The food was great but this was up there with the lousiest service I've ever received. I grew up in Tampa and have been looking for a proper Cuban sandwich (with actual cuban bread) for a few years now. The food was great, the roasted pork was deliciois and the pressed cuban bread was just like I remember it. I'll give the cuban a 4.5 stars but the quality of service was so poor that it really took away from the experience. First, even though there was only one other party dining, I had to go to the bar after 5 minutes of sitting down just to ask again for the water I ordered when I was seated. I had to flag down my server for my next two refills, and was never even offered a refill. This simple fact reflects an abysmal level of attention to customer care. Also I asked if I could have yellow rice w black beans instead of the white rice w black beans item. He said yes of course but instead i was brought an order of yellow rice and a separate order of black bean soup and was charged for both. Hopefully you have a better experience than I did because the food is legit. read more

Cafe Con Leche - Cuban sandwich w yellow rice and black bean soup - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Cuban-fantastic-in-your-mouth goodness. Do I have any complaints? I want more food! (Does that count?) Random on a whim lunch outing with the bossman and another co worker. We had already tried Pesos many moons ago and by the time we decided to go to lunch, we were already betting that Pesos was sold out of their drool inducing sandwiches. Onward to Cafe Con Leche... Ambiance: So one half of Cafe Con Leche is the restaurant and the other half doubles as a club at night (called Club Sur). This restaurant is definitely well lit and has plenty of tables and space for a good amount of people for lunch. When we arrived, there were a good number of tables open but within 30 minutes, the place had filled up. Clean and inviting with plenty of space. Not too shabby :) Staff: Quick and attentive. We were seated quickly and water was served within 5 minutes. The waitress was quick to check on us and take our order. Water was always filled, we were checked on frequently and there was nothing to complain about. Selection: Lots to choose from.. all looking uber tasty. Different variety from the menu and all worth a good taste (or two..) And it was rather tasty I might add.. Seasoning was on point, food was nice and hot, awesome flavors. The sauce that my bistek came with (had tons of cilantro in it) was nomtastic (i actually am drooling thinking about it). Our tab was... Bistec de Palomilla with Moros y Maduros (me) Cafe con Leche (me) Ropa Vieja (Bossman) Sandwich Cubano (co corker) Price: Fair. I thought the price for everything that i ordered was pretty cheap and well worth it. Plates were not too small and they didn't skimp out so that is a plus. Overall: I would come back! I am glad to have found another Cuban place and one that i can find ample seating and parking! :) read more

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One of my favorite meals of all time is a Cuban sandwich - and this place executes it perfectly. The meat is so tender, and the pickles are so fresh, and the mustard isn't overwhelming. Not to mention, they make their own Cuban bread FRESH daily. My boyfriend also thoroughly enjoyed his Pan con Pollo. He said it was full of flavor, and not greasy at all. The service was prompt and courteous and I will DEFINITELY come back. They even have dancing at night!! read more

Cafe Con Leche - Cubano. Delicious!! - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My friend and I went to lunch at Cafe Con Leche and I was excited to try it. I like the space, although it's a strange location. The staff was very friendly and that's always a big plus in my book. The tostones were spot on. I always eat them wherever I go - something about the salty, starchy texture that makes me want more and I can't figure out why. The rice and beans were cooked well but could use more seasoning. The steak was also cooked well but was wanting in terms of flavor. The plantains were excellent - cooked well, perfect texture, and subtle flavors. The chicken empanadas were the star of the show. Fried to a golden crisp, crunchy on the outside and full of goodness on the inside. I'm not a big fan of olives but the combination worked well, with the chicken and other ingredients melding perfectly. I think I'll have to go back again to try a sandwich. Although the food didn't blow my mind, it's definitely worth another shot. read more

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I tried items other than sandwiches this time. The stew was great, hearty, flavorful with the squeeze of lime wedges, and the yucca in there was like a chewy potato which I loved. The other plate was pork with rice & black beans + sweet plantains. Plenty of tender pork filled me up. I like the cheerful interior, but I would've liked for the ceiling fans to be turned off on a gray, chilly day. read more

