Miami Cafe Express

Wow!!! Now that was some GREAT AUTHENTIC Cuban food!!! The Cuban sandwich and black beans and rice was fantastic!!! Don’t miss this place!

We had been looking for a Caribbean option and finally found Miami Café Express. We tried to go for a Saturday supper and found them closed, but the next Saturday we were there for lunch. It won’t be our last visit.
Yes, it is IN the car wash building. When the car wash is open, there did not seem to be much additional parking, but there were a few spots and we grabbed one. The place is tiny and it was too chilly to sit outside, but we did find a seat and overflow can move into the car wash waiting area if needed.
The food was fabulous. There was only one person in the kitchen, the owner. He was gregarious, welcoming and eager to share his story and his menu. The menu is on a chalkboard but he told us not everything was there, to ask for what we wanted. That was great because my husband wanted mofungo, which was not listed but available. i had the Cuban sandwich and fried plantains, with what he called «Caribbean iced tea», a yellowish fruit juice and tea combo that would have been even better with a slug of rum.
There was a wait, but the food was top notch. The sandwich met all my expectations of a Cuban and the plantains were magnificent. The mofungo was a nice portion, served with chunks of pork and some cursory salad ingredients. There was enough for my husband to stuff himself and me to have lunch the next day from the leftovers. I had never had mofungo and enjoyed the rich complexity of the flavors.
Beyond one car wash employee, we were the only customers that ordered in English. I always take that as a good sign at an ethnic/​regional eatery.
The owner mentioned several times that once you were a customer you were family, and he treated everyone that way. We can’t wait to return, and plan to do so frequently. They have just started opening for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with music, expanded seating and BYOB. You can recognize us – we’ll be the ones stuffing our faces with mofungo.

Excellent place! Louie is definitely a down to earth guy and you can tell he’s passionate about his cooking. Just like any other great mom n pop shop, he needs more attention from the foodies to spread the word. The mofongo is a great choice! Try it out! It’s worth at least a taste.

The best Cuban/​puerto rican food in probably the whole state of Alabama!
Don’t be fooled by the location in the Car Wash, give it a try, its a diamond in the rough and the food is to die for!
Try the Jesus cake, you will say «Oh my God» when you try it!
The owner is a great guy from Florida and the food is as authentic as it gets!
We will be back again and again!

We went to MC once when it was in Alabaster and had a good meal with a pork plate plus a cubano or two and some empanadas. It was good but I immediately reaslized that I would not make the trek out there very often.
Recently, they moved to the car wash building in Hoover right down the road from one of my favorite Mexican places/​About a month ago after our monthly trip to Costco, we decided to give it a shot on a Saturday around noon. Luis is super nice as is his wife (Samantha I guess).
We ordered a cubano to split along with some yucca fries and two empanadas. And then we waited probably 30 minutes for the food to be prepared.
I am not typically one that makes note of the time betwen a hostess notices them, then before the waitress approaches, etc like some reviews on Unilocal and other sites that go on ad nauseum about these wait times. Do these people bring their stopwatches? Anyway, I am not faulting them completely on this as they seem to prepare each order when ordered, but it seemed like they could only handle one order at a time. Now the carwash probably brings in some extra business, but there were about 10 people there and it took a while. Sitting outside in the breeze, this was not a huge deal but you may want to call ahead and or just go ahead and get your car washed while you wait.
They appear to use Cuban bread from Publix (or at least the loaves are bundled into Publix bag) which is not a bad thing per se as once the sandwich is pressed, all of the flavors meld together well. The pork, ham, cheese, mustard and pickles make for a powerful combination but it does tend to be a little dry. Perhaps I prefer the cubanos at Kool Korner as you can get a side of mojo to dip the sandwich in to help with the dryness. It’s still a damn good sandwich. The empanadas, while pre-​made and bagged in ziplock, appear to be house made and the chicken and beef ones were good, although I wish they had some hot sauce other than Franks. Still, I love empanadas and they are always a treat. The yucca fries were great with a little salt and ketchup.
The old MC advertised party platters for games and such. A big tray of cubanos and empanadas would be awesome for Saturdays in the fall.
Drinks were cans as the soda fountain was out-​of-​order.
Pricing was fair but at the time they were having issues with processing credit cards through the iphone attachment due to the wifi. Samantha had to run my card about 20 times before it worked. Still, I was correctly only charged once but unless this has changed, maybe it would be best to take cash.
I really hope they succeed at this location as they are super nice. We will definitely return after trips to Costco.

My wife and I love finding small out of the way restaurants. This one is small and out of the way (attached to a carwash). Don’t let the carwash scare you away. The owners are legit. They really are interested in making you feel comfortable and that you like their food.
The food was seasoned really well. The pork was tender and the tostones were outstanding. We can’t wait to go back.

I have been itching to find a decent Cuban sandwich and fried plantains in the Birmingham area. Finally, I was in the area around lunch and could stop in.
Had a bit of a problem finding the place. It is literally in the Riverchase Car Wash off Lorna Road near Hwy 31. It is a very small café, with a rather limited menu. There was only one guy working whom I assume was the owner. He was upbeat and deft at the grill, but not in any hurry :) I mean that in a positive way. If you wish to dine here, expect to spend some time. There were a few people there ordering and waiting at noon on the Friday i was there. It didn’t appear anyone who was in a hurry was sticking around.
I ordered the Cuban Sandwich and Fried Green Plantains. The sandwich was good. I normally order sweet plantains at Cuban restaurants, so I decided to go for the green ones here. They were okay, but I’ll go for the sweet ones next time.
There is not much of a menu, as it is written on a white board, but they have a about 8 different sandwiches (including a philly cheesesteak), and a couple of different pork entrée plates. No hours were posted, and I didn’t ask. I’d assume they are open when the car wash is open.
This appears to be a one man operation, so I wouldn’t expect to be in and out quickly. The kitchen and waiting area were neat and clean. Nothing was sticky or messy.
I like Cuban food, and rarely get to have it in Alabama. I will be back to try some other menu items. Maybe I’ll get my car washed at the same time :)