CA Cafe

I didn’t review CA Café after my first visit… or after my second… because I just didn’t believe it could be this good and that eventually they mess up and I would have to give it a lowly 4-​star rating. Well, after three visits I can say its a real 5 stars.
I don’t know what they are doing with the bread. Even right before close it is so soft and fresh you would swear the heat from baking went out of it 5 minutes before it was served. And somehow a deli sandwich can be stacked with meat cheese and lettuce and not fall apart.
Did I mention the friendly help? Being in an old train station the dining area is decorated with trade pictures and other trade related items. Oh, and the workers are super friendly even to a guy like me who usually can’t figure out he wants to eat without a companion present to tell him (neither my girlfriend or semi girlfriend or sister or cousin or future ex wife has been present to supervise me when I visited).
Lunch hours only but worth planning a day around getting there while its open.

This place deserves every star it gets. I stopped here as the Hood is not to far from my new hood and I saw a sandwich place with 5 stars in 7 reviews, so why the heck not? Plus, they have a cuban sandwich, so naturally, I’m coming.
The café is located inside the Morean Center for Clay — I know, a bit strange such a place exists. They have maybe a half a dozen tables inside and a couple of tables outside. Not a big place. it’s also nothing special aesthetically. A place to grab a sandwich. Nothing more. And as long as that is all you’re expecting, then it is fantastic.
If I had to guess on what made this cuban sandwich so good — and I do have to guess because my taste buds are not good at differentiating flavors — the bread they used was superb. Tasted almost like a cuban rye bread. I don’t know what it was, but this was one of my favorite cuban sandwiches in the vicinity. I can’t compare it to Bodega — I would need to eat one right after the other. Perhaps I will do this soon (or I will definitely do this soon).
As for service — excellent. Friendly, quick, smiling.
Sometimes, its the most unassuming locations that have the best food.

I have been here about 5 times in the last 4 – 5 weeks. It’s quickly becoming my jam. I wanted to come a few times before I wrote a review. I have to say, my experiences have been consistent. Great food, great staff, and what a cool building! The lunch specials come in really good sized portions for a great price. If you enjoy great lunch food at a great price in a cool freakin building, THIS IS YOUR JAM!

Fresh food at great prices. Very creative sandwiches, all very tasty
Murals decorate the walls and local art displayed thruout. Great service.
The décor and menu theme is consistent with an old railroad station. It’s located right off the Pinellas bike trail

Great hoagie rolls, super big sandwich, delicious chilli bottomless fountain drinks. Very cool historical train station building with clay studios attached, well worth the trip.

Best deli dtown? Not lucky dill, not … Wait is there even another one? Well if there is this place smokes that one aswell. It’s basic, it’s delicious, sandwiches are huge, it’s affordable, and it’s in a fucking historic train station. This shit wins

Fantastic sandwiches!
This place is super cute from the outside! It used to be a train station that has been converted into an art/​sculpture studio and little café.
When you walk inside the café is off to the right. There are some tables, but it is not hard to get a seat, because most people get their food to go. I was surprised how busy this place is. There was never a huge wait, but there seemed to be a steady stream of people.
Every day there is a different $ 5 special. Unfortunately on Thursday the $ 5 sandwich is the meatball sub. This was unfortunate, because I came on a Friday when the deli sandwich was $ 5. I still decided I was craving a meatball sub and got it. It was about $ 7, so still not terrible.
I heard the meatballs are homemade. The bread was sturdy and the meatballs were delicious. Just the sandwich kept me full for the whole day!
I think this is a great place to stop by for a quick bite!

Today I needed to order food for a meeting, I noticed CA Café sprout up as an option. So I took a chance, we ordered a tuna melt, a grinder and a buffalo chicken salad. I took one bite of the tuna melt and I was in love. BEST tuna melt EVER. The grinder and salad were equally as tasty, the place really blew my socks off. That doesn’t happen too often, stop what you are doing and check this place out!

Biking through Mid-​Town with an empty belly, I was hit by an aroma of fresh baked bread coming from an old brick building. Looking through the windows, I quickly realized that it was an art studio and the smell was really from clay being baked in kilns. Bummer. Then, one of the artists says there’s a café that sells sandwiches inside the building!
The compilation on their menu: subs, deli sandwiches, wraps, hotdogs, melts, soups. It was an impressive list making it hard to choose from. I ended up ordering The Locomotive: a toasted sub with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese with lettuce and tomato. I also switched out the Italian Dressing with their Cuban special sauce. I also ordered their chilli.
As I waited for the food in their sitting area, old historic pictures of the building were displayed. I didn’t know, I was standing in St. Pete’s old historic train station! This place has character too!
Onto the tasting of the food: Wow was this one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had locally! And the chilli, AMAZING! Talking to the owners they humbly said they won 1^st place at the chilli cook off last year and rightfully so!
What a rare gem this place is. Anyone who appreciates a good sandwich should come here and anyone who appreciates St. Pete’s history should check out this place as well.

Being born and raised in St Pete I thought I had been or know of every possible place in this city. I happened upon a message on FB touting the «best Cubans» in the area. That is a huge statement here in Central Florida where the Cuban culture is deep and rich!
So I venture over, almost immediately, to CA Café which is located in a historic building, in an almost industrial area of St Pete. The building is the old train depot and is pretty much still intact to how it was the day it closed. On the very end of the building tucked away is this fabulous little deli. I saw the plaque that was freshly hung bragging the fact they just recently (literally last weekend) had won 1^st place in the chili cook off. I had to try a cup of chili too.
With the old school wood floors and the framed out window sills I could not help but see visions of a time gone bye. It was awesome the vibe and feel of the place. Almost felt like I was in the general store on the Walton mountain!
got my food scampered back to the office as I was giddy with anticipation for «the best Cuban» in the area… Wow, was I ever impressed! As I said born and raised had meant a lot of Cuban cuisine in my years and this really is the best I have had in this area and even Miami! But that’s not it… Not so fast my friends… The chili… OMG good… I seriously can not convey how perfect the chili was. perfect texture, not too soupy, still moist. Perfect amount of bean to meat ratio and the balance of spices was spot on. Clearly that is not the last plaque that will be hung on these walls!!!