Cakeland Bakery

"Hats off to Cakeland for not only making the best croquetas in Miami, but also the second-best pastelito. Their guayaba y queso is airy with lots of volume and guava that wraps around a cheesy center. It’s a timeless classic. But if you’re going to order just one pastelito here, prioritize their pastelito de carne. We tried to only consider guava versions for this guide, but Cakeland’s carne is too good to ignore. It’s filled with tons of ground beef surrounded by more golden layers than a pile of autumn leaves—and just as much crunch. " - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer

"Price Per Croqueta: $1.50 From the outside, it looks like your typical jamon croqueta. But take a bite and you’ll be overwhelmed with how simultaneously fluffy and crispy it is. Each is filled with little bits of parsley and pink ham that looks whipped. The masa is remarkably buttery, but not enough to overpower the slightly sweet ham. And they taste homemade because they are—apparently by a nice man named David, which we were told by an employee who noticed us taking detailed notes after each bite. After an entire month of eating our way through almost 50 croquetas all over Miami, the only one we still craved was Cakeland’s. " - virginia otazo

"This small Cuban bakery is so far west, you might accidentally end up wading through Everglades sawgrass if you miss a turn. But if you’re looking for Miami’s best croquetas and cuban bread, you need to find this place. A strong knock on the outside of their bread will send your confused dog running to the door. The outside is sturdy enough to play sword fights, but the inside is pure fluff (and you can actually taste the lard). We also officially named Cakeland’s croqueta the best in the county, and no one’s beef pastelito comes close either. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc" - Virginia Otazo

"This West Kendall gem for pastelitos and croquetas serves up a mean croqueta de la casa with a slightly sweet twist that pairs well with a squeeze of lime juice and a soda cracker. Try it with a cortadito or Materva for the perfect Cuban merienda (afternoon snack)." - Stacy A. Moya