El Palacio de los Jugos

El Palacio de los Jugos Restaurant Review:

Apolonia “Poli” Bermudez opened the “Palace of Juices” 30 years ago as a juice stand. Today it is a grand central station of all things Cuban under one roof with outdoor picnic tables where the “coco frio” man slashes open coconuts with a machete so customers can sip the cool water. At the juice counter try mango, watermelon, orange-carrot, papaya or pineapple juice. There are produce stands where you can find avocados, bananas and guavas. Wander the stalls of prepared food to amass a meal. Don't miss pork chicharrones (crisp skin, juicy meat), oxtail stew, rice and black beans, pan con lechon (roast pork sandwiches) and mountains of crispy mariquitas (plantain chips) fried in lard. It all conjures up the lost Cuban countryside, including the slabs of fresh farmers cheese with guava paste and stalks of sugar cane for guarapo (sugar cane juice). Other locations.