Cafecito

Colada: pitcher of cafecito The pitcher I had in my mind was not the pitcher that came with this. The coffee is very sweet but doesn’t have a strong punch, it’s very mild. Vegan Breakfast Sandwich: Very flavorful. The bread did not over power the sandwich fillings which is hard to find these days. The plant-based egg and sausage were really delicious. Definitely a must try even if you are not vegan. Yucca fries: Just the right amount of crunch. They come out looking like tater tots; a good addition for any brunch. It is served with an aioli (not plant-based) but they are able to substitute it for a sauce without dairy or egg upon request. Staff: very friendly but understaffed on a late Sunday morning. ADA: they are ADA friendly.

First restaurant off the lake on Fullerton. Rich cafe con leche. Refreshing combination of flavors and textures. Attentive, friendly staff. Very tasty vegan offerings like provoleta and yucca "tater" tots.

This is a great place to eat Cuban Food. I highly recommend the Tilapia Criolla. The sandwiches are very good as well. All the plates include white rice, black beans and platano maduros. It is best that you dine in. Definitely worth the trip!

As a Cuban born and raised, I can say that their menu isn't 100 % traditional Cuban food but I still can recommend this restaurant because the food was very tasty, well made. Friendly customer service and the atmosphere was pleasant. We definitely be back.

The food here was absolutely amazing. We had brunch and the creole sauce on the omelette had really good flavor and went so well with the plantains. The avocado toast really blew us away even though we had been a little skeptical about the inclusion of mango - it worked so well with the balsamic! Also, the mangonut pancakes were the best pancakes I’ve ever had period. Super moist and fluffy and with an addictive syrup and toasty coconut flakes. The cafecito was smooth and pretty sweet, and so was the cafe con leche. The only drawback here was the service - they messed up our order and brought us ham and we had to talk to two people to find out they couldn’t make the dish without it and order something else, so by the time it came out, the rest of us were done with our food. And they didn’t give us any discount or take the meal off the bill for us, which I would typically expect in this kind of situation. We also felt generally rushed when ordering even though they weren’t that busy. But anyway it was worth it for the food. The atmosphere was also lovely, the decor all on point and authentic feeling, we sat out on the patio. It was a little loud when emergency vehicles went by (3-4x in an hour) but that’s just something to consider. We would definitely come back to try their dinner menu sometime!

Easy to miss place tucked in at the entry of a tall apartment buiding.Is dark and has a bar which feels a bit off at lunch time .Cuban music keeps one distracted (or the tv screen??) as the food is getting ready in 15-20 minutes. Staff is pleasant but distracted or not experienced.. Order mixed up.Pay attention to every detail that may enhance your experience as staff may miss the opportunity . I had a veggie sandwich that was great yet lacked the appropriate sauce…Food is good but you gotta ask for exactly what you want.There are specials I had to dig for.I came here specifically for Cuban style express- Miami style- and had a plain American coffee.

First I want to apologize for even leaving this review as I love food but I love to leave honest reviews. My main reason for coming is because I saw the high ratings but our visit was disappointing. Let’s begin- hostess and waitress -was only 1 person and she was nice but she was alone- restaurant was empty -that was a sign for me but I wanted it to be good that I still gave the place a chance. We ordered Lechon Plate with rice and beans - beans were cold and barely had any flavor -nothing fancy- nothing like real Cuban food. We also ordered the chicken chimichurri and again the chicken was cold! I personally ordered a Lechon sandwich and the meat was very bland - I ate it though. Not so terrible just needs more Cuban flavor! We ordered the Gallego soup and it was mostly water and vegetables-again just no flavor and also cold- nothing steaming- I asked for my money back as I just could not eat it. This food was not fresh - it seemed as it was preheated- This is a true and honest review. I want to see my people prosper but you have to call food what it is and what it’s not. If there’s anyone who wants to work here and help these people out and serve authentic Cuban food- please do. Being from Orlando Fl where we have Cuban restaurants everywhere I was so disappointed… I pray that the restaurant prospers and that they get the help they need- we all need to succeed. They have great music! Cafe con Leche was good. Bathroom was clean Restaurant Lobby was clean Decor was nice We spent approx $55 before tipping and tipped 18% as again we love food and people!

