Cha Cha Cha Cafe & Grill

these people are great. very fast but warm, friendly service. daily specials is the way to go. cuban staples. ive had the ropa vieja and carne con papas. hits the spot. this place is small but cozy. perfect for a quick latino lunch if youre in the area. i got a fever and the only prescription is more rice and beans.

If you’re looking for an authentic and inexpensive spot in Miami (South Beach area) Cha Cha Cha is one to try. The food is so much better than anything you’ll find on Lincoln Rd. Mall or Ocean Drive. It really is hole in the wall and I think they only do breakfast and lunch. My wife had a tuna sandwich and I had so kind of hanger steak special with black beans and mashed sweet potatoes. They do the basic well. Also try the mango smoothie!

Really outstanding food for the price. I think in my whole time in Miami, this was the restaurant that I was the most impressed with. The ceviche was pretty amazing and a great value. The owners were super helpful and very inviting. I’d definitely come back here.

Ok I am scared to eat here I got a GC from
for $ 25, but states I can only use for dinner. So last night i went around 7 for dinner the time says they are open everyday till 10:00 p.m.. Some guy looks like the cook/​owner maybe told me because of the economy they are now closing at 7:00 every night. Kind of scares me when a restaraunt says that like how good is the turnover if they are not busy enough to stay open. I think I am going to be getting a refund, and skip trying this place regardless of their reviews.

Can we stop pretending that mediocre food is good.
Fish was OK but every side was bland. The churasco steak was tough and flavorless The chef (sic) needs to learn how to season food. Don’t waste your money.

I wanted mofongo. I was dying for a good place for mofongo in Miami (like in Puerto Rico). But, since when does the recipe start with ½ pound of skillet fried bacon chopped in with half a platano verde make mofongo? Now I see why really large people and really big eaters love this place. Unfortunately, I’m not one to include ‘wanting to get really fat’ as my primary goal in life. If I did I would certainly love it! But for those looking for the ‘heart attack special of a lifetime’, for four and a half bucks, you can’t beat or overlook this deal!
Otherwise, Cha Cha Cha Café is a charming hole in the wall, with a very laid back and friendly staff. You might even think for a moment that you’re in Puerto Rico at Tia’s house in the hills for lunch…
And the folks wandering past the window, make it a truly colorful event on the beach. I really don’t think I’ll be back…

1 2 3, Cha Cha Cha! 1 2 3, Cha Cha Cha! Ok, so this isn’t a dance hall or club, but the food is so good that you’ll feel like dancing! From the outside this place is un-​assuming. I wouldn’t have thought to stop here. But again, thanks to Unilocal mobile and all you Unilocalers, I made the trip while exploring South Beach.
When we first walked in we were greeted in Spanish. The waiter sounded like a lawnmower while he asked me questions that I didn’t know the answer to, because even though I look like I speak spanish, I actually don’t. I almost tried to pretend, but that wasn’t gonna get very far. So I looked at him like a deer in headlghts and after he rambled on for another minute or two, he figured out that I didn’t know what he was saying. I was busted.
So he regurgitated everything back in English and sat us down. Our waiter was really good. He asked us where we are from, made some jokes, explained the menu, the fact that there’s a Puerto Rican Chef in the back, what his favorite color is and where he gets his hair done.
Everything on the menu sounded good. I would have ordered Mofongo, but I had it the night before, so I went with the Chicken Fricasee special. When it was placed in front of me it was like was at the end of a Puerto Rican rainbow! The chicken was a one-​pot meal, smelled very fragrant and the meat just fell off the bone. I had a side of Black beans n rice and tostinos (fried plantains). The tostinos came with a fresh garlic dipping sauce. Again the waiter would check up on us and make little conversation. I couldn’t eat the food fast enough. I felt like the way my dog eats her food. Mouth open, trying to stuff food in while other food was flying out. It was so good. The wifey had the Churrasco steak with Mofongo and I got to dig my fork into that too. The Mofongo was hella good. It had bacon in it. I’m a sucka for bacon. The Churasco was perfectly cooked too.
At the end we were offered some espresso to help relax and digest the food. We respectfully declined because we had other places to go.
This is absoluteley one of the best places to eat in South Beach.

Cha Cha Cha Café excels in quality of food, service, and affordability. I highly recommend this place. There is no point going to an expensive place on Lincoln or Ocean Drive when the food at Cha Cha Cha is probably better and definitely less expensive.
My wife and I went there for a dinner during our honeymoon trip. Nelson was very helpful and recommended the specials for the night: pan fried fish and slow roasted pork. We got one of each with an appetizer of ceviche. The ceviche was great! It our first time trying ceviche. The main course was excellent! I had fried plantains and rice and beans as sides, which were a perfect combo with the fish. My wife got mofongo. She said it was one of the best things she has ever eaten. No joke.
Overall, Cha Cha Cha is a quant little place off the beaten path that you really need to experience for yourself! Amazing food!

Place was pretty bad-​ass. Great coffee, great basic breakfast options for bacon, eggs, rosemary potatoes, and Cuban toast. I’d definitely recommend this if you are looking to get away from your hotel buffet breakfast or Starbucks breakfast.

