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  • Victor's 1959 Cafe

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Victor's 1959 Cafe
Victor's 1959 Cafe

Victor's 1959 Cafe Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.victors1959cafe.com
  • Email: cafe1959@gmail.com
  • Phone: (612) 827-8948
  • Hours of Operation: Breakfast & Brunch: Everyday: 8:00am - 2:30pm; Lunch: Everyday: 11:00am - 2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday: 4:30pm - 9:00pm
  • Payment Options: MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Cuban, Caribbean
  • Executive Chef: Flor Tapia-Negreros
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Smoking Area, Smoking Area (patio only), Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Catering: Please contact Niki Stavrou directly for catering options at cafe1959@gmail.com
  • Entertainment: We play fun Cuban and Latin music in the restaurant, but no live entertainment.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: West 38th Street
  • Public Transit: We are on the corner of West 38th Street and Grand Ave South in Minneapolis. Both streets are major bus lines.
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Parking Details: We have a small parking lot in front and in back of the restaurant (3 spots in front, 4 spots in back)and there is also on-street parking available.
A word from Victor's 1959 Cafe
Victor's 1959 Cafe is a little piece of Havana in South Minneapolis offering traditional Cuban fare such as Picadillo, Ropa Vieja, Cuban Sandwiches, Yuca frita, Sweet Plantains, Tostones, and other recipes from Cuban cuisine. Independently and locally owned, you'll find friendly service and a… festive environment with lots of writing on the walls!

Visited in 2008 by Food Network's Guy Fieri, Diner's Drive-ins and Dives, who cooked up "off the hook" Cuban food with owner Niki Stavrou. Check our website to watch the episode!

We're a tiny restaurant with only 10 tables inside and 10 more tables on our tropical summer patio. Enjoy our Wines, Beers, Tropical Mimosas and Champagne Mojitos!

Also popular for our unique breakfast menu, served every day! No reservations for breakfast or lunch, just come on in...

