Cuban sandwiches, fish tacos and Peruvian plates on an Eastside Athens patio.
The Rubios came to Athens from Lima, Peru, and spent years running Latin restaurants around town, from the Caliente Cab days to the Lumpkin Street original that opened in 2006. Bruno Rubio wanted diners to feel they had landed somewhere else for an hour or two. The Cedar Shoals restaurant, set inside the La Puerta del Sol complex, is the family's bigger bet on that idea.
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Cali N Tito's is the Rubio family's long-running Latin kitchen, and the Cedar Shoals Drive restaurant is the bigger of its two Athens addresses. Bruno Rubio, a Peruvian-born cook, ran a restaurant called Caliente Cab before opening the original Cali N Tito's on South Lumpkin Street in 2006. This branch sits inside La Puerta del Sol, the Latin-themed complex on Cedar Shoals, and it has a full bar, a gelato counter and arcade games that the Lumpkin Street spot doesn't.
The kitchen cooks Cuban, Peruvian and Colombian dishes side by side, with Mexican-style quesadillas and burritos in the mix. That range is why a table of six can order six unrelated meals and nobody feels shortchanged.
Start with the sandwiches. The Original Cubano is the traditional build: grilled pork and ham pressed with pickles, mustard and Swiss. The Sandwich Cubano is the house version, where you choose steak, chicken, pork, al pastor or chorizo and it arrives with egg, lettuce, grilled onions, pickled jalapeños, mayo and American cheese. A veggie version uses sautéed mushrooms and peppers. Menu listings put these around $11.95.
Fish tacos and the fish burrito are the other two names that come up in nearly every review. The Peruvian side of the kitchen shows up in lomo saltado, arroz chaufa and tacu-tacu, which also comes in a vegetarian version. For sides, the tostones and maduros are the standard picks, and one reviewer's daughter swears by the yuca fries.
Beef empanadas run about $3.75 each, and a veggie empanada is packed with green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and mozzarella. Chips come with salsa, pico or queso. Dessert leans on guava-and-cheese empanadas, flan and churros. The fruit shakes come in flavors you won't find at a chain: guanabana, mamey, coconut and mango. One reviewer singled out the caipirinha.
The restaurant is spacious and a little eclectic, with plenty of indoor seating and a large, shaded patio that one reviewer called festive, beach included. Explore Georgia's listing says the outdoor areas suit dogs as well as people, and The Red & Black counts the place among spots beloved by locals, students and families. There is free on-site parking, and a diner on a review site called the entrance accessible for all.
Plan on an hour or two. Weekend lunch and dinner can run busier than weekdays, so time your visit accordingly if you're short on time.
Hours at a glance.
Closed Mondays. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday it runs 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday it stays open until 10:00 PM.
Where to begin.
A Cubano (traditional or built your way), fish tacos, and a side of tostones or maduros. Add a guava-and-cheese empanada if you have room.
Meatless choices.
Yes. The menu includes a veggie Cubano, veggie tacos, a veggie empanada, a veggie tamale and a veggie tacu-tacu. Some dishes can be made vegan, so ask your server.
Booking a table.
Walk-ins are the norm, and no reservation system is advertised. For a big group, call (706) 355-7087 and give the staff a heads-up.
Bar details.
Yes. This Eastside location has a full bar, and listings mention beer, cocktails and wine, plus a caipirinha one reviewer loved.
