Numero Uno Cuban Restaurant

2499 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32806-4545
(866) 495-7187

We wanted to encourage a friend after his recent surgery so a few of us invited him out for dinner. I made a few suggestions on where to eat but he said Taco Bell is where he goes for ethnic food. He lives in the Conway area so I recommended this little Cuban place I went to for lunch a few weeks ago that was not far away. I remember the servers were kind, the lunch portions were pretty good and the arroz con pollo was very tasty. Tonight (Tue), we started off with the mofongo appetizer perked up with a nice rich broth. I couldn't tell you what was in the broth but it tasted like it came straight from a pan of wonderfully seasoned and slow roasted pork. He asked me to recommend something so I pointed him to the media noche and maduros (sold separately for dinner). The media noche was about 8" long. and he said he enjoyed the sweet cuban bread. My other friend had the Masitas de Cerdo with congri and plantains. I thought the onions could have been grilled more and the pork chunks looked dry. He said some of them were, but overall he enjoyed the meal. I chose the arroz con pollo again. I saw the dinner was $5 more than the lunch so I was expecting something more significant. I was surprised to see that the portions appeared to be smaller than the lunch.

Maybe the dinner plate was bigger. I don't know. Regardless, the meal was just as tasty and I did leave full. Overall the food tastes good, the quaint setting was clean, the quantities were adequate and big props to Nellie our waitress. She was pleasant, prompt and kept our glasses full. Ultimately though, for the money, I highly recommend Numero Uno for lunch.

Adia's Latin Food

1325 Sligh Blvd Orlando, Fl. 32806
407-540-0777

I saw a TV show recently about two guys searching rural barns and warehouses for rare collectibles and mis-valued antiques. I get that same sense of a treasure hunt when I take a turn off the main road and see a corner shop dressed with little more than the promise of a good meal. Adia’s, located behind the Arnie and Winnie Palmer hospitals next to the Amtrak station, is that type of place. As I drove by all I saw were the words LATIN FOOD in big yellow letters on the little storefront window. I was hooked and I wanted to know more.
I petitioned my coworkers to go with me for lunch but my only taker would be my Cuban friend, Senior Rubio. Due to its proximity to Amtrak, Orlando Regional and the Palmers, all parking is coin operated. Lacking coin, we circled Adia’s hoping to discover another kind of treasure - an unregulated parking space. Three laps and a little luck found us a spot in the back. The sign only said we would be towed. It did not say WHO could park there. I assumed it was for patrons just like us, so we chanced it.

We walked in to find a woman working the small kitchen behind the counter. She was attentive as she took our order and promptly returned with our drinks: water for me and a Kola Champaign soda for my friend. Lunch specials included baked chicken, stewed chicken or roast pork with white rice and red or black beans and maduros. My subject matter expert chose the pork with red beans and I opted for stewed chicken, red beans and a relleno de papa. No waiting here and the portions were good. The red beans were soft and full of flavor. The roast pork was tender but it lacked any of that crispy seasoned edge. The fried beef and potato ball held the hot sauce nicely and the sweet plantains were fun but the prize here turned out to be the stewed chicken.
Presented in a large glass goblet, this typically unremarkable dish brought some personality to the table. I spooned out the chicken, potatoes, carrots, olives and corn and balanced it all over the rice. Adding some broth I paused before parsing through the wonderful flavors and mixed textures. Notably, I enjoyed the satisfaction of that meal the rest of the afternoon.

Dine – A good lunch for a great price under $6
Drink – You have to try the Good O Kola Champagne soda.
Drive – The parking out back is not for patrons like us. Bring coin!
Diana – All business with a smile before you go.

Cubans on the Run – dj

481 N state Road 434 Suite 101
Altamonte Springs, FL
407.682.6700
Monday – Saturday 10:00am – 9:00PM

Cubans on the Run is a humble little Cuban restaurant near the corner of 434 and 436 in Altamonte Springs. You walk up to the counter and place your order. There are about 10 little tables with plastic chairs. The counter person was very cheerful and happy. She took my order and I had a seat by the window. About half of the customer that came in placed there orders to go. Next to the order station there was a hot station that had various hot meals that included roast pork, beef stew, and Ropa Vieja (shredded beef).

My order was called from the counter in about 7 minutes. I had the Turkey breast sandwich “Turkey, Swiss Cheese & Mayo grilled to perfection!!” I would have to agree with this description it was cooked perfectly. The bread was crisp on the outside and warm in the inside. The side of Black Bean Soup was also very good. Their black bean soup had a scoop of rice on the bottom, then a scoop of beans, and another scoop of bean juice. It was topped with chopped onions.



