27925 Tue Feb 17 03:25:34 -0800 2004 43 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 115911 I saw a segment today on the Food Network where they featured a "Cuban" style sandwich. The sandwich is similar to a submarine sandwich, however, a "Cuban" style roll (crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) is used instead of a french roll. It is piled high with an equal amount of ham and roast pork, cheese and lettuce. It is then placed under a "George Foreman Style" grill to melt the cheese. Anyone out there in Chowland know where I can find such a sandwich in San Francisco? Thanks. Tue Feb 17 03:25:34 -0800 2004 0 liv4food 1 115913 The only Cuban sandwich I have ever come across in the Bay Area is in the restaurant at the public Metropolitan Golf Links golf course near the Oakland airport. The sandwich was OK, however it was not exactly "piled high" with ham and pork. Tue Feb 17 08:26:02 -0800 2004 115911 0 DavidT 2 115916 a cuban restaurant opened in sf recently. its called HABANA. you might give them a call.they are on geary blvd i believe. Tue Feb 17 09:56:35 -0800 2004 115913 0 joe 3 116431 I had my last Cuban sandwich in Miami 3 months ago (how could one not?). "Piled high" meat is an American aberration. The important thing is the crusty bread,two types of pork (cured and fresh) and of course, pickles. Sun Feb 22 16:22:12 -0800 2004 115916 0 Lisa C 4 116452 Thank you. Yes, the whole point is intense flavor - from the cured pork and the garlicky roast with that great touch of sour of the slivered pickle - and not huge volume. Mon Feb 23 00:11:37 -0800 2004 116431 0 Melanie Wong 1 115931 There is a taco truck at 13th/Harrison that has Cuban sandwiches. You will see from the thread below that the reviews are not raving, but maybe we need another pass at the Cuban sandwiches. Please report back if you try them! Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/27005#110764 Tue Feb 17 11:34:25 -0800 2004 115911 0 jen maiser 1 115952 I had a Cuban sandwich in the bar at Acme Chophouse last year. It was pretty tasty. Tue Feb 17 14:12:06 -0800 2004 115911 0 HungryGrayCat 1 115954 I can't remember the name of the place, but there is a Cuban restaurant in Palo Alto (that was talked about a couple of years ago) that served these sandwiches. I ordered one when we went (based on Melanie Wong's rave reviews). It was pretty good but a bit too salty for me I thought... Tue Feb 17 14:28:14 -0800 2004 115911 0 Wendy Lai 2 4773194 La Bodeguita Del Medio Sun Jun 14 23:48:55 -0700 2009 115954 79880 xanadude 1 115963 Bi Rite (small deli/market on 18th Street, for those just exiting their cave) makes a Cuban sandwich. I thought it was good, but I know nothing about Cuban sandwiches. It was warm, the roll was indeed crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I remember the meat was orangy-pink colored from whatever marinade they had it in, and there was plenty of meat (not Max's deli plenty, but more than I expected). Somebody who knows should go try one and tell the rest of us if it's worthy..... Tue Feb 17 16:05:51 -0800 2004 115911 0 bubbles 2 116025 No kidding! I plan to try Bi-Rite's cuban ASAP. Was it pressed/grilled, with swiss cheese, mustard and pickles? Was there ham AND pulled pork? The need for a good cuban sandwich just plagues me. Thanks for the tip. Wed Feb 18 00:21:13 -0800 2004 115963 0 Missy P. 3 116098 There were definately pickles. And mustard. It was pressed, but on their grill, I think, not a sandwich press. I don't remember cheese. I do remember that the meat was really good, but I don't remember if there was more than one kind -- I think their sign says it's pork, so it's probably just pork (although ham is pork, so who knows). Like I said, I thought it was a good sandwich, but I have no idea if it was a good CUBAN sandwich... Wed Feb 18 16:09:59 -0800 2004 116025 0 bubbles 1 115990 one of my fondest dining memories of NY was the cuban sandwich along with a side order of fried plantains. the cuban place in Palo Alto is called la bodeguita del medio: www.labodeguita.com. pretty decent cuisine, but i'll have to try out their sandwiches too! Tue Feb 17 19:41:20 -0800 2004 115911 0 Roz 2 116018 Sandwiches at Bogedeta are great at the lunch hour. Dinners are, too but I do not think they serve them that late. Tue Feb 17 23:51:48 -0800 2004 115990 0 Greg 2 2516241 Their Cubano is decent- Wed Apr 25 21:38:19 -0700 2007 115990 40489 