Cuban Sandwich Cafe

Cuban Sandwich Cafe

Hey there fellow foodies! We have found a real gem of a home-style cafe on N. Lamar Blvd that we have been just dying to tell you about: The Cuban Sandwich Cafe. As the name implies they certainly do specialize in sandwiches, though they also serve plates and fresh baked breads. I stumbled on this place totally by accident. I was on my lunch break and was planning to go to a good little Mexican cafe in the same lot when I saw the sign, and the Cuban flag. I just had to stop and give it a shot. In the time since I first ran across this place I've been back probably four or five times and have never been disappointed. This place has all the makings of a great neighborhood spot. Friendly service, a homey atmosphere, and of course great home-style food. Here's a look at what I've sampled so far-

The Cuban

The Cuban- One the most classic sandwiches from the Americas, this Cuban is exactly what you'd expect. It's pressed sandwich served with ham (of the cold cut variety), pulled pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayo, and a pickle on grilled Cuban bread. And the bread is of course made in house. This is a very nice sandwich and a great introduction to the Cuban Sandwich Cafe.

El Cubanito

Cubanito Burger- Beef, bacon, and pulled pork on a fresh made bun.....is there really anything else to say?

Roa Vieja

Ropa Vieja (pronounced vee-EH-ha)- Meaning "old clothes," this plate comes served with some very nice shredded beef, congri (pronounced con-GREE) which is Cuban style beans and rice, and boiled yuca (pronounced YOU-kah). For those who have never tried yuca it plays the role of the starch in a meal. Where we would normally expect potatoes, in much of Caribbean cuisine it is replaced by items such as yucca and plantains. The texture and flavor are different than a potato and work nicely with everything else that's on the plate.



Yuca
Fries

In addition to the main courses I have also had the chance to try the tostones (pronounced tos-TONE-ehs) which are fried green plantains, Fried yucca, and fried ripe plantains. The tostones are fried green plantains. They have a similar texture and flavor to potatoes. Very nice indeed. The fried yuca are like yuca french fries, and well worth giving a try. The fried ripe plantains are like pan fried bananas, and who doesn't like that? The yucca and tostones are nice when paired with their mojo (pronounced mo-ho) which is basically a garlic and lemon vinaigrette.

In all this one was a very pleasant experience for me and I will continue to go back. The atmosphere is warm, inviting, and has the feel of a neighborhood shop. The staff is friendly, and the food is very good. In my opinion it is well worth checking out. Since they have two locations in town, it makes it just that much easier to get there. And we recommend you do.

Official AFJ rating- Two points of the Lone Star.

-Matt

Cuban Sandwich Cafe

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Road Diaries: Jacksonville, Florida

El Mofongo

Every so often us Food Junkies go out of town. Not necessarily for the purpose of discovering new and exciting places to eat outside of Texas, but just for the sake of going. And while we're out we need to eat. So we asked ourselves, if we are going to be out anyway why not write about it? Why not look for great little places in whatever town we happen to be in? And thus is born the inaugural edition of Austin Food Junkies: The Road Diaries.

Mofongo with pork

I know you're all probably sitting on the edge your seats, peering intently at the words on your monitor with wide eyes barely an inch from the screen just waiting for the exotic locale to be revealed. Well my friends wait no longer; I was able to visit Jacksonville, Florida. A trip of well over 1,000 miles from Austin and spanning five states, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The trip out was a bit rushed, so we didn't have the chance to stop for anything along the way (that's right, no Cajun or Creole food in Louisiana, maybe next time) save for the usual fast food type stuff, but what awaited us in Jacksonville made skipping those places worthwhile.


There were, of course, the usual fast food and mega-chain type places all around but what I wanted was a bit of the flavor of Jacksonville. I wanted a place that was local to them, but perhaps a bit unusual to an outsider. Well I found exactly what I was looking for in El Mofongo. They serve a mix of Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican food. As soon as I rolled up to this place I had feeling I was going to like it. It had the look and feel from the outside of a welcoming neighborhood cafe and inside I was not disappointed. What drew me to this place initially was the name, El Mofongo.

Tripleta

Mofongo is a dish that I had seen on a cooking show a long time ago and had wanted to try but never did find any place in Austin that serves it (if there is feel free to drop us a line!). Mofongo consists of fried plantains (those banana looking things in the produce section), spices, and various types of magic. All of the ingredients are then placed into a pilon (a giant wooden mortar and pestle) and beaten into submission until the whole mass forms a nice dome. The dome of plantain-y goodness is then fried.You get your choice of meat, I chose the pork. I love pork. It is easily one of my favorite meats and I do not say this lightly, but this was perhaps the best pork I have ever had. Ever. The meat was perfectly tender and moist; it just fell apart in mouth. And the skin....I still have dreams about it. Perfectly crunchy, perfect. It wasn't at all hard or tough; it was crisp and disintegrated quickly on the tongue. I can't wait to get another.

Menu

 On the way out, I had plenty of leftovers but I had gone out alone and several people back the home I was staying in who had not eaten. So I used this as an excuse to order a few more things. I got Tostones (fried green plantains), and a couple of sandwiches. I got the Cuban, after all when you're in a Cuban place in Florida you have to get a Cuban sandwich, and the Triplet. All of these items were great. The bread is made in house and the plantains came served with a delicious mojo, which is a sauce made with garlic, olive oil, and in this case lemon juice.
 
We try to keep our ratings specific to Texas and Austin in particular so we can't give an official rating this time. But if we were to rate them, El Mofongo would be amongst the highest. The staff was friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic. So the next time any of our fellow Junkies are anywhere near Jacksonville be sure to run by this place. The pilgrimage will be worth it.


El Mofongo
6011 103rd st
jacksonville Florida 32210
904-777-4933
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