Cubabana’s Cafe

My first time eating cuban food and it’s pretty damn good! I wish I could finish my plate! Place is clean and service is great! Food was fresh and fast. I just wish I had more space for more food! Thank you for the previous posters for your good reviews that brought us here. We love supporting local spots!

Moved here from Chicago, tried another Cuban place nearby and I wasn’t thrilled. Then we stopped in your place and was absolutely amazed. Delicious steak sandwiches and maduros!!!

Today was one of those days when I made it out for lunch a little later than expected. I was not sure what I wanted so I just drove around aimlessly. I pulled off of Aloma to just look and see what was in the area and saw Cubabana’s was in the same shopping center. After seeing some good reviews by people I trust, I decided to give them a try.
Because it was after 3 I was not surprised to see a slow dining room. There was only one couple at a table so I asked them if they had been here before. They recommended any of the sandwiches and told me how good the bread was.
I started with a Café Cubano or Cuban espresso. I was surprised to have it served in a Styrofoam cup but it who cares… It was SPOT ON
I ordered the Cubabanas Sandwich special on the recommendation of the server because she said it was their most popular sandwich. It contains Ham, Swiss cheese, Pork, Steak, Tomato, onion, potato sticks and mayo. It comes with fries and a drink. I also decided to try the black bean soup along with a chicken Empanada.
First up was the Empanada. It was very crispy and the shell was nicely browned BUT… It was a bit too greasy and a bit light on the filling but the taste was fantastic. My sandwich and fries came out next and the sandwich was very good. The bread reminded me of a place I stopped in Little Havana several years back. My only complaint was that they used too much mayo but otherwise it was delicious. The fries were a different story however. Basic crinkle cut frozen fries that about half were under cooked.
I noticed that I my soup had never been brought to me and apparently my server forgot about it. The Black Bean soup turned out to be a disaster. I tried to add salt and hot sauce to salvage them up but there was nothing seemed to help. That was disappointing because Black Bean soup is one of my favorite things. Makes me wonder if she was trying to spare me…
There were two different Flans in the case and I decided to try them both and requested a second Café Cubano. One of the flans was very good and the other one had a burnt taste to it. After about 5 minutes I asked about my Café Cubano and it was apparent she completely forgot about it.
During MOST of the time I was there, the kitchen staff was shouting so loud that you could hear everything being said in the entire restaurant. I will not repeat what was being said but I did mention it to my server and politely informed her that some people speak multiple languages. She must have let the kitchen know because the shouting from the kitchen stopped very quickly.
Atmosphere — 2 (4 if the kitchen staff was not shouting)
Service — 2 (Forgot my soup, had to request silverware and forgot my espresso)
Café Cubano — 5
Empanada — 3 (too greasy and light on the filling)
Sandwich — 4 (a wee bit heavy on the mayo)
Fries — 2 (Undercooked)
Black Bean Soup — 1 (One of the worst I have ever tasted)
Flan — ⁴⁄₂ (one had a burnt taste)
I really wanted to give this place a better review but the kitchen shouting and the forgetfulness of the servers was hard to overlook. There were some issues with the food but the black bean soup was just awful. The sandwich bread and the Café Cubano rocked. I will likely give them another chance because the issues I encountered are easily addressed. We all have an off day and apparently this was one of their off days based on my lunch visit.

I love the fresh coffee, the fresh pastries, the delicious breakfast platters and empanadas. The ham croquettes are to die for and very friendly service. Love it!

Delicioso! Ate the croqueta sandwich and a mamey shake, and it was a great price. Will definitely eat here next time I’m in town

this place has legit Café Cubano (espresso) not many places in town do it right but they do. They have a lot of unique pastries and sandwiches that I don’t see at other Cuban restaurants.

Great place to come and eat during lunch. The prices are very decent and the food is amazing. Nothing like having homemade Cuban food for a very low price. I love coming here!

The best espresso in Orlando! Thanks to Unilocal I found it when needing to satisfy my espresso Cubano fix. Y que sorpresa cuando el dueño me regaló an ice cream treat. Just what I needed after a long hike in Florida’s wetlands. Mil gracias señor. Whenever you’re in the area, STOP and have some delicious Cuban cuisine and hospitality. Carla, una gringa

Simply the best coffee around for miles and miles!!! Great food, even better prices and the friendliest staff and patrons!!!

This is a legit lunch spot if you are ever in the area!
I usually stop by here for a morning café con leche or cortadito, but never bothered to try the food. Well, I finally did and it was awesome! Aside from their menu, they have these cheap lunch specials for $ 6.50. I happened to be in the area for lunch and craving some caffeine; so stopping by here made sense!
I ordered one of each lunch special of the day for takeout. One was a fish sandwich with a side of fried yuca and one special was roasted chicken with rice and boiled yuca. The chicken was buried underneath a heaping mound of flavorful yellow rice. My fish sandwich was extremely huge and had an actual filet instead of some conformed fish patty. The fried yuca were moist on the inside, but crispy on the outside; perfect!
Definitely give this place a chance if you are in the area looking for a cheap caffeine boost or lunch!

My first visit to this place on a Saturday afternoon.
I came to eat lunch and was turned away.
Lousy service. I do not recommend visiting.

