Rio Cristal

Why people love this place I just don’t understand. The food was terrible, the waiter made us feel like we were bothering him, the place looks so dirty. I don’t want to even think how the kitchen must look. All I thought was roaches and rats. I will never go back, you could not pay me to eat in a place this old and dirty.

I love coming here for steak and French fries. It also has the BEST flan (custard) everrrrrr. It’s a small mom /​pops Cuban restaurant and a staple for the community. Inexpensive and large portions so you could easily share a lot of it.

Last night I was craving some Pan con Bistec — to my dismay El Rey De Las Fritas was closed already but I’d been meaning to try Rio Cristal since I’d heard good things. While yes the steak is a better quality steak everything else was soggy. Half of the experience of having a pan con bistec is bitting into all that crunchiness. The fries were also soggy maybe because it was a to go order. All in all I will make sure I get my pan con bistec cravings while El Rey is open — I’ve said it before and it continues to be true el rey de las fritas serves up the best pan con bistec in Miami.

This place gets better and better each time I go visit! For anyone out of town who wants to try out REAL Cuban food, check out this place! It’s a tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant and nothing fancy about it. But definitely feels like your mom’s cooking! Forget La Carreta and Versailles! I mean, those places are pretty good and if you are looking for a nice, elegant place, then go there because this restaurant has no options for big parties who wish to sit together. It’s like a cafeteria. Definitely a plus if the owners remodel the inside and make it more friendly to bigger parties. That’s the only negative! The service is great, quick and efficient! You get your food out super quick but be careful with the delicious toasted, buttery Cuban bread they bring out. It will fill you up because they will keep on bringing them out if you ask. And you definitely DO NOT want to get full without indulging in their out of this works mountain of homemade French fries and Palomilla steak! So good, I can taste it!!! I think I’m headed there right now !!!

This place is extremely dirty. The food is ok, but after seeing the mess all over the floor of the entire restaurant on my way to and from the restroom, my appetite was subdued. If they let the food and crumbs on the floor accumulate to that extent where the customers sit, I can’t imagine what the kitchen must look like The waitress was adorable though. Elderly Cuban abuelitas are my soft spot.

Rio Cristal is hands down my favorite sit-​down Cuban restaurant. They have the best black beans (for my taste) that are creamy and perfectly seasoned. My family will usually order a bistec empanisado — hidden underneath a huge mountain of fries — and share it (we’re three people) and there will usually still be a little bit leftover. We get black beans and rice, duh, and platanos maduros as sides. Ohh their crispy buttery bread served when you sit down is so good.
Things to know:
Basically anything you order will come out (I DON’T KNOW HOW) in less that 5 minutes
Basically anything you order will be delicious
The staff are super nice and the same servers always remember my family when we visit.
Share a small flan at the end of your meal with some Cuban coffee! I don’t know why so many Cuban places have terrible flan if it’s a dessert we’re known for, but the flan here is really good!

Back in the 80’s and 90’s when I patrolled the mean streets (jk) of Westchester, I quickly found this unadorned strip mall establishment to be the go to place for outstanding Cuban comfort food. Today, I was in the area and I decided to go back to Rio Cristal. So happy to say that the food is STILL terrific. We were greeted and served by a friendly lady that could be your abuelita. Quickly, you are served a basket of warm and garlicky Cuban bread. The fantastic Super Rio Cristal pallomilla steak is so honking ginormous that even I, Mr. Big Appetite, had to get a to-​go box. I did save room however for a delicious flan complemented with a cafecito. The only letdown was that the black beans were very bland on this visit. Otherwise, I enjoyed my flashback moment at this restaurant, and I would recommend it highly if you savor delicious traditional Cuban food.

Had them tonight for dinner. Super Rio Crystal and breaded steaks. Tons of french fries… oh so good. Been coming here for over 30 years and never disappoints. Looks the same as it did when I was a kid which is crazy.lol.

If you’re a fan of Cuban food and know that La Carreta is a failed substitute for the cuisine of my people, hit this place up.
Yeah, it’s stuck in the 1970s with the décor and the waitstaff aren’t anywhere near young but THAT’s the freaking point.
As a first generation Cuban American, I only have vague memories of my grandmother’s cooking up prodigious amounts of delicacies– the smells, the tastes– all wonderful. That’s Rio Cristal in a nutshell.
The fact that the food is amazing but it’s brought to you by people who could be viewed as uncles or aunts bringing you a plate at a family dinner only heighten the experience of it all.
Take my word for it– Palomilla steak, mountain of papitas (Fries) on top, small salad with 1000 Island dressing. Wash it down with an Ironbeer, and call it a day.

