Bistec a Caballo in Miami: The Cuban Plate You Should Order
Grilled steak, a fried egg on top, rice, black beans, and sweet plantains — this is what regulars order when they want a real lunch. And somehow almost nobody orders it.
If you've been to a Cuban cafeteria in Miami and always ordered the Cuban sandwich or ropa vieja, that's fine — those are excellent. But there's a plate that doesn't get called out on chalkboards or pushed in social posts, and it's better than both of them on most days. It's called bistec a caballo, and here's why it matters.
What is bistec a caballo?
Bistec a caballo translates literally as "steak on horseback." The name refers to the fried egg sitting on top of the grilled beef — the egg rides the steak like a rider on a horse. It's a Cuban preparation with roots across Latin America (versions exist in Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru), but in Miami's cafeterias, the Cuban version is the one you'll find.
At Cafeteria Miami, the plate comes with juicy grilled steak topped with a fried egg, served over white rice and black beans, with sweet fried plantains on the side. It's $13.50 — the kind of lunch that holds you until dinner without feeling heavy.
Why is it underrated?
A few reasons. First, the name is in Spanish, and not every Miami diner reads a Spanish menu with confidence. "Bistec a caballo" requires more mental translation than "Cuban sandwich" — even for people who eat Cuban food every week. Second, the egg on top looks like a breakfast choice, so people assume it's for mornings. It's not — this is a full lunch plate, and the egg is the point.
Third, and most honestly: people find what they know and they order it every time. The pan con bistec (Cuban steak sandwich) is one of the most ordered items in our kitchen every week. But the bistec a caballo bowl — same steak, more food, bigger plate — moves a fraction of the volume. That's not a quality gap. It's a familiarity gap.
Who should order it
If you're an office worker looking for lunch in Miami that doesn't leave you hungry two hours later, this is the plate. The combination of steak protein and egg protein keeps you full, the rice and beans slow the burn, and the plantains give you the sweetness that makes Cuban food feel like a complete meal instead of fuel.
If you're catering a group and want something that reads "serious lunch" rather than "I grabbed sandwiches," bistec a caballo trays land differently. It's the kind of food that makes people put down their phones.
And if you work near Doral, near the airport, or anywhere in that corridor — we're at 1150 NW 72nd Ave, which is an easy drive. Doral lunch near me searches should turn us up, but this post is for the people who haven't found us yet.
How to order it at Cafeteria Miami
Online ordering is the fastest way. Select the Bistec a Caballo Bowl from the Lunch section — you'll have the plate packed and waiting before you finish your drive. Most pickup orders are ready in under 10 minutes.
Walk-ins work too. Tell the counter you want the bistec a caballo. They know it. It's made to order and takes about the same time as anything else on the hot plate menu.
We're open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM. That's it. We close when the food is done and the lunch crowd clears, not when a corporate clock says to. Fresh food doesn't work on an extended schedule, and neither do we.
The Miami food scene has no shortage of places to eat. But if you haven't tried bistec a caballo yet, you're ordering off the first page of a longer menu. Try the second page.
Written by the team at Cafeteria Miami. Cuban lunch near Miami Airport — 1150 NW 72nd Ave, Suite 160.
Order Lunch Online