A friend recommended I come here and I’m glad I did! They have a huge menu that is full of delicious options. I loved my sandwich and my drink! They have a bar for both your caffeine and alcohol needs. Tons of vegetarian choices.

I'm struggling for a description of Capecito on Fullerton. So I'll call it like a grotto.; a pleasant almost subterranean get away; the ground floor of a high rise building. It's old, dark and cafe like; not a spot for formal dining but a fine place to go for an informal dining good time. It's a total Cubano menu. I've been there for breakfast, lunch and dinner and can recommend all three. The Cubano sandwich is excellent. I can also recommend the shrimp ceviche salad. Unexpectedly, the roast pork dishes are really good; tender and lightly flavored to perfection. Also a great selection of pressed sandwiches. And, plenty of combo platters. And last but not least; this is a very mild to moderately priced oasis in a pretty high priced neighborhood. Plenty of neighborhood regulars make their way to Capecito for good reason!

This is one of the best places I ate on my recent trip to Chicago. I am a picky eater and breakfast is the hardest meal to find, I spend hours reading menus and trying to find a place that will make my partner and I both happy. It's extra hard to find a place with the right hours, open on the right days and close enough to some sort of public transportation. Choosing to dine here is the result of that and I admit that I loved it so much that I tried to go to another location to recreate the whole experience a few short days later. This was not successful, this is the best location of the 2 I tried. If you are like me and do not know Chicago or Cafecito know that there are 4 locations, they all seem semi easy to access, have mostly similar hours and share a fairly similar menu minus a few things. This location is the full meal deal, sit down type location with a full bar and everything. The one we tried second was not. It was good too, but much more take out oriented and casual. This location is where I would come for a meet up meal with friends or to sit and scroll my phone while I ate. This is a great place for a leisurely meal, full menu is available early. You can have caffeine or an adult beverage. It's not too loud or crowded, but has a steady stream of people coming in and others grabbing take out. My partner and I both loved our Cortadito, Cuban espresso on this visit, they were nice enough to allow me to do mine with non dairy milk. What brought me to this restaurant though was the huge section of the menu labeled vegan specialties. There were so many things to choose from, I had such a problem deciding, also why I opted to visit another location a couple days later. I ended up getting Salsichon Platillo and was so happy with this choice. It was a huge meal and I ate it all. I loved the rice and beans so much more than other rice and beans I have eaten in recent memory. It's so nice to find a place with fake meat and cheese options trying to adapt them for me to traditional dishes. If I lived here I would try the whole menu, this would be a real life goal of mine and I would make it happen. We both enjoyed the hot sauce and the chimichurri as well. I can't remember what my partner had, but he liked his enough that he agreed to humor me by taking me to a different location while in a new city with a million other choices.

Walked in on a Sunday and it seemed kind of busy. Didn't know how it worked being my first time so we asked up front and they told us to just wait and we would get seated. Overall decor was nice the vibe was there. It was just really really warm inside. Got seated and took a bit to get helped. Got some waters and I ordered an iced chai tea. It was really good. Our server came back after 10 minutes and got our order for food. She really wasn't enthusiastic at all or anything just seemed pissed if anything. Food: Cubano 5/10, the meat had fat pieces and wasn't too enjoyable, they could do better if they're known for these sandwiches. Yucca Frites 10/10 really enjoyed the bite sized pieces and the dip they had. The yucca itself had some really good seasoning. Margarita 8/10 would have enjoyed a little more basil and balsamic. Also was confused as to why it look 50 minutes to make my basic sandwhich and some cubano but who knows. Overall: Not sure if i'll be back, the waiter was really not it. She didn't come and refill waters nor ask us how we're doing like it's not my job I feel like if you want people to come back obviously the food brings them back but also customer appreciation is a big part of it. When we were ready for the check she just kind of tossed it and was saying something as she was walking away. Someone's got a talk to her.

