Playa Cafe

My boyfriend and I were looking for something good to eat, affordable, and filling in our vacation here in Miami. Well we definitely found it here at Playa Cafe! We both got the exact same thing: snapper, gallo pinto, plantain, and side salad. The food was seasoned and delicious, the service was friendly, and ambiance felt intimate and chill. It’s small in the inside but that’s what makes it feel more authentic! We paid $20 each for our meal which included the 3 sides and the whole fried fish. Do yourself the favor and eat here!

Heads up: they charge a 15% service charge, so I’d recommend not tipping. Either way, it’s counter service, so I’m not sure a tip is warranted but that’s up to you. Also, I think the prices on the menu are cash prices because everything was at least 15 cents more than the listed price. We ordered pupusas, empanadas, sweet plantains, and a mango smoothie. The pupusas and smoothie were good. Everything else I’d pass on. The sweet plantains weren’t soft and sweet like they should be. They were kind of dry. Empanadas were just okay, but not bad.

A must visit !! We Always make at least one trip here when in Miami! The food is delicious and service is friendly . Such a comfortable, inviting family type atmosphere. Great variety of food options! Portion size is large and filling. Their cafe con leche is as it should be made! Highly recommend you give them a try! I’m sure you will return!

Went in for breakfast. Was totally impressed with everything. When i saw the prices, i thought we were ordering small plates but bot was i wrong!! The tamale was enough to make one meal for less than $5 it had rice and pork and it filled me up. Had to take the rest to-go. The burrita was just as delicious eaten later. Everyone left feeling full and content on such a small bill. I recommend trying if in your in Miami Beach

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!! 10/10!!! I could go on and on about this place haha! First, the food was SO good and very big portions! They have amazing variety from hamburgers and fries to fried rice, to tacos, smoothies, everything! Amazing price for what they had and good location! It was nice and clean and they had pretty fruit decorations! They had a bathroom tooooo. Don't even get me started on the workers, they were the best!!!!!! 😁 They were SOOOOOOOOO nice, friendly, hardworking, and they served food so quickly! When I go back to Miami I'm definitely going here again💕 5 stars!

A diner bustling with locals. The prices are reasonable, and both the taste and portion sizes are excellent. I went there for breakfast every day during my stay in Miami.

Bartender had great customer service service! Great cocktails! Welcoming in Miami Beach open until 5Am! Highly recommended! We Was able to play our own music at liking! I refer this spot every time you come to Miami! Also they have a pool table and karaoke!

Omg! It was delicious. I went 2 twice same place and the food so good a fresh. All kind people. Sttaf was super friendly.

Because the Greater Miami area is the heart of the Cuban Diaspora, there are literally hundreds of great places to buy Cuban food. What makes this small cafe, in addition to offering good Cuban food, as well as some other style offerings, is that the food is not only very good, bit also decently priced in somewhat trendy and expensive Miami Beach. I had the Medianoche sandwich, which gets its name from the urban legend of it being to "go to" food to satisfy your midnight hunger in pre-Communist Cuba. I also had a mango "batido", that uniquely Cuban jewel that magically comes out of the blenders of places like this. Talking about mango... you can also walk away with a large container of freshly cut mango for about $10! The perfect strolling fruit to eat as you walk by all the other cool spaces around the area!

Very unassuming place, but had delicious cheese pupusas! The ladies were very friendly and kind, and the bathroom was clean.

Miami Beach's hidden gem! EXCELLENT, FLAVORFUL and AFFORDABLE FOOD!! I recommend the Pupusas, Baleadas, Ceibenos, Carne Asada and Sancocho!!

I'm back in after 10 years and it's as delicious and super local as usual. Came back for lunch later with my partner too. Cortadito and juices are always my favorite stop here with out all the tourists and touristy prices

Best cafe in Miami. Go get your pastele tamale fix. Also, good soup. Make sure to get a tamale before they sell out.

Casual Cuban food with bar seating. You order and pay at the register. They do a lot of takeout. Full meal plates for around $12 and sandwiches for $10. You get your choice of sides with the meal plates- white or yellow rice, beans, salad, plantains (maduro or patacones), fries. I had roast pork that came with onions. The midnight sandwich is a delicious Cuban sandwich on sweet bread. Value pricing here compared to most places in Miami.

EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING HERE! I read reviews before going here and I had pretty decent expectations but wow what an incredible find. This is authentic and flavorful. The staff were kind and welcoming. From the outside looking in, it doesn't look like much but absolutely immaculate food. I have zero complaints and there's nothing I can think of that would have made it better. I will definitely return here when I visit Miami again.

I went to this cafe late Sunday night, around 10:30pm. They are very reasonably priced compared to other places. We ordered the steak plate (comes with 3 sides per order) and the chicken breast plate. The food tasted great. The chicken was a little dry, but the spicy sauce and flavorful rice makes up for it. The steak was very good. I would have loved to return for their fresh squeezed juice the next day, but service was not good. The two-star rating is for the service. The food is a 4, the service was a 1. I didn't feel welcome in this restaurant. Not one server spoke upon arrival or while sitting at the bar for 15 minutes. We went to the register to order, and the woman was snippy and not friendly. We waited 30-40 minutes for the food, then I noticed that it had been sitting on the back counter for 10 minutes before she finally brought it over. Not sure what the purpose of the unfriendliness was, as we waited quietly and patiently; but I will not return. There are too many other Cuban options around the corner.

Hidden gem! The food here was so flavorful! The employees were very welcoming, great service. Food came out quickly but still tasted fresh. Highly recommend!

A chill location to experience great Cuban food in South Beach. Easy to walk to and there is Bar top seating or you could easily take it to go. Everyone is extremely friendly and make great suggestions! Most agree that you can't go wrong with any option. I loved my chicken fajitas and the butter avocado and fresh tortilla gave it the extra mile. The fajita sauce was just too good. The yellow rice was a great side, very fresh rice too. My friends had the Cuban and chicken sandwiches. Both loved them and I definitely enjoyed the Cuban sandwich as well. Honestly you can't go wrong with any choice.

This is your typical mama y papa estilo Cubano sandwich shop. None of the South Beach I'm in Miami fufu vibes but on some real authentic Cubano vibe with the ladies cracking jokes and chisme behind the counter as you drink your cafecito con leche. We had the Philly Cheesesteak and the Sandwich Cubano. Both hearty and filling, reasonably priced without breaking the bank, and more satisfying than some of the other high priced restaurants nearby. You can tell its a local spot as the ladies behind the counter knew the customers by name and by order. I even got to know the man they call "El Profesor." Listen, whoever this man was, it was a moment and the ladies there love giving him a hard time in the most we appreciate and love you manner. To be a regular here would be nice. It's not fancy by any means, and is quite small with counter space in two areas. Def a place that is busy in the morning but so glad we tried it. Menu is large, I don't think you can go wrong with anything and there is def something there for everybody. We ordered a side of plantains and even that was enough to share with 4 people. They weren't sweet but that has nothing to do with establishment. May not have been the season yet for them. A place I'd come back to after a night of dancing to get a morning fix and cafe con chisme.

This family owned and operated Playa Cafe offers excellent home style cooking food, and friendly customer service thats populat to locals and tourists alike. Located in the heart of South Beach, this is an excellent choice if you're craving for Caribbean, Latin, Spanish, Cuban anf Central American Cuisine. They also serve their breakfast combos with fresh coffee choices and freshly squeezed orange juice. They also serve sandwiches, tacos, tamales, wraps, salads, croquetas, empanadas and desserts like flan, caramel cakes, arroz con leche, bread pudding and tres leches. One of my favorit meql is the Arroz con Calamares which is just rice cooked with squid meat and squid ink. It is very tasty and the meat is cooked to perfection. Beef and Chicken Fajitas were good too and it is served with your choice of 2 sides with these to chiose from, white rice, yellow rice, salad, plantain, french fries and black beans It is located in 15th Street Washington Avenue, a few minutes walk from the beach, hotels and Lincoln Road Shopping Center.

We were in South Beach and needed breakfast but wanted someplace low key and not really foofoo but still wanted that South Beach vibe. Get my drift? We found this little hole in the wall restaurant that was literally right around the corner from our hotel on Collins Ave but tucked away so it wasn't too busy. Definitely a locals spot! If you're looking for a good Cuban breakfast place that's nice on the pockets, you found the right place. We were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was here. My husband got the steak and eggs with a side of beans, plantain, and fried cheese. Delicious! I had to make him share with me because I just got bacon and eggs lol. Their bread was also surprisingly good - just buttered and toasted to perfection. Their orange juice is freshly squeezed along with the smoothies that they offer. I would definitely come here again!!

