Pepe’s Cuban Cafe

Lutz, United States

3.6

Open now

26 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 813-948-8999
Website:
pepescubancafe.com
Address:
1900 Oak Grove Blvd, Lutz, FL, 33559
Land O' Lakes
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.1 miCrossroads United Methodist Pnr
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Good For
Breakfast
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Quiet
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Lutz) 07:05 Thursday, 29 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Pepe’s Cuban Café specializes in authentic Cuban food. Our signature dish is roast pork, yellow rice and black beans, however, we have a full menu including breakfast, lunch and dinner items as well as traditional Cuban sandwiches.

History

Established in 2010.

Our owner and chef «Pepe» has been in the restaurant business for over 40 years. The tradition continues in Lutz, FL as he began working in the restaurant business with his father in Tampa. There the family owned «La Habanera» which was in business from the late 70’s to 1999. Pepe also owned several other restaurants both here in Tampa and in New York.

Meet the Business Owner

Jose M.

Business Owner

«Pepe» has a passion for cooking as demonstrated during his long years in the restaurant business. He moved to the Lutz area and several years later realized the need for authentic Cuban food in the area. He opened a tiny restaurant behind the Cumberland Farms convenience store and now 4 years later has moved to a larger/​nicer space one block east of his original location. He still continues to head the kitchen and ascertain that all food is made from scratch and is well prepared.

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26 reviews of Pepe’s Cuban Cafe

