Cafecito

For my schedule, Cafecio was never open early enough for breakfast or not open late enough for an evening bite. I lucked into them being open once during my stay at the hostel. The coffee and deserts were really solid. I would have visited more often but our schedules didn’t mesh.

I normally write a long a winded review, but I think that i will keep it short this time. Ok so first off I would like to say that this spot has THE BEST Cubano that I have tried so far! Plus given the fact that it is a stones throw away from the art institute, Union Station, and millennium park this becomes the food spot to visit first! I also tried the tasty empanadas and their coffee is legit. And if you are in visiting Chicago there is a hostel right next door.
Keep it up Cafecito! I’ll stop by every time I’m downtown
–GRRB

This was my first visit to this location of Cafecito. It is a spacious café, especially compared to its other location on Wells Street (next to Arby’s). I probably should have stuck with the original Cuban sandwich; instead I went with a tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella pressed sandwich. I found it acceptable, but not a paragon of its type, and will know for the future to stick with a classic. The coffees are excellent and there is also a lunch special (chips and a drink for $ 1 more). I will be back for the Cuban sandwich, as that is probably the best dish here, or for a caffeinated pick-​me-​up.

I’ve been putting off going to Cafecito. I’ve seen it on Unilocal so many times, but it’s always been passed for a closer lunch restaurant. Boy, oh boy am I glad I finally made it out!
These sandwiches are potbelly-​priced. Aka $ 5 – 6! For the quality ingredients, this just can’t be beat!
I ordered the Guava-​Q with pork and it did not disappoint. Hearty, but not overly heavy. I can’t wait to go back and try everything else on the menu!

I ordered a café con leche and a Cuban sandwich. The café con leche was pretty alright. Not as strong as other Cuban coffee I’ve had (@marianaos). It was a bit on the sweet side. The Cuban sandwich was tasty and the lechon was as good as other reviewers have commented but I didn’t care too much for the bread. My husband ordered a guanabana batido (milkshake) but they said they didn’t have any at the moment (it was on their board however I think they might have been too busy to make it). The chivito sandwich my husband ordered was loaded and flavorful but I think it’s too close to a sub. Check out marianaos on Milwaukee if you’re ever in the Logan square area. The lechon isn’t as great as the one at cafecito but it has them beat on the rest of the components!

Please stop reading Unilocal reviews you lucky bastard. You just stumbled upon one of those hidden gems and I swear if you tell your hipster gastro-​nerd friends I will hunt you down.
This is by far the most honest food I’ve had in a while. Please go there, be nice to the ladies, order the cubano, and for the love of god don’t you dare have them alter their impeccable recipe in any way…

This would be a great place to grab a quick lunch or breakfast on the go… but not friendly to the health-​conscious, or those with food allergies.
I got a huevos chimichurri breakfast sandwich, which was delicious, but a bit greasy and there aren’t any options to sub for whole wheat bread or anything. From what I could see, there were no dairy-​free milk options for the coffees/​café con leche.
I really love the Cuban music they play. The prices are also great. Staff is friendly. I’m here super early (7:30/8AM), so it is pretty quiet and great for getting a little work done.
Not sure if I would come again because I’m looking for certain type of food, but would recommend to friends in the area looking for something to eat during their lunch break.

Delicious Cuban sandwich! I didn’t expect the panini style sandwich but it was very tasty. I also had the hearts of palm salad and enjoyed it! This was a wonderful treat and very reasonably priced.

Tasty, fast, and yummy yummy. The shrimp salad is very good. Tilapia platter is very good too. We like the fried banana too! The location is convenient as well.

Cafecito is small café tucked away off the main drag in downtown Chicago.
This place specializes in Cuban coffee drinks and sandwiches. Prices are reasonable and the food is authentic and unpretentious. If you’re in the area, stop by for a Cubano!

Cafecito is a tiny little shop tucked away in the Loop underneath the train tracks. The line goes by pretty quick even when the place gets busy. It has a couple tables inside (like 3 or 4… 2 seaters) but I found that most people order their sandwiches to go.
I ordered the cubanito, steak chimichurri, and a hot café con leche. The absolute best Cubanito that I have ever had!!! I was not a fan of the steak chimichurri sandwich at all but the cubanito more than made up for that lackluster sandwich! The café con leche was just meh — very one note, I’ve had better for sure. But the cubanito, I feel like I must mention once again — amazing!!! Everyone who comes here must order the cubanito and then they will be happy.

Nothing makes me more happier to find a great deal on living in Chicago (at the HI Chicago just next door) and a great place to eat just downstairs! I didn’t expect to find great Cuban sandwiches in Chicago but boy were they a great deal and a great meal: O Not only are their sandwiches wonderful, the coffee here is the real deal.
Only open for breakfast, lunch, and really early supper. Definitely check it out!

