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The coffee was really good. El Cubano sandwich was ok. Little dry and lacked flavor. Service was good, the girl at the counter was nice and the food and drinks came out quick. The decor was nice but I'm not a fan of sticky floors and tables. I'd recommend a better job at cleaning.
One of the best prices for good coffee in the city! The tater tots are always perfect and the portions are MASSIVE. Really great place to grab breakfast
This location in the loop is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city conveniently located near Grant Park. If you're in the mood for Cuban, don't skip Cafecito. The pressed sandwiches are clutch for any kind of weather, and there's a wide variety to choose from. I went with the Chivito which has steak, ham, bacon, fried egg, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onion, citrus aioli, and shoestring potatoes. If I didn't get that, I'd go for the Cubano or Jamon. They offer salads, plates (with rice, black beans, and plantains), and vegan specialties. Pair your meal with a café con leche or other coffee drink, and it's a happy day.
We had recently been to the Streeterville location of Cafecito and loved it. And we happened to see this location across Ida B. Wells from the C33 gallery! Of course we stopped in! The entrance is to the right in a shared lobby. The line grew long and the seating for about 30 filled quickly at 11:30am on a Wed (Feb 2026). This Cuban restaurant is brightly decorated with art, and a wall full of awards and reviews. The food menu is the same as their other locations, while this one leans into the café feel. We got the classic hot-pressed Cubano sandwich: Thin-sliced tender roasted pork and ham with swiss, and a few pickles, on crisped Cuban bread. Rich and tasty. And we had the hot-pressed Pollo Chipotle sandwich: tender thick-sliced chicken, a handful of fresh basil, thin-sliced fresh tomato, a little mozzarella and a light chipotle aioli. Bright, lightly spicy, and moist. They have at least four locations around Chicagoland. We'll gladly stop in whenever we are nearby any of them :-)
I have a soft spot for Cafecito, and I've gotten takeout from this location multiple times. It's a little bit odd and hard to find, tucked away next to a hostel, but that's the vibe - very casual, kind of eclectic. I love their guava-q pork platter, their Cubano sandwich is usually pretty good, and surprisingly their baked goods are too. As far as their coffee drinks, I've tried their cafecito and cortadito, which were just ok. I keep coming back for the food!
Consider this my love letter to a small Cuban cafe chain that gave us all the home vibes we needed to get through the cold Chicago. We originally stopped in for a hot colada and warm tostada. A delicious little pick me up treat to get us by as we braved the Windy City block by block. After having a taste and thinking back to line busting through their doors, we decided we had to try their meals for dinner. Thankful that we were able to locate their locations on all the delivery apps, we opted to dine in our hotel room and have the food come to us even if it impacted the flavor a bit. I'm happy to say, it did not. The food was as flavorful and delicious as if my abuela had just laid it on the table in front of me (although my grandma does burn the maduros for that extra sweet crisp IYKYK). The star of the show was the Ropa Vieja sandwich. Probably one of the best I've had. Even counting back home, in Miami. If you're a local or just in town visiting, this cafe is definitely worth a visit.
I ordered a Ropa Vieja, an Iced Cafecito, and Tres Leches. All three were 10/10. Yum! The staff were quick and friendly. Ropa Vieja: A pressed sandwich of slow roasted skirt steak, sweet plantains, black beans, and tomato creole sauce *chef's kiss*
Went towards the end of the day. Got the ropa vieja sandwich- the bread is perfectly toasted and thin. The meat is flavorful and the plantain inside is perfectly sweet. Service could be better - seems like they were trying to make sure they closed on time so when I asked for the restroom key, they said they thought someone was using the bathroom .... No one came out for the 30 min we were there. Go for the food because it's good but take it to go.
Friendly staff and good pressed sandwich! I had the ropa vieja sandwich and a large café con leche (light sugar...still very sweet). Coffee wasn't hot, exactly, and I think the sandwich would have been better if eaten in the cafe instead of to go. Something to go with the sandwich would have been appropriate given the price...even a handful of plantain chips, better optics and all.
