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We came here for dinner last week and loved it. Be warned that it's a total hole in the wall but with good food. Don't dress up for this place and if you have to, have to use the restroom, don't let anything drag on the floor.
That being said, the service was quick, efficient, and friendly enough. It's mostly counter spaces with stools to sit on, if you're short like me, don't expect for your feet to reach the floor and if you have a purse, don't put it on the floor.
A dinner for 2 without dessert cause we were too full from dinner and no drinks except tap water ran us under $20 including tip. I got the daily special of shredded roast pork which was done in a very vinegary sauce and served with raw slices of onions with my choice of 2 sides, I picked the white bean soup which had garbanzo beans in a tomato like based sou[. The pork was very good, filling and a huge portion. The soup was alright, a little too salty though. I also got the fried plantains which were the bomb!
My friend got the beef stew, #7 I think which was 3 huge pieces of beef, some carrots, and a big hunk of potato on a plate with a thin layer of sauce. Her sides were the collared green soup which was good but also a little salty and the moro rice which is white rice smothered with black beans which was good with the beef stew and also with my pulled pork since I didn't get a starch. We were both really full and couldn't finish it all. Lots of locals seem to go there and eat often and the place seemed pretty packed for 6pm at night.
I kept seeing peeps get the yellow rice thing which I would get next time and the the yucca looked steaming hot and good, too.
It's in a weird location though so if it seems weird, just keep going and you'll figure it out. Just look for the diner looking think, connected to this bakery looking room, and lots of counter space and stool chairs and you've come to the right place.
I know it's not really fair to compare La Teresita to restaurants in Miami, but after having lived there for 4 years, I can't help but crave better Cuban food.
I started with a cafe con leche. It was a bit watery and wasn't already sweetened.
The bread and water came out quickly, and the bread was pretty good.
I ordered the Fillete Salteado. It was tasty. It was satisfying. But it was just missing that flair. The white rice was a bit under seasoned and the plantanos maduros were just alright.
I'd come back for Cuban food in Tampa, but I think I'll always just wish I were eating it in Miami.
I love coming to this place every time I visit Tampa. The food is very consistent. A lot of families come to this place.
My all-time favorite s are the shrimp in garlic sauce. They make it much better than the Spanish tappas place. This and the yellow rice make a killer combination; I can never get enough of it!! Some other things that I like are the grilled plank steak (Vaca Frita), yellow rice, collard green soup (collard green with beans), and fried plantain.
Plan on coming with your stomach empty!
Good Cuban food, great prices. I would not describe the food as spectacular, but I'm content with the cuisine. Nothing fancy, but it's a decent Cuban restaurant. Also, it's a great choice for late night food on the weekends.
I'm not sure how these other posters are saying this place takes credit cards. I only went once, but they told me they don't take credit cards. Regarding the food - it was very good. Lots of locals visit this restaurant which has reasonable prices and free parking.
This is another local institution. I remember doing the macarena and jamming to the quad city dj's upstairs during my 5th grade graduation ball back in the early 90s. Over the years it has changed a bit, but it still has good food and is easy on the coin. On one side of the building they have a diner set up, while on the other a restaurant. Both sides sell the same food though, so your plate won't feel descriminated against. Each day has a special dish, I always happen to show up on the days that don't have the oxtail stew that I crave, but the some beef stew with some yuca and plantanos hits the spot too. (Some day I will eat you oxtail, someday!)
cheers
Ok, this is not on a par with the best Cuban joints in Miami. But this is Tampa, and the prices here are the main attraction. They are dirt cheap. And by dirt, I mean this place is dirty as hell. Especially the cafeteria where I prefer to eat. This joint makes a ton of money and you would think the cheap owners would at least pay somebody to clean this place up and paint it, at the very least. The restrooms stink and are filthy. But I love the food here anyway. The Cuban sandwich is not authentic, but for $3.25 for a large one, I'm not complaining. All the hot dishes are good, but the staff barely speaks English and look like they've worked here for 25 years each. This is the best Cuban place in Tampa for the money. Just clean it up!
Friends of ours have been eating here for ten or fifteen years, and now once every few months, four or five of us trek over to La Teresita for dinner. I have only had filete salteado, frijoles negros, y arroz amarillo. Basically, I found something I like and have stuck with it. The dessert quality is a bit uneven. I had a terrific piece of cheesecake during one of our first visits but a few weeks ago the cheesecake was ordinary. The atmosphere is okay but not fancy. We enjoy it and will keep coming back.
