Glenn Lindgren: OK, we know that most people don't go to New Orleans to eat Cuban food.

Jorge Castillo: New Orleans is a restaurant town and the name of the game here is either Cajun or Creole.

Glenn Lindgren: You hardly ever hear anyone say, "I just got back from New Orleans and they have this great Chinese place there."

Jorge Castillo: When we've been in town we do what most tourists do: breakfast at Brennan's, lunch at the Court of Two Sisters, Dinner at Galatoire's.

Glenn Lindgren: But maybe if you're one of the locals, or just a frequent visitor to the Big Easy, you might just be in the mood for something different. Liborio Cuban restaurant doesn't have the largest menu we've ever seen, but they do a great job with a few key Cuban classics and a twist or two of their own.

Jorge Castillo: Liborio is a great change of pace. Start with the croquetas for an appetizer. The chef uses green onion in his chicken croquetas, and this gives them a nice fresh onion bite.

Raúl Musibay: Liborio is a family run business and it shows.

Glenn Lindgren: At many places, the frijoles negros are more of an afterthought – just something to fill out the plate. Here they are rich and creamy and full of flavor. These are beans with real character.

Jorge Castillo: One thing we noticed is that many of the dishes tasted of lemon – not the sour orange base we're used to in Miami.

Raúl Musibay: Maybe they can't get sour oranges in New Orleans!

Jorge Castillo: Barq's may be the New Orleans soft drink of choice, but here you'll find some of our Cuban favorites – Jupiña, Materva, and Coco Rico. There's nothing like a hot Cuban sandwich washed down with an ice-cold Jupiña with it's almost unbearably sweet pineapple flavor.

Glenn Lindgren: They do a caldereta – lemon marinated lamb that is slow roasted until it's fork tender. A very good dish, but only served at lunch on Fridays – we guess that's when the shepherds are in town.

Jorge Castillo: This close to the gulf, you'd be crazy not to order shrimp and the gambas al ajillo, shrimp in garlic sauce is excellent. The shrimp are very good sized and lightly sautéed in garlic and oil.

Glenn Lindgren: If you like beef, they have a great dish that we have never had before – Bistec Relleno de Langosta. It's two breaded thin-cut flank steaks stuffed with lobster meat in a criolla tomato sauce. Wow, this is a great combination.

Jorge Castillo: The fiesta de mariscos is a nice rice dish of lobster, crabs, and shrimp in a tomato-based sauce.

Raúl Musibay: Even better, the arroz a la marinera. You get a similar dish with lobster, crabs, and shrimp, but with yellow rice and a different taste. I like it!

HOURS: LUNCH 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday | DINNER 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday | Closed Sunday

PRICES: Lunch: $6.95 to $15.00 | Dinner: $12.95 to $35.00

DRESS: Dockers and dress shirts

BAR: Yes

CARDS: Yes

WEBSITE: www.liboriocuban.com

The Details