5 mins from Downtown/Uptown 15 minutes from Mpls/St Paul Int'l airport. Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service
  • Diners' Choice WinnerNeighborhood Gem
Diner Reviews
  • "We ate here for dinner recently and the experience was great, as was the food. We were greeted and served energetically by the staff. We started with the crab cakes, which were some of the best I've had. We each had a different entree and all were delicious. The only complaint would be that it is a bit of a cramped space. However, I feel that this adds to the ambiance more than it becomes a hassle. Overall, 5 stars."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "This quirky neighborhood restaurant is a fun place to have dinner. There is a good variety of Cuban dishes on the menu and a reasonably priced bar menu. The server we had was fantastic and really added to the experience."
    Dined on 4/2/2014
  • "My husband and I went here for the first time the other night and had a fantastic experience. Our server was very passionate and knowledgeable about the food and gave great recommendations. The noise level was loud but it goes with the whole theme of the restaurant which is energetic and fun. It almost felt like a small vacation in the middle of our Minnesota winter. We will be going back here again for sure"
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "We went as our anniversary celebration.The food was good, nothing spectacular, but fun to try something new that I would never make at home. The whole experience was fun. I expected it to be loud due to the small venue and tight fit of tables/booths but, surprisingly, it was not. The writing on the walls was so entertaining. When we were trying to decide if we should have dessert, the couple next to us (apparently frequent diners there) suggested the flan--we ordered it and were happy with their suggestion. We plan on retruning this summer for lunch on the patio."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "We enjoyed our beverages food dessert and coffee. Our server was friendly and knowledgable. The place was warm and inviting when we stepped in the door. We will definitely return soon."
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "It's a small place with great food. I've lived just a couple miles away for years and never been here before ... my loss for sure."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "Don't let the outside fool you. The food here is fantastic. Be sure to make a reservation."
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "We made our reservation using Open Table just moments before going into the restaurant. By the time we showed up, they had our reservation and table waiting. Amazing. The staff were so friendly and accomodating, and they were SO excited about their food. They had clearly tested the food and were thrilled to describe each part of the experience. I got hungry just listing to our bright and energetic server tell us about the food. The quarters are cramped, but the food and the people are worth it."
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "This was our second time at Victors Cafe, the wait staff is very friendly (though not overly), and make fantastic menu suggestions. I had the shrimp jumbalaya (the special), and my wife had a fantastic , lime/ pulled pork , dish that was to die for. Though the wine menu is limited, the menu make up for it...please enjoy this restaurant!"
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "Victor's 1959 Cafe is such a gem. Tiny place with a big, lively atmosphere serving the the best of Cuban Food and a few twists. I was able to enjoy quite a bit of Cuban food when I lived in Mexico, as we had a large population of people from Cuba living on the island, Victor's always brings me back to the islands with ever single bite. Great for Brunch (go early to get a table in this little place) and a favorite for dinner (they take reservations for dinner). Go with a empty stomach so you can have appetizers, like the crab cakes and the empanadas, and share a few of their wonderful main dishes. Just have the friendly wait staff steer you in the right direction - they are always spot on. Thank you Victor's - I'm your forever fan."
    Dined on 3/5/2014
  • "This is a fine dining spot. Small (approx. 34 seats at 10 tables), funky & delicious, a Cuban diner with a great menu and an unusual beer and wine menu. The Cubano Sandwich is a popular standby but last night I had the Lechon Asado, a very nice surprise - moist and so tasty. A really good choice. My daughter had a sneak preview of an item soon to appear on the menu, a pork tenderloin dish that I tasted and will definitely get next time. My family has gone to Victor's many times over many years, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We've never been disappointed. Victor's is small and very popular - reservations are strongly suggested. Even for breakfast. It's not surprising to see people outside in all kinds of weather."
    Dined on 3/4/2014
  • "We had a wonderful dinner and the service was great! We would recommend this to anyone! We will definitely be coming back,"
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "My family isn't too big and we get together every month for a family dinner. They were able to find a wonderful space for all 8 of us and the food was amazing. As a mostly vegetarian family we had a few redundancies but the food is great nonetheless! Our server was on top of everything and incredibly helpful."
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "Service and food was excellent!! We will definitely be going back!! YUM!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Excellent as always! One of our favorite restaurants"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Victor's 1959 Cafe never fails to deliver. Ropa Vieja is not to be missed."
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "This was my first time at the restaurant and I thought it was absolutly amazing. I picked it for my birthday and they were very accomoditing with the cake and everything. The parking wasn't great as you have to park in the street and it took a while to find a spot but it was well worth it. The waiters were all extremly friendly and the food was delicious! We will all be coming back!"
    Dined on 2/12/2014
  • "I am from Miami and grew up on Cuban Food Victor's is as close to Miami as you can find in MN. Good food, a nice little joint in a neighborhood- Highly recommend. Try the Ropa Vieja- it's very good!"
    Dined on 6/4/2013
  • "VIctor's is a nice change from other Mpls restaurants. Small, cozy, and delightfully tacky decor. The food is excellent, and the pina colada cake is to die for!"
    Dined on 2/5/2014
