For the past decade, Mi Apá has offered up Cuban food to Gainesville. While I don’t know much about Latin food, reviews from the Latin community suggested Mi Apá is a great restaurant for authentic Cuban meals at great and affordable prices. Another great feature about Mi Apá aside from the authenticity and affordability is its accessibility. Not only can you dine in, but Mi Apá also features delivery and a drive-thru window for greater convenience.
I went to Mi Apá on a Friday night, and the place was packed with customers. The staff was very patient and attentive, however. My boyfriend and I decided to order our food to go since the restaurant was overflowing with noise, and we wanted to enjoy the meal in a more laidback setting.
Since I didn’t know much about Cuban food, I decided to stick with something I knew and ordered the Cuban sandwich ($6.89).
The Cuban had ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese and pickles on hot pressed Cuban bread. It typically comes with plantain chips on top, but I opted out to enjoy a more simple sandwich.
Overall, it was delicious.
It would have been better with mayonnaise and mustard, but otherwise it was a great sandwich. The hot pressing of the sandwich made the cheese melt onto the meat just right.
My boyfriend ordered the grilled beef entrée ($7.79) with a side of black beans and white rice.
The grilled beef came seasoned with mojo and onions. He mixed his sides in with the beef to give the rest of the meal a little seasoned taste. It was a new taste for him, but everything mixed together well.
He enjoyed everything, but felt there was a little too much rice compared to the amount of beef.
While we were at the restaurant, we spent a while looking at the pastries on display. We didn’t order any, but the guava and cheese pastries sounded delicious. We plan on returning to try more of the menu.
General Details:
Price Range: $$
Good For: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Must Try: Perico, Ground Beef plate, Arepas
Hours: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sun – Thurs, 7 a.m. – 12 a.m. Fri & Sat
Location: 114 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL
