Our family tried the Knoxville restaurant Aroma Cafe in Maryville last week and I already can't wait to go back! The Knoxville food scene is super diverse and I love finding hole-in-the-wall spots that are super authentic. This fun little Cuban cafe is the real deal.

If you're in Knoxville, TN area I would definitely add this to your list. The empanadas were fried to perfection and had the best flavor, the papa rellena was the perfect cold weather comfort food, and the guava and cream cheese dessert empanadas were sweet without being too rich. And you can't beat the prices.

SEE ALSO: Apple Cake Tea Room restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee

knoxville restaurants aroma cafe maryville | MALLORIE OWENS

Cuban Knoxville TN restaurants | MALLORIE OWENS

What to try:

Cuban Sandwich
Beef Empanada
Papa Rellena
Desert Empanada

What I'm trying next time:

Ham Croquettes
Homemade Flan
Cuban Coffee

Cuban Sandwich at Aroma Cafe Maryville, Knoxville TN Restaurant | MALLORIE OWENS

Let's start with the Cuban Sandwich: ham, pork, cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles. This isn't the place to try if you're gluten free or restricting calories, but I believe in moderation and I didn't leave feeling like an over-stuffed slug...it's called balance, people! The sandwich was delicious and the portions were huge, I got to enjoy half for dinner later that night. Leftovers are my love language.

Cuban Sandwich Knoxville, TN restaurants | MALLORIE OWENS

I ordered a Beef Empanada and a Papa Rellena as my side and they were both my favorite part of the meal. Delicious cuban spices and beef all wrapped in breading. What's not to love?

Cuban Beef Empanada Knoxville TN restaurants | MALLORIE OWENS

Cuban Papa Rellena Knoxville, TN restaurants | MALLORIE OWENS

We tried the Guava and Cream Cheese Dessert Empanada to finish and it was just as delicious as the rest. This was Iris' favorite part, of course, she doesn't get sweets very often. The only thing missing from this dish was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but luckily they have an ice cream shop attached to Aroma Cafe so...

Cuban Dessert Empanada in Knoxville, TN | MALLORIE OWENS

My only regret is they were out of Cuban Coffee when we ordered. I really needed caffeine (what else is new) and I wanted to try it, but they were really busy during the lunch hour that day. I'll definitely be trying it when we go back!

Have you tried Cuban food before? If so, did I miss something delicious that I have to try next time? Let me know in the comments...