Appetizing Aperture: Mojo Pollo at Beni's Cubano

A January trip to Old Havana would be perfect right now. Next best idea: dining island-style at Beni’s Cubano in Marietta or on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Lift the mojo pollo sandwich to your lips and mull Caribbean blue skies over pressed Cuban bread hugging mojo-grilled chicken, mixed greens, fresh cilantro and avocado spread. Comes with choice of side and sauce ($10). Bliss, Beni’s style.

Reserve Seats? Neat! Southern Proper Hospitality Restaurants Join OpenTable

To quote the late Tom Petty, “The waiting is the hardest part.” So don’t. Now you can use OpenTable to reserve seats at your favorite Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants including The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Beni’s Cubano, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. Guests can quickly and easily reserve a table online and avoid using precious time waiting for seats during peak business hours. Whether you’re looking ahead or time-strapped and checking last minute for seats, making online reservations eases any hesitations about heading out, wait-time unknown.  And, the process couldn’t be easier. Just visit the restaurant’s website and click on “reservations” to check your preferred date and time. The convenient, stress-free process is the most direct route to skipping the wait and sitting right down to dining and drinks at your favorite Southern Proper Hospitality restaurant. Yes, now time is on your side…but that’s another song for another day.

Beni’s Cubano Brings Taste of Old World Havana to The Hub at Peachtree Center

Downtowners, steal away to Cuba for lunch and arrive back in time for that afternoon conference call. Beni’s Cubano makes a quick jaunt possible, thanks to the opening of its newest location in The Hub at Peachtree Center. This is the second location of the fast-casual restaurant from Southern Proper Hospitality (The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, Gypsy Kitchen, Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, Smokebelly BBQ, The Southern Gentleman and Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails), which launched its first Beni’s location this summer at The Avenue East Cobb in Marietta. Promising a taste of Cuba without the travel expenses, Beni’s Cubano executive chef Cesar Velazquez packs the menu with innovative takes on classic Cuban dishes. Highlights include the classic Cuban sandwich with mojo-roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and garlic aioli; vaca frita melt with grilled short rib, melted provolone, grilled onions and peppers and garlic aioli; mojo grilled chicken served with choice of yellow or white rice, black beans and sweet plantains; house salads with an option to add grilled chicken, puerco asado or vaca frita toppers; and yucca fries or mariquitas (crispy spiced plantain chips) with a choice of two dipping sauces. Caffeine fiends rejoice, Beni’s serves classic Cuban coffee all day. The Peachtree Center location is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays.

Appetizing Aperture

National Cuban Sandwich Day presses in on Wednesday, Aug. 23. Cruise to Beni’s Cubano in Marietta for a classic Cuban of roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and garlic aioli on pressed Cuban bread with a choice of one side and one sauce ($10). Beni’s presses and serves these sammies seven days a week. You’ll be back.

Say, “¡Hola!” to Beni’s Cubano Now Open at The Avenue East Cobb

Step back into the heyday of Havana by cruising to newly opened Beni’s Cubano in The Avenue East Cobb. Beni’s Cubano is the newest restaurant from Southern Proper Hospitality, the good-times team behind Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Smokebelly BBQ, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill. You’re on island time here, where colorfully painted shutters and vibe back a menu of Cuban favorites by chef Cesar Velazquez. Land here for a classic Cuban sandwich stuffed with mojo-roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese; seafood criollo, a sautéed shrimp and mahi mahi dish in a Cuban-Creole sauce with sofrito, tomato and olives; vaca frita, Velazquez’s rendition of an old favorite made with crispy short rib, grilled onions and peppers, mojo and lime; yucca fries with two dipping sauces; and beef picadillo empanadas, also served with a choice of two dipping sauces. Satisfy that sweet tooth with house-made bread pudding served with dulce de leche paired with a pot of Cuban coffee, espresso-style strong with sugar espuma. Enhance the experience sipping a tropical Cuban cocktail such as Cuba Libre made with Havana Club Añejo rum, sweet-spicy Havana Heat made from Flor de Caña 7-year rum or Beni’s mojito made with Havana Club Silver rum and house-made mint simple syrup. Beni’s Cubano opens at 11 a.m. to serve lunch and dinner daily.