Guajiro — Restaurant in Asheville

I asked some Cuban friends where the best Cuban food is in Asheville and they highly recommended Guajiro (which means, "farmer or rural person"). So I headed there for lunch earlier this week and O...M...G...it's to die for. So much so, I went back today for more.

I've had great Cuban food in Miami and San Diego, but I have to say, the food at Guajiro is THE BEST I've ever had. I had the palomilla steak (no onions for me though) which looked mouthwatering when it came out and it was flavorful. It came with a very generous portion of black beans and rice (truly the best I've ever had, anywhere - I could have had seconds for sure), and I got some sweet plantain (3 of them). All of it was excellent. And then, I had to try the flan for dessert.

Now I will say the flan I had at Andres Restaurant in San Diego (unfortunately now permanently closed) was THE best flan, ever. But...the flan here ranks a very close second and can become addictive. I had a little bit of it there, at one of the picnic benches (lots of seating btw. Picnic tables, regular tables and high tops - all outdoors of course). But I saved some flan for home and for my wife to try some. Just some, mind you. :) It didn't last long. It was gone by the evening. I couldn't help myself.

Today, I had the rice and beans and more sweet plantains (still yummy) but added two beef empanadas to try those out. Very tasty.

The service was excellent. Chris, the owner, is welcoming and friendly. The area where the food truck is permanently located is in the River Arts District.

Guajiro has a permanent place in my "favorites"...

6/23/2023 I had the perfect cafe con leche. Not too much sugar & not too little. Almost perfect Cuban Sandwich; 6-7 ham layers, a couple 3 slices of roast pork, mayo & mustard with 4 slices of pickle. I did not taste the traditional butter layer, like Calle Ocho Versailles. I missed it. The mustard layer and the pickle overpowered the taste of the pork. Are the mustard and pickle a different brand, than at Versailles? Seemed just a wee bit too mustardy and too pickley. I think the bread is not Cuban, but it was just as good. It did not take away from Versailles & Guajiro’s perfect reputations. I apologize for my, “almost perfect”, critique. I want Guajiro to succeed, here in Asheville. SO CLOSE!! I intend to permanently be your patron! The other end of the rango/range was a Cuban Sandwich I ordered, in Chapel Hill, NC. They poured spaghetti sauce all over it!!! Pickely or not, the Asheville Guajiro Cuban Sandwich is the BEST of 4 other eateries offering Cuban Sandwiches, in the...

Some of the best Cuban food we’ve had! It was as good if not better than most of the Cuban food we’ve had in Miami and other parts of Florida. The standout was actually the guava & cream cheese pastry, so we highly recommend the pastries. Their hot sauces were also top notch. We also got a Cuban espresso, large black bean soup, yuca fries, and an egg sandwich with veggies & cheese. I loved the yuca fries and the soup (safe for vegans). The large size of the soup is huge (somewhere between 24-32oz?) and a great deal. It was perfectly seasoned. The Cuban espresso was authentic and solid. The egg sandwich was good, but a bit under seasoned (it was a good excuse to explore all of the hot sauces).

They have delightful covered standing tables and a chill patio for sitting. They also have an air conditioned indoor bar area, which serves alcohol and has regular bathrooms. You order your food at the truck window and get a buzzer to alert you when your food is ready. They were busy but our food was...