We came in for breakfast on a Saturday morning and it wasn't too busy. We ordered two sandwiches, tostones and a colada. I liked the Yesenia sandwich with egg. It was a simple sandwich with egg, veggies, and frites but ask for the green dipping sauce on the side. It brought everything to another level! The tostones weren't too crispy but they had a good gravy on them. I loved the colada, very strong! read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem for Cuban food, especially the Media-noche on that particular type of bread (IYKYK) and their bread w/butter. Located in a predominant Mexican neighborhood, it's nice to have this type of cuisine available. The last time I tried their jibarito, I wasn't too impressed with the texture of the platano...should have been crispy and garlicky, but instead I found it a bit bland & soft. Their cafe con leche is good too. The inside is cute and welcoming for dine-in, but also offers take-out orders...which is nice because they open very early if I want a breakfast sandwich on the way to work! read more

Excellent food at this spot. Empanadas are tasty and a nice variety. Chilaquilas are some of the best I've ever had.

The food is amazing! The empanadas! The jiboritos! We will definitely order from here again and soon.

This is a good go to every once in a while. The sandwiches are huge especially if you order the double. Example: media noche doble and Cubano doble. I've tried the croquets and other appetizers. The salsa verde is different but not bad at all. Not a big fan of their jibaritos. Service is friendly. Small dining room so therefore the server is attentive. read more

Don't know if it was bcuz I came in while the owner and a staff member were having their lunch or because they were about to close (next hr.) etc. I definitely didn't feel welcomed. No one didn't get up nor said hello, until I spoke. Made a trip only to try the Cafe con leche, which was a bit too milky. Sandwich Cubano was tender and seasoned good, but unevenly made & needed more ham. Would've came back to try their ice cream if the service had been better. read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Cuban Sandwich - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I was looking for some quick food in BotY and stumbled upon this place. Great food, great selection, great service. Definitely want to come back. I tried a platillo and the portion was huge! Also tried the ham fritters and the empanadas, also excellent. read more

Really good Cuban Sandwich. They use (Mexican) Carnitas instead of the traditional Pork Shoulder that gives it a unique, distinctive--but good--flavor. Highly Recommended. read more

I really liked the place in the people who run it. I had the best cortadito I think I have ever had. It was delicious. I had arroz con gandules that was fantastic. I ordered a Cuban sandwich, which is was the only downfall. I expected to be a true Cuban sandwich but the guy at the counter told me they use mayonnaise instead of mustard cuz most people prefer the the Mayo. So a true Cuban sandwich is ham, swiss cheese pickles and yellow mustard with roast pork which is actually the key ingredient. The roast pork is marinated first in bitter or sour Orange with other herbs and it's called Mojo. Without the Mojo you don't have a Cuban. The roast pork that use I believe might just be regular Mexican carnitas which is what it tasted like. So would have been 5 stars but I thought the Cuban kind of lacked the taste of a Cuban. I would still recommend checking them out but I would probably try the empanadas or ham and cheese sandwich. read more

See all

super cheap, friendly and tasty food! Here's the rundown: Cafe con leche: LOVE LOVE LOVE (I asked for less sugar) Tostones (fried plantains with garlic): very good. 6 large fried pieces that were crispy outside and chewy soft inside. Eat with the mango sauce! Cuban sandwich: okay. I like the bread and how they press it so it's crispy, but the meat inside was a bit dry. Chicken empanada: not good, very dry shredded chicken, no sauce. Veggie/Cheese empanada: good! creamy gooey cheesy with green veggies. Steak/Egg sandwich: okay. meat was kind of off. Will be back! :) read more

Excellent Cuban place. Very nice staff and great family business. Food is authentic. Would certainly come back

