Cuba's national dish: slow-braised beef flank shredded into long fibrous strands (the name means old clothes), simmered in a smoky sofrito of onion, pepper, garlic, tomato, cumin and dry sherry.
Ropa vieja arrived in Cuba from Spain's Canary Islands and Castilla-La Mancha in the 17th century, where peasant cooks shredded leftover boiled meat into a stew rather than waste it. The Cuban version codified through the 19th century and became the national dish, particularly identified with Havana. Miami's exile generation brought the recipe wholesale in the 1960s; Versailles in Little Havana, opened 1971, made it the canonical Miami address for ropa vieja. The textural distinction is essential; the meat must shred to long fibres, never chunks.
3 editor picks for Ropa Vieja in Miami, ranked by editorial score. All Miami signature dishes · Ropa Vieja across every city.
Also in: Tampa.
Versailles ★ 4.5
little-havana · 3555 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
Versailles in Miami is the Calle Ocho Cuban institution that has poured cafecito since 1971 and remains Little Havana's political water cooler at 3555 SW 8th.
La Carreta ★ 4.1
little-havana · 3632 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
La Carreta in Miami is the Calle Ocho Cuban diner at 3632 SW 8th Street, a sister room to Versailles serving abuela-style plates and cafe con leche from 8am.
Sergio's ★ 4.0
coral-gables · 3252 SW 22nd St, Miami, FL 33145
Sergio's in Coral Gables is the original family Cuban diner at 3252 SW 22nd Street, serving abuela-style Miami plates since 1975 across South Florida.