A restaurant where traditional Cuban staples and fresh Gulf of Mexico seafood are transformed into flavorful caribbean-style dishes with Carlos’ stamp of passion on each one of them.
A fisherman all his life, Carlos Valdes developed a passion for cooking from his mother, and a dream to open a restaurant. When he and Dulce borrowed money to purchase the building in 2005, now the Havana Café in Chokoloskee, Florida, Dulce’s mother “Mima” said, “Are you crazy? You’ve never run a restaurant and it’s in the middle of no where!”
ccording to Carlos and Dulce Valdes, the entire experience has been about learning. Success is a result of the love for family, friends, food, and a passion for not giving up.
Known for home-cooked, high quality Cuban food with Caribbean Island influence, the Havana Café of the Everglades is a destination on Chokoloskee Island, located in the 10,000 islands in South Florida.
