Excellent local lunch spot. I'm from Tampa and I know Cuban sandwiches. Mi Apa offers three--the traditional Cuban, the Ybor Cuban, and the Key West Cuban. Yum. Good stuff. The place iteself is not fancy, but comfortable and very friendly. Lunch counter kind of vibes. Prices are very reasonable for food of this quality. This will be a regular lunch spot for me--and is close to UF. Highly recommended! read more

This always busy Cuban restaurant in Gainesville is popular for a reason. My lunch companions have been coming here for years. One always gets the medianoche sandwich, the other enjoys a beef empanada plus black beans and rice as her favorite. The maduros, sweet plantains, were outstanding. I wish I had left room for a churro. They smelled heavenly. Consistently delicious food! read more

Mi Apa has evolved into a local Gainesville staple you just trust for fast, Latin food. I needed a quick fix--and Mi Apa came through! We ordered online for pickup (very easy), good job on the online experience- but they also have dine-in and drive-through options. Multiple locations in town also make it convenient. I started with the Latin Chicken Soup, and wow--it had so much depth. Flavorful, rich, and full of tender chicken. It hit that warm-your-soul level. For my main, I went with the Arroz con Pollo Bowl--and it was exactly what is expected. Not overcomplicated. Well-seasoned chicken, yellow rice, black beans, sweet maduros, and fresh garnish to bring it all together. The maduros, soft, sweet, and exactly how you want them--no raw or burnt edges here. Points! The to-go presentation. From the sealed bag--simple, neat to the the dish themselves actually looked great --colorful, fresh, and not far off from the menu photo. Everything stayed intact in the container, which is rare. For Latin cravings--Mi Apa is simply satisfying. Shoutout to the quick service during spring graduation night near campus. I was expecting a total mess, but they totally handled it like pros! The place was packed, but it was still great to be able to order and head home. Would've been a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy. read more

This is honestly very uncomfortable for me to say because I usually have a great experience with the food and service at Mi Apa. However, I came in on a Tuesday evening, and unfortunately, my experience with our server, Esteban, was very uncomfortable. When we first sat down, he did not come over to ask what we would like to drink. Instead, he stood there and stared at me very awkwardly for about a minute, which made me feel very uncomfortable. After he eventually brought our drinks and food, he did not come back to check on us for almost two hours. Then, right as he saw that we were getting ready to leave, he came over to take our payments. He did not say anything or clarify whether we were splitting the check. He went directly to my friend and had her pay, and we later realized that she had paid for both of us. At that point, it was already very late, so we did not complain or say anything. However, I truly felt uncomfortable throughout the entire experience. It was not just the lack of checking on us, but also the fact that he barely spoke to us, never communicated with us, and never made any effort to make us feel welcomed or comfortable during our visit. I want to emphasize that I have never been treated this way at Mi Apa before, which is why it is unfortunate that I feel the need to bring this to your attention. I have always had a positive experience here, so I hope this feedback can be helpful in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for hearing me out. I hope this helps in any way. read more

I love the coffee here but the bread for the Cuban sandwiches leave A LOT to be desired. It just doesn't press. It feels plastic. This is not an Ybor Cuban and it's an insult to say so. read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Ybor Cuban... EXTRA Pressed - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I have ordered some food from here on my way from home all the Piccalo black beans and rice. The food was very delicious but for some reason I didn't get any pick a deal or really on my plate. More rice thenPiccalo very small small potion of it.That's my only complaint. The food was delicious. The guava pastry was fresh and delicious. I'm thinking about giving them another try along with my wife had a Cuban sandwich maybe I just caught them on a bad day and they were cause I got a spoonful, but it was more rice. A lot of rice. read more

Growing up in Miami FL during the 70-80's in little havana, the cuban food was and still is amazing. This place is like many off those places. If you know, ya know. We walked in the door to see a display case full of pastries and cuban inspired appetizers, I knew right away, this would be an exceptional lunch. We took a seat and we were helped right away. There was no shortage of people waiting tables and delivering food. We started with ham croquets, then I had the cuban sandwich with plantain chips, she had the shredded pork bowl. Wow, the taste of the food transported me back to Miami. Great authentic food. The bread on the cuban sandwich, again if you know, you know... awesome. We got some guava and cheese pastries for later on our road trip. They did not dissapoint. What a terrfic place. If you are on I-75 near exit 399, you must stop in and try them out, bring your appetite. For any one who reads my reviews, 5 stars are not given easily, in fact very rare and well deserved. read more

