Archive for Cuban Sandwich
Cuban in Jersey visits La Pola in West New York, New Jersey
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Hi I’m Dave and I’m a Cuban in Jersey.
Just to give you a little background here, I grew up in West New York and spent 16 years in Miami. Not only did I grow up eating Cuban sandwiches, it was practically part of my basic food groups. La Pola makes my favorite Cuban sandwich of all time! I will admit this review may be biased because I grew up like a block away but I’m not pulling anyone’s chain here. If you are looking for a true classic order the “Cubano Especial”, knife sliced Roasted Pork and real Ham sliced thin, not processed people!
Cuban Sandwich
The bread they use is soft yet crispy on the outside thanks to the sandwich press. A little bit of Mojo, which is what makes this sandwich the most succulent Cuban you’ve ever had. I know what you are saying, “Mojo?” It’s strange because in Miami they don’t use this as far as I know, but don’t fight it. It’s really not the same sandwich without it. Order “El Especial de la Casa” if you want a Galician twist. They add Spanish Hams and Salami to this local original sandwich.
Other traditional Cuban/Spanish dishes I really love here are “el Caldo Gallego” and the “Tamal en Casuela”. Caldo Gallego is a traditional Cuban soup with origins in northwest Spain. This is one of my favorite soups and they are the authority on authenticity for this dish. Ham, White Kidney Beans and Chorizo make this a soup a meal in itself or a great side (cup size) to any sandwich. The staff is quick, professional and courteous. The prices are great. You can pay $10-$12 for a sandwich in the city and not even get half the quality and taste you are getting here for about half that price!
Eat Cuban in Jersey:
La Pola Restaurant
5400 Palisade Ave West New York, NJ 07093
201-867-6028
I grew up on eating at Latin American in Coral Gables. There’s only one thing you came here for and that’s the Cuban Sandwich. The Cuban Sandwich is Swiss cheese, Ham, Roasted Pork slices and pickles on Cuban bread which is then toasted on a sandwich press (plancha for you Cubans out there). Some folks add a little mustard which is OK but mayonnaise is a big time No-No.
The original location on 29th and Coral Way shut down due to a Hurricane ravaging the property years ago but they’re back. The sign outside says over 180 million sandwiches sold (hmmm….). That total is going to continue to grow as long as they continue serving this delicious sandwich. This is the one that started the Cuban Sandwich revolution in Miami and if you haven’t had one, it’s about time you did.
“El Original” Latin American
1590 SW 22nd St, Miami, FL
305-860-5707
Smokey Bones – Plantation, Florida
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After my first failed attempt to eat here ended in Chili’s , it felt great to show up and be able to grab a bite. Someone I work with attempted to convince me the Smokehouse Burger at Smokey Bones was the best burger they’ve ever had, more on that later. We walk in and this place is empty, it’s also about 4 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. After looking over the menu we decide to order 1) Smoke & Fire Sampler: Hickory Smoked then grilled-seared St. Louis Ribs,
Buff-aque Wings& Mini Pulled Pork Sandwiches 2) Crowd Pleaser : Seared Spuds, Flippin’ Fingers and Smoke Rings (onion rings served with a sweet honey mustard) 
and 3) Mo’ Better Bread ( corn bread w/honey pecan butter). 
So let’s make this simple, since there’s a lot to review. Hickory smoked St. Louis Ribs (were fall off the bone), Mini Pulled Pork Sandwiches (moist and tasty) and the Flippin’ Fingers (again moist and tasty chicken strips) were really good. The Buff-aque Wings (a mix of buffalo and bbq sauces with average wings), Seared Spuds (thin potato skins with cheese and bacon) and Smoke Rings (the honey mustard was really good) were OK, nothing out of the ordinary here. Actually the best starter we had was the cornbread. It was served warm and with the honey pecan butter it tasted like fresh pancakes and I don’t even like pancakes, go figure. We also ordered the Pulled Pork Cuban and the Smokehouse Burger. If I ever come back to Smokey Bones I would get the Pulled Pork Cuban again.
It’s a pressed sandwich with pulled pork, swiss cheeese and mayo, not better than an actual Cuban sandwich though. The fries were good too. The Smokehouse Burger, after the hype was just a been there, done that to me. 
Good Burgers with a BBQ sauce, onion straws, cheddar cheese and bacon are a dime a dozen (they’re a dime a dozen to me at least). Actually, the Gables Diner version of this same burger is way better. The mashed potatos were nothing special. My suggestion, if you come here stick to the pork products and corn bread.
Smokey Bones
809 S University Drive, Plantation, FL
954-474-3833
