Cienfuegos Cuban Cafe

The year was 1959. Fidel Castro had taken over Cuba by force and the way of life on the island had ceased to exist. After two years of oppression, eighteen year old, Rasciel “Chelo” Hernandez, along with his brother and three friends boarded a small boat under the cover of night to escape the regime. They were able to evade the Cuban Coast Guard and after 17 hours of floating in the shark-infested waters of the Gulf of Mexico, they were rescued by an American ship.

Once on the mainland, the young men were graciously offered US Citizenship and began to work and make lives of their own. Years later, Rasciel realized his American Dream and opened a Cuban restaurant named, “Chelo’s” in Inglewood, CA. Years after he hung up his apron and retired, he and his wife began teaching her teenaged son, Tony, their traditional Cuban recipes.

Tony has been honing his skills as a home cook for 10 years. He has now turned in his executive title to build a business that focuses on his passion for cooking amazing, authentic Cuban food. This is Cienfuegos Cuban Café.