Carteles

Went here for brunch and ordered the Chickpea hash. The service couldn’t make up for the food. We waited forever for a server just to come to our table and greet us. I had to go to the host stand and ask for someone and still we waited! There’s much better Cuban food out there without a waitstaff that acts like they’ve sniffed too much glue.

One of my favorite spots in the EV, I discovered this place by accident while visiting its more famous upstairs neighbor, Cienfuegos. For starters, it’s incredibly cute inside, being about the size of someone’s bedroom and decorated with gorgeous blue tiles. The Cuba Libres were really excellent, too, but the showstopper is The Cristo, a cuban sandwich dipped in sweet egg (think french toast) batter and deep fried. Unbelievable. I’ll be back for more really soon.

One of the fine sandwich additions to the East Village. While you may be asked if you’re heading to Cienfuegos, you can wave off their delicious cocktails for once and enjoy a gluttonously enjoyable Cubano. The Cristo is their regular Cubano, but dipped in egg and deep fried. A bit greasy, but oh so worth it. The ham inside is cut thick and only if Christmas ham was this good.
Be sure to get some hot sauce with it. The tomato based sauce is not too spicy and is a great for dipping your fried plantains, which are a bit bland.
Their home made is iced tea is also a good compliment as a mild version of Southern sweet tea.

Came here because it got great buzz… definitely disappointed.
Waited over 30 minutes for a take-​out «Cuban Cristo»… after 20 minutes, we asked the girl up front, who assured us it was coming. When it came 15 minutes later, it was kind of soggy and lukewarm and didn’t even have much of the promised sweetness on the bread. And it was over $ 10 after tax… ugh. Girl up front said she would take care of us next time we came, but we don’t plan to return. To their credit, the plantain chips were good.
We went down the street to This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef where our sandwich was less than half the price ($ 4.50), came in ¹⁄₃₀ the time, and was twice as good.

I love the Pechuga sandwich with plantain chips — sooooo good.
Also love the atmosphere — everything is crazy clean, bright, cheerful. The décor is Havana in the 1950s, which is adorable and makes me really excited to visit Cuba once the travel ban is lifted (someday).
Every time I go here it is for dinner, and the same guy is always working the counter. He is friendly but not too pushy, knows when to chat us up or leave us to our own conversations. Just like the food and the décor, he is just right.

Great sandwiches, great prices, great service, great atmosphere. The bright interior can be a little overwhelming if having a hungover lunch, so luckily this is the kinda place where it would not be sketchy to rock sunglasses inside. Small interior, great for a casual two-​person lunch. My boyfriend now eats here all the time while I can only crave the plantains while away from NYC. I’m glad we checked this out for a random lunch.

My husband and I ran across Carteles one weekend afternoon when we had a hankering for something new and delicious. We both ordered cuban sandwiches with plaintain chