La Bodega Original — Restaurant in Jacksonville

I was not impressed with the little hole in the wall place. However, they did the best with what they could with their space. The lady and the gentleman/cook were friendly. The problem I had was where the sandwich that cost $12.$.50 and that did not include the cost of french fries on the side. So you walk out of the joint with a $16 lunch that doesn’t even include a drink! Absolutely ridiculous! No, my real issue, was with the sandwich! No wonder the sandwich was $12.50 because they stuffed the sandwich with so much meat you felt like you were Gorjan a damn pig! Way, way too much meat! So much that it made the sandwich very unenjoyable ! I had to throw out more than half of the meat just so the consistency worked with the bread, the cheese and the pickles! I would’ve preferred the typical Cuban sandwich that cost eight dollars that came with fries that had the appropriate amount of meats that made the meal enjoyable! Now I’m throwing away more than half the meat from the half sandwich and the other half a sandwich island up, throwing the other half of that away and wondering how in the hell to even reheat the thing and make it enjoyable. I feel like I wasted my money on lunch today, although they prepared it well, they need to go back to understanding the principle of what is customary and reasonable, what is a decent portion instead of trying to find ways to raise their prices, and stuffing in their sandwiches with so much meat that it makes it unpleasant to eat. I’ve never had a Cuban sandwich like this for a cost or with such an extreme amount of meat that it...

Just finished dinner at La Bodega Original and it was amazing! My wife has had takeout from here before and raved about it. We weren't planning on dinner here, but we were missing a few ingredients for preparing dinner so on a chance we decided to head here. What a great choice. We were just going to do takeout since it was raining, but Cely, the chef, showed my wife the covered outdoor space and we were glad to dine in, even with the rain. We then met Adam, Cely's husband who served us drinks (the sangria, both white and red was delicious) and chatted with us as we awaited dinner. I had the Cuban sandwich. The pork was tender and juicy. The bread was home-made. Instead of the usual panini-press, the bread was fluffy, warm and very tasty, sopping up all of the juicy goodness of the pork and the mustard. Did I mention that the sandwich is huge? My wife enjoyed the yuccome, which is chopped fried yucca, tossed in garlic mojo bacon guava sauce with a choice of either pork or chicken (she had the pork which was a great combo) and guacamole salsa. Again, really delicious. We were too full to enjoy any of the desserts, but the family that came in after us had several and raved about them.

The outside area is very nice and even though not quite complete (but will be shortly), was a real surprise, so don't let the storefront fool you. With the cooler weather, the space will be a real delight. Adam and Cely really were wonderful and I believe that La Bodega Original will be a big hit and a great addition to the dining scene on...

Thanks to Kerry & Debbie for pointing this place out last month and that is it just minutes off Blanding Blvd near San Juan Ave. The owner and her husband were so welcoming and helpful with the menu and specials when I stopped by on Tuesday. I just had to try the "Original" Empanada which was fresh, flaky and delicious as an appetizer to the CUBANO , now I type it in all Caps, because thos Sandwich is massive!! The Bread (which they bake in house) was perfect and the combination of the roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles melted together in one of the Absolute best sandwiches I've had the pleasure of biting into along the with Seasoned fries topped with their own blend of spice rub and the refreshing passionfruit tea was a nice change from my normal sweet Iced Tea from other places. They are only open Tuesday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, so use one of free days off and make you way over to the Westside of...