Kool Korner Sandwiches

First time here. Decided to do take out. I have been waiting for over an hour and they are still 15 numbers away from me. If you are thinking of coming soon for lunch I would find somewhere else until the popularity of the new location dies down.

Just read an article they are opening back in the former Philly Connection location in Vestavia. Just a few doors down from Sol Azteca. Can’t wait.
Great Cuban sandwich, very authentic. Get it dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers.
The black bean soup is the best I have had. Excellent flavor.
The Galician soup is good also, but I much prefer the black bean.
They have a few other pressed sandwiches, which are all good, but the Cuban is the best IMO.

Amazing! Cuban cuisine here is simple, fresh, and just as good as when I last had any in South Miami 5 years ago! Thanks! We’ll be back!
Wrote this review 9÷13÷2012 but somehow didn’t get posted.
I just saw its closed. I’d drive back to BHam just to eat there I hope they reopen. Was amazing!!!

One of my favorites in Birmingham that has unfortunately, closed at their current location. I read on
that they are trying to find a new space but unsure when. Please, please, please hurry and bring my Cuban back. So disappointing to drive up and find an empty space.

If I could I would eat here everyday. Señor Ramirez is still running the shop. I smiled so hard best sandwich my husband and I have had. The empanadas were like mamis.

Enjoyed a real sandwich shop! Genuine Cuban sandwiches, tasty fresh soup and friendly service. Very nice lunch!

Eye of round sandwich is amazing. I love this place. The owner is a cute, older man in his 90’s who still works hard keeping his restaurant going.

First time I went to Mr. Ramerez’s Kool Korner, I ordered the chicken sandwich with plantain chips. It was so good I’ve never ordered anything else and I eat there at least monthly. It is that good! I sometimes add the black bean soup or tamale which are also terrific! Mr. Ramerez is charming; best food in B’ham!

I sent my secretary to pick up lunch and she came back to the office raving about the atmosphere and the older gentleman that checked her out. The Cuban sandwich was delicious and as close to authentic as I have found in Birmingham. The black bean soup was good as well.

Awesome Cuban! The best I’ve ever had. 90+ year old gentleman, who is the owner, still works the register. Will come back!

Kool Korner is a great example of the restaurant they are trying to be. First and foremost, the cuban sandwich is all you need. I have never tried anything else. And probably never will.
They are very convenient for a quick bite if you want to stay. And very convenient to do take out. Not a fancy place for a sit down dinner. But perfect for a quick cuban sandwich. They always have customers. But never slammed. It is quick, easy, and delicious. Go and go soon.

My first time here and I will be back! $ 9 for a sandwich, soda, and chips so it’s a little on the pricier side for a sandwich, but well worth it. The quality of the food you are getting far outweighs the cheaper options. I had the Cuban sandwich with everything. The pork was slow roasted, well seasoned, juicy, and just all around delicious. The ham was fresh and well portioned. The bread was also fresh and nicely toasted. It was toasted enough that it wasn’t soggy but not so toasted that it cut my mouth up. There are two sizes. I got the medium; there is also a large. It was more than enough and I should not have ate the whole thing but it was so good I couldn’t help myself. The veggies were fresh and clean, crispy and well portioned as compared to the meat and bread. All in all, the Cuban is a well designed and executed sandwich at Kool Korner. The facility is located within a strip mall. It is at the far left corner. There is plenty of parking. The restroom was clean and well stocked. They have about 14 tables that can be quickly configured to make room for a larger group. And the steady flow of customers keeps the friendly staff busy. I’ll definitely be back!

Picked up a couple medium cubanos and a bread pudding to have at home with my hubby. We had the works on top and it was a lot of food! We could have shared a medium and been fine. The sandwich was so fresh, it far beats going to Subway or another chain sandwich shop. The bread pudding was delish too! It has guava in it! Where else can you have bread pudding with guava? Yum! Look forward to going back!

As a Miami boy born and raised I longed for real Cuban food in the Ham and here it is. As authentic a Cuban sandwich as you can find. And don’t leave without getting the guava pastille. Wow. Just a great place!

