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    Cubanito Express

    4.5 (142 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Cubanito Express Takeout or Delivery

    Cubanito Express Photos

    CUBANITO EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cubanito Express

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    Our Guava Q
    Dennis P.

    This place is a hidden gem. The food here is delicious *chef's kiss*. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the people that work here are amazing. It really shows how much they care about their food through their cooking. The sauces, fire. The sandwiches, to die for. I would eat here every single day if I could. Five stars all around . Will probably be returning here so often that they'll have a seat reserved for me next to the window.

    Menu
    Jorge P.

    I always drive by this place wanting to give it a try and yesterday I did... it did not disappoint. Tasted and felt pretty authentic, makes up for the price of what you pay for. You'll definitely be full after having a meal from here. There was not one bad part of my first time being at Cubanito Express. Friendly staff, felt like a family vibe and they had authentic Cuban/PR drinks on hand. Loved that because it's hard to find some of these drinks. I ordered the Cubanito Express with tostones on the side and I will order that next time I go in as well. I live nearby so I plan on being back soon! Thank you Cubanito for the great experience! Personal Review: 9.1/10

    James G.

    Recently found myself in Chicago for work and was in the mood for Cuban food. I'm originally from Miami so am usually extremely picky when it comes to Cuban. What an awesome surprise! Great sandwich shop that also has a few main dishes. The media noche was perfect and the got the bread right (those who know...know). The yuca was perfect and served with ajo. They even had the materva soda I grew up drinking. Can't wait to be back!!

    Keep in mind the sandwich did not look this way when served I only did it for the picture $12.99
    Kaii K.

    First time trying this spot seen the reviews figure why not give it a shot? I had the Cubanito Express cost $12.99 and a side order of sm Puerto Rican rice for $5.00. I thought it be much more tasteful, the bread was kind of soggy but the Puerto Can rice was the most appealing to me. So that is why I was only able to give 3 stars

    Cubano sandwich

    Love the cubano sandwich here. I stop in every time I'm in the neighborhood. They're always quick, so don't let the limited seating discourage you. They also have about 6 sauce options.

    Steak jibarito with Puerto Rican rice.
    Victoria V.

    Came across Cubanito Express while browsing on the local picks on Yelp. So happy that I found this hidden gem close to home. Located on the busy streets of Harlem Avenue on the outskirts of Riverside, this family own restaurant is a must to stop at. Street parking is available, but it can get congested since it's a main street and a train frequents nearby. But don't let it deter you. We went just after lunch on a Sunday, so parking wasn't bad at all. It looks like most orders are to go but they do have a small dining area too. The restaurant is clean, but small. So not a good idea for huge parties. Alissa took my order and she was a delight. Very sweet and friendly. I order the lechon sandwich and 3 empanadas. Wow was that lechon so, so good! Perfectly roasted, shredded, and seasoned with so much flavor. Sandwiched between lightly toasted bread and accompanied with tomato and homemade mayo. This was the sandwich I was searching for! The empanadas were a delight too. The ham and cheese were filled with cubes of ham and lots of cheese surrounded by a crisp crunchy shell. The guava and cheese was my favorite for dessert! It can't get any better than sweet guava with creamy cream cheese. We weren't a fan of the ground beef though. It had a weird after taste. My sister ordered a steak jibarito that came with Puerto Rican Rice, and an order of tostones. The steak was tender, juicy and delicious! The rice was well seasoned and the tostones could use a little less of the salty seasoning. Although the garlic mayo that came with the appetizer made up for it. Customer service was great and food is hot and made to order. Will definitely be back to try many more items on the menu.

    First time trying the food and will definitely be back! Jackie took our order and was the sweetest. I had the Pollo Encebollado which was excellent and our group split a plantain sample platter- could not rave more about how everything tasted. The food was great and it came in big portions for a reasonable price. Looking forward to eating here again!