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Odessa, FL
The family and I went for dinner to this restaurant and we all had a great time. The portions were plentyful despite reviews claiming otherwise. The restaurant was nicely decorated and very clean. Also the food was well presented and quite tasty. We all loved the taste of what we ate. The are two things I would love to recommend to management: First, is to have a dedicated waiter for take out orders only. Our poor waiter was running desperately to take care of take out order customers and dine in customers. Second, please have a sign by door as you walk in letting customers know to please seat themselves. It would be a great idea to have this sign in both English and Español. The best thing on this restaurant is their very inexpensive prices and tasty food. I almost forgot to mentioned how friendly and helpful our waiter was. We all are planning to return soon… bon appetit!
Place rating: 2
Land O' Lakes, FL
Very hit or miss, this place definitely struggles with their execution. Been here a couple times, (there are only so many places to eat in Lando) Decent tasting food, not terrible, just bland and lacking authenticity. There are way too many quality Cuban and Spanish places in Tampa to make this your go-​to spot. Last thing i tried was the pork sandwich, I had set the bar pretty low and was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the pork. Wait time was pretty long for an empty restaurant. 2nd star because the café con leche servings are so large.
Place rating: 4
Riverview, FL
I’ve been eating at Pepe’s since they opened behind the Cumberland gas station.
Granted, the new location sacrifices a little intimacy.
The menu and food changed slightly but, it is still excellent. I have traveled to Cuba on several occasions. Pepe’s is one of the more authentic Cuban restaurants in the Tampa Bay area, certainly north of Ybor. Obviously quality and quantity of the food is better than in Cuba, I’m speaking to the flavors and preparation methods.
Great place for a quick and unique business lunch.
Place rating: 5
Wesley Chapel, FL
Omg real Spanish food. Real cubans. Bistec de palomilla is awesome full of flavor with onions. Awesome place. The décor is very nice. I can’t wait to come for breakfast. Cant wait to try the café con leche.
Place rating: 3
Land O Lakes, FL
Yikes!!! The service here is incredibly slow. However, the sandwiches and food is super good. Definitely the best Cuban place to go to unless you go to Ybor, or deep in Tampa. If it wasn’t for the slow service it would be perfect.
Place rating: 2
Tampa, FL
Probably my least favorite Cuban in Tampa, which stinks because Pepe’s location is convenient for me. Portions are small, service is beyond slow and not always very friendly, and the last two times I’ve been my food wasn’t hot. It’s also a bit pricey for the portion size.
The chicken and yellow rice has great flavor, just not a lot of it. The flan was great the first time I had it, runny the next :(I’ve had to ask for bread every time, I don’t think they bring it automatically.
Place rating: 4
Tampa, FL
Such a cute, clean, friendly place! Awesome food for good prices too! Homemade flan was best I ever had. Café con Leche was made with Bustelo supreme and was the best I ever had.
Place rating: 3
Englishtown, NJ
Steak sandwich tasted good, medianoche (midnight) sandwich not good, Black beans and rice ok tasting worst part you charged me about 6 bucks for a plate of black beans and rice that’s ridiculous
Place rating: 5
Dade City, FL
Great place I live close by and hated the drive into tampa to be able to enjoy authentic Spanish food!!! A must try
Place rating: 5
Land O Lakes, FL
Authentic, very clean Cuban right here in Land O Lakes! Best pork black beans and rice I’ve had in a very long time! No need to drive to West Tampa any more. I highly recommend this place I’m a Tampa native and have been to all the Cuban places, this is as good or better than those in Tampa!
Place rating: 3
Land O' Lakes, FL
The Cubans and café con leche are good. However the rest of the menu not so good. Everything tasted stale and cold. Not impressed…
Place rating: 1
Miami Beach, FL
Oh boy, where do I start. About five of us went to this place in the afternoon when there were no more than eight other people sitting in two tables. After waiting to be seated and not acknowledged, we asked to be seated. For a place with about five or six employees walking around, this is troubling and we should have left given the chance. Anyways, we decide to sit down and order. Twenty minutes go by, then 30, then 40, and finally an hour! After finally being served our meal, many of the items came cold or lukewarm. After taking bites of my side dishes, I found the food to be wholly lacking in flavor. I’m a huge fan of Cuban food being from South Florida and all but this tasted like nothing I’ve had before in the worst possible way.
It’s safe to say that I will not returning here. Aside from the fried steak I had, which was merely okay, no one else at my table enjoyed their meal.
Pros: some friendly waitstaff
Cons: bland and unappetizing food (doesn’t taste Cuban), service moves at a glacial pace, and an unusual disregard for customers
Overall Recommendation: save your money and eat somewhere else!
Place rating: 4
Lutz, FL
Ate dinner at Pepe’s last night. This is my kind of Cuban place. The service was great and the food was delicious. I had the Piccadillo and my wife had the yellow rice and chicken. I also had a side of Tostones that were good but were soaked in a garlic mojo sauce, I prefer my mojo on the side for dipping. It’s nice to know I don’t have to drive all the way to Boliche Blvd to get a good Cuban meal
Place rating: 5
North Attleborough, MA
Great food, prices, and service! We will definitely be coming back.
Right down the road from the new Tampa Outlets… great place to eat after a day of shopping.
Place rating: 2
Tampa, FL
Don’t order the spaghetti and meatballs. The empanadas are really good. Service a little slow and the salad was very blah and they almost forgot to even give me it.
Place rating: 1
Land O' Lakes, FL
We have gone to Pepes twice. Both times we waited for 10 minutes at a table and were never even acknowledged. We asked for menus and drinks and they never came. We eventually just got up and left both times. You would think once was enough to make us not come back, however I love Cuban food and this is the closest place to our house.
From now on, we will absolutely drive a little more to get to Las Palmas Café in New Tampa. Excellent service and his food is divine! Get the Vaca Frita!
Place rating: 1
Land O Lakes, FL
Coffee great!!! Service horrendous. We asked our waitress if they have soup already made. She wasn’t sure so she was going to check. She went to be a cashier and make coffee for other folks. Chatted with another server and 15 minutes later I heard her ask if they had soup. We then placed our order, two of us had the same dish. One was brought out first, lukewarm, five minutes comes the other one with a handful of what they call home fries. Don’t get me started on portion… will have to have lunch earlier than I expected elsewhere since breakfast at this place was a joke. Awful food and service. Will not return.
Place rating: 5
Lutz, FL
This review is for their CAFE CON LECHE only (I haven’t tried anything else there yet)
let me just tell you, I’ve tried LOTS of café con leche all over the place & this one is amazing!
They give you a large cup for a very reasonable price and it is fantastic. They have two sizes, I like getting the larger size.
Its creamy, strong & super fast service. Everytime I come here I get excellent service and I’ve never waited more than 1 minute to get my drink to go.
I will be coming back to try their dishes!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Delicious good environment and good service. I was very happy with my Cuban sandwich. Big portions too for a great price dinner $ 11 cant beat it.
Place rating: 3
Trinity, FL
The food was good. I had ordered the roast pork meal. I was a little disappointed with the quantity of the meal. «Very little amount»
Place rating: 1
Land O Lakes, FL
Ordered ropa veija with yellow rice and plantains.
Got a whole lot of rice with very little meat.
Paid 10.00 too Much for very little meat.
Place rating: 5
Land O' Lakes, FL
This place was amazing the service was excellent and food was very good. The prices where even better. The place was clean and had a very nice setting. We will definitely will be back!
Place rating: 4
Tampa Bay, FL
Been here twice now to this new location breakfast & dinner. I am a fan of this place. I was when they were located in the back of the gas station. Now, they have some new digs that are super welcoming and open.
Their café con leche is good & strong. It’s cuban coffee, I wouldn’t expect less. I wanted iced coffee at first, but they don’t have it. This was great. Now, I am all wired for a bit. Hate when I crash.
I have tried their media noche, a cuban sandwich on sweet bread. I’ve also tried their enchilada de camarones. It is braised shrimp made with tomatoes, garlic, & wine. It’s good and it has quite a bit of shrimp. It’s perfect with rice. The tostones rellenos with shredded beef is great too. This place is a great cuban foodie excursion. Take it and you won’t come back.
Place rating: 4
Lutz, FL
I love this place. They open extremely early for the breakfast crowd. Not a huge breakfast menu but the food is always good for both breakfast and lunch. Service is always fast and the staff is very friendly. It’s def a must try if you are looking for some yummy food and a nice atmosphere.
Place rating: 4
Atlanta, GA
Good Cuban food. Service was fast and attentive, but a little bit awkward at times. The food was tasty and came out quickly. A full sit-​down dinner for two took about 45 minutes for bread, soup, and a sandwich. We took 15 minutes to order because we couldn’t decide. On Wednesday you will see Favada soup which is white beans and greens.
This place is no Miami or even some of the awesome places in Ybor, but is worth going to. They also have a bar and can seat parties of up to 12! The Cuban bread alone is worth a visit here!
Place rating: 5
Tampa, FL
We have been here twice in a row. Once for dinner and once for breakfast. It’s so goood! The service was great. The pancakes and chicken empanadas are to die for.
I like the Latin music they play here, too.
Please try this little gem of a restaurant. Small businesses like this make a community unique.