A great hearty brunch option for brisk windy days. We ordered: - the Maduro omelet with tomato, peppers, and plantain: the tomato sauce was rich and flavorful, an interesting contrast to the sweetness of plantains. Served with both tater tots and toasted bread - an abundance! - the Cafe con leche pancakes, two large pancakes with simple sugar glaze and a pourable amount of coffee glaze (not straight espresso, don't try to drink it ): delicious but very sweet by the end - cafecito: espresso, sugar, and a little milk. I wanted to try something new but was worried because I don't like straight espresso but this was the perfect sugar ratio to keep it bitter and sweet, similar to Vietnamese coffee Logistics: - indoor seating only - order at counter and then food is brought out - limited street parking nearby but close to the loop transit - gluten free options (barring cross contamination) if you ask for no bread with the omelet
Got takeout and wow, this is a good place to get a sandwich in a pinch. They definitely did not skimp on the ingredients, flavor, and the bread was still crispy. The sandwich itself was very filling and good for leftovers as well. Would love to go to the location to check out the inside and try out their cafe menu!
Very shady place! My wallet got stolen while I was dining in at this cafe. According to the staff, peoples' laptops, phones and wallets got stolen at this place before!! The cafe doesn't even have a sign to warn people. just avoid this place at cost. It's so ridiculous! UPDATE: the management said the surveillance camera couldn't catch what happened because it wasn't pointed in the angle I was sitting. Yeah what a joke! The staff was right. the management is definitely part of it.
2 years ago
5 years ago
Ordered the classic Cubano Sandwich with a Cuban Black Bean Soup on the side. This was an amazing Cubano Sandwich, even better than sandwiches in Miami, FL. I also highly recommend the Cuban black bean soup. make sure to add the guava habanero hot sauce to it for some spicy sweetness. For less than $15 for the whole meal it was very good and tasty on a cold day. Parking is available on the street with a meter or in self-pay parking lots nearby. There is ample parking, but don't expect to find any free parking anywhere unless you belong to an Xsport Fitness gym for 2hrs free parking with validation. read more
2 years ago
Cute Cuban brunch spot, right across the HI hostel where I was staying. I dropped by for a single Cafecito (espresso with tsp of sugar) and the Elveez sandwich (I am a sucker for peanut butter and plantains, the guava jam was a nice touch). The Cafecito wasn't too sweet, a nice energy booster. The Elveez I enjoyed, not too bready for the relatively thin filling. Generous amount of well cooked sweet plantains with a thin layer of peanut butter and guava jam. The sandwich came out fast. read more
2 years ago
I love this place for lunch. I typically get the Cuban sandwich with a café con leche. I order it without sugar because it's pretty sweet if you order it how it comes and I just add sugar to taste. There is not a lot of seating space but you can get it to go and hang out at the fountain. Service is always super nice. read more
3 years ago
Great local sandwich shop, very authentic feel, great location downtown, nice staff, awesome sandwiches, the list goes on and on... Go get some cuban sandwiches here asap. read more
This is probably not a café that you just stumble upon. You have to intentionally be looking for Cafecito. But once you find it you will be glad that you did. This small café makes great Cuban inspired sandwiches, salads, coffees, desserts, and more. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and there were a good number of people there, but we were still able to find a seat. We had the Cubano (roasted pork, ham, swiss, pickles, mustard) and Lechon (roasted pork, tomato, arugula, grilled onions) pressed sandwiches, along with the Cafecito (espresso). The Cafecito was very bold and intense in flavor but without the bitterness that I have experienced elsewhere. The sandwiches were similar to a panini in that they were pressed and grilled. But unlike a traditional panini the bread was more of a roll than two pieces of bread. The bread had a soft pillowy texture on the inside while being crisp on the outside. Very unique and tasty. I was shocked by the prices. The Cafecito was only $2.29 for a 10 ounce drink while the sandwiches were both $8.99 each. While there, two Chicago police officers came in and ordered. If the police eat there, you know if has to be good. This has to be one of the best deals in town. For a taste of Cuba in Chicago for a great price, I highly recommend Cafecito. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
