Cafe Cubano

First I’ll start with this place is extremely over priced for the quality of food. I’ve been to many Cuban restaurants and this place just doesn’t cut it. I ordered a chicken sandwich and it came in a burger bun! What sandwiches @ Cuban restaurants come in burger buns? So I send it back and asked for long bread, I like traditional. All I can say is that my chicken got lost in the bread so I only used half of it. The sandwich was filled with mustard and ketchup and the condiments such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. where on the side. The Marquita’s that came with the pernil sandwich weren’t fresh. I wasn’t impressed with this place. First time and last time here.

Horrendous food, literally horrendous.
Service was awesome, very friendly people but I’m pretty sure my 8 year old nephew could make me a better lechon sandwich than this place.

I’ll start with the good: service was fast and courteous, the plantains were good, but my Cuban sandwich left something to be desired. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’ll just say I’ve had better. Reading some of the reviews, maybe my timing was just off.
I guess somehow I was expecting something more. Maybe now that relations with Cuba are better, it might be best to go there and check out the real thing ;)

Here is the response from the Owner of this establishment to my review. WOW! Our wedding was fantastic our only issue was our food being cold. She blames our server who werent hired to set up the food as I mentioned in my initial review.
Mayra F.
Westchester, IL
0
2
30 minutes ago
wow Erica, I guess writing lies make you feel better. Your servers messed up your food but it is easier to believe what you want. So sorry you wanted a Princess wedding on a Cinderella budget!
Erica Q.
Erica Q.
River Grove, IL
0
1
5 minutes ago
All I can do is laugh at that comment. clearly I’m not the first bad review that you’ve had and I’m sure it won’t be the last considering how you’ve treated people. If me wanting at least WARM food at my wedding makes me a princess then so be it. I never expected anything more then what I paid for. You can blame as many people as you would like for your mistake but people should know what they are getting into before they decide to maybe have the food catered on their wedding day ruined because you have more important things to do then you job. So unprofessional.

yummy for my tummy.
The food is always delicious and my server Yesenia is wonderful!
everytime I go she provides excellent customer service, and the food is just wonderful.

Some of the worst customer service I’ve experienced. I would prefer a negative star rating but can’t proceed without one here.
Previously liked the place, but not anymore. Family was in need of a quick meal so my daughter and I stopped in to order take out, 3 cuban sandwiches. When we got home we discovered that all three sandwiches were missing pickles and mustard. I called the restaurant back and I they offered to remake those sandwiches, however it was too late for that to be a good option, so I was told a manager, would call me back the next day. A few days goes by and I realize I having heard anything, so I call back and talk to the manager.
The manager offered the following. She explained that when you order in the restaurant they provide plantain chips with the sandwich, but do not provide this when you order to go. So she offered the next time I order to throw the chips in with the sandwiches. The whole time in thinking why does the restaurant not provide the same food when it’s to go it does when dining in? I also explained that a cuban sandwich has a couple of ingedients that make the sandwich, however she did not see it the same. So I went from being offered to have the sandwiches remade to getting the same chips I would get if I ordered the same sandwiches dining in.
Additionally, I reached out to the restaurant again, however they did not respond once again.
They went from having a customer for several years who recommended the restaurant to friends and family that will need to find another cuban restaurant.
Poor customer service easily goes from customer for life to telling friends the story and spreading the bad experience to friends that are surprised a restaurant could be this short sited. 4 coworkers to date that were going to go have since changed their minds.
Take A clue from Burger Boss nearby, that when they messed up a recent order, I called back and they took down some information and without hesitation said
next, time we will redo the order and throw in some additional fries.

This place was really, really bland. The food was really overpriced. There are not a lot of Cuban places around Chicago, but there are some places that serve very good Cuban food. This place is not one of them.
The meat was tough, poor choice, and poorly prepared compared to their competitors. The bill was exorbitant for the food you actually get. I could easily say I won’t be back

If I could just remember to get here on a Thursday! ($ 5 Mojitos!)
I kind of think of this place more as a really good lunch spot. Have tried their Cuban Sandwich Sampler. Ironically the lechon is the one I like the most and usually the one I would get when I come here. (The classic Cuban is the one that I liked the least… shrugs)
I’ve also tried the Tapa Combo. The empanada was okay, but didn’t think much of it. However the Yuca Frita was good and thought the beef tostones rellons were really good.
Saturday night would probably be the best night to come if you want more of an Cuban feel, but if you just want some good food Then give them a try.

Had their ropa vieja sandwich with white rice, black beans, and a plantano let me just say delicious
My husband had their Jibarito steak sandwich with the same sides white rice, beans, and a plantano his was delish too Will definitely be coming back

Ordered take out from here and have to give them 2 thumbs down.
When I ordered I asked if the platanos were ripe and they weren’t, they were hard and not sweet at all.
Also ordered a couple of Jibaritos and was disappointed to find they hadn’t put mojo de ajo or mayo on it but had put generic american cheese on it which tasted horrible.
In one word, UNIMPRESSED:-(

Great food! Fantastic service. Adorable ambience. The Mojitos should get 7 stars. We are here for our anniversary and loved this restaurant. The food was hot and plentiful with authentic tastes. We will return!