  • "The food here is SO good, the service is amazing, and it's just a really fun ambiance. I always bring my friends who are visiting from out of town to this spot (if I can get a reservation in time, it fills up fast!)."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "Really enjoyed the Cubano sandwich, and the Xango Chango (a cheesecake and pastry dessert with guava) was phenomenal. Service was very good. Definitely come with a reservation on the weekend, it's a small place. They play music at a slightly-higher-than-speech level; not a quiet place for a romantic dinner."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "The food was brought out to us about three minutes after we ordered and was very old and overcooked. We were very disappointed in our evening and left as fast as possible. Sometimes things are not actually as good as you remember."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "We had beef empanadas, Picadillo Cubano (ground beef), Ropa Vieja (shredded flank steak) and a $14 bottle of Chilean red wine during happy hour. The empanadas were pretty on point. The picadillo was of the liquidy tomato type (they vary a lot between chefs) and I requested it with moros y critianos (rice w/black beans) which was completely bland. The ropa vieja had better flavor than the picadillo but was still lacking that full-fledged ka-pow! Cuban flavor you'd expect. Both dishes were served with perfectly made sweet plantains and a tiny salad with a garlicky dressing which was delicious. We topped off our meal with the Xango Chango dessert which was killer good! We won't come back though - we've had much better Cuban."
    Dined on 1/25/2014
  • "You can't do any better than Victors for authentic Cuban food"
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "I've enjoyed Cuban food and coffee on trips to Miami. I'll be back to Victors for my fix. Hubby loved it too."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "The service was great! Attentive and fun! The food was great. I had the entree called Old Clothes (Ropa Viejo) and it was so good. The flavors were amazing. I dined with my husband and 2 friends. We each loved our dishes. My husband had the pulled pork, another friend had the Cuban Sandwich and my other friend the Ropa. We loved everything. You will not be disappointed if you are in the mood for some Cuban cuisine."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "I highly recommend the Lechon Asado! So juicy and tender (with the perfect amount of fatty parts...yum), and the lime/garlic flavor went superbly with the white rice and black beans (and the yuca frita were delectable too!). I found the mojo sauce to be a bit overpowering and alternately totally delicious...it may have to grow on me. The mango sauce on the small salad that accompanied the dish was sweet and amazing! Service was fast and friendly, atmosphere was fun (next time I'll bring a Sharpie to leave my own mark on the place!), and aside from trying to find a parking spot with barely-plowed roads, it was a great experience."
    Dined on 1/14/2014
  • "A warm welcome restaurant, all memories from Keywest keep on flashing back while I was there. Food taste super B especially the limey pull pork with big amount of food."
    Dined on 1/4/2014
  • "Since returning to the Twin Cities several years ago, I'm still trying to taste all of the ethnic cuisine our metro has to offer. Cuban food has always been in my top ten. Victor's 1959 is the best of the best here! Past visits have been for breakfast; but, this was dinner. The menu is simple. Pick you favorite, whether vegetarian or which type of meat. Experience the plantains and the black bean rice. Enjoy!"
    Dined on 1/3/2014
  • "This was the first time anyone in my group had been to Victor's. It was a little cozy for a group of 5, but it was wonderful! Our server had a great attitude, and she was very helpful and honest when making recommendations about the menu. The meats were all tender and flavorful, and the salads were crisp. I fully endorse Victor's to anyone looking for a quality restaurant in South Mpls. I will definitely be back!"
    Dined on 12/10/2013
  • "Love victors food and rose wine options. You can't go wrong with the Cuban sandwhich (don't forget to add chorizo)! The resturant is small and not good for groups, but perfect for great casual dinner for a resonable price. We'll definately be coming back."
    Dined on 11/13/2013
  • "Victor's is a cute place, very small, but a hip environment. We moved here from Atlanta a few months ago and I have been missing my Cuban restaurants. The fried sweet plantains are good, but those are hard to mess up, I can make them at home. Other than that I wasn't very impressed. I went out of my way to go to this place, due to the lack of other Cuban options in the twin cities, but I don't think it is worth a return trip. Pros: Hip Environment, it isn't Applebees Cons: food is just so-so"
    Dined on 11/15/2013
  • "Great food and service. Ask your server for their recommendations, you won't be sorry"
    Dined on 11/15/2013
  • "very fun and energetic staff; delicious food; dessert was a fabulous finish!"
    Dined on 11/5/2013
  • "To start we ordered the Cubano Mix appy since the wife had never eaten Cuban food before. The Tostones and empanadas were good but the ham croquetes reminded both of us of deviled ham, and neither of us like it. The wife had the camarones criollo which she loved and I had the picadillo a la cubana which was also very good. My only complaint with my meal, is that being a huge green olive in cooked food fan, I only found one small half of a green olive in my dish. I would have preferred a lot more. Otherwise, the meal was great overall. We will definitely be back."
    Dined on 11/2/2013
  • "This tiny restaurant would be easy to miss if you weren't looking for it specificly. The atmosphere is fun and casual and the wait staff is very knowledgeable. Large portions of tasty food that I was able to share with my dining partner."
    Dined on 10/26/2013
  • "If you love Cuban food, you'll love Victors 1959 Cafe. A fun place to eat!"
    Dined on 10/18/2013
  • "Love this restaurant. Very unique and fun. Only been here twice but both times were very good experiences."
    Dined on 10/17/2013
  • "Fun, delicious and casual. Great Cuban food and not at all pretentious. We loved it!"
    Dined on 10/18/2013
  • "Great casual dining to chat with friends. Reasonable prices. Excellent service and food. Good choices in beverages, food and dessert were superb!"
    Dined on 10/16/2013
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Minneapolis - St. Paul Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Neighborhood Gem
  • Twin Cities / Minneapolis Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Service
  • Neighborhood Gem
Learn more ›