The Cuban sandwich at Cuba de Ayer is the rare sandwich that makes me want to look past a menu.Roasted pork, ham, a mild cheese and just enough pickle to pick it up. Cuba de Ayer presses the sandwich perfectly -- just enough to crisp the edges, but nothing greasy at all. The bread stays crunchy, and the sandwich has a perfect mix of meat, salt and creamy cheese.
The real measure of Cuba de Ayer is that we don't share main courses at the Burtonsville restaurant. We ordered two sandwiches and polished them both off. We did share a side dish of "maduros" plantains and a dessert of tres leches cake.
(As Steve points out in a comment below, you shouldn't look past Cuba de Ayer's menu. They have delicious food, as I sketched out in the original post about the restaurant. I just looked past on the most-recent visit because I was infatuated with the idea of a Cuban sandwich.)
If you're looking for sandwiches worth a drive, everything starts at Bon Fresco. You can also check out pit beef at Pioneer or the bulgogi panini at Riverside Coffee. (And per Marcia's comment below, check out the pit turkey and other barbecue at the Town Grill in Lisbon.) We really do need a place to serve Vietnamese bahn mi.
Cuba de Ayer is great. Go beyond the sandwiches on the menu and you will be rewarded. Like the Cuban style steaks dishes. And how come HoCo does not have a place that serves Vietnamese sandwiches?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I must confess a soft spot for Jimmy John's.
Wow, that looks amazing! + Tres Leches cake, one of my favorite things.
ReplyDeleteTheir empanadas, croquetas, and tres leches are great as well! Many times I'll just meet with friends over their many appetizers, drinks, and tres leches for dessert.
ReplyDeleteAh! I too have made the significant other drive all the way out there just so I could get the Cuban Sandwich! ...And I didn't regret it for a moment :)
ReplyDeleteWe love Cuba de Ayer, have yet to be disappointed with the food. On the last part of your post, we still think the Lisbon Town Grille is worth the drive, too. Just tried their pit turkey - excellent. Have not been disappointed with them yet, either.
ReplyDeleteI do like a good Cuban but A Bánh mì still can not be found in HoCo as far as I know. We used to go from work to Saigonese in Silver Spring. I would love to find one closer to home.
ReplyDeleteI see a kids menu, but is it truly kid friendly? Is there normally a wait for tables? It's hard to wait with a 3 year old!
ReplyDelete@Anon -- I think they'd be child-friendly. They have always been friendly people there. I remember waiting once in probably 5-6 visits. We sat immediately last time, and it was Sunday at prime dinner time.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered this blog. This is great since hubby and me are major foodies. Agree with Steve Fine about the Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) being impossible to find in HoCo.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy the food at Cuba De Ayer and it is nice to have it so close to Columbia. The best Cuban sandwich in my opinion is still at Azul 17 on Snowden.
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