Little Bread

It absolutely pains me to have to write this update because in the past I have enjoyed Little Bread so much and have shouted it’s praises from the rooftops to anyone that would listen. But I had the absolute worst experience on Dec 6 and will more than likely never return. I brought a friend with me who I had been telling about this place for months and needless to say she will never come back either. Let me start off with the fact that place smelled like old grease and dirty dishwater as soon as we entered. Then we were «greeted» by a young lady who was (and I’m being nice here) quite rude. After ordering pan con lechon she informs me that they are out of it. So I make another selection and she tells me again they are out of that too. When I ask her what they DO have available her response is, everything on the menu, except the two things you ordered. We make 3 more selections and you guessed it… they are out of that too. Let me not forget that they are also our of beer, out of coke and all sodas and out of bottled water. When I expressed my disappointment the response was, «we had a party here last night so we don’t have much left. What do you want me to do about it?» I ask for water and she slams a copper mug onto the counter, rolls her eyes and motions for me to serve myself from the room temperature jug on the counter. Unfortunately for me, i noticed the floating god-​knows-​what and the greasy film in my cup after i left the counter. I have always had good service here but this girl took was terrible. I mean downright nasty to us. And I’m used to poor service and rude people in Miami… so for me to have been shocked, this was really bad. If it wasn’t for the fact that we were starving we would’ve left immediately.
All the tables on the inside of the restaurant were dirty so we make our way to the back patio which was equally dirty except it didn’t reek of a grease trap. However, there was garbage everywhere. I get it that you had a party, but a little housekeeping would do a world of difference. We finally get our sandwich and it’s dripping grease and black from having been burnt so badly. I could literally not take a bite out of it. It had about a cup of mayo globbed into it and the croquetas inside were greasy and surprisingly cold in the middle. Epic fail.
It’s a shame, Little Bread. You had such promise.

There is not a better Cuban Sandwich on this good planet earth as the one you can get at Little Bread. It is full of flavor and well worth the price of admission.
You will find your only challenge is putting it down until you have finished the whole thing.

This is our 4^th visit to this location of Little Bread and it’ll be our last for quite a while (11÷22÷15 around 5 p.m.). We walked in, there was another couple already eating, we ordered two Pan Con Lechon sandwiches and two canned sodas, the total was just under $ 20.00 and we left a tip. There were two guys behind the counter, the very young white kid who took our orders and the black English-​speaking young man who prepared the food.
The place looks slightly run down and not very well taken care of. I took 3 photos. There’s a sign board on the wall as one walks in, it has a black background and removable white letters. The board was vacant except for a few mentioned drinks. The chairs have always been very uncomfortable, they were just as uncomfortable this early evening.
I had a menu in my hands and was deciding what to order when the young white guy told me the menu was not up to date, it was in process of being updated and asked that I please order off the wall menu. I was set on ordering the fried chicken, there wasn’t any available.
There’s an open, tall bookcase-​type contraption that separates the tables from the guys behind the counter. This contraption looks very dusty and messy. There were several folded t-​shirts on the bottom shelf, I don’t know if they are for sale, there was no sign. I fail to understand the purpose of displaying folded and semi-​folded t-​shirts in front of an eating area and near where food’s prepared. They’ll get stinky and greasy.
I looked up at the mess of items displayed in the bookcase-​type contraption, it’s like someone went crazy one day and decided to place without rhyme or reason inside the cubby holes whatever they found in their kitchen… cookbooks, measuring cups, old cooking pans and, the most worrisome of all, a heavy-​looking hand-​cranked meat grinder on the highest shelf with a good portion of the meat grinder’s metal handle hanging in the air. If this meat grinder falls and lands on someone’s head the person will be severely injured. A careful business owner will not place himself in this dangerous situation.
This apparent lack of care concerns me because it makes me wonder what goes on in the kitchen.
Now to the food. The two sandwiches had been heavily slathered with margarine or butter and were quite messy to handle. The pork was very salty and, even though we both mentioned this to the young boy twice (while eating and once done eating) all he said was he was sorry. There was no inclination on his part to comp a portion of the meal, maybe he doesn’t even know what this entails. We took home the two halves and then decided to put them in the trash. Personally, I like salty food but these sandwiches were unbearably salty. And our hands were soaked in grease.
Now to the music. I realize the two guys running the place are young. The couple that had just left were in their 30’s, we’re in our 60’s. But we’re paying for our food! Why must we be subjected to the music these young folks want to listen to? The first song was a rap song, the second one was unintelligible with fast music, the third one was along the same vein. Why can’t restaurants, regardless of the type of food or atmosphere, provide soothing music that relaxes diners instead of making them want to swallow quickly and get the hell out of the place? And that’s what we did… got the hell out of there quickly.
Now to the drinks. I don’t know why, but this is the first time we’ve been given metal mugs (like the ones prisoners use) for our sodas. I refused mine and asked for a clear plastic cup which were displayed behind the counter. My husband accepted the prison cup but within 5 minutes said it didn’t feel right to drink out of this cup and he asked for a new plastic up. Owners: What’s up with these depressing-​looking prison metal cups? We paid $ 20.00 for our food. Why should we drink out of metal cups?
And lastly, the neighborhood. This small restaurant is located in a not very nice, not very safe neighborhood. As we drove around twice looking for street parking what we saw wasn’t very comforting: weird looking folks, beggars, a small number of ladies of the night getting ready for business and so on. I’d strongly recommend not visiting this area once it gets dark, don’t wear jewelry and hang on to your valuables.
Owner: Start taking an active role in running this eat-​in establishment; it’s always a good idea to remotely keep an eye on your employees if you’re not already doing so… most of all when they’re so young!

