This Portland staple has been serving Cuban classics since 2000, from Friday night daiquiris to mid-week Cubanos. On late weekend mornings, Pambiche keeps the Cuban coffee ritual alive, slinging dark, sweet shots of Stumptown espresso in café Cubano. All baked goods are made in-house, including fried empanadas de guayaba y queso and decadent flan. Those seeking something savory, however, can opt for the plato Cubano, an amalgamation of all the Cuban essentials: adobo-rubbed pork shoulder in a tangy creole gravy, tender boiled yuca, comforting black beans and rice, and a refreshing Caribbean coleslaw. Pambiche offers indoor and heated outdoor seating; otherwise, visitors can take their platos to-go “Cuban-style,” with cajitas, a nod to the boxed meals found throughout Cuba.

As Portland’s only exclusively vegan Cuban restaurant, Miami Nice is a local treasure. Now operating out of Bit House Collective, visitors enjoy a selection of shots, non-alcoholic cocktails, and frozen drinks with a vegan Cubanito, a sandwich featuring slow-roasted jackfruit marinated in a citrus mojo. No visit is complete without the ‘Flantastic flan,’ a light, custard-y dessert soaked in caramel syrup. Bit House offers indoor and outdoor seating, and Miami Nice also offers takeout.

Located on Hawthorne, Cubo de Cuba’s vibrant red-and-blue exterior is a beacon of refuge from the Portland grey. Vegan and gluten-free friendly, Cubo has one of the most accommodating menus on this list, with gluten-free bread for its sandwiches and exclusively vegan sides. All of the restaurant’s Cuban bowls, which come with options like beef picadillo or mojo shrimp, are gluten-free and come packed with slices of avocado, mango, crisp tostones, and sweet maduros layered over a bed of black beans and rice. Cubo showcases an impressive range of plates, as well, ranging from vegan picadillo de soya and baked chicken marinated in a tangy guava sauce. When it comes to drinks, diners should order one of Cubo’s tropical milkshakes, like the batido de mamey. Cubo offers both indoor and heated outdoor seating, as well as takeout.

Representing the Cuban coastal city of Cienfuegos, La Perla del Sur is one of the latest additions to Eastport Food Carts in Southeast Portland. This hidden gem serves rich and flavorful dishes like picadillo, ground beef simmered in a medley of tomatoes and onions, paired with a refreshing Cuban slaw, black beans, and rice. La Perla del Sur is also home to one of the city’s finest Cuban sandwiches, made with supremely tender slow-roasted pork pressed between two buttery slices of bread. The pod offers both indoor and heated outdoor seating.

Get a taste of classics like lechón asado, slow-roasted pork marinated in a garlic-lime mojo, at Havana Station — found within the Portland Mercado, the iconic Latin American food cart pod in Southeast Portland. Sweet-crisp maduros (plantains), moros y christianos (Cuban black beans and rice), and a garlicky slaw arrive alongside rich entrees like the vaca frita, crispy shreds of pork topped with sauteed onions. The Mercado offers heated outdoor seating.

Nestled on the quaint Main Street of downtown Oregon City, Bistro Cubano brings Cuban and Caribbean fare beyond Portland city limits. Pros begin with a side of papitas, fried potato balls stuffed with Cuban picadillo and served alongside a garlicky dipping sauce. For a main course, the lechon asado is an excellent choice, especially when followed by a warm guava and cream cheese bar topped with coconut ice cream and guava marmalade. The restaurant offers plenty of indoor seating, as well as takeout.