Back to Cuba Cafe

The sizzle, the spice and the colors of Cuba are alive and waiting for you to experience right here in Nashville.

Finding Cuban food is a rarity in these parts thus making the Back to Cuba Café such a treasure when one stumbles upon the café for lunch or dinner. Serving hearty portions and some classic Cuban favorites, the café is one that you’ll soon call your favorite dining spot. 

The strip mall in which the café is located is unassuming at best, its view obstructed to some by a nearby gas station. But the big letters announcing the restaurant’s presence is enough to pull in those who are curious with a hearty appetite.
 

Once inside, the Back to Cuba Café represents the country with memorabilia on the walls and native music filtering throughout the tiny spot. A mounted handmade map outlines the various provinces of the country while guitars and maracas are on display.

But what draws many to the restaurant are the tongue-tickling entrees and sandwiches that are what make Cuban food so delectably memorable.

There are no actual menus; the food selections are located on a board behind the area where food is prepared. The entrée menu is not extensive, but serves all palates with pork, beef, chicken and fish entrees The Pechuga de Pollo entrée is made of grilled chicken breast and onions served with rice, beans and sweet plantains. The Pescado al Ajillo is tilapia marinated in a lemon garlic butter sauce served with rice, salad and sweet plantains.

Sandwiches make an appearance on the menu, offering lighter lunch or dinner options. The classic Cubano sandwich is made of pork and sweet ham while the Miami sandwich is served with turkey, ham and bacon. 

The restaurant also serves a number of desserts such as empanadas and rice pudding. Back to Cuba Café also has milkshakes on the menu in flavors such as mango, passion fruit and blackberry.

The entrees cost anywhere from $10.50 to $14. The sandwiches cost between $7 and $7.50. 

The restaurants only seats about 20 customers inside the restaurant but a few seats are located outside of the restaurant. 

The restaurant hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

- by Leah M. Caudle , Nashville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Leah M. Caudle

Leah Caudle is a professional storyteller with experience in covering local, community and feature stories. While at newspapers such as The Tennessean in Nashville and The Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., Caudle also has experience in shooting and editing videos and photos to accompany stories. The Western Kentucky University graduate received degrees in print journalism and Spanish in 2007 and also has expertise in the areas of public relations, copy editing and proofreading.