I had the lechon plate and it was pretty good. I wish it were more mosit but for the price can't complain. Itgood cuban food without the expensive Northside prices. read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Roast pork with arroz con gandules Nd plátanos maduros - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Steak Sandwich? FIRE. I definitely categorized this restaurant as a hole in the wall. A restaurant you would drive by and not even notice it. I'm so glad that we noticed it! (yelped it lol) Parking: limited free street parking Upon arrival, the restaurant was pretty empty. We self sat and was then greeted with menus. The service was good, but the food was even better. The food: we ordered a side of arroz con gandules, a Cuban, and a double steak with cheese sandwich. I've never had a Cuban before this, so I can't differentiate this specific one from another place, but it was a good sandwich. The star of the show was definitely the steak sandwich. The flavor was amazing and the bread was toasted to perfection. What made everything even better than it already was? THE SAUCE. Not sure exactly what it was, but if I had to guess - avocado and salsa verde, something like that. It was perfect and had the right amount of spice level to it. It paired so well with both sandwiches. For the price, these sandwiches were a steal! We came back a few days later with some friends and they liked it as well. Then the week after, we came back again. This is definitely my new go-to spot for a steak sandwich. AH-MAZ-ING. (So sad I didn't save my pictures via snap ) read more

Food is phenomenal, I try out different things each time. I love the beef, and shredded beef empanadas. Try out the breaded chicken sandwich, and the rice! The service is quick, everyone inside the business is moving. The inside of the restaurant is like an old school ambiance, it has a huge window in front that lets in tons of light so you can enjoy the morning with coffee and sick food. You won't feel nasty after eating either trust me it's worth it. Shoutout back of the yards, wish I had a pic but I'm going to go pick up some food soon so read more

I love this place very friendly and the food has always been good and I'm a fan of Cuban coffee well worth the trip I make from Rosemont To the south side read more

Not bad. I've been here a couple of times now, because I work across the street. The prices are alright, probs about $10 for a sandwich and can of soda. The sandwiches are pretty good, but I probably wouldn't write home about them. Last I went, I ordered a Cubano, but it had maybe two circular slices of pickle, which was disappointing, and pretty much no mustard. Other than that, they have great cafe con leche, $2 or less depending on size. read more

Cafeteria Yesenia totally caught me off guard. I'm new to the neighborhood and am sampling as many area restaurants as I can. When I pulled up, I thought it was going to be a small, cramped storefront based on the exterior- au contraire! Passing through double doors, the place then opens up into a funky, hip spot replete with vaulted ceilings and even an upstairs. The service is prompt and friendly, but the food has kept me coming back. I've sampled several sandwiches and contend the steak is the best. The Cuban is excellent too, but I think it could use more pickles (my only knock on the place). Also, the fries are outstanding - generous portion too. Empenadas are first rate. Prices are super reasonable. Check it out! read more

An oasis Last Sunday morning was driving through this hood and wanted to have some breakfast. And even tough this is a cool hood, the more options the better. I had heard about this place that had recently open and decided to check it out. We park in front and from the outside the building looks normal, but once inside it is a pretty cool place, simple but very well decorated. Few tables and even some small lounging chairs and coffee table. We proceed to the counter and check out the menu. I tasted the Cuban, media noche and ham-egg-cheese sandwiches. All of them were good and the bread was perfectly toasted with good fillings inside. Not a huge coffee drinker here but my friends is and I had a couple of sips from his coffee and it was freshly ground and super flavorful. I had a hot cocoa and it was perfect. They have other drinks and sandwiches that I am looking forward to try next time I come here. The service was great, literally. Owners came by a couple of times to check on us and make sure everything was perfect and even went out of their way to provide my table with hot peppers, yes hot peppers there is no complete meal without hot peppers LOL. Cafeteria Yesenia, oasis in the middle of a desert of options read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Surprised by the food because of the neighborhood! It was fast and although I ordered carry out, the service was great. The señora that gave me my order was very lovely. I will be ordering again! read more

Found this location tucked away on Yelp when I was looking to find croquettes on the Southside of Chicago. The food is amazing, the service is great and this has become a staple out south read more

