Vaca frita is the order to remember at Sergio’s London Square: shredded beef cooked on the griddle with onions, with sides chosen to make it your lunch. Start with a basket of mariquitas and garlic mojo, then give the beef the center of the meal.
This is the 13550 SW 120th Street restaurant in Kendall. Sergio’s has been serving Cuban food in South Florida since 1975, and its London Square branch is the one to save for this stop. The wider menu runs from breakfast through dinner, but a plate of vaca frita gives a lunch visit a clear purpose.
For the table
Mariquitas, with garlic mojo on the side
Begin with mariquitas: thin plantain chips served with garlic mojo. The long chips come in a basket, with the sauce separately so you can dip them as you eat.
Choose them when you want something to share while deciding on the mains. They are different from both the thicker, flattened tostones and the sweet plantains called maduros. If the long, thin chips are what you have in mind, mariquitas is the name to remember.
One shared starter is enough of a beginning before a full plate of beef and sides. There is no need to work through several appetizers simply because the menu has them.
The main plate
Vaca frita, onions and two sides
The vaca frita puts griddled shredded beef and cooked onions together on one plate. The seared edges of the beef and the onions spread over the top are the details that distinguish this order from a sauced beef stew.
Choose rice with black beans and fries for the combination to save, or change the sides to suit your appetite. White rice and beans give you another familiar option, while maduros take the plate in a sweeter direction. Decide on the accompaniments with the beef in mind instead of treating them as an afterthought.
If you are choosing between two Cuban beef classics, ropa vieja is the braised, sauced alternative. Order vaca frita when you want the griddled preparation; choose ropa vieja when you want the beef in a creole sauce. Remembering that distinction makes the next menu much easier to navigate.
A small finish
End with a cortadito
A cortadito makes a straightforward end to the meal if you want Cuban coffee with a little milk. Add flan if you are staying for dessert, or leave the order at coffee after the beef and plantain chips.
This is a restaurant to keep in mind for a familiar Cuban meal in Kendall. The point of saving it is having a branch and an order ready when you are nearby, rather than deciding on an entire new dining plan every time lunch comes around.
Save London Square by name
Keep Sergio’s London Square and 13550 SW 120th Street together in your notes. For another meal nearby, Piruw Grill’s ceviche and tuna tartare give you a Peruvian option on the same street.
Add Sergio’s to Plateback with vaca frita, your preferred sides and mariquitas. After lunch, save your own verdict and a photo of the plate. Next time you’re in Kendall, the order will be there when you need it.
