La Criollita Cafeteria

There’s no shortage of Cuban restaurants in Hialeah. But this one is right across the street from the Metrorail, has a delicious pan con bistec, and a cortadito so strong it could revive that old iPod you keep in a box somewhere. La Criollita has some outdoor seating, a small recessed dining room, and a menu  about the size of the Ten Commandments (if they were sixty commandments written in nine-point font). But you can also just order a sandwich and coffee at the ventanita. Their pan con bistec is filled with thin steak, tomatoes, lettuce, and matchstick potatoes. It’s just $6.50 and bigger than our own forearm. And the cortadito that’s going to power your iPod through that old Yellowcard playlist is just $1.50.