Delish, authentic, cuban sammy! Why order anything different. There’s a secret patio out back, where it looks like some fun-​ass parties go down on summer nights. Get a cold one and find your way there!

Bread 5
Pickles 5
Pulled pork 5
Cured meats 5
Mustard 5
Cheese 5
If you don’t go, it’s your own fault. I tried.

As a CubanAmerican, I love the twists made to these original Cuban foods. I can’t wait to go back when they reinstate their original menu within the next month. I went on a Monday at 1pm. Had to park in meter. The wait was a bit more than expected but everything made freshly in front of you. Worth it. I still made it back to work on time and able to finish my meal. I had the Media Noche croquettes order comes with 4 small and round yet filled with flavor in each bite, served with a little delicate mustard sauce to dip in-​my mouth still waters. I devoured a huge Elena Ruz and was happily full. Not exactly like my original favorite favorite Elena Ruz but it definitely sets itself up as a strong competitor.

What a great find! Definitely deserving of New Times best sandwich shop
Had the BLT croqueta very good with the pimiento sauce great twist. Best of all the croqueta was fantastic. Can’t wait to come back and try somethings new

Had not been here in a while and today I had the triple sandwich. One word awesome.
I will definitely recommend this place to any one.

Do you enjoy waiting 35 minutes for your takeout order to be completed?
Do you like seeing people who placed their order long after yours getting their food prior to you receiving yours?
When eating potato salad, do you prefer raw potatoes as the main ingredient?
Do the words «shredded pork» mean fatty chunks of pork?
If you answered yes to any of these questions I would recommend this restaurant but if you said no to all of them, I would recommend looking elsewhere. For as a simple and as straightforward as a sandwich shop seems, this place seems to have botched it on many levels.

We walked in the place is really nice and cozy. Loved the decoration and the brick wall but the first thing I did not like was that the menu had no prices so I don’t know if I’m paying $ 5 for a sandwich or $ 20… We tried ordering the pan con lechon but they were sold out then we also tried ordering the guava pound cake but they were also sold out… we arrived at 12:45. There were 2 tables when we arrived, one being getting there food and one waiting for food mind you this is a really small and cozy place roughly 4 tables. Yet it still took approximately 25 mins for our sandwiches to arrive. Once we received our sandwiches it taste delicious. The Reubencito sandwich and the Elena Ruz are big portion and very tasty. Truthfully the place is good but the service is slow… they are under staff it was only 2 people one taking orders and one preparing food, perhaps if there were two people preparing food it would be faster and better. But overall we loved the atmosphere and food and we are willing to come back again and hope to have a different experience.
4 – 5 stars food
3– stars waiting period and service
5– star décor
I give it 3.5+ stars

Little Bread is a great addition to the recently evolving Little Havana neighborhood. You can find some great gourmet sandwiches inspired by the cuban sandwich spots that line the neighborhood. Little Bread takes it to another level though with their gourmet ingredients and craft brews on tap.
Take advantage of their outdoor patio out back once you get your order and enjoy!

