Puerto Sagua Restaurant — Restaurant in Miami Beach

Puerto Sagua Restaurant was honestly a hidden gem in South Beach Miami! Our hotel for the long weekend was close to here, but we didn't think much of the restaurant until we kept seeing lines out the door everyday. Eventually our curiosity got the best of us, and we had to give them a try.

This place felt like a nothing fancy, family owned, Puerto Rican/Cuban diner. Their menu is pretty big, but everything we ordered came out great. The portions are huge so come hungry, or each entree can honestly feed 2 people. We had their Puerto Sagua App Combo, fried squid, a cup of their bean soup, braised oxtail dinner, and their ground beef spanish style w/ rice, beans, and sweet plantains.

Everything was tasty, but the most interesting part, is that surprisingly a lot of their food tasted Filipino. The oxtails tasted exactly like Filipino Kaldereta w/ rice, amazing. The ground beef spanish style reminded me of Filipino picadillo. Fried squid is a common Filipino favorite, esp bc we dipped it in this spicy vinegar sauce that came w/ the appetizer combo. I highly recommend giving this place a try!

There's a line out the door of this place for a reason! The food was tasty, portions huge, and a big variety to choose from. They also have a variety of condiments on the table if you like to spice things up a bit, I personally liked their habanero hot sauce. If you're in a rush though, they also have their number on their door to call in your order at their pick up...

Puerto Sagua is an old-school Cuban spot in the heart of South Beach, and it definitely has that no-frills, classic diner vibe. It’s been around since the 1960s, so it’s one of those places that has stood the test of time, even as the area has become more touristy. The decor is simple, the crowd is a mix of locals and visitors, and there’s always a steady flow of people coming in and out. It’s the kind of place where you can sit at the counter, sip on Cuban coffee, and just people-watch.

We stopped in for a quick bite and ordered a Cuban sandwich and a cafecito. Both were solid, but nothing particularly special. The sandwich had all the right elements—crispy bread, ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles—but it didn’t wow us. The Cuban coffee was strong and sweet, as expected, but again, nothing that stood out compared to other spots in Miami.

The service was friendly and efficient, and even though it was busy, we didn’t have to wait too long for our food. That said, the overall experience was just decent. It’s not a bad option if you’re in the area and craving Cuban food, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. With so many incredible Cuban restaurants in Miami, Puerto Sagua feels more like a convenient stop than a must-visit.

If you’re looking for a quick, no-fuss meal in South Beach, it gets the job done. Just don’t expect anything...

Delicious Cuban diner food. The pepper steak was nicely seasoned, but if you're looking for something on the lighter side go with another dish. There was a lot of oil leftover. The rice complemented the steak and was seasoned, but was also loaded with lard so made for a very heavy meal. Buttered bread, as we as a salad comes with the meal, but the salad is standard iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato, red onions, and ranch dressing.

Not knowing how heavy the meal was, I ordered a side of maduros (sweet plantains), which were lovely, and fried yuca. I like the fried yuca at Havana Harry's better.

The real downer for me was the customer service. I walked up to the counter and told the cashier/server that I wanted to place a take-out order. She asked me to sit down, but then proceeded to put down a place setting. When I prompted again that I was going to order for take out, she gave a little side eye and proceeded to take the place setting away. She then gave me attitude for not tipping on a take-out order. I usually tip in cash, but when I went to pay for the meal, the cashier commented 'no tip, huh?'. It was a little embarrassing. She was rude on...