Versailles Restaurant

12/15/06

It was just OKAY........

by chulalinda

I came here with my husband, he suggested this place after coming here a few years ago....... we were in Miami for a week and ate here 3 times, each time it just kept getting worse! The first night we had the Ropa Vieja (typical cuban dish of shredded meat with onions and peppers) I sent it back to be nuked..... the second time my husband had the Ropa Vieja again( a little warmer this time) and I had a cuban sandwich which had barely any pork, a ton of ham and a slice of swiss cheese that was not melted, the sandwich had been pressed, the bread had so much butter on top it kept slipping out of my hands! the third time beef stew and roasted pork, again we both sent our meals to be nuked..... The food was at our table in less than 10 minutes, (if you where in a hurry this wouldn't be a bad thing, we where on vacation so we weren't concerned about time) which led me to believe that everything was pre-made, that would be okay if it arrived at our table pipping hot, however, it was barely lukewarm, If you ever had latin food it is not very good served cold!) The waitstaff was polite, not very knowledeable on their own menu, they couldn't answer simple questions, the last time there we had 3 different waiters, no one knew what was going on! The one thing I do recommend was the coffe and the pastries/desserts!!!!!! Those where very good! When purchased at their adjacent bakery.

03/28/09

Good food but needs to screen waiters

by Lisafrog

I've always made sure to bring out of towners to this place to experience REAL Cuban food. The service is quick, the food is GOOD. On March 25 at around 7pm or so, my husband and I went there once more to bring a guest. Our waiter, EVELIO, definitely could use more training on asking for your orders, on responding to questions regarding certain food items, and REMEMBERING your order. He was rude to our guest almost dismissing his question about the type and cut of chicken in one of the dishes; he plopped the food down on our table; he forgot my salad, then later, my husband's coffee (and argued that my husband did not order the coffee). He was, no way near what a waiter should be. I'm not sure if he discriminates among his customers. If he does, he should not be a waiter in such a famous place, where people from all cultures come to enjoy Cuban food. Evelio does not represent what Versailles is. It was an unpleasant evening.

• Pros: Good food, quick service
• Cons: Waiter named EVELIO

05/05/08

Authentic food, authentic Cuban feel- Service is HORRIBLE...

by gretchen2020

I live in Miami and am of Cuban decent. The food for the most part, is very good and authentic. Be prepared to wait a long time for service and you basically have to hunt down your server. You can survive with speaking english though if you can speak spanish your experience will probaly go smoother. This place is perfect if you want a true feel for Cuban food and the old Cuban culture of the men outside drinking coffee and talking poiltics. Coffee is amazing and everything is priced VERY reasonable. I recommend it but please go in mind with knowing you will receive bad service. I hope management can work on it.

• Pros: Food is amazing and authentic
• Cons: Service , what service?

04/09/08

amazing food, TERRIBLE SERVICE

by steiney

i am a miami native, and have been to the versailles quite a few times. i figured i should put in my two cents. the food is almost always amazing and relatively inexpensive. every now and then i get a mediocre dish. unfortunately, the service is horrible. the hostess is generally rude, and the waiters give terrible service as soon as they realize you don't speak spanish. they either don't speak english at all (EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE IN AMERICA!!!!!), or they do but are too lazy to try. so if you don't speak spanish, expect to either point to food on the menu or pantomime. also, check you plates and silverware when you get them, because half of the time, they are dirty. but again, the food is usually really good. so, if you can stand rude, lazy cubans and bad service, like i can, then it is worth going. enjoy.

• Pros: great food (usually), good prices
• Cons: absolutely horrendous service (they should really be ashamed of themselves for representing cubans like that)

01/02/08

Best Cuban Ambiance

by pepper55

This is by far the most authentic Cuban ambiance in town! I love going to Versailles because it's the only place in Miami where the 1980's Cuban-American style lives on. The city has changed drastically during the 90's and 00's, somehow this place has remained immune to those changes. People coming to Miami looking for a taste of real Cubans should go to Versailles.

