Good morning, good evening, and good night! I’m your reviewer, Lorintz, and today, as a thank you for their gracious donation towards the Paw Print Bingo Night, I’ll be taking a look at the El Cubano Sandwich Shop.
The storefront was very inconspicuous. If it weren’t for the big green sign above it, I wouldn’t have found the restaurant at all. The restaurant was completely empty. Besides the sounds of the kitchen machinery and a television, there was complete silence. However, at this point, I’m used to this atmosphere.
The chosen decor for the restaurant was not unique. There was nothing decorative or special that caught my eye when I first walked in. On the walls, there are colored and black-and-white pictures of old cars and Cuba. However, there is not much else that’s done to set an environment. Once again, the interior design was fairly mediocre. The staff that were present were very friendly and provided assistance when needed. This restaurant from what I see, does not specifically cater to any specialized diets such as vegan or keto. However, there may be some options that I missed while looking at the menu, so take that with a grain of salt. The wait time was average, not too long but not too short.
Pan Con Bistec
Type of meal: Sandwich
The Pan Con Bistec put a surprising twist on the sandwich concept. Instead of the regularly assorted meats, this sandwich put steak in a sandwich. The results were marvelous, with a delicious, juicy steak surrounded by crunchy vegetables and warm bread. Also, something I don’t usually comment on is the smell. The smell of the sandwich was mouthwatering, so much so it’s worthy of note.
8.8/10
French Fries
Type of dish: Appetizer
I’m not going to lie, when I first took a bite of these french fries, I was hit with a wave of extreme disappointment. They were incredibly soggy. As I picked one up, it flopped around like a chicken tender. Additionally, I tasted little to no salt on the french fries. I was just essentially eating bland, diced potatoes. With all the praise I’d initially received about El Cubano, it exacerbated my dismay.
3.5/10
Mini Churros
Type of meal: Dessert
This desert was very interesting to say the least. I’d never tasted churros before, so I didn’t have any prior experience with this meal. However, I have to say it was pretty good. The sprinkled cinnamon sugar combined with the dulce de leche sauce was out of this world. The hard outer shell combined with the chewy, squishy inside was not something I was used to, but nonetheless a good combination. A nice finish to a rather modest meal.
9/10
All in all, I’d have to rate my experience with El Cubano a 7 out of 10. This has been a reoccurring issue in my reviews, but there is a lack of genuine inspiration with the decor of these recent restaurants, El Cubano included. On top of that, there was no accompanying music or noise in order to immerse the customers, instead deciding to fill the noise with TVs. The food was decent. The french fries did a major blow to the overall rating as I’d expected quite a lot considering the praise and acclaim many of my peers associated with this sandwich shop. Though, the following meals did much to up it. The staff were friendly, making the experience just that more bearable. El Cubano does an incredible job with their sandwiches but lacks in certain areas. I’d definitely recommend this restaurant to a friend, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing in the world.
