We were hoping to get some local food while in Miami and quickly found that most of the restaurants around Ocean Drive and the more walked areas were heavily "catered" to tourists, meaning that they were simply mass produced and not very authentic, so when we found this place, albeit a bit of a walk, it turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. It's a small cafe with an extern counter for ordering, or inside with seating; They are clearly frequented by locals and have a menu great for lunch, breakfast, or snacking. We ordered a Cuban sandwich to try, some tequenos, an empanada - we really enjoyed everything; it came with a few sauces, which had a ton of flavor and nicely complemented the combination of bread and meat. We just wish there were more places like this around the area as it seems to more accurately represent what people in the area actually prefer to eat.

I couldn't leave Miami without getting a Cuban, sandwich that is. I didn't want to go to Little Havana, and wanted to stick to the south part of South Beach. Las Olas actually came up on some searches of having one of the better ones. So off I went. Like menu places, this had indoor and outdoor seating. You place you order at the counter then they call out your number on your receipt when it's ready. I chose to sit outside. The sandwich was cut oddly. Not sure if i would do it length wise, as it was very flimsy. But, the way it is cut doesn't take away from the taste. This was perfect, in my opinion. The right amount of ingredients all around. A nice crunch to the bread. It also came with some sort of spicy sauce. Maybe a mojo sauce? It was a little to spicy for me, but I included it with a few bites. I was a happy camper with the sandwich.

Found this place while strolling around south beach. Stopped in for an iced Cafe con Leche and ended up ordering a couple sandwiches, pastelito, and empanada. My fave was the guava pastelito!

Las Olas Cafe in 6th Street is a small corner restaurant that serves Cuban fare, all day breakfast, lunch meals, fresh squeezed juices, sandwiches and of course, Cuban sandwich and rich and potent servings of cafe Cubano and cortaditos. I used to go there for breakfast after my workout and it never disappoint. I always order the combo breakfast which is any-style eggs, home/french fries, bacon or sausage, buttered ctunchy cuban toast, and a choice of freshly squeezed orange juice or coffee. You order and pay at the counter and the staff will prepare your meal and drinks as you wait. This small restaurant have a fastfood and cafeteria ambiance, and is popular among locals and tourists. Check it out!

This is truly a local spot! Loved it! The Cuban sandwiches looked epic but too big for one person. I had the cafe con leche- delicious! Beef empanada was sooo good I went back for a second one and they had run out!!

The food was good but the service was slow don't come here in a rush or when you are hungry. But the food is made to order, the staff is efficient, and the food is delish for a great price. We had the cubano, the pork belly bowl, and the steak and fries! Very yummy and fresh made to order and piping hot!

Amazing Cuban Sandwich!! I highly recommend stopping by this place as a tourist to get some tasty Cuban sandwiches. The only part I disliked was when this place was closed when Yelp and Google said this place was open. They also don't answer the phone when I tried calling to make sure they were open. But worth a walk there!

Casual, solid food, and fun. Had breakfast sand which and avocado toast. Nothing too fancy but generous portions of good, solid food. Limited Indoor and outdoor seating. Great coffee.

Whenever I travel on a cruise these days, I try to get to the city of embarkation the night before so I don't have any undue pressure the day of the sailing. Seems most ships I travel on these days pull out of the Port of Miami, and so several times I have flown in the day prior to. This time I was leaving on the Norwegian Cruise line's Breakaway, and so my friend, Michael and I decided to stay the night before in the Avalon Hotel in South Beach. South Beach cracks me up. When I was a young boy, my grandparents used to go there for the Jewish holidays and celebrate Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur at one of the many, many fancy hotels that used to be down in that area. Everybody there was Jewish! Then suddenly in the '70s, everybody took flight from that area and it became a ghost town. You could not give those old hotels away. Now you walk along the beach and it is one gorgeous Deco hotel after the other. Where you could buy a whole hotel for $10,000, now would cost $250 to stay for just one night in a room. The Avalon is a cool Deco hotel right there on the strip. While I was waiting for him to arrive from LA, I decided to take a recommendation and go get some lunch nearby. I asked my receptionist at the Avalon where would be a place I could go that is walking distance and not a tourist trap and he recommended Las Olas. He said it's the real deal and I needed to order a Cuban sandwich, which I have never had! The walk from the hotel was less than 5 minutes and there was Las Olas, sitting on one corner. When you step inside, you could swear you were in another country. Not a word of English is spoken and everything on the menu and all the signs are in Spanish. Even when I asked one of workers a question in English she was not able to understand me. It had a a charm to it, as if I were in Spain or Cuba or a Spanish-speaking country. Sometimes it's fun to be the minority. Gives you a whole different perspective! Anyway, although they had really nice looking trays of hot cooked food, I decided since it was lunch and based on the recommendation of my hotel receptionist, I ordered their Cuban sandwich. That sandwich had everything in it that I should not be eating. Pork, cheese, lots of fat and bread and absolutely delicious! LOL The Cuban sandwich was quite large and at first I thought I might only eat half and take the back to my room, but as I continued to bite into this delicious concoction, I suddenly realized that I had eaten the whole thing. I did notice that Las Olas is also very popular for coffee and snacks. Besides their inside restaurant, I noticed they had an open area where one could walk up and order a hot cup of coffee. It's it seems they are known for their espresso and people were lining up for it. After my tasty but fattening lunch, I walked back to my hotel for a nice afternoon nap. When I woke up with my full belly, I sat down in front of the hotel and did my infamous guessing game as people of all types and ethnicities and ages strolled by. You will marry the 5th person that walks by, the 10th person that walks by is a murderer, the 4th person that walks by Is in love with you, etc. It kept me busy until Michael arrived that evening and we enjoyed our dinner. South Beach is certainly different than it was when I was a young Jewish boy. Instead of the sounds of Yiddish and the smells of matzo ball soup, now you hear the sounds of Spanish and the smell of Las Olas' Cuban sandwich. Do yourself a favor, and next time you are in the area, stop by and enjoy this local establishment that seems to be the real deal!