P. Punko 1 116022 I recently ate at Laurel's, a Cuban place on Oak near Gough. Though I didn't have the Cuban sandwich, the seafood stew and the tostones were both excellent, giving me high hopes for their sandwiches. The bread I tried was great, too. Wed Feb 18 00:02:11 -0800 2004 115911 0 david kaplan 2 116053 Don't get your hopes up. I tried the cuban sandwich, it was very disappointing. Wed Feb 18 10:49:54 -0800 2004 116022 0 nja 1 116095 My husband really enjoys the Cuban pork sandwich at Birley Sandwiches at Embarcadero 4. Not quite sure its authentic, but apparently its very tasty. Wed Feb 18 15:43:17 -0800 2004 115911 0 Yanira 1 116249 I don't eat pork, so I don't eat 'em, but I'm pretty sure Atlas Cafe still has a cuban sandwich that is supposed to be pretty good. It's between the Mission and Potrero Hill on 20th and Florida. Thu Feb 19 19:59:04 -0800 2004 115911 0 Erica 1 2512661 I don't know very much about Cuban sandwiches, but I often order one at the Grove Cafe on Fillmore. There's no lettuce on it, but plenty of pickles which gives it a nice tart flavor. Tue Apr 24 20:58:20 -0700 2007 115911 39924 butter 2 2514223 Lettuce on Cuban sandwiches is an Americanized aberration (commonly thought to have originated in FL). A traditional sandwich would have ham, roast pork (marinated in mojo), cheese, pickles, and mustard - and, most importantly, on Cuban-style bread... then pressed. I haven't found a good Cuban here in SF... so I'm planning on biting the bullet and just making my own. Wed Apr 25 11:22:18 -0700 2007 2512661 59644 jrhsfcm 1 2514453 Not in SF, but in San Rafael you can find a yummy "Cubano" at Sol Food! Yum...with a side of maduros you'll be set! Wed Apr 25 12:19:31 -0700 2007 115911 64415 lj2899 1 2514489 In Laurel Heights, there is the all Cuban cafe/restaurant Lo Cubano that makes a fairly decent one. www.cafelocubano.com Wed Apr 25 12:28:21 -0700 2007 115911 93978 morgan_66 1 2514761 Bumped topic alert, most of the posts above are from 2004. Habana on Van Ness closed. Lo Cubano's not Cuban, it's a Cuban-themed prototype for a chain of cafes. Most of the posts in this topic are from 2004. Here are some more recent topics: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/372777 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/38005#178003 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/319916 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/45128 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/325181 Wed Apr 25 13:22:43 -0700 2007 115911 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 2514943 Delissio's market on Broderick and Oak has a Cuban pannini. I had one the other day and thought it was pretty good...but it's the first time I've had one. It was pulled pork, ham, cheese ( I think), pickle, grilled on a press. Wed Apr 25 14:04:48 -0700 2007 115911 43425 Sebby 1 2515079 The Cuban Paninis at Birley's at 4 Embarcadero are wonderful. Wed Apr 25 14:39:46 -0700 2007 115911 77809 gemster 2 2515342 The Hobnob on Park St. in Alameda has a Cuban Sandwich as an "American Tapa", it has roasted porkloin, black forest ham, and the swiss cheese and pickle with the "Americanization" of the sandwich being grilled and pressed on texas toast!! It is really good especially with their truffle fries -worth the trip. Wed Apr 25 16:00:57 -0700 2007 2515079 93954 cocoaloco 1 2515401 I've seen them on the menu, but I haven't tried them at the Florida Street Grill near 19th. Wed Apr 25 16:19:29 -0700 2007 115911 13300 Civil Bear 2 2519384 I've had it at Florida St. and it's quite good. Pressed and grilled, with pickles. Thu Apr 26 19:22:29 -0700 2007 2515401 11302 rln 1 2519495 I was at the Marina Safeway yesterday and noticed that they now have a "Cuban" sandwich as one of their panini sandwiches in the deli. I have no idea if it's any good, but maybe someone can check them out. Thu Apr 26 20:08:56 -0700 2007 115911 11534 The Librarian 2 2523463 It's good, but it's not really a Cuban sandwich -- it's a pork panini somebody read Hemingway to. :) The best Cuban sandwich I've had in the Bay Area was probably the one at Sol Food in San Rafael, although the one at La Bodeguita Del Medio in Palo Alto is good. Both of them are, however, dismayingly expensive compared to what I'm used to (particularly La Bodeguita's) -- I moved out here from Tampa, Florida, a few years ago. There are a couple Cuban restaurants in San Jose, but the only