LAS OLAS CAFE – Restaurant

A block off Ocean Drive in South of Fifth, this is the cafeteria-style Cuban counter South Beach locals use rather than the one tourists photograph. It opens at seven for cortaditos and café con leche, then rolls into Cuban sandwiches, empanadas made in house, croquetas and fresh-squeezed juices. There are tables inside and out, though plenty of people never get past the counter. Diners keep making the same point: cheap, quick, and the real article. Thirteen hours a day, every day.

Cuisine: Restaurant