These are nice folks doing simple, authentic Cuban food. Given the opportunity, I’d want to sample the sandwiches, fish, and maybe even the Cuban pizza. But for my quick stay, one of the many $5.99 lunch specials was sufficient. Roasted chicken, rice and beans, a simple salad, and (oh, boy!) fried plantains were filling – and fulfilling.

Once you drive north from Miami, you can burn a lot of rubber without running across any Cuban food, let alone Cuban food of this quality. Rock Hill’s lucky to have a restaurant like this, and I hope the locals will catch on and give Carlos Cafe a try.