If you want auténtico Cuban/Caribbean homestyle food, this is a little gem on East Colfax. And I do mean little because the restaurant is tiny and bare bones but don't let that stop you! (Someone told me they deliver, so potential problem solved if you live in the area.) We had the Cuban sandwich, habanero soup and daily special. I was with someone from the Caribbean who thought it all deliciously reminded him of home! But remember, things move a different pace in Cuba so slow l down and take in the experience :)
Review Source:Aye de mi! Que suerte!?! Â I doubt anyone has ever found themselves on East Colfax with a little time to kill and thought: "Lucky me!" But, low and behold, that was me today. Finding La Guardia Cubana on my Yelp app was the reason for my good fortune.
Why? How about the BEST CUBAN SANDWICH I've ever had? I have been chasing the golden unicorn of finding a great Cuban sandwich ever since a magical Spring Break in Miami, where each day included one of these chased with a cuban coffee (or 5...Hey, the clubs go until the morning and we had to find a way to stay awake!)
I had almost forgotten why I was drawn to Cuban sandwiches. I knew I loved them once, but until today, I forgot just how good they can be.
Their Cuban bread is buttery and chewy with just the right amount of crunch. Inside, you'll find moist pork, thinly sliced ham, yellow mustard and pickles. Muy bien!
I love La Guardia's Cuban, con todo mi Corazón!
Our first visit to the newest Cuban restaurant in Denver area. The place is quite small, only about 6 tables but don't let that stop you. Full menu of Cuban food, and a few of their own creations. The wait for the food was a bit long I thought, but it was worth it. My friends and I ordered the Steak Sandwich and the ASERA (which was a combo of meats sauteed in spices, very spicy) on cuban bread....wait that was actually good French bread. Still the price and the flavor was authentic. I did have to "add" tomato and lettuce to my steak sandwich, which is usually the norm. The treat was the homemade potato sticks...yummmmm.... The ham croquette was the "goya frozen variety" but well cooked. The delicious HOMEMADE guava and cheese pastelito (pastry) was amazing, served warm as it should be. The cuban coffee, el cafecito, was delicious. The service was OK...nothing spectacular. We'll definitely be back to try a more hearty meal from the menu! This Cuban born Miami girl truly liked it!
Review Source:OK, it seems like people like to give more stars to places that serve cheap food. This is one of those places that's really cheap (you can get a meal for under $5), but the food is not all that good. I ordered some empanada and guave pastries. They both look like they were deep fried, with just a little bit filling. My friend told me her ice tea taste like garlic. Yuck! Their cuban sandwiches are really big. My other friend liked it. Overall, the service is a bit slow because there is only one waitress and one cook. The ambiance is your typical Colfax joint ambiance, a little sketchy, a little hole in the wall, but friendly and cheap. I probably won't return to the restaurant again. If I want Cuban food I will just stick with the one in highland.
Review Source:I think I'm just a sucker for mom & pop restaurants that go for 'authentic' dishes.
The sandwiches here are great, and I would have given them a full 5 stars if it wasn't for the fact that they are slightly overpriced. Â If their sandwiches were $7 bucks instead of $9, I'd eat there a whole lot more.
About damn time! Finally a good Cuban sandwich for less than $10! Â Having arrived from Florida to this great state of Colorado, I pretty much forgot everything about Florida. Â And now, having lived here Colorado for 10 years, Â thank goodness for that....However, I dd miss Cuban food. This place is exactly what I needed... a good quality Cuban sandwich on the East side of town... Finally.
The place is quaint and damn near too charming. Â I had the ham croquettes and the Cuban sandwich. Â Both were excellent, and I will be going back rather frequently...
My Top 5 Cuban Sandwiches
1. Cuba Cuba
2. La Guarida Cubana
3. Sputnik(really could be 2a)
4. Buchi
5. The Hornet(not for the purest, but great nonetheless)
I was so excited to read in the Mayfair neighborhood newsletter that a Cuban Shop had opened within walking distance. Â While there are many things I don't miss about Miami, its hard to find a good Midnight (media noche) sandwiche, croqueta, or maduros (sweet plantains) in Colorado. Â
This is truly a family affair, with Dad overseeing some upgrades (getting an outside patio), mom working the kitchen the daughter waiting tables. Â
The cuban and midnight sandwiches are extremely generous (heavy handed with tender pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustacrd) compared with the same sandwiches in Miami, which would account for the slightly higher price, but it's well worth it and is a meal in itself. Â Add the maduros (sweet plantains) or the yuca and this can easily be a dinner.
