El Mocho Cuban Restaurant was fantastic from start to finish. We ordered the ropa vieja and the picadillo, both served with black beans and rice and perfectly cooked plantains. Every bite was full of flavor and tasted truly homemade. We also tried the croqueta sandwich, yuca frita, and a chicken empanada. All were delicious, crispy, and fresh, with generous portions. To top it off, we finished with the homemade flan, which was smooth, creamy, and the perfect ending to the meal. The service was wonderful and made the experience even better. Friendly, attentive, and welcoming. We will absolutely be back and highly recommend this spot for authentic Cuban food. read more

Was a little disappointed with m last visit - they don't tell you they are including the gratuity and then we included one and only after we received our receipt via text after did we realize that we had double tipped. Another FYI - we ate there and when we didn't finish, they charged us for a to go container - little things but they are memorable. Now....on to the food As others said, the Cuban bread is great for whatever you get with it. I believe the hash browns are like the frozen things you get at MccDonald's so pas on those unless you like that - at a mom and pop place, I'm expecting homemade. We sat outside and if you go to the counter and order, they will bring it out for you. read more

El Mocho Restaurant - Omelette with hash browns - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Great food, pleasant service, no pressure at all to hurry along. Breakfast and lunch both lots of good choices. Sandwiches to go are the best. And definitely a locals spot!! read more

Phenomenal food and friendly service. The bread, empanadas, soups, and steak were all great. Will definitely back.

If you want to eat the best Cuban sandwich in key west, this place is a must. Small family owned restaurant, also try their Cuban coffee. Great and lovely customer service! 10/10 read more

El Mocho Restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

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For what this is, it was great. Mocha was delicious. Had the special, some sopa, and tostones to go. Friendly staff. Great local spot, easy to park, and they pack it up nicely if you're heading out. read more

Great Cuban Sandwich Really friendly staff Very very reasonable prices!! A million times better than the Cuban food truck down the road read more

Que rico! Delicious Cuban comfort foods served up in a small unpretentious spot in a warm and friendly way. Loving doting hospitality. And they really feed you here too, that's for sure. There's a certain succulence to the foods that's exceedingly difficult to find in a restaurant. Love, love, loved the smoked pork chops. Nice touch too, the warm, flattened, buttered breads. Yumn. And the beans, my Gods. read more

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All you need to know is El Mocho makes their own Cuban bread. They make their own Cuban flan. And it's Cuban owners doing Cuban cooking. I have been eating here since I was a kid and now it's where my Key West kids ask to go when we are looking for something delicious and local. One of the last remaining genuine Old Key West restaurants, and it was definitely the one to we are glad stuck around! If you are as serious about as authentic Cuban as our family, the best Cuban cooking in Key West is El Mocho! read more

El Mocho Restaurant - The Best Cuban restaurant in Key West is on Stock Island, Cuban cooking cooked by Cubans! - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

Pretty nice little Cuban restaurant just off the beaten path on Stock Island. Don't let the first impression fool you: It's not as low-rent as it seems at first glance. There's a small dining room in front, and a slightly larger one in back. No matter where you sit the food is superb! We enjoyed a pair of empanadas as an appetizer; one chicken, one beef. Both were made-to-order and impossibly delicious. A little bit on the oily side, but truly authentic as if abuela had just made them. My wife enjoyed a grilled chicken plate that was served as pollo encebollado style. Accompanied by a garbanzo bean soup-stew, white rice and fried plantains. Each bite was delicious. I had the daily special: Braised oxtails. They were heavenly. The meat had been cooked for hours and hours until it had developed that gelatinous texture that nearly forms a meaty jello. Clearly these had been braised in a sofrito-based sauce and they were loaded with deep beefy umami. Served with the same sides. I think my only single minor complaint was that the oxtails were $18 (price not listed anywhere) and that's mighty high for a three joints of a "junk meat" cut. But -- if I'm honest -- I can nearly forgive the price because each bite was so good, and the taste of the care and love in preparation came shining through. Portions are generous. I literally couldn't finish my entree (and I'm a big eater!). All told, with a couple of soft drinks and tip it cost us $62 for lunch for two, so not as "affordable" as the appearance would suggest. But we'll be back for the flavor. Muy rico, muy sabroso. read more