I usually never give 1 star reviews but my experience here was absurd. There was a wait to be seated but that's normal, but the issue was that it took a waitress 20 minutes to come for the first time with to ask about drinks and probably another 10 minutes to bring them and didn't bring lemons . She also did not greet us and had an extremely rude attitude. She didn't come back for a long time to one person from our party went up to ask her and she looked at him and ignored him by walking away after he asked her in which he asked again. At this point where were already waiting an hour for our food to come. At no point in time did she come to check in if we needed more drinks or to apologize for the wait or anything. When the food finally came, she put down the plates and never checked on us if we needed anything like condiments or napkins. The food was okay for the price. Majority of the food was under seasoned and the Cubano sandwich had a very distinct meal smell and taste and we didn't eat it. The only good dishes were the guava chicken and the yucca fries. The fries had a good sauce.

4.5. Best cup of coffee so far in Chicago--get the cafe latte--and great food. Really; the kitchen pretty much rocks everything they touch. The dining room doesn't quite work and the bathroom your correspondent used was a bit dingy and not quite sparkling. But the kitchen's work overcomes most of that. Service is helpful and pleasant, if not hyper quick. A very worthwhile choice.

My favorite spot in Lincoln Park! Try the chimichurri sandwich/plate. Rice and beans are a must. Service is great too!

I love the sandwiches here and the ropa vieja plate (with plantains, ropa vieja, coconut rice, and beans). The cafecito coffee (hot) was also delicious. I've gone to the location in Streeterville (near Northwestern Medical School) as well as the Lincoln Park location on Fulton. I've also gotten delivery from the latter. The service is a bit mid, but this may possibly be due to understaffing. It's all in all a nice, casual spot that offers consistently solid classic Cuban fare. I am a bit particular, however, since I used to live in Orange County and frequented Porto's, _the_ Cuban bakery/eatery of Southern California. Unfortunately, nothing can quite compare with Porto's.

Took my family for a meal after the air and water show. We were seated and hostess never offered us water or greet us. We made eye contact on multiple occasions. After waiting approximately 20 weeks just walked away disappointed. Poor service will not return.

Have been at both Fullerton and chestnut locations and have to say their food is great. I have had the chicken arugula sandwich and the jerk chicken. Chicken in both were tender. The jerk was a little messy to eat but it was really tasty. I also had their shrimp ceviche salad which was really refreshing. They are pretty busy at both locations and have a lot of take out orders. And I feel considering their locations their prices are reasonable! Service has always been friendly!

Only bad food I have had in Chicago in 20 years. Ordered Fresco omelette that had UNMELTED small cubes of queso fresco, And ro top that off, menu said cilantro, but it was parsley!! Waiter never asked how things were, or gave me more water either. I had never been to a Cuban restaurant that was bad before.

We had a platter of steak and shrimp with plantains, beans, and rice that we shared. Monday is $20 bottle of wine day. It was so good! In seeing some bad reviews here I have to say we don't dine out on weekends. This lovely restaurant is not the problem. Weekends are the problem.

The food at this place is always delicious, my favorite meal is is the steak with onions, white rice, black beans, and plantains. The portions are big.. don't forget to try their pastries and their coffee

Great espresso. Food was flavorful but Not heavily salted.... Thank you! Service required you to seat yourself but times are hard and good help is hard to find. Ambiance...locals in and out for the expresso and clearly attractive to tourists.

The flavors are amazing and their homemade hot sauce (guava and habanero) takes it to the next level. GO there! You won't be disappointed.

Food is great. Staff is great. Coffees are great. I can't say enough good stuff. On the downside, they should consider washi g the windows more often. Lots of smudgy fingerprints and food goop on windows, doors, tables, door handles, etc. In this low-light location, they need all the light they can get. Maybe better lightbulbs inside also.

Love the cafe latte and their sandwiches. It's a great location if you're in Lincoln park and are looking for a bite to eat. They also have some good vegetarian-friendly options which are always nice to see.

