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- El Intransijente
A few days ago,
Val Prieto and I
had the pleasure of having lunch at a local Miami
Cuban restaurant named El Intransijente.
The food was great and the portions were huge, but
the story behind this restaurant and its owner is
what makes it special. Val and I sat with the owner
for a long while as he told us about his life in
Cuba and the reasons he decided to use his
restaurant as a means to get the message of Cuba’s
suffering out to the world.
Juan Amador Rodriguez, the proprietor of El
Intransijente, escaped Cuba on a raft several years
ago after serving time in various prisons in
Cuba—including the notorious Taco Taco prison—for
voicing his desire for freedom and the end of
oppression through his paintings. He brought up an
interesting point in that he never felt freer in
Cuba than he did when he was incarcerated. He told
us the story of the time he informed the guard that
stood outside his cell that it was he the prisoner
in Cuba, and not him. When the guard asked him how
he came to that conclusion, Juan illustrated his
freedom by yelling “Abajo Fidel!” and dared his
guard to do the same. The guard, unable to do so,
pleaded with him to keep his voice down for fear
that he would be reprimanded for not keeping his
prisoner in check. It was then that Juan asked his
guard, “Who is the free man here and who is the
prisoner?”
Throughout the restaurant there are various posters
calling for a free Cuba and many photographs of
political prisoners. He also has a television on at
all times showing documentaries of the real life in
Cuba. Wherever there is free space on the walls, you
can see where people have signed their names in
support of Juan’s restaurant and his quest for a
free Cuba. He showed us where Dr. Tony de la Cova
signed his name and then pulled out a black marker
and gave us both the honor of adding our names and
best wishes.
Another interesting aspect of Juan’s restaurant is
his menu. There you have a full compliment of your
typical Cuban meals, but with some interesting
names. For instance, you can order the Raul
Castro a la Plancha (Cherna a la planha), or
maybe some Felipe Pérez Roque (Guanajo
Estofado). The fun never ends with this menu
as you can see below.
I ask all of you in the South Florida area to do
your best to help support this great Cuban-American
who is using his business to promote freedom in
Cuba—something most people would not be willing to
do. Not only will you have a great meal at a
reasonable price, but you will enjoy the atmosphere
and you can sign your name on the wall.
The address for El Intransijente is 8827 Bird
Road, Miami, FL. Their phone number is 305-226-1408.
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