Mi Cafetal

I have been searching for place to get my Spanish food fix ever since the closing of my beloved Habana Grill/​Don Pepe’s in Altamonte. I saw Mi Cafetal and thought I would give it a try.
This place is located in a ratty strip center across the street from Macaroni Grill at the corner of SR 436 and 434. This is definitely a hole-​in-​the-​wall type place, so if atmosphere is really important to you then this is probably not the place for you. However, if you are looking for a solid Latin food experience and can overlook the humble surroundings then you should check this place out.
It is obviously a place where locals hang out and when my blond hair blue-​eyed husband and I walked in we were checked out. There was a group playing dominoes and another couple watching a risqué version of the equivalent of the Spanish Judge Judy… complete with naked photos and video with censorship bars/​blurring covering the naughty bits… not necessarily a great place to bring the children.
We ordered Beef Empanadas for an appetizer and each had Bistec Empanizado (breaded steak) with yellow rice, black beans, and maduros (sweet plantains). The empanadas had a nice flaky crust and while the filing was good and flavorful it was a scant portion compared to the outer shell. The Bistec Empanizado was cooked well but the breading was falling off of the steak. The breading was flavorful so the it made up for the messiness. The beans very soupy and the rice cooked well, though not particularly tasty. Our waitress did not speak much English and we had some difficultly communicating. Despite there being other people in the restaurant hanging out we were the only ones eating and I felt like our waitress was not really attentive. She was friendly enough, but we had to flag her over for refills and to get our check.
All in all the food was good, but not great. Would I go there again? Yes… but the hunt continues for a place to get my Spanish food fix.