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    Tropicuba Cafe

    4.2 (49 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Tropicuba Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    TROPICUBA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    Reviews With Photos - Tropicuba Cafe

    Joshua S.

    Stopped here on a fluke today after getting my haircut down the block. This might be the best Caribbean food I've ever had in chicago. I'm Puerto Rican and this Cuban place blew every other Puerto Rican place in the city out of the water. Everything was cooked to perfection.. I had the fried chicken with the Cuban rice and the sweet plantains along with a fruit juice mixed between mango and guava and passion fruit and a Cafe Con leche. I walked out so satisfied that I spent the next 2 hours walking 3 miles to Logan square before I felt like getting on the train again. The service was incredible and the prices were ridiculous but the food itself was so amazingly tasty and well made.. probably the best fried chicken I've had in Chicago for the record. Can't wait to try the steak sandwich and the other snacks and desserts including the empanadas. So fuggin worth it.

    Interior decoration
    Joe B.

    Little local business that offers Cuban coffee and cuisine with a twist. Ordered your typical Cuban sandwich was not well toasted and lacked flavor also decided on a steak sandwich the meat was tender requested extra as I'm an onion lover and was disappointed when took a bite as did not have the added trims I requested maybe they were just annoyed as I got there 15 min prior to closing but will give them another try. Service was friendly.

    Valeria G.

    Once again, GREAT service! My niece and family look forward for their traditional roast pork, black beans, white rice & yuca meal during Christmas. This restaurant delivers that! Highly recommended!

    Lechon Asado
    Jazmin R.

    I was visiting my grandparents and we were talking about ordering Cuban food when I started doing my research and found this place. We ordered carry out and for the price of things, we were all impressed. Places can sometimes be skimpy on the portions but our plates were packed with food. I got the Lechon with arroz y gandules, and platanos - very good! My mom got the ropa vieja plate which she enjoyed. Everyone else got jibaritos and they all enjoyed theirs as well. Service was great, ready on time when we picked it up. The restaurant itself looked clean and the staff was friendly at pickup. Definitely coming back as this is much closer than having to go deeper into the city for some good Cuban/PR food.

    Cubano sándwich
    Mari S.

    We tried this place today after passing by and it was so good the sandwiches tasted great we had the cubano and the bistec caballo the egg was cooked perfectly and the alcapurias were delicious as well service was good very nice and attentive

    Mango Tres Leches Slice
    Yarelis C.

    20/10! As a puertorican (born and raised in San Juan, PR), this is the only place that I LOVE their alcapurrias! The service is great, very homey and cozy and everything was tasty. My husband had the Churrasco with Arroz con Habichuelas Rojas and they were the best beans I've tried in the US! And the flan de coco and tres leches de mangó was so delicious! Definitely my new favorite restaurant that reminds me of home

    Sandwich Combo
    Terry T.

    This fusion restaurant of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and even east Asian food has culminated so many flavors found around Chicago and Latin America so effectively. Everything here is good: Jibaritos, Ropa Vieja, Cuban Sandwiches, and unexpectedly the Chinese rice as well. Alcapurria, Relleno de Papa, and Bacalao are the notable savory and greasy sides, perfect for a table to share. Service is nice and it's small but cozy. The coffee is potent and delicious.

    Ropa Vieja Jibarito
    Lauren Z.

    My fiancé and I decided to ring out the new year by trying the locally acclaimed Cuban restaurant. I had low expectations because I've always despised this parking lot (growing up in Portage Park) and have always tried to avoid it at all costs. Still, I had to see what it was all about! Parking lot is cramped. The location is small and right in between little cesar's and 711. Service was friendly. Since they just recently opened, they don't have "to-go" paper menus just yet. There was one menu at the cashier. We decided to get all the fried shit that was left out for the night. (It was close to 7pm and they close at 8pm). Everything cost just under 40.00 and we ordered quite a bit of food. Two jibaritos to go. We live in the area and by the time we brought it home, the "tostone" for the sandwich was soggy. Always best when crunchy. We waited a good 30-40 min for the food. Overall, everything was good but it did lack a little kick. Food tasted great with some hot sauce but you know it's really really good when you don't need any sauce. My expectations were exceeded but still wasn't mindblown. Very good. B+

    Beautiful mural inside
    Sabrina R.

