Cuban Restaurants near Riverside, IL

“Phenomenal catering for a big party! We hosted a party for 100 and ordered a couple of full trays of their scrumptious Signature Pressed Sandwiches (lechon - my fave, steak, Cubans, Cubanito Express, chicken Guava Q, veggies, caprese). The owner threw in some Puerto Rican rice, tons of fantastic condiments, and more. The food was a HUGE hit. I only wish I had ordered more because it was enjoyed so quickly and there were no leftovers!Vegetarian options: There are delicious vegetarian and vegan options including Vegana Bowl, pressed Sandwich or Jibarito (featuring Impossible "meat" and vegan cheese with vegan chipotle mayo and veggies), Caprese and Veggie pressed sandwiches and Jibarito sandwiches (using fried green plantains instead of bread).“

“I'm a frequent diner at Jibaritos y mas but my boyfriend wanted to try something new. We looked up a couple of places and this place came up. It had 4.6 stars so we decided to check them out, and we were so glad we did! I had the steak jibarito which lacked no flavor. The steak was marinated in mojo or vinegar I'm not sure but it was sooo good! My boyfriend had the steak sandwich and loved it as well. The service was awesome! The owners were very nice and talked to us while we ate. We tried their chips with HOMEMADE guava sauce made by Ana ?. Definitely a MUST TRY! I was not disappointed from the minute we walked in til we left. We will definitely be going back!“

“This place is, hands down, the best Cuban restaurant in Chicago - and it's not even close. My husband and I visited Saturday for an early dinner. The place is clearly family run, and they have outstanding service. Our waitress was so incredibly sweet and attentive - it really felt like we were part of their family for the 90 minutes we were there. We had an empanada trio to start - the dough is outstanding - very flaky and buttery without feeling heavy or dense - ham and cheese was the highlight of those. My husband had the ropa vieja that he said was incredible - we almost had to roll him out of the place, he was so full. I had a breaded chicken breast that was perfectly executed and GIGANTIC. We both had the yellow rice as a side, which I highly recommend. The rice is cooked and seasoned to perfection, and loaded with crispy pieces of fried pork - really just perfectly executed rice. The prices are incredibly affordable and BYOB only adds to that. Nobody rushed us through the meal so we stayed for a moment to enjoy the cute place and the friendly people. This place feels like a warm hug.“

“Great coffee, if ethnic style sweetened speaks to you. Good Cuban sandwiches & more are tasty & can hit the spot. Two bummers: their homemade BBQ sauce is not available till later morning and parking is unavailable out front. But since the Metra construction is still not complete, if you can walk a lil' you'll find some on the corner. Wish they had an area of the street held just for them or with a temporary 20 min zone. There are more than one Cuban sandwich joints in Chicago. It's worth it to try them all. Better hours in da Chi.“

“Came in today for the first time. Customer service was great. I ordered a steak sandwich, cafe con leche, and a pastelito. Everything tasted really good. I ordered to go and was in and out. The place is a little small so maybe for a sit down place it might be a little cramped but that's not a deal breaker for me. Definitely a must try if you are in the neighborhood!“

“I was hungry but was in a indecisive mood. Driving by el cubanito and knew this was what I wanted. I hit the walk up window because the main was closed (it was 830p). Got the steak sandwich and a drink. Definitely hit the spot, huge portion, the steak was falling off because it was piled on. They put the little french fries(chips) on it and it smacks. Definitely recommend this place. Make sure to get a fork because you will need it. This late i think its togo only options.“

“Just as delicious as the original Lazo’s, owned by the same wonderful family. The croquetas, sweet plantains and guacamole were exceptional. We missed Cuban food after moving here from Miami. This is the next best thing to Abuela’s cooking.“

“Service was attentive and kind, the food was phenomenal and you can tell the recipes are traditional. I met the owner of this restaurant in unlikely circumstances before my visit and the love he has for his restaurant translated when i got to experience dine in. the dining room is small but it allows for that mom and pop feel. Definitely try this place out and don't skip out on the Roja Vieja.“

“I haven't had food with such sabor (flavor) in so long that wasn't cooked at home. Not salty at all. Great service. I'm definitely going back. Ordered the yuca rellenas, papa rellenas, Pollo encebollado, and the lechon. We were surprised with toasted French bread with homemade guava butter!!!!!“

“I usually order from this place via ubereats and besides the fact that their food is AMAZING, I want to take a moment to appreciate the safety precautions they take when it comes to food like adding stickers to the smoothies and bags to show if someone has tampered with it. I don’t see many places do that. I’m definitely a regular (even got my father in law hooked on this place). I will have to stop by in person next time.“

“They do not accept same-day table reservations - be aware.But you can call for an estimate on the current wait time. Ours was answered promptly - 2 people ahead of us so anywhere between 15 - 30 minute wait.1 large table is available upon arrival and we play immediately. We ate, had drinks & an all-around blast.I lost all night but will be back.This is one of the best pool halls in the city.“

