Mi Viejo Latin Cafe’ & Catering — Restaurant in Riverview

Never been to Apollo Beach before coming for two weeks to attend a family wedding in the area, we had to figure out where to eat. We come from North Jersey where some of the very best Cuban Restaurants are located, in such Hudson County Towns such as Union City, West New York as well as other North Jersey Towns.

Our own research as well as recommendations brought us to the door of Mi Viejo Latin Cafe at 6002 N Highway 41, in Apollo Beach. The first night we got into town we went right over to Mi Viejo Latin Cafe and ordered food to go, some baked chicken, pulled roasted pork, black Rice & Beans, macaroni and cheese as well as sweet plantains. When we got home with the food it was absolutely outstanding, equal to or better than many of the north Jersey restaurants we have experienced over the years.

We went back to Mi Viejo Latin Cafe a second time, this time we ordered several Cuban Sandwiches, rice and beans and sweet plantains, once again outstanding food (and a lot of it) for a reasonable price.

Third time is a charm at the Mi Viejo Latin Cafe. We had eight family members that would be visiting us on New Years Eve 2022. We ordered multiple trays of food (all of it described above), the amount and variety of food that was freshly prepared was enough to feed twelve people, the cost was only $157.00 dollars, extremely reasonable for what they provided us. Our guests could not believe the quality and freshness of the feast we had for them. It was so much better than getting food catered from a medium of the road Italian restaurant or plopping a turkey in the oven.

In closing, all three times we went to the Mi Viejo Latin Cafe the staff there was friendly, helpful and very pleasant. We have another several days to stay, after we finish off the left overs we will be back to Mi Viejo.

If you want a great experience when in the area of Apollo Beach you must try the Mi Viejo Latin Cafe.

Bob...

Updating my review based on our last 2 visits. My first review was 5 star and based on my first two visits. I've been 5 times total now and my review reflects the last couple of visits.

Today, the wife and I went and ordered 2 cuban sandwiches, plantains, and fries.

The positive is the fries were hot. Everything else was not.

The sandwiches appear to be made ahead of time and only pressed enough that the bread is warm. There was another gentleman who had the same complaint and sent his sandwich back so it would be hot. You would think that would mean my 2 sandwiches would come out hot but they did not. They also should use the pork they have out front as part of the sandwich because what they put inside is dry.

The plantains were clearly from yesterday and re-warmed with "warm" being a relative term.

And to top it all off, the soda machine was down, which they warned us about, but the canned soda was not cold either and they had no ice for us.

So, after 5 visits, I have to say the last 2 have been lack luster. I don't know if the newness has worn off or if they just can't handle the details but I don't know if we'll go back.

Also, what is with the weird cash register that you sometimes order at but never pay at and can't order your drinks at? That is just inefficient and a poor design. Move that next to the other one and just have folks ready to take orders. Then figure out what they owe you at the end instead of this weird order here and pay there but only order your food here and we will print 1 receipt for you here and a different receipt at the end after we take your...

This is the real deal when it comes to Cuban food. By this I mean the seasonings and preparation are authentic. We have tried and rejected many Latin restaurants in the Brandon/Valrico area that have "Americanized" their recipes which results in bland and/or unappetizing food. They also have a tendency to keep items way to long on their steam tables, use cheap cuts of meat and use far too much oil or fail to drain away excess grease, Yuck. NONE OF THOSE ISSUES HERE, THANK GOODNESS! Some entrees are prepared to order. Those are made expertly with a reasonably fast turnaround. We've tried the picadillo, bistec, ropa veija, yellow and white rice, tostones, platanos maduro, black beans and yucca so far. All of them excellent. We've tried some sandwiches too with mixed results - too much mayo or mayo is standard when it is not a traditional topping. If you want traditional sandwiches, you will need to clearly specify when ordering. The only real negatives I have are: when dining inside is their self serve drink machine. It's loud and annoying; the breading on the ham croquettes is soggy and overpowers the ham filling; and the churros were overcooked to the point of being brittle. Will we be back? Absolutely. This is a great, no frills addition to South Shore...