I haven't been here in a few years and it can't always be Versailles or el sanguish. Staff was super friendly and seated me inside with Elvis - that made me super happy that I could eat here with him. I ordered a small soup of the day, which was the fish soup on Friday and I did not like it at all. I actually ate a few scoops and then returned it. The waiter never asked me about it. I ordered the midnight sandwich with ham and turkey. It was outstanding and very large. I end up leaving a large tip because the sandwich was excellent, the service was great, allowing me to be seated with my baby read more

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Drove around and ended up here. No complaints, aside from free parking the team members were really great and friendly. I ended up getting their steak with plantains and salad as the sides and I was not disappointed. Their cheese flan was great too! If you are in the area and tired of looking around for free parking come here! read more

La Carreta - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Pound for pound, this is my favorite restaurant in Miami. Is it Coral Gables eccentric?...no. is it Brickell contemporary?....no. Does it serve "abuela style" food, within nostalgic settings, and by a staff dressed in Cuban Guayaveras?.....YES! I'm impressed at how La Carreta has survived this long across the street from the behemoth Versailles. Not only survived, but this is the first La Carreta that opened, back in 1976! I started with one of my favorite beverages.... the incomparable Mamey Shake, with milk. It was served in a tall glass and it was exquisite. The appetizer was the Ham Croquetas and they were phenomenal. Soft, well seasoned, lightly battered, and I appreciated the slice of lemon, because it adds another dimension to the enjoyment of this highly recommended starter. My entree was my favorite of all time, Grilled Chicken Breast with sautéed onions. It was accompanied by Moro Rice (black beans and rice) and grilled vegetables. I'll never be able to put into words how much I enjoy this dish. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and those onions just placed it into the stratosphere. For dessert I ordered their Cafe Con Leche (Coffee with Milk). The photos of this selection will speak for itself. You'll see the large mug and once that coffee danced with the milk....I was in heaven. Thank you, La Carreta, for staying true to this cuisine and you'll ALWAYS have a happy return customer. read more

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Everything. Needs to do a lot of changes other than painting a mural on the parking lot to come up to old standards. Bad food, high prices and a neglected place ambiance. read more

Went here during the week of Christmas. While they were busy, we had no wait. We were seated and received a fresh basket of bread. The bread was warm and delicious. I had a classic mojito which was amazing. I had the cuban sampler. It was about $16. It included rice and beans, plantains, tamale, pork, picadillo, yuca, & a croqueta. The food needed a bit more seasoning in my opinion, but over all, I enjoyed it. The portion size was great. read more

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I asked a local friend for a recommendation on cheap easy Cuban food. They said this was a local chain that was solid, and we saw it wasn't far from our hotel near the airport. Service tool a bit, but we saw a huge cockroach wandering across the aisle as we were waiting for our food. An employee casually crushed it and kept going. The food was very mediocre. I had ropa vieja that was lacking in that super flavorful sauce. I was a little bummed. read more

