MenuPirate:Miami

Despite the bright reds and yellows on the weather radar and all of the advice against it, I still felt it imperative to get out on the bicycle yesterday for a 40 some odd miler. Leaving the Gables area with an equally crazy friend around 2 PM we ventured down 8th street, up Biscayne Blvd and across the Venetian Causeway ultimately arriving hungry and soggy on the Beach.

After weaving through the crowds on Lincoln Road and Washington we strolled up on Sandwich Q Bano . I remember seeing this place a few weeks ago and putting it on my snack list, hungry and decidedly against Pizza, I figured there was no better time then now to stop by.

The place occupies the corner unit of a 5 story condo and office building on the corner of Washington and 2nd St. Parking would usually be a hassle but seeing as it was a rainy Sunday afternoon and we were on bikes that didn’t seem to be a problem.

In short the place serves up Cuban style sandwiches in a cleaned up franchise like environment. If your looking for Cuban Coffee or any type of fruit shake or “batido” your shit out of luck here. This took a little bit of adjustment for me at first, the place smelled like new concrete instead of brewing coffee or cigar smoke. There was no water jug outside or window I could order from… I actually had to walk in and sit down after ordering my food and most unsettling of all; there was soccer playing on the giant plasma TV hanging on the wall on not one mention of Fidel within ear shot…

Esto no pasa en Cuba Little Havana.

Once I bit into my Media Noche all those reservations went away. The sandwich itself was very good and on par with most of the stuff you get back on the mainland. Thick but not overwhelming and the bread was nice and fresh. Better still it went down just fine with a Jupiña Pineapple Soda (one of my favorites). The price at about $5 dollars was on par with what you would expect and for Beach lunch standards I would venture to call the place a good deal. The best part of the sandwich itself was the unexpected addition of a garlic “homestyle” sauce which can be seen the in the picture above in the little condiment container. This sauce really makes a difference and adds a unique taste to what would have otherwise been a run of the mill lunch.

The menu includes many other sandwiches among them, a Hawaiian sandwich which combines Pineapple, Ham and Mozzarella cheese on French Bread and a few salads to round off the menu.

Final Verdict : Not one of the best Cuban Sandwiches in Miami, Sergio’s and Sarussi share that honor but if your ever looking for some lunch South of 5th Street around the South Pointe area , it’s worth a try.