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The restaurant seemed to be well decorated and staffed. I have had Mi Apa at the UF campus before and the quality of the food between the two is like night and day. My food came out pretty fast (I ordered takeout) and was warm and delicious. It was also cheaper than campus and cheap in general, great value for the food you receive. I had just came from the springs nearby and this was the perfect pick me up after. I also got their pink churros which were a delicious treat at the end of my meal. read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Roasted Pork, Moro Rice, and Chicken Soup - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Absolutely awful! We came for mid-day lunch and ordered a picadillo plate. The meat was dry, tasteless, cold, and did not appear fresh. We requested some meat sauce, mojo, or anything to give taste and moisture to the meat. The waitress could not provide any meat juice. Picadillo is a juicy and savory ground beef, usually with cooked with olives and sometimes raisins. This was just dry and crumbly. I ordered some rice cooked with black beans (moros) to remedy the horrible picadillo. It went from bad to worse. The moros were tasteless and dried out like the picadillo. I was raised with REAL Cuban food and know how delicious it can be. My friend ordered a chicken croquette as she could not eat that "picadillo". She only ate one of her croquettes as they too were dry with excessive breading. After inquiring about the horrible cooking, we learned the portions are prepared (packaged) and cooked at a remote site and brought in to warm and serve! I have had good meals cooked on site, the in the past but this is horrible! I bagged my meal in the hopes I can season the food enough to make it palatable at home. In short, if they continue this practice, customers will stay away. I'll be one of them! read more

The staff were polite and kind, the World Cup was on, and my roja viejo bowl was tender and very flavorful. Good vibes all around. I also ordered a beef empanada, which came out warm with a delightful buttery, crispy exterior. read more

First time here. Came for lunch. Had the picadillo with 2 sides - yucca and plantains. Picadillo was flavorful and plantains were just the right texture. Then got churros with Cuban coffee with milk on the side. Coffee was just right temperature and churros were adequately sugared. Food all around was excellent. Bream (yes that's correctly spelled) the server was solicitous but not intrusive. A lot of servers and they were all alert to help anyone and everyone that came thru the doors. So waiting was not an issue - dine in or take out. Interiors were simple, not pretentious. Overall, I recommend this place. read more

I have been a couple times now and it never disappoints. The food is always very good and the servers make sure i have everything plenty of times. Just a normal restaurant on the inside, but the food is very worth ! read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Ham Croquette - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Awesome awesome one of the best breakfast places in central Florida, especially for drive thru option, exceeded expectations for a drive thru, and the quality of food and real Food is a plus, great taste and coffee was amazing as well, much better than any place in Ocala, wish we had a place like this in Ocala would choose this over McDonald's Dennys IHOP any day of the week. 10/10 read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Cafe con leche, milk and coffee - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Food and coffee are always awesome. We use the Jonesville location close to our home.

Staff was very friendly and came to check on us often. We ordered the ropa vieja bowl (which comes with plantains, rice, black beans and a egg for +$1) as well as a picadillo empanada. The food came in an open to-go container so it was easy for us to ask for a lid when we wanted to take the rest home but for sustainability purposes I feel like they should offer dine-in customers reusable dishware. The ropa vieja was good, not as flavorful as the ropa vieja I've had at the Columbia in Ybor but I suppose there's a reason the Columbia is so famous. The plantains were a tad too sweet but good portion of them. Pretty filling too. The empanada was delicious, hot and large. The picadillo was yummy and it was $3.50 each which was decent for the size. Overall, pretty good experience from the waitstaff to the competitive prices for a very decent Cuban meal. Would return for sure read more

