El Cuba Cafe

Great Cuban Sandwiches. Fast Service. Felt confused when I pulled up the lot, but it's inside the Circle K.

I didn't know about this place until my Yelp friend Tim wrote an awesome detailed review about it. It took me a while to try it, but I finally did last year. He was very right. Naida makes some tasty Cuban sandwiches here for a good price. The star of the sandwich is Naida's roast pork. It's well seasoned and it totally makes this sandwich shine. I usually get it with everything, but I keep forgetting that they'll include onions if you ask for it "all the way." It's good with or without it, but I prefer it without. Just keep that in mind and be specific if you don't want onions on your sandwich. Naida also makes the best café con leche. I sometimes go there just for Cuban toast and that awesome coffee. It gives me energy!They have a small hot bar area of daily offerings with some kind of rice and beans. It may change daily. I haven't ordered a platter, but I will one day. They do have a tasty arroz con salchichas side item. My mom used to make it sometimes with those little canned Vienna sausages. Yeah, it's a comfort thing for me. They also make wonderful breakfast sandwiches and ham croquettes.El Cuba Cafe is hidden inside of a Circle K convenience store on Bell Shoals Road. It's directly across the street from Publix at Bloomingdale Square. I know it has Cuba in the name, but their is a lot of Puerto Rican representation here. That may also be why I'm so fond of it. It's also super convenient, and the service is great. I usually drive in the back way to avoid all the construction nearby. There's no dining area. You just order your meal and take it with you. It's a no frills kind of place. A real hidden gem!

Visited this hidden gem for the first time yesterday after seeing on Yelp! Surprised to get such yummy Cuban grub from a tiny shop located inside a Circle K convenience store. The owner greeted me fast and was super friendly and helpful.I tried the Cuban Sandwich with no tomato extra pickle. The pork on the Cuban was moist, plentiful and delicious. There was only one very thin layer of ham, most people would probably prefer more ham. I don't know what kind of cheese was on it but it wasn't swiss and for me I really massively would prefer swiss cheese and next time will probably ask for no cheese because whatever cheese was on it I found tasteless a d not a good texture. Overall very delicious Sandwich and would highly recommend. I also tried the Ham Croquettes with the owners delicious homemade hit sauce which was soooo yummy!Last but not least I got 2 side of her rice to go woth Oxtails I was making at home and the rice was BOMB...perfectly cooked and full of delicious flavor.

Been occasionally dining here since I moved in. Never had a bad meal. The service is always pretty fast and consistently good. 100% worth giving a try.

Traffic this morning was hell, but the food is worth it. Café con leche was perfect, cuban sandwich is filled to the brim, put some of their hot sauce and you have MY perfect breakfast!

Oh my goodness! Cafe con leche was perfection. Bacon and egg omelet sandwich was huge and sooo good! Will definitely be back every time we are in the Brandon area.

One of the many things that I love about the YELP app is being able to introduce people to new restaurants. 99% of the time, the eateries we visit already have an existing listing on YELP, and it's our "job" to provide a review of whatever establishment we have the pleasure of eating from. It's those other 1 percenters that get me excited! It's like finding a needle in the haystack, and I consider it a privilege to be able to add a new restaurant to the YELP community. It's even more exciting when the owner of the small place you're adding hasn't even heard of YELP, is new to the restaurant game, and doesn't know about how the "YELP effect" can really drive their business to new heights. Today was one of those 1 percent days! One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a human being is to go food shopping at your local grocery store on an empty stomach. Since I am a male, I usually do this 9 out of 10 times and wind up spending $200 more than I initially planned. Such was the case today, but I was determined not to go crazy while steering my wobbly cart up and down the aisles of Publix, and also trying not to bring home the lovely Coronavirus. Pathetically, I was actually proud of myself as I was checking out because I had managed to fend off the hunger attack that was being waged by the Publix Deli sub stand. They made a valiant effort, but my will was strong this day, and I emerged victorious. Strutting my bad self out to the parking lot, I was ill prepared for the sneak attack brought upon me by this treacherous new villain! Coming out of the Publix lot I was behind a few cars at the light on Bell Shoals, when suddenly, as I peered across the street at the Circle K, I saw a tiny sign sticking out of the ground that read "El Cuba Cafe." I didn't know it at the time, but my stomach had already raised the white flag, surrendering peacefully to the thought of a Cuban sandwich. I've passed the hidden strip mall behind Circle K a thousand times, but I never recalled seeing a Cuban restaurant back there. I drove around aimlessly for about 5 minutes searching, but didn't see any kind of awning that resembled the sign I just saw previously. I did a quick search on YELP, and still nothing. I finally had to resort to a check on Google, where I noticed that the restaurant website had the same address as the Circle K, huh??? I pulled into the "K" parking lot, swung open the double doors, and low and behold, there it was, all tucked away in the back corner of this convenience store chain. Little did I know what awaited me. This place is literally the size of a snack bar on the 10th hole of the local country club, but don't be deceived, big things come in little packages. After getting aquatinted with the delightful owner Naida, I decided to try the Cuban sandwich, beef empanada, and stuffed potato balls (Papas Rellenas). Let me tell you, all three were the bomb !!! The Papas Rellenas were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, deep fried to perfection. The empanada was a little dry, but still delicious, and then finally, the amazing Cuban sandwich. I've lived in the Tampa area for over 30 years now, and this is easily one of the best Cubans I've ever had (I've got the gut to prove it!!). Besides the fresh ingredients and perfectly pressed bread, the kicker is Naida's mouthwatering homemade roast pork. She has the perfect blend of spices and mojo seasoning that gives it this out of bounds flavor, not to mention that it just melts in your mouth. The Cuban alone will make me a new frequent guest, and I also can't wait to come back and try one of her breakfast sandwiches as I hear that they too are legendary. Tell Naida that you heard about her place on YELP so that she can see what an impact we can have on her business. She deserves the traffic, I promise that you won't be disappointed (drop me a line when you do, I'd love to see what you think). Five stars all the way!!!

We love El Cuba Cafe. They have the best cafe con leche ANYWHERE! The cubano is amazing as well as the bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and the simple ham/cheese toast. The hot tray meals are delicious! The chicken and rice is sooo good. We'll pick up for our dinner - very generous portions! Everything is so fresh. Naida is friendly and gracious. Inside the Circle K store at the back (Bell Shoals just south of Bloomingdale) - you'll be glad you checked it out.

AMAZING Cuban food run by an amazing family! Food is authentic and fresh. You're not getting anything better for miles. Bloomingdale "GOOD EATS " top list!

Excellent food and service. I really recommend for if you are near to stop there.La comida y el servicio es excelente, si están cerca les recomiendo para en este local