Julie's Cuban Restaurant
4.2/5
Opening at 5:30 pm
, See all hours
Details
Information
Reviews
Location
Tucked away on a residential street, Julie's Cuban Restaurant has been offering authentic Cuban food in a warm environment.

Restaurant type

  • Coffee Shop,

Cuisine type

  • Cuban,

Dishes

  • Seafood,
  • Fish,

Features

  • Full Bar,

Atmosphere

  • Casual,

Products and Services

  • Lunch Special,
  • Catering,

Languages Spoken

  • English,
Location
202 Dovercourt Rd, Toronto, ON M6J 3C8
Useful Information

Opening Hours *Holiday hours

Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Winter Hours From November 1st To April 30th
Summer Hours From May 1st To October 31st
Winter Hours From November 1st To April 30th
Summer Hours From May 1st To October 31st
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Rates:

  • $11 To $25,

Methods of Payment:

Meet the owner

Looking around Julie’s Cuban Restaurant, it’s hard to believe owner Sylvia Llewellyn was reluctant to run a restaurant. The space radiates warmth, lovingly decorated with antiques from the ’50s and ’60s and softly lit with strings of lights. But, she says, becoming a restaurateur was never her intention or her passion. “I didn’t want to work in a restaurant,” she says. “I’d never worked in a restaurant.”

Instead, Julie’s was born out of circumstance. Faced with an early ’90s recession, Sylvia tried to sell the building, after she took over ownership from her mother Julie, but it proved difficult. So Sylvia embraced the space, renovating and turning it into a licensed restaurant. Despite her initial apprehension, it didn’t take long before Julie’s became known as the place to get the perfect mojito or to have a first date.

“Within six months, we were so popular that visitors from New York and L.A. were booking tables,” says Sylvia, seeming somewhat surprised herself by the restaurant’s quick rise to success. It even became popular with the celebrity crowd, counting Rachel McAdams, Natalie Portman and local celebrities among its customers.

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Menu & Prices

Beverages MENU - Julie's Cuban Restaurant

Drinks

TROPICAL COCKTAILS Mojito Cubano Daiquiri Original Fresh Druit Daiquiri Margarita Strawberry Margarita RUM TEQUILA SCOTCH | WHISKEY BRANDY | COGNAC LIQUEURS, CORDIALS AND DIGESTIFS WINE BOTTLES | BLANCO BOTTLES | TINTO CERVEZAS | BEER JUICES AND SPRITIZERS CAFÉ CUBANO TÉ | TEA - 3 SPECIALTY COFFEE

