Cafe Marianao

Best sandwiches in town!!! I see some new workers added and the sandwiches look way more presentable! All the cooks are so funny and once you get to know them they’re really not as mean as they look!

I haven’t been able to find a solid Cuban restaurant in Chicago. Sure, there’s 90 Miles and it’s a crowd pleaser. But for authentic Cuban sandwiches, this is as close as it gets to the stuff you’d find in South Florida or the Cuban-​centric parts of New Jersey near New York City.
The line situation here is a little weird, you kind of just wiggle your way to the counter and hope you catch the attention of one of the cooks. Once you do, place your order and wait around five minutes.
I highly recommend the Cubano here but people seem to love their steak and cheese sandwich. So I’m gonna have to try that next time. A café con leche is also recommended — they add a ton of sugar so beware.
Make your way up Milwaukee Ave to the shack across from the Chase Bank and Laundromat, because otherwise whatever Cuban place you’re eating at isn’t doing your food justice.

The best steak sandwich ever!!! I love it!!!

First time here! I really liked it. No line no waiting, found parking right away and the employees were friendly. Ok… I ordered café con leche and it was really good, just how I like it! I also ordered a steak sandwich and a ham, egg with cheese was also good/​tasty. Will definitely go back!

Steak sandwich is a must get!!. Place is small so I suggest take your food to go. Also there isn’t really a line, just get to the counter as closest as you can and get the cook to take your order

Dropped in to check things out and had one of the best Cuban sandwiches that I can remember. I’ll definitely be back to try their steak sandwich (double) and to have another café con leche. This place seems like mostly a breakfast and lunch focused place that doesn’t seem to keep very late hours. I’m glad that I had a chance to try it.

My wife and I have been searching for the best Cuban Sandwich in the City. We have lived a few blocks from this place for 4 years and didn’t even realize it was here. We came here from on a recommendation and thought we’d give it a try.
The sandwich was just OK. Nothing that special. But what stood out about this place was how absolutly filthy it was inside. I mean trash all over the floors, the kitchen looked trashed. we almost left after we ordered after waiting and looking around for a bit. I started to get nervous on the sanitation and cleanliness of this place. If a health inspector came in, this place would have been screwed.
Take a little pride in your establishment. Wont be back.

Felt like customers were an inconvenience to cashier. Cooks were nice but lackluster sandwiches. Sorry to say because it was a recommendation

I’m so disappointed… I’ve been coming here for years and I just saw the cashier take cash then go and assist the guys that are making the sandwiches without cloves or sanitizing his hands. He ruined it for me. So gross!

Delicious authentic food. Usually busy and chaotic so ordering can be hectic if you don’t step up and make sure you’re heard, but the food is great and you can’t beat the prices.

The cheese and steak sandwiches here are amazing they have a parking lot it’s usually busy in morning there is no single file line ordering a sandwich can be hard if u don’t speak Spanish the wait will be long for u if u happen to pass by past 10 am it’ll be perfect for u to sneak in and eat a Sammy it will make your mouth water you’ll definitely be back for more

Cheap
fresh café con leche pastryes
Cuban sandwiches
Steak sandwiches
Is no chairs
Take it to go

This place has the best cuban sandwiches hands down, but the ordering process is insane because everyone is just screaming their orders and you might get skipped if your not loud enough.

If your in the mood for some awesome coffee pull over. But, skip the Sandwiches. As I was waiting, and this is my 1^st time here and very exited. The grill man pulls out some tasty looking steak placing it in a pot of boiling so I thought «secret sauce», No, The secret sauce boiling was what looked like liquified butter, I just about threw up watching him pouring a gallon or so in the pot and stirring the steak. (look at picture 5 of 11) and you’ll see the pots the steak it’s cooked in). 5 Stars for having a parking lot, 5 stars for Coffee. No stars for Sandwiches. your dollar is better spent down the block at Irazu.

This place is amazing. From a delicious steak sandwich to seeing the local Cuban bum Exuan (also known as Ecks) who always cracks jokes! Always a good time here.

Still dirty in here… went back for a Cuban sandwich, the price was still 4.25 + tax… needed more mustard, was rather dry, not sure I will come back.

Best Cuban sandwiches and expresso!
very cheap but you will run into some lines but its worth it.

I’ve had the steak sandwiches and café con leche here a few times. Do not waste your time ordering the regular steak sandwich; only go for the double. Way too much bread for the amount of meat on the regular. Sandwiches are very tasty and great with hot sauce; however, they could be greatly improved if they were served hotter to melt the cheese.
This place is extremely busy on weekends. There isn’t a normal ordering line so you just have to wait and get their attention. Expect to see an old dude who I suspect is the owner silently sitting with a frown on.
I recommend coming for an inexpensive takeout lunch if you are in the area, but I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

This place is a total dive but the food is pretty good and very cheap. If you are «white,» expect to get treated like garbage.
After having gone there a dozen times and being racially profiled nearly a dozen times, the cashier and his whore accomplice actually, seriously, tried to steal my change. And after I called them out on it they high-​fived and started cracking up.
I will never be back, and I hope you get bulldozed for the new Logan Square Trader Joes or something equally horrible. Fuck you.

Dang my snotty CA self would have never come in here based on the exterior but I’m so glad my friend brought me into this place for some churros. They were DELISH! I got four churros and a coffee and was amazed to find out it was only a $ 5 bill. The service is quick and there’s so much turnover and to watch the cooks flip giant things of egg was kind of like a weird cultural experience for me. I can see this easily becoming a regular stop, and me becoming very very fat.
I made a second trip to get the sandwich and it was simple and satisfying. The bread was my favorite part of the whole thing.
I’m probably just not used to Chicago service but it seems like the kind of place where you have to be aggressive to get your order in and the employees don’t do much to make you feel welcome. But the clientele is friendly and will help you out if you don’t know what’s going on.