Disney Springs’ Bongo’s Cuban Café Ropa Vieja Recipe
Bongo’s Cuban Café’s Ropa Vieja was a vibrant homage to Havana, featuring tender shredded beef in a light tomato sauce with onions and peppers—a classic Cuban dish that delighted diners before the restaurant’s closure in August 2019.
Make our Lost Favorite Disney Springs’ Bongo’s Cuban Café Ropa Vieja Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Ropa Vieja will taste just like Disney Springs’ Bongo’s Cuban Café.
Photo by jpellgen (@1105_jp)
Disney Springs’ Bongo’s Cuban Café Ropa Vieja
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Bongo’s Cuban Café: A Flavorful Chapter in Disney Springs History
Bongo’s Cuban Café, a vibrant culinary landmark, graced Disney Springs from 1997 to 2019, offering guests an immersive experience of Cuban culture and cuisine. Founded by renowned musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the restaurant brought a slice of Havana to Central Florida, blending authentic flavors with lively entertainment.
Origin and Atmosphere
Located on the West Side of Disney Springs, Bongo’s Cuban Café was designed by architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia. Its striking triangular structure featured a massive, two-story pineapple-shaped adobe centerpiece, serving as a beacon for visitors. Inside, the décor was a fusion of tropical deco and South Beach glamour, creating an atmosphere that was both festive and inviting.
Cuisine and Signature Dishes
The menu at Bongo’s was a celebration of traditional Cuban dishes. Highlights included:
- Ropa Vieja: Shredded beef simmered in a savory tomato-based sauce with peppers and onions.
- Churrasco: Grilled skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce.
- Cuban Sandwiches: A classic combination of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread.
- Tostones: Twice-fried green plantains, crispy and golden.
These dishes, among others, showcased the rich culinary heritage of Cuba and were favorites among patrons.
Entertainment and Popularity
Beyond its delectable cuisine, Bongo’s Cuban Café was known for its lively entertainment. Guests enjoyed live Latin music, vibrant dance performances, and a festive ambiance that made dining a celebratory event. The restaurant became a popular destination for both locals and tourists seeking an authentic Cuban experience.
Closure and Legacy
After 22 years of operation, Bongo’s Cuban Café closed its doors on August 18, 2019. The Estefans decided not to renew the lease, opting instead to focus on their new venture, Estefan Kitchen, located at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando. This decision marked the end of an era for Disney Springs, as Bongo’s was one of the last remaining establishments from the Downtown Disney era.
While Bongo’s Cuban Café is no longer part of Disney Springs, its legacy lives on through the Estefans’ continued contributions to the culinary and entertainment landscapes. For those who experienced its vibrant atmosphere and flavorful dishes, Bongo’s remains a cherished memory.
Ropa Vieja: The Soulful Shred of Cuba’s Culinary Heart
Tender, savory and steeped in history, Ropa Vieja is more than just a dish—it’s Cuba’s culinary poetry, served with rice and a side of soulful nostalgia. Translated as “old clothes,” the name refers to the dish’s distinctive appearance: long strands of shredded beef, simmered in a rich tomato-based sauce until it resembles a heap of tattered garments. But one bite tells a far more dignified story.
Born from Spanish roots—specifically the Canary Islands—Ropa Vieja made its way to Cuba where it evolved into a national treasure. Traditionally made with flank steak or brisket, the meat is braised low and slow with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic, olives and spices until it’s fall-apart tender and soaked with flavor. The ingredients may seem simple, but the alchemy lies in the simmer, where hours of patience turn humble cuts into a dish worthy of Abuela’s gold-rimmed plates.
Popular throughout Latin America, each region adds its own flourish—some with cumin and bay leaf, others with a touch of vinegar or wine—but in Cuba, it remains close to its rustic, tomato-forward heart.
Served alongside white rice, black beans and fried plantains, Ropa Vieja isn’t just dinner—it’s a memory. A whisper of old Havana, of family gatherings, of stories passed down as slowly as the dish is cooked. Whether you taste it on a sun-soaked patio in Miami or make it at home on a quiet Sunday, Ropa Vieja is proof that sometimes the most beautiful things come from threads of the past.
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Disney Springs' Bongo's Cuban Café Ropa Vieja Recipe
Bongo's Cuban Café's Ropa Vieja was a vibrant homage to Havana, featuring tender shredded beef in a light tomato sauce with onions and peppers—a classic Cuban dish that delighted diners before the restaurant's closure in August 2019. Make our Disney Springs' Bongo's Cuban Café Ropa Vieja Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Ropa Vieja will taste just like Disney Springs' Bongo's Cuban Café.
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Vinegar for marinating
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil for marinating
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds Flank Steak
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion thinly sliced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- One 15-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Beef Broth
- 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
- White Rice for serving
- Black Beans for serving
- Sweet Fried Plantains for serving
Instructions
- Pour vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil in a shallow, sealable dish.
- Add 3 cloves minced garlic. Stir to combine.
- Place flank steak in marinade and turn to coat fully.
- Seal dish and place in refrigerator overnight to marinate.
- When ready to cook, remove flank steak from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Discard used marinade.
- Season flank steak with salt and pepper.
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat.
- When oil is hot and shimmering, sear steak on both sides until browned, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Add onion and bell peppers. Sauté until soft, about 6 - 8 minutes.
- Add 3 cloves garlic. Cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in cumin, oregano and paprika.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, beef broth and white wine.
- Add bay leaf.
- Return steak to the pan, nestling it into the sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender.
- Remove steak, shred with two forks, and return to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes to thicken.
- Taste. Add more salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Serve hot with white rice, seasoned black beans and sweet fried plantains for a true Cuban plate.
Disney Springs' Bongo's Cuban Café Ropa Vieja
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Photo of “Ropa Vieja” is by jpellgen (@1105_jp) and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode.en. Photo of “Bongo’s” is by jpellgen (@1105_jp) and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en. Thank you, J. Pell. Great Pictures. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from the restaurant and other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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