ENSALADAS | SALADS MENU - Julie's Cuban Restaurant

S = Spicy
V = Vegetarian
V* = Vegan

V* Aguacate

Avocado, greens, cucumber, tomato, red onion

$10.00

V* Aguacate y Mango

Avocado, mango, greens, red pepper, red onion

$12.00

Aguacate y Camarones

Shrimp, avocado, greens, tomato, red onion

$15.00

V* Mixta con Garbanzos

Chick peas, cucumber, peppers, tomato, onion

$10.00

APERITIVOS | TAPAS MENU - Julie's Cuban Restaurant

S = Spicy
V = Vegetarian
V* = Vegan

V* Tortilla Chips con Guacamole

V* or Salsa - 6

$8.00

V* Tostones Rellenos

Green plantain cups filled with a choice of avocado, shrimp or picadillo

$8.00

Blue Marlin Ceviche

Fresh fish salad cured in citrus juices

$10.00

Calamari

Lightly floured and seasoned squid

$10.00

Camarones con Coco

Coconut shrimp with salsa

$9.00

Camarones al Ajillo

Shrimp in white wine and garlic

$9.00

S Enchilado de Camarones

Shrimp cooked in a spicy tomato salsa

$9.00

S Quesadilla con Pollo

Two cheeses, grilled chicken, and jalapeno salsa in a tortilla wrap

$15.00

V Quesadilla con Queso

Two cheeses and jalapeno salsa in a tortilla wrap

$9.00

S Chorizos

Spicy Spanish sausage in red wine sauce

$7.00

V Plàtano Maduro Frito

Sweet ripe plantains

$5.00

V Tachino

Green plantain topped with salsa and cheeses

$7.00

V Plàtano Especial

Ripe plantain topped with picadillo

$10.00

V Frituras de Maíz

Peppery corn fritters and a side of sour cream

$8.00

V* Yuca con Mojo

Potato-like root vegetable in garlic and onion mojo

$8.00

Pan Tostada

Pressed Garlic bread

$4.00

Papa Rellena I

Potato puff stuffed with picadillo

$6.00

Papa Rellena II

with mushrooms and vegetables

$6.00

V* Moros

Traditional black beans and rice

$5.00

V* Frijoles Negros

Black Bean Soup

$5.00

V* Arroz and Frijoles

white rice topped with black beans

$5.00

V* Arroz con Azafran

Saffron spiced rice

$5.00

PLATOS | MAIN PLATES MENU - Julie's Cuban Restaurant

S = Spicy
V = Vegetarian
V* = Vegan

S Enchilado de Camarones

Shrimp in spicy tomato based sauce, served with white rice

$22.00

S Picadillo de Mamita

Beef and pork hash, served with saffron rice and fresh seasonal fruit

$17.00

Ropa Vieja

Most traditional Cuban dish… Flank steak, pulled, stewed in tomatoes and aromatics, served with white rice and frijoles

$19.00

Vaca Frita

Flank steak, pulled, seared with onion, garlic, tomatoes and lime, served with rice and frijoles

$19.00

Puerco Empanizado

Tenderized, breaded pork cutlet served with moros
**Available grilled

$16.00

Bistec de Palomilla

Tenderized sirloin steak topped with onion served with moros

$17.00

Pollo con Plàtano Maduro

Grilled chicken breast stuffed with ripe plantains and served with saffron rice

$19.00

Bistec Empanizado

Tenderized sirloin steak, breaded served with moros

$18.00
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Ratings & Reviews - Julie's Cuban Restaurant

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Restaurantica12
By

You have become a favourite.

Couldn't wait to tell you, that for this celebration your restaurant was perfect. Overall, the atmosphere, food, and service were wonderful. You have become a favourite.

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Restaurantica12
By

Great wait staff!

3 first time diners and they all loved it! Muchas gracias! Great wait staff! The food was absolutely delicious. They all say they will be back soon!

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Restaurantica12
By

Service and atmosphere were great

Service and atmosphere were great. Platano was fantastic, as was everything else. We have already been back a few times and tell everyone we know about them.

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terrykang36
By

Thank you!

While Latin eateries have been peppering the high-dining corridors for years, Julie's Restaurant and Bar has been quietly serving up Cuban fare on a shaded residential strip of Dovercourt near Dundas.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Cozy Cuban Cuisine

My first time trying Cuban cuisine. With no frame of reference I would have to say it was pretty good quality Cuban food. All of the food tasted very fresh. The Cuban steak was cooked the way that I wanted it, and it was delicious. It annoyed me that we had to pay for the bowl of tortilla chips & salsa while waiting for our food - that kind of stuff should be free. Drinks were very steeply priced, especially Mojitos. The service was good, the waiters were more than happy to help us through our first Cuban meal. Our final bill for 3 people, including a fair tip was $300. If I returned it would be in summer when the patio is open, and I would just order the tasty Cuban steak, keep it simple and not get caught up in the moment ordering expensive sides, drinks, and desserts.

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machete1
By

Disappointment !!!!!!

I was born and raised in Cuba and I’m a Chef, that said: While browsing for a Cuban restaurant I came across this one, shocking description. First of all Cuban food isn’t hot at all except for hot tamales or an enchilada de camarones in it’s hot and spicy version popular at bars and eateries to be accompanied by very cold beer. Describing Cuban cuisine as “hot” gives me the notion that who ever wrote those paragraphs has no clue about the real deal. Second: guacamole, nachos and salsa, quesadillas…. Mexican, has nothing to do with Cuban food, not today, not in the past. Cuban food has a stronger influence from Spanish, Mediterranean and even classic French and nothing to do with Mexican hot and spicy seasoning. For sure I wont be amongst the guest list.

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Business Reply June 18, 2015

To Machete1... guess you've never been to any of the thousands of Cuban restaurants in Miami. Julie's Cuban Chef IS CUBAN from Cienfuegos. And if the Cuban people had spices in Cuba... they would use them... they don't even have oregano... it's a cosmopolitan world now... and no guacamole is not a Cuban dish which always surprised me since they grow avocados in their backyards.

Restaurantica12
By

Lovely, funky, homey atmosphere with unobtrusive...

Lovely, funky, homey atmosphere with unobtrusive but interesting music, great service and wonderful Cuban food at reasonable prices. Have eaten there more than a dozen times and have always enjoyed it immensely.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Housed in a converted 1960s snack bar, this neighbourhood Cuban joint is tucked away on a residential street just off the fashionable Queen West strip. The Mojito Cubano is a classic recipe made with rum, fresh mint, lime and soda. You’ll also find a variety of premium rums (including El Dorado 12 year Luxury Cask Aged rum from Guyana) and Sailor Jerry from the Caribbean) if you feel like sipping your liquor straight. The glowing string lights throughout the space and checkered tablecloths give the local hideaway a casual beach vibe.

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