Within a two week period, I’ve been back 4 times!
It’s safe to say I Love Little Bread!
The Elena Ruz is wonderful, so far my favorite! The Pan con Bistec is also very good! The Frita sliders are 5 star deliciousness.
As much as I’d like it, to be a 4 star review,
It’s not all praise in this review unfortunately…
My biggest complaint is the soggy crackers that come with the media noche croquettes, which are just as soggy at Bread and Butter. Please, someone explain why???
They’re either being stored incorrectly, or the chef needs to change his supplier.
When I asked the very nice cashier for his input, he said the owner said that this was the way they are.
LOL.
–1 star until you guys fix it.
Anyway, the service is a little slower than I am used to but I like to think it’s because they are surely putting a lot of love into every bite.

I hate to write this review, I really do. Little Bread is (mostly) a hit with respect to food, but a miss with respect to service. I’ve been here 5 times, and the experiences have been different from one another. The first two were great (the restaurant was empty) But the last 3 were less than desirable.
Yes, the sandwiches here are good, usually VERY good even. But, the positives end there :-/​The last 3 times I have come here, they are out of one thing or another. I’m no expert, but I assume restaurants should be able to know how much to buy so that things rarely, if ever, run out. It’s very disappointing when you are craving one thing, and are told it’s not available. Especially when the menu is not very large.
One of the bad occasions was a Saturday at 1pm. The restaurant was full and my friends and I sat outside in the patio. So, we all order our food and pay separately. It took us over 45 minutes to get our food. Some of us had the tomato salad and other sides that didn’t require cooking and so we asked the girl to bring those while the other food arrived. Nothing. We told her to bring the sandwiches out as they became ready since we all paid separately we didn’t care about eating at the same time. Nothing. I’m almost sure they gave some of our sandwiches to other tables. We had 4 orders of croquetas. Only 3 came out. The 4^th took another 20 minutes. Other tables that ordered after us were getting their orders of croquetas. Nothing made sense. Everyone said the sandwiches were good but most said they weren’t hot. Does that mean they were sitting there for a while for no reason? I would hope not since we were complaining about how long everything was taking. My steak sandwich wasn’t hot either. And it was different than the other times I had come. Instead of the full piece of tender meat inside, it was sliced/​shredded. It wasn’t as juicy or flavorful this way. I haven’t been able to order it again to see if it was just that day because when I came back after that, they were out (no surprise).
The cashier girl took the brunt of the complaints, and even though she wasn’t all that helpful, it’s obvious that the issues were mostly caused by the cooks, not her. When we went in to complain to her, we could see the cooks were working with no urgency. You would never know how busy the restaurant was, full of people complaining about their wait. At one point, one of the cooks came out to bring her a dish to give to us. Did he apologize for the wait? Or tell us anything at all? He didn’t even look our way. Some of us were offered a free dessert, some were not.
The last time I came, they were out of 3 sandwiches. I ended up having the BLT Preparado. Too bready and missing some of the ingredients that were on the board. I can’t recall exactly which, and since there’s no menu on the website, I’ll never remember lol To top it off, the seating area inside is next to a big window with no shade so we ended up eating our food with the sun beaming in on us, sweating and with our sunglasses on. Another bad experience that day.
Nothing about this place is consistent. The sandwhiches are pretty good. The croquetas are good. The guava pound cake is really good. The service and availability of menu items is inconsistent. I hope they get these kinks fixed because I hope to come back and update my review with a more positive one! :)

Had a little bit of a tough time finding this place and once I did, they didn’t let me in cause they were mopping the floor… at 6:30 pm on a weekday! Ooookay. So I went around the back to the little patio area and was shocked to find it so quaint and cute for Little Havana! They were setting up a yoga session which I found appropriate for the space– since it seemed artsy and all emo.
I ordered the grilled cheese, tomato soup, a tea and then a dessert to go. Absolutely loooooved my food but was a little bummed about the service. Although they were pleasant, they brought out the food with zero napkins and/​or silverware. It was a lazy day and I waited patiently for what seemed like forever for someone to come out and check on me. They finally did after I’d finished my sandwich and at that point I no longer felt like my tomato soup and my hands were all greased up. I asked for the napkins and the napkins never came, so I just eventually paid and escorted my greasy hands to the bathroom where I washed them up.
Looking forward to a better experience but even more so to the foooood, because it really was pretty awesome!

