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90 Miles Cafe is one of Chicago’s most-popular Cuban restaurants.
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Where to Eat Cuban Food in Chicago

Find delectable ropa vieja and much more

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90 Miles Cafe is one of Chicago’s most-popular Cuban restaurants.
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In the mood for a hearty helping of ropa vieja? Or maybe the minty kick of a well-mixed mojito? Cuban cuisine may not be as ubiquitous in Chicago as it is in New York or Miami, but there are still plenty of places worth visiting — from cozy cafes to more formal dining options. Check out one of these 10 oustanding spots for a taste of island fare. Listed west to east.

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El Rinconcito Cubano

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NOTE: El Rinconcito Cubano closed in October 2017.

Sometimes diners just want ambience and artful plating. Sometimes diners just want to get good and full on the cheap. Enter El Rinconcito, a BYOB joint whose meaty mains come with heaping servings of rice and beans, as well as a hunk of crusty bread. The bistec cazuela is melt-in-your-mouth tender and pairs well with lagers and ales.

Lunch is served! Come and get some

Posted by El Rinconcito Cubano on Monday, June 26, 2017

90 Miles Cuban Cafe

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This Logan Square stalwart has plentiful patio seating and a BYOB policy. Plus, Guy Fieri gushed about its fall-off-the-bone fricase de pollo and salty-sweet maduros on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The ropa vieja is just as good at the restaurant’s Clybourn and suburban Lincolnwood locations too.

Dikirim oleh 90 Miles Cuban Cafe pada 29 Januari 2017

Paladar Restaurant and Rum Bar

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Craving authentic Cuban cuisine? Then check out Paladar. Owner Jose Gonzalez offers dishes inspired by old family recipes, like his mother’s ham and cheese croquetas. The restaurant also earns high marks for its extensive rum selection and cocktail list. Customers won’t regret ordering the coconut mojito. 

Posted by Paladar Cuban Restaurant/Rum Bar on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Siboney Cuban Cuisine

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Another West Side favorite, Siboney stays afloat in a sea of mid-priced restaurants with live music and an extensive menu broken down by protein type. There are plenty of options for vegetarians too, including the Plato Siboney, a platter of crispy plantains stuffed with soy “beef” as hearty and flavorful as the real thing. 

A welcoming space for great people.

Posted by Siboney Cuban Cuisine on Friday, August 11, 2017

Cuba 312

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This cozy, BYOB cafe checks a lot of boxes. Appealing ambiance? Check. Filling, affordable dishes? Check. Outdoor seating available during the summer months? Check. Plus, its churrasco cubano — a slow-marinated skirt steak served alongside a slightly acidic Yuca con Mojo and a lightly-dressed salad — is delicious enough to break any embargo.

Summer time fine

Posted by Cuba 312 on Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Habana Libre Restaurant

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Though it shares its name with a popular Cuban cocktail, Habana Libre is actually BYOB. Their pan lechón, served alongside rice, beans and sweet plantains, is an aromatic triumph of slow-roasted pork and onions. Though the website claims it won a Michelin star in 2012. That’s not the case, as past stories show. But the food and atmosphere still make it a worthy place.

Posted by Habana Libre on Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Nini's Deli

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This family-owned deli is adored nearly as much for its friendly owners as its inventive menu, which includes multi-ethnic mashups like a ropa vieja burrito and a Cuban PB&J — a sandwich slathered with homemade guava jelly, peanut butter, and a sprinkling of sweet plantain chips. Nini’s isn’t the most authentic establishment on this list, but it’s among the most innovative. 

Posted by Nini's Deli on Sunday, April 9, 2017

Cohiba Cuban Cuisine

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Arguably Lakeview’s best Cuban restaurant, Cohiba serves hearty, Havanese comfort food – like camaron salteado, shrimp sauteed with bell peppers and onions in a rich garlic sauce. And mains come with a choice of rice and beans or congris, along with house-made chips. The restaurant is BYOB, but servers can bring mixers to your table, and on Wednesdays their piña coladas cost only $6. 

No dinner plans yet? Come for a romantic dinner or to hang out with friends. You'll find something delicious in the menu for you.

Posted by Cohiba Cuban Cuisine on Friday, September 5, 2014

Cafecito

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It can be hard to find fast, fresh lunch places in The Loop. Fortunately, Cafecito slings hot coffee and cubanos — which come griddled in a fragrant mojo of sour oranges and garlic — to hungry lunch crowds with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Satellite locations have sprung up in the South Loop and Gold Coast, too. 