We had lunch here because I have a never ending craving for Cuban food. Yummy and delicious is my official vote. We started with yucca frite y maduros and thoroughly enjoyed them. There's plenty to share around a table with both of those starters. I ordered the Guava Q chicken and almost bit my lip it was so good! Spicy and sweet but not too sweet. I think I may have cleaned my plate? And the mojito was mixed well too, perfect compliment to my dish. My friends ordered the cafe con leche and loved it, I can't drink coffee in the afternoon but if I could I'd order it here, such a generous mug of creamy perfection. I highly recommend sitting outside on the patio when you visit! They play great music too!

Ordered takeout from here but they were kind enough to let us eat inside. Got the tostones, steak chimichurri snadiwch, guava chicken sandwich, and cafe con leche. If you like spicy ask for their spicy guava side as dip!! 8/10 Food - the tostone was crispy and amazingly huge portions (think palm size x4) & came with the chimichurri sauce on the side for dip. The steak chimichurri was on the greasier side but the chimichurri & guava sauce that I poured on it saved the day. The guava chicken sandwich was more flavorful so would be getting that next time. Cafe con leche could've used more coffee but I liked how it was creamy but not too sweet. 8/10 Service - they let us eat out to go food inside but forgot some of our order. We showed them our receipt and they immoderately brought out what was missing. Bathrooms are nice and clean in the back. 8/10 Ambience - they were playing club music at 2pm lol it wasn't disruptive just a bit odd & funny! Overall our meal was ~$30 & for the price point ~$3 a drink and ~$10 sandwiches I would come back to try more items!!

I was super excited to try Cafecito after reading their positive reviews and seeing pictures of their delicious food! We arrived around noon on a Saturday and needed to sit on the patio because my husband and I had our pup with us - so happy the patio is dog friendly! We found a table for 2 on the patio, but it only had one chair. Since it was super busy we decided to take the table and wait for a chair at a different table to become available. It was an awkward 10ish minutes waiting for a chair and no one from the restaurant checked in on us or even came by during that time. When we finally got a second chair it took another 10ish minutes for someone to come by to take our order. Because we had been there for about 20 minutes, we were ready to order right away. I had a mangosa and steak chimichurri sandwich and my husband ordered the pollo chipotle sandwich. The sandwiches came out fairly quickly and they were both delicious! Once we finished our meal it took another 5-10 minutes to get our check and pay. I think it would've been a more enjoyable meal had we had proper seating from the beginning and faster service. I don't want to fault the servers though - it seemed like they were working as quickly as they could and they were just understaffed. Also a side note regarding the patio and temperature - we were in the shade the entire time and even though it was about 75 degrees out I got a little chilly with the wind.

This is a simple appreciation review for Cafecito. I have had their delicious sandwiches from multiple locations for several years. You can't go wrong with any option (I have yet to try their vegan options, but that is on my list for next time). Please get the Chivito sandwich (steak, ham, bacon, fried egg, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onion, citrus mayo). It still hits the spot. A true staple to not miss in Chicago,

Always a solid meal. When it comes to authentic Cuban this is the place. The prices are decent and the service is great. Can't wait to visit again!

Service was slow today and it took forever to actually get our food, but the food was fantastic as always. 5 stars for the La Costa sandwich which was delicious!

Everything here is delicious!Breakfast Sandwiches and the Ropa Vieja are the best items.

Cubano sandwich - a bit hefty on the pork. Was that intended? Colada is 4 shots for double the price! Too sweet for my taste but definitely a good option in a pinch!

Come here in the mornings for the mocha latte (beats the Starbucks mocha by a mile) and come here in the evenings for the steak chimichurri. Delicioso! Their black beans & rice are always spot on. And their plantains fool me into thinking I'm eating dessert. This is consistent, quality comfort food Cuban-style. Like the Streeterville location, this is tucked into the ground floor of a venerable, historic looking residential high-rise. The patio is dog friendly, the prices are right, and their mango tajin cocktail will have you leaving with a smile!