Definitely a hole in the wall. Rio Cristal has been a staple in my family for generations. They serve the best black beans in the United States. They’re better than my mom’s beans and definitely better than my grandma’s. When she was pregnant, my mom would frequent Rio Cristal for their delicious liver steak served with sauteed onions. It’s consistent, it’s cheap and it’s good. Not somewhere to take a significant other on a romantic date, but certainly a go-​to locale for excellent Cuban food.

Come here often with the family… today for linner. The super or regular palomilla with papitas is the best! The best abuela cooking around… and the café Es esquisito!!!

Wish the staff was more attentive but if you’re looking for legit Cuban food, this is the spot you wanna go to. Fried fish chunks, white rice with black beans and FRIES = heaven!!! Affordable and big servings too. Enjoy!

The steak rio crystal with the French fries is the only reason why I come here. I’ve honestly never had anything else on the menu. My boyfriend and I always share #51. Yes, it’s big enough to share! I don’t think anyone can finish that whole thing by themselves (I would love to see who can!). It’s usually pretty empty, which makes service very quick. It’s simple, and fast Cuban food. You must try the steak at least once in your life

Largest palomino steak in Westchester for sure! Let’s talk ’bout them fries! Real homemade, peeled and deep fried fries! Awesomeness! The place could use some updating; the interior makes you feek like your in a late 70’s, early 80’s time warp, but at least they have plenty of parking! The other downfall to this place is that you leave smelling like you’ve been cooking or eating cuban food for hours!

I haven’t been here in years so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The food was decent but there are better Cuban restaurants in Miami.

The only reason I will not give this place five stars is because of the appearance of the restaurant. It is the size of maybe my living room and the décor is from the 1980s. But in my opinion, that’s what makes this place so authentic. My family has been coming to this restaurant since my mother was a teenager. That’s almost 40 years. It is a typical Cuban whole in the wall. The steaks are oversized, the tiny homemade French fries are overflowing and the service is the quickest I have ever experienced. Sometimes I’m not even done with my starter bread and my food is already being placed on the table. I’m not even kidding! The food is filling and ddeeelliiiccciioouuusss! TIP: Share a dish. Portions are really large.

Sin lugar a dudas la mejor palomilla con papitas del mundo. Best Cuban steak and fries in the world.

It is what everyone says it is, read the 100 other reviews and you’ll get pretty much the same breakdown. It’s solid Cuban Food that’s been around since a really long fucking time. The Steak with the Mountain of French fries is the safest way to go. I suggest you share this with someone in order to avoid the overwhelming feeling of dying you’ll get if u house it solo.
Side note: their pre meal bread is a cut above the standard Cuban bread and butter/​oil. I think they do some sort of garlic oil thing that makes it taste delicious. Stock up on bread.

Good Cuban food. Good enough.
I’ve tried a few of the items on the menu — ropa vieja, lechon sandwich, palomilla steak — and they’ve all been really good. They serve pretty generous portions; I’ve always been split my meal with someone else. The fries are one of my favorite parts of having a meal at Rio Cristal. The flan is pretty popular so I tried it one time and it was pretty good — it was really, really sweet, a little too sweet, but the texture was just perfect. The servers I’ve had have always been very nice.
I’m knocking off one star for the following:
— In my opinion, it’s overpriced; however, I mentioned that the meals are often big enough to split, so it somewhat does justice to the prices.
— A little dirty and dingy and sometimes smelly.

Cuban food at its best.
PRO: Fast. Humours old cuban man. Great cuban food. The steak & Flan are outrageous.

Best cuban food in Miami? People need to get out more.
The place is really a huge dump and I am all for «hole in the wall» locations but this place is ugly, out dated, poorly decorated and it smelled bad. To top off the bad smell they were burning a rose candle. Ah, yes, the smell of roses, funk and grease is a perfect mix to smell in the air.
The food was ok. We had the steak and fries with a side of white rice. The chicken soup tasted like Campbell’s and had only dark meat in it. I had a piece of tortilla and it was literally just like the crappy one I make at home. You know that image of a Spanish omelette you have in your mind, well that’s not what you get. Prices were ok but not so cheap for an ugly place and whatever food.
The host was not welcoming at all. She couldn’t be bothered with questions because she answered in a sarcastically sweet way. Our waitress was very good. I’m sorry I didn’t catch her name.
If you’re a tourist this is NOT the best food in Miami or Westchester for that matter. If you are not a tourist I would go somewhere else.
Two stars because the steak and fries were ok and our service didn’t completely suck.