In the 1960s, the number of Cubans fleeing the Castro regime led the area to become a hotbed of counter-revolutionary activity. The locally designated historic district comprises single and multi-family residences and commercial structures in the Bungalow, Mission, Mediterranean Revival, and Miami Modern styles of architecture. "How much longer can we sustain this? I don’t know.”. Eight Cuban-Americans, mostly from the Kiwanis of Little Havana, were trying to come up with ideas to address the situation. Menus. “The consumer that we have is one that flies, stays in hotels, wants to spend his or her time on the beaches, and plans to go out at night. However, the sprawling restaurant has a decidedly casual diner vibe. The event consists of outdoor musical performances on a stage and along the sidewalks of Calle Ocho, art exhibits along the sidewalk and in plazas and open spaces, visits to art galleries and cultural centers, cuisine tasting at participating restaurants, and films, art exhibits, and educational programs at the historic Tower Theatre. Try another. Customers "have watched the American dream happen for my family," says one second-generation restaurant owner. Copyright © 2020 Official website Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. A historic area, the park is named after a famous soldier, Maximo Gomez, who fought for Cuban independence from Spain. View our current Privacy Policy. It was turned down because the organizers feared that it would pit one ethnic group against another. Copyright © 2020 Official website Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Because of them, I learned to apply for the loan through a small local bank. All-Inclusive Punta Cana Resort | Save Up To 65%, Save 72% on 5-Nt Stay at Santorini Hotels, Hotel RIU Palace Paradise Island | All-Inclusive, Save 73% on 3-Nt Stay at Las Vegas Hotels, Save 69% on 3-Nt Stay at New Orleans Hotels, Florida | Winter Golf Package in Palm Beach, Save 71% on 3-Nt Stay at Charleston Hotels, Save 69% on 3-Nt Stay at San Diego Hotels, Save 72% on 3-Nt Stay at San Antonio Hotels, Save 69% on 3-Nt Stay at Baltimore Hotels. With an eclectic design inspired by world travel, guestrooms boast herringbone wood floors, platform beds, a warm color palette and brass finishes. The area’s riddled with Latin-inspired cafes, restaurants, venues and markets that give space and a voice to all the different backgrounds that have taken root in the neighborhood. This is just another hurdle.”.

By Time Out Miami editors They’ve seen us expand from only a stand-up counter market into a family restaurant,” Garcia said.

Even when nonessential businesses open again, Little Havana will face economic obstacles. Within the Hispanic population, the Cuban population has experienced a substantial decrease from 84% in 1979 to 58% in 1989; groups of Hispanics from other places, especially Nicaragua, Honduras, and other Central American countries, have substantially increased since the late 1990s. Once a venue where Chet Baker, Billie Holiday and Count Basie performed, today’s Ball & Chain honors its history with an entertainment line-up that covers everything from jazz to salsa. Music and dance are the premier activities found here, but you can also attend various special events that range from film screenings and drama performances to book launches. Here at Little Havana Restaurant we offer affordable authentic Cuban cuisine which you can choose from nine offerings, including shredded beef, roast pork, ground beef and our famous lamb shank. [8] Despite the increasing diversity, most neighborhood businesses are still Cuban-owned.[7].

Translating to “Today Like Yesterday,” this club is known for its salsa dancing and Latin funk music, with wood-paneled walls covered with photos of Latin music’s biggest names. We’ll send you our newsletter with travel destinations, deals, and more! They enable you to enjoy certain features and personalizations of the site you would otherwise miss out on. She said she's worked tirelessly to obtain help from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program, (PPP) which authorizes forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees. As of 2011, Little Havana boasts the highest concentration of Hispanics (98%) in Miami. “About 90 percent of these businesses are micro-businesses,” said Bill Fuller, one of Little Havana’s main developers and owner of its signature music venue Ball & Chain. Flags from Colombia to Nicaragua to Puerto Rico to Costa Rica and even Ireland flood the streets. In the event that these small businesses do close, Florida has been among the slowest states to process unemployment claims, making it extremely difficult for those without a job to access critical safeguards. Little Havana 1325 Key Highway Baltimore, MD 21230. Their daily Little Havana Cultural Walking & Food Tour is very similar to the Cultural Walking Tour, but with an added bonus—food tastings and a stop to enjoy a delicious lunch at a popular Cuban restaurant. You’ll find food and drink vendors set up on the sidewalk, and a stage set up for dance and music performances in addition to plenty of local arts and crafts. Phone. I don't know.". Lunch/Dinner Menu; Sunday Brunch Menu; Parties & Catering. Déjà vu! “Little by little, we have really catapulted into success,” she said. Once you’re there, go for the Abuela Maria, made with guava, cream cheese and served with a galletas Maria cookie—it’s Miami in a cup.

Willy Bermello came up with the idea of doing something similar to the block parties and street festivals of Philadelphia. Called Domino Park by the locals, Maximo Gomez Park in Little Havana is a lively meeting spot for Cuban retirees who like to drink coffee, smoke cigars and play ferociously competitive rounds of dominoes. That instilled a drive within us. ", "Calle Ocho Festival: The History of Little Havana's Most Famous Music Celebration", "2008 Florida Statutes, Title IV, Chapter 15 section 15.0395", "Little Havana Food Tours - Miami Food & Cultural Tours", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Little_Havana&oldid=982029239, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Southern Border: Southwest 22nd Street (Coral Way), St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, St. Barbara Old Catholic Church (schismatic). Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The brothers ran a fishing company in Cuba until the government confiscated their business, he said. ", “Now, we are going to fight to get success back, just like we did before," he added. Our research is editorially independent but we may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

You can’t go wrong with an order of croquetas, ropa vieja, lechon asado or a Cuban sandwich. Since 1971, Versailles has been a local gathering spot for the Cuban diaspora and one of Calle Ocho’s most popular locales. Miami Cubans (and pretty much every local) take great pride in this neighborhood just west of Downtown Miami, where the famed Calle Ocho strip remains a testament to the American dream pursued by the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who settled it. Sample Miami’s Cuban culture with a visit to Little Havana. Here you’ll find some of the most authentic Miami-rolled Cuban cigars, with age-old aficionados rolling cigars just like their fathers and grandfathers once did in Cuba. From strong cafecitos to intense games of dominoes and a thriving arts and culture scene, here are the best things to do in Little Havana, one of Miami’s top attractions. The ethnic makeup of the neighborhood was 85.08% Hispanic or Latino of any race (mainly Cubans, but also many Nicaraguans and Hondurans, as well as other Latinos), 3.79% Black or African American (not including Afro-Cubans, Afro-Nicaraguans, Afro-Hondurans, and other Afro-Latinos), 10.14% Non-Hispanic White, and 0.96% of other races.