La Carreta - Cockroach - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

The three great Cuban restaurants of Miami are La Carreta, Cafe Versailles, and Havana Harry's. There may be some smaller places that are very good. But each of the big three establishments are known for having a huge menu and having pretty much everything on that menu being go-weak-in-the-knees good. Some people want to put Sergio's up there with the big three. Sorry ... Sergio's has some good stuff. But the big three are gods. Everyone else is a mere mortal. * * * I had eaten at branch and subsidiary La Carreta's. I had never eaten at the mother ship on Calle Ocho. As good as the branches are, The Mother Ship is the Mother Lode is the Mother of Total Sensual Pleasure At A Table. We had a large party and everyone had something different. Our happiness was generally universal. Servings are large (although not as ridiculously large as those at Havana Harry's.) So although you want to try everything and eat everything, Pragmatically, you will be stuffed to the gills after two courses. Super trenchermen can handle three, But then you will be so full, you will have a hard time fitting through the front door to get back to your car. I can personally vouch for a) the Galician white bean soup. I had a weekly special that had extra ham and blood sausage. I honestly don't think the meat mattered that much. What was amazing was the beans themselves. You get the beans themselves on the everyday menu. b) their distinctive and unusual Beef Milanesa. La Carreta's Milanesa is unlike that I have had anywhere else. I have had Argentinian versions, Mexican versions, and under other names, Austrian versions. I don't think La Carreta's version is even typical of other Cuban kitchens. They use very little tomato sauce. That tomato sauce is intentionally trapped in a pocket of beef on the bottom and cheese on the top. So the tomato sauce steams. Most of your bites are tomato-free. But when you get a bite with the steamed tomato sauce - you die and go to heaven and meet Saint Peter. You even see the La Carreta they have in heaven. The flavor concentration in those three tablespoonfuls is something to remember forever. c) the boiled yucca. Boiled yucca is in most places boredom on a stick. Generally, I go for french-fried yucca which is food for the gods. La Carreta adds huge amounts of very thinly sliced onions to the yucca. The onions change the dish totally. I absolutely inhaled that boiled yucca. Normally, inhaling starchy food is not good for your lungs. But I got higher from that yucca than I got from the weed I used to smoke in high school. d) I was way too full to even think about dessert. But a brave soul at our table ordered cheese flan. So if the cheese flan was on the table, of course I had to have a bite. Cheese flan is halfway between a regular flan and a cheesecake. Frankly, regular flans are boring. Flans are designed to make the rest of your food look good in comparison. But La Carreta's CHEESE flan is in a whole nother category. La Carreta's cheese flan is like the greatest Miss Havana of all time. She is looking you straight in the eye. The subtext is "The Night Is Tonight. The Moment Is Now." * * * I live in Austin, Texas. I eat like a king in a gigantic panoply of restaurants in every format you can think of. But the Miami Big Three really are just in a whole nother class of establishments. Guaranteed Happiness? Multiple Ways? Each and Every Time? Hedonism doesn't get better than this. read more

La Carreta is always a nostalgic place to visit, as it is one of the OGs in Miami, which has long stood in this location for decades. This review is exclusively about a brief visit to "La Ventanita" that I recently made while on a quick trip to Miami. The service from the attendant at the window was delightful and reminiscent of the customer service you can expect in most OG Miami joints, warm and amicable. And as wildly popular as La Carreta is, the window service here moves quickly, so if you don't have a lot of time but want to indulge, La Ventanita is an excellent option. I indulged in "Papa Rellena" (beef-stuffed potato ball), "Croquettes" (fried chicken or ham-stuffed pastry), "Empanadas" (savory fried chicken pastry), and "Pastelitos de Guava y Queso" (guava and cream cheese baked turnovers). If I could create the ideal "sampler" plate, it would include all of these players. Prices are reasonable, but you can easily drop over $20 on a couple of pastries if you're not careful, haha. I loved everything I ate, except for the Papa Rellena. It is likely due to the time of day I visited and how much earlier these had been made that the potato dough tasted dry upon first bite and came apart immediately. The filling was also cold and unenjoyable. I'd recommend, if interested in a fried item, asking if there is an option to have it served fresh. Otherwise, everything else I ate, including the croquettes, which had just come out of the kitchen, was delicious to enjoy. A small note is that, should you choose to enjoy "la ventanita", while it is outdoors and in a relatively open space, traditionally, there may be patrons smoking cigarettes outside. This is common at most ventanitas. If you don't mind the smoke (there is a large fan that helps somewhat), there are several standing tables where you can set up and enjoy the lovely Miami breeze while savoring your pastries, milkshakes, sandwiches, or cafecito. read more

La Carreta - La Ventanita - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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The food is very reasonably priced. About $17 for everything I ordered. - Chicke breast plate with extra onions - Yellow rice (DELISH, has great flavors going on) - Sweet plantains - THE BEST EVER! - Black beans were solid. I enjoyed myself. It was a bit far from the hotel so I had to UBER. My hairstylist recommended this place vs. Versailles (which is the same but pricier). The atmosphere is an old diner style type of dining. read more