This is the first time I decided to finally walk in this place for a coffee - rhubarb lady inside working alone was as rude as they get . She Didn't greet us with a smile or even hello welcome I asked for regular coffee with her xtra shot of espresso - I realized I didn't ask for cream so I asked her to add some with a snide demeanor said oh what you really wanted was a black coffee with milk - Jesus she needs an attitude boost! I'll never go back again

Got the ropa vieja sandwich. It was alright, a little bland though. Service was also not that great even though the restaurant was not very busy, may be a staffing problem?

The service was terrible, when we asked for lemons with our water it wasn't brought out and waited for 20 minutes to see if anyone would bring them and had to go find waitress since she never stopped by table. When asked again for the lemons waitress rolled eyes and seemed to have an attitude that she was being asked again. Then we waited 50 minutes to get a couple sandwiches and a dish with a protein, rice and beans. Waitress never came after serving food to check in on us and had to get a different waitress to ask for water refills as all of our glasses were empty. Overall it was a very unpleasant experience and felt dissatisfied.

Can't believe it took me so long to try Cafecito! Came by with some friends for brunch. The place was fairly empty at 10am but got very busy by the time we were leaving at noon. The interior is cozy but very casual, with a cafe/bakery section at the front attached to a bar and some seating. The menu is so big and filled with Cuban and Latin America dishes to try! There are sandwiches, platters, and a very extensive vegan / veg section using beyond meat. This is definitely a must try if you like flavorful veg friendly options. I had the Ropa Vieja sandwich which was super flavorful and a great deal for just $9. The brunch dishes all looked very solid as well. They have a drinks menu with $5 mimosas on the weekends and other weekly specials. Service was very prompt and orders came out very quickly. I would definitely recommend Cafecito to try out in Lincoln park.

Best cafecito I've ever had! The ceviche want my favorite though, it had an oil base and was too dense for me. The yucca fries were good but a little over salted.

this was the worst service I have had in recent memory. they had one - one! - unfriendly, overworked staff member for the entire front of house on a beautiful, sunny Sunday at Noon. this place is poorly run/managed. we waited In a line for 15 minutes to order at the counter. That's fine and expected - it's a busy day. But when we got to the counter, the woman informed us that if we were dining in, we would need to sit at a table and order from a server (No signage about this or anyone telling you that's how it worked). well, she was the only server. I asked if we could just order here and then sit and she refused. We then sat at a table for 15 minutes and waited for that some woman to come to our table and take our order. The table next to us was having the same issues. Eventually we got up and left without ordering. There were so many tables who hadn't gotten their food, and others who hadn't even ordered, that it was clear that this was going to take even longer than we thought. What a waste of our time. We are never returning. I hope they get better management.

Great food, terrible service. Staff is never attentive or welcoming to the people who walk in. Take very long to notice you are there. Today I told the waiter that I wanted to make an order (after waiting for 20 minutes) and her response was "Oh you want to order?". Didn't realize I came into a restaurant to just sit... But overall, so unfortunate because food wise, one of my favorite places but the consistent lack of quality service just ain't cuttin it. No restaurant is good enough to earn my money when they don't care.

Cafecito is the perfect combination of delicious, authentic, fresh and affordable. The inside is very casual but fun, and the outside patio is really comfortable and dog-friendly. I have only tried the pressed sandwiches, but I cannot wait to go back for brunch! I appreciate how many vegan options there were and how big the menu was to accommodate everyone in your group. We ordered the Guava-Q Chicken Sandwich and the vegan La Playa Sandwich. Both were very good and had unique Cuban flavors. The cocktails are tasty and you can even just stop by to get cocktails to go! If you do not have extra time, I recommend ordering take out because the service is very slow when dining in. I will be back!

The food here was absolutely amazing. We had brunch and the creole sauce on the omelette had really good flavor and went so well with the plantains. The avocado toast really blew us away even though we had been a little skeptical about the inclusion of mango - it worked so well with the balsamic! Also, the mangonut pancakes were the best pancakes I've ever had period. Super moist and fluffy and with an addictive syrup and toasty coconut flakes. The cafecito was smooth and pretty sweet, and so was the cafe con leche. The only drawback here was the service - they messed up our order and brought us ham and we had to talk to two people to find out they couldn't make the dish without it and order something else, so by the time it came out, the rest of us were done with our food. And they didn't give us any discount or take the meal off the bill for us, which I would typically expect in this kind of situation. We also felt generally rushed when ordering even though they weren't that busy. But anyway it was worth it for the food. The atmosphere was also lovely, the decor all on point and authentic feeling, we sat out on the patio. It was a little loud when emergency vehicles went by (3-4x in an hour) but that's just something to consider. We would definitely come back to try their dinner menu sometime!

