Guy Fieri apparently can’t get his fill of good food cooked up right here in Palm Beach County. After sampling local barbecue, and Italian, on Friday, May 29, he takes his Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” to a restaurant known across West Palm Beach for serving up Cuban classics: Don Ramon Restaurante Cubano.
The restaurant at 7101 South Dixie Highway will be featured in the episode titled “Coast to Coast Creations.”
Founded by Cuban exile Ramon Vilarino and opened 1990, Don Ramon Restaurante was purchased by Juan and Dina Rubio in 1998. Over the last 28 years the spot has become synonymous with great Cuban food, music and more.
Adorned with beautiful artwork inside along with an amazing mural of famous Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz outside, the restaurant is widely known for its extensive traditional Cuban menu and particularly its classics, including Cuban sandwiches and Ropa Vieja.
Dina Rubio decided to go a little outside the box for the episode and made their tostones rellenos stuffed with shrimp and Rabo de Res (oxtail) for show creator and host Guy Fieri.
Crispy, twice-fried plantain cups that are then filled with garlic sauce, sautéed shrimp and vegetables, tostones rellanos are a popular appetizer at Don Ramon.
The Ropa Vieja (shredded beef cooked in a homemade, tomato-based sauce with onions, garlic and peppers) is the most popular dish at Don Ramon, but Rubio pointed Fieri to the oxtail.
“I recommended it because I felt it was a little different,” she said. “It is delicious… and one of my favorites.”
First seared in garlic to seal in the juices, the oxtail is then slow roasted in spices and a red wine reduction until it is absolutely, fall-apart tender delicious.
Rubio said they’ve served oxtail soup from the beginning, but for years it was only on the menu occasionally as a special. Last year they decided to make the dish full time. “People kept asking us ‘Do you have the oxtail? Do you have the oxtail?’ so we decided we better have it all the time.”
No stranger to Cuban cuisine, Fieri and his ‘Triple D’ crew even made a trip to Cuba in 2022 where they visited several restaurants including El Figaro in Havana and enjoyed dishes including lobster in coffee sauce and Camagueyana-style pork loin.
“His crew was amazing!” Rubio said. While filming, Fieri and his team put her and her staff at ease. “As you can imagine being in front of the cameras… your nerves are up to the yin yang,” she laughed.
She said meeting Fieri was privilege and she found him relatable.
Creating more curb appeal at Don Ramon
Wanting the exterior of the restaurant to better reflect their identity, they hired Cuban artist Andres Corzo to paint the mural of Celia Cruz about two years ago, Rubio said. The building was constructed in the 1950s and though it was originally an art deco style, various remodels over the decades slowly covered up a lot of the interesting details.
Rubio said she told her husband “we’re going to take our flavors outside,” and hired Corzo to create the striking mural.
Rubio said Cruz’s image struck the perfect note. “She is a legend to all Hispanics… she had great composure, a great singer, nobody like her anymore.”
Owning and operating Don Ramon with her husband for 28 years, Rubio said her staff has become like family. Multiple employees have been with them for 15 and even 20 years. “I love them,” she said. “They are my kids, I want the best for them.”
In addition to her beloved staff and the passion she has for her restaurant, she’s also thankful to the community.
“We are so grateful,” she said. “It’s been amazing… we’ve been blessed.”
Don Ramon Restaurante Cubano
Where: 7101 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Information: 561-547-8704; donramonrestaurant.com
Other Palm Beach County restaurants featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”
Alaina’sDetails: 4377 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-318-6945, alainasbakeshop.com NEVSDetails: 9910 Alt. A1A, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-437-6387, nevsbarbecue.com DriftwoodDetails: 2005 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561-733-4782, driftwoodboynton.com Tropical SmokehouseDetails: 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, eattropical.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm Beach classic Cuban restaurant grabs Food Network moment
Reporting by Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
