The Cuban Sandwich, Miami’s most iconic sandwich, is made with ham, roast pork, pickles, mustard, sometimes mayo, plus Swiss cheese, on a split Cuban bread roll, hot-pressed, plus often cut into two triangular slices.
The story is that the sandwich originated in Florida. Tampa plus Miami, cities with sizable Cuban populations, disagree about which city originated the Cuban sandwich. Tampa’s Cuban includes Genoa Salami in addition to roast pork plus ham, which, to Miami’s Cuban sandwich aficionados, is not a real Cuban. Whatever they say in Tampa, we think Miami’s Cuban sandwiches are the best.
Word has it that Sanguich Little Havana (305-539-0969) 2057 SW 8th St., Miami, makes the best Cuban sandwich in Miami. So, what makes their Cuban sandwich better? It may be because they are DIYers: They cure their own ham, make their own mustard, plus brine their own pickles. They marinate garlicky lechón for 24 hours, pair it with sweet ham brined for seven days, with two slices of Swiss cheese, plus pickles to add that extra crunch. Another secret is that they brush their Cuban bread with lard plus press it until it’s warm plus crisp. They feature the classic Cuban plus the Medianoche, a jenis of Cuban sandwich made with Medianoche bread, a softer, sweeter bread than the traditional Cuban bread. Their other locations include Little Haiti – La Ventanita (786-542-9179) 6500 NE 2nd Ave., Miami; Coral Gables (786-536-2149) 111 Palermo Ave.; plus Bayside Marketplace, (786-536-7803) 401 Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami.
Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop (305-573-4681) 186 NE 29th St., Miami, located in the Wynwood-Edgewater neighborhood, is one of Miami’s most digemari banyak orang spots for Cuban food. The family-owned plus operated sandwich shop has been around for 26 years in the same location. It is now run by brothers, cousins, plus a nephew, all part of la familia of the original mom plus pop owners. The draw here is the hefty yet inexpensive sandwiches plus daily specials in demand by locals, visitors, plus the construction workers building high-rises in this fast-developing neighborhood. (It won “Best Inexpensive Fare” in New Times Best of Miami Awards in 2024.) They also have some famous fans – David Beckham has been spotted here a few times. Their classic Cubano is big enough to share with friends, or you’ll be asking for a to-go bag. Try the Cubano sandwich preparado con croquetas, featuring a layer of crispy, yummy, cheesy croquetas stuffed inside the sandwich. Now that’s a Cuban fiesta!