The Cuban sandwich is great. I mean this is a good sandwich on excellent Cuban bread. Mine tasted like they had prepared the pork roast in house and the bread tasted like fresh bakery bread. Nothing was greasy or over-​salted. Did I say I really was impressed with this sandwich?
The people are completely different than what you find in any restaurant. They were polite and friendly. I mean, sincerely polite and friendly unlike the usual surly attendants we have at most restaurants.
The owner thanked us as we left. This is hospitality like you seldom find.
The décor is kind of shabby and plain and it is a sandwich shop, but I will be back many times unless something changes.

I love this place. I get the Cuban sandwich all the way with peppers almost every time but sometimes when they have a special I get that sandwich instead. I have never been disappointed. I also really like the Galician soup and I enjoyed the empanadas and tamales though I dont get them often. For sure, every time I go I definitely get one or two guava and cream cheese pastelitos. Do not miss them! All of the employees are super friendly and the owner and his son are super nice too. Ask them any questions you have about the food because they will be happy to educate you.

One of the best mistakes I’ve ever made. While driving down Highway 31, I was planning on going to Moe’s Southwest Grill and accidentally missed the turn so I pulled into the Publix parking lot. I drove around and spotted this brightly lit place at the corner of the shopping center.
Decided to go in a few minutes before closing time and ordered a Cuban Sandwich. I had no idea what I was in for and I was pleasantly surprised. One of the best if not the best Cuban sandwich I’ve had. I don’t live in this area but will be coming back to this place soon. They had a few sides that I’m definitely going to try when I visit again. They also have a good selection of Golden Flake chips.
Food was served quickly and customer service gets 5 stars for sure.

Below is a slightly edited version of a Google review I wrote a while back. I need to make my way back here in the near future, however!
I was taken to Kool Korner for lunch one day by a coworker and was definitely pleased with my visit here. I ordered a classic Cuban (don’t remember what it’s called on the menu) but it was really good! Can’t say that I’ve ever had one with the bread pressed like some kind of flatbread sandwich, but that didn’t take away from the experience at all.
There is even the option to order any sandwich on the menu as «all the way» (again don’t quote me on the verbage), but basically it will include extras like lettuce, tomato onion etc. You might say… those are typical sandwich toppings, why wouldn’t I have those by default? Again, this can apply to any sandwich on the menu. Traditional Cubans (as I ordered) don’t typically have such toppings.
I’d definitely recommend if you’re into sandwiches or just feeling like one today and want to try something other than Firehouse, Newk’s, Panera etc!

I’ve been going to Kool Korner since it opened about a year after that place out on 280 (Cuban something, not an original name) closed. A hot, pressed Cubano can be a thing of cheesy mustardy, porky wonder.
Yesterday I branched out and tried the half sandwich (Cubano, naturally) and cup of soup combo for about $ 6. For the soup, I eschewed my normal black bean to try the advertised special Cuban style Galician soup, with white beans, smoked ham, chorizo, potatoes and collard greens. The soup was good although not sure it was not anything different than the white bean, collards and sausage soup I make at home. The serving had to almost be a pint which was plenty. The sandwich was good as usual although a bid cool by the time I finished the soup (and glutton that I am, an empanada). Speaking of empanadas, I need to start making my own.
As an aside, this is the first time I have not seen Mr. Ramirez there overseeing things. I hope he is well as he is the heart and soul of Kool Korner.

Well, I finally managed to be in Vestavia Hills around lunch time, so I hit Kool Korner. It was a late lunch, and I had to get on with my day, so I went for the Cuban Sandwich with chips and drink. Not used to my Cuban sandwiches having lettuce, tomato, and jalapeño on it, but it was good. I actually like pork slow roasted with peppers, so it was enjoyable. The pork was tender, and appeared to be freshly sliced.
Staff were friendly, and service was quick, but to be fair it was 1:45 and lunch crowd was gone. The restaurant and dining area were clean. Overall, a good, solid sandwich shop. Now if only I could convince some co-​workers to try it out…