After arriving in Chicago for a recent visit, my better half and our friend decided to head somewhere local for a bite to eat. After perusing Yelp in the area, we decided on Cafecito for something filling and delicious. Despite the brunch hour on a Saturday, we were able to be seated within 10 minutes. The hostess brought us menus, and we pored over our options -- everything sounded delicious! To start, we all decided on a Mojito to start (No-jito for me). Although an alcohol-free Mojito wasn't on the menu, when I asked our server if she could make one, she shrugged and said, "Sure!" I was not disappointed. It had all of the delicious taste of a "real" mojito and hadn't been made too sweet to compensate for the lack of rum. For my entree I got the Palomilla platter, and it really hit the spot. Delicious flavors of marinated steak with sweet grilled onions, and a side of black beans and rice and fried plantains; even the simple side items complemented the flavors of the main meal perfectly. The place was hopping at lunch, and I didn't see too many servers, so ours was kept running. At times it was hard to flag her down when we needed something, which was the only negative that we had on our visit. Still, with such an amazing menu of savory Cuban food, I would return to and recommend Cafecito without reservation!

Where to begin. First the ambience, the music was good but the lighting, especially when we went in the afternoon was extremely dim. The food and this is the only reason I'm not giving a one star. The ropa vieja had good flavor, it paired nicely with the black beans and rice. The Proveletta en Plato appetizer is decent and the chicken chipotle sandwich was flavorful and filling. The customer service however is absolutely horrible. The waiter seemed disinterested when we came in and when asking questions about certain items he didn't really know about certain items. We sat down and for the hour we were there he only checked on us once. No refills of drinks, water especially. We were the only one there. We had to literally walk up to the front to find someone to pay the check. We had planned on not only ordering coffee and a dessert and a couple of more items to take to go but we were so disappointed in the service. I would highly recommend it you go to cafecito, please go to the one on Chestnut. Way better service and they are consistent.

I went to Miami shortly before the pandemic hit and had Cuban food everyday while I was there. Ever since I got back, I've been looking for a spot to sip on cortaditos and eat a Cubano while basking in the heat. It took WAY too long but I finally discovered Cafecito and it brought back all those memories Amazing food, prices and service, Cafecito has it all. The patio seating is safe with COVID and do-able in the winter because of the heat lamps. There is an extensive menu that has something for everyone - even vegan and plant based meat options! These are some of the items my group ordered: Coffee: - Cortadito - strong and flavorful - Mate Chai Latte - light and creamy Soup: - Black Bean - simple but pairs well with a flavorful sandwich - Cream of Chicken - really really good. Has veggies and pieces of chicken and it'll fill you up quickly Sandwiches: - Jerk - the habanero lime mayo is everything - Pollo Chipotle - smokey but not too spicy - Guava Q - the BEST sandwich out of everything we tried. So much flavor and the guava is just the right balance of sweet and savory. Great restaurant. Can't wait to go back!

Best guava pastries and coffee, Cuban American options. Love the cafe con leche. Recommend.

Okay so I love Cafecito and I will standby the fact that they have some of the best cheap food in the city. However what made this go above and beyond was the service... which was amazing. So I ordered a Chimichurri steak sandwich on Friday. My order was chicken not steak. I called, complained, they were like come back and you can get a free steak sandwich. I was like that's great, perfect. So I call today. I also order tostones. I expect to pay for the tostones and comp the sandwich. Instead they comped THE WHOLE MEAL. Which is just unnecessary but very appreciated. For the record: the steak chimichurri sandwich is one of my fav sandwhiches in the city. It EXPLODES with flavor, which comes from the fact that the meats are marinated in mojo. The tostones are also PERFECT. Lightly salted and come with... more chimichurri. They truly went above and beyond to make things right and I can't thank them enough. Will continue to come back as it has become a favorite. Thank you Cafecito!!

