A Latina chef's guide to Miami's best Cuban sandwiches

Like any true Miamian, chef Michelle Bernstein is passionate about Cubanos; a sandwich that defines the soul of the city. Here are her favourites, from Sedano's to Chug's Diner.

No visit to Miami is complete without trying a Cuban sandwich – aka, a Cubano.

A Miami native of Jewish and Argentine descent, Michelle Bernstein is the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Café la Trova, Sra. Martinez and La Cañita. She also hosts the television shows Check, Please! South Florida and SoFlo Taste.

(Credit: Michael Pisarri)

The beloved dish – marinated roasted pork butt, Cuban sweet ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and pickles on pressed Cuban bread – was created in Florida by 19th-Century Cuban workers who needed an easy yet tasty lunch. Today, it's both a symbol of Miami (home to 52% of Cuban immigrants to the US) and a delicious, proud representation of immigrant identity in this Latin-majority city.

But you don't need to have Hispanic heritage to enjoy it. "[The Cuban sandwich] feeds [people] a bit of the soul of who we are here in Miami, whether you're Cuban or not," says Michelle Bernstein, a James Beard Award-winning chef. "When my mother used to go shopping… she would sit me at the counter and order me either a Cuban sandwich or a media noche [a Cubano made with sweeter bread]." The chef has continued this tradition with her own son and honours the sandwich with her own creative take at Cafe la Trova, her award-winning Cuban bar.

Everyone in Miami has a Cuban sandwich story – whether it's dining at historic spots in the Little Havana neighbourhood like Versailles and La Carreta or ordering it from lunch counter windows. Many Miamians would agree with Bernstein when she says, "There is no more perfect bite."

Here are Bernstein's favourite places to get a Cuban sandwich in Miami.

Michael Pisarri

1. Best for an authentic Miami experience: Sedano's

Bernstein's first memories of Cubanos are tied to grocery shopping, so she considers having the sandwich at a Cuban supermarket "a quintessential Miami moment".

She recommends Sedano's, a Cuban grocery chain found across the city. Besides its impressive assortment of Latin American goods, "Sedano's is known for its deli and prepared foods. You can get [Cuban sandwiches] fresh and hot… everything is done to order," Bernstein says. "If I drive by a Sedanos, I can't not pull in, order a Cubano [and] do a little shopping."

Though freshness is part of the attraction, for Bernstein, the authentic Miami experience is the chain's real charm. "You are so incredibly immersed in this beautiful culture that is very Cuban, of course, but [Miamians are] from everywhere and so you're immersed in a full Latin-from-everywhere culture, and everybody's chit-chatting and you're making friends in line [while] you're drinking your cafecito [Cuban espresso]."

Website: sedanos.com

Address: 4803 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33134

Phone: (305) 446 5872

Instagram: @sedanossupermarket

Michael Pisarri

2. Best classic Cubano: Luis Galindo's Latin American Restaurant

Luis Galindo's Latin American Restaurant has been serving traditional Cuban food since 1974. Operating from two locations – West Miami and University Park – the restaurant is a mainstay of Miami Cuban cuisine. While diners will find dishes like picadillo (ground beef hash with rice) and estofado (a hearty stew), it's Galindo's sandwiches that steal the spotlight. "There's nothing incredibly special as far as ingredients. However, for me, it's just the perfect amount of everything," Bernstein says. "I love how they cut their just made lechón (slow-roasted pork) into thick, yummy, juicy chunks. And then they have the super thin slices of the sweeter ham… it's so incredibly classic."

Beyond its Cubano, the diner stands out because of its charmingly chaotic atmosphere. "You see all these hanging legs of pork when you walk in and everything smells super fresh," Bernstein says. "There's a certain vibe to a place like that where everything is clanking and there's a buzz. It's almost like a soundtrack to the perfect Cuban diner."

Website: larestaurantsmiami.com

Address: 898 SW 57th Ave West Miami, FL 33144

Phone: (305) 267-9995

Instagram: @larestaurant1

Michael Pisarri

3. Best for streamlined perfection: Sanguich

Located on Calle 8, the beating heart of Little Havana, Sanguich – its name a wink to the Cuban pronunciation of "sandwich" – impresses Bernstein with its consistency. The chef calls owners Daniel Figueredo and Rosa Romero "perfectionists". "They basically invested their whole life into making the perfect sandwich," she says. "There's a method to everything they do. As a chef and a restaurateur, I love that every sandwich is exactly the same. It's always perfect. They brine their own pickles, they make their own mustard, they roast their own pork. It is just how everything should be, but it's too hard [for most people] to get there." 

This perfect marriage of quality and consistency has made Sanguich a favourite across the city. "They've now created what is the quintessential Cuban sandwich in Miami because everybody knows it. It's as close to perfection as you can get." 

Website: sanguich.com

Address: 2057 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33135

Phone: (786) 829-1381

Instagram: @sanguichdemiami

Michael Pisarri

4. Best bold take: Chug's Diner

Chug's, a Michelin Bib Gourmand diner in Coconut Grove, fuses Cuban classics with international dishes and ingredients. Its highly controversial Cuban sandwich – which Bernstein calls "delicious and unapologetic" – is not for purists, which is exactly why she recommends it. "One thing that I love [about chef Michael Beltran] is that he doesn't really care what people think." Case in point: he adds salami and mayonnaise to his Cubanos, a decision that's practically a sin in Miami. 

Salami is the signature ingredient of Cuban sandwiches from Tampa, a city that has long disputed with Miami over who created the dish. Regardless of the tensions, "I love the Cuban sandwich with salami although I think I'm afraid to do it, I'm afraid to get yelled at by people in Miami," Bernstein says.

Mayonnaise is also widely dismissed by purists as untraditional, but – like many Miamians – Bernstein secretly likes the addition. "I love my Cuban with a little bit of mayonnaise in it, and I know, again, that's almost criminal to say to a Cuban. But it is what it is." 

Website: chugsdiner.com

Address: 3444 Main Hwy Suite 21, Miami, FL, 33133

Phone: (786) 353-2940

Instagram: @chugsdiner

Michael Pisarri

5. Best for freshness: Babe's Meat & Counter

For superior freshness, Bernstein recommends visiting a Cuban butcher, specifically Babe's in Palmetto Bay. "They smoke their own ham and they roast their own pork for this sandwich, but they also make their own bread, which is pretty damn cool. It tastes so crazy fresh."

Though most of the ingredients are fairly classic, the smokier meat gives it "a different flavour", according to Bernstein. "It's not so off-the-cuff like [what] Beltran does, but it's definitely got something special going on. Everybody's trying to push the envelope a little bit with the Cuban, and I don't think [Jason Schoendorfer [the co-owner] is doing that. I think he's doing what he does best, which is being a butcher and smoking and roasting things."

Most importantly, "you can taste the artistry", says Bernstein. 

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BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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