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We walked here after dinner for some fresh air and a cafecito. It offers your typical ventanita experience without the tourist-y hype of nearby Versailles. Both ventanitas are great...I guess what I'm trying to say is to come here if you prefer a more calm experience. The cortadito is on point and the patio has a few tables where you can settle in and enjoy your cafecito moment. read more

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I am deeply disappointed by the unprofessional and aggressive tipping culture at this establishment. During our visit, the service was bare-minimum, simply bringing the plates to the table, which is the baseline of the job. Since there was no extra hospitality or attentive service, I chose not to leave an additional tip, as tips are meant to be a reward for good service, not a mandatory tax. ​To my shock, when the server noticed, she openly confronted me and demanded a tip. She then made me run my credit card a second time just to charge me a forced gratuity. ​This is completely out of hand. Forcing customers into mandatory tips and aggressively confronting them makes the entire dining experience stressful and unpleasant. Tipping has completely lost its way when it becomes an obligation rather than a reward for a job well done. Incidents like this genuinely make people not want to go out to eat anymore. I will definitely not be back. read more

Little ambiance but food is on point. Had the Marquita's con mojo and a pastelon like item with plantains and a dopa Vieja. All yummy and good sides. No quesitos when we Al were there but we did take a tres leches to go and it was good. Will go back for the food alone read more

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Before Hurricane Andrew came through like an uninvited relative at Nochebuena, La Carreta had one of the most beautiful neon signs on Calle Ocho. It was iconic--glowing like a beacon for hungry Cubans, tourists, and anyone who needed strong coffee with more foam than a bubble bath. Then Andrew flattened it. They rebuilt, of course, but let's be honest--it was never quite as beautiful. Like an aging movie star, you still love it, but you remember the glamour days. For Cuban Americans in South Florida, La Carreta wasn't just a restaurant--it was a mecca. A place where you went to reconnect with your roots, your people, and your appetite. My grandfather would sit down, order a café cubano with plenty of foam, and then proceed to gloat, sipping slowly, telling me how delicious it was like he had personally invented coffee. That was the magic of La Carreta--it made everyone feel like royalty, even if you were just having croquetas and un cafecito at 11 PM. And let's not forget the food. Roast pork that could bring tears to your eyes, plantains fried into sweet perfection, and those plates that looked like they belonged on a family dining table, not a restaurant menu. The service? Classic Miami. Quick, no-nonsense, sometimes with a side of attitude. But you don't come here for fine dining--you come here for culture, for history, for the comfort of knowing that La Carreta will always be there, serving the same flavors that fed an entire generation. It's busy, it's loud, it's unapologetically Cuban. The kind of place where you walk in and instantly know you're in Miami. Tourists go to Versailles to take pictures; locals come to La Carreta to live the real thing. So yeah, the sign may never have been rebuilt as beautiful as it once was, but the memories? Those shine brighter than any neon. If you haven't had a Cuban coffee here with the foam spilling over the little espresso cup like it's trying to escape--are you even in Miami? read more

Great service, the restaurant has a bakery window for quick grabs, they offer bake goods and cafesitos The restaurant has a lot of character, pretty displays Nice tropical music playing in the background read more

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La Carreta in Little Havana. The original La Carreta, according to the mural in the parking lot. Came here with a group after doing the Airport Runway 5k to celebrate finishing! This La Carreta is huuuuuge. It doesn't look big from the outside but it super big and spacious on the inside. We had a reservation for a big party and were seated in the back area. The space is super clean and they handled our big group pretty well. There were a few hiccups with service and some food not coming out, but overall still good. Even though my parents frequent La Carreta, it was my first time eating at one. I ended up getting the Croqueta Sandwich and it was pretty good. The prices here are great, especially with everything usually costing so much. A great spot for brekkie if you're in the area! read more