Sure there are a lot of other places to go for Cuban food. You could go to Hialeah or the dozens of little places around 8 street. What makes Versailles different is that it truly has a feel of that "old exile" group. You are guaranteed to hear real Cuban accents and know you're surrounded by people who hate Castro (priceless).

As for the food? I recommend the croquette platter and the calle ocho special sandwich (my favorites). Also, if your new to Cuban coffee, make sure to order a cortadito or a cafe Cubano, either one is great!

Finally, comparing Versailles to Denny's is simply ridiculous. Denny's is pretty dirty, full of teenagers, and lacks any sort of ambiance. Versailles on the other hand is a casual eatery where you'll find a wide range of customers (from the typical Cuban-American to the German tourist), good food at low prices, and it just oozes old style Cuban ambiance.

• Pros: Cuban Ambiance!

07/02/07

!Viva Versailles! - el MEJOR restaurante cubano en Miami

by tennesseevineyards

I was visiting Miami on a budget and thought I would try Versailles based on all the rave reviews I had read about it. This restaurant knows what service is!! Being from Tennessee, it was refreshing to feel a certain level of 'southern hospitality' that is non-existent in the rest of Miami. The waiters and waitresses are attentive and polite, and the food is a cross between an old-fashioned cafeteria and a "meat & three"... with a heavy Latino/Cuban flare. The menu is longer than most people would even be willing to read, with an endless combination of "platos del dia", fresh seafood, and other specials. You shouldn't have trouble finding something you like at a rediculously LOW PRICE... and most dishes are big enough to split between two people! A trip to Little Havana would be incomplete without a trip to Versailles ...and make sure you get a small cuban coffee from the bakery before you leave... and try the fried plantains!

01/05/07

BAD ATTITUDE

by pinays

i don't get the hype. the food was ok (although i thought little havana was better), the servers were friendly enough (althoug a bit slow) and the hostess was just RUDE, RUDE, RUDE. i understand that this place is apparently popular and crowded but there were tables available in the back room and my party was not seated for a good 30 minutes even though other groups that came later than us were immediately seated. the hostes was also snotty with the attitude when asked about the waiting time to be seated. maybe my dining experience would have been different but for the RUDE hostess. but, i guess, we will never know because i was not impressed!

10/03/06

Best Pastelitos and Plantain Soup

by bighum3

Good Service but lately the plates and silverware may not be the cleanest.Not recommended if you are picki about cleaningness in the plates,cups or silverware.

• Pros: Fast Service
• Cons: Not Clean

Famous for its kitschiness and early-morning hours, this Cuban version of Denny's has fans of every generation.

by Contributor

In Short
Almost as famous as its palatial namesake in France, Versailles is an iconoclastic Cuban diner with wall-to-wall mirrors, a constant buzz of activity and a mammoth menu. If you're looking for a pre-marathon carbo load with a super-cheap heaping of arroz con pollo (chicken with yellow rice) or a meaty media noche (the Big Mac of Cuban cuisine with ham, pork and cheese), then this is the place to get it.

06/07/06

It's not South Beach. Just great Cuban food.....

by mr_montana

There's nothing more moronic than someone complaining about the mojitos at Versailles. Stay in South Beach if you want to drink and dance naked. However, if you want the Mecca for traditional no nonsense Cuban food, please come to the Versailles. The Palomilla Steak is the best. If you like seafood, order the pargothe Red Snapper. Its broiled whole in delicious butter and spices and served with fluffy Spanish rice. Leave room for dessert. The Flan, Rice Pudding and Cuban Coffee are without equal. I've closed many business deals in the confines of this fine establishment and have never heard a complaint from any of my guests, in fact, quite the contrary. The Versailles harkens back to Miamis Cuban Hey Day back in the 70s and 80s, and that ambience is not lost on the more mature, established crowd that flock to this oasis regularly. Im looking forward to many more visits there!