Today Erik M and I tried several Chicago versions of the Cuban sandwich (a.k.a. Cubano Mixto) -- our main motivation was to check out the construction of each particular sandwich. While there are clear differences between the quality of the components (jamon, lechon, cheese, bread, mustard, and pickles) from one place to the next, I’ve always thought that the proportions of these ingredients and how much care is taken in the preparation (how crispy they get the bread, how well they’re pressed, the level of melted cheese, etc.) are at least as important. Whether you agree with this or not, today’s tour for me was a real eye-opener.
El CubanitoCubanito doesn’t rip you off in terms of quantity but they do in terms of quality. The proportions on this ridged-pressed sandwich borders on being gross, far too much low-grade ham along with a pale and tasteless lechon. This isn’t a horrible version but it’s far from being Chicago’s finest Cubano.
CafecitoTwo things strike me immediately when looking at this photo-- the darkness of the lechon and the ideal proportions of the ingredients. No one ingredient overshadows the rest. The meats here are far tastier than any other. Carefully pressed and assembled, this sandwich is always a treat.
After trying all 4 places today, in my mind, Cafecito’s Cubano clearly blew away the pack. And at around $5.00, this is one of the cheapest Cubano sandwiches in town.
90 Miles Cuban CaféErik M hit the nail right on the head when he said, “Son, this thing looks like it got hit by a Zamboni!!!” Exactly.
90 Miles par-cooks their Cubanos for speed, holds them until needed on the counter, and then later finishes them off by flash pressing them for about 1.5 minutes. This method enables you to do a turbo exit out of there, much like an Indy pit stop. The poor construction of this pickleless sandwich along with its skimpy amounts of lechon, nondescript ham, and several slices of haphazardly thrown-on, unmelted cheese made this thing easily the low point of the day. It didn’t help matters either that they were the most expensive sandwich of the day at $6.50.
La UnicaYou always seem to wait for at least 15 minutes for this Cubano, but when it comes, it makes complete sense. La Unica has perfectly crisp, flat-pressed bread and completely melted cheese like no other. The solid ratio of solid ham, lechon, cheese, mustard and pickles makes this sandwich a real charmer. And for $4.50, a real steal.
It’s always nice to go back to La Unica for a good Cubano and a bowl of garbanzo soup.
La Unica
1515 W Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL
(773) 274-7788
90 Miles Cuban Café
3101 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 248-2822
Cafecito
26 E. Congress Pkwy
Chicago, IL
(312) 922-2233
El Cubanito
2555 N Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60639
(773) 235-2555