I stumbled in here, very pleasantly surprised. coffee was excellent. I returned for a chicken dinner, large portion from very friendly waitress. I will definitely be back! read more

Food, service & ambiance. And working people can get a good stick-to-your-ribs midday meal. And the flan is smooth and tasty.

Authentic Cuban cuisine at reasonable prices!!! It's entirely run by 1 family! Amazing!

When I initially decided to try this restaurant, I thought it was Mexican food. After sitting down and looking at the menu, I quickly discovered there were no tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or anything like that. I didn't realize that this is a Cuban restaurant. Then I realized the amazing smells coming from the kitchen and I knew I was at a true and authentic Cuban food restaurant. Very clean, the service was excellent. I ordered the hamburger and fries. This is not a common hamburger, but it came out on Cuban bread with a Cuban spice. That was excellent. You know when you're in a authentic Cuban restaurant when virtually everyone that walks through the door is Cuban and they all know each other. This is a small restaurant that you could easily pass by. But I would highly recommend stopping and trying the food. The people were wonderful, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was very authentic. Price is extremely reasonable. read more

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Affordable, delicious Cuban food located in Stock Island. They have great lunch specials and super friendly staff. It's a simple and plain place, but don't be fool the food is delicious. Try the ajiaco soup or the picadillo or the pork chops-- these are my favorites. And in my opinion , they serve one of the best cafe con leche on the island. read more

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Had breakfast this morning, and the eggs were cooked to order, grits were delicious, bacon was deep fried, sausage was okay along with the pancakes. Went back for supper tonight, and the pork chunks, red beans, rice and plantains were very good. I had a fresh watermelon juice drink, and I liked it. The one thing I didn't like was the automatic gratuity added to my bill at breakfast and supper. I didn't notice it at breakfast (and I left a tip on the table), but I did notice it at supper. read more

They added an UNDISCLOSED 18% automatic tip to our check for bad service and mediocre food. Yes, we received bad service and mediocre food! That automatic 18% tip was not mentioned on the menu, on the table, on the wall, by the waitress, by any other restaurant staff, or anywhere else. The key word here is UNDISCLOSED. A DISCLOSED automatic tip policy is fine with us, but as we'll explain below an UNDISCLOSED one is not fine. An automatic tip system that is not mentioned to customers is not fine. A hidden or secret automatic tip system is not fine. When we were done eating our waitress looked at her hand held small electronic device's screen, and said your bill is $38.67. She didn't offer to let us see the device's screen with the details of our electronic check on it, and she didn't mention that they automatically add an 18% tip to all checks. She immediately pushed a screen button and showed us the tip option screen, and said you can put your tip here. We put in a 15% tip, and she pushed another button to print out our credit card receipt and said thank you, have a nice day. A couple of days later when we were reviewing the credit card receipt (that she gave us) we discovered an 18% UNDISCLOSED automatic tip added to the bottom. In addition, our voluntary 15% tip was also added. That resulted in a 33% tip for the restaurant (i.e., 18% automatic plus 15% voluntary by us). We think most people would double tip with this restaurant's process, because most people don't thoroughly audit their check before payment. They assume their check is an honest representation of what they ordered, then they add an appropriate tip to it. This "DOUBLE TIPPING" might be the primary goal of this restaurant's policy of adding an UNDISCLOSED automatic tip to checks. If a restaurant has an automatic tip added policy, and it is DISCLOSED that is totally acceptable to us. If the automatic tip policy is UNDISCLOSED that is not acceptable to us. By UNDISCOSED we mean the automatic tip policy is not mentioned on the menu, on the table, on the wall, by the waitress, by any other restaurant staff, or anywhere else. We will not be giving our future business to any restaurant that has an UNDISCLOSED tip policy. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me is a proverb that means if someone takes advantage of me twice, I only have myself to blame. read more

