Needed to do errands in North Miami, so Little Havana came up as a place to go for Cubanos. It has…read morethree locations in Miami, with this one in North Miami being the original, opened in 1991. We dined in, and the visit blew away the food from the previous week.
I really like Cuban sandwiches, so will be something my brother and I keep seeking out during short visits to Miami. We had a one-day rental car, so found Little Havana Restaurant, coming a bit after peak lunch time. It's on a major street, with surface angled parking in the back. There are a lot of wild birds in the area, with their guano being everywhere outside.
It's a big dining area inside, and we were immediately directed to a prime location with views of their small lush adjacent green space, and the birds that live there. Elizabeth was our server, with water and complementary rolls being immediately offered by helpers. She and her team were great throughout, offering suggestions and bringing the food nice and hot. We ordered off the Happy Hour menu (11:30 - 18:00 M-F) and the Lunch Special Menu (11:30 - 16:00). We were greatly satisfied with every dish
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, appetizer size ($14.99) - 5 jumbo tail-on shrimp, sauteed in a scampi type sauce. It's what you expect when you douse good shrimp with a butter garlic sauce. The appetizer does not come with rice/beans, but we had plenty of it from the other dishes...loved spooning the sauce over the rice while eating.
Roast Pork Lunch ($12.99) - what a deal. A dish of pulled pork with a big piece of fried pork skin on top...reminded me of the Filipino lechon, or even the Hawaiian kalua pork, with the tenderness of the mean. It came with a big scoop of rice and a bowl of red beans.
Lamb Shank ($18.49) - This was recommended by Elizabeth when asked by my brother, what he shouldn't miss. It's a Cuban special, cooked in wine sauce. It was a big piece, still on the bone, coming with a big plate of rice and fried plantains. He enjoyed it, though he was struggling a bit at the end.
Cuban Sandwich ($12.49) - A full size Cuban sandwich, cut in half. It had been grilled on a sandwich press with a little oil, resulting in the cuban bread being crispy at the top. It had the right mix of that same delicious pulled pork, along with ham, melted swiss, mustard and pickle slices. It was very good, great value for the price.
Paying was done at the top, and we intentionally did not take any leftovers. There is a framed newspaper article from 1991 in the lobby, where you can read more about their origins.