Miami is a wondrous place filled with just about anything your overactive imagination can conjure up, with or with out the assistance of any illicit substances. Its a place known for all kinds of food, fun, and sun but also notorious for being particularly nasty on your bank account. But fear not because it isn’t impossible to find an affordable, quality, enjoyable meal in the Magic City. As a matter of fact there are several establishments scattered across the span of Miami’s different sub-cities that offer a meal that not only boasts a great price, but also backs up the great savings with great taste! Today I found myself in the Kendall area by the newly renovated Town & Country Mall. Inside of this resurrected plaza you’ll find a Cuban restaurant by the name of Casavana.
Casavana has four locations across Miami including Kendall, Homestead, Coral Reef, and Miami Lakes. It’s a great family restaurant with fairly cheap prices. I’ve been to Casavana on several occasions and have rarely been disappointed by the food, service, and atmosphere. But on to the purpose of today’s post: the food.
Like any other self-respecting Cuban restaurant on the face of the planet, Casavana treats its guest with a complementary basket of
replenishable Pan Tostada (toasted bread slathered with a layer of butter) to munch on while they scan the menu for what they will be having. The toast was a great start to the meal; for having been away from Miami for so long I had almost forgotten about this beautiful custom shared by Cuban restaurants across the land and it served as a delightfully surprising reminder.But the toast isn’t why I came to Casavana at all. The star of tonight’s meal still remained unassembled in the kitchen, awaiting an audience with my taste buds.
I introduce to you, the Frita Cubana
The Frita Cubana is what you would get if somehow a traditional Burger and a Pan con Bistec sandwich met and had a love child. It’s a grilled patty sandwiched between a Cuban bread burger bun, garnished with onions and ketchup, and smothered with what seamed like a pound of thinly cut julienne fries. It’s a fairly simple dish but absolutely delicious. As delicious as the sandwich was, it's taste wasn’t even the best part about it. I have to say that the best aspect of this burger had to be its price, just $3.29.
Having only exhausted a little more than half of my $6 budget, I had room to accompany my lovely sandwich with a single ham croquetta which set me back just $.95. Croquettas, or “croquettes” for the English-speaking crowd, have to be my single most favorite snack out of all the different foods that Cuban cuisine has to offer. Encased within its crispy, fried, cylindrical exterior, you’ll find a flour and meat based medley of finely chopped ingredients that work together to give this tiny morsel the intense taste it contains. Having eaten my fair share of croquettas in my day, I must admit that this had to be one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of indulging on. What made this the case was a subtle but ever present tangy flavor infused within the croquetta, which might have been either lemon or lime, that worked perfectly with the rest of the ingredients to really give this small snack it's huge flavor.
However, if you’re not too keen on indulging on swine there is still a slightly more expensive yet still affordable alternative. Papitas! …more commonly known as French fries. But these were no ordinary french fries my friends. My best friend and fellow surveyor of fine foods, Jared, was kind enough to allow me to sample his plate of these perfectly fried spuds. They were uncannily crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. For a second I had my doubts that these fries were even made of potatoes. $1.49 was how much they cost Jared on top of the $3.29 for his Frita Cubana.
Overall, with tax included $4.53 is how much my total ended up being for this delicious $itdown, which gave me more than enough room to leave a substantial tip and still be within the $6 budget. Jared’s total with tax was $5.11. Having spent less than $12 for a meal for two and have it be a great meal at that makes Casavana a wonderful location to have a spectacular meal without having to strangle your wallet for every last cent that it has. I should also note that the service was outstanding, the staff was friendly, and the food was prepared surprisingly quick. For anyone who ever finds themselves in the Miami area and is looking to feast frugally whether by yourself, with a friend, or a group, Casavana is the place to go. Porque en esta casa, vana ahorrar!