The food is ok and the prices are lower on the menu but they automatically add 18% gratuity and don't have it listed in the door or anywhere. Even on takeout it's added. So a lot of people are adding a tip on top of that. A little too scammy for me read more

What's a trip down to S. Florida without some awesomely good, no-nonsense, stick to your ribs, authentic Cuban food?!? Well, I for one didn't want to have to answer that question, so as soon as we had a chance, we took some back roads (thank you, crazy, MESSY traffic jam on Rt. 1!!) and found this WONDERFUL family-run "greasy spoon" that was definitely a hidden gem!!! This is the place for a stick to your ribs breakfast or lunch (we came for a late morning brunch) that I ***STILL*** crave WEEKS later!! Just a simple Cuban sandwich, a side order of tostones, and a café con leche that dreams are made of!! Bob had a steak sandwich with fries which left him equally FELIZ!! TONS of choices; if I could, I'd be back again and again to sample the whole menu!! I love a cozy, simple, well-run family place, and this is one of the best, down to the cute as a button, gossiping little girls who will clean up the tables the second the diners leave, the quick, friendly service, the authentic, homemade specialties (that you KNOW are fresher than fresh and NOT made for "gringo" palates!!!) and the super-reasonable prices. What a GREAT find!!!! read more

El Mocho Restaurant - Daily specials - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Food had a great taste, I had pollo a la plancha, the bread with butter was one of the best I've had! The server was very nice and kind. Will come back! read more

Friendly service and no wait. Huge portions for quickly tasty food. However, there was a bug on the plate towards end of meal that kind of threw a wrench in our dining experience. It wasn't cooked into the food but it killed the vibe. Affordable place with parking. read more

they were super sweet, we came in close to close and my fiancé has always wanted to try a breakfast item they had, and they actually made it for her even tho their breakfast ended 8 hours ago read more

25% of tip was added to our bill, which is crazy. I know now it's hard for restaurant business, though I wanted to support local business. But adding 25% without informing us is a bit too much. The food itself is mediocre read more

El Mocho Restaurant - a receipt for a restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

Charge the menu price or be up front that you are adding a service fee. Shady practice.

Lunch was excellent! I had the pork fricassee with moros and tostones. It was great. Wife had the pollo a la plancha and white beans. She loved it. A familiar restaurant. Excellent prices. Be back. read more

We were staying at a resort near by and decided to get breakfast on our way out of town. We should have tried El Mocho earlier in the week! The food was great and very friendly service. Very clean restaurant with great food. read more

Stumbled upon this place one morning for breakfast and it has now become our go-to spot while in town! Their breakfast sandwiches are a generous portion. I can eat a fair share, but it wouldn't hurt to split if you don't want to feel stuffed. Their ham croquetas will be on my mind for the next few moons. Seriously - I'd buy them in bulk if I could. The staff was very friendly even though it was painstakingly obvious that we're not locals, but we felt welcomed nonetheless. Do note that they charge an automatic gratuity to the bill, so don't be surprised! read more

Great flavors and extremely friendly service at a reasonable price. Do yourself a favor and stop in and try it out!