    I have seen numerous restaurants come and go in this storefront, but I hope that Tropicuba Cafe is here to stay. They have a great menu selection with empanadas, a multitude of appetizers, jibaritos, a variety of sandwiches, and dinner plates. We had the plantain and yuca alacpurrias and the chicken empanada. All three were crisp and flavorful, especially with the red hot sauce and greenish garlic sauce. We also ordered the Bistek Jibaritos. The plantain was nice and crisp, lots of garlic on top, and they were generous with the meat and the cheese. We were so full walking out, we had to order some cafe con leche to get our energy back. Everything was great! I can't wait to come back to try the ropa vieja and their Cuban. The parking lot is tight, but you can also park off of Central or Irving Park if you're not willing to brave it. The staff was super nice, and came to check on us frequently.

    Audra M.

    As someone who does not own a car in the city, I am never too attracted to nondescript strip mall eateries. However, I was so glad I went against my norm when trying Tropicuba. This is a new location, and they really do a fantastic job in all aspects. The place is super clean, our server was awesome, and the affordable food just wowed me in full. If you have a car, the free spacious parking lot is a notable perk. My order was a Sandwich de Ropa Vieja, and my husband had a jibarito. We both loved our meals. They offer "Regular" and "Super" sandwiches, and I only had a regular, which was a very generous portion. My husband's jibarito was also a great size. Although it was dinner for us, we went with what we did so we could sample a few appetizers. I am so happy we went this direction because all apps were delicious. (We sampled many that were at the $1.50 price point, as well as an empanada that was fantastic) What really blew me away was the side sauce they served. They actually offer two, but the one that was so awesome was a garlic and cilantro mixture. I had to ask the server what it was exactly, as I was thinking it was with spinach. But, wow, this was so delicious and fully complemented the Alcapurria and Alcapurria de Yuca apps. I could literally go there and just have apps and this sauce! So delicious. Pro-tip: there is a key on a cord for the bathroom! You'll find it to the right of the door.

    Media Noche
    Jonathan P.

    Place was fairly new when my family and I went, but that didn't change a thing. Food was still awesome! I only got a picture of the Media Noche, but we also got a Cuban and of course we got some Pastelitos. Parking lot SUCKS, but it is what it is. Plenty of parking on the side street or even Irving. Don't let that stop you from checking it out!

    Jibarito (lechon) and rice

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    1 month ago

    Great food and service! If I don't have time to sit down and eat the ropa vieja, I'll stop by just for the empanadas.

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Absolutely delicious especially the coffee I'm a little hungover and this place really hit the spot!

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Small place but I love the food and coffee. I give them 5 stars because the food is delicious

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Order 3 steaks sandwich,horrible the steaks was so dry, flavor was ok buy the steak is supposed to be juicy~ my first and last time .

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Love ordering from this place, the food is always so good and fresh! The lechon is always so juicy and perfect flavors

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    3 years ago

    This is our spot to take food to go. Authentic, delicious food every single time. If you want real Cuban food then this is where you come.

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    3 years ago

    Welcoming and friendly environment. Amazing sandwiches! Highly recommend the Pan con Bistec a Caballo.

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    5 years ago

    After many restaurants came and left, this is the one that is going to be successful I tried their food today and is awesome

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    Food is amazing and tamales are unique and super flavorful ! My go to is the pork guisado

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    Cafecito

    Cafecito

    4.2
    (1k reviews)
    8.4 mi
    $$

    After a day shopping on Magnificent Mile north of the river in Chicago, we stopped at nearby…read moreCafecito on Chestnut. It was early Sunday afternoon, and we were too large a group to arrive without calling ahead. You walk up a lovely old half-flight of stairs under an ornate ceiling. After a short wait, half of our party went elsewhere, and the remaining four of us were quickly seated. The front area is mainly a café, with maybe 10 seats at tables for two. Farther back is a hallway and a larger room with seating in booths and at high-tops for maybe 40, and maybe 6 more at a small bar. The staff is quick and friendly. The food is delicious and fresh and hot! And the music is loud and festive :-) We had the thin-cut savory palomillo steak, a generous serving, pounded to tenderness, served with classic wet black-beans and white rice, sweet soft platanos maduros plantain pieces, and some greens and tomato. We had a lovely colorful medium-sized Mojo Shrimp in tart garlic citrus mojo sauce, with sateed red onion crescents, tomato chunks, and parsley. And we had the huge slow-cooked tender shredded-beef Ropa Vieja pressed sandwich, sauced lightly with slightly-tangy creole sauce, served with platanos maduros and black beans. All of their food delightfully authentic. We liked it so much, a few days later we ate at their South Loop location, too!

