Original Rio Cristal
Cuban restaurant · Westwood Lake
9872 SW 40th St, Miami, FL 33165
Highlights
Classic Cuban diner known for bistec Rio Cristal and fries
Classic Cuban diner known for bistec Rio Cristal and fries
"This Cuban diner is known for one thing: the bistec rio cristal. It’s a thin steak with one giant side of papitas. It’s why people come here—a pile of fries the size of Mt. Tropical Park that makes you question if there really is a steak under all those potato twigs. But it’s there, juicy, and layered with onions and parsley. Some people like to spurt ketchup all over the top, but these are not finger fries. They’re short and bumpy so you can stab them with your fork and eat them together with your steak. Rio Cristal also might have the absolute best flan in Miami too." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"This Westchester Cuban diner is known for one thing: the bistec rio cristal. It’s a thin beef steak (let that “beef steak” translation sink in) with one giant side of papitas. It’s why people come here—a pile of fries the size of Mt. Tropical Park that makes you question if there really is a steak under all those potato twigs. But it’s there, juicy, and layered with onions and parsley. Some people like to spurt ketchup all over the top, but these are not finger fries. They’re short and bumpy so you can stab them with your fork and eat them together with your steak. Rio Cristal also might just have the absolute best flan in Miami too. " - virginia otazo
"This Westchester Cuban diner is known for one thing: the bistec rio cristal. It’s a thin beef steak (let that “beef steak” translation sink in) with one giant side of papitas. It’s why people come here—a pile of fries the size of Mt. Tropical Park that makes you question if there really is a steak under all those potato twigs. But it’s there, juicy, and layered with onions and parsley. Some people like to spurt ketchup all over the top, but these are not finger fries. They’re short and bumpy so you can stab them with your fork and eat them together with your steak. Rio Cristal also might just have the absolute best flan in Miami too. " - Virginia Otazo
"Established more than 40 years ago, this Cuban restaurant on Bird Road offers an array of flavorful dishes. Highlights include the palomilla steak, marinated in garlic and lime juice, pan-fried, and served with crispy fries, as well as the signature black beans. Other standouts are grouper fingers, tasajo (jerked beef), roasted pork, and milanesas (breaded steak or chicken with tomato sauce and melted cheese). For dessert, traditional flans, dulces con queso (preserves with cream cheese), and guava shells are not to be missed." - Eater Staff
"Miami embraces nostalgia, and the city’s most iconic dishes are iconic for a reason. Longstanding classics are still some of the best places in the city old-school Cuban diner Rio Cristal." - Olee Fowler
