The 2 Cuban Sandwich Styles You Must Order When You're In Miami

Cuban cuisine in Miami might just be as bustling as its nightlife. And at the forefront is Cuban sandwiches — or Cubanos — which are an essential experience in the city; your trip to Miami might as well be incomplete without trying them. If you want to taste the city's finest, make sure to get these two Cuban sandwich styles: medianoche and pan con bistec. Fortunately, there are plenty of must-try Miami sandwich shops to run to when you're craving a Cuban, so the city is your oyster. Locals say the best medianoche can be found in spots like Sanguich, while a top tier pan con bistec is expected from a place like Enriquetas and Mary's Cafe & Coin Laundry.

A perfect Cuban sandwich, especially one that's a purebred classic, is typically an amalgamation of ingredients to create a savory mouthful nestled in pressed Cuban bread, including pork butt and Cuban sweet ham for the meaty touch. Consequently, exciting flavor boosters — like mustard, pickles, and Swiss cheese — are added into the mix. While the two must-try sandwich styles deviate from the classic handheld feast in their own way, their exciting nuances put them on the map. Medianoche is characterized by its sweet bread, while pan con bistec is basically a sandwich filled with thinly sliced beef. Both interpretations have their own distinct quality, but their differences show why both of them are worth a bite when you're in Miami.

Medianoche is almost a duplicate of the Cuban sandwich that we know and love, sans the Cuban bread. Instead, an egg dough roll, which has a delicate texture and a slight hint of sweetness, keeps the fillings together to create a satisfying contrast with the other ingredients. Meanwhile, pan con bistec is much more complex, and plenty of restaurants have its own versions. But its soul lies in six ingredients: steak, onions, potato sticks, ketchup, and mayo, all of which are beautifully stuffed in pressed Cuban bread. Places like Mary's Cafe & Coin Laundry offer the classic look of the sandwich, while Chug's Diner features a shredded short rib with a satisfying crunch. Other restaurants have malanga sticks instead of potato, while some offer buttered bread. So, if you're looking for something unexpected, especially one of the hands-down best Cuban sandwiches in the U.S., you're really going to enjoy exploring different kinds of pan con bistec.

Beyond the top two styles, there are a multitude of other exciting interpretations of the Cuban sandwich that make it even more fun in Miami. There's pan con lechon, which is all about roast pork, and galetta preparada, which uses Cuban crackers to combine everything together. Sampling all kinds of Cubanos in the city will take your taste buds on a whirlwind, and perhaps, that's the beauty of it. It mirrors the city's diversity, unfolding its uniqueness one bite at a time.