Food and coffee are exceptional. Sandwiches and platters are great especially Lechon and Ropa Vieja. Excellent staff.

Love this place. Great menu, great food and coffee as good as Little Havana. Plantains cooked perfectly. Innovative breakfast dishes and chill atmosphere. read more

Loved this place!!!! It was right down the street from our hotel. The service was amazing and they have many vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and meat options for all! Great prices and every night they showcase a special from the bar. I took advantage of their $3.50 Ace guava cider from Brazil and it was delicious and served in a cold glass. The vegan mojo sampler was AMAZING and had incredible flavors with a bed of fresh rice and black beans. The sausage was Beyond Meat and seasoned and cooked to perfection. Total tab was only $18 and I was so satisfied! Will definitely be back when in Chicago! read more

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What a joke! The food looks fine but they are not only short staffed but totally disorganized with people bussing food wiping down tables and then making coffee and handling food without gloves or washing their hands as they are clearly short staffed. Then they said they don't have a table outside. Sure looks like it! read more

Cafecito - So after waiting 20 minutes for a table for one outside, I was told they just don't have one. Looks like it in the photo, right? - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow wow wow. The tastes that pop are amazing. So so good. Ate there twice and both times it was absolutely amazing. Their latte was sweet and so so good. read more

Did takeout the other day. This is still a great place and a great neighborhood gem. Cubano sandwich is great. Lovely clean. Good coffee. Highly recommend. Fair prices for this neighborhood. read more

Cafecito - MOJO shrimp - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was looking for a quick lunch downtown and decided to stop by at Cafecito. I was very surprised by how popular the venue was and it seemed to be loved by a lot of locals. Per the server's recommendation, I ordered the Steak Chimichurri platter and I did not regret this decision! The rice on its own was great, but went even better with the sauce and the beans. The steak was a little bit hard to cut through but was still delicious. Would love to come by again and try the other dishes! read more

This place was pretty good. I wanted Spanish food and this place popped up on my search so we decided to try it. The staff was very friendly and the menu was great, many choices to choose from. The food came out rather quickly which was nice and the drinks were decent. They do need to update their booths though. There was lots of cuts and rips in the one we were sitting at. read more

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The food is amazing! The service and workers are so nice and it's so cheap for so much food! My favorite part is all of the food they give us for so cheap! I recommend the palomia! It's the best. It feels like I'm in Cuba again and it brings back memories from when I was a kid, too! Just amazing overall! 100% recommend! read more

Cafecito - Palomilla Platter - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was alright and the outdoor seating was scenic but I wouldn't eagerly suggest this place to anyone who asks. The service was also not too great: it took a very long time to get our orders, the check was incorrect, and no one came by to check in on the meal. We ordered: - mango tajin cocktail and margarita: they definitely don't skimp on the alcohol which is ++, but the mango tajin was excruciating to finish (that may be due to the tajin/jalapenos which is a taste we failed to acquire) - cafe con leche: the top milk foam part was delish, however it was overwhelmingly sweet near the bottom - mango milkshake: this really did not taste like much. It was a texture like whipped yogurt and tasted like milky air with a hint of mango. Not really sweet either which can make be considered a plus if you are limiting your sugar intake. - cubano sandwich: tasted like a standard sandwich to me, nothing bad or outstanding. If you're a fan of mustard/pickles you'll like this because that seems to be a highlighting flavor. - juego sandwich: there was no salt in this sandwich so it was really very bland. the waiter didn't come back so we couldn't request salt - lechon platter: This was my favorite item. Plenty of meat, and I enjoyed the plantains. The beans are nice and salty too so you can pair them with other items that may be lacking that element. Overall, I would come back but I would pick other items on the menu in hopes of a better experience for the palate. read more

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Love the hot pressed sandwiches here. Great Cuban flavors at a very reasonable price. Lots of people so get here early. Got the Jerk and Chivita pressed sandwiches today. Both were great. Jerk comes with chicken and carribean spices. Chivito has steak, bacon and frrid egg. read more