The funny thing is that we *always* seem to get the same waiter. Either they spot us from a mile away and give him the poor Spanish speakers or he sees us coming and snags us. With the low prices we always feel like tipping generously, so perhaps he's on to us. :-)
Nails the Cuban Food with cheapness that should be expected.
Cajun, Mexican, Creole, Southern, Chinese and other "peasant foods" should be simple and inexpensive. Cuban Food in Florida has become what Cajun has become on the gulf coast...overpriced, over-spiced, and overrefined.
The beauty of good blacks bean and rice is simplicity. The yumminess behind a pressed egg and ham Cuban is the simplicity.
Yes there is a place for the PF Changs of the world, and the Papparoux's, but haute Mexican? Come on Rosa Mexicana...you can't touch the guacamole that is served on the beaches of the Yucatan.
The reason soooo many locals love La Teresita is that it stays the course, regardless of how many patrons want refined Cuban food. Well, that reminds me that there is always a place for that Gloria Estefan restaurant in SoBe with the $15 media noche...suckers.
This was my first REAL experience trying authentic Cuban food. The restaurant isn't much for looks nor is the location, but it's about the food. My Cuban sandwich was ok, my guy ordered the Bistec de Palomilla with Arroz Moro and it was very tasty. It had a lot of flavor, the portions are large and the price is just right. It's a local's joint so don't expect anything fancy.
I spent a great deal of time in Tampa before my husband graduated from school, and now that I live elsewhere, this place is one that we miss not having around the corner anymore.
Make no mistake, the place itself is an old worn out diner. The first time my husband and I went, we couldn't figure out what the typical demographic for patrons was, because it is just too diverse!Suffice it to say that the people watching while waiting for the food is an experience all its own.
If you are a meat eater in the mood for steak, you will have no problem quenching your carnivorous craving. I had the bistek sandwich, and it was waaaaayy more meat than I could handle in one sitting. For the price, I was shocked that they could serve me this much beef! My husband, on the other hand, does not eat beef and had the Pescado a la Marinera when we went the first time. He loved it so much, that he subsequently ordered it as often as he could get it after that. Every way they serve plantain is wonderful(tostones, fried ripe, chips, etc.). Greasy, yes, but scrumptious nonetheless. The cafe con leche is a breakfast staple along with cuban bread to dunk in the coffee. The breakfast sandwiches are pretty plain (Cuban bread, eggs, ham) but if you need a quick cheap take-out breakfast to eat in the car on your way to a theme park or whatever, this is the way to go...and you won't be hungry for a long time afterwards.
They have a cute little area in the back to order take out without taking up diner chair space, and they are quick about getting your order which comes in brown paper bags with little grease spots
Again this isn't a fancy shmancy place--to be frank, this place is unappealing to the eye. But the food is sooooo good! Ill take great food here over any fancy patio candle lit mediocre meal anytime. So, please don't come here and pollute the reviews if ambiance is more important than food to you.
I am not a Cuban native, but I was disappointed.
I thought the food was merely average.
The restaurant's website, http://www.lateresitar.../, is pathetic. The owner has no clue about how people under 35 find restaurants.
I has a pork dish that was OK. Too salty and bland for me.
The atmosphere is "Joe's diner" and I expected better.
The service was very good.
I really disagree with http://tampa.creativel...
My friend and I just about covered our table with plates for $23. Tastey food, at excellent prices, with good portions.
The banana stuffed with meat was really good. I did not expect that, but it's really good. If you like either meat or bananas, give it a try. My expectation of something weird was met with something new and delicious.
GREEEAT RESTAURANT!
loved my food when i came here!
Potential cockroaches notwithstanding, I loved this place. This is the kind of place you want to be able to find whether you live nearby or are just passing through for the Florida Bar Exam.
The place is setup like a diner and almost all the seating is at the S-curve counters that fill up the place. Our waitress/server/whatever was really nice and talkative. We also had conversations with the two police officers next to us, a Cuban family that had been there a few times, and two families across the counter that were from New Orleans and just driving through.
The food, especially Cuban staples of yellow rice, black beans, and Plantains were amazing. One of the cops had a chicken dish that looked great; my chicken on a bone was good, and the beef stew was very flavorful.
Being somewhat of a connoisseur of Cuban food from an early age, I believe that Florida is the mecca for this specialized variety of Spanish cooking, which can generally best be found in Tampa and Miami. There are a few dishes that a Cuban restaurant must be able to make well, including my favorite "Ropa Vieja", as well as "squid with yellow rice", "chicken and yellow rice", "boliche", and "paella".
