Food that brings excitement, diversity, and a little spice to life is always fun . Bella Cuba, a food experience you will never forget, is one of the best restaurants in Orange County that must be enjoyed.

This restaurant’s obscure location is actually a blessing in disguise. Bella Cuba is found in a small outdoor shopping center that, with an adventurous spirit, one can realize is surrounded by other amazing restaurants. Your taste buds with thank you after experiencing all of the traditional and delicious meals prepared at Bella Cuba!

While Fútbol plays on screens surrounding the comfortable tables at Bella Cuba, sangria filled with crisp apple chunks and oranges are enjoyed. Baskets of their buttered and toasted bread cover every table and are finished in seconds. Pollo Asado, or roasted garlic chicken, falls off the bone and is marinated in their famous Mojo sauce. Buttery and crispy skin of the chicken is met with the bright and flavorful taste of Mojo sauce that covers the onions on top.

When the Pollo Asado dish is served, it comes with sweet pan fried plantains, white rice and black beans. Presented in a simple white ceramic cup, the contrast of the dark and flavorful beans make you wish the side dish was bigger. Their rice is excellent and is the canvas for all of the flavors that are mixed with it. Mojo sauce, beans, or onions are available to join with the tasteful rice.

Bella Cuba’s Oxtail is another must try. Tenderly marinated and then sautéed in Cuban spices and a Creole sauce, the Oxtail legitimately won’t stay on the bone. Each meal comes with the traditional black beans, white rice, and plantains, but my personal favorite are the sweet plantains.

This local spot has been known to have a wait time due to its small location, and I would suggest calling in for a reservation. Covid-19 as well has impacted the ability to eat indoors, so meals must be picked up. The effort is completely worthwhile. The thrill that comes with trying something new is then topped with how tasty that new experience was. Encountering Bella Cuba’s vibrancy and traditional food scene is a must if you are looking for a new favorite restaurant.

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Photo Credit: bellacubarestaurant.com

Written by

Isabella Jackson

Isabella Jackson, junior, is excited to be a part of the Humanities Academy. She plays tennis and is part of the missions program at OLu, both of which she loves. She has always enjoyed writing as well as reading, but she vividly remembers struggling with it in middle school. She was nonetheless interested in English and especially loved her sophomore English teacher, Mrs. Perez. Humanities is a place where art, literature and the history of those subjects come together, and it is always amazing when the things one loves come together.