    My cousin recommended this spot for lunch, and I'm glad I checked it out. I ordered the Ropa Vieja…read morePlatillo, which came with black beans, rice, and sweet plantains. The portion size was generous--I couldn't finish it all--but everything was flavorful and well prepared. I also tried the café con leche, which was rich, smooth, and a perfect complement to the meal. The service was quick and friendly, and the spacious booths and open interior made the restaurant feel comfortable and inviting. Overall, it was a great lunch experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu.

    Photos
    Cafecito
    Yucca fries and Guava - Q Pork Sandwich
    Yucca fries and Guava - Q Pork Sandwich
    Mango tajin cocktail

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    Mango tajin cocktail
    Cafecito

    Cafecito

    4.2
    (2.1k reviews)
    8.5 mi
    $$

    I'd never had Cuban food before until I came here. I got a fried tilapia platter which came with…read morerice and a spinach salad. I genuinely cleaned this plate off. The spinach had a kind of sauce with it that when mixed with the rice and fish tasted absolutely divine. The plantains were perfectly fried. My friend got the pork sandwich which she also enjoyed. We also got two vanilla lattes which were very good. This place has both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outdoor because the weather was nice but the vibes were good inside as well. They have a pastry counter indoors that looked good. I would highly recommend making a reservation because the place was packed on a Thursday morning! In the future I would bring friends and family here.

    I saw this place was close to my hotel, so I decided to give it a shot. I noticed they had a lot of…read moregood options, but I decided to stick with the pollo chimichurri. My food was ready within minutes and while I was hoping for a mouthful of flavors, I got anything but. The chicken wasn't really seasoned. In fact, it was lukewarm and bland. The plate could have gone without the tomato's as it made the maduros mushy. The plate itself was rather meh and I was pretty disappointed. Also, I was expecting the chimichurri to already be on the chicken and not for me to have to add it myself, especially considering I didn't get very much. Maybe they had an off day or I just chose the wrong dish.

    Photos
    Seating area
    Seating area
    Still on point.....steak, eggs annnnnd coffee
    Still on point.....steak, eggs annnnnd coffee
    Cafecito

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    Bayan Ko Diner

    Bayan Ko Diner

    4.3
    (128 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    Bayan Ko is the spot! Amazing brunch here - very unique menu! Service was great, smaller store…read morefront with a couple of tables outside as well. Ube pancakes: 4/5 Crab Rangoon dip: 4.5/5 Shishito Hash: 4.7/5

    Bayan Ko Diner serves Filipino-Cuban fusion that doesn't disappoint…read more We ordered the following: 1. Cubano Breakfast Burrito (7/10) (beef brisket ropa vieja, soft scrambled eggs, plantains, Swiss, and black beans) Brisket and plantains? I was sold when I saw that on the menu. I'm happy to report, it was as good as it sounded. Also, the texture from the cheese, brisket, beans, and plantains was incredibly addicting. The Swiss cheese paid more of a textural role rather than flavor (compared to a different type of cheese) but I appreciated that the entire dish stuck to it's Cuban roots. For instance, Swiss is used in many prominent Cuban dishes such as the iconic Cubano sandwich. The burrito came with a red salsa which tasted pretty standard, but my recommendation is to add the hot sauce, provided at the table, to the burrito. You're welcome. 2. Sisig Shishito Hash with garlic rice (6/10) (chopped pork belly, breakfast potatoes, shishito peppers, soy black vinegar aioli, sunny side egg, toast or garlic rice) Now I am going to be totally biased here because I love anything that comes in a "Hash-style" dish. Fatty pork belly, seasoned potatoes, and a sunny side egg? It was not mind blowing and I probably won't order it again. I'd rather check out the rest of the menu, but it sounded good, looked good, and tasted good. Take that as you will. 3. Halo Halo Banana Split (5/10) (3 scoops of your choice of ice cream, turon, young coconut, red bean, coconut gel, flan, rice crispies) The ice creams are made by Milky Milky, a local Chicago small batch, handcrafted ice cream maker. For our flavors, we chose all 3 options they had at the time: ube, mango, and pandan. Homemade? Asian-inspired flavors? A wide variety of toppings? They got me again. Despite the rising popularity of ube within recent years (I am partial to taro lol), I have found not many places do it justice. THIS ube? We found a winner. Finally, a STRONG ube flavor that isn't lackluster or bland. The mango ice cream was fine and the pandan was too salty in my opinion. Pandan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors and I haven't tasted one that I haven't liked...until this one. Also, the rice crispies are so simple but add textural interest. Service was good. The atmosphere was cozy, but not cramped. The interior had jewel tones with a modern boho style that pays homage to the restaurant's Filipino-Cuban heritage.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Sisig shishito hash and drinks
    Sisig shishito hash and drinks
    Ropa vieja, black beans, maduros, garlic rice

