When I think of Cuban food in NYC, the place that comes to mind is Havana Central in Times Square. I was lucky enough to attend a delicious event there in several years ago, and another even the following year. We discovered another Cuban spot called Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine. They have several locations, and we went to the Hell’s Kitchen location.
They had some outdoor seating around the eatery, but since this is more of a takeaway spot, not that many tables. Same can be said for their indoor seating. They had a handful of tables, which was nice for anyone who wants to have the food while they were hot and fresh.
Speaking of hot food, they had some already-made food on their trays. If you are looking for a quick pick up of something, this will be an easy way to get some.
We were there to get something specific, Cuban Sandwich ($10.49), Empanada ($3.19) , and Homemade Lemonade ($3.79). They have five different kinds/flavors of Empanada, and I went with something unusual (to me), Guava & Cheese. Homemade Lemonade was super fresh, not overly sweet which what I was afraid of with homemade lemonade. It was really nice!
The Cuban Sandwich ($10.49) is made with Roast Pork, Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, Mojito, Mayo & Mustard. It is a pretty good size, but not too big.
The ham was not cut all the way in the middle, so I had to tear it with hand before I could separate the sandwich. It had soft bread, gently holding the all the goodness in between. It was cheesy, and had a nice salty flavor from the meat and crunchy texture from pickles. It came with green sauce, has a really good kick to it, adding another layer of flavor to the otherwise more of a sweet sandwich. It gave a nice balance. The white sauce tasted a bit like a Ranch, which also went nicely with the sandwich. The sandwich was meaty and filling!
I didn’t know what to expect from Guava & Cheese Empanada ($3.19), but it was great! It was more of a dessert, so I had it after I finished with my sandwich. And I tell you, if you haven’t tried Guava and Cheese Empanada from Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine, you are missing out! It was sweet and creamy, really nice! The sweetness is a bit on the stronger side, but I still enjoyed it.
We had a very filling, quick lunch at very affordable price. We enjoyed both the sandwich and empanada. Oh, and yes, the lemonade was really good too! If you are looking for a quick but tasty Cuban food, head over to one of the Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine spots!
Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine @ Hell’s Kitchen – 947 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10019