Paladar Cafe Cubano

329 Kearny St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108

One of my favorite lunch stops is Paladar Cafe Cubano, 2 blocks from my office in the Financial District (and next door neighbors to my dad's restaurant). We are friendly with the owners Vicki and Rita, two of the nicest restaurant owners I have ever met. They love what they do and have such passion for their food that it shows in the quality and presentation. The cafe is small but they make the best of their space and function as a full service restaurant (difficult to do in this area of SF because most eateries can only fit a few tables).

One of my favorite dishes there is the ensalada de la casa (mixed greens with veggies) and add grilled steak. The meat is marinaded perfectly, it's so delicious. The salad has a light tasting lemon-shallotvinagerette dressing that is very refreshing and compliments the meat wonderfully. You also have the option to add chicken or shrimp as well as steak to any salad on the menu. I'm also a fan of the shrimp and sometimes order it on the 5 greens salad which has arugula, watercress, avocado & cucumber with mint vinaigrette dressing.

The cubano sandwich is probably one of their most popular lunch items which has Niman roast pork, ham, swiss, pickles, mayo & mustard and is served warm with a small mixed greens salad on the side. I love getting some of their homemade chipotle aioli to dip my sandwich in, gives it a little kick of spice! If you're in the mood for a treat as a side to that sandwich, then I recommend adding the fried yuca (listed on the menu as an appetizer) which is served with the chipotle aioli for dipping. The fried yuca has a similar consistency to a french fry, crispy outside, soft and potato-like (but sweeter) inside.


Fried Yuca