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One of the best spots on the Mag Mile! I challenge you to find me a place where the food is fresh, fast, cheap, and authentic remotely close to Michigan Avenue! I have worked on the Ave for many years, and this place is truly a gem! I almost didn't want to leave them a review because I want to keep it a secret. I have basically had the entire menu, including breakfast, and have never been disappointed. Everything is delicious and reminds me of being in South Beach. They have won awards for their Cubano, but I love their plates more than their sandwiches. However I'll always prefer rice over bread if I'm gonna go ahead and indulge in carbs. Service is pretty good; it depends on how busy they are. They're always nice but sometimes slow. You must also try the Cuban coffee here. Great food that's friendly on your wallet. read more

Cafecito - Beer and wine menu - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very good Cuban cafe. We had breakfast, which for this area was pretty affordable and well done. The Cafe con Leche is not to be missed, delicious and mandatory for a trip here! read more

11/15 &16/22 This place received great reviews on Yelp and it was only a few blocks away from where I was staying. The waiter's name was Roberto, he was ok (3 stars). I ordered the caldo gallego soup, a chorizo omelette and a cup of Cuban Coffee, everything was awesome! I went back the following day because I wanted a mojito with my meal. So I ordered a chopped salad, tostones and a thin steak that was cut in to strips and placed over my salad. This was kinda awesome too. The waitress on the second day, I do not remember her name, she wasn't as attentive as Roberto. Once my food arrived, it took awhile before she came back to check on me. Let's just say, "Maybe she was new" (2 stars). Overall, I will definitely go back. This place satisfies the need for good food at a decent price. read more

We ordered brunch takeout recently for the first time and the food was great! Good flavor and generous portions. Instead of traditional hash brown, they used tater tots, even more satisfying. read more

Cafecito - Cubanismo (right) and Jardinero Omelette (left) - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is one hidden gem in my books, amazing sandwiches, coffee and service, it is welcoming, atmosphere is great, food is amazing and prices are great for the overall quality you receive here I highly recommend this place if you're looking for simple Cuban sandwiches. read more

Cafecito - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is by far the best cafecito I have had outside of Miami. I spend a lot of time in Miami because my office is there. I drink Cuban coffee almost daily, but I've never found a good one outside of Miami or my own making. I ordered a Colada and the poor waitress thought I was nuts. It's for sharing with a few people. Not me-I drink it all. Outstanding! Oh yeah. The food is pretty good, too. I had a roasted pork omelette with their house made picante sauce. Very tasty. Pork was a bit dry, but the flavor was there. I'll definitely be back when I am in Chicago again. Minus one star because even though the service is good, it is slow. Presumably because they're running a skeleton staff due to outrageous Covid restrictions in communist Chicago. read more

Cafecito - Roast pork omelette - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Probably the worst Cuban I've ever had. Had to ask for extra mayo and mustard. The meat was dry and cold. Ambiance was good. Server was MIA for the entirety of the meal. Had to find someone to ask for more condiments & even pay. Cafe Con Leche was amazing. Wont be back. read more

Cafecito - Cubano - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I usually absolutely love this place, but was incredibly underwhelmed this time around... my sandwich lacked two ingredients I preferred and bacon was undercooked, but the plantains were AMAAZINNG! read more

Coffee was great. Workers give you no eye contact and aren't very welcoming. Was staying across the street for 4 days for vacation. Gave it two chances. Did not comeback. read more

Some sandwiches are spicy, some are more dry than others. We've been ordering takeout for several years now, and ingredients are always fresh. The palmacate salad dressing is very tasty but it's become mostly spring mix. My kids like the steak. Shrimp ceviche is good read more

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I visit here often mostly because this cafe is conveniently close to where I live and their soups are extremely delicious! You can order salads sandwiches and meals to go but I prefer to have a seat inside to relax. Their food is reliably good and if your particular server isn't available just ask another person or the bartender because they all take turns with the orders here. I love their sandwiches and soups and if you do order a panini you can upgrade any sandwich with soup and a beverage for an additional charge. This is also a coffee shop so if you want a coffee or hot chocolate you can get that here too. I prefer coming here in the summer for outside seating and yes dogs are allowed so I used to bring my fur baby here in the summer before she passed away this February. Nice relaxing atmosphere and reliably good Cuban food. The prices are extremely reasonable for what you get and dress casual. read more

