You can find a half-decent Cubano at pretty much any walk-up window in Miami. A humble handheld by design, it’s comprised of a few simple ingredients hot-pressed into gooey, golden-crisp triangles for AM or PM consumption. This simplicity helps superior Cuban sandwiches stand out, by the quality and freshness of their ingredients. Such is the case with Sanguich, a wife-and-husband-founded restaurant that makes most of its ingredients in-house. The ham is brined for days, the lechón marinated for 24 hours and the bread brushed with rendered lard before hitting the press. Pickles, pickled onions and mustard are likewise proprietary.
The original 25-seat restaurant on Calle Ocho serves six excellent variations of the Cuban sandwich, along with fruity Cuban milkshakes known as batidos, hearty snacks like croquetas and Cuban nachos and, of course, Cuban coffee and local beer. Three additional Sanguich locations satiate Miami’s discerning Cubano enthusiasts, including a walk-up ventanita in Little Haiti and a beautiful flagship in Coral Gables with expanded hours and ample indoor-outdoor seating. No matter where you go, try the Media Noche and a cortadito—dip your sandwich into the coffee for maximum effect.