Stopped here on recommendation from someone local. This place has a small cafe feel but it was nice and clean. We were greeted immediately by GABRIEL. He was patient with us since we were first timers. I am not a Cuban food expert so I asked a few questions he answered politely without making me feel dumb. We ordered the papa rellena (potato ball stuffed with ground beef) and a ropa veja empanada. (Crispy pastry stuffed with seasoned shredded beef) as appetizers. Both were delicious delicious. For mains he got the Ybor Cuban sandwich which was Ham, Roasted Pork, Salami, Swiss Cheese, Mustard, Pickles, Ybor Cuban Bread. He got it minus the mustard. I of course had to sample it as well and it was very nice soft bread, juicy meat and the flavor all together was amazing! I ordered the Lechon bowl. It came with Lechon (roasted pork), yellow rice black beans and sweet plantains with an egg on top (for $1 extra). Gabriel also asked if we wanted sauces, he named them off I asked to sample them all. One was the mojo sauce I know it was a citrus and very garlic forward sauce. I would have liked less garlic and more citrus. One was an almost sour cream(possibly) cilantro green sauce and one was a pink sauce don't know what was in it but it was good! When we come up from Jacksonville again we will definitely visit again! Possibly try other things as well! read more

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I had high hopes for Mi Apa as my husband loved going in college. We arrived around 8am on a Sunday and the restaurant was only about half full. It took nearly 15 minutes after ordering our coffee that someone took our food order. The food came out fast, the smoothies not so much. I'd recommend the guava and cheese pastry and chicken empanadas if you go. read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

the food, Service, and Ambiance is Miami Latin love. Kewlaideman approved o yeah !!! you can feel the sexual rhythm in every bite.

This place were highly recommended by locals, so here we go; came for a quick pick up order. We got steak & Cubano sandwiches, also cheese stick and coconut puff pastry to go. Everything looks delish, nice little corner with ample of dine in seats, bustling with customers and regular. Friendly and quick service, their empanadas looks awesome also their famous ropa Vieja plate looks very appetizing. I shall return , and tries something else ! read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Pan con Bistec - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Shoutout to our Mi Apa Latin Cafe ambassador, Daniel! He is an absolute gentleman! I am very grateful for wonderful table side service. I am also very impressed that there is an ordering option for takeout, pick-up, and even a drive through! Daniel was so helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and suggestions, especially when I told him that it was my first visit. He gave me a good overview and some tips based on portion size, spices, and how the menu has a breakfast menu, but the rest of the menu is available all day as well. That is such a good business plan! Savory is better for me. I wanted yummy Cuban toast with butter and a cafe con Leche to start. I ordered the roasted pork bowl and a stuffed potato ball. Daniel informed me that the garlic sauce has a powerful punch. And he was definitely correct! One dab was enough for me, because it was breakfast after all. It is not for the faint at heart. But it is a garlic lovers dream come true. The venue is clean, well lit, and well spaced. The cafe con Leche was a little piece of Heaven and the Cuban toast with butter was the cherry on top! This was so nostalgic of my Miami memories with my Pops! The Roasted Pork, Sweet Plantains, Yellow Rice, Black Beans, Side of Mi Apa Mojo was all that I needed for such a great breakfast! Savory, comforting, balanced, and I tasted the Love cooked in every bite! Sweet soft plantains, savory black beans, rice, and succulent pork! The potato ball was so indulgent and pillowy soft! I wanted to eat as much as was comfortable, so I had at least half of everything to leave room for my beloved cafe con Leche... which I enjoyed with each sip. Daniel was so helpful with getting me a lid and bag for all the yummy leftovers. Don't let me forget to tell you how attentively and frequently he stopped to check on me and all his other patrons. He seemed to know a lot of people by name and even knew their favorite orders. Very impressive! Every patron received a cheerful verbal welcome upon entry and that is a nice touch! Bravo! Great job to all these local community heroes! read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I always love the vegetarian options at Mi Apa in Gainesville. I ordered on the app for pick up, and it's super convenient despite some app glitches. I usually get my food at the location nearest the interstate, and I won't make the mistake of visiting the other location again. Parking was very challenging and it was crowded even at an off hour. I submitted feedback and was pleasantly surprised to get a text thanking me for being specific with my feedback. The vegetarian options are great and I'll definitely return to the other location. This one is more hip and trendy if you like that. read more