Located on Aloma, at the intersection of Forsythe Road in the Aldi plaza, right next to Aldi. Family owned, very nice people at the counter and waiting in line during the AM rush.
I’ve enjoyed and egg and cheese sandwich (which was HUGE) several of the pastries and the Café con Leche, less sweet. My friends go in for the regular Café con Leche, which they love. Prices are affordable, everything I’ve sampled is great– I keep meaning to try the flan. It’s on the list. They do offer a nice options for lunch specials, too. Dine in or take out.

I live around the area, use to go in all the time for my morning coffee. There croquetas are awesome!

I am a big fan of mom-​and-​pop eateries which serve authentic cuisines with a homely feel and relatively quiet ambience, and Cubabana’s Café certainly meets all of the above criteria.
To break it down, you walk in to the restaurant and straight to the counter where you place your order. The menus are clearly visible above the counter along the wall, but most importantly if you go for lunch like I did, the lunch specials are written on a separate board next to the cash register. If you choose to dine-​in, you sit yourself at one of the available 10 – 12 tables where the staff will serve the food to you and you pay afterwards. I ordered the breaded tilapia lunch special which was $ 6.85 (includes white rice, black beans, sweet plantains and a choice of soda).
When the food and drink was brought over, I was immediately pleased with how tasty all the foods were. The tilapia tasted fresh not frozen, the black beans compliments well with the rice, and the plantains were cooked just right. This reminds me a lot like some of the Cuban eateries I tried down in South Florida, which is as homely and authentic as it gets. As far as the décor of the restaurant itself, it is done up in a simple style, with pieces of Cuban flare ornamenting the walls and a small TV located towards the storefront playing Spanish TV programs at a low enough volume so guests can hear each others’ voices.
Overall I am pleased with my first visit at this Cuban eatery, and will have to come back there again to try one of their meat dishes as well as possibly one of their homemade shakes to boot with!

First time having lunch at this café as I was recommended. I’m glad I went with my mother. The food was tasty and for being a strip mall café, the plates are garnished very nice. The prices are perfect and they have a great Cuban food variety. I will definitely go back again and tell others!

Located in between Aldi supermarket and a Chinese restaurant, Cubabana’s is a small but cozy latin eatery.
They make some seriously tasty food here, and at great prices too.
It has a very laid back ambient, and it’s not just food served on a plate, it’s a work of art (see pic)
They also offer a variety of desserts like your typical latin pastries as well as flan, bread pudding, etc.
I highly recommend their cortadito (espresso topped with steamed milk) They make it incredibly good here.

I usually think of sandwiches as a quick, uneventful, I-​just-​need-​some-​fuel meal. Nothing to get too excited about.
Not at Cubabana’s!
I had the chicken sandwich, and it was great. The bread was crisp and delicious. The chicken steak was cooked to perfection (finally, someone gets the chicken right, after so many other places almost burning it and drying it out!) Fresh lettuce and tomato.
I would also recommend their fries and flan. These are two foods that I’m very –VERY!- particular about. If you like nice, thick fries that are crispy on the outside, yet soft and warm on the inside, give these a try. They’re delicious.
And the flan… well, it was perfect. And this is coming from someone who lived in Argentina for ten years, and grew up to be something of a «flan snob». This is one of the very few flans I’ve tried, that I’ll be coming back for.
Very reasonable prices, great staff, and a nice, fun atmosphere. I really have nothing but great things to say about my lunch here.

I loved everything about this place except for my Cuban sandwich. The service is friendly, the prices are reasonable, they make their own desserts, and the décor is comfortable. The sandwich was loaded (seven slices) with ham and had a couple (two) of slices of roasted pork. The sandwich was good, but not what I’m looking for in a Cuban sandwich. I’m looking for the pork to represent with huge flavor like that in the Cuban sandwich at Taste of Heaven (now closed) and Latin Bistro Cuban Café.

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend decided we need to check this place out for lunch. Since i was working though lunch and couldn’t leave he brought me some takeout.
I don’t know exactly what he got me, but it was like a pressed steak sandwich and it was delicious. At first i could only finish ½ but then i found myself eating the rest over the next two hours. I just couldn’t leave it alone. My boyfriend ended up getting a regular cuban sandwich was was
really good as well.
One day i will need to venture there early and try their breakfast. Since i was just reading on the other review for this place that they serve it.
All in all i really enjoyed my sandwich and hope to make it back to this place soon.

I absolutely love this little joint. Next to Aldo supermarket, and in the same plaza as the Jeramiahs and the Bostons Fish House. I have to stop in here about once a week at least. The best cuban sandwiches in Orlando in my opinion. I always try cuban wherever I can, and Rolandos used to be the best several yrs ago, but more recently this little cuban owned café has to take the cake, a full service bakery and catering service all wrapped up in one. They offer Pilon cuban coffees, and breakfast menu served with cuban bread toasted. They also have traditional pastries such as Guava y Queso, and Coconut, and Guava, and strait Cheese. The lunch special includes yucca and plaintains with your choice of chicken, pork, or steak, all for 5.99. I leave stuffed everytime I visit and I never spend more than 10– or 12– dollars. Its amazing. But you can get by only spending 5 bux for a sandwich. Well worth the drive. Or a hidden gem if you didn’t already know about the place.