out of the way... Mighty fine Cuban food…read more I typically love Ropa Vieja... I'm shocked that I didn't order it. I just wasn't in the mood. I was in the mood for a sandwich. But I wasn't in the mood for a Cuban... Oddly enough, I've never really been a big Cuban sandwich fan. Good thing I went with my wife and sister-in-law. Sister-in-law ordered the Ropa. Wife ordered the Cuban sandwich. I got the Lechon sandwich. The pictures speak for themselves. Large sandwiches come with delicious fries. You could definitely share the sandwich if you wanted to. The Ropa Vieja looked like a pretty small portion... It was bigger in reality. Not huge... Not La Teresita huge. The sandwiches are well priced... The Ropa was a little expensive. Service was great. Very kind staff. Tons of servers... Probably too many -- It's not that big of a restaurant. Restaurant is super cute, clean, and the tables are awesome -- Tons of those rounded booth tables. Very comfortable. Probably my only downside... I wouldn't expect the inside of the restaurant based on the outside. If this wasn't a recommendation from my sister-in-law... I would have driven right by. So, maybe you'll see this review and give this restaurant a chance. I would've never gone there if it wasn't for word-of-mouth.

    Photos
    HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor - Storefront

    Storefront

    HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor - ARROZ FRITO - FRIED RICE Ox Tail with Black Beans & Rice

    ARROZ FRITO - FRIED RICE Ox Tail with Black Beans & Rice

    HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor - Outside Entrance

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    Outside Entrance

    Arco Iris Cafe - cuban - Updated May 2026

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