“Islands Cafe was deeeee-lish and Asel, the woman who works there, was very nice, provided excellent customer service and is a really good cook! I got a chicken sandwich (that came with plantain chips and garlic oil) and a passion fruit tea with strawberry popping. O. M. G! Everything so good! My sandwich was one of the best pressed sandwich I've ever had! Asel toasted it perfectly. The chicken was cooked just right. Juicy and hot and cooked just the right amount. Cooked until done, but not overdone. All toppings were just the right amount too. The bubble tea was great as well. I can't wait to return to try their chicken with maduros, black beans and rice lunch special. Thank you Asel and Islands Cafe!“

“One of my favorite places in Logan square I go here all the time. Today I was feeling sick so I decided to Uber eats it rather than pick it up like I normally do. However my sandwich came in wrong, I called and they were so kind to personally deliver a new sandwich to my house. Literally the sweetest thing. Quality of food and customer care continue to be a 11/10 :)“

“We've been going to Marianaos since they were in a little shack on Milwaukee. The location may have changed but the delicious food and quality has not changed. There's a ton more menu options which is also very delicious. We take our out of town family here every time they visit. It's definitely a go to!“

“I had the ropa vieja and it was pretty good. First time trying the dish so I don't have a basis for comparison, but the meat was juicy and tender. The dish also came with a side of tostones, rice, and beans which were all good. Some of the friends I was with got other dishes and found the meat to be dry. The portion sizes also aren't very large relative to the price. Overall a pretty decent spot.“

“20/10! As a puertorican (born and raised in San Juan, PR), this is the only place that I LOVE their alcapurrias! The service is great, very homey and cozy and everything was tasty. My husband had the Churrasco with Arroz con Habichuelas Rojas and they were the best beans I've tried in the US! And the flan de coco and tres leches de mangó was so delicious! Definitely my new favorite restaurant that reminds me of home“

“The food was BOMB 10/10 my friends and I all ordered something different and it was all delicious!!! We unfortunately waited an hour and forty minutes to actually receive our food but we didn’t make a reservation and we also happened to go on one of the busiest days of the year according to the owner Alberto… AND they were short staffed. Totally understandable!! According to one of my friends who comes here often, the service is always fast so I won’t give a lower review because of that. The owner came to chat with us at our table for a while after we finished eating. Real nice guy!! Great vibes and good music. BYOB“

“ive been to a lot of Cuban restaurant but this one bets them all there food is the best i had a Cuban sandwich it had so much meat and ham cheese was nice and melted not hard at all and the pork in there taste so good i would recommend this place to anyone this will be my new place to go to..thank you guy so being so nice to oh and the wait it worth it ...“

“We were coming from the Fashion Outlet mall and it was -9 degrees outside. I was looking for something that was home made and did not want to eat chain food. I seen in my google search that this place was family owned and had a nice atmosphere with full bar. The empanadas were the best i had ever eaten. The pastry was light and the fillings were delicious. We had the chicken and beef fillings. Our server was so nice and helpful with our choices since it was our first time there. I had the pork sandwich with bacon lettuce and tomato. Pork was excellent and our server gave us this green sauce which was divine. My husband had the pork dinner and it came with beans, rice and potatoes. His dinner was called the Lechon, and the portion was very generous so we have lunch for tomorrow. Our server also brought out 2 sauces (green sauce and light orange) for the pork. Our server said the main ingredients in the green sauce was garlic, peppers and some other secret seasoning. The pork was already flavorful and tender but the sauces really made it taste that much better. Next time I go shopping at the Fashion Outlets, this will be our dinner spot. Our server was so nice and gave us more green sauce to go with our leftovers.“

“Sazon Cubano 2.0 was a great experience for my family and I. Being from Miami my family and I are no strangers to Cuban culture and cuisine, and In coming here we felt right at home. The only reason for the less than 5 star rating is the small menu. Cuban cuisine has so much to offer and I felt there just needs to be more of a spread of options. Otherwise the food was excellent and the service was top tier! Just what I was looking for. Now that we know Sazon is there we will be back to enjoy live music night. If your looking for the Cuban flavor in Chicago look no further!“

“We stopped by on a whim to have late lunch and enjoy the sunny day.Its a quaint spot on a corner. Has about 4 tables for patio seating. The inside is bar stools lining a table tht wraps around the wall.It’s small but it has character. Aide at the cash register was very friendly. I felt like i was walking out friends with her almostAnd the food was so good. 5/5 for rhe sandwhich and we couldnt finish it all. Left half a sandwhich for left over lunch tomorrow ☺️Parking: Small parking lot wraps around the corner restaurant“

“They are awesome love there cafe con leche and there media noche sandwich. The owner is great.Parking: Limited parking spacesKid-friendliness: I would take my grandson he loves empanadas.Wheelchair accessibility: U can get a wheelchair in there“

“BEST SANDWHICH SHOP EVER. Their steak sandwhiches are my FAVORITE, but all of their sandwhiches are absolutely delicious ? they close at 6pm and it's almost 8pm as I write this now....wishing I had one of their sandwhiches in my hand ? And the staff is always so lively and welcoming! The owners are real down to earth, I love eating there ?“