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Great friendly service and the food is good. Visiting niece from south Florida so of course she wanted us to bring up some items that she's been missing form home. But while in the area we wanted to see what they have to offer. (Way back in my day) the pickings were very limited. Great that this venue is adding some variety. Vegetarian Empanada - crispy, not greasy and well seasoned. Picadillo - I loved this so much. The only thing I couldn't swap out the white rice for yellow. The one lost star was because of the tostones vs maduras issue. The menu I saw said maduras (sweet plaintains). I asked if that's all they had and was told YES so I passed on that. My niece decides to order since she loves the sweet ones but instead gets tostones (the green plantains). Of course I ate her tostones but don't know why the servers don't know the difference? The mango juice tasted like it came from fresh/frozen mangos instead of some overly sweet concentrate - if I'm wrong oh well keep that one. All around still a good venue. read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Picadillo Bowl Natural Fruit Juices - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Service here is always stellar. There aren't many vegetarian options but I strongly recommend the plant based empanadas and you can get a sandwich without the meat, just eggs and cheese is quite yummy. It's not fancy, always a little loud but for the price, you can't beat it. read more

We came here for brunch to enjoy the nice breezy outdoor weather. We got the Perico and steak and eggs Their coffee was warm and in convenient cups. Their pastries were delicious and not too sweet! If you come here you have to try the tres leches and the frozen espresso coffee. Friendly staff and good vibes overall read more

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I came to Mi APA and I thought the prices and variety of options were great! The service could've been better as we got our food and drinks quickly but it took forever to check out. Overall would come back again! read more

I love mi apa personally I feel like this one isn't as good as jonesville and Alachuas location but it's still pretty good

Mi Apa is hands down one of my favorite spots in Gainesville. The food is always on point -- I love their chicken and ropa vieja empanadas (don't skip the pink sauce!). Lately, I've been obsessed with their Coco Limón Frappe -- it's the perfect mix of sweet and tangy with coconut milk, lemon, whipped cream, and fresh coconut on top. So refreshing! Friendly service, fast orders, and consistently delicious. You can't go wrong with Mi Apa! read more

New flimsy coffee cups? Lid doesn't stay on. Not fit for drive through or cars. Need to ask for double cup. Spent my relaxing Sat morning cleaning my car. Note, even if you hold the cup at the bottom, it's still so flimsy that the lid flies of. read more

I really love this place. The staff is phenomenal. Soooo kind. For some reason I just always feel good in here. I also do take out a lot - and it's always fantastic. Food is great - and authentic - and I've never had a bad experience. This is a Very well run - and well staffed - restaurant. We're lucky to have it here in Gainesville. Kb read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Front entrance - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Food was delicious. It was made fresh. Everything was packaged nicely with utensils. The delivery lady was exceptional. I would highly recommend read more

It has been a couple of years I did not visit Mi Apá! Everything was just good. Service, the food. The weather was nice, so my friend and me sat outside. Perfect! Also prices are reasonable. read more

The red beans were really good the place is clean, service was outstanding Definitely return to this place read more

A quick drive-thru stop on a roadtrip didn't disappoint. The drive through was stacked with cars but it went very quickly as they were spot on with quick service. The coffee was teeny, but I expected it based on my order. It was a very rich espresso with some cream and I asked for no sweetness. The Pastry was a guava cream cheese and I couldn't have been happier with the freshness, taste and crispy flakey buttery texture. I'd come here often if I lived nearby. The menu was full of good things and I'd love to try more. read more

Mi Apa Latin Cafe - Cordito - Cuban Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Service was completely unenthusiastic and our food was mediocre. When I sought to dress up the very bland item I was served --by asking for sour cream, they said they don't have it. The implied message being "we're not a Mexican restaurant." We decided this place did not warrant another visit from us. read more

The food is beyond delicious! I live in Ocala and I keep wishing that they would build one down here. Whenever I go to Gainesville, I try to stop by. I love everything about Mi Apa! The staff there is very friendly and it's super easy to get to and park. read more

Service great. Food, Lousy. I ordered a Miami Cuban, very small, barely any meat or even veggies. Then all sandwiches come with plantain chips. They must have poured the end of the bag on top of my sandwich, almost all Crums and maybe three whole chips. What a ripoff! read more

Excellent Good food, good service, clean redtsurant, fast service, easy access, plenty of parking, excellent selection of food read more

Really good food coffee and atmosphere . The me has a good variety to choose from . From pastries to sandwiches to meals read more

The atmosphere is inviting. The service is quite friendly. The food is delicious. I especially enjoy the bowls and also the pastries.

Food and service were great! The traditional plates all looked delicious. I had the picadillo with plantains and black beans. Everything was delicious! Will definitely be back the next time I'm in Gainesville. read more