As you might imagine, my personal expectation was through the roof.
I was first told that a Cuban cafe was set to open on Drayton Street back in September. The day we all sat around waiting on a Tropical Storm that thankfully never made it to Savannah. “He’s a good guy.” I was told. “Young. He’s from Miami, you gotta meet him.”
Fair enough.
Just last week, I popped my head in on the space that looked like it was about to open at 314 Drayton. The ‘coming soon’ flag had been hanging for a couple of weeks. Inside, I met Joaquin Montesino, Chef and Owner of Casa Guava…Savannah’s newest Cuban cafe and sandwich shop.
Long story short, Joaquin is a chef. He moved to the US with his family in 2000 when he was 16. In 2018 he moved to Savannah to get out of South Florida. He landed a job with Southern Cross Hospitality, known a little more commonly as “The Collins Quarter Group.”
He’d been thinking about doing ‘his own thing’ for a while. When the tiny space adjacent to Pinkie Masters came available, he decided to go for it.
Casa Guava Cuban Cafe is now open in the heart of downtown Savannah.
The menu, as you might expect, is small for starters. There are some breakfast items available until 11am. Then a set of sandwiches, including the Cuban and a few others. The most expensive on the menu I believe is $15. The Cuban is $13 and it is huge. I almost took half home with me, but I just kept eating until I was biting my fingertips.
Yeah, the Cuban was outstanding. As were the empanadas. It’s all I had first time out. The rest, including croquetas and pasteles looked fantastic, but there is only so much I was going to try first time out.
You should make a point of doing so yourself. This is a solid Cuban lunch.
Joaquin tells me he is going to take it slow to start out. They will be open 8am-3pm every day offering obviously just breakfast and lunch. He has plans to offer wraps and bowls down the road with your standard fare rice and beans and other braised dishes and perhaps stay open later, but that’s not any time soon.
Short term, go check them out and say hello. This is a great addition to Savannah’s food scene.
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2 thoughts on “Casa Guava Cuban Cafe: Savannah’s Newest Cuban Sandwich”
I am all for small menus – not only does the customer not have some huge selection to keep the indecisive, but the kitchen staff can channel all of their energy into just a few dishes exquisitely!
Former Floridian here who knows that there are a lot of key elements/flavors that make an authentic Cuban,#1 being the bread. Very seldom found beyond South Florida, Joaquin has nailed it…and the spiced pork loin and the ham, the mustard, the pickles, and the cheese. I nearly danced for joy at my first real Cuban in 35 years. The operation needs some efficiency work, as they can’t keep up with the line, but it would certainly be great if this wonderful place survives the Drayton Drag Race corridor, where other eateries have failed, mainly due to the lack of easily accessible parking nearby (none on Drayton) and no real space to eat inside or out. It’s worth the walk and the wait…and walking to find a place to eat it. Way to go, Joaquin, and here’s a Mojito toast to your success at growing out of this location to one that will suit your incredible food better.