Diarrhea alert!!!
Writing this while trying my best to hold my anus from dropping to the bottom of the toilet. Both my partner and I have major diarrhea a few hours after eating here. Too bad that we both LOVED the sandwich, but now, my ass is on fire.

It’s true the prices are not on the menu board. But the prices are listed in the foldable takeout menu by the cashier where you give your order. Upon perusing it, I could say that the sandwiches are maybe double the normal Miami prices — with the Cuban going for $ 12 and the pan con bistec going for $ 10. Elena Ruth was cheaper at $ 8 and the pan con lechon, at $ 6, seems to be a fair price. Granted, the other sandwiches have a twist to the standard makeup found in Miami — so overall the prices are not so bad. Maybe it would not seem so bad if it was in a more trendy area.
But we are also talking about quality, although the taste differences at times may be too subtle for some to notice. But the bread is fantastic, toasted with butter in the inside, and the fillers are all ensured to be of great quality, with many stuff made in house.
The medianoche croquetas were good but I did not think it was worth the $ 5 price tag considering that they were small and easily gone.
The Cuban was delicious and I liked that it wasn’t too overladen with ham like some other Cubans and that it had a more vibrant assortment of flavors. It has pork belly rillete, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, house pickles, and red wine mustard.
The Pan con Bistec was alright — but then again I’m not a fan of sliced roast beef. I much prefer a thin cut of steak over any roast beef. And the thicker the steak, the better in my book — but then it wouldn’t be so Cuban after all. But either way, it was still a twist, with shaved roast beef, shallot fondant, papitas Juliana, tomato and house made aioli.
The pan con lechon was my favorite, although it was also a more simply made sandwich but with a more refined set of flavors with smoked pernil, onion escabeche, crispy garlic and cilantro leaves. Surprisingly this was also the best deal for a sandwich.
I came also on the day when the reubencito empanadas was the daily special. At $ 2.50 (oddly since in the menu it was listed as $ 2), it was a nice find since I didn’t want to order another sandwich to try it out. While the filling was on the small end, with a bulk of the empanadas being the fried dough, it was really good and has exactly all the components of the sandwich with house pastrami, Swiss cheese and chicharron (which I barely detected). And with the addition of sauerkraut and truffle thousand island that was given on the side to top with, I may not hesitate to order this again.
I would like to come back to try some of the other offerings — and despite the fact I think some of the items are slightly overpriced, it is a nice and much needed addition to elevate a common staple in Miami.

This place is a magical hole in the wall!!! It’s about 2 months old, and in the middle of little Havana. It’s very small and accommodating. They specialize in pork. I usually go for the pan con lechon.
.amazing! The pork is cooked to perfection! Comes with Ali oli, onions and cilantro leaves. Deliciousness! I always accompany it with a Jupiña :) to bring out the Cuban in me. A favorite is also the guava pound cake! Although it could be a little bit more moist, but it’s still quite tasty.
Something I didn’t know they did, were private events. We recently came here to an anniversary party which they host in an outside terrace. It’s so beautiful. Gives its a very wynwood feel! Artsy spray painting on the walls and nice lights. It’s perfect for a small Getty with your friends and family!
Bottom line is, I’m coming here more often!

