El Siboney Restaurant

Cuban influence on the island of Key West is around you everywhere you go from the hand made cigars on Duval St., to the art work, to hearing Spanish spoken everywhere to, of course, the food. I myself and many others have chosen to embrace the merging of Cuban and American cultures here and enjoy its fruits. To make the most of this combination I go to only one place for Cuban food; El Siboney.

First and foremost this is a family owned and operated business which makes it both rich and, on occasion, frustrating. You get the comfort food you expect from such a spot, but youll have to bring cash because they dont take credit cards and they can and will close when they feel like it. You can look at these aspects as negative or just part of its personality that makes it unique. If you gotta have pulled pork with zesty sauce, black beans, rice and plantains then you deal with the downside because its worth it.

You will find it interesting when you ask directions how to get to El Siboney because your concierge will send you into a residential neighborhood through narrow streets filled with small conch houses and lots of local flavor. Youll build on that flavor once you sit at the diner-esque table and look through the long opening into the kitchen and smell the rich aromas it generates. You can expect that if an ethnic restaurant is any good at all that people of that ethnicity will be eating there, so expect to hear lots of people hablaing espanol and drinking caf con leche.

You came to Key West to find out why its so different and what makes it tick. If you step out of your comfort zone and try El Siboney you will be hard pressed to find another Cuban meal that will compare. I believe this is a must go for one of your outings when you visit or a regular spot if youre a local.