Posted by Cafecito Chicago on Friday, April 21, 2017

The aptly-named Havana channels the bygone splendor of Cuba’s iconic capital city with dark wood, leather, and potted palms aplenty. Its prices are lower than those of most comparable River North restaurants, too. Consider stopping by on a Friday, when pitchers of mojitos cost $20.

Posted by Havana on Monday, October 7, 2013

El Rinconcito Cubano

NOTE: El Rinconcito Cubano closed in October 2017.

Sometimes diners just want ambience and artful plating. Sometimes diners just want to get good and full on the cheap. Enter El Rinconcito, a BYOB joint whose meaty mains come with heaping servings of rice and beans, as well as a hunk of crusty bread. The bistec cazuela is melt-in-your-mouth tender and pairs well with lagers and ales.

Lunch is served! Come and get some

Posted by El Rinconcito Cubano on Monday, June 26, 2017

90 Miles Cuban Cafe

This Logan Square stalwart has plentiful patio seating and a BYOB policy. Plus, Guy Fieri gushed about its fall-off-the-bone fricase de pollo and salty-sweet maduros on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The ropa vieja is just as good at the restaurant’s Clybourn and suburban Lincolnwood locations too.

Dikirim oleh 90 Miles Cuban Cafe pada 29 Januari 2017

Paladar Restaurant and Rum Bar

Craving authentic Cuban cuisine? Then check out Paladar. Owner Jose Gonzalez offers dishes inspired by old family recipes, like his mother’s ham and cheese croquetas. The restaurant also earns high marks for its extensive rum selection and cocktail list. Customers won’t regret ordering the coconut mojito. 

Posted by Paladar Cuban Restaurant/Rum Bar on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Siboney Cuban Cuisine

Another West Side favorite, Siboney stays afloat in a sea of mid-priced restaurants with live music and an extensive menu broken down by protein type. There are plenty of options for vegetarians too, including the Plato Siboney, a platter of crispy plantains stuffed with soy “beef” as hearty and flavorful as the real thing. 

A welcoming space for great people.

Posted by Siboney Cuban Cuisine on Friday, August 11, 2017

Cuba 312

This cozy, BYOB cafe checks a lot of boxes. Appealing ambiance? Check. Filling, affordable dishes? Check. Outdoor seating available during the summer months? Check. Plus, its churrasco cubano — a slow-marinated skirt steak served alongside a slightly acidic Yuca con Mojo and a lightly-dressed salad — is delicious enough to break any embargo.

Summer time fine

Posted by Cuba 312 on Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Habana Libre Restaurant

Though it shares its name with a popular Cuban cocktail, Habana Libre is actually BYOB. Their pan lechón, served alongside rice, beans and sweet plantains, is an aromatic triumph of slow-roasted pork and onions. Though the website claims it won a Michelin star in 2012. That’s not the case, as past stories show. But the food and atmosphere still make it a worthy place.

Posted by Habana Libre on Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Nini's Deli

This family-owned deli is adored nearly as much for its friendly owners as its inventive menu, which includes multi-ethnic mashups like a ropa vieja burrito and a Cuban PB&J — a sandwich slathered with homemade guava jelly, peanut butter, and a sprinkling of sweet plantain chips. Nini’s isn’t the most authentic establishment on this list, but it’s among the most innovative. 

Posted by Nini's Deli on Sunday, April 9, 2017

Cohiba Cuban Cuisine

Arguably Lakeview’s best Cuban restaurant, Cohiba serves hearty, Havanese comfort food – like camaron salteado, shrimp sauteed with bell peppers and onions in a rich garlic sauce. And mains come with a choice of rice and beans or congris, along with house-made chips. The restaurant is BYOB, but servers can bring mixers to your table, and on Wednesdays their piña coladas cost only $6. 

No dinner plans yet? Come for a romantic dinner or to hang out with friends. You'll find something delicious in the menu for you.

Posted by Cohiba Cuban Cuisine on Friday, September 5, 2014

Cafecito

It can be hard to find fast, fresh lunch places in The Loop. Fortunately, Cafecito slings hot coffee and cubanos — which come griddled in a fragrant mojo of sour oranges and garlic — to hungry lunch crowds with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Satellite locations have sprung up in the South Loop and Gold Coast, too. 

Posted by Cafecito Chicago on Friday, April 21, 2017

Havana

The aptly-named Havana channels the bygone splendor of Cuba’s iconic capital city with dark wood, leather, and potted palms aplenty. Its prices are lower than those of most comparable River North restaurants, too. Consider stopping by on a Friday, when pitchers of mojitos cost $20.

Posted by Havana on Monday, October 7, 2013

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