Great food. I've tried many locations all taste great. Every time I'm around I will give it another round.

First time trying Cuban Food here at Cafecito. We were walking in the neighborhood and wanted to try something new. Boyyy we were pleasantly surprised with the Quality of food, Service, Prices, and the ambiance. We have ordered Wine, two Sandwiches, Desert and a Cuban Coffee. Everything was so tasty we wanted order second round. They have a separate Vegan menu for Vegans and Vegetarians which I appreciate a lot. Our server Mosus was great and very attentive and knowledgeable. We will return back for sure.

Love this spot for a quick bite that is also authentic! My husband and I come here often during our walk. There's an out door patio heated space and indoor seating place. We like to get combination plate to have assortment of nutrients. The service is wonderful and we never felt being rushed while making decis

It wasn't as crowded so the service was ok. I ordered steak chimichurri and I forgot to tell the waiter, I wanted it medium. The taste was average compare to other restaurants- not the best tasting. The meat was tough and the guy gave me a bread knife. The cubano sandwich was excellent. Coffee is good too. Maduros is not as ripe but still good

Once you get past the inattentive, confused service and uncomfortable seating (high tops and Denny's style too small booths) and take a seat at the uncomfortable but better than anywhere else metal bar chairs, you will experience some of the best Cuban cuisine in the western hemisphere outside of Cuba. The food also has a great price considering all the culinary extortion rampant in the immediate area. $42 for two people including tips. We enjoyed the Lechón platter, Caldo Gallegos (soup) and an awesome Jerk seasoned Panini sandwich. I was hoping the soup would come out first, but it didn't. You will have to explicitly state your wishes when you order. We loved it so much we will be back tomorrow. Also don't make the mistake of sitting in the front coffee part of the restaurant. They won't serve you there and somehow you are supposed to know this. I noticed in the reviews someone else experienced this.

Nice place to have went for a not overly filling meal but still good nonetheless. The sandwiches tasted very fresh and are more than enough to get you full. Personally I had the Chivito sandwich and it was a sandwich that complimented itself very well with the items it came with. Would definitely go again.

I normally get the ropa vieja but decided to try something new. I ordered the guava-q pork. The bbq sauce and grilled onions were flavorful. However, the pork were like hard, thin strips of bacon. I was imagining thick chunks of soft pork. Nope.

We came here on a Saturday night and was surprised they didn't have a large crowd. We were able to get seated right away and the staff was very friendly. The interior was decorated very colorful and it was very spacious inside with plenty of chairs. My wife ordered their Ropa vieja sandwich and I ordered their Cubano sandwich. The Ropa vieja came with slow roasted skirt steak, black beans with a tomato creole sauce mixed in with sweet plantains. I've had Ropa vieja sandwiches before but never with sweet plantains. A very well done sandwich that I wouldn't mind ordering on my next visit. My Cubano sandwich was also very tasty. It came somewhat a traditional with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and mustard. The sandwich itself was good but they used thin sliced ham rather than a thicker cut that I'm used to. A few things that also through me off were that they didn't offer the same sandwich in a "media noche" form which is the same as a Cubano but with a sweeter bread and the exclusion of arroz congri. One of my favorite Cuban rice dishes ever and they didn't offer it. Very disappointing. I didn't order rice and black beans, they were delicious, but not the same as arroz congri. I did finish the night with a cafe con leche. Can never go wrong with one. It was a tad bit on the sweeter side but still addicting to drink. I still will most definitely keep this on my list and be return sometime in the near future.

the food was so delicious. Very quick service and so close to the park. I cant wait to come again. The abuelita pancakes were a yummy treat in the morning.

Food was good, waitress was passive aggressive, then non-existent. The other waiter seemed attentive and alive. Why do people work in service if they hate people and/or don't want to be there? Fair warning! Besides the crap service, the restroom I went in was filthy. The negatives are too bad because it's a great concept near Lincoln Park.