one I've been to didn't seem to actually have a Cuban sandwich. Go figure. Sat Apr 28 10:33:33 -0700 2007 2519495 11537 Chipotle 3 2523730 Habana Cuba has one on their lunch menu. http://www.998cuba.com/cuisine/index.html Sat Apr 28 13:06:46 -0700 2007 2523463 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2524018 I've tried the Sol Food version. Tell them to hold the mustard, and it's a real Cuban. Not bad at all! I'm guessing at most of these places, the goal isn't to duplicate the original (aka what you'd find in FL or Cuba) but to offer their own spin on it. There just aren't that many people from those places around here, so nobody will care if it's not the same. Sat Apr 28 15:56:58 -0700 2007 2523463 11816 Agent 510 3 2524120 I am surprized that anyone (especially a Tampan) thinks the Sol food Cuban sandwich is more than barely edible. Shredded pork...come on! It was skimpy and rather tasteless. I will not return. I'll just wait until I get to Tampa again for the real thing. It is so easy to make, I'm surprised Sol Food messes it up so well. I did like the shrimp and rice dish, tho. Sat Apr 28 16:51:59 -0700 2007 2523463 12274 OldTimer 4 2524240 I don't remember Sol Food's Cubano as having shredded or skimpy pork. But it's been a while. Does that describe what others have had there recently or was OldTimer's experience a bad day there? Sat Apr 28 17:53:42 -0700 2007 2524120 10724 Mick Ruthven 5 2525232 Don't think it was a bad day. Though I didn't have as strong feelings about Sol Food's Cubano as OldTimer, I was left unimpressed. It is a fine sandwich, but didn't do a thing to satisfy my Cubano cravings. Sun Apr 29 11:22:08 -0700 2007 2524240 10264 rworange 4 2527712 Like Mick below, the one I had certainly wasn't skimpy on the pork, and it wasn't shredded, either -- at least, not beyond just being roasted to the point of falling apart, which I don't consider a bad thing. It's possible that they're just not very consistent. Since I live and work in the South Bay, I'm not likely to get back up there any time to try again. (While I did think it was good, it wasn't "drive 70 miles each way on a regular basis" good.) I'll probably try Habana Cuba's sometime, though. The best Cuban I've had out here is one that I made myself after doing a mojito roast pork, but "my place" isn't a very good answer to "where can you get a good Cuban." Mon Apr 30 10:33:17 -0700 2007 2524120 11537 Chipotle 1 2528595 try this place: http://www.birleys.com/menu_order_form.asp#2 i've not yet had, i believe, a truly authentic cuban sandwich, but this sandwich is pretty good. it has the requisite pickles, roasted pork, ham . .. this one has a spicy orange-colored sauce which i'm pretty sure is typical, but it's pretty good. the bread, however, is not a roll, but it is grilled, like a panini. anyway, it's good, but again, not sure if i've had the real deal yet. WHY OH WHY did i not have one all those times i went to miami? Mon Apr 30 14:16:45 -0700 2007 115911 44619 mariacarmen 1 3550202 Myth Cafe/Cafe Myth on Washington has a pulled pork panini with cheese, mustard, pickles, ham and the pulled pork you're craving. Give it a shot. Tue Apr 01 13:10:19 -0700 2008 115911 179870 angelheadedhip 2 3550232 Is Myth Cafe still open? Tue Apr 01 13:16:04 -0700 2008 3550202 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 3550474 No. I walked by today and there was a sign on the door "Closed for Remodeling." Tue Apr 01 14:06:49 -0700 2008 3550232 31877 lmarie 1 3551115 There's a great place in San Rafael called Sol Food..I think it's on 3rd St. Great sandos-they do a Cuban-plus a few others. They do a beef w/ avocado grilled-sounds weird, but it's heaven...it's casual and crowded, but open late on the weekends for the after bar crowd...only drawback is no beer/wine...the food is heaven though! Tue Apr 01 17:21:20 -0700 2008 115911 175784 Satyr 2 3551157 I just went there. Not very impressed. I reported on it in this more recent Cuban sandwich topic: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/490032#3545162 Tue Apr 01 17:33:38 -0700 2008 3551115 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 4773798 Bumped topic alert, most of the posts above are from 2004. Cafe Lo Cubano, Myth Cafe, and Habana on Van Ness closed. Here's the most recent topic on the subject: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600660 Mon Jun 15 08:05:26 -0700 2009 115911 11369 Robert Lauriston