Cuban Delight

Cuban Delight is a charming little restaurant located at 2950 49th St N. in that vast vague gray area that somehow seems simutaneously to be Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park and Lealman. I dunno. Google Maps calls it St. Petersburg, but they call everything St. Petersburg, fer cryin' out loud.

The only negative about the place is that ambience-wise, it's a little too homey. The cheap formica tables, the harsh fluorescent lighting, the loud shouting across the room from the wait staff - it all makes it feel like some lunch counter in Jersey. If they'd put a little more effort into the setting and the mood and the customer service, they could easily jack up their prices and I not only wouldn't squawk, I'd drop in more often.

Oh yeah, and the Cuban coffee came in a styrofoam cup. Ack. No. No. Honey, no, just no.

But the main courses make it all worth it. I've chowed there three times now - had ropa vieja once and the Steak Palomilla twice. It's every bit as good as Columbia's and that's no exaggeration. In fact, the steak here has even more of an authentic nuance to it (or at least as I perceive it), and comes smothered in sauteed onion strings, which is rather an improvement on Columbia's fresh-diced onions. Cuban Delight's portions of yellow rice and black bean soup are larger too.