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We went in for breakfast got up and had to leave. The waiter was kind of an annoyed that we were there didn't like answering any of our questions while standing, waiting for somebody to tell us to have a seat we were Stirred at and nobody acknowledged us. it's sad that La Carreta is going downhill so fast because of the service is Bien given by the employees someone needs to take a look at this problem and eliminate those type of people. read more

I can remember when we were first married traveling to this restaurant was a treat and a fun adventure for us. My husband was in the hospital at UM last week so it was no surprise he wanted his first real meal to come from La Carreta on 8th street. What a terrible experience. We were both served food that was cold. I had what I consider the absolute worst chicken and rice. The waitress ignored us. I waved at her four times for more soda for my husband and she wouldn't respond. I had to get up and get it from someone else. When she saw me getting my own box and bag she rushed to our table with the bill. After thirty five years of having this be a special restaurant for us, we will never go there again. read more

A perfect cuban dining experience in Little Havana! We went here twice on our long weekend in Miami for two reasons: the quality of food and the price points. First thing I noticed about this place was that it felt authentic. Even though it is popular, it doesn't feel like a touristy place. BUT THE FOOD! It was incredible. The portions and quality of food is priced very well for what you get. I highly recommend the Cuban sampler - everything was so good and it gives you a taste of everything. If you're able, the lunch specials are a great deal. And absolutely make sure you grab coffee at the end of your meal! :) read more

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Came here for lunch with some of my work peeps. The place looks tired and run down. Even though the place was fairly empty it took forever to get someone to take our order. I ordered arroz imperial. The dish was very odd. It was pretty much areoz con pollo that was molded in a bowl and a slice of cheese was slapped on it. And what the heck was that hard, over boiled egg all about? The "Imperial" was super salty and just not good at all. read more

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Today I bouth a big soup , I always when go to The Carreta to launch I sear at the restaurant but today I ordered the soup to pick up it because I'm at work, and the soup was just yellow water. There was hardly any chicken, just a tiny bit. They barely even put any noodles in it. Remember, you need to keep your customers happy. read more

If I could have La Carreta's Vaca Frita for every meal, I really think I would. It never disappoints. La Carreta gives the classic Cuban Restaurant feel, with toasty Cuban bread complimentary to start. Their tostones and maduros are my favorite side items and they go amazing with their moros or white rice and beans. read more

La Carreta - Vaca frita, moros, tostones - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Update on review for La carreta on Calle 8. Sorry to share unpleasant experience today Ruined my lunch I have tried this Chicken soup before and used to be a great item to order on the go, but apparently not anymore. Today I ordered at the ventanita a jumbo size and got 32 oz of merely noddles and watery broth, at 3 small traces of chicken. I went inside the restaurant to ask if can have some chicken added to the soup showing the contents without the usual chicken. The lady said to fix it, took the container and went inside but after almost 10 Minutes I also went inside and found her chatting with other 2 waitress with the contained still on her hands. Apparently they remade the order but to my surprise was the same result, but now with a little more traces of chicken meat, mostly noddles So, Don't bother to complain because one of them just reply to order chicken on the side if you want more chicken on the soup. This is not my first rodeo ordering this item and even recommending as a good option for a savory and quick lite lunch. I must warn that this soup is not the way used to be served there anymore. Today I sadly wasted time and ruined my lunch time I returned the purchase. read more

La Carreta - Chicken soup with not chicken - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

We stopped here when we learned Versailles only does a breakfast buffet on Sunday mornings. The service here was pretty quick, but I will say things all came out staggered so I was eating before the rest of my party. The Elena Ruz sandwich was very tasty--definitely recommend trying it out. I've had better croquetas elsewhere but the guava and cheese pastelito was awesome. Ambiance was rustic and charming. This place is a classic and still pretty good. read more