Service fee on check. Was never told this up front and 3% fee for a credit card. Old pictures of the menu. Does not reflect current pricing. read more

Stopped in after a dive on the recommendation of Dive Key West. I was looking for a Cubano Sandwich but ended up with a rockin roast pork platter. Sides were a generous scoop of rice & black beans with bits of pork mixed in. Just that would be a good meal. Another side called Yara-which was a sort of potato texture but more fibrous, like a yam. The meal was outstanding. They have seating inside or takeout. Prices were on par with other places I have been to in KW. read more

We loved it here! Ate here almost everyday during our honeymoon. The coffee is the best around, and the bread is always fresh. Wish we could bring this place back to Michigan with us. read more

El Mocho Restaurant - Best cafe con leche in the area. Great service, wonderful people, and the most delicious food! - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

Locals Cuban cafe on Stock Island, perfect for breakfast n Cuban cafe con leche. Chorizo omelet with flavorful, expertly slivered onions that still have a tad bit of toothiness, made our outbound stop wishing we had more meals to explore the offerings. Served with Cuban toast and grits or hashbrowns. Welcoming waitress, and extra dining space in side room with Fox news (yikes) on large flatscreens for your AM catch up. Plastic utensils & styro cups don't add up for eco environs, fish and blue waters not landfill :( Surprisingly a lot of Keys eateries use plastic cups and cutlery?? read more

El Mocho Restaurant - Chorizo onion omelet, grits, Cuban toast, cafe con leche $7.25 - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

Worst churrasco (skirt steak) I had in my life. I order medium and got a well done churrasco but it wasn't cooked in a grill, it was probably boiled and then put in a grill as it tasted watery. Ruining a churrasco is very hard but this one was awful. read more

This place is authentic, to the point where Spanish is the dominant language (spoken and on menu), and it's where all the Cuban folk in KW go to eat. There are some gringo places downtown who can do pretty authentic Cuban cuisine, but it's REAL here. We arrived early and were able to get a table, and some undivided attention from our server. But 15 minutes later, they were packed, and our server, while cool and collected, was paced rapidly for quick exchanges, only, in order to handle the full house. If you want a relaxed vacay lunch, get there by 11am, or after 1:30pm. Otherwise, they can do takeout, which was the only option for the floods of people arriving at lunch rush, with nowhere to sit. I had a Cuban Sandwich, thinking I should try it from natives, in pursuit of authenticity. It was very good, on traditional flatbread, the best flatbread I had on the 3 Cubans I tried while in KW. The pork was decent, and the ham too. They made it with mustard and something else (mayo?), which kind of detracted from the bite of the mustard. For me, I appreciate that bite to butt up against the salt of the ham and pork, to emphasize flavor, but whatever extra component was present (or just perhaps weak mustard?) it lost a little oomph for me. It was otherwise made with VERY fresh and good quality ingredients, and again the bread was fresh, dense (as intended), buttery/salty, and a little earthy too. Overall it was a very good meal. My husband had the Cuban Pork Platter. It was outstanding. I regretted not having chosen it. The locals were all having the platters or daily specials, so in retrospect, it was like, duh, should've gone there. The pork was tender and full of juicy meatiness, that was expertly infused in the meat, not just something it bathed in. It had a nice sear, with seasoning all over, inside and out. It was topped with onions, cooked, but still crispy, which was the right choice because carmelized or stewed in something would have detracted from the meat, and competed with the plantains. Speaking of, it also came with rice and plantains, two starches, but the rice is a necessary staple, and always supports the stars of the plate, and the plantains' gooey sweetness is comic relief on your tongue after the savory meat, salty rice, and pungent onion. Included on the side, is a cup of black bean soup. I'd never had black bean soup with so many big chunks of veggies in it, like who pea pods! (see my photo) This wasn't the pureed version at Mexican fusion restaurants up north, nor was it the runny kind, but rather more of a slurry. The flavor was spot on, and frustratingly so, because I could not figure out how they packed so much flavor into it. The veggies added their own flavors, but still, it tasted like bean, earthy, spicy, and seasoned, all in the right ratios and consistencies, to make it a really strong dish on its own. We had flan for dessert. It was more like the Portuguese versions we had in Lisbon last year. Flan is often really creamy and made more like a creme brulee in confused US kitchens. The difference between Spanish and Portuguese flans, I noticed, was density, as well. Spanish flan isn't creamy or as sweet as creme brulee, but it is a close cousin, while Portuguese flan is lighter still, even less sweet, and not very creamy at all. The Mocho flan was very light, more eggy than creamy, and sweet, but not very. It was delicious for my taste, and the perfect consistency/flavoring for the heat of the Keys. Our server was part of the family that runs the house, and clearly had a lot of pride and love invested in Mocho. Service was prompt, considerate of any need (asking after our preferences/offering extra water/condiments/more coffee), and friendly. The bill was low, and a great value for the quality and portion sizes. Another 5-star winner on Stock Island... can't say as much for Old Town's restaurants. I definitely recommend fitting Mocho into your itinerary for an authentic, delicious, well priced Cuban meal. read more

