Zephiel M.

Note: this place is no longer called "La Reina Cafeteria" as it is now going under the name of "Sazon Latino". Also "fritanga" is the name given to Nicaraguan cafeterias. I stopped by here for dinner one evening. Being a Nicaraguan Little Havana resident, I was excited by the prospect of having a "fritanga" on Calle Ocho. Most of the Fritangas in Little Havana are along Flagler or further north. Upon walking in, the ambiance was a little underwhelming. There were about 3 guys and 1 woman at the bar and they were all drinking beers. Nobody was really eating. I took a look at the food they had to offer. Normally, most fritangas have a plethora of options to choose from, with food that looks fresh and abundant. Here, there were maybe 2 or 3 trays with food and they were half empty. The food didn't look fresh either. I ordered a plate of chicken with beans and rice. The only type of beans that they had available were refried beans. Any Nicaraguan knows that this is a common way to recook beans in order to extend their life. Once they brought me my food, I noticed that the rice had the smell of old rice. I spoke to the waitress asking her if they had any fresh rice. She went back to speak to the cook and came back to tell me that the cook told her that he had just made it. Obviously, the cook was lying so I just asked that the rice be replaced with some french fries. The fries was surprisingly really good and were easily the highlight of the meal. The beans were mediocre and the chicken was decent. The server was decent but was a bit slow considering that the she didn't have anybody else to wait on. Overall, much to my disappointment, its not that great of a place. It simply doesn't compare to the other more established fritanga's in Little Havana.