September 17, 2026
Cuban Fort Lauderdale: The Cafecito and Croqueta Trail
From counter-service cafeterias to full Cuban restaurant menus, we're tracking down the city's most authentic Cuban spots and what to order at each.
Cuban food in Fort Lauderdale doesn't live in one neighborhood or one price bracket. It's in Formica-table cafeterias where regulars know the counter staff by name, and it's in lively dining rooms doing three generations of family recipes with a cocktail list attached. What ties it together is the cafecito, the croqueta, and a kitchen that isn't cutting corners. Here's where to find the real thing across the city, and what to order when you get there.
Padrino's Cuban Restaurant, Coral Ridge
This is the anchor stop on the trail. Padrino's is third-generation, family-owned, and built on grandmother's traditional recipes with a modern flair layered on top. Expect a lively, trendy dining room with handcrafted cocktails, which makes it as good for a group dinner as it is for a solo plate of something classic. It's the spot to bring out-of-towners who want Cuban food that feels current, not just nostalgic.
Mama's Latin Cafe, Croissant Park
Family-owned since 2015 and scratch-made through and through, this is where you go for the fundamentals done properly: Cuban sandwiches, bistec, and café cubano at a neighborhood pace. It sits on FL-84 and keeps weekday breakfast and lunch hours, so plan accordingly. This is the counter-service, no-frills end of the spectrum, and it earns its regulars one plate at a time.
Colada Cuban Cafe, Flagler Village
Colada takes the classics and gives them a modern twist, which is exactly what its name promises. The croqueta breakfast wrap is the move if you want to see how a traditional bite gets reinvented, and the fritas made with beef and chorizo on Cuban bread rolls are worth the trip on their own. All-day breakfast means you're never showing up at the wrong hour for a proper cafecito.
Las Colinas Restaurant, Wilton Manors
This is the cortadito-at-the-window kind of place, the one where regulars linger like old friends. Las Colinas keeps it homemade and unhurried, with a comfortable, well-lit dining room that leans quiet and relaxed rather than lively. It's a solid breakfast or brunch stop if you want Cuban and Latin American comfort food without any noise or scene.
El Tamarindo Cafe, Las Olas Corridor
Unpretentious and diner-like, El Tamarindo covers Latin American, Cuban, and Mexican ground on one menu, which makes it a good pick when your table can't agree on one cuisine. It's family-friendly and solo-friendly in equal measure, the kind of dependable spot you find yourself returning to simply because it never disappoints and never overcomplicates things.
American Coffee Shop, Oakland Park
Don't let the name throw you off. This cafeteria-style diner blends Cuban and Spanish touches into its classic American breakfast lineup, which makes it a great entry point if you're easing into Cuban flavors rather than diving straight in. It works equally well for a solo counter breakfast or a family stop on the way through Oakland Park.
La Costa, Olas, Las Olas Corridor
La Costa leans more polished, blending coastal charm with handcrafted cocktails and a menu that spans traditional Latin favorites alongside modern creations. If you want your Cuban and Latin fare with a side of ambiance, outdoor seating, and a proper drink program, this is the stop that fits a date night or a celebratory dinner rather than a quick lunch.
The trail runs from window-service counters to full dining rooms with cocktail menus, and that range is the point. Start wherever fits your mood, order the croqueta or the café cubano first, and let the rest of the menu tell you where to go next.
