Critic's Review
This place didn't last long. It looks like he flipped the place.
Review 12/22/16
I usually avoid places with zero online presence to avoid having to walk out when I see the menu, but I figured that Cuban food was pretty safe. The previous place, Fuego Latino was never really great or terrible, but something new is badly needed around here. I got to Sabores just after 2pm, mainly because of an accident on 95. Try to take a different route and this town and you get slammed every time.
No cars as usual; the only changes here are the sign. Take one down and slap up another.
1 table occupied, which was always the case this time of day when it was Fuego. No hostess; all booths. Just sit where you want.
It's actually a pretty nice restaurant as Cuban places go; I've never seen any non-employee sitting in the back at lunch.
Chips arrive right away. The chips were fresh. The salsa seemed like some tomatoes and cilantro tossed into a blender.
Soft Spanish language music plays. As I'm eating the chips I get the impression that the new owner probably doesn't really know how to cook. This salsa wasn't even marginally intuitive.
The owners congregate at the front bar while a girl works the tables. No WiFi of course.
Now one thing about Ropa Vieja is that it takes hours to make, so there's nothing to prepare .You make a big pot of it in the morning and let it simmer all day. I was eating more chips than usual; after 10 minutes the girl brings out the orders from the other table. Still waiting on mine.
A full 15 minutes after ordering, the food comes out.
A decent haul for $7.99. I don't remember if I was ever offered yellow rice at Fuego. The salad was a surprise; sometimes they'll offer a salad instead of the plantains, but a salad is never include with these lunch specials.
The ropa was mush; the recipes here are strictly inherited from the previous place. The taste was good, but the meat was completely broken down. It takes a LONG time for tough meat like flank steak to break down this much, so they're using something cheaper.
The salad was an incompetent concoction of stuff with no dressing; you can't eat lettuce without dressing. A nice idea but as I mentioned before, these people don't actually know how to cook.
A lot of pretty good tasting food for less than a bad omelet at Kitchen 420. $10.37 before tip.
Conclusion
Sometimes when you expect the worst, your lowered expectations raise the experience. After eating junk at Rubio's yesterday, a big plate of tasty slop was well received. Chips are back. I don't know how they can make any money giving you all this food for $7.99; it's as good a deal as you'll find in Eastern Fort Lauderdale.