Cuban Revolution

Cuban Revolution’s new spot on Aborn Street still maintains a retro vibe, with its familiar backdrop of 1960s Cuba and the players that loomed large: Che Guevara, Marilyn Monroe, JFK and a fatigues-clad Fidel. The food is Caribbean influenced (black beans, plantains and pork dishes) and so are the drinks, (house-made sodas and sixteen different milkshakes, including the Havana Blast — an espresso/banana concoction). Traditional favorites dominate, like the “World’s Best Cuban Sandwich” piled high with pork, ham, salami, cheese, pickles and mustard for $6.58, but new menu items are gaining ground. Owners Ed and Mary Morabito have added steak chimichurri and “Mojito Mondays” to combat steamy city weather. Plus, there’s good news for infidels: the Revolution is spreading. A second location at The Plant is opening in September. “We’ll be the first, brand-new, full-service restaurant to open in Olneyville in the last forty years,” says Ed. “We’re pioneers, which goes along fine with our politics.”

50 Aborn Street, Providence, 331-8829, thecubanrevolution.com. Open Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight. Major credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible. Off street parking.