Four stars because I’m DEFINITELY a fan and could see myself knocking this up to five after a couple more trips.
As a regular at Bread + Butter, I’ve had this place on my radar for awhile and finally was in a good spot to check it out for lunchtime yesterday. Thankfully, I didn’t experience the long wait time as others complained about, but rather, was in and out in about 40 minutes with a very full and happy belly.
We ordered two sandwiches, the Cuban and the medianoche club, Alberto Cabrera’s unique (and upscale) twists on the classics. The Cuban definitely stole the show. Every ingredient is carefully curated and cared for so that when it all comes together, I can only describe it as melted magic. The medianoche club was decent if you want something maybe on the lighter side (not that it’s not stacked high), but if you’re a fan of Cuban sandwiches, definitely try that. On the side, we got an order of the thinly cut malanga chips, tossed in an addictive seasoning. Definitely beats potato chips!
I loved the feel of this place and the outdoor seating is not to be missed! Will we be back? No doubt. From the reuben to the Elena Ruiz, there is so much here to try (not to mention the desserts).

When I first moved to Miami 15 years ago, I of course sought out «local» food. This was back in the days before Unilocal was there to help (I know, it’s an appalling prospect). One of the natural first things to try was a «cuban sandwich,» so I followed the guide book to some forgettable place on Calle Ocho, I managed to choke down a very dry and rock-​hard sandwich, and pretty much left it at that for the next 14.9 years.
Then I read on Eater Miami about a new place reinventing the «cuban» in a part of south-​central Miami I don’t really pass by that often.
A month or 2 later I caught the Jon Favreau movie «Chef» on Netflix. It had a very similar premise to «Little Bread»: he buys a food truck in Miami and reinvents classics beginning with he cuban sandwich! What can I say, it got me hungry.
And as it turns out I WAS going to be in the area the next day, traveling to the UMiami school of law for a moot court competition. So I planned my route with a slight detour.
My conclusion: I think this place would have enormous appeal to those who grew up with cuban sandwiches, and wanted to see a modern-​day reinterpretation with high quality ingredients. The «classic cuban» is indeed the best I have had, but I say that from the perspective of someone who never particularly liked them to begin with (see introductory paragraph above). The Little Bread interpretation involves some very tender pork, oodles of melty cheese, and a bun that is pressed but not dry and hard. It is an easy sandwich to chew, but a hard one to finish (probably a 2000 calorie sandwich), so bring a friend or prepare for a sloppy leftover dinner.
A peeve, and one of the main reasons for not going all-​in with 5-​stars: the «secret» menu is the one with PRICES (nothing on the website, nothing written on the chalkboard, nothing but you and me on Unilocal to give you the scoop). So here is the scoop: the classic cuban is $ 12. The croquettes (which I bought based on other reviews, but wouldn’t again because they didn’t wow me) were $ 5 for 4 pieces (so the sandwich, while very pricey, is a better deal than the apps). A can of regular pop (that’s right, I live in the South and I said «pop») is $ 1.50 — not terrible.
I’d really like to have tried the reuben (because unlike ‘traditional cuban sandwiches’ I really LIKE reuben sandwiches to begin with), but being on a date, I had to share what SHE wanted. If I ever find myself in this neck of the woods again (happens once every 10 years it would seem), that’s what I’d like to try.
In any event: a great effort and much success to a local chef following in the footsteps of the movie. All that’s missing is a truck (and a listing of prices).

A more modern and cleaner version of the Cuban cafeterias on the SW 12^th Avenue block that were made famous by Willy Chirino’s «Ya Viene Llegando» (late 80’s political Salsa song), Little Bread does its forebears right with a tastier update on the classic Cuban sandwich and Cuban music soundtrack.
I stopped by for lunch today and tried their updated Original Cuban Sandwich. In addition to the traditional slices of ham and pernil (pork loin), Chef Albert remixes the flavor by throwing in Salami, pork belly rillette, and sweet Serrano Ham. The sweetness lingers in your mouth while mixing in mustard (instead of the traditional mantequilla) and swiss cheese. I forgot to opt out of the pickles, but the other flavors concealed those green things. The malanga chips I ordered with it were nice and crispy, but could have had less salt. I also liked that the sandwich was stacked and not skimping out on meat.
Though they didn’t have a coffee machine for the obligatory cortadito, I did enjoy a Joe’s soda sweet peach iced tea. My panetela de guayaba (guava bundt cake and an update on the classic cuban pastry was riquisimo and a perfect closing to my modern Cuban meal.
Service was also a plus, with Chef Albert taking the time to answer my question and just as importantly, listening to the aforementioned comment on the malanga chips. Welcome, and I plan to make it a food stop. Dale!