Cuban Island Restaurant

Awesome, delicious cuban food. Personal service. Totally spotless interior. Service was a little slow, but we all can stand to slow down a little. Vaca Frita, Puerco frita, black bean soup, cuban sandwich. Happiness!

No reason this place does not deserve 5 stars. Atmosphere is great, workers are super nice and polite.
The food here was amazing. The best Cuban sandwich I have eaten north of Florida. Had yuca for a side dish and was so good.
Definitely will be back to dine in here.

Wonderful food, fun and welcoming atmosphere. A must! The sweets are amazing as well!

Very nice people and decent place, but food was not as good as I expected. Plus, I never received everything I ordered. I should’ve checked before leaving the restaurant, but was in a hurry. The fact that there is only one person taking orders for all the tables made things difficult to keep everything in order, I’m guessing.

I didn’t think the food was good at all. I ordered the island chicken and shrimp. I thought the food was bland. One time was enough for me. Folks were nice. Place was clean.

I was staying overnight in the area on a road trip and am glad I had a chance to get a meal here. I got the Island Chicken — the meat was well-​cooked and seasoned, not spectacular but quite tasty, and the rice and plantains serve as classic accompaniments for a complete meal. Though I only got take out, I was fortunate enough to meet Estella, who was very welcoming and was actually nice enough to discuss one of her recipes with a customer ahead of me. This was definitely not the type of place I was expecting to find driving through Virginia, and I’m glad I did!

Best Cuban food I’ve ever had (Even better then the Cuban food in Miami). The entire menu is just great. I particularly enjoy the ropa vieja and the Vaca platters but all the entrées are really good. The owner of the restaurant is incredibly nice and she has an amazing memory. She remembers all her customers. The service can be a bit slow at times because she is only one taking orders but it’s usually not that bad. The ambience of the restaurant is quite nice however it is in an area of town where I wouldn’t wonder at night.

One of the best dinners you can have great staff and the food is so good. The cleanest restaurant in roanoke.
Always great nothing better than mango drink and a Cuban sandwich

Estella was very warm and welcoming to us – made us feel like we were her best friends even though it was our first time at the restaurant! Service is overall great and the place is well kept (although it’s hard to tell from the outside). The food is fantastic. We had just come back from a trip to Miami the week before, and the food here was just as good!
You need to try their green sauce. I have no idea what’s in it… but it’s incredible, and I’ve never had anything like it before. Definitely will be back soon to try some of the other menu items!

Such a cute little place!!! Really nice people here!!! Love love love these types of places!!!
My tamale was excellent!!! Full of flair and big chunks of chicken!!! Very smooth and creamy!!!
The empanadas and Cuban sandwich were just OK, so when I’m back, I’m going to try the pork sandwich!!!
All the meals others were eating looked really good too!!!

Amazing food! Roanoke you are so lucky to have this place. Don’t pass this place up. Everything was excellent! The the people were even better.

Stopped by on our way through town. Great flavors. Friendly owner, extremely personable. Would definitely eat here again.

Driving by Roanoke from Christiansburg and found this gem of a place. The owner is so warm and inviting. The food is excellent. Price is very reasonable. The last time I had great Cuban food like this was years ago in Fort Myers FL. I had fried shredded beef with plantains and a big bowl of bean soup. My husband has fried chicken — both dishes were excellent. Topped it with guava cake and pineapple flan with yum Cuban coffee. You’ll not go wrong here. It was worth our side trip. The place is very clean and nicely decorated.

I would give four stars when you consider casual atmosphere, but the food, service, and cleanliness are exceptional. Also, the price for what you get is such a fantastic value. Best food you will ever find on a budget!

I absolutely love this place! If you want real authentic Cuban food this is the place to go!!! I normally get ropa vieja, and the Cuban sandwich which are phenomenal! I would definitely suggest trying not their desserts on your way out. I love Estelas tres leches cake and flan!!!

If you like to try new and different types of food, go to Cuban Island! This is a small family owned restaurant with delicious cuban sandwiches and entrees. Appetizers and desserts are also out of this world! Owner is awesome! I have come very close to trying everything on the menu! Beware the orange chili sauce, scary hot but amazing.

I recently visited this restaurant after not patronizing it for a while. The food this time was average to say the least.
I ordered the pollo frito (fried chicken) with white rice and plantains. The chicken leg and thigh quarter really had no flavor. The plantains were unevenly sliced which caused them to be cooked unevenly some of them cut so thin they were like chips. I also ordered a side of yucca which was over-​cooked and mushy.
I wish I could give a better review like from past experiences eating here but I have to be honest. Quality is suffering.
The restaurant is very clean though and the owner as sweet as can be. She is very attentive to her customers.
Maybe this was a one off. I may try it again.

Delicious food. The owner and staff were tremendously friendly and it was just a fantastic experience. We thought they closed at 9, so we arrived at 8:15 and found that they actually closed at 8:30, but they were happy to serve us and we are so thankful they stayed open for us because it was fabulous! Highly highly recommend!!!

Stop right here. Don’t look for any other restaurants before trying this out. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you Estella for a wonderful meal and for being a great hostess.
Let me start by commenting on the cleanliness of the entire place… Restrooms, tables, floors, dishes and windows… All spotless.
Island Chicken was wonderful and a safe bet if you are unsure what to order.
The rice and beans that came with the chicken dish was a wonderful change from norm, as was the Yuca (first time having tried this) and the Plantains. (Looking for a plantains recipe now as they were that good!)
Appetizers give you a great way to sample the flavors and textures of Cuban food. I sampled the Empanadas, Stuffed Potatoes and Cuban Tamale.
Save room for the fresh homemade cakes (I brought a piece home to eat for breakfast ;))
Great place for adults and well behaved kids. As for the reviewer who was offended that she was asked to clean up her kids’ spilled food… This is a restaurant and Estella is a hostess, not a maid.
I loved the place. Felt like I was visiting Cuba. Can’t wait to go back to Roanoke to eat here again.

I’m in town for a long term assignment, yet it is ending soon. I can’t express how much I will miss this place!
Estella is as friendly as they come. The food is top notch and priced just right. Not to mention you get tons of food!
Quaint establishment, limited seating, but definitely worth a visit.