Rating: ***
Service: ***
Price: 7” Sandwich 4.50, Black Bean Soup 1.69.

black bean deli - DT

Caution – This review is full of hyperbole and I mean every word. black bean deli at 325 South Orlando Avenue has been around for a long time. Andres, the owner, talks to me like an old friend and tells me this is their 25th year. I remember my first visit to black bean about 12 years ago. I sat at one of their 3 or 4 stools at the window with my Cuban platter and Havana cola and it was awesome. Every time I go it’s awesome and everyone I know says black bean is awesome. I like to bring it back to the office so when the other geeks smell the hot roast pork and start prairie dogging, I just say “black bean” and they all just nod like I had made a wise decision and slowly sit back down. One thing you will not find here is a complex lunch decision. The menu offers a perfectly adequate choice of Cuban favorites like: papas rellenas and pan con lechon. Today I grabbed the Cuban platter again. Cuban sandwich served with black beans, yellow rice, simple salad and maduros. The beauty of the Cuban sandwich is its simplicity. Sweet ham, roast pork, swiss and pickle pressed hot on a six inch stretch of Cuban roll. The only thing missing from my black beans and yellow rice is that touch of Tabasco (I carry my own) and fresh minced onion (I forgot to ask for some). I do not look for much from a salad. It’s just a reason to taste their splendid house dressing. This vinagarette offers that little extra facet of avocado to an otherwise ordinary part of the meal. It’s that same feeling you get when you pick up that old shirt and find a buck in the pocket. The final course in this “dream lunch in a bag” is the maduros. Nothing tops off a meal like deep fried sweet plantains. That’s it. This blog is meant to showcase the culinary charms of Winter Park and the black bean deli is indeed charming. Next time, I’m getting the medianoche!


Service: Friendly
Quantity: I’m full
Cuban platter: $6 plus the one I found in my shirt.

Cindy’s Tropical Café - DJ

“a taste that satisfies”
601 Virginia Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
407.898.6878
7:30am - 4pm M-F
11:30am – 3:30pm Saturday

Cindy’s is a favorite place for Cuban food among our group. I get the turkey sandwich platter. It comes with a side of beans and rice. I usually get a Jupina (pineapple) drink. It was good as I would expect.


Cindy’s is located in a converted 50’s style house/store. It is located at the corner of Virginia and Baltimore in Orlando. They have not done much decorating but for a good Cuban meal this is the place to go. There is a TV in the back usually on ESPN and left over newspapers to read while you wait for your sandwich. The staff is friendly and service is prompt.

The meal is always enjoyable at Cindy’s.
Rating: ****
Service:***
Price Sandwich platter/Soda: $8.75

Black Bean Deli - JS

325 S Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL
32789-3608
Phone: (407) 628-0294

I had lunch at Black Bean Deli today. For the first time the line was not out the door so we only had to wait 15 minutes vs. 25 (a little exaggerated) but the food is definitely worth the wait. I had the chicken platter. It comes with black beans, yellow rice, plantains and salad. The chicken was very moist and fell off the bone, not over cooked. The black beans tasted like they were just cooked, instead of mushy after sitting in the pot for hours on warm. Even the salad was fresh and not wilted. Lastly, for the price and the amount of food, you can’t beat it. It’s definitely a “must do lunch there” type of restaurant…

Cuban Sandwiches to Go!!

1605 Lee Road
Orlando, FL
407.578.8888

This Cuban sandwich shop prides itself on not being Fast Food. There are slogans up on the outside wall around where you place your orders. Such as “We’ve made a deal with the bank not to make sandwiches and we won’t cash checks or take credit cards”. There is also a sign above the porch that proclaims “Voted the Best Cuban Sandwich Food Network 01-02”. I could not verify this claim as foodtv.com doesn’t seem to have anything but current stuff on there site. I could not find anything about something that happened 5 years ago.

Note (1/4/2008):
I found it. Here is Cuban Sandwiches To Go recipe on the Food Channel web site!

I had the turkey and cheese sandwich with a side of black bean soup. The sandwich had been warmed in a sandwich press and sliced in the diagonal like the classic Cuban sandwich. There was only turkey and cheese on the sandwich, just as described on the menu board. The black bean soup was also just as described on the menu board i.e. soup. There was rice and raw fresh onions mixed in as well. The soup had a strong flavor of cumin. With the addition of some unmarked hot sauce the soup was very good. The sandwich was also good although it would have been better with a little lettuce or tomato or even a slice or two of pickle. I had the required Jupina soda (pineapple) with my meal.

There was quite a line when I arrived at 12:10. It took about 10 minutes for my order to be called out at the pick-up window. The patio was equipped with plastic chairs and tables. The meal was pleasant for a sidewalk café on Lee Road, on a 90 degree day in Orlando.

Service: Excellent 4
Quantity: Just Right
Price: Meal/Soda: $8.02