El Cubanito began in 2007 as a family dream to bring the flavors of Cuba to Chicago.
The Beginning
For Alberto and Laritza, El Cubanito began long before the first sandwich was ever pressed.
After arriving in the United States from Cuba, they shared the same dream as many immigrant families: to build something of their own through hard work, dedication, and perseverance.
They spent months working, saving, and planning until they finally opened the doors to El Cubanito on Pulaski Road in 2007.
It wasn't a large restaurant. It was a small neighborhood café built around one simple idea:
Serve Authentic Cuban food with pride, treat every customer like family, and never compromise on quality.
That idea still guides everything we do today.
Food & Tradition
Some of El Cubanito’s story can be told through the food Alberto grew up eating.
The Cubano became one of the restaurant’s signatures: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard pressed between Cuban bread until crisp. From the beginning, the bread mattered. El Cubanito worked with Liborio Baking to develop Cuban bread specifically for the restaurant.
Then there’s pan con timba, guava paste and melted cheese pressed between toasted bread, a simple combination Alberto remembered his mother making for him as a boy in Cuba.
Alongside the sandwiches came house-made empanadas, the Cubanito Steak, café con leche, and other familiar flavors that helped turn a small Pulaski Road shop into a neighborhood favorite.
Our Neighborhood
For nearly two decades, El Cubanito has welcomed neighbors, families, commuters, and visitors looking for authentic Cuban flavors.
Located on Pulaski Road, we've become a neighborhood favorite where regular customers know they'll find fresh food, friendly faces, and the same recipes they've enjoyed for years.
Whether you're stopping in before work for a café con leche, grabbing lunch with coworkers, or introducing someone to their very first Cuban sandwich, we're grateful to be part of your day.
Some people have been coming for years. Others are walking through the door for the first time.
Either way, there's always room at El Cubanito.
over coffee.
breakfast together.
turn into traditions.
quickly become regulars.
Our goal has never been to be the biggest restaurant in Chicago.
Our goal has always been to make every guest feel welcome.
Featured in Chicago
In 2012, the Chicago Tribune profiled El Cubanito and Alberto Ramos, highlighting its custom Cuban bread, pressed Cubano, Cubanito Steak, pan con timba and house-made empanadas.
Our pressed Cubanos were also featured in ABC7’s roundup of Chicago’s best Cuban sandwiches, earning a place alongside some of the city’s most respected dining institutions.
Time Out Chicago has featured El Cubanito among the city's Cuban restaurants and highlighted the pressed Cubano and its crisp grilled bread.
See how El Cubanito became one of Chicago's favorite Cuban restaurants.
From your first Café Cubano to your first pressed Cuban sandwich, we'd love to welcome you to El Cubanito.
