Restaurant Review – Cohiba Cuban Cuisine

This week’s restaurant travels took me to Cohiba Cuban Cuisine. Located near the intersection of Broadway and Diversey in Lakeview, don’t blink or you’ll miss this hole-in-the-wall gem.  There were only a handful of customers when I came in, so I was seated right away. The lighting was warm and low and there are a limited number of tables, making this a perfect date night spot. I started with a mojito and was not disappointed. The balance of soda, mint, and rum was perfection. Crisp, cool, and refreshing. While looking through the menu, my mouth was watering. The Mariquitas, deep friend plantain chips with a garlic dipping sauce, caught my eye. The Churrasco also looked incredible, Cuban style skirt steak, marinated with garlic and fresh herbs and served with chimichurri. But at $28, this was a bit out of my price range for the evening. I decided on the Sandwich Cubano, a Cuban classic. I could not have been more pleased. The sandwich was huge and came with a mountain of house-made potato chips. The bread was thick and fluffy, covered in melted cheese, topped with mustard and pickles. The smoked ham and roasted pork were perfectly salty and complimented the sweetness of my mojito quite nicely. The potato chips were excellent as well. At only $8, you can’t beat the quality or quantity of food.

Cohiba offers dine-in, carry-out, delivery, and online ordering. They are open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 am to 10 pm and Fridays/Saturdays from 11 am to 11 pm. They also offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm. Since opening their new full service bar, they offer a number of drink specials during the week, including half-off margaritas on Tuesdays and $8 mojitos on Thursdays.