by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine and Vero Beach Foodie
For my next Restaurant Review Dining Experience, we head to Cafe 66! If you’re not familiar with where they are located, you’re not alone. I’ve mentioned this place several times in conversation, and they always ask me “Where exactly is this place?” If your one of the lucky ones that do know where it is, then you have already discovered how wonderful their food is and you want to keep this place a secret. So, what’s so special about it? Keep reading below to find out!
This restaurant is located in an out of the way place that you most likely don’t drive by on a regular basis, but once you read my article, I’m pretty sure you will drive by here more frequently. Located off of Oslo Road and 66th Ave is a place called Audrey’s Feed Store. Cafe 66 occupies space in an attached building right next door. They opened their doors back in 2016, but recently changed hands about 3 months ago. The previous owners sold the place to Lacy and Dan who were already running the kitchen for them when they could not be there, so it was a very easy transition and the food quality stayed the same. This isn’t a fancy place, and there is no table service, heck, they don’t even have a “dining room” per se, but what they do have is great BBQ! While low & slow BBQ is their main offering, they also have quite the selection of other items to please most diners.
Now let’s dive right in and see what this place has to offer and what we had to eat!
Dinner-sized salads are one of my favorite summer meals and this one was huge! The lettuce was fresh, crisp, it had just enough Caesar dressing on it that it didn’t feel heavy. Sliced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, croutons, and lemon wedges are added on top to complete this salad.
These meaty wings were fried and tossed in a medium buffalo sauce and were served with a side of celery, blue cheese, and ranch dressing. They were crisp on the outside, yet still moist and tender inside. They are only offered on Wednesdays, so mark your calendar if you would like to try them.
Cuban food is one of my Top 3 favorite cuisines, so I was looking forward to trying this sandwich. Made like a classic Cuban sandwich, only they use their BBQ pulled pork instead of a Mojo Pork. It adds a smokiness to the sandwich that is really good! Portion size is also huge, so there is plenty to share with someone, just order an extra drink and a bag of chips to share.
They take a classic pulled pork sandwich and kick it up a notch and top it off with coleslaw! More than a handful of their pulled pork is piled high on a hamburger bun, topped with their homemade slaw, and is served with a side of chips and BBQ sauce. The pork is so moist and tender, it just melts in your mouth! Grab a napkin, this one is gonna be messy!
I know it’s hard to tell, but this is an Angus Beef Brisket hamburger that is topped with Swiss cheese, pulled pork, onion rings, sliced jalapenos, and drizzled with BBQ sauce. French fries and house-made pickles are served alongside. It’s so BIG you may have trouble picking it up to take a bite and actually need a knife and fork to eat it. The burger patty was grilled and seasoned to perfection, the onion rings add a little crunch and sweetness, and the jalapenos add a little bit of heat.
These are just a few options they offer for dessert. Since this review was part of the Restaurant Review Dining Experience, my guests got to taste a few of their dessert options. Pictured above were freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a house made peanut butter cream pie. Delicious!
In Conclusion:
As a food writer that eats at a lot of places in Vero, it’s getting harder to impress me, yet these folks managed to do just that. As a BBQ aficionado myself, and as a previous KCBS (Kansas City BBQ Society) Certified BBQ Judge, their pulled pork, ribs, and brisket are excellent. The way I personally judge if the BBQ is good or not, is if it doesn’t need any BBQ sauce, and theirs did not. Now that the secret is out, go check them out and give them a try, I know you won’t be disappointed!
Address: 870 66th Ave SW, Vero Beach, FL 32968
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 am till 7:00 pm, Saturday, 7:00 am till 2:00 pm, Closed on Sundays
This experience was part of our new “Restaurant Review Dining Experience” where you have an opportunity to join me, “The Food Guy” on an actual restaurant review and go behind the lens to see how I work and taste all of the amazing food you have seen in my articles! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, subscribe to our email newsletter and text alerts so you know when tickets go on sale for our upcoming events!
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