Every Cuban family has a position on this. Ours: both. The salty cream cheese against the sweet guava is the whole point.
Guayaba — the classic. Sweet guava paste wrapped in flaky, buttery layers. If you order one thing on your first visit, make it this.
Queso — lightly sweetened cream cheese, a little tang, dangerously easy to eat three of.
Guayaba y queso — the correct answer. Sweet, salty, flaky. The one that disappears first at every party.
We also bake pastelitos de carne — savory spiced beef picadillo in the same golden pastry — on weekends. Follow along or ask at the counter, because when they’re gone, they’re gone.
Hosting something? Our party platters mix all of the above so nobody has to choose. That’s what we call diplomacy.