What a fantastic place!! I have been wanting to try it for awhile and I finally got the chance this week. From the moment I walked in the door the staff was friendly and very helpful. The restaurant is very open with fun décor to make it inviting and a comfortable place to sit down in. I went with a friend who ordered the chicken plate (which looked amazing) and I got the Cubano with sweet bread. We also got empanadas. I am a huge fan!! The empanadas were fantastic and the Cubano was amazing. It was loaded with ham and pork and had the perfect amount of crispness to the bread. You can taste every layer of the sandwich. I was told the chicken plate (I forget the actual name) was very good also. I can not wait to go back and try another dish!! read more

Cafe Con Leche - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is the closest authentic cuban food you're going to get around Seattle. Paseo, Un bien, and other places are cuban fusion food. But Cafe Con Leche tries to stay true and authentic. I may not be cuban but growing up in Miami, I was surrounded by amazing authentic cuban cuisine. The rice and beans here are pretty close to being the real deal, so is the palomilla steak and empanizado (highly recommend the two). Also the croquettas aren't too bad, worth trying or having every now and then. I really wish they offered complimentary toasted cuban bread like they do at all the cuban places in Miami. Note that you can ask for butter toasted bread, but they'll charge you ($2). All in all, if you're craving cuban food, this is the place to go for your fix. If you want to try "close to" authentic stuff, then go here and not the other cuban sandwich places. Service is slow here so don't expect to be in and out quickly. read more

I have been eating this food my whole life, and yes it is good! Best Cuban Restaurant un town! Already had the "Ropa Vieja", "Cubano Sandwich", The Churrasco Stake and the Palomilla Stake plates. All of them great! Today was my Ropa Vieja! Just like at home back in Cuba! read more

Cafe Con Leche - The Ropa Vieja Plate! - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Fresh food great Cubanos, somewhat watery Mojitos can be deafening when heavy metal bands practicing - can they wait till restaurant closes and dance floor opens? read more

I have been looking for some good cuban food since moving to the PNW from Tampa, 5 years in no luck, Cafe Con Leche hit every mark! The Cafe Con Leche was excellent, the empanandas were also very good, my Cubano(pressed sandwich with pork, ham, and swiss cheese) was amazing. We had several other things on the menu and it was all very good. The service was great, the restaurant was fairly empty, but several people stopped in for take-out , the server I kind of assume is an owner, was delightful, friendly and gracious. Ambiance, the world cup was playing in the club part of the building and the customers back there seemed to be having a heck of a good time! Maybe not first date ambiance, but clean and comfortable. We will definitely be back any time we are in seattle. read more

I was a complete fluke we had to go to So Do district. I had a taste for something but didn't know what that something was. Ended stopping in the Cafe Con Leche. So very happy we did! I really liked the place and the sandwich we settled on we fantastic. Tender and lots of meat. We will visit again. read more

The food has always been excellent here. Now that they are open late Friday and open on Saturdays makes them much easier to enjoy! The tostones are always crispy and delicious...add Pedro's green sauce to EVERYTHING because it's that good! The pork is super tasty, and the flan was an excellent finish to a great meal. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for some awesome Cuban food. read more

Love this place! One of the few restaurants that remind me of home... L.A.! We've gotten the Puerco Asado multiple times and Pan con Lechon once. We'll be going back more often now that they are open on Saturdays! read more

I told my (Cuban American) friend that I needed to do some Spanish language stuff for my Intermediate Spanish class and did she have any Cuban restaurants to recommend? So she took me here to Café con Leche! The food was delicious - I'm not a big meat eater but I tried a bite of her ropa vieja and holy cow (no pun intended), I am getting this next time. Delicioso!! I got the camarones- so good, as was the rice and beans. The staff is SO friendly. My friend immediately announced to them that I was practicing Spanish so they should only speak to me in Spanish. We were joking around about but indeed, the guy who seated us also informed our waitress and this may sound silly but I LOVED that they did this. I always feel self conscious speaking Spanish to people in restaurants (I don't know why, I just do) and I loved that they spoke naturally to me and were joking around and were so warm and welcoming. Great food is good but great food + a fun experience is even better. I will go back for sure!! read more

Decided to try something new that we had heard about before the football game. This place is very good. The service was very friendly from the time we walked in the door and then we mentioned splitting a couple of plates and they brought it out split. I saw someone with an awesome looking plate and asked what it was and they suggested ordering it. The pulled pork plate was delicious, served with rice and the best plantain I have ever had. Along with that we had the cuban sandwich which was great and had very good fries serve with it. read more

