One of Little Havana’s most iconic Cuban restaurants is shuttered. Here’s what we know
The neon sign still glows out front, but for the last three weeks, one of Miami’s oldest, continuously running Cuban restaurants has gone dark.
El Exquisito, open next to the Tower Theater on Southwest Eighth Street in the heart of historic Little Havana since 1974, has remained closed since the start of the new year, the accordion shutters drawn over its once-busy ventanita. The telephone number associated with the restaurant is disconnected and the restaurant’s last post on Instagram was Dec. 27.
Calls and messages to the owner, listed as Alex Hernandez, have gone unreturned. And the landlord, Jose Landman, who said his sister manages the property, did not provide any insight on the future of the restaurant.
Heliodoro Coro opened the restaurant at 1510 SW Eighth St. in 1974, expanding in the mid-2000s from simply a Cuban coffee window and counter service into the adjacent space, with sit-down tables and full service for up to 100. With its glowing blue-white neon sign, it stood as a beacon through Little Havana’s downtrodden days, into the neighborhood’s revival and ascension into tourist destination.
Its Cuban staples, served at affordable prices, kept it a busy with locals and visitors alike. Cuban sandwiches and coladas flew out of the ventanita, and larger plates, like vaca frita and tostones, introduced out-of-towners to the cuisine of the Cuban diaspora.
The restaurant served as a bookend on this Calle Ocho block with El Pub, a restaurant Coro also owned at one point, after it was closed for two years from 1994-1996. Both restaurants remained partially owned by the Coro family until 2012 when Diderico Daly and Hernandez took over El Exquisito, according to the restaurant’s website. Daly retired and Hernandez remained the sole operator.
This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 12:42 PM.