Wow. So close to home and i never knew there was such quick, delicious and reasonably priced Cuban/​pan-​Latin food here. Ceviche had a surprising kick; black beans were honestly the best I’ve had in Miami (including Puerto Sagua, Versailles, etc.); asparagus was perfectly tender but crisped; and the daily special fish and steak were both great even if pan seared in a lot of oil. All in a very, very relaxed atmosphere.
The more accurate rating would be 4.5 stars for 2 reasons:
1– the sheer quantity of oil in the main dishes (and really, I’m not usually squeamish about these things), and
2– over the summer they close surprisingly early (7pm).
But I round up because they were really nice people, and they were also happy to have us stay past 7.

I love this place. My new favorite cuban on the beach.

Had to add that today I finally had the meat empanadas and croquetas… um major yum! Breakfast of champions. Empanadas are a dime a dozen in Miami and these are so far my #1! Perfectly crispy/​flaky dough, juicy and flavorful meat filling, and not greasy! Get it!

Yummy. Clean. Quaint. Fun. Homey.
I woulda given more stars but…
Something’s goin on with the staff and their compensation. I was asked by the cashier/​server to please tip in cash, as the management won’t give the waiters any tips left by credit cards. This person also told me the last server who complained about this practice was fired.
Soooo…
It’s a good spot, I’ll be back, but I’ll bring cash for the server.
Weird. Either that or they’re all illegal immigrants???

Really close to where I live. one dish that i always remember is their grilled shrimps in slighlty spicy and lemony olive oil. very light, perfect for appetizer or for those who are not so hungry but want something more than corned beef croquettes, you know what I mean. Oh, by the way… they also have this small platter of croquettes of jamon and empanadas served with blue cheese sauce. Really really good. and for those who like fried calamari as their favourite snack, try the fried calamari served with spicy aioli sauce. pretty good too! it’s definitely not one of those snacks in coffee kiosks that you can find alot here. and check for their daily specials. they are inexpensive but doesn’t mean that they don’t taste as good as those that are on the menu. portionwise… decent. for the price you pay, for the portion and deliciousness you get, for the friendliness of the staf and the cooks… it’s definitely worth it.
One thing, though… I don’t speak much spanish, and the staffs don’t speak much english. so sometimes it can be challenging for those who are not familiar enough with south american food to understand their explanations. but anyways… the friendliness and the down to earth attitude cover all the glitches. :) I gotta say. I love this place and the people there. :)

I came here for breakfast. Mom and pop shop, very small with only one table out front. it’s off the beaten path, so we biked there. I felt my dish was light on the rosemary potatoes, but it was more than made up for when we got fresh pineapple juice and 2 coffees all for the price of $ 13. The bill said simply «2 desayuno» «2 breakfasts». I think it’s probably run by the owner. It’s definitely excellent to support, but order double potatoes, especially if your a mid-​westerner, like me.

Tonight was my first time going there and I felt like a regular. The service is amazing, the food is like mom’s home cooking. They prepare it and cook it right there, it is really fresh and all homemade. I will definitely go back and look forward to becoming a regular at this place.

I feel that you can begin to unearth valuable information on people based upon their recommendations. The person who endorsed Cha Cha Cha was still in review, but after this successful suggestion they have been cleared for further interaction.
I happen to always end up at Cha³ when my mind is so deprived of nutrients and my body so void of substance that I thought my opinion might be skewed. I then realized that the reason my barely enduring body guides me back is to reawaken its cells one bite at a time.
The food is delicious and the well balanced meal choices are worth noting. You can leave here feeling like you have made a good decision for your palate, your body, and your wallet every visit.
Presentation is important to who Im assuming are the owners and that is something you don’t get in a restaurant not capable of seating twenty.
Daily specials are a fantastic deal. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The staff is authentic and appreciative; something not so common in Miami.
I adore home cooked food because the flavors are inviting, the portions just right, and the love notable. This is not your friends parents house, but it feels like it might be. It’s like your friends parents cooked too much of exactly what you like and were genuinely please to have you over to alleviate them of the extra food.
Except in this circumstance you pay and tip nicely.

For some peculiar reason we decided to go here instead of Lime the other day, but damn am I happy we did. This is an authentic mom and pop shop that boasts delicious Spanish cuisine (but not overly Spanish). They’ve got specials everyday along with a variety of menu items and sides.
I got the fresh snapper with this delicious mango salsa and my boyfriend got a palomilla that he said was better than his own (which says a lot). I didn’t want to venture into the dessert menu but since everything was so good, we tried the tres leches. No surprises there, this dish was also very good.
The best part about all this is the price. It’s so hard to find good food at an affordable price in this town and that is why I highly recommend Cha Cha Cha!

I have never had a bad meal, excellent Cuban food, very friendly staff, they actually care if you liked or disliked your meal. Best casual Latin dining I have experienced in Miami. Specials are always fresh and yummy and prices are excellent as well.
p. s. they do a fantastic little breakfast, check it out.

Simple and delicious food. We had the breakfast special this morning which was comprised of good coffee, perfect bacon and a sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. Just a simple and well prepared meal. I don’t know that I’ve had a better breakfast on the beach — all to often I feel like places think that the more ingredients they stuff into a breakfast burrito or mix on the plate, the merrier. This place is just nice and straightforward.
I’ve also eaten dinner here and the food was amazing and equally as reasonable. I have no complaints.