I usually don't like Cuban food that much, but this place may make me change my mind. I've been here twice and have gotten the pan con bistec (steak sandwich) and I think the Cubano sandwich (pulled pork). Both sandwiches come served with fries. I don't know what's up with their fries, but they're seasoned very well and they even have some of the slightly soggy fries that I like. DELICIOUS? Also, their signature alioli sauce (slightly green color) is amazing. Although it is true that you should probably bring some gum since it is pretty strong in garlic flavor. Service is so-so to okay. There is also a dance floor/club connected to the main dining area. read more

One of the best Cuban places I've eaten in WA for authenticity. The slow roasted pork with fresh onions, rice & beans and plantains hits the spot for comfort food every time. The service is spotty depending on how new your server is. There have been times they forgot my food entirely which they comped. Most of the less than stellar service is due to them being so busy. Give it a try and don go if you're on a tight timeline with less than an hour. read more

Cafe Con Leche - Slow roasted pork - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The only place in Seattle that knows how to make authentic maduros (sweet platains), tostones, and yuca frita!!!!!! I have been searching for years for a good read more

Coming from miami and being cuban i know my cuban food the congri and carne de puerco were very good so was the maduro y tostones my son had a pan con bistec and he loved it but my plate looked good and stole some of my food jaja my two cuban friend's also had the pork with congri and they were all happy got extra plate if rice.the staff was very nice and friendly and that sause of cilantro was so good will definitely be back when am in the area when i was leaving i noticed a band getting ready to play must be fun will have to check out the dance floor in the back next time read more

We ordered pan con pollo and the cubano sandwhich to go during COVID. We were in the mood for something savory and tasty ! This definitely satisfied our lunch appetite after flying in from CA that morning . When we received it was hot and packaged very neatly . The flavors in both sandwiches are different but both delicious ! read more

This place is amazing! I order from it all the time and the quality NEVER DROPS. This is the best Cuban food in Seattle takes you straight to Miami. I love the Puerco Asado and the tostones-the aioli that comes with it is amazing. Worth every penny and delivers great! read more

Moved here after nearly 30 years in Miami, and this is definitely the best place for a real Cuban sandwich, tostones, and maduros! My only complaint is that I don't understand why there isn't any mojo sauce for the tostones. Also, longer hours, guava pastries, mojo sauce, and this place is definitely a five star in my book. read more

Me and a friend decided to make the long drive there to try out the food. I must say it was very delicious and the service was outstanding. Definitely will make the drive again read more

I'm only sad I didn't know about this place earlier!! My new go to Cuban spot!! Went for lunch (still haven't figured out quite what's up with their dinner hours) and had the BEST meal!! Yummy rice & black beans perfectly seasoned and very moist not dry. Expert maduros (sweet plantains) - cooked to perfection! And a perfectly seasoned lime and garlicky strip steak expertly cooked! I cannot wait to go back!! Oh and beautiful atmosphere - loved the interior decorations. Felt like a nice restaurant but also someone's home. read more

This place has great Cuban food. We both tried the sandwiches, the Cuban and Pan Con Lechon. I couldn't decide between the two. The cuban had great flavor with the swiss cheese, ham and pickles. The Pan Con Lechon is sweet and salty Cuban roast pork with caramelized onions, garlic aioli and romaine on soft and crunchy french roll. The French fries were also fried perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. A great lunch spot, but the huge Bar, stage and dance floor looks like they have moor then just great food. My husband said he thought if he worked there he might weigh close to 300 pounds. I'm glad he dosn't work there but we'll be back for dinner. read more

Cafe Con Leche - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My friend and I were in the area and looking for some lunch, and we found this place. The food was awesome, the coffee was delicious, and the service was even better. Our waitress was so kind and took excellent care of us. I would highly recommend! read more

Great service. Quick turnaround for food. Beautiful and distinct flavors. Super yummy and will definitely be back!