I've been coming here since 2014 and it's still as delicious and amazing. My top 3 sandwiches are: Jerk, Chimicurri, and the Mozzarella (Veggie). I always get a sandwich and an iced/hot cafe con leche. The staff is amazing, the vibes are perfect and the food is one of a kind. read more
3 years ago
yummy food. not lots of seating (opening hour rush). i believe the breakfast options are not available at this location. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
3 years ago
So sad I don't live near one of these locations because I would eat here every day. We got both breakfast and/or lunch here on more than one occasion during our trip and the food was always fresh and delicious! And get the cookies!!!! read more
Love Cafecito! This location makes it a great spot to grab a quick lunch in the loop. I usually get the "La Playa" it's a vegan sandwich with beyond sausage, spinach, vegan cheese, roasted peppers, and vegan Mayo. It's delicious! I have yet to get a coffee there but I'm sure that's also great. They have seating in this location, but not a lot so take that into account when planning to eat in. read more
4 years ago
I was worried that a Cuban sandwich place wouldn't have vegetarian options but they had so many! I got the chimichurri egg sandwich with cheddar and it was so good. I also had a cortadito. The workers are friendly and make the food and especially the coffee very fast and it's very clean although a bit loud read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
One word: coffee! Seriously, the coffee is delicious, definitely recommend the cafe con leche. It's a great spot to just sit, drink delicious coffee and do some work so for the students near by, that's exactly what they do. The food was okay, it wss kinda bland and forgettable; the hash browns were a bit greasy and unseasoned and the pork was a little chewy. But again, i enjoyed the coffee so much that I had like 3 cups in one sitting. read more
4 years ago
Jardin eggplant sandwich with hummus and balsamic vinegar was phenomenal. Yummy vegetarian and vegan options. I enjoyed the eggs and chimichurri sandwich but not as much as the juicy jardin sandwich! Very close to big attractions, we will be back. It is attached to the HI hostel. Ordered online pickup in advance, and it was ready very quickly. read more
3 years ago
This sandwich is amazing. So glad they have vegan options. The flavors are so good. You won't be disappointed read more
4 years ago
If you are looking for yummy cuban sandwiches this is the place. Definitely loved having a warm pressed sandwich on a cold day. There is quite an extensive vegan menu here with so many choices. I had the La Playa which was delicious. Will be back read more
4 years ago
Cafecito has been highly recommended to me by a bunch of different friends so today I decided to try it out. Got the pollo Chipotle pressed sandwich as well as the lechon and both were very very good! Also the cafe con Leche was delicious:) priced well and was not overhyped. Got the tres leches cake bc it's a Saturday and that went well with the coffee. Overall a solid 5 stars: made me want to try all of the sandwiches on their menu read more
3 years ago
Lady at the counter was kind and friendly. The food is so yummy. Coffee is good prices are reasonable and the design of the building is nice. Me and my friends enjoyed. read more
4 years ago
I had a craving for a cubano so I ordered one to go. The sandwich was still warm when I got home. I ate half and thought it was okay. It's not comparable to 90 Miles. read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
Ordered carry out. Sandwiches tasty chicken and beef chimichuri sandwiches very tasty. Adequate amount of meat that is very juicy with tasty chimichuri sauce and need is pressed and crispy. The tilapia sandwich include flaky fish filet with nice sauce. Took about 10 minutes to make the sandwiches Great option for Cuban food read more
3 years ago
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3 years ago
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4 years ago
3 years ago
Great food! First time coming here. We were on our way to Lollapalooza when we stopped here first we love Cuban food and it was good. Cashier was very nice! Had the el jamón sándwich 10/10! Thank you guys! read more
2 years ago
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26 E Congress Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60605
The Loop
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(312) 922-2233
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https://iheartcafecito.com
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