Cafecito, a locally-owned Cuban café, is now open in downtown Charleston and offering residents and visitors the flavors of the Caribbean nation. You can find the eatery at 471 King Street.
The new café will specialize in the iconic Cafecito (espresso brewed with whipped sugar) and pressed Cuban sandwiches. The menu will also feature a variety of authentic Cuban coffee classics like coladas and café con leche, iced or hot, as well as beer, wine, and an assortment of island-inspired sweets and pastries.
Co-owner Kathy Atkins says her family heritage inspired the café's menu development. Her grandparents are native “Cuban Conchs” from Key West, the first destination for Cuban immigrants in the late 1800s. Atkins says her grandfather had her whipping up cafecitos at a very young age.
Cafecito's “Cubano” sandwiches will be made on authentic Cuban bread and filled with Mojo pork, Bolo ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Additional featured classics will include the Media Noche (a Cubano pressed on a sweet roll), the Elena Ruz, (a pressed turkey/guava/cream cheese on a sweet roll), as well as two vegetarian sandwiches: Grandpa Arsenio's Avocado and the Caprese Cubano. Authentic homemade Key lime pie and Grandma Celia's creamy Cuban flan are also on the menu.
Atkins and her husband, Lane, moved to Charleston from Miami in 2018.
“The one thing we've missed most from South Florida is the ability to get delicious Cuban coffee and sandwiches at any time, and almost anywhere,” said Lane.
Cafecito will be open daily from 8 am to 3 pm (closed Tuesdays). The café will also be open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 pm to 10 pm.