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    Ropa vieja, black beans, maduros, garlic rice
    El Cubanito

    El Cubanito

    4.5
    (427 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $

    First and foremost, I ate here this past Saturday. I was brought there steak sandwich. I had never…read moreeaten in the establishment before. I was thinking it wouldn't be promising cause I was thinking steak sandwich tuff, hard to chew, a piece of steak between two pieces of bread. Well I was duped on that thought. I received the stead sandwich, I opened the tray and was so surprised of what I saw. It was cut in half, and it was big. I took the first bite and let me tell you, it was so mouth watering I had to take a second bite. This steak sandwich melted in my mouth. It was all chopped up, into pieces, it was easy to chew, and swallow. It was seasoned just right, and I just couldn't stop eating it. I immediately asked where was this place. The sandwich came with a dressing, lettuce and tomato, on a French bread roll. I fell in love. I decided I needed to now go there, and get another one so I went there yesterday. I sat in the car in front of the place. I placed my order then went inside to get it. The restaurant has seating and lots of it for eating inside. They had tv's on the wall and a view to the outside. They had a public bathroom. There were patrons dining in when I arrived, and I walked up to the counter to get my sandwich. I informed hopefully it was the manager, that I had eaten the steak sandwich on saturday and it was mouth watering, and I just had to have another one. I didnt order fries when I made the order but I asked and they made fries to go with my steak sandwich. The fries too were just like I like them. Thin crispy and taste great. After speaking with the manger he wanted me to try another item they carried. It was an empanada, that too was delicious. The sandwich is so big full of steak, literally falling out the bread I couldn't even finish it. I had to save half for later that evening. This place impressed me. I don't know if they have self parking, I park in front, and ran in for my food and left. I was also told once they close the eat in dining for the evening they have a space next to the dine in that you can order for take out, and pick up till late night and thats a plus. I have to give this restaurant and awesome review cause it's rare to like everything about a business you frequent for the first time. The patrons that I saw eating at the tables looked happy and enjoying their food. I'm sure they carry more than the the steak sandwich, but that was my fav order. Thank you to the manager for allowing me to try the empanada free of charge.

    We got the Cuban sandwich and Cubanito steak sandwich. Tasty and good value! The Cubanito steak…read moresandwich is a bit messy to eat though because it's ground beef. Unfortunately there wasn't a sit down option when we went, only window pick up. The employee was nice and had good energy though.

    Photos
    Front counter
    Front counter
    Cubanito Steak Sandwich
    Cubanito Steak Sandwich
    I loved this poster.

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    I loved this poster.
    Marinas Bistro & Rum Bar

    Marinas Bistro & Rum Bar

    4.5
    (129 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    This unassuming little spot in a veritable United Nations of Food strip mall is a hidden gem in…read moreChicago. Friendly, helpful, busting their butts service (I'm talking to YOU Anna and chef owner!) will ensure you have an excellent meal, perfect drinks and a great time at incredible value prices. Standouts were: the soup of the day (plantain and cilantro-- never had anything like but would like to have it again !), the lechon with a side of make taro that put mashed potatoes to shame--we didn't know that pork could be that juicy and garlic-ful. Also had the eggplant starter (almost like fried green tomatoes) and then the bread pudding with coconut ice-cream. We had a couple of well balanced creative cocktails, a great Spanish red, and some premium rum to round things out. It was crowded and we didn't have reservations (with make that mistake again) but were squeezed in at the 4 seat bar and well served by aforementioned Anna who didn't steer us wrong. Appropriate Latin music and tasteful tropical wallpaper and greenery made for a lively atmosphere. We don't live far so will be back. No matter where you live, you should make a reservation and go too! Small crowded parking lot, street parking, as always-- recommend public transit.

    We made a reservation since there were six of us. It is very small inside so plan ahead. My friends…read moretried to eat here on Sunday night, but they were told the restaurant had run out of food. So we tried again on Friday. The service was exceptional. We loved our waitress. Everyone enjoyed their food. The craft cocktails were also good. If you are looking for authentic Puerto Rican food, you should try this spot.

    Photos
    Dining room, small bar
    Dining room, small bar
    Lechon Asada with majado (mashed taro)
    Lechon Asada with majado (mashed taro)
    Booth area

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    Booth area

    Tropicuba Cafe - latin - Updated July 2026

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