Cuban dinner is made for a full table. Plates come piled with rice and beans, everyone tastes everyone else's order, and there's a cafecito at the end.
The Alfonso family has served dinner in West Palm Beach since 1986, and there's still a family member in the kitchen today. Whether you're new to Cuban food or stuck on the same order every time, this guide will help you pick.
How a Cuban Dinner Plate Works
Most Cuban dinners are built the same way: a main dish, rice, beans and a side. Our beef plates come with congrí (black beans and rice cooked together) or white or yellow rice, plus beans and one side. That leaves one decision: the main dish.
For Steak Lovers
- Bistec de palomilla encebollado: a thin, marinated steak grilled and topped with sautéed onions. It's the classic Cuban steak.
- Churrasco: grilled skirt steak, loved all over Latin America. It's priced at market price, so ask your server.
- Churrasco con camarones: skirt steak topped with shrimp. Order it when you're celebrating.
- Bistec empanizado: steak pounded thin, breaded and fried golden, also known as milanesa.
Cuban Beef Classics
- Ropa vieja: slow-cooked beef, shredded and simmered in a tomato sauce with peppers and onions. The name means "old clothes," after how the shredded meat looks.
- Vaca frita: shredded beef fried until crispy with garlic and onions, finished with lemon.
- Boliche: Cuban-style pot roast, sliced and served in its sauce.
- Picadillo a la criolla: seasoned ground beef simmered in a tomato sofrito.
- Rabo encendido: oxtail stewed Cuban style. Encendido means "lit up," a nod to the spicy sauce it's traditionally cooked in. It's market price, so ask your server.
Pork, the Cuban Favorite
- Masas de puerco fritas: seasoned pork chunks, fried crispy outside and tender inside.
- Pernil asado con mojo criollo: roast pork with mojo, a sauce of garlic and citrus.
- Chuletas de cerdo: pork chops, regular or smoked, with cooked onions.
- Costillas en fricasé: pork ribs stewed with potatoes.
Chicken Dishes
- Arroz amarillo con pollo: chicken and yellow rice cooked together, served with black beans.
- Pollo asado adobado: marinated roast chicken.
- Pechuga empanizada: breaded, fried chicken breast, a safe bet for picky eaters.
- Postas en fricasé: chicken pieces stewed with potatoes.
From the Sea
- Camarones enchilados or al ajillo: shrimp in a Cuban creole tomato sauce, or in garlic sauce.
- Bacalao a la vizcaína: salt cod stewed with tomatoes, peppers and onions.
- Pargo entero frito: a whole fried snapper, crispy from head to tail. It's a showstopper.
- Snapper or grouper fillet: a lighter choice when you want fish.
Bringing the Kids
Our kids' menu keeps it simple: a kid-size palomilla steak, chicken nuggets, ham croquetas or a ham and cheese sandwich, each with fries.
What to Drink
Order a jarra of sangria for the table, or a bucket of five beers to share. Wine comes by the glass or the bottle. For something without alcohol, try a batido, a Cuban-style shake in flavors like mamey and mango, or guarapo, which is sugarcane juice.
Save Room for a Cafecito
End dinner the Cuban way with a cafecito or a café con leche. On your way out, stop at our bakery counter and see what's left in the case.
Plan Your Visit
We run a rotating dinner special, so ask your server what's cooking tonight. You can also browse the full menu before you come.
Capri is at 817 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach. Dinner is served until 8:30 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday. Here on a Friday? Every other Friday is karaoke night. Eating at home tonight? Order online or call (561) 655-1602.