I have not yet tried the other hot plates and looking forward to going back for the roast pork, the chicken and rice, black beans and rice (moros y cristianos), Â all Cuban staples.
you can finish your meal with flan or other cuban delights and end everything with a cafe con leche, cuban expresso with hot steamed milk.
yummmy... I wouldn't trade Denver for any city back east but it's nice when you can get some of your favorite comfort foods.
Denver has always had a dearth of good Cuban restaurants. Â That slowly has been changing, and lucky for us, a wonderful, new Cuban restaurant has opened in East Denver. Â Cuba Cuba is overpriced and disappointing. Â The other two Cuban restaurants were good, but not convenient. Â We just finished our wonderful meal of Cuban sandwiches, Morro rice, and flan. Â The staff could not be more pleasant and helpful. Â Once you enjoy their fresh, scrumptious, home-made dishes, you will be looking forward to your next visit. Â We feel most fortunate to have La Guarida Cubana as an addition to the Park Hill/Mayfair neighborhood. Â Do yourself a favor, and take advantage of enjoying the delicious items on their menu. Â Their coffee is the best! Â Whether you are in the mood for pastry and coffee, a freshly-made sandwich, or a hot entree, make sure you try this new restaurant. Â If you are in a hurry, and don't want to deal with preparing a meal, you can call in your order, and it will be ready for you to pick up. Â You will be glad you did.
Review Source:Great food + new restaurant growing pains
The food was fabulous. Â The test of any Cuban restaurant is their Cubano, and they knocked it out of the park. Â Thick, tender chunks of pork, with just the right amount of pickle and mustard. Â I can't speak for Habana, but I didn't find anything better in Miami. Â Sodas were in cans and bottles out in a glass fridge, and inexplicably, they didn't have anything diet.
The decor was clean and simple, appropriate for a little family cafe. Â The A/C was working just fine today, making for a mostly comfortable meal. Â
The service was a little mixed. Â It wasn't clear at first if it was counter or table service, and my waiter kind of just stood there for a while until I approached him. Â But once I approached him, my food arrived quickly, as did my check.
The menu was a tad confusing. Â Instead of entrees, they had "Daily Specials", but nothing written up on the white board. Â The biggest sin was "Ropa Vieja" was nowhere to be seen...it might have been "Roasted Pork", but you have to have Ropa Vieja on your menu if you call yourself a Cuban restaurant.
Overall, it was a great experience, and I can see myself going there once a week. Â Definitely give them a try.
cuban is one of  my favorites and i like the food at la guarida.  i've been for lunch and dinner several times and the food keeps getting better.  the cuban sandwhich is traditional and has great flavor.  a small critisism would be that it could use a little more pork and a little less ham.  the ropa is very good, as are the sweet plantains.  the roast pork dinner is good but it's a little pricey considering the rest of the menu.  still, denver is a much better city with places like this to enjoy.  can't wait til they get a liquor license.
Review Source:There are two things that I noticed immediately the first time I entered La Guarida Cubana: Â the delicious, smoky smell of cooking meat and the fact that the place does not have air conditioning. Â I might not have noticed that second thing so much if we hadn't been smack in the middle of a string of 95+ degree days.
It was pretty empty during a weekday lunch hour but that may be expected for a new cafe with a quiet opening. Â It's obviously a family owned restaurant, which is awesome, but I would recommend that the very young staff receive a bit of training on how to seat people, take orders, and speak so they can be heard.
I ordered the "completa del dia" which consisted of a quarter chicken, white rice, pintos (instead of black beans, which I thought was odd), and cassava. Â Everything on the plate was nicely seasoned and very flavorful, except the cassava, which was extremely bland and tasteless. Â The portions were large and I had some left over for the next day's lunch. Â We were offered a free coffee "shot" sample at the end of our meal. Â I'm not a coffee drinker but it tasted much better than I expected and I appreciated the pick-me-up.
On my second visit, I noticed that the seating was expanded, including two tables on the sidewalk out front. Â And either the menu was also expanded or I missed the printed menu the first time and just went with what was listed on the dry erase board. Â The A/C issue was also remedied, thank goodness. Â This time I ordered a Cuban sandwich to go. Â I was disappointed with the sandwich. Â The bread was absolutely perfect - crispy on the outside and soft inside - but It was either the ham or the mustard that didn't taste exactly right to me. Â Also, the pickles were spears, not slices, which made them easily slide out of the bread. Â I've certainly had much better Cuban sandwiches. Â And for around $8.00, I think the sandwich should come with a side. Â My total was $9.40 with tax and tip for just a sandwich.
I love Cuban food and I'm not ready to give up on La Guardia. Â I just need to find the thing that wows me.
