Cohiba Cuban Cuisine Restaurant Review (Chicago)
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Cohiba Cuban Cuisine is an authentic Cuban restaurant located in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. My husband and I found Cohiba by chance – we were driving in Chicago without any set dinner plans, and just looked on the Yelp app for highly rated restaurants in the area, and saw the Cohiba had consistently good reviews. So we just had to try it, so our night out turned into a Cuban night!
For the appetizer, we ordered Calamares Grille – grilled calamari with mixed vegetables ($7). It was delicious, with a flavorful spicy sauce! The appetizer portion was big enough to share, and a $7 calamari is a great deal!
If you come with a big group (or are really hungry), I’d definitely try the appetizer combo plate (2 empanadas, 1 papa rellena, 1 yuca rellena, 1 tamale, 2 croquetas and tostones) – for just $15, you can sample a variety of authentic Cuban appetizers!
My husband ordered Sandwich de Bistec ($8) – described as a Cuban staple that is made with juicy grilled steak, caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato. The steak was great, the bread was fresh, warm and toasted – perfect!
Here’s my selection – Cohibarito ($8) – a house special sandwich. Instead of bread, it’s served on fried plantain! Plantain is a member of banana family and it looks very similar to banana, but it’s not as sweet as a banana, making it a perfect choice for savory dishes. This sandwich is a great gluten-free option, as there is no bread! I’m not on a gluten-free diet, but I liked plantains those few times I tried them, so I was excited to try this unique sandwich!
For the plantain sandwich, you can choose the type of meat – chicken, steak or pulled pork. My sandwich had steak with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and tomato. This sandwich was outstanding! The fried plantain was so delicious – it complements the meat perfectly. I don’t know of any other place that has this type of plantain sandwich, so I’ll have to order it again when I come back to get my plantain fix!
Cohiba Cuban Cuisine is BYOB, so you can bring your own alcohol! It has really tasty authentic food, warm ambiance, great service at a great price. The restaurant is cozy, dimly lit and well-decorated, with warm dark colors and lots of exposed brick. It’s a perfect Cuban experience in one of the best neighborhoods of Chicago.
I highly recommend Cohiba Cuban Cuisine restaurant for a unique and authentic Cuban dining experience. Cohiba Cuban Cuisine is located at 2835 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657, and their phone number is
I don’t think I’ve ever had Cuban cuisine. I think the portions are very generous and the prices more than reasonable xx
I’ve never had Cuban cuisine either until I tried Cohiba! I’m glad I tried it, Cuban food is so good! Cuban is just not a common type of restaurant in the US, even in a big city like Chicago :)
You know I think I was at that restaurant actually when I went to Chicago for a vacation about 3 years back, so cool to read a review. I had good memories.
Wow, what are the odds that out of thousands of Chicago restaurants you ended up in this one! Cohiba Cuban Cuisine must be on some kind of a list of recommended restaurants for Cuban food. Glad you enjoyed it!
It’s so fun to try new restaurants. I’m glad you loved this one. That plantain sandwich is calling me name!
That plantain sandwich was amazing! I don’t know of any other place that has it!