El Jefe's Cafe Tostada

Super delicious food and great prices. We came on a Saturday so it was super busy but the staff was friendly and the restaurant is very clean. They have great vegetarian options and outdoor seating.

I've been coming here since I moved to the area and simply amazing! Starting with the food, the best Cubans ever are here, my usual is the media noche sandwich, that contrast with salty and sweet is my favorite! I also like de fried cheese, they put it with a guava jelly on the side, so good! The iced coffee is also great and very tasty. They have a little reward system, if you order 5 coffees they invite you the sixth. Melissa is so nice and attentive! She is always there! Shoutout to her! The place always looks cleans and tidy. They also have plenty of parking which is a great plus. If you have not come yet, you are missing out!

Came in for at the recommendation of a friend who had been here. Upon walking in, it was PACKED! And while dining you could tell there were a lot of regulars. Seating is open so you can sit anywhere you want. We were quickly greeted and drinks ordered. There are so many different options on the menu so it was such a hard decision. But I'm down to try the hash and eggs. Omgosh they came out perfect!! The crisp on the hash and the eggs were perfectly over easy. I got a peach tea (green) and it was quite delicious. The flavored tea is not refillable. I also got me a deviled crab to go which is made in house and was very tasty. Overall great experience and I left FULL!! I'll definitely be back and next time I'll get the guava green tea. This is definitely a neighborhood gem.

El Jefe instantly became one of our favorite places to eat when we moved to Carrolwood two years ago. The food and the service has always made us feel like family. Breakfast and lunch both great here. My favorite meal here quickly became their blackened fish which has always been the Friday lunch special. Until this visit the fish was bassi which I like but on this visit I saw the fish had been changed to cod which is one of my very favorites. What a great addition to the menu. No matter what you are after El Jefe will do it right.

I love Cuban food... and am lucky there are a couple Cuban restaurants very near to where I live. I decided to try a new one today, instead of my usual. El Jefe's did not disappoint!As I walked up to the restaurant at about 11:45am I could see it was busy. Several people waiting for takeout orders, and all the booths and tables were full. Always a good sign! Good service... I was helped as soon as I walked in, and Natalie was friendly and helpful. I ordered a Cuban sandwich and an order of Platanos Maduros to go. I received my order quickly, and it was "El Jefe" that handed it to me... also very friendly and helpful!Got home, and unpacked the food... and took pictures. Sandwich was gorgeous, and nicely pressed with some nice browning on the crust. Platanos looked perfect!Started eating, and the sandwich was delicious... crispy Cuban bread, succulent meat in nice portions, just the right amount of condiments. The best Cuban sandwich I have had in a good while!I really love Platanos Maduros... I will always order them with any meal I can. And these were some of the best I have had... so soft and flavorful with a little bit of crunch from the frying pan. Really, really tasty!I will be going back to try other dishes... and wish I had started going to El Jefe's much sooner!

Ok so first off lemme just say how much I looooove this place!!!! It is located in Carrollwood about a hop, skip and a jump from my house which makes it even more enjoyable for me. I have experienced dining in but I mostly use the drive through option because there is nothing better then when I have to get up early for a meeting and being able to stop and get a delicious made to order freshly made breakfast.And when I say the service is top tier I mean just that. I have never had a bad experience which is why I will be a forever customer. One of the things that I can acknowledge about this place is that they have had the the same people working there and even added a few new smiling faces since I started going there which to means they have what appears to be a good work environment. Turnover is something that I pay attention to whenever I eat places.In addition to that I always see the owner in there multiple times a week which shows that he cares about his business and likes to be hands on, which is few and far between with the chain restaurants. I always see him taking and packing orders, making coffee, serving the guest inside and I just love everything about it.Noooow lets talk about my food. I usually call ahead and place my order so I can just slide through the drive through and pay. I go so much that my girl Natalie knows my voice over the phone and knows my order by heart and always ask me if i want my cuban toast or if im opting out because it fluctuates.(Gotta watch the carbs lol). She has been there from day one and she is amazing and gives even better service.I usually go between 2 different meals:The 2 egg breakfast with double bacon, hash browns and a large oj or the Belgian waffle with a side of bacon. Whew that food is hot and delicious and full of flavor. you can tell it is made with love. I have tried some of the items from their lunch/dinner menu and they are lip smackin finger lickin' good. The also make their empanadas fresh in house so I usually order 3 at a time with some hot sauce. They have lemonades with flavor options such as kiwi and guava and a few more.I say all that to say that if want some hot fresh food with a lovely staff and great service please support this small business. The plaza it is located in does not get the traffic it deserves.My rating is a 10/10 across the board!!!!

Natalie greeted us made sure we were ok during our lunch. She did an amazing job! The fries with the daily special were perfect. The El Jefe fish sandwich and fish plate were made with some of the best fish you can find. Make sure you order the fish grilled and blackened. A great group of local people eating and serving. Would recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

Best Cuban food in town! Great service as well. Feels like you are at home here with the yummiest food.

Great go to neighborhood Cuban eatery. Great service and generous portions. There's a variety of food, try the fish and grits.

Service was great, staff was friendly, and the food was good! I had the Cuban sandwich - I give it 5 stars. The bread had just enough crunch to it that it didn't tear my mouth up. It was buttery and warm! I love that it's served with lettuce, onions and pickle. It also comes with tomato but I omit that. I had a side of black beans and yellow rice as well. My husband got the Ruben, and there were a few fatty pieces of meat in it- the reason for the 4 stars. He said it was good, tasted great just didn't like the fatty pieces, he said it was a bit chewy. Overall, I recommend this restaurant. We both agreed we would come back. Our server was really sweet, and attentive.