As I sit back, looking at the sun set over east colfax while I listen to Cuban music play and work on my roast pork dinner (which is sensational, by the way) I can't help but wonder why I've never experienced La Guarida Cubana before. Yes, it's not exactly the busiest restaurant in town. It's not flashy by any means, and I may not be able to get my mojito fix here. But that's what makes the restaurant special; the whole family is working behind the counter, the cool breeze of the fan mixed with the vibrant Cuban music. It's the kind of atmosphere that makes you feel like you're sitting in a little hole-in-the-wall cafe straight out of Havana.
And the food? As authentic as you can get which can be hard to come by at times in Denver. Â The roast pork is succulent and flavorful, and my sides (yucca and Moro rice) were the perfect accompaniments to the meal. If you're looking for lots of frills and a really large menu than there are other Cuban restaurants out there (I've heard Cuba Cuba is excellent and I look forward to trying it with a friend soon). But if, like me, you're looking for really authentic food at more than reasonable prices has friendly owners that love what they do, than come to La Guarida Cubana... you won't be disappointed!
LOVE this place! And love the fact that its so close to my home and they have reasonable prices too! I am a Cuban from Miami, FL and I very often have my Cuban food withdrawals when I crave so bad! This is authentic Cuban food! Shakes, sandwiches, meals are great. Yes at times the wait might be a little longer than you would want , but give them a break! They JUST opened and it is family operated at the moment. As they grow, they will have ability to accommodate more people and have more options. The family is so nice, Susana and her mother Lisette are great and very friendly. Go check this place out and give them a chance to show you how worth it , it is to try any Cuban cuisine! You will love it!
Review Source:Great food -- terrible front end. -- The food's great, but you had better hurry, the front end is so bad I can't believe they will last long. Our service was OK, we were the first three in at 6:30 on a weeknight, but a second table of four came in and didn't even get a "hi, be with you in a moment" for 15 minutes. No refills on the tea. Really? Black beans were meh, like out of a can, no zing, no signature of any kind. Just bleh. Sandwiches were great ... but, it's a 20 seat restaurant and the sandwiches are by far the menu stars. They have one sandwich press that can do one sandwich at a  time, so our orders came out staggered. If the place was packed, you might wait an hour for your sandwich. Can't believe they'll be around in two months; restaurant 101, horrible front end will put you down no matter how good the food; and have enough kitchen to feed a table at the same time. I'd go  back, call ahead for a takeout fabulous sandwich, but I wouldn't eat in again.
Review Source:I really like La Guarida Cubana and will definitely be back and update my review. Â
I had the guava and cheese pastry with a cafe con leche. Â The pastry was amazing--really flaky, just like it should be, and great flavor. Â The cafe con leche was quite good. Â I am a sugar fiend, and the cafe con leche wasn't as sweet as I'd like, but still quite good, and probably I should've just added the two Splenda packets that the woman handed me; maybe she could sense that I'm a sugar fiend, although I like sugar and not Splenda. Â
I saved the Cubano sandwich for later. Â The sandwich was really tasty and large. Â The bread was chewy on the inside, but nice and crispy and crusty on the outside--my favorite kind of sandwich bread. Â The sandwich had a lot of meat and the right amount of mustard, cheese, and pickles.
The place appears to be family run, and they are so nice. Â When I was there, a young woman was working the counter, a little girl was munching on a sandwich, and another woman was in the back holding an adorable baby. Â
They don't have air conditioning, so if you go there on a hot day, know that you'll be hot; I actually feel like that adds to the experience, but realize that others probably disagree with me.
La Guarida Cubana is a charming little restaurant nestled away on Colfax, if you don't have your eyes open, you might miss this gem! I had the Guarida Cubana sandwich, which had at least five different delicious meats and washed it down with their lemonade. My friend ordered a mamey fruit shake and that was also wonderful. While I waited for my sandwich, I looked onto some other customers lunch platter which looked and smelled fantastic too. The only warning I have for future customers- they only serve plantains on weekends. But maybe if they get more customers it will become a weekday staple. Don't miss out on this tasty authentic food! It's also less expensive than Cuba Cuba.
Review Source:We have been here several times and every time the food has been great.  The last time we were there, the aromas that were happening from the cooking were out of this world.  Made me want to order everything they had on the menu and then some.  So far between my wife and I we have had cuban sandwich, ropa vieja, chicken, pork, and a beef stew.  They don't always have all the different dishes, but we have had the chicken and pork multiple times and it's always  been good.  Both the chicken and the pork are braised, tender and quite flavorful. The beef stew I had the last time we were there came with a nice red sauce that had a little kick to it,  just enough to add flavor without being overwhelming. Â
The cuban sandwich is also quite tasty, Â as the ham they use has a little bit of a smokey flavor to it, Â which goes well with the mustard and pickles. Â The moro is always good as well, Â the beans are tender and and there is also some sauted peppers and onions in it, Â which add nice flavor but do not overpower the flavor of the beans and rice. Â
It's definitely a family run business and the family that runs it are very nice. Â The food is fresh and has a nice home made feel to it. Â One time we had to wait a little bit extra for the moro to finish cooking, as we came later in the day and they had run out, Â but they took good care of us while we waited. Â Absolutely worth checking out.
