La Carreta — Restaurant in Miami Springs

My Rating: 3/5 Class: Cuban Abuela Style dining

Restaurant Review: La Carreta at Miami International Airport (not their other locations)

La Carreta, at Miami airport, boasts nine locations including the one near gate D37 at Miami International Airport, initially seemed like the ideal spot for a quick Cuban breakfast during my layover. While I can’t speak for the other locations outside the airport, I was eager to experience what this iconic Miami eatery had to offer, especially in such a fitting location.

The airport venue, with a maximum occupancy of 197 people, was already bustling with activity at 7 a.m., contributing to a lively atmosphere. Upon entering, you’re directed into a line where you first grab a tray and cutlery. Interestingly, the line begins with a dessert selection, offering items like strawberry cheesecake, German chocolate cake, guava cheesecake, rice pudding, bread pudding, flan, and tres leches. While these choices are tempting, starting the line with desserts felt a bit out of place for a breakfast setting.

After the dessert station, you move on to the salads and then to the hot food options. The breakfast menu featured scrambled eggs, sausages, links, and Cuban ham croquettes. Although the food quality was decent, many of the items didn’t feel authentically Cuban. Instead, the menu leaned more toward a typical American breakfast with only a few Cuban elements sprinkled in. This was somewhat disappointing for someone hoping to indulge in a true Cuban culinary experience.

A significant issue I encountered was with the coffee service. Although La Carreta does offer coffee, on this day the main restaurant espresso machine was broken, (Cõno!) and I regrettably had to skip the Cortadito!! Little did I know that across the same restaurant floor, which is also part of La Carreta. I could have gotten my Cortadito there. No one was able to guide me on that option. My readers know I love coffee and especially Cuban cortadito. So that was a huge miss for me.

Unfortunately,I was not directed to the adjacent café where coffee was available. The issue is my food was now already plated, paid for, and I wasn’t willing to let it sit in a table, getting cold, while I waited in another line to order coffee in the cafe. Please tell me you see my point? This setup can be confusing and inconvenient, particularly for travelers in a hurry.

Interestingly, in my review, it is the adjacent Cuban café component that ironically turned out to be far more authentically Cuban than the main restaurant. This café offered a variety of Cuban pastries such as guava cheese, cheese and guava combinations, ham croquettes, and empanadas. These items seemed to be incredibly popular with customers, as the line for the café was consistently busy. In my opinion, the café’s offerings were much more in line with the authentic Cuban experience I was hoping for, with better drinks and a more traditional selection of pastries.

The main restaurant and the adjacent coffee snack bar feel like two different entities competing under the Cuban name. While the restaurant serves a cafeteria-style breakfast with a mix of American and Cuban elements, the café excels with its genuine Cuban pastries and drinks. This division highlights a contrast in quality and authenticity that might leave customers confused about the true essence of Cuban cuisine offered at La Carreta.

In terms of ratings, my breakfast experience at the main restaurant would rate a 1 out of 5. The food, while of decent quality, didn’t deliver the authentic Cuban experience I was expecting. Conversely, the coffee I enjoyed at the adjacent café was a standout, earning a perfect 5 out of 5 for its quality and authenticity.

Overall, while the main restaurant fell short of expectations, the adjacent café provided a much more satisfying Cuban experience. I look forward to returning to one of their authentic locations in the future to truly savor the Cuban cuisine I was hoping for. If you’re in the airport and craving genuine Cuban pastries and coffee, the café is the...

A meal that we could have saved our money. I had the fish sandwich, it was good which gave the 3 stars. My husband had a dinner that was supposed to be Chicken Marseille. However, it looked like Chicken Parmesan. He said it was unseasoned and bland. It looked like fried chicken breast with a dollop of sauce and a slice of cheese on top. The service was shoddy. The tostones leave much to be desired, the sauce that comes with it needs to be discarded, horrible. You can google a better sauce than that any day. A little salt can go a long way if used. The greeter at the door was friendly and well-spoken. That was the end of the "good" customer service. The workers behind the counter did not seem to know what they were serving. My husband asked what was in the pasta, the guy looked like he was making it up as he went. He did not sound sure at all. I noticed we were passed over by the senora at the beginning, who was supposed to offer us a plate. She ignored us and took care of a spanish speaking man who came in behind us. She asked him what he would like, he asked her about each item and then proceeded to fix him a plate. The young lady running the register at the griddle was very rude and had more attention for her fellow workers than the customers. She spoke very short and with much disdain to customers as they came up. Ignoring others as she fixed herself a cup of coffee. The prices are steep for the mediocre food they are peddling. The guy cleaning up the tables was ok, however, when you need to close a part of the dining area, making an announcement or putting up a sign is best. Telling people to leave because you need to clean is not acceptable. You can also point towards the part that is still open and ask them to sit in that area. We all have bad days. However, in today's world, customer service is still a must. Even the most mediocre food can shine brighter with better customer service. Avoid if possible, or just get a sandwich...

First time having Cuban food and it was delightful. Add to that the service and it was a wonderful experience. The woman behind the food counter was patient and was very helpful giving me recommendations on what to choose. Everyone was kind, helpful and positive. However, the gentlemen clearing tables was above and beyond. He was very warm and inviting. He guided people to open tables, was expeditious in clearing tables, polite, even brought my Cuban sandwich to me when I was late going to window to grab it. He pulled out chairs for ladies as they sat and moved around the place with such fluidity most people barely realized he was there. However, I noticed. I watched as I saw how hard he was working. I saw the extra small things he was doing and the extra care he took and the pride he took with his job. I hope management takes note of this and he is rewarded for his good efforts, thry have not gone unnoticed. I was in on the late afternoon of Sept 18, 2025. I tried a little of a couple things. The flank steak was tender and flavorful. Yellow rice yummy. The Cuban sandwich was good - I just don’t think I am a Cuban sandwich person. I didn’t realize it had mustard - only time I like mustard is on hot dogs so I am sure someone who likes mustard would have love it. I picked the meat off and the bottom bun and that was all...