A new cocktail lounge and cafe is now open in the Grand Central District. Dirty Laundry, located at 1742 Central Avenue, is helmed by Stephen Schrutt, the mind behind many of St. Pete’s favorite hangouts like The Avenue, Park & Rec, and No Vacancy.

First of all, I have no doubt that people will walk by thinking this is a real laundromat. However, the curious will discover that Dirty Laundry is the only laundromat that will leave you dirtier than when you came in.

Upon stepping over the threshold, you’ll quickly notice that not everything is as it seems. It’s all a front for St. Pete’s newest Latin-inspired café.

The floors are black and white checkered vinyl, a pattern familiar to everyone who’s ever stepped foot in an old-fashioned diner. The right-hand wall has a payphone flanked by six side-loading washers. Some are spinning clothes; some are out of order. A pair of coin-operated dryers sit in the back.

Dirty Laundry’s café is a great place to stop in for a soda, coffee, or a small bite to eat. Using coffee beans from Café Bustelo and Clearwater-based Blazing Bean Roasters, a full espresso bar offers all your favorite coffee drinks, including Cuban favorites like the cortadito, cafecito, and café con leche.

Cold brew and nitro cold brew from MADE Coffee is on tap as well.

Other drink options include Latin sodas, coconut water, kombucha, and hard seltzers.

The café food menu includes an egg & cheese sandwich with ham or chorizo add-ons, Cuban toast, Cuban sandwich, lechon sandwich, and empanadas.

If you’re not hungry for a full meal, pastries, muffins, and cookies are delivered every morning from local bakeries, such as Baked in the Burg.

Like some of the washing machines at Dirty Laundry, the payphone is also out of order. At least during the day. But as soon as the sun goes down, pick up the phone and listen to the pre-recorded message. Punch the secret code into the keypad and one of the washing machines will pop open. Step inside to be transported to a swanky cocktail bar in the heart of Havana, Cuba.

The 15-seat dimly lit bar sits underneath a tin ceiling with a series of hanging globe-style light fixtures. Plants are scattered throughout a lounge area of red velvet chairs, brown leather couches, and wicker wing-backed chairs. And there’s also a stage for music featuring a mural by Anthony Freese as its backdrop.

The bar side of Dirty Laundry has a completely different menu than the café.

While lost in Havana, sip one of Dirty Laundry’s eight Cuban-themed cocktails. One selection is the Cubana Mami made with Avion tequila, Frangelico, Café Bustelo, Ancho Chili Reyes liquer, walnut bitters, and vanilla bourbon whip.

There are also five different flavors of mojito which can be ordered by the glass or by the pitcher. Flavors include strawberry jalapeño, mango guava, watermelon, banana coconut, and pineapple ginger. There’s even a frozen mojito, as well as a frozen banana daiquiri.

The beer and wine menu on the bar side has a much wider selection than the limited offerings on the café side. Eight local beers are on draft and eleven packaged beers are available, including a few Latin options, like Pacifico, Presidente, and Imperial.

The wine menu consists of three reds, three whites, and three champagne options. Red and white sangria is also available by the glass or pitcher.

A menu of bar bites features items like Citrus Ceviche served with plantain chips, Roast Mojo Pork Tostones with a pineapple pico de gallo, and Rice and Beans with pickled red onion, lime crema, and avocado.

As if Dirty Laundry needs anything else to entice you, there is also a spacious outdoor patio with sectionals, daybeds, and more.

Dirty Laundry is now open at 1742 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District. The café opens at 8 am every day. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest offerings.