Walking the Miami south beach area looked up playa ...on yelp GB PS sent me down the street...had to check out...stop by while taco hoping..order the 3 tacos with meat and a corona beer shared with wife was very tasty and service was very polite and courteous . Their breakfast menu looks good I want to try..if I get a chance when I am in Miami...and the price is right for area

The one thing that will always drive me nuts about Playa Cafe is how LONG it takes!!! Every time I order whether it's packed or empty, my food takes so so long. I need to stop going when I'm hungry and try to time it better because it's always brutal. However, their food and drinks are amazing. Their platanos maduros come in a large portion, their tacos fritos (for me these are flautas) are always SO good. I recently saw they had a sign for a new "choripapa" which sounds similar to Colombia salchipapa and it did NOT disappoint. Even reheated 3 days later my leftovers were still amazing. I also always get a fresh juice and it's so good every time. My favorite is maracuya which is passion fruit. The tamalito was so delicious and tasted like the most moist cornbread in the world. I could eat 10 of these a day.

Iykyk!!! I could eat all my meals here the whole time I'm in Miami, literally breakfast lunch and dinner. I always feel at home. Everyone is like family and so friendly! The service is great, but don't come here if you're in a rush. We're on island time here and it is always packed and busy because the food is so fresh and delicious! If you want a home cooked meal with fresh ingredients at a fair price for South Beach, then this is your spot! The fresh juices and smoothies are a must and the coffee is delicious as well. Like I said, they don't miss and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu!

The Cuban sandwich has unappetizing thick slices of Costco ham, I had to remove half of them to make it palatable. Otherwise it was alright. The beef empanadas were filled with unseasoned ground beef.

Definitely a hidden treasure at Miami beach! Great prices for great food. We had the cuban combo with fries and drink for about $14, which is great for this area. The fries were just okay, but the cuban amazing and large!

First experience with Latin (not Mexican) cuisine! I knew a Cubano was a must for a visit to Miami, so I walked over to Playa after scoring street parking a couple of blocks away. To my delight, I was the only English-speaking person there, so I figured, must be good right? *cubano ($9.50): layers of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, Mayo, and mustard pressed between Cuban bread slices. This was hearty and so tasty, that a swarm of sea gulls picked at it when I tried eating a 1/2 sub on Miami Beach. Thankfully, I caught a Mexican family's eye and they helped to ward off the birds. NEVER AGAIN LOL. *arroz con leche/rice pudding ($4): maybe I waited too long to eat this, but this was slightly sour. I wasn't a fan. *horchata ($5): Playa's is extremely creamy, which was heavenly to me. I'd be interested to try other things on my next visit! Gracias, Playa Cafe. P.S. Tagalog, which I speak a bit of, has a bit of overlap with Spanish. I overheard the staff members referring to me as a Chinese princess. AHAHA

Cramped no frills single counter diner serving up tasty Cuban food at a very reasonable price. The menu is pretty large, but it's basically permutations on sandwiches and thin meats that can be quickly cooked on the grill / griddle. Puerto Sagua is probably a better choice if you want more of the slow cooked stewed dishes or fish dishes, but Playa Cafe is good for quick and filling. Chicharrones de Pollo: Billed as an appetizer, but it comes out at the same time as your meal. So it essentially becomes a pretty meaty and tasty side dish. Despite using no batter, they are so crispy. They us bone-in chicken chunks. And really great with some fresh squeezed lime. I especially like how the chicken skin was extremely crunchy like a pork rind. Queso Frito: Also billed as an appetizer, but comes out with your meal. Essentially a lightly deep fried chunk of queso fresco. Pairs very well with rice and beans, even when you're eating a meal past breakfast. Bistec de Palomilla: Very thinly pounded steak nicely griddled. And lots of yummy onions on top. Not a steakhouse kinda steak, but a great value for the price. Especially filling with the white rice, soupy black beans and sweet plantains. Marinated Pork: A pork cutlet covered in spices and charred a bit on the grill. Really flavorful. Like you definitely need the rice and beans to counter it. But so delicious. Maybe even more personality than the palomilla steak. Maracuya: Frozen passionfruit pulp blended with water, ice and a healthy dose of sugar. Turns into a deliciously sweet and tropical smoothie to pair with the savory meals.

If I could give them 0 stars I would because this place doesn't even deserve 1 star. Avoid ordering from here. The food that I ordered through Uber eats from them was absolutely disgusting. Even though I was so hungry I could eat anything , I took a bite of what they called "enchiladas" and I wanted to throw up. It tasted like absolute garbage. Nothing like an actual enchiladas. Their empanada was so dry and so bad I spit it out. My dog wouldn't even eat this trash. This place should be banned from all platforms.

