Fritanga Monimbo

You might be surprised to discover that fritangas - Nicaraguan buffet-style restaurants - rival Cuban cafeterias in quantity around here. So it's hard to make your mark when opening a new one. Luckily for Fritanga Cutler Bay, there isn't another one for miles. That's not to say the offerings here fall flat. Far from it. The number one staple of all fritangas, the carne asada (char-broiled beef, $7), is served lean and tender unlike the fatty meat offered at some of its brethren. Other staples, such as the shredded beef ($7) - don't dare call it ropa vieja; that's an affront to all Nicaraguans - and pollo en caldillo con vegetales (chicken stew with vegetables, $7), are also tender. The specials come with choice of rice and plantains or plantain chips and coleslaw. This fritanga also has a couple of specialty dishes that further distinguish it, including beef fajitas ($7) and daily specials. You should never leave this, or any fritanga, without ordering the fried cheese ($1). It's salty, gooey, and altogether a heart attack waiting to happen. But it's damn good.