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This venue is closed.

"Fast-food joint" wouldn't be a slam if they were all like this modest Cuban eatery at the nether end of the Forest Hills commercial strip, which serves hearty Caribbean fare at mercifully gentle prices. Succulent, tender goat meat tops fragrant yellow rice; chicken empanadas stuff perfectly spiced chunks of juicy breast meat into a delectably flaky pastry, and it all washes down with mango batidos that would make a Habana mamacita proud. There's also a sizable selection of inexpensive sandwiches—a big hit with a continuous stream of hurried locals, harried moms, and office workers. Atmospheric, Latin Cabana Express is not: Aging Batista-era tourism maps decorate the walls, and the space is so tight there’s barely enough room to turn around with a full belly. Grab a spot at one of the two narrow counters and be prepared to throw elbows. — Michael Y. Park

Goat stew, $7.50; chicken empanada, $2; pork chops in tomato sauce, $7.50; mango batido, $3.95