Elena’s Cuban Cafe

I’m in town for work and stopped in because the reviews were good. I was bit disappointed. This place was just ok. I ordered a turkey lovers and didn’t love it. The turkey tastes cheap. The staff took my order but wasn’t really friendly.

I have never been disappointed with a meal here. Food is solid I always order the Cuban it’s freshly made to order.

This Cuban restaurant should have 5 stars!!! AMAZING food and so far, this has been my favorite restaurant now for about 1 year. I like how this is family owned and Elena is such a sweetheart (she’s normally the one taking orders). Whenever people ask me what my favorite type of food is, I always say «Elenas!» I hope this place NEVER runs out of business. Sitting here talking about this is making me crave it for dinner!!!

I had the chicken and rice with black beans with a side of sweet plantains. The price is good and the serving was enough for three meals. The flavor was popping and did not need anything more but he fork.

First time here, cute little spot. Loud Spanish being spoken which I like because it makes the place authentic lol. I had a regular cuban which was good but it could’ve had a bit more meat on it. I also got a side order of tostones which were seasoned to perfection. The price didnt seem too bad and the menu seemed to have a lot of legit homemade hispanic dishes. I will deff go back and try something else. Staff was friendly. And they have daily specials and a drive-​thru.

This was my first time going there. It was very delicious and a big serving. One dish could serve for two people. Love the place and plan to go back for so more good food

Excellent potato balls
The BEST empandas (meat pie) that I have had anywhere, hands down.
Cuban’s are quite tasty as well.
Staff is nice.
Get there early or the line is out the door at lunch.
A real gem — Highly recommend.

I love Cuban Food thanks to my husband. He introduced me so when I have a chance to have some authentic cuisine I am in. He told me that I would definitely be able to find it while visiting Florida on business. I took several co-​workers who all seemed to enjoy their food. The service was good, the people were friendly, though we needed my Columbian friend to translate a bit. The place was clean and seemed to have some regular patrons. Everything was very fresh and well prepared.

Best Cuban food in the Lakeland area. Love to pick up dinner or eat it there. I specially love their Ropa Vieja, taste just like my mother’s and that is a true compliment

food as ok, had the smoked pork with rice and beans. it was ok. only true complaint is that they ran out of most menu items. albeit it was about 6pm. anyways will try again

Stopped here to meet our friends who aren’t from Florida, as they wanted to eat something more Floridian or different from what they are used to. The place is tucked away in a small plaza and small, but well worth it. Our friends had the Cuban sandwich and loved it. I finally got my craving of Fricase, which for some reason I haven’t been able to find at the Cuban restaurants near us. We also tried their shakes with milk (by shakes I mean juices), and though they were very tasty, if you aren’t into really sweet drinks, you may want to pass on the juice. My husband had the fish special that day and said it was very good. They have a lot of choices and seem to be family owned, paired that with the generous portion, good price, and taste and you it made the trip to Elena’s well worth it!

Good food, every time. They do get busy at lunch time and dinner time, but the wait is worth it… everything is made fresh and tastes great! Family operated and I like spending my money on hard working restaurants like this. Will definitely go back! The cuban is amazing!

My favorites: Steak with chimichurri sauce, with platanos maduros, rice, and black beans. The best part is their insane portions so I usually have leftovers for dinner! I tend to feed my eyes before my stomach so I never fail to get guava & cheese empanadas for my afternoon merienda. Another favorite: flan! It is indeed decadent, as promised by The Ledger. I am VERY critical of flan because very few I’ve ordered at various restaurants/​bakeries can compete with my mom’s rich, dense custard and thick caramel sauce. Elena’s comes pretty darn close. Even my mom gave her seal of approval when I took her here during my parents’ visit to FL. On another note, when I asked my daughter what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday, she specifically requested Elena’s flan instead! Herein lies my dilemma: a cake-​sized flan is quite an unusual order, plus the restaurant is not open on the weekends but my daughter’s birthday fell on a Saturday. Guess what? The owners said, «no problem!» Sure enough, that Saturday, they were there waiting with a 9″ cake-​sized flan ready to be picked up. I only wish they could make a full sheet size, but as long as my daughter was happy on her birthday, I can’t complain:)

Wow Great food extremely fresh. We had the fish melt & an awesome salad. They were busy and I can see why. This is another Unilocal happy discovery

Best Cuban food in town, the service is good and everyone is friendly. They have the real cuban sandwich not the tampa version.

I had to try their Cuban sandwich and it was very good! I was the only customer there, so I have to wonder if the large family that owns this place needs to step up their game. The décor could use improvement and although the food was good, I don’t plan on returning.

This review is based on lunch — and by «lunch», I mean the croquettas, potato ball, the empanada and a cuban sandwich.
So full disclosure — I’m a white girl. I grew up with pretty much no exposure to Latin food, hence why when I go to a new place I just pick a few things. That being said, I agree with pretty much everyone else here in that everything was seriously awesome. So tasty and fresh and… ahhhh I want to go back like right now!
Elena’s…please don’t ever leave me. Seriously.

Visited Elena’s for lunch en route to St Petersburg. I had a Medianoche sub with ham croquetas on the side. The sub was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed devouring the sub. My wife ordered a plate of black beans and rice, of which I almost ate all.
Portion sizes are very generous and very well priced. This place is a gem that I intend to revisit.

One of the easiest 5 star ratings I’ve given so far.
Elena’s Cuban Café is hands-​down the best Cuban cuisine you’re going to find in Central Florida. Nothing that they make is short of fabulous. I bounce back & forth between the chicken fricassee and the picadillo. I’ve known the owners of this place for years, and having eaten at Cuban places all over this State, Elena’s is outstanding.
Why is it so good? Partly because the food is made with love, but also because of the fact that they stay true to the dishes and don’t mess with tradition. What most people don’t realize is that to make many of the dishes that people love to order for lunch, they are there long before dawn preparing them. The people are so nice, friendly, and truly love what they do. The portion sizes are more than plentiful and the restaurant is clean. Their cuban sandwich is awesome. Their black beans and rice are awesome.
If you want the real deal, visit Elena’s. Not enough stars to explain how good their food is.

Cuban food is not my forte but the churrasco con salsa chimichurri ($ 12.99), I ordered, was pretty darn delicious! The skirt steak was well seasoned and nicely prepared. Salsa chimichurri was flavorful with a kick from chili, which complimented the steak wonderfully. Fried plantain was sweet and scrumptious as well.
The restaurant serves cafeteria style. Menu items are limited. There are weekly and daily special items ($ 9.48-$ 12.99), kid menu ($ 2.99-$ 3.99, fried dishes, ensalada, desserts, pastries and sandwiches ($ 3.99-$ 5.99).
Service was friendly, fast and efficient.