You can get the fan-favorite Cubano sandwich from Potbelly's for a limited time

The Cubano is available now at Potbelly. But it won't be around forever.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(CHICAGO) The traditional Cuban sandwich is found mainly in South Florida, where it's made simply with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.

Like most regional sandwiches, the key to the Cuban sandwich is in the bread. According to Thrillist, a traditional Cuban sandwich needs to be made with "real Cuban bread and pressed with a plancha." A plancha is a sandwich press, similar to what you would use for a panini sandwich.

Potbelly offers up the Cubano

According to a press release from Chicago-based Potbelly Corporation, "The Cubano features hearty portions of hand-pulled roasted pork and smoked ham topped with Swiss cheese, brown deli mustard and sliced pickle, served Potbelly style, always oven toasted at 500 degrees. The sandwich is available now so get it before it's gone."

The question I had was, can Potbelly's pull off the Cubano without the "real" Cuban bread pressed into toasty caramelized deliciousness from the plancha?

Years ago, I had the fortune to try a traditional Cuban sandwich in a Cuban cafe in Miami. I can still remember the crisp outside of the white bread pressed onto the cheesy deliciousness of pork and ham. The sandwich was pressed so much so that the result was a very thin, but bursting with flavor, sandwich.

A traditional Cuban sandwich, similar to what I had in Miami (not from Potbelly)Photo by Averette/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons

My review of the Cubano

It was with anticipation that I ordered a Potbelly Cubano. I did not customize the sandwich but had it made the traditional way with roasted pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles.

Potbelly toasts their sandwiches at high heat, so my Cubano was lightly toasted enough to get the roll crispy and the cheese melted. Although the bread, of course, was not Cuban and the sandwich was not pressed, the flavors came together delightfully to remind me of the Cuban sandwich I had enjoyed in Miami.

The bite of the mustard went well with the pickles, and the meat was high quality with generous portions. Although the sandwich isn't exactly the same as what you find in Southern Florida, it's pretty close. If you'd like to try a Cuban sandwich, Potbelly's Cubano is worth a try. Get it while you still have the chance, as it's only around for a limited time.

Potbelly CubanoPhoto by author

Stay tuned for more new sandwiches

According to a statement from David Daniels, CMO of Potbelly, the Cubano is not the only new specialty sandwich that will be offered in 2022. "The first of several specialty sandwiches to be featured throughout 2022, our Cubano gives customers yet another option to explore across our already craveable sandwich lineup," said Daniels.

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