1928 Cuban Bistro - St. Johns

Super nice staff and great food. Thank you for the hospitality this morning - been missing Cuban cuisine. Sorry I had a Fat Girl flare up before I could take a pic of the guava and cheese delicacy. lol 😆

First time in, we place our order and wait,wait waited for our food never came, the manager came later and said that the called our name and we never respond so or order was put aside, new order was made and when food arrived we where offers complementary coffee but remove the ones we had then the order came and we didn’t have nothing to drink cz then we had to wait for the new coffee offer.. bad experience .. we only stop for a sandwich and a Cuban coffee!!!

Everything I have had here is amazing, great food with amazing service!!

only disappointment: tostones came from a bag. not made in-house.

YUM YUM YUM! First time here, we loved it!!! La viejita was soo good! The Ropa vieja on it was beautiful! 10/10 will eat again!

On the pricey side, but good authentic food.

Absolutely amazing!! The service is top tier, they treat customers like family. Tiffany and Sully are amazing, they represent the face of 1928 in the way that it should. Truly nothing like it in the north Florida area. I am an avid traveler and the closest thing to 1928’s environment and service would be all the way in south Florida. 10/10 recommend!

Disappointing Experience from a Previously Reliable Spot.

I’ve been a frequent customer of this establishment for quite some time—both in person and through Uber Eats—so it’s frustrating to see how much the service has declined. Whether it’s due to new management or understaffing, something is clearly off.

On my most recent visit, it took nearly 40 minutes to receive a simple order: a sandwich, an iced coffee, and a pastry. Even more baffling, the items were brought out at different times—despite being part of the same order. Strangely, the iced coffee and pre-made pastry arrived after the sandwich, which makes absolutely no sense.

While waiting, I noticed several takeout orders being prioritized over dine-in customers. A couple nearby, who had also been waiting over 30 minutes, politely asked for an update on their order. The cashier’s dismissive and sarcastic response—“Wait, you actually checked that?”—was both unprofessional and disrespectful.

By the time my food arrived, it was lukewarm at best and honestly not worth the wait. This visit left me with the impression that customer experience is no longer a priority here. It’s disorganized, slow, and the quality has slipped. Really unfortunate for a place that used to be reliable.

The coffee was sour, it tasted old and stale, or it could have been under extracted. What really surprised me were the water stains on the walls and what looked like white dust on their black ceiling above our seating. Overall the service and quality has diminished since their opening. Here's some food for thought, you don't get water with your food anymore like before, and the portions have gotten much smaller for the same price. Also, coffee is served in a cup without a small plate or spoon to stir, and everyone is in a hurry. It's those little things that matter to me. And forget asking for wifi, they have a guest password, but when you ask to access their wifi they tell you they can't grant you access because nobody knows the paasword. It's a frusterating place to eat and feel appreciated. If you're looking for a premier Cuban Cafe there are others in Fernandina Beach to choose from. I'd recommend shopping around. This place has diminished in many ways.

We order steak sandwiche and Chicken sandwich both were awful. Steak was super dry with barley no tomatoes or lettuce chicken had no flavor whatsoever. Service awful too pretty much you help yourself.!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Delicious authentic Cuban food! A nice cafe to have a friend date or do a little work at too.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Delicious, Pastries, La Gordita Open-Faced Toast

Excellent food! Delicious!!
Service is very attentive and nice.
Great place!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ham & Cheese Tostada, Cuban Sandwich, Delicious

I have family in town for the holiday. I made a large online order which totaled $73.17. Fourteen of my sixteen items were empanadas. I received no sauces. When I picked up my order, I politely asked for sauces. I was told that I receive only one sauce per order and additional sauces are sold for 50 cents each. This policy should be changed. One sauce for fourteen empanadas is both unacceptable and highly disappointing, especially for a $70+ order.

Service: 1

Incredible empanadas and coffees!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent place for both breakfast and lunch

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5