While La Teresita satisfied my short-term desire for the taste of Cuban food (I give it 2 and 1/2 stars), the taste was not memorable. They don't even serve "Ropa Vieja" on a regular basis. It's a good thing my Mom still makes this wonderful dish - she was taught how to make this by an old Cuban lady well over fifty years ago. On good day I can sometimes come close to my Mom's masterpiece.
Stay tuned for future Cuban food reviews on my next visit to Tampa.
This was the second stop on the Cuban sandwich mission in Tampa. We almost didnt make it here. I heard they make sandwiches at La Segunda bakery so we went there first. They only do them on the weekdays so we left there and were driving to the airport......lo and behold I saw this on my left, pulled a bitch and headed to this spot. I am glad we did.
You get inside and its like a huge lunch counter. Diner style but the tables are shaped like in a big continous swirl shape thing. We sat down and the waitress cruised over and took our order. Another Cuban sandwich. I had to get a good one in Tampa. Well here it was!!!!Presented in its simple form right in front of me. For those who dont know, a Cuban sandwich is....roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard (salami is added sometimes...only in Tampa I guess) on Cuban bread and then its pressed like a panini. So good! This was what I had dreamt about! My girlfriend got arroz con pollo(chicken and rice) and we got a side of fried plantains. Everything was delicious. 13 bucks for all that food. Cant beat that price. The only knock on this place and its been noted before is the clean factor. We got through our whole meal and were eating the last piece of bread they give you and there was a huge black hair baked into the bread sticking out of it. Almost made me lose my lunch I just ate. So for the food, price and friendly employees it gets 5 stars. Cleanliness probably a 2. Overall I would definetely go back if I was ever in Tampa! Nice family run restaurant.
This is possibly the best cuban sandwich in the bay area. Great black beans and rice as well. And the best part is that it's super cheap. Sit at the counters in the diner rather than in the restaurant for a better feel of the place. Any time anyone in my family goes to the airport, there is a stop off here for a Cubano or two. If you want classy atmosphere instead of good food, go elsewhere.
Real world, everyday, working class, down home, authentic! I love La Teresita for take whenever I visit and rather spend time with my mom vs. she spend her time in the kitchen. No special salsa(not Cuban), hot spices (not Cuban) or cilantro (not Cuban). The boliche can be too salty some times but everything hits the mark; and huge portions for the price. Regarding the "Joe's diner" crack..it may be so but where else can you go and find a plumber, carpenter, doctor, accountant and local politico dining with an aspiring Senator, Governor or President? As to "hair in the bread", be certain it was a shred of palm frond which is used to bake authentic Cuban bread.
Not bad. Food was pretty good. Service was hit and miss. Warning, don't bother with their flan - its one of the worst flans I've ever tried.
If you like mediocre cardiac arrest food this is the place for you. I don't think the health department inspects often judging by the level of filth. Watch out for pools of vomit left by tipsy late night diners.
This place is open 24 hrs. Good cuban food and coffee so what complaints do i have??... none BUT however the place needs a good remodeling thats it
I have had many good and bad experiences at La Teresita. The appetizers are great to have, the bread they serve is some of the best bread I have had to this date, meals vary greatly and come with many sides and remain delicious. My problem with La Teresita has more to do with the establishment. The building is not kept up with very well, inside sometimes their have been leaks inside the building, with sightings of roaches as well. When my Aunt told me that La Teresita had made the dirty dining list, I was not surprised at all. So to sum it up, the food is great, but you run risk of having dirty food, possibly touched by roaches, to eat it.
Cuban food in Tampa -- it held me over until I can get back to Miami. I ordered the arroz con pollo and got myself a whole chicken breast covered in rice. S'ok. Croquetas were tasty and cafe con leche were aight.
this place has been consistly good over the years. nothing fancy, just a good, filling, carb laden cuban meal that will stick to your ribs. always remember gum or mints to cover the garlic breath after lunch.
This place is great. There are HUGE portions of delicious cuban food. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, it's not the cleanest. (That's why it gets 4 stars, instead of 5). It is a great place for an all nighter on the weekends, as it's open 24 hours-a-day and has wifi. I cannot stress the good prices enough. A cuban and a soda is about $3.00 out the door, and you probably won't be able to eat it all while you're there.
Nice food. Very inexpensive. It's pretty dumpy looking. My friend would would want to go there. I was just along for the ride
Tampa, FL
Category: Mexican
Tampa, FL
Category: Restaurants
Tampa, FL
Category: Restaurants
Tampa, FL
Category: Italian
Tampa, FL
Category: Restaurants
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