After eating food at 6-8 different restaurants all week, this by far was the best food this week. Not only is it cheap but the portions are MASSIVE. My plate could've fed 2 adults and a kid. The coffee is really good. The cashier was nice.

Food was AMAZING 10/10. Also they have over 50 different menu items UNDER $15 I wish the staff interacted with us more we felt like " outsiders " in a way but the food was soo good that I wouldn't mind coming back. Super clean as well!

This is a place that makes you feel right at home. The menu is extremely budget friendly and the food is good. My go to place when I don't want to spend too much on breakfast or lunch

After dinner on the Bay Side, we walked around looking for an authentic tres leches cake. At first there were many more touristy looking spots, with overpriced looking tres leches, if they had it at all on the menu. Finally, we came here. It was a long walk, but totally worth it.

DELICIOUS. All I have to say. Authentic. Cheap. And YUMMY. Will be back so happy this popped up on yelp when I was looking for lunch, solo, in my gym clothes. Perfect casual, if you can get a spot at the counter! Anything will be good here. Promise!

Authentic Cuban breakfast at this busy lunch counter-style diner. Prices were very reasonable, service was quick and coffee was amazing. The vibe is more locals than tourists, which we seek when visiting other cities. Highly recommend you have breakfast or lunch here to see for yourself.

This place is small but the food is delicious I really enjoyed it and will be back. The pineapple empanadas were delicious and the chicken was great!!

We came here as our last stop before heading to the airport. If you want authentic Cuban food, reasonably priced (for this area), and large portions then you must come here! Everything we ordered was amazing!! We tried the Cuban sandwich, caramel flan, skirt steak, whole snapper, and breaded chicken. All of the meals (except the sandwich) come with rice and beans and your choice of salad or plantains, we all chose plantains. I also ordered a pineapple empanada and Cortadito. The service was excellent. There's just something so endearing about being called Mami and Papi from the sweetest Cuban lady . When I come back to Miami (because I will be back!) this will be my first stop!!

A small little no frills cafe. The food was amazing and the price is great. They don't speak a lot of English but very willing to help and try. The midnight sandwich was our favorite !! Would recommend if you're in Miami for their sandwiches!

Majority of the food here is cheaper than the restaurants nearby. The Cuban sandwich here is only $10.40 where at the restaurant it's $26. Hands down this diner is budget friendly.

Want to taste the Cuban or Latin flavors in South Beach without having to pay the tourist prices? You gotta stop here. Great food at great prices. The place is tiny, crowded and non-stop how normally Cuban/Latin cafeterias are. You might get intimidated because they don't pay attention to you but just walk up to the cash register and they will take your order. They are not super fast because they are probably making a thousand orders before you but nothing crazy, they move stuff fast. One of the best pan con bistec (Cuban style steak sandwich for my Anglo/non-Spanish speaker friends) Best thing is that you can have a full meal and pay, depending on what you order, around $9 to $13... at south beach! Where everything is doubled or more than other places. Great find!

This prefect little dive, food is absolutely delicious! Had the fresh orange juice and the Cuban sandwich, hot fries.

2 stars bc not only was the food mediocre, but it also took me and my friends 45 min to an hour to get our food. We ordered separately but the first person got their food after 45 min and the last person got their food after 1 hour. I got the Ceibeno de Carne Asada and while the flavors were good, the meat was not tender and everything was kind of soggy.

Medianoche sandwich was EVERYTHING! I absolutely loved it, moist, cheesy and flavorful! I will definitely be back whenever I'm in SoBe

Literal hole in the wall. Very cramped seating, but everyone managed. We both ordered cuban sandwiches and they were delicious, side of plantains were a real treat.

Legit hole in the wall in South Beach. Came in for lunch on a Tuesday and the counter was full. Outdoor seating is also available. Menu is extensive, it can take a long time to decide what to order if you're not a regular. I decided to order the bistek and the wife got the garlic shrimp in cream sauce. Both dishes were pretty damn good. Kinda heavy for lunch, in retrospect, I probably would've gotten just a sandwich instead. Nonetheless, definitely with a try.

Yummy cubano sandwich! The service as a bit slow but worth the wait. There are not many seats, so be prepared to do take out just in case.