Friggin AWESOME. The food and service were top notch. Great people, great Cuban food and a super cute place!! We live far north but were at US Cellular for a race. If you are in the area, it's a great little place -just a few miles from the stadium!! read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Plato de Yesenia - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This was my first time trying Cuban food and I walked away wondering why I hadn't tried Cuban food sooner. I came in here on a Sunday afternoon with my friend and we split a jibarito and Cuban sandwich. The portions are huge!! I was nervous about the plantains because I wasn't sure id like them but they ended up being quite a good complement to the meat and veggies that were in the sandwich. They're so generous with their meat serving and the pork in my jibarito wasn't dry at all. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh and the sauce wasn't overly potent! Half of a jibarito left me feeling very full so I had that for lunch and saved half of my Cuban sandwich for dinner. The bread on the Cuban sandwich was just great, crispy and delicious. I can definitely see myself coming back and high recommendations for authentic and affordable Cuban food! read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Jibarito - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Found this place by mistake and it turned out to be anything but that. The steak sandwich was amazing and the coffee was something I could drink all day. The server had to be a part of the family who owned the place. He was the only one there but managed to take care of everyone and even cook. read more

One of my favorite spots to come to great service great food fair prices no complaints this is my go to spot

Great food, great service... CAFETERIA YESENIA is one of the simple pleasures of life. read more

See all

I've been meaning to try out Cafe Yesenia and ordered takeout for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean, festive decor once I entered Cafe Yesenia. It seemed to be family owned. A lot of the menu is in spanish but with english subtitles. I took a shot in the dark and ordered beef with onions, aka bistec encebollado. It came with really good yellow rice and fried plantains. The start of the dish was this super yummy creamy green mild sauce that I poured over everything. The onions were good too, and the portions were decent. However, I didn't think the beef was very good-- it was gamey and kind of tough. The lunch ran me $12, and I don't think I would get the beef again. Definitely open to trying more on the menu. read more

Cafeteria Yesenia - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

La comida está muy deliciosa! empanadas de ropa vieja con la salsa verde! También la gente que trabaja allí son muy amables!

This place is so awesome. I'm rarely in the neighborhood, but what a treat. Super friendly employees and you know it's good when it's packed mid day on a Tuesday. The food itself was simply awesome. I had the steak sandwich, which melted in my mouth and was bursting with flavor. The price was great and there were so many other items I wanted to try. Go here! read more

I liked it here. A great place to just sit and relax for a while. Cafe Con Leche - I don't usually drink hot coffees, but it was good. Cuban Sandwich - My guy got this and we both weren't a big fan of it. Steak Sandwich - I thought the seasoning on this was great, but wished the bread wasn't as hard. I'm not familiar with Cuban food, but would definitely come back to try the empanadas and jibaritos. read more

See all

Kind staff and wonderful food. I've been coming here ever since I was around 5 years old and nothing has changed. Wonderful service as always . Highly recommended to eat here and to bring your family here! read more

I was checking my yelp reviews and came across this little place. I was on the southside so I thought I'd check it out. Glad I did his french fries are to die for excellent The best I've ever had. Everything else I had was great but I cannot stop thinking about those fries the best I've ever had. read more

My coworkers and I were in the mood for some good Caribbean cuisine, but didn't want to travel to far to get it haha. I had been here before, and I wasn't too impressed with the food, but I figured I would give it a try. So I gather all of the orders and head on over to pick up the food. I arrive at the restaurant let them know I'm there for pick-up, and everything was ready! Paying for the food was super easy and painless, so I grabbed the food and was on my way. So I get back to work and am eager to try the food again. The first time I had ordered, I tried the lechon jibarito and was pretty underwhelmed. The meat lacked flavor and was a little dry, and the plantains were burned. This time I ordered the chicken breast and it looked much better! The order also came with Yica Frita and arroz con gandules. So as I begin eating, I sample everything, and it was definitely better than the jibarito I had tried before. The vegetables on top of the chicken had great flavor and definitely added to the experience. The yuca was fried nicely, but had some hard chunks(super strange, but I think they were the veins of the yuca), the arroz con gandules was also mushy which gives me the idea that they either stirred the rice too much or added to much water. The flavor of the rice was decent, but nothing amazing. My coworkers let me try some of their empanadas and they were really good! I also convinced another coworker to let me try the lechon, and it was just how I remembered...dry and lacking flavor. My dish was good, but I wouldn't say it was anything that I would hurry back to order again. The empanadas were definitely my favorite part of the meal, and I would recommend them! Otherwise I say take a taste and give it your own opinion! read more

