Cheesesteak isn't all from Philadelphia

How about a Cuban version?

Chicago’s not entirely known for its cheesesteak sandwiches (well, we have a few spots, but that’s for another day). We’ll let a whole other city handle that.

But we do have some pretty wonderful sandwich shops here.

That includes Bia's Café Marianao, which is a small Cuban cafe near Milwaukee and Addison by Carl Schurz High School.

There’s another location, #2, straight west by Addison and Narragansett. Its menu is pretty simple and limited to coffee drinks, empanadas, sandwiches, and milkshakes. Most of you know that a simple and tight menu means that what’s on it tends to be pretty good, right?

We live relatively close to Bia’s, but I hadn’t been until I heard about it from my friend Titus, who had written about it for Chicago Magazine. He’d put it on a top 10 list of sandwiches in Chicago, so I figured I had to visit.

Titus also has a blog called Smokin’ Chokin’ and Chowin’ With the King, and he may be the most well-informed food person I’ve ever met. Do yourselves a favor and read his blog or follow him on Instagram.

What you really want at Bia's is the steak sandwich with cheese ($8 for a single, $10 for a double).

It’s a simple concoction comprised of thin grilled steak with marinated onions, tomatoes, white processed cheese, all on a pressed and toasted Cuban roll. I’m used to steak this thin being pretty dry after it’s been cooked, but dear God, is this stuff juicy.

Normally I’m a fan of some sort of condiment or spread on a sandwich, but in this case, it’s absolutely unnecessary, which is a marvel. The photo above isn’t particularly doing it justice, as that sandwich was absolutely dripping as I ate it.

Speaking of, the photo above also represents a double steak sandwich. I was particularly hungry that day for some reason, so it just sounded better when I asked for it at the counter (usually I just order stuff as it normally comes, but this was a rare exception). I think that this might actually be the way to go, since I just could not get enough of that meat. Modest eaters might feel differently; I think the pic should give you a good idea of what to expect.

I also ordered a medianoche (which means “midnight” in Spanish).

A medianoche is essentially a regular Cuban sandwich with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, all on a special egg bread, hence its yellowish color and slight sweetness. They’re a fun variation on the original with a slightly different vibe to them.

The medianoche is a great runner up option, though the meat isn’t quite as juicy as the steak. But that’s nitpicking. You really can’t go wrong with multiple types of pork accented with the bright flavor of yellow mustard and pickles, along with the stretchiness of melted Swiss. It all depends on your mood right that very second.

Between the two, I’d say the double steak sandwich with cheese is the way to go, unless you’re not particularly in the mood for beef. Live your life to the fullest, get both, what the hell (like I did). If you’ve been and grabbed any of their other items, let me know what you think down below, and if you’ve got any tips on other cool stuff on the menu for others to check out. If you haven’t been, you better change that right this instant.

Oh yeah, and it’s breakfast thru lunch most of the time. Which is probably something you should know.

Bia's Café Marianao
4323 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 993-0178

Sunday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Bia's Café Marianao #2
6401 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 657-3128

Monday - Saturday: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Next week’s is for paid subscribers, so don’t forget to subscribe right this second! It’s about some favorite convenience food of ours that we pick up in an unexpected location.

Thanks for reading, everyone. There’s a lot more good stuff coming your way.