A friend of mine told me I could get good cuban fare here since he knew I was moving nearby. I often walk by here on the way to work now so I finally stopped in and grabbed some cuban expresso (the cafecito). I’m not a coffee drinker but this is something I really like from all of my trips to south Florida every year. I also enjoy the breakfast sandwiches here! The Huevos Completo is awesome as it is steak, ham, eggs & grilled onions… a very good sandwich in the am and I suggest you try as it is full of flavor!
I come here after work sometimes to get the Cubano which is the best cuban sandwich I have had outside of Miami. Nothing like the ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese and pickles marinated in homemade mojo going down my throat! They also have cuban and columbian pops to wash your sandwich down… very good! They have milkshakes here as well that I hear is pretty good. The place is near Columbia College, Art Institute and Roosevelt University so you will see lots of students here working on stuff. Definitely one of my new favorite places in the new hood!

I stopped by Cafecito for lunch today, as I was in the area, and had a decent meal.
Décor: It’s a small place, with not much to it, but it seems that most grab and go (so while the line can get long there was ample seating at the handful of tables). The menu is large and easy to read, hung right above the register, and the case of «sweets» looked very tasty. All the tables and counters were nice and clean and the place, overall, was inviting.
Bathroom: unknown
Staff: The cashier was friendly, the food was prepared rather quickly, and they even had a guy taking orders from the semi-​sizable line that had formed so that, before you paid, your food was already in the works. It was a very nice touch.
Food: I had the Pollo Chimichurri platter. In addition to the grilled chicken breast (which was sizable) it had a small (but just about perfect) side of rice and beans plus a few plantains. Overall it was fine… I had it to go and it was still warm by the time I got back to the office. Except the plantains… those were, sadly, cold.
Value: For what I received it was decent value. However, I think the price should come down by a dollar or two.
My meal was just so-​so but I’d give them another try with one of their sandwiches (which is what it seemed like nearly everyone else was ordering).

Best Cuban sandwich I have ever had. So delicious and authentic tasting! Wasn’t a big fan of the caprese salad and the pasta salad side was mediocre at best… but the sandwich was so unbelievable I couldn’t care a less about the other two. Ask for extra pickles on your sandwich… you won’t regret it!

Was staying at the nearby Hotel Blake, and walked over for a casual dinner.
Arugula salad was perfect mix of crisp, baby leaves, thin-​sliced red onion, tangy tomatoes and creamy fresh mozz cubes with just the right amount of vinaigrette.
Cuban sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Pork was perfectly roasted with smoky, crispy edges and very thinly sliced. Ham was great quality. Bread was perfect texture, and the pickles, cheese and mustard blended harmoniously into everything.
Had their crazy-​good chocolate covered caramel-​filled chocolate cookies and a cortadito for dessert. Funky, casual and very comfortable vibe and friendly staff and patrons.
Definitely will be back!

Located inside the hostel. Great Cuban sandwiches and coffee.
Plenty of tables and a cool place to come to read a book or chat. There’s also couch seating.
Be wary of the hobos tho.

I ordered the Tilapia sandwich with avocado. Overall it was tasty but the bread was incredibly soggy. I’m pretty sure it was an issue specific to this sandwich because my coworkers didn’t have the same issue with the other sandwiches. Also tried the jalapeño hummus and the portion was very generous and came with bread but wasn’t super spicy, tasted more like plain hummus than jalapeño but still tasty. I probably won’t do the tilapia again but I’m sure I’ll give it another shot and try something else next time!

I’m not a sandwich guy. Messy to eat and and even if you finish one, you need to brush your teeth immediately after. The sandwiches here are all that and it is worth it.
Its small almost hipsterish interior is nothing but cute. Staffs are extremely friendly and they actually do smile. Now to the money shot: the sandwiches. I ordered Pollo Chipotle, not the most authentic Cuban sandwich, but I like chicken. It was the bomb. Ciabatta was toasted on point. The combination of chuncky chicken breast tenders, chipotle mayo and the Basil was out of control. The presence of mozzarella, tomato and the basil may bring memories of the best bruschetta you ever had, but that was definitely not the intent.
If you’re in the loop and you feel like you want sandwich fix, hit this place. No questions asked.

Me encantó el chocolate y la torta cubana, el menú es muy variado, lo único malo es el volumen de la música. (No podía hablar relajadamente debido a que el volumen estaba muy alto).

YUM! This place is just delicious! Not a fan of the really really really long wait, but the food is very tasty. We came here at 2 pm on a weekday, expecting it to be pretty calm. It was not. The place was packed, all the seats were taken and there was a line out the door. We decided to wait anyway because of all the positive reviews. I ordered the Ropa Veija sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the Cubano sandwich. We waited another 10 – 15 minutes to get our food. It was worth it though! My boyfriend’s Cubano sandwich was good, but my Ropa Veija sandwich was incredible! It had skirt steak, black beans, plantains and tomato creole sauce. The sauce was very tasty and paired well with the skirt steak. The plantains were a nice surprise, a suble sweetness to a savory sandwich.
Overall, I recommend visiting this place at least to try it out. The food is delicious if you can withstand the wait.

Si vous souhaitez un bon plan pour manger un sandwich bon et pas cher à côté du millenium parc et de l’art institute of Chicago; foncez et goutez au cubano sandwich