There are days when we wish that time machines were more than just fictional plot devices in sci-fi movies. One of the reasons is the 50-year-old building at the corner of NW Seventh Street and 25th Avenue. The original Morro Castle, not to be confused with its unrelated namesake in Hialeah, has been serving some of the best Cuban fast food in Miami for more than five decades.
The restaurant is a throwback to a time when you'd pick up your girl, take her to the school's sock hop, then out for burgers and shakes. Or in this case, fritas y batidos. You and your sweetheart could sit in the outdoor only dining area or have a tray brought out and hung on the door of your car.
Although Morro Castle offers traditional Cuban items such as empanadas, its talents lie elsewhere. The Cuban sandwich menu items ($2.63 to $6.41) include standards like pan con lechon, but also somewhat unique offerings such as pan con papa rellena.
These sandwiches are fresh and big enough to share.
The fritas are incredible. The ground beef/chorizo mixture is perfectly seasoned, topped off with raw diced onions, and hand made potato sticks. The batidos, or shakes ($2.63), are also popular, perfect examples of what a true Cuban shake is supposed to be.
The best churros ($1.50) in the world are also served here and they are made-to-order fresh. Soft and gooey on the inside and crisp on the outside and covered with tons of sugar. When the temperature drops, it is a Cuban tradition to come here and enjoy hot, fresh doughnuts and a cup of hot chocolate.
Rosa Collazo, who has been coming here since she was a kid, says, "It has always been the same. Even while the city was changing all around us, and we were becoming more and more distanced from our culture, we could always come here and feel like we were home."
Morro Castle
2500 NW Seventh Street, Miami