From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best Lunch

September 21 2005

Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine
7015 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation, 954/584-4400; 9905 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, 954/431-6883; and various other locations

For a sit-down lunch with table service, it doesn't get more reliable, faster or inexpensive than Las Vegas. Five steak, chicken and pork specials are offered daily, with such classics as lechón asado, vaca frita, ropa vieja and grilled chicken fillet all priced at $5.95. Before you've had time to place your order, one server has filled your water glass while another brings a basket of warm Cuban bread. The portions are large, and each meal comes with black beans and rice, and plantains that are soft and sweet enough to pass as dessert. The food is as authentic as anything you'd find on Calle Ocho in Miami, as is the sugary Cuban coffee that juices the blood before it's time to go back to work. We also like Vegas' liberal interpretation of what constitutes the lunch hour, which is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. All locations are also open for dinner nightly.