La Carreta - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

hoy fui a la carreta y pedi una vaca vieja (carne mechada ) la comida estuvo horrible, la carne parecía de goma, sin sabor y realmente desagradable al gusto. Seca, insípida sin ningún gusto. Nunca habia probado una comida en tan mal estado. Yo había ido a la Carreta anteriormente pero ya no vuelvo más. La comida es una basura. Les ha bajado la clientela considerablemente y a los pocos incautos que vamos nos cargan con la peor comida. No vayan nunca más y avísenle a sus familiares para que no caigan en ese error. NUNCA MÁS read more

The express window ("La Ventanita") at La Carrera is a must-try. Very reasonably priced pastries and great strong coffee options. Go for the Cortadito (half espresso, half evaporated milk or regular milk. Caution: they'll add enough sugar to wake up the dead, so keep that in mind and let them know how you want it. read more

The food was awful. The tostones were hard as a rock. We called the waitress and she told us the reason why the tostones were so hard was because they're bagged instead of cut fresh. The pollo a la milanesa is one third of the size it used to be before 2020. The moro tastes like it was made the day before and the rice was like little bullets. I ordered a pollo a la plancha which was very bland. The chicken soup was tasteless. I will not be going back there. Their bathroom needs massive cleaning. It's smells terrible. If you want tasteful Cuban food in nice large portions and freshly cooked, I highly recommend Luis Galindo which is only 20 blocks away or Latin Cafe 2000 on LeJeune. It's very sad that Miami staples like La Carreta have gone so downhill. Versailles sucked too. read more

Very nice and clean and in walking distance to the loan depot stadium. One request to owner get some Terro for the crazy ants sold at Home Depot. We will definitely stay again. And this place was SUPER CLEAN SUPER CLEAN and so cute. read more

We were in the area and hungry. We were deciding between here and Versailles but since we've been to Versailles many times, we decided to try this. My husband got the 1/4 roasted chicken which was the lunch special. He substituted the white rice for yellow rice. We were surprised when the chicken came out covered in gravy because there was no mention of that in the menu. The chicken was very moist and the gravy was good although a little salty. I ordered the Cuban sandwich which was very good. Unfortunately, our waiter wasn't the friendliest... maybe because we were gringos? He barely talked to us and didn't check on us after our food was brought out. After we paid our bill, he turned away and left. I had to wait for him to come back to take care of the people behind us to ask for a receipt. read more

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Visiting from San Antonio, Texas, we stopped by this restaurant after meeting a local at the airport who was kind enough to drive us to various beaches. He told us we must try authentic Cuban food and recommended one of his favorite spots. As soon as we arrived, we found ourselves in an area he called Little Havana. I immediately started taking photos because the atmosphere was incredible. There were beautiful chickens running around the parking lot, and there was a little window where you could grab a Cuban-style sandwich, pastries, and Cuban coffees. I didn't get to try the Cuban coffee and can't wait to do so next time. However, I did follow other suggestions on Yelp and ordered steak with a green sauce that was absolutely delicious, and I couldn't stop eating the yellow rice. Being someone raised on beans and rice in Texas with Tex-Mex, this was definitely a hit for me. Although I've tried different Latin American foods before, this was my first time having Cuban food, and it did not disappoint. I do recommend the piña colada. It was absolutely fresh. It was the freshest m I've ever had in my life. The service was different--it didn't take long to get to our table, but it was sometimes hard to understand what was being said. There was a bit of frustration because the waitress seemed upset that we were trying to split the bill and she charged us without asking beforehand, but she was also very helpful while we were ordering. We left her a nice tip and will definitely return. I hope others get a chance to try this place as well. read more

La Carreta - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

Great food and service. Good amount of free parking. Expansive menu with a good amount of vegetarian options available. read more

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Horrible service very unfriendly rude unfortunately, the original review that I did went to the wrong address. I don't recommend coming here. It's disgusting how they treat people. I left there and went down the street to another restaurant that had amazingly friendly people and great food. read more

This used to be THE PLACE for great Cuban food. Recently had a large take out order. Food was greasy, flavorless and portions not large enough for an infant. Vaca frita dried out and lacked flavor. Ropa Vieja tough and minuscule portion size. Greasy tostones, and pork chunks. Black beans watery and lacked spice. Even the white rice was dried out. Croquetas were just OK. Can't wait for Havana Harry's to reopen. read more