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The food is good...that's the saving grace of this restaurant. But whomever is managing this place, needs to discipline the staff. They aren't even paying attention to customers, and are busy chatting with one another. Lazy and disinterested staff make dining an unenjoyable experience Do better read more

Came by for lunch on a Monday during covid lock down so only patio seating was available. It was a big chilly so they turned on the heater for us. I got steak chimichurri and my partner got ropa vieja plate. Both came out fairly quick. The meat for ropa was much more flavorful than my steak chimichurri. Downside of sitting outside is we were bothered by baby birds trying to eat our food..we kept having to shoo them away. Good place to grab lunch if you work around the mag mile area. read more

Cafecito - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved this place I found. The food was really good and cheap! My hubby had a breakfast sandwich, and I had the lechon pressed sandwich. Didn't come with sides but this was the perfect portion honestly. There is a full bar although it was too early for us to drink so we passed on that. There's indoor and outdoor seating. To-go orders are made at the register, while dine-in is seat yourself. This was about the only issue I had with the place. We were first in line and waited about 5-/+ minutes. Upon arrival we waited for the waitress to take an order over the phone. After she was done, she did acknowledge us, but said she'd be right back and proceeded to make coffee. She then was done with that, then got back on the phone. After she was done with that, she tried to help us but when we ordered and asked for a table, she said tables are self-serve. At that time, there was a line of maybe 6-7 behind us, and a few others followed us to the dining room, bc they heard her tell us to go straight over there if we wanted to eat at the establishment. A sign upon walking in probably would've alleviated this issue. But other than that, ratings on the food itself is excellent. FYI - this place is located in the same building of an apartment complex. So you will enter the bldg. then walk to the left. read more

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Food, ambiance, and service were great. Will definitely visit this restaurant whenever I visit Chicago in the future.

Great cafe to sit for a while. We came expecting to sit for an hour and ended up staying for three. The service was slow at first but we didn't mind since we could sit and talk without feeling rushed or bothered throughout the meal. I had almond tea and a slice of tres leches. The tea selection was large and diverse, and the cake was amazing--some of the best tres leches I've ever had. The space is a little small and gets really loud when it's full, but otherwise, a cozy space with good food and a huge menu! read more

Cafecito - Tres Leches and almond tea - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you have time to be ignored for the first 15 mins before having to literally tell someone "hey, I'm here and am looking to eat," then yeah, chose this place. Although, I did read the reviews before mine, which also said the service sucked, but I really hoped for better service. I just don't understand how such a small establishment can literally be struggling with good customer service. I literally heard the girl beside me ask for a refill of water 3 different times. She never got her water before she left. I will say that the food was great, but doesn't make up for the service. The restaurant is inside of an apartment building and the lighting is dim, but not so dim you can't see e what you're eating. Giving this place a 3/5 because overall the food was great, but I do recommend they coach their staff because the service was just horrible. read more

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Once I got my sandwiches, I walked back to my hotel. It was only a 5 min walk, but as soon as I made it back, my mind started to race. I started to have visuals of me choking while alone in my hotel room. Then I thought about the poor cleaners that would end up finding my body and uneaten sandwiches days later. At that point the tuna would have definitely gone bad. They wouldn't even get to enjoy it. Then I started to think about the people that would stay in that room after me. Would I just be perpetually haunting every guest? That's not what I want for my after life. I ended up walking back to Cafecito and ate my sandwiches there. Luckily, I didn't have any chocking scares and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. read more

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5 stars delicious eats! 4stars service could refill waters/ bus a bit during meals Excellent excellent first time trying recommend sandwiches and the fish meals and platanos!!! read more

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God this place is good. If you're looking for authentic delicious Cuban food look no further. If I lived nearby I think I'd try every single one of the sandwiches. The chivita was fantastic and the shoestring fries gave it a nice little crunch. It was packed with meat and pressed to crunchy perfection. My wife got the vaca Frita and the flavor was fantastic. It's a friendly cozy restaurant with a fun casual atmosphere. Will definitely be back in the future to try the Ropa Vieja next! read more

