La Viña Aragon Restaurant y Cafeteria

"You need two very important things to eat at this Cuban restaurant in Hialeah. First, cash—they don’t accept cards. Second, bring a monstrous appetite. Portions here feed you for days. We love the pollo empanizado. The breading is so crispy it crackles like a campfire. But our favorite dish is the vaca frita, the best in all of Miami. You’ll notice a giant bottle of vinegar and peppers on your table—pour it on anything you order. With its wood paneling and sunwashed family photos, La Viña looks like the home of a Cuban grandparent—a place most Miamians would correctly say is where you’ll find the best Cuban food in town. But La Viña is the closest any Miami restaurant comes to a true home-cooked Cuban meal." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino

"When Miami’s road ragers, rising rent prices, and wet air start to irritate us more than usual, La Viña reminds us why we put up with this city's nonsense in the first place. This Cuban strip mall restaurant in Hialeah probably hasn’t changed since it first opened in 1983 and that’s a great thing. It’s cash-only and makes our favorite versions of Cuban classics like ropa vieja and pollo empanizado at ridiculously low prices. Come with a few friends, order more than your hearts can handle, and spread chisme until your butts start to ache. " - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer

"We once sat next to an empty table with covered dishes and the words “ocupado” scribbled on a paper napkin here. It was probably the table of some mystery VIP who no doubt eats the same thing there every day. Maybe that will be you someday—we think it serves Miami’s best Cuban food so it shouldn’t be hard to keep coming back. This Cuban restaurant has been around since the '80s and few restaurants (or their prices) are as genuinely, delightfully stuck in time as La Viña Aragon. Regulars here always have cash on hand for crispy vaca frita and crunchy pollo empanizado, because this Hialeah spot also still lives in a world where credit cards don’t exist. " - virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer

"No one cooks Cuban food better than abuela. But when she’s tired of sweating over pots of ropa vieja and frijoles negros, take her to the only restaurant that can compete with her cooking: La Viña Aragon. The tiny spot in Hialeah looks like a lived-in Cuban home filled with sun-washed family pictures and a portrait of Jesus in the dining room. It’s been around since the ’80s and few restaurants (or their prices) are as delightfully stuck in time. Their pollo empanizado is puffy and crunchy, garlicky yuca con mojo pairs well with the entire menu, and a full breakfast with eggs, three sides, and a coffee only costs $7.95. Regardless of what you order, bring cash. And it closes at 6pm—perfect for an early bird dinner with a grandparent taking the day off cooking." - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo

"Price Per Croqueta: $1.25 La Viña is our favorite Cuban restaurant in Miami. The Hialeah spot has excellent entrees like vaca frita and pollo empanizado, but they also have a wonderful jamon croqueta. It's a little thinner than most, but packed full of salty ham surrounded by a crunchy shell. If you’re not in the mood for a full Cuban meal, grab these at the ventanita and use the lime wedge they give you to give your croqueta a tiny citrus shower." - virginia otazo