Very delicious, fulfilling and quality food! You'd better be hungry because its a lot! Breakfast- Dinner. Theyre open if youre hungover after the club, breakfast, on a lunchbreak and dinner etc. Place is damn near always open Always reliable and fresh. Meals #1-20+ are bomb! Empanadas are top 3 best in South beach. However, place is very popular and food is made fresh...DO NOT BE IN A HURRY! Call in your order 30 min before you arrive

Ba-Bay when I tell you this Place is a hidden gem only the locals know about it and if they share the secret with you then you have discovered GREATNESS! My husband and I visited South Beach for our 25th wedding anniversary and when we asked about some good food the front desk suggested Playa Cafe. It's a small diner like spot, they only have counter space to sit at or you can sit outside at one of the two table & umbrella seats. They sale a ton of different options from tamales, smoothies and beef stew as well as breakfast options at a very cheap price. The food was delicious and well seasoned, I couldn't just pick one so I had beef soup AND breakfast. Everything was so good we came back the next day for the same exact thing. Still crowded but the crowd moves quick.

Food was hand down some of the best I've had. The lady who served us was really hospitable and took care of us. We also got a mango smoothie that was also amazing and super refreshing! Would HIGHLY recommend and will try to revisit on our next trip.

The food is ok. not many breakfast options in the immediate area. best to go when empty otherwise your orser will have to wait for all of the cops and the staff's friends who go for breakfast. I definitely walked in before a few people and who got their food and ate before I did.

Went here today and I would highly recommend for a great Cuban sandwich! The price was a little high to me but what you get is definitely worth the cost. I could have split this with my partner. Dine in at the counters or take out. The ladies running the shop were also friendly and attentive.

I would have walked right by this place if it weren't for yelp! I found this place on yelp and the reviews live up to the real deal! We went on a Saturday for lunch. We got two seats at the counter. This place was full of locals. You hear Spanish and English being spoken. The menu is in both languages and has pictures. I had the roast pork with tostones, red beans and rice for $9. It is a large portion. You have an option of tostones, sweet plantains, salad, fries, etc. The tostones are very greasy. They are very large. The red beans are delicious. The pork is well seasoned and tender and moist. They pan fry it before serving. It had sauteed onions mixed in. My guest had the philly cheesesteak. The sandwich was amazing. It is large enough for two people to share. It was served on a fresh sub bread. The meat was tender and seasoned. It had sauteed peppers on it and shredded/melted mozzerella cheese. The mixture of ingredients was great. The staff is friendly. It took a while to receive our order. I received my roast pork 10 minutes before my friend received his sandwich. We noticed other people who came in after us being served before my friend. The desserts are homemade and looked yummy. We were too full to try any desserts. There is seating at the bar counter facing the servers and a counter with high top seats behind the bar. They have a variety of American and International sodas. Overall, the food was great, but I deducted a star for the service and greasy tostones. The prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion size served.

The food quality is bad. Not a great place to sit inside. Takeout would be better. We ordered fried pork and chicken wrap. Both were bland and not delicious at all. I had better Cuban food in the North Miami beach. The fried sweet plantains were good though.

Yelp Fam!!!!! I'm back with more HOT Miami Reviews. This place has a special spot in my heart. Because as most of us know the hole in the wall spots have the best grub! He playa cafe isn't much to look at but the food and the service is what you're going for. Had the pleasure of dining here twice while in Miami. It had to be done, after the first visit I had to go back. The ladies inside of PC are amazing. We sat down and looked over the menu. The order (combined from both trips): Cuban sandwich , fries & pineapple soda- this was a solid Cuban sandwich and it was generously stacked high , large fries portion & you cant got wrong with pineapple. Chicken sandwich , fries, Huge sandwich, juicy chicken & a bunch of fries. Mango-Pineapple smoothie Bruh! This smoothie was everything, so good, I almost danced when I took the first sip. Cafe Cubano Is quickly becoming my favorite coffee drink. It was quite good. If you are in South Beach and you want good cheap eats look up the playa cafe.

Love the beef soup. But call early they run out. Order almost twice a week!! Now if you really smart you ask for the soup and vegetables on the side. Trust. You'll get more that way. But so dam good

Just ordered one of the best sopa de res Ive ever had in my life. This place never disappoints. Food and delivery is always on point.

The food was great, people were friendly. Nothing special about bar seating so if ur looking for comfort skip this place. Coffee was outstanding.