The best Cuban sandwiches in Miami

This cozy Cuban cafe in Little Havana doles out various Cuban sandwiches—medianoche, pan con bistec, pan con lechón—but its Cubano is what truly put them on the map. Part of the reason why this sandwich is special is the hours of prep that go into making each ingredient before it’s even assembled: the mustard is ground in-house, the pork is cured in-house and the bread is baked precisely to Sanguich’s specifications. Once it’s all put together, the Cubano is finished off in la plancha, just how it should always be.

Caribe is part of a small Miami-based chain of Cuban restaurants where the servings are massive and the prices are generally low. The Cuban sandwich is no exception. The meats are piled high, especially the roast pork, and the bread itself is sliced larger than in other restaurants.

Husband and wife duo Jason and Melanie Schoendorfer began by peddling homemade bacon at the farmers’ market. When they opened a full-fledged butcher shop, they also started selling sandwiches—some of the best sandwiches in town, as a matter of fact. Theirs is something special in part thanks to the ham. Unlike the tragically bland boiled variety on many Cuban sandwiches, here it’s smoked in-house, giving the entire affair a deep, smoky awesomeness.

What’s perhaps most striking on a visit to Enriqueta’s is how this simple, old-school Miami building has withstood a condo boom that’s literally surrounded its tiny parking lot. Even as the world changed around it, Enriquetta’s remains the same, still with an always-busy takeaway window and perpetually packed dining room. People come for giant plates of Cuban classics and, of course, the Cuban, a version that’s quite cheesy and tucked with extra pickles. The Doble comes with an extra order of pork, and the Preparado stuffs two ham croquetas deep inside.

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Breadman’s sandwiches can be towering affairs, like the appropriately named El Guapo, piled with fried eggs, shoestring potatoes and a row of chunky croquetas. The Cuban here is far more of a standard affair, although adding mayo gives it a bit more richness. The highlight, of course, is the bread, just-cooked, well-crisped and absolutely massive. A solid sandwich for sure, but Breadman also wins the (admittedly nonexistent) award for the biggest Cuban in town.

At first, your friends will ask you why the hell you’re taking them to a laundromat at 3am. But soon enough, they’ll be thanking you in between bites of working class Cuban classics. Mary’s Cafe, a bit north of Coconut Grove, is attached to a laundromat and open 24-hours. Most items on the menu are less than $6. Unsure of what to get? Aside from the Cuban (duh), go for a batido (essentially a Cuban milkshake) and an order of croquetas. You’re welcome.

The Cuban sandwich has never been a particularly vegetable-forward proposition; the whole point is the pork, and lots of it. Vegan Cuban, a no-frills strip-mall spot along Sunset Drive in Kendall, makes a credible case for the other side. The Cubano here swaps in jackfruit lechón and organic plant-based ham, stacks it with creamy vegan cheese, organic pickles, mayo, and mustard, and presses the whole thing on Cuban bread until it's crispy, melty, and harder to distinguish from the original than you'd expect. The jackfruit does real work. Characteristically meaty, it pulls apart like slow-roasted pork and takes on enough mojo flavor that you stop thinking about what's missing about two bites in.

The Galindo name goes back to 1974, when Raúl Galindo opened a Cuban sandwich counter on Coral Way that quickly became a hub for the exile community. It's a no-frills cafeteria with a classic diner feel, featuring black vinyl booths and a U– shaped counter with soda fountain stools, each in view of a multitude of strung-up legs of pork just waiting to be sliced-to-order. Galindo's Cuban is as classic as it gets, with a balanced layup of ham, lechon, and squishy Swiss cheese, pressed open-faced and then while closed. It's served quartered into quaint little triangles. Get a mamey batido alongside and don't rush out.

With Off Site running the kitchen, and award-winning nano-brewery No Seasons running the taps, this corner brew pub in Little River is a must stop for those looking for a place that's both low-key and trendy. They specialize in burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and corn dogs that are inexplicably damn good. So, too, is their Midnight Cowboy Cuban, so named for the fact that htey use sweet "media noche" bread, which is akin to a Cuban brioche. Inside, there's braised pork, ham that's been smoked and aged for 15 months, and high quality swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Could you improve on any one of these layers? We’d like to see somebody try.

