For 10 years, this beloved Cuban restaurant in Kendall has challenged expectations

Ten years ago, as she was preparing to open her restaurant Finka Table & Tap, now a beloved institution in west Kendall, Chef Eileen Andrade knew she was taking a risk.

Sure, she’s the third-generation of a Cuban-American family with culinary roots in Miami. Her grandparents Raul and Amelia Garcia opened Islas Canarias in 1977, still one of the best known Cuban restaurants in all of Miami. Her mother Nancy Andrade runs it now, and Eileen herself grew up working there.

Islas Canarias serves traditional Cuban food, including croquetas frequently proclaimed the best in Miami. But when Andrade decided to strike out on her own, she wanted to try something different.

Kendall had other ideas. And when Finka opened in July of 2014, the neighbors let her know.

“People would walk in and ask, ‘What are you doing?’ and I’d tell them, ‘We’re doing Korean-Cuban-Peruvian fusion,’ “ Andrade says now, laughing. “They’d shake their heads and say, ‘That’s not going to work. Follow in your parents’ footsteps.’ ”

Andrade ignored their advice, and Miami is happier for it. Finka Table & Tap is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, not merely surviving in Miami’s turbulent restaurant landscape but thriving. Andrade and her team are commemorating the big occasion the best way they know how: serving up a creative, eclectic menu with dishes like fried yuca and goat cheese fritters, kimchee lime mussels, Cuban fried rice, glorious Korean fried chicken and pork belly paella.

Looking back, Andrade, who also operates Amelia’s 1913 and Barbakoa by Finka at The Doral Yard, credits her mother’s support — emotional and financial — for bringing Finka to life.

“I was very nervous, but my mom, who is my investor, really believed in me and told me, ‘We have your back. If it fails, we’ll figure it out,’ “ she says. “She was the one who gave me the courage to continue.”

Not only did Andrade want to bring a new sort of menu to Miami’s western suburbs — you won’t find many Cuban restaurants serving fried alligator jalea, for example — she also introduced west Kendall to the upscale cocktail program. The original cocktail program was designed by the famous Bar Lab group, best known for its pioneering craft cocktail bar Broken Shaker on Miami Beach, now owned by Generator.

Andrade said that diners were at first a bit “confused” about the bar program, which carries local and boutique liquor brands exclusively.

“No one had seen this in Kendall,” she says. “We don’t carry big brands like Grey Goose or Tito’s or Bacardi. That became a challenge. When guests came in and ordered a Grey Goose and cranberry, and we told them we didn’t have it, they’d look at us like we had eight eyes. But if we had Tito’s or Grey Goose, that’s all that would get ordered.”

Quickly, though, locals eased into the new world order and made Finka their home. The prices were approachable, the service friendly and attentive. And the shareable, creative cuisine was right there in their backyard, not a grueling drive east in Miami Beach or Wynwood or Brickell.

Though Finka lures out of towners heading to or from the Everglades, Andrade estimates that most of her clientele is made up of west Kendall regulars who live within a mile of the restaurant. Some are fond of telling her: “If I get too drunk, I can walk home.” The restaurant hosts plenty of special events for its neighbors: weddings and baby showers, first communions and anniversaries, graduations and post-funeral meals.

The customers aren’t the only ones who are loyal. Despite the high turnover inherent in the industry, many of Finka’s employees have been with Andrade from the beginning.

Jayleen Fernandez was working at Finka as a server on its opening day. Now, she’s the marketing and communications manager for Finka, Islas Canarias and Amelia’s 1931, which underwent a recent transformation from laid-back Cuban diner to elegant fine dining destination.

“To see this little baby restaurant turn into three restaurants was watching something in my community become a staple,” Fernandez says. “That’s my favorite part.”

Over the past 10 years, she has seen regulars bring in babies who are now awfully close to being grown.

“I used to feed them kids’ meals, and now they are having ribeyes,” she says.

Alejandro Herrera, who has been the executive sous chef for five years, started at Finka 10 years ago as a dishwasher. He praised Andrade for giving him the opportunity to rise through the ranks and understands just how much Kendall appreciates his workplace.

“When I go to the bank, people see my hat, and they tell me how much they love this place,” he says. “You can tell we are doing a good job for the community. I come here to eat on my days off. I would rather come here than any other place. . . . This will be the last place that I work.”

Finka has changed minimally over the past 10 years, and Andrade and her team have learned many things along the way. Lesson no. 1: Don’t take the kimchee fried rice off the menu. “The emails I got!” she says, laughing, adding that though the popular dish is no longer on the menu, the chef will make it for you if you ask.

What has changed is the Miami restaurant scene. But Andrade doesn’t worry much about the out-of-state influx, believing the restaurant ecosystem here can still flourish.

“I think we’re a little isolated so far out in west Kendall, but that doesn’t change the fact that our regulars might want to try new restaurants,” she says. “I love competition. I think the more businesses that come here, the more Miami is put on the map. But I follow people on social media who say there’s a restaurant Armageddon coming and a bunch of places are going to close. People ask me how I managed. I’m lucky. I’m out in the ’burbs. I treat my staff well, so it’s not hard to find staff.”

The biggest secret to her success, Andrade believes, is stellar service and good value, the factors that lure diners back. She recalls the story of her Cuban grandfather and how a server had complained to him about a table full of rude people.

Her grandfather responded by pointing out an empty table. “That’s the table you should be worrying about,” he said.

“We want to make sure everybody who walks in feels seen and feels heard,” Andrade says.

Finka Table & Tap

Where: Plaza Alegre, 14690 SW 26th St., Miami

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-midnight Saturday-Sunday;

More information and reservations: www.finkarestaurant.com; 305-227-8818

Amy Reyes contributed to this report.