I wanted it to be better.
Having eaten tons of delicious Cuban food (my aunt is from la Habana) I think I’ve been spoiled. She is an amazing cook.
We ordered several things and tried from each other. Black beans. Meh.
Plantains. Yummy.
Ropa Vieja. It was OK.
croquetas. Yummy.
Bistec Empanizado. Ok.
Arroz con Pollo. Yuck.
Congri. Meh.
Classic Flan. Ok
Overall the food lacked flavor. It tasted like bland Cuban Food, which honestly is an oxymoron. Authentic cuban cuisine smells like onions, garlic deliciousness before you even see it. We didn’t smell that upon entering.
And what about Ironbeer? I love that. Why isn’t it there?
Service though was fantastic. The waitress was jovial and attentive even though they were packed on Saturday night.
I’ll probably go back. It wasn’t bad enough to write off completely. One more chance.

Café Cubano was wonderful! They had a great menu selection. I chose the steak jibarito dinner which came with white rice and black beans. I also ordered steamed yuca as a side and shared some sweet plantains which were great. Well, everything was great! I was more than satisfied. Servers were very friendly and attentive. The live music was also a plus. Although it was busy, our food arrived fast and there were a few tables open so we were sat right away. Will be back!

Very good food, very good atmosphere! I was pleased. Highly recommend this place. They have an ample selection of alcoholic drinks and a few coffee drinks, although we didn’t have any of those. Looks like a very professional set up.
Very clean, very classy. Very friendly service.
Four stars because we brought in a
coupon that we received awhile back (said it didn’t have an expiration), but they apologized and said they don’t work with them anymore. It was a $ 25 coupon too. I don’t know… I guess
should find some way to let coupon-​holders know when a restaurant drops them? I don’t know…
We got some sweet plantain for dessert. Very nicely done. Don’t understand all the super-​negative reviews here, my goodness.

Came here with my fiancé tonight, we were pretty skeptical bc of the reviews. As soon as we came in we were greeted and looked over the menu. We chose the jibarito, beef empanadas, fries and congri. Honestly, I loved everything! The congri was perfect, empanadas were pipping hot! Mmmmmm and the jibarito was DELICIOUS! Even better, fresh fries! Regarding the service, it was great! I kept on getting refilled without asking and my cup wouldn’t even get to half way. I believe it was the owner who was the one refilling it actually, she even chatted with us for a little and was super friendly! The waitress was really nice as well. I wouldn’t pay any mind to the bad reviews, try it yourself, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Cuban food, at its BEST!
This week a gf and I decided to get together after work and do dinner. We both wanted to go somewhere at a ½ way point for the both of us, as we both live opposites of each other in the city/​outskirts of the city, but wanted a place that served drinks. She had been here before and suggested it. So, I get there before her somehow, despite traffic being atrocious.
I’ve had a rough week, and looked at their drink menu and settled for the Raspberry Mojito Martini, made with real fruit. The drink was JUST what I needed. Absolutely, DELICIOUS!
My gf arrives and we chat it up with a few drinks and have some appetizers, the empanadas which were juicy and amazing. The bread was also delicious.
Our entrees were just muah, delicioso! I will definitely be back. Its a cute, quaint little establishment and our waitress was so attentive and just amazing.

Looking through the Unilocal reviews, apparently they seemed to miss the mark recently. I was slightly worried, but knowing that we wanted to be in and out quickly because hubby was still on the clock, here was our best bet. I’m not very familiar with Cuban cuisines at all, so ordering the samplers was the way to go. We ordered the empanadas sampler and the Cuban sandwich sampler. Food came out fairly quickly and was tasty. The only suggestion I would have was the freshness of the romaine lettuce. The piece that I consumed was slightly withered so maybe it could have used a fresher batch. Otherwise, the meat was cooked just right and it wasn’t overly done. The service was adequate for what we asked for. We were the only patrons in the house so everything went smoothly. We were done within 30 minutes and had a great and a better quality meal than dining at the «big M,» «big W,» or the «BK.» I don’t linger in Elmwood Park much at all, so there’s no guarantee that I will be back, but I didn’t experience any glitch like what other reviewers said. I will still recommend this place.

Very bad experience.
Definitely not a authentic Cuban food. Their was a miscommunication with the order. They brought out beans no rice had to wait additional 15 mins for rice. They brought out yellow rice not white didn’t bother to ask. Their famous Cuba sandwich tasted old with the pig meat in it. And eating old pig meat is not good it will mess up ones stomach. I have lived in the area for many years wanted to give it a try since it was in the area. But horrible experience!!!
My husband try to go and tell them the sandwich had a bad after taste what was that for. The owner got very unprofessional started swearing and saying he will never serve us again. Made a very big show in front of everyone… Two thumbs

I just had lunch here and ordered a pan con lechon. As I was half done with my sandwich, there was a pubic hair embedded in the pork meat. I pulled it out to be sure and sure enough it had a root and a thick curl to it. it’s a pubic hair!
I was so disgusted, I told the waitress «Maria» and all she did was take the plate without any care/​concern. My bill was charged for the full price of the sandwich and «credited» for $ 5.83 versus the price of the sandwich $ 6.95. The owner or waitress didn’t even bother to apologize after I ask if she bothered to inform the owner (which her reply was «yes, I gave you a credit») The restaurant was already empty during lunch when it should be busy, I see why now. I will never come back!
#cafecubano #noconcernforcustomers #nasty #cheap #pubichair

I had the pleasure of dining and experiencing Cuban food for the first time, at this place, during my recent visit to the Chicago area. The service here was excellent! Our waiter was on point and very attentive to our needs. Although I love trying new foods, you always have the moment when you ask yourself, «what did I get myself into»; however, this place cured me of my doubts and also superseded my expectations. The food here is truly amazing! The Tapa Combo, Bistec Empanizado, Bistec Arrachera, and the mango shake was incredible! I honestly can’t wait to go back to Chicago just so I can eat at this place again! 5 out of 5 stars!