There are those who will say the Cubanish sandwich at this Miami Shores butcher shouldn’t be on the list because of its bread component, a Portuguese muffin instead of Cuban bread. No doubt this isn’t traditional. But the Cubanish is still a hell of a Cuban-inspired sandwich, built of dry-rubbed and roasted Duroc pork shoulder, smoked rosemary ham, pickles, mustard, cheddar and mayo. Like a Floridian with Cuban blood who proudly identifies with the island just off our shores, this is a true Miami creation.

This local Cuban chain appeals to a younger generation with its low-calorie La Flaca menu ("the skinny girl" in English) and riffs on classic American dishes, like the cobb salad and assorted flatbreads. Its Cuban sandwich, meanwhile, is straightforward and a real-deal sando, well-pressed with good portions of all the key ingredients. While the Cuban stays true to its Miami-ish roots, Sergio’s also gives the plancha treatment to some fine alternatives, like a pan con lechón with grilled pork, onions, mojo sauce and Cuban bread.

This tiny shopfront a block off Española Way serves a tight menu of handhelds, from “The Classic” Cubano to pan con lechón and medianoche, all made with pork marinated in citrus-garlic mojo and slow-roasted for over 14 hours. Helmed by a young NYC transplant, Cubatón also serves a couple of new-wave creations, like a Cuban made with hot honey (delicious) and even a veggie option. On the sweet side, pair the pan con timba (a pressed guava and queso sandwich like abuela would make) with an iced café bonbón. The batidos (milkshakes) are seasonal, like this summer's pineapple and coconut flavor. There’s a smattering of sidewalk seats and a small bench inside, so don’t plan to linger long.

This local staple of Cuban cuisine opened in the heart of Little Havana in 1976 and now has multiple outposts in Miami (including inside Miami International Airport). It offers an expert Cubano that, while heavy on the ham, nails the perfectly toasted bread every single time.

Perhaps this little cafe, now with locations in Coral Gables and Miami Shores, would rank higher here if its menu listed an actual Cuban sandwich. Perhaps you’ll think they should be disqualified, but Tinta y Café does an incredible sandwich that’s mighty close, and so good it definitely deserves a spot. All that stands in the way of the Patria being a traditional Cuban is the addition of mortadella and a garlicky sauce, two additions you’ll be glad are there.

It’s dubbed itself the world’s most famous Cuban restaurant, and the Cubano might be the most popular thing on the menu. The original (there’s a special version that’s slightly larger) meets all the basic requirements: toasted and filled with the correct ingredients. Presidents and celebrities have sat on the Versailles stools, which explains why you’ll often be standing in line to get yourself a fine Cuban.

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Most everyone hitting this divy West Kendall barbecue spot is here for the ribs, the burger or the loaded fries. But the Cuban here is worthy of the trip, in large part due to the substitution of roasted pork for smoked pulled pork, giving the entire affair a weighty smokiness.

Cafe might be a misnomer for this Cuban restaurant, with locations in Brickell, Hialeah and near the airport. All three of them are big spots with equally extensive menus. The standard Cuban here comes with a generous stack of ham, roast pork and Swiss that’s almost too big to all get in one bite. At under $10, it’s a bargain for a hearty sandwich that easily feeds two hungry people.

When it comes to Cuban sandwiches, this restaurant likes to bend the rules. Mustard is replaced with Sarussi's signature secret sauce—a liquidy version of sofrito with hints of cumin that packs a flavorful punch. The bread tastes more Italian than Cuban, and can be ordered with melted butter brushed on top. Purists be warned: You won’t find a traditional Cubano here, but you’re still getting a stellar sandwich.

It doesn’t get more down-home than this Cuban diner in Little Havana. Service is no-frills, portions are generous, and dishes are packed with big flavors. Its location adjacent to Domino Park makes it a favorite stop for neighborhood locals and large groups of tourists exploring the area. The restaurant’s only offense? Skimping on the roasted pork in favor of more ham in their Cubano. The bread is also very crispy, which can go either way, depending on your preference.

No restaurant, and perhaps no person shy of Pitbull, has so strongly repped the 305. And so it makes sense that you’ll find a Cubano at Kush that’s constructed ingredient-by-ingredient to represent Miami’s quintessential dish. Here, it’s highlighted by the meat, smoked ham and slow-roasted-in-house pork that comes, as a bit of a surprise, on bread that’s more hoagie roll than traditional Cuban. Plantain chips and cilantro aioli on the side come as a bonus.