    Omg so good  My favorite place I like to show off to friends when In The area

    Delicious!!! Always so good. Never a bad experience. Love to brag about coming here. Good spot to try if you haven't

    Cubano sandwich & French Fries
    Samantha P.

    Cute spot close to the train in Riverside. We ordered a Cuban Sandwich, plantain chips with garlic dipping sauce, ropa vieja empanadas and a mango shake. Everything was authentic and very good. The sandwich was quite large with a lot of great quality meats served really fresh & hot. The bread was nice and toasted, but not too hard. The restaurant was very clean.

    Jessica L.

    We were grabbing late dinners and decided to stop by Cubanito Express very close to their closing time. The staff were super friendly and even gave us a bunch of free empanadas and plantains to try. I ordered the Cubanito Express sandwich, which is steak, ham, fried egg, mozzarella cheese with veggies. I wasn't expecting it to be this good! I would recommend trying Cubanito Express. I'll definitely be back to try more things off their menu!

    Cafe con leche - iced
    Livvy O.

    This has been on my "to try" list for a while. I don't know what took me so long, but you've gotta run to this place, everything was delicious! I got the Cubano which has been hard finding a good one in the suburbs, but this spot has it down! I got the yucca fries with garlic sauce, soo good and my partner got the jibarito that he said was really good too! I tried some of his Puerto Rican rice too and that was really good too. After I was done eating, I wanted to get a cafe con leche to go and they ended up giving it to me on the house! I was shocked, that was really nice of them! Great customer service and very friendly. The cafe con leche was bomb too! The only con is there isn't much indoor seating, but it was nice out and they have outdoor seating on the side. Will definitely be going back and spreading the word about them.

    Ropa vieja Empanada

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    1 year ago

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    Angela M.

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    1 year ago

    The food is delicious! Empanadas, sandwiches, rice- all of it! Highly recommend this family owned small business!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great service and amazing coffee! The Rice and beans were the Best I've ever had and the environment was extremely clean.

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    Angela M.

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    3 years ago

    I know you can't buy happiness but this restaurant comes close to selling it.I would attach a food photo but I devoured it.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I am so glad this place opened up, because Cuban food is one of my favorites and they're such a need and a shortage in Chicagoland.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Very authentic and delicious highly recommended and great value and service have gone several times for pickup

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    Angela M.

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    2 years ago

    Great ropa vieja bowl, sandwiches and tostones. As real cuban as you can hope for in chicagoland.

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    Angela M.

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    2 years ago

    Great food and fast delivery. Their ropa vieja is great. Not really a eat-in place but delivery is very fast.

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    Café Cubano

    Café Cubano

    4.2
    (45 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    I am from New York and was in Rochelle Illinois visiting family who had arrived from Cuba a few…read moreyears ago. They missed Cuban food and had just had a baby so I found this hidden gem. It was a 75 minute drive but it was worth it for them. I called to check what time it closed and was told 9pm so we decided to arrive at 8 for dinner. When we got there apparently there was a mix up and they actually closed at 730 ! Well thanks to Yesenia she made it all better. They kept the restaurant open for us and made sure that we were able to have an amazing meal. Now that alone should merit the 5 stars. But the food was amazing Cuban food. The steak and onions were savory and paired great with the rice and sweet plantains. The pork was on point and from a fellow Cuban that's a high praise. Desserts were delicious and The mojitos were the perfect blend of sweet and minty. Thank you Yesenia for making us Santigueros so very happy and welcome. Will definitely be back for that oxtail.

    Great food and friendly service but they're a little overpriced, and they have a fee for card…read moretransactions, for aome reason. I had missed breakfast and had to have a late lunch so admittedly I was very hungry: a medianoche sandwich, Cuban coffee, tostones, and two empanadas de guayaba for $38.88. The food itself was authentic Cuban American (it's better here than in Cuba, believe it or not) and the waitress was super friendly, though.

    Photos
    Café Cubano
    Chicken plate
    Chicken plate
    Front view

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    Front view

    Cubanito Express - cuban - Updated July 2026

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