Stopped by when in the area and ended up having a ropa Vieja lunch. Although the meat was cooked very well and seasoned excellently, the rest of the food was okay. We also ordered empanadas yuca and plantains and they could have been better but again okay for what it was. I guess this place is more of a nightclub than a lunch place but if you are wanting some Cuban food fix this place will definitely do. read more

It is always a treat to have lunch there. The service is super friendly and their bistek is awesome. The best part is the leftover, when I thought it was over and I get a little lingering taste of that amazing sauce the next day read more

This place made CW blissfully happy. If you know him that should be enough of a review. And if you don't...well. Ok, some more details then. While not as enthusiastic about this place as our local resident Miami-ite (Miami-an?) is, this was some damn tasty food. My only real experience with Cuban fare before this was stuff Chris would make for me, so it was nice to have an expanded menu and lots of porky options to choose from. Being a ham and pickle hater (*Gasp* I know, I know) I avoided the Cubano and Medianoche and just went for the Puerco Asado plate. Slow cooked, savory and delicious - the pork was amazing especially all mixed in with my black beans and rice. The fried plantains were awesome, tender, and only slightly sweet. We shared some empanadas which were way better than anything I can make myself (and I make a mean empanada -- ask Clover). The nibble I was forced to take of the medianoche was not an assault to my picky palette either. Service was friendly -- if not a little disjointed and slow. The food comes out fast, but everything after - from refills on coffee (which is great!) to getting your check can take a little extra time. The main people working here are from Havana and our server had a nice chat with Chris about the lack of latin cafeteria food in our area. Hours are mostly limited to lunch -- however this place is attached to Sur and they offer dinner and dancing lessons before their live shows. I have every intention of coming back for more food and a chance to show off my latin ballroom skills. read more

Café con Leche, but no cafecito? Shock! But, lack of espresso and side-orders of flaky buttered Cuban toast notwithstanding, I'm SO happy this is in Seattle. I enjoy some of our fusion-latino restaurants, but I long for the latin cafeteria food I grew up with in Miami and Tampa, Café con Leche does a great job at bringing it to Seattle. The Puerco Asado was richly slow-cooked and flavorful, the moros y maduros were as they should be, the empanadas were perfectly savory/crisp, and the chimichurri sauce that came with them was tart and fresh. My medianoche was also exactly as I'm used to. I haven't grabbed their drinks, but my Mojito-snob friends endorse their regular and ginger-mojitos. The restaurant's hours are lunchtime and hard to attend unless I take off work, however the kitchen is open for the attached nightclub Sur's later events (with a slightly varied menu, the staff says) so I'll come back for the dinner, dance lessons, and musical guests. The staff also does party/corporate catering, so be sure to take full advantage of that. The drip coffee was excellent, for what it's worth :) read more

Booooooo. I came with high expectations because I was a huge fan of Cafe con Leche's pre-cursor, Palador Cubano - a food truck on Greenwood Ave that closed down a while back. I practically had an aneurysm when I discovered this place was opening. On May 1, the "grand opening," I actually left work early in Tacoma to drive to Seattle so I could make it - only to discover the place was closed and the phone number on the sign was disconnected. After much online stalking, I finally found the hours of this place on its Facebook page - WTF? - went back during business hours ... Sadly, this was but a ghost of its former food truck glory. What I remembered from the truck was perfectly roasted, flavorful pork of the likes I had never tasted. Not here. I ordered the pan con lechon, and although the bread was buttered and toasted, the pork was dry and lacked seasoning. The one true carryover from the truck was the garlic aioli. Thanks to the aioli, my pan con lechon had some flavor, but it was just a regular sandwich, not legendary like I remembered. Other gripes that I hope management addresses: 1) The prices are way too high! $8.95 for a sandwich and plaintain chips is way too high unless you're in the middle of downtown and owned by Tom Douglas. Considering that an equally-sized banh mi in the international district costs $2.75, this sandwich should be in the $6.50 range. Our bill came to over $70 including tip for lunch for four. 2) The sandwich came wrapped and the side of plaintain chips came in a small bag - underwhelming. They should present the sandwich open and the chips sprinkled all around. 3) Drinks were $2.50 and came in tiny glasses that were only 3/4 way filled. My lemonade was definitely Minute Maid and not fresh-squeezed. Prices should drop to $1.50 a glass and should be filled all the way up. 4) The flan is horrible and shamefully small at $3.50 a plate. One other reviewer said it was the size of the top of a coke can - that's actually generous. It was more like the size of a silver dollar, and was the worst flan I've had in a long time. The price should go down to $2.00, and rather than sprinkling packaged coconut on top and sliced strawberries on the side, they should leave that stuff off and just make a better flan. 5) Don't run out of beans! I couldn't order the delicious congris I remembered because they were out of beans. And congris wasn't even on the menu. You have to order the rice and beans separately, and together they would be about $7 or $8 dollars! 6) "Service" is confusing. I don't understand why we had to order at the bar. Is it that hard to have table-side service? 7) They really need to post their hours prominently and have a working phone number. All that said, there were signs of hope. The plaintain chips were really good - hot and crisp and fresh - and delicious when dipped in their awesome aioli. The yuca fritas and maduros were as good as I remembered. For those reasons, I will keep coming back to see if they will eventually live up to my expectations. read more