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We wanted authentic Cuban food before heading home after visiting Key West. The food is home made. The bread was light and flavourful and the Cuban Mixed Meat sandwich is big enough for two. The pot roast special with yuca and red beans and rice was delicious. We had fresh watermelon juice with the meal and it hit the spot. The deserts are all made in house by Lisbeth and the Flan Cubano was to dream about. Try the Cuban coffee if you dare. It is a local restaurant and I hesitate to give a five star review as I wouldn't want it be overrun by tourists, but the local and decore might not be to everyone's taste. read more

Amazing food!! We had the Cuban sandwich and fried plantains. Great service. Lunch was so good we went back for breakfast and el mocho was so good read more

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I'll be the first to tell you that Cuban food is one of those cuisines you can hit or miss. This restaurant is definitely a home run! Don't be fooled by the exterior of this place or the fact it's not on Duval Street, it's worth a visit! Be sure to order the croquettes because they are unbelievably tasty - very similar to the ones I would get in Miami. Note that they give you white beans instead of black, but it's definitely a welcomed surprise with pork. The media noche was pretty good, but be prepared for a lot of meat (was a little too much for me that I could only eat half). Sweet plantains definitely are a must as well! read more

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I've heard about El Mocho from the Key's Conchs for years and finally made the stop after lunch hour. On Stock Island the unassuming building has parking and a few outside tables. It is easy to pass up. El Mocho is not a touristy eatery. Here you will get authentic Cuban food. Inside the place is BASIC. A few tables in the front room and 4 stools at the counter. You can see into the clean kitchen. A second back dining room has tables. There were two staff persons on duty plus the cook on my visit. Service was prompt. A chalkboard lists the specials of the day and empanadas were our choices with rice and beans. No alcohol is available. The waitress was not fluent in English and our order was shorted, but we did not complain. The food we ordered was good, but not outstanding as I had anticipated. BOTH restrooms were out of order. When I pressed for a place to wash my hands I was permitted to use the restroom. read more

Empanada, croqueta, sandwich with ropa vieja, and cafe con leche were all excellent. We found this biking and literally smelling how good the food was. This is an absolute winner for delicious Cuban style food read more

It doesn't get more authentic than this hole-in-wall Cuban joint. The entire family is back there cooking up authentic Cuban dishes--it's about the cheapest place to eat around Key West. (But El Mocho is located on Stock Island, about 5-miles from downtown Key West.) Open from 6am to 3pm, this is where the local workers and islanders in-the-know grab a cheap bite to eat. I love their Cuban breakfast sandwich--you can pick your favorite breakfast goodies and they'll press it between warm soft Cuban bread. Squirt some hot sauce on that and pretend you're in Cuba. And did I mention the Cuban coffee? The surrounding neighborhood looks dirty/sketchy, but I've always felt safe. If you're camping at Boyd's, El Mocho is a must for breakfast or lunch and is only a short 3 minute walk from the campground. If you're downtown Key West, it's probably not worth the drive. Note: my husband doesn't want me to post this review: "Don't wreck this diner. If you write a review we're going to come back and it's going to be filled with hipsters." read more

El Mocho Restaurant - It doesn't get more authentic than this hole-in-wall Cuban joint, open from 6am to 3pm. - Cuban Near Me - Key West, Florida

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