A Cuban resident of Miami took her cousin —who was visiting the city for the first time— to two of the most iconic restaurants in the Cuban-American community, and the comparison between them couldn't have been more stark. Yohana Serrano (@yohanaserrano805) narrated in a TikTok video posted on Sunday her visit to La Carreta and El Versalles, with results that left her, in her own words, "speechless."
The first stop was La Carreta, located on Calle Ocho near SW 42nd Avenue in Little Havana. The experience was disappointing from the first dish: "the beans had no flavor," Yohana described, and she found the congrí to be "hospital food." Of everything they ordered, the only dish she salvaged was a whole fried fish. The rest, according to her, went by without causing any impression.
The poor quality of the food was compounded by the imposition of a mandatory tip of 18%, regardless of whether the customer was satisfied or not. "Mom, take your obligatory eighteen percent, shotgun, because even if you didn't like it, you had to bear it," he joked in the video.
The only thing that brought a smile to his face at La Carreta was the decorative rooster at the entrance. "I took a ton of pictures because pictures are free," he joked, making it clear that the rest of the visit didn't warrant much excitement.
The next day, the story changed completely. At El Versalles, considered the most famous Cuban restaurant in the world and a historic meeting place for the Cuban exile community in Miami, the service was "spectacular" and the food "absolutely wonderful." "Everything was divine, honestly, we had a great time at El Versalles," she summarized.
What caught Yohana's attention the most was that both restaurants belong to the same owner. "If you are the same person, my dear, your calculations are off. Go see if you can get the kitchen of La Carreta organized, because it's not good for anything," she said directly to the owner in her video.
Both establishments are part of the Valls Group, the Cuban-American gastronomic empire founded by Felipe Valls Sr., who arrived in Miami in 1960 after the expropriation of his businesses in Cuba by Fidel Castro's regime. Valls opened El Versalles in 1971 and La Carreta shortly thereafter, making them icons of Calle Ocho. Following his passing in November 2022 at the age of 89, his son Felipe Valls Jr. took over the leadership of the group, which also operates Casa Juancho, MesaMar, Casa Cuba, and several locations at Miami International Airport.
The Cuban woman concluded her story with a reflection that blends nostalgia and disappointment: "It's a shame because this is a well-known restaurant, one that's been around for many years, and it's a landmark in Miami, representing Cuban food, customs, and our traditions." For those planning to visit both places, Yohana's verdict is clear: El Versalles lives up to its reputation; La Carreta has work ahead.
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