Cafecito - Chivito Pressed Sandwich with White Rice and Black Beans - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this spot. Stopped by the other morning after walking along the lake and it was the perfect post-workout pick-me-up. They are currently open with take out, patio, and indoor dining options. My boyfriend and I really just stopped by for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I haven't had a cafecito since I lived in Florida so I absolutely needed to order one and it was exactly as I remembered (although I forgot I prefer half the amount of sugar). The cortadito was also amazing. I'm not sure what beans they use, but they remind me of Bustelo which is what all the Floridians use for their Cuban coffees! As for the breakfast sandwich, I believe we had the chimichurri egg sandwich and it was so good, reasonably priced, and came with the best bread! Getting a breakfast sandwich on a muffin or bagel can get old so this was awesome. I also loved how many plant-based/meatless options that they had on the menu. I absolutely cannot wait until I am back in town to try the ropa vieja and other Cuban specialties! read more

The food was a bit bland, certainly had higher expectations. The service was pretty slow and we did not get a coffee we ordered and a guest at our table had his food forgotten about s so everyone was done eating before his was delivered. Eating outside was nice but mostly because the weather was nice. read more

Cafecito - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for brunch with a friend and the first thing I noticed was that the place was a little dark and hard to find since it was in an apartment building. We sat at the bar and each got a different type of Cubano and tater tots. Ther service was good and the food came hot, but the cubano and tater tots did not have a ton of flavor without adding hot sauce. The prices are reasonable though. I am not sure if I would rush back to try it again. read more

The margaritas shook my hand and the Cubano slapped my ass. This place deserves all the praise it has gotten. The thinly sliced pork and the toasted bread danced me back to old Havana. My gf also felt it pertinent to include that the mojitos were "Deloish", which I'm assuming is some term mojito drinkers use. Either way , solid stop would send my mom here if she asked for recommendations read more

Cafecito - Cubano Pressed Sandwich Provoletta en Plato - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super cool place. Great and quaint location. Food was good and authentic. Can't wait to go back!

It would be nice if they had a QR menu at the host stand. Almost skipped this spot since the menu is in the dining area and I felt rude approaching due to pandemic stipulations / social distancing. Very affordable food for the location and no pretension so arriving in gym clothes isn't an issue. The bathrooms are well maintained, and have an inviting layout. I had the shrimp ceviche, which needed jalapeño slices and more lime juice to suit my taste. The wait staff had no issue accommodating my request. I also had the saltado platillos. This fell flat for me, the beans were A-1 and the highlight of the plate. I requested hot sauce to give the dish more flavor, which again was accommodated no issue. Maybe chimmichurri would be nice, I'll try next time. Great pit stop when you're in the area. read more

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The food - the atmosphere!! The people !! I will visit here each time I come to Chicago !! This place is A MUST STOP !!!! The coffee is amazing ( and you can buy it for home use !! ) read more

We went on a Saturday mid morning and it was not too busy, probably 5-6 servers working. We were sat fairly quick indoors. Even though my pressed sandwich was made incorrectly and missing multiple ingredients that are listed on the menu, the food was very tasty and seemed fresh. The real problem here is the service. Once we received our food, we literally never made contact with our server again. We were finished eating and we watched her go get a coffee for herself and sip it after making eye contact with us. Didn't take our plates or stop to ask if everything is ok (which would have been nice considering my sandwich was completely wrong), didn't ask if we needed another refill on our empty drinks. Another server finally noticed we were waiting with our empty plates stacked at the end of the table and cleared them for us 30 mins later. Then we waited another 30 mins for our server to come ask if we needed anything else and to pay. I even finally took my card out and placed it on the table to make it more obvious we were ready to pay. Our server walked by probably 4 times and never stopped to ask. She was then behind the bar cleaning empty glasses. I had to flag her down after she passed a 5th time and made eye contact with us but STILL didn't stop to see if we're ready to checkout. It was just unacceptable. read more

Adorable and cozy neighborhood gem. They have jupina my favorite soda, and the sandwiches are very good, but I could probably eat about a million maduros read more

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