See all

Never have I ever eaten a Cuban sandwich!!! Not to mention empenadas and papa relleno are all homemade...at least they taste like it. food: chicken empenada 3, beef empenada 5, spinach 4, Cuban 5, steak 4, papa relleno 3, plantains 5 service: 5 ambience: 3 cleanliness: 3 read more

Looking at the other reviews here I was quite pissed that someone else got to congratulate the place for its great pricing and quite scrumptious food options. So, great reviews are totally fitting for this place where lunch can run you 12 m'f'n bucks. Where the hell can you get non highly processed home made coffee, sandwiches, and desserts that don't cost your left gonad? And on the South Side? Hmmm.... no brainer: this place. Being a native of the South Side I have resented the Yelp-er and usual transplant belief that anything of cultural value and good taste resides on the North Side. This place is an oasis amongst fast food joints (i.e. DD and MCD's are a block away) on the fringe of the old stockyard industrial sector where the local lardery emits some quite nasty fumes on hot summer days (yeah, that sucks, Back of the Yards). Parking is available on the side of the building on a gravel lot -- probably waiting for some other development to swipe it. There's also Ashland, but that is limited. Place is family run. The service is quite friendly and helpful. The coffee is great. Espresso and cafe con leche for under $2? Hook me up please. I got wired and jittery on just little cup of the former. Great taste, bitter and strong. The only thing is that speed is an issue. If you're in an absolute rush it might help to call in a larger order. Drinks come fast, but the sandwiches take a few minutes. So, is that really a deal breaker? Hardly. The sandwiches are quite well seasoned and fresh. The steak is marinated and well cooked. It could be trimmed of the little globules of fat for those who have a hard time dealing with that kind of thing, but frankly if you're expecting health food you can order the veggie empanada which is pretty damn good. If you feel like you need to sneak in some Irish Creme, don't you can just bring your own bottle of anything -- It's BYOB. Enjoyed studying (they have WIFI) and sitting around this place with its great seating, not the biggest place, but it definitely deserves a shot if you're in the area and want to avoid fried crap and the high fructose corn syrup diet that is the bane of much of the South Side. Come here and give it your business so I have a good place to study and munch of goodies, dammit! read more

I am from out of town working just a few blocks from this place. I would've never known that this place existed if it wasn't for a couple guys on the crew that I am working with mentioned it to me one day. Now I go here for lunch almost daily. I always get the steak sandwich because its delicious, and have recently discovered their amazing french fries - so, so good. They give you a ton, too. Not sure what the sauce is that they give you with the sandwiches, but I would love to have some of it in my own fridge. It's unappealing from the outside and the "parking lot" is rough, but don't let it fool you. The cook is very nice and always has a smile on his face, as does the waitress. I wish they'd serve the food on a plate instead of a basket because the sandwiches take up the whole thing and don't leave any space for sauce / ketchup until you finish half of your sandwich. read more

I ordered the double steak sandwich and café con leche. We also shared an order of Yesenia Fries. The food is delicious!!!!

Love this place, the cafe con leche is so good and all the sandwiches are delicious. It's a nice place to come and have your coffee and sandwich and chill.They have free wi-fi just ask for the password... read more

See all

If you're looking for Cuban food this is the perfect place! They're Cuban sandwiches are so delicious and don't even get me started in the green salsa they grabe. My boyfriend and I always order extra sauce on the side, it's just that good! I love getting the steak jibaritos there and fries. My mouth is watering as we speak! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! My boyfriend and I had a steak jibarito and a steak, egg, and cheese sandwich. Both were amazing! The jibarito is as legitimate as it gets. The plantains are seasoned perfectly with just the right amount of garlic, not greasy at all. They did not skimp out on the steak, egg, and cheese sandwich either. It was a very hearty size. Great cafe con leche and homemade salsa too. The staff was lovely and attentive. Free wifi. Lots of ppl coming in to pick up their carry out orders. We're making it our spot! read more

I must say this place is darn good! I've been meaning to check this place out but since they close kind of early (5pm) wasn't able to. Finally made my way today and it was worth the wait!! I had the steak sandwich and was pretty meaty and good in size for the price. Yum!!! The cafe con leche was awesome, just the way I like it. I will be back to try the rest of their menu. Woohoo read more