I'm out of words to describe the current conditions in this Miami brand. I have held back a couple of years doing this review but it is overdue. The Carreta is out of control, both on Calle Ocho and Bird Road. It's extremely unclean, dilapidated, and downright depressing! The Calle Ocho location is mostly frequented by out of towners and vacationers. I think most of us have been around long enough to know the difference between a clean well kept establishment and the pig pen standards they currently hold. Management is simply looking the other way. And let's not even mention they are in need of updates at minimum a fresh coat of paint. Another thing I notice is that these locations continue to attract more and more homeless people and common thieves, be careful not to leave valuables in plain sight inside vehicles and be extremely cautious using restrooms and "ventanitas" as personal belongings will be taken from you in the bat of an eye. Management needs to take ownership and improve on QA/QC, unacceptable. read more

Delicious and satisfying as always. When you know, you know. If you don't, you're going to want to find out read more

La Carreta - Ceviche Tropical and ham Croquetas - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

The quality of this place has been steadily going downhill. They open late at 08:00 am, while posting that they open at 05:00 am! The original owner died and you can definitely tell the difference! read more

La Carreta - Just look at this photo, it says it all! - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

We ventured to Little Havana and before a long evening of dancing, we hit this spot while on a waitlist for another down the street. We were excited to be seated quickly on a Friday night. As a couple we like to do a little progressive style dinner and order and split the most popular dish then go do it again until we are full (highly recommend bc you get to try more things). We were beyond pleased as this spot is nothing short of spectacular! We had a perfectly seasoned and cooked Vaca Frita with drinks - Mango Mojito and Guava Jalapeño Rum speciality drink. The service is top-notch. If you want an authentic Cuban dining experience that's sure to delight your taste buds and transport you to the streets of Havana, this spot is an absolute must-visit. You'll leave with a full belly, a happy heart, and a newfound love for Cuban cuisine! Random last note but shout out to this spot for being the literal most clean restaurant and restroom I have been in this whole trip to Miami!!! read more

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Even tho the waiters were arguing over some trays and where and how to put them, the food was good, service could have been better if the waitress was more attentive. This is my second time coming here. I love their plantain soup!! The coffee is so good too!! read more

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I drove 30 minutes hoping to get the best Cuban food around, but instead I got cold croquetas, a server that snatched the menu out of my daughter's hand and food that was mediocre. We arrived around 8:15 and it was empty so we were sat quickly. It took the server about 15 minutes to even notice us. No one brought us water no one came and said hey I will be right with you. Finally server came to table placed our appetizer order. We ordered 8 croquetas and all 8 where cold called the server over to let him know. He picked up the plate and looked annoyed with us. Didn't apologize didn't say anything to us. When we were ready to put in our main course order he looked miserable like if we were bothering him. He snatched the menu out of my daughter's hand. Dude if you didn't want to work then do not show up or ask someone else to take over. My husband just kept telling me to stay calm. When it was all over and we paid out bill I still give him a tip not an 18% but a 15% tip. Which in reality he did not deserve. Wait for it when he saw how much I gave him he turned around and gave us the dirtest look. The only reason why I am giving it two stars was because my main course food was actually good. read more

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I ordered through Door Dash and I was so disappointed. The chicken breast with onions was inedible. The chicken was so tough, I could not even cut it with the dinky knife they sent. The bread was stale. The onions were almost raw. The rice was a sticky mess. I would not go back. read more

What an amazing place simple and full of flavor!! The atmosphere was pleasant and the customer service was superb!! Cuban sandwich was so good not dry and overwhelming. The papa natural was soooo delicious took me back home to my moms cooking loved it!! Our waitress Gladys was the most pleasant, attentive and kindness waitress I have ever been served by. Highly recommend this place food well prepared, served and the customer service is excellent!! read more

La Carreta - Papá natural - Cuban Near Me - Miami, Florida

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