I am a first generation Cuban born and raised in Miami. I grew up eating Cuban sandwiches and Cuban food. This place is legit in every way, go there PLEASE!! They need to do more business so that they can stay open later than just lunch. Stop eating the crap at Paseos and come here for a REAL Cuban food experience. If I were back in Miami and this place opened near my house, I'd go. That's the highest praise I can give them. It wouldn't be the best Cuban Sandwich/food in Miami, but it would be good enough that if they were close to my house I'd gladly go. read more

We had the pollo sandwich, the Cuban, and the shrimp po boy. I liked the Cuban and the shrimp a lot. The chicken sandwich was ok, I found the texture of the chicken to be a bit odd. Flavor is very good and the prices are reasonable (around $10 for a sandwich and fries). I liked the fries a lot. They are crispy and the sauce that comes with the fries is tasty. This reminds me of a place that would be in Florida, which is a plus. I would definitely like to return! read more

Best steak lunch around!!!!! Clearly a popular spot for lunch so expect to wait if you hit it during primetime, but that's no reason to hate on it. Just choose wisely. And when you walk the 3.1 miles to the bathroom through the giant secret back room where hand shakes and briefcases filled with white powder lurk, don't make eye contact with anyone sporting a neck tattoo and sunglasses sitting at a booth in the dark (NOT Corey Hart) by them self or you may not get a chance to pay your bill. Have fun!!! read more

I felt fairly welcomed when I came in here, it's got a good vibe, and atmosphere to it, it's an open, warm, and comfortable environment to be in, with a very friendly staff. The experience was enjoyable, although I felt VERY rushed. They were super fast with serving me my food, almost too fast, I kind of wished my sandwich was a little warmer. I think that the Cuban sandwich that I had would have been awesome had it had the long pickles on it, so that you get a pickle with almost every bite, that would have definitely been a winner for me, and I thought that it could use some more spice, but still overall, it was a really good sandwich. I ordered my husband food to go, and they didn't vent the box, so everything was soggy, especially the fries by the time that I got it to him, however it was still really good. I ordered him a shrimp sandwich, and the shrimp were PERFECTLY cooked. I think that I ate more from my husband sandwich that I did from mine, and I loved mine. They had this garlic sauce served with the fries, and Oh my goodness, that sauce I cound eat alone, it was so good. Parking was not too bad, and I didn't have to pay for parking, so that's always a plus. I'll be back for sure, I think this is a really good lunch spot. read more

I had a terrific lunch here last week. I ordered the Lechon sandwich and it was delicious. Lots of garlicky mayo, nice crisp romaine, tender and sweet roasted onions, succulent and juicy slow cooked pork, all on a wonderful soft roll (if this sounds familiar and a lot like another famous Seattle sandwich- keep reading). It came with a small side of fries and some extra garlicky mayo sauce. Service was prompt and hands off. When I needed water- it was there in a flash. Sandwiches are ~$9 each, there was street parking right out front. The Sandwich was very close to the famous Paseo sandwich- but smaller and not as sloppy. If you're a fan of Paseo- the Lechon sandwich at Cafe Con Leche is worth checking out. They have given their own spin- and it works really well. This is a great little lunch spot to check out if you have a craving for Cuban food or if you dig Paseo's famous sandwich and want to try someone else's spin on it. I enjoyed it very much. read more

By far the best Cuban food in Seattle! Trust me, ask for extra garlic sauce and double your empanada order. You can taste love in the Ropa Vieja. Yum! read more

Sooo yummy. Wish we had a restaurant like this in California. A favorite every time we vacation in Seattle.

My boyfriend and I got the roja vieja and the cubano sandwich and we took it to go. The cubano sandwich was soooo good. Best I've ever had. The pork inside was so flavorful and it came with this cilantro dip that made the sandwich even better. I wasn't a big fan of the ropa vieja but my boyfriend said it was good and the plantains were the only ones he's ever liked from a Cuban restaurant. We've even lived in FLorida so we've had alot of cuban food before and this place is too notch. lol. Scarfed it down so fast, i didnt even get any photos lol. Definitely 10 thumbs up! read more