SO GOOD!!! Â I ordered the La Guarida Cubana and it was so delicious - juicy and flavorful. Â Honestly, I was not expecting it to be that great. Â I often find that many places on yelp are overrated....but these reviews were on point. I was greeted kindly at the door, placed my order, and waited for my sandwich. Â The only suggestion that I have is that they get their website up and running - it would be nice to look at the menu online and place the order ahead of time for pickup. Â Other than that - this place is AWESOME and I will for sure be visiting again (many times!). Â YUMMMMY!!!!
Review Source:Delicious, authentic, Cuban food! Wonderful family owned business. Recently opened and already planning to go back soon. Had the guarida cubano and my friend had the cubano. Both were mouth watering, full of meat and cheese, with classic bread that was perfectly crisp and tasty. Also enjoyed the flan and cafe con leche that was strong with good flavor, not overly sweet. I highly recommend this place!
Review Source:Excellent little Cuban cafe! Â As my Cuban husband asked me, YES they are Cubans who operate the place and cook the food! Â We had a dinner plate, chicken, plantains, black beans and rice (aka pollo con tostones, moros y arroz), flan, batida mamay (Cuban milkshake) and Cafe con Leche. Â Everything was wonderful and authentic. Â This is a family that operates the restaurant, looks like the parents, children and even a grandchild were there when we went today. Â Please help them stay in business, Cuban food is unique and we have nothing in the Park Hill area like this!
FYI they have free wireless.
I have been here at least 6 times in the past 2 weeks and I am so happy this place finally opened, since Denver does not have too many Cuban spots, except for Cuba Cuba (overpriced) and Frijoles Colorado (in Lakewood, too far from where I live in Park Hill). Â My wife's family is Cuban/Mexican, so we obviously get to enjoy home cooked Cuban food pretty often, however it is nice to have a new place that is so close to home. Â We just got back from a trip to Miami, so I think I have some pretty solid comparisons to work with here. Â I have to say this place is fantastic and I really hope the business picks up soon because the quality and price are worth it. Â
To start with, the cafe con leche and Cuban coffee are delicious, and pretty strong at that. Â If you order a guava and cheese pastry and one of these coffees you are set up to have a great day! Â The best part about this place is their authentic Cuban bread, so if you order the toast you are in for a treat.
As far as the sandwiches are concerned, I would highly recommend the Cubano sandwich, or the Guarida Cubano. Â The Guarida is essentially a Cubano with lettuce, tomatoes, salad dressing, and pepperoni. Â Again, the bread is what makes these sandwiches. Â This is true Cuban bread, not pressed french bread dressed up on a Cuban sandwich.
My wife recently had the lechon, rice, black beans, and yucca. Â The lechon was very tasty, a bit dry, but it was delicious. Â They just opened, so they don't have all of the menu items just yet, including the plantains. I can't wait to try them once they get them in.
A couple of things I will note are that they need to work on their advertising a bit. Â Since they are a new restaurant and many people don't know about Cuban food vs. Mexican food, they need to get the word out about what food they offer. Â As mentioned above, you do need to be a bit patient with their English if you don't know Spanish. Â Luckily my wife speaks Spanish, so I am always taken care of, but they are a bit shy at first. Â This is a family run business and they are very humble and quiet. Â
If you want some authentic Cuban food and don't want to pay Cuba Cuba prices, please give La Guarida Cubana a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed.
After much waiting, La Guarida Cubana finally opened last week. Â Service is still ironing out all of the kinks, but so far, I like what I see and have tasted. Â We came in yesterday for a Cubano and a complete plate (moro, yucca and your choice of meat). Â Everything was very flavorful! Â The sandwich was nicely pressed and crisp while the beans, rice and yucca was savory and delciious. Â The pork was good, but a little on the dry side. Â We finished the meal with a guava and cheese pastry. Â The dough was crispy and flakey and the flavors were quite nice. Â The friendly host offered us a taste of their coffee, which is definitely the menu item that will keep me coming back again and again. Â Overall, I admit they are off to a good start and I look forward to having a new favorite neighborhood coffee shop.
Review Source:
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