One of the first things I do when I have out of town company, clients or guests is take them down the street to have cafecito or cuban coffee.  I think of it as a caffeine social.  Let me explain...

Cuban coffee can be found at a "coffee window".  At many Cuban restaurants, there is a walk up window where the coffee is served. The window gathers a crowd and the socializing begins.  If you frequent a window often enough, you will become familiar with the regulars. It's always a colorful crowd where discussion of world politics is mixed in with affairs of the day.  The conversation is never dull and always entertaining.  Business is conducted, matches are made and the world's problems solved, all while enjoying a cup of coffee. 

No two experiences at the coffee window are ever the same.  I was once at the coffee window, and a bus pulled up on the busy side street at a red light.  The bus driver put on the flashers and jumped out of the bus.  He strolled up to the window, said his hellos, got his coffee and jumped back in the bus and drove off - all before the light turned green.  No one but me seemed surprised by this... I guess he was a regular!

Cuban coffee is a kind of expresso to which sugar is added, just in case the caffeine jolt is not enough.  The best cafecito is made when the sugar is whipped up with a bit of the coffee to a creamy, foamy consistency called espumita and then added back to the coffee.   Add a little steamed milk and your cafecito becomes a cortadito.  When the cup grows a bit larger and there is more milk added, it becomes a cafe con leche.  Cafe con leche is the typical breakfast coffee when served with tostada, or cuban toast.

If you are in a hurry, you can grab a "collada" to go.  A collada is a large cup of cuban coffee that is sold with many smaller cups, so you can share the cafecito with a group.  Whoever brings back the collada after lunch is the hero for the day.  The collada is very popular with the mortgage brokers in the office who want to gather admirers and hopefully some loans.

Cafecito is cheap!... about 25% of what you would pay for a Starbucks- no dent in your retirement funds by daily stops to the coffee window.  Plus, when you consider the networking that can be done at the window, the experience is truly priceless and uniquely MIAMI.