El Mocho Restaurant

Reviews

• L K.

  star star star star star 4 October 2026

  This place is authentic, to the point where Spanish is the dominant language (spoken and on menu), and it's where all the Cuban folk in KW go to eat. There are some gringo places downtown who can do pretty authentic Cuban cuisine, but it's REAL here.
  
  We arrived early and were able to get a table, and some undivided attention from our server. But 15 minutes later, they were packed, and our server, while cool and collected, was paced rapidly for quick exchanges, only, in order to handle the full house. If you want a relaxed vacay lunch, get there by 11am, or after 1:30pm. Otherwise, they can do takeout, which was the only option for the floods of people arriving at lunch rush, with nowhere to sit.
  
  I had a Cuban Sandwich, thinking I should try it from natives, in pursuit of authenticity. It was very good, on traditional flatbread, the best flatbread I had on the 3 Cubans I tried while in KW. The pork was decent, and the ham too. They made it with mustard and something else (mayo?), which kind of detracted from the bite of the mustard. For me, I appreciate that bite to butt up against the salt of the ham and pork, to emphasize flavor, but whatever extra component was present (or just perhaps weak mustard?) it lost a little oomph for me. It was otherwise made with VERY fresh and good quality ingredients, and again the bread was fresh, dense (as intended), buttery/salty, and a little earthy too. Overall it was a very good meal.
  
  My husband had the Cuban Pork Platter. It was outstanding. I regretted not having chosen it. The locals were all having the platters or daily specials, so in retrospect, it was like, duh, should've gone there. The pork was tender and full of juicy meatiness, that was expertly infused in the meat, not just something it bathed in. It had a nice sear, with seasoning all over, inside and out. It was topped with onions, cooked, but still crispy, which was the right choice because carmelized or stewed in something would have detracted from the meat, and competed with the plantains. Speaking of, it also came with rice and plantains, two starches, but the rice is a necessary staple, and always supports the stars of the plate, and the plantains' gooey sweetness is comic relief on your tongue after the savory meat, salty rice, and pungent onion. Included on the side, is a cup of black bean soup. I'd never had black bean soup with so many big chunks of veggies in it, like who pea pods! (see my photo) This wasn't the pureed version at Mexican fusion restaurants up north, nor was it the runny kind, but rather more of a slurry. The flavor was spot on, and frustratingly so, because I could not figure out how they packed so much flavor into it. The veggies added their own flavors, but still, it tasted like bean, earthy, spicy, and seasoned, all in the right ratios and consistencies, to make it a really strong dish on its own.
  
  We had flan for dessert. It was more like the Portuguese versions we had in Lisbon last year. Flan is often really creamy and made more like a creme brulee in confused US kitchens. The difference between Spanish and Portuguese flans, I noticed, was density, as well. Spanish flan isn't creamy or as sweet as creme brulee, but it is a close cousin, while Portuguese flan is lighter still, even less sweet, and not very creamy at all. The Mocho flan was very light, more eggy than creamy, and sweet, but not very. It was delicious for my taste, and the perfect consistency/flavoring for the heat of the Keys.
  
  Our server was part of the family that runs the house, and clearly had a lot of pride and love invested in Mocho. Service was prompt, considerate of any need (asking after our preferences/offering extra water/condiments/more coffee), and friendly. The bill was low, and a great value for the quality and portion sizes. Another 5-star winner on Stock Island... can't say as much for Old Town's restaurants. I definitely recommend fitting Mocho into your itinerary for an authentic, delicious, well priced Cuban meal.

• Valerie W.

  star star star star star 30 September 2026

  What's a trip down to S. Florida without some awesomely good, no-nonsense, stick to your ribs, authentic Cuban food?!?  Well, I for one didn't want to have to answer that question, so as soon as we had a chance, we took some back roads (thank you, crazy, MESSY traffic jam on Rt. 1!!) and found this WONDERFUL family-run "greasy spoon" that was definitely a hidden gem!!!
  
  This is the place for a stick to your ribs breakfast or lunch (we came for a late morning brunch) that I ***STILL*** crave WEEKS later!!  Just a simple Cuban sandwich, a side order of tostones, and a café con leche that dreams are made of!!  Bob had a steak sandwich with fries which left him equally FELIZ!!  TONS of choices; if I could, I'd be back again and again to sample the whole menu!!  
  
  I love a cozy, simple, well-run family place, and this is one of the best, down to the cute as a button, gossiping little girls who will clean up the tables the second the diners leave, the quick, friendly service, the authentic, homemade specialties (that you KNOW are fresher than fresh and NOT made for "gringo" palates!!!) and the super-reasonable prices.  What a GREAT find!!!!

• Ariel G.

  star star star star star_border 26 September 2026

  I'll be the first to tell you that Cuban food is one of those cuisines you can hit or miss. This restaurant is definitely a home run! Don't be fooled by the exterior of this place or the fact it's not on Duval Street, it's worth a visit! Be sure to order the croquettes because they are unbelievably tasty - very similar to the ones I would get in Miami. Note that they give you white beans instead of black, but it's definitely a welcomed surprise with pork. The media noche was pretty good, but be prepared for a lot of meat (was a little too much for me that I could only eat half). Sweet plantains definitely are a must as well!

• Dora A.

  star star star star star 22 September 2026

  Good Cuban food, great service, quick and perfect. The place was clean and the amount of food was good for the price

• G A.

  star star star star star 21 September 2026

  Love this place! Best croquetas in KW! We ate breakfast and lunch there. Tons of locals, no frills type place. My family loved it, wished we could take it home with us.