Published: Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.
In a feat of geography that makes global warming look like a piker, Las Dos Islas (The Two Islands) moved north a couple of miles on Dec. 12.
From South Florida Avenue to East Memorial means the largely-buffet Puerto Rican-Dominican restaurant now owned by Lourdes Ramirez has much more room to show off the fine Latin food they serve. And the menu is larger, too.
A Mexican chef means there's a Mexican section on the menu.
But the buffet is the big draw. For $7.94, including a fountain drink, you can try everything on three tables. And by the piles on the plates, some people do.
A first visit was a solo attack on the buffet with the strategy of pick and nibble to taste a lot of things.
Read the labels to know what you're tasting.
Spicy pork was supposed to be spicy and the heat simmered a bit before working.
Roast pork is a do-it-yourself dish but the roast fell apart before I could try to slice off a bit. No matter how you get it, get some. It's worth the effort.
Roast chicken falls off the bone, wonderfully tender and tasty.
There's not much meat on ox tail, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up in flavor. Use the sauce on white rice.
Ribs come barbecued and in red sauce. Both are fine ribs and the red sauce sneaks up on you.
If you want potatoes pick them from the beef stew because there are none in the pork stew.
Some of the sweet plantains are black from caramelizing the sugars. The taste is fine but the look is past pretty. Some tasted recently at other places were just as sweet but more appetizing.
Black beans and white rice are good enough to be a meal.
Desserts are hard to sort out. After so many tastes you might be hard-pressed to fit down much.
Try the flans and rice pudding. Then savor something called sweet potato and coconut dulce de leche pudding. It's amazing.
On a second visit, with a guest, we went to the menu. If you're in a hurry, head for the buffet. The boss ended a slight language problem with a server.
The menu has some strange translations, most are typos. That makes Ropa Vieja into Cheddar Beef, and Bistec a Caballo comes out as Beef Steal Horse Style.
No matter what they call it, Ropa Vieja is delicious - chunky, tender and lots of it for $8.
Mofongo is green plantains that are fried and smashed then mashed, most often with bits of crackling pork skin. I had mine surrounded by big, crisp shrimp in red sauce with sweet peppers and onions that's great to moisten the plantains. ($11).
A Cuban sandwich for $5 is thick with meat: real roasted pork, ham, and two layers of cheese on bread that's softer than Cuban.
The Tropical Quesadilla from the Mexican section was rolled not folded, with all sorts of Spanish goodies inside that gave it flavor, not spice. ($8.50).
Bubba's BBQ Club, also in the Mexican section, might have been named for the size more than the ingredients. ($8.50). The big roll had plenty of chicken, cheese, pico de gallo and barbecue sauce, each of the parts good, but better when combined.
John, the owner's husband, says they haven't worked out a way to charge for desserts yet if you don't have the buffet. They're working on it.
The menu also talks about a breakfast buffet. That went away when customers didn't show up and the doors open for lunch.
The restaurant is a nice addition to the city center dining scene. Many cuisines have tried this location. This one deserves to survive.
THE BEST SPANISH FOOD IN FLORIDA
★★★★★ By bravo148usa - Dec 15, 2009
LAST
WEEK I VISITED FLORIDA FROM NY, I MUST SAY WE HAVE PLENTY OF SPANISH
RESTAURANTS HERE IN NY BUT I HAVE NEVER EVER BEEN TO A SPANISH
RESTAURANT THAT HAS A BUFFET AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE FOOD IS AWSOME.
ITS LIKE IF THEY COOK THE FOOD ON THE BUFFET BAR WITH THE SAME LOVE
THAT THEY COOK THE SPECIALTY ORDERS. THE STAFF IS REALLY GREAT VERY
FRIENDLY I FELT AS IF I WAS AT HOME, "MOMS COOKING" LOL. I RECOMMEND
THIS PLACE IF YOU ARE EVER IN TOWN ON BUSINESS OR VACATION AND YOU YOU
HAVE A TASTE FOR HOME COOKING.
Good Spanish Food!
★★★★★ By jecka7 - Aug 14, 2009
Went there for the first time last week. First restaurant I've ever been to that has a spanish buffet (you can order off the menu as well). The buffet was good. You had your choice between white rice or yellow rice with pegeon peas also know to us Puerto Ricans as Arroz con Gandules. One of my favorite rices. They also had two different types of beans to choose from. Black beans or Habichuelas (pinto beans). Many of authentic dishes as well. Can't wait to try their menu next time I go. The menu had Mofongo with all sorts of toppings, Alcapurrias (one of my favorite things), Relleno de Papas, and the famous Jivarto sandwiches. You should really try this place. The inside is an old Chinese restaurant, but please don't let it scare you. The staff their was so wonderful, I felt like I was at their home being looked after. Try it try it...!
WOW
★★★★☆By venshore2003 - Jun 12, 2009
We are really impressed with the excellent food here. It is authentic food that is made fresh and served hot. My favorite which is only served of the weedends begining on Friday for lunch is the goat stew. I love the selection of pork ribs and the pork stew. This is the most unique buffet I have ever been to and it is only 8.50 all day or night that includes your drink and dessert. Today they had the goat stew, pig ear stew, pork stew, baked chicken, and a lot of other dishes that looked really different and good. I do not like the sugar desserts because I am a diabetic and cant have them so I say I do not like them so I wont eat them. But I do eat the fresh fruit for my dessert. This a good family owned resturant that I would reccomend to anyone that likes Latin food or has an open mind like my husband and I to try new kinds of ethnic foods. There is something for everyones taste because if you do not like or want the buffet there is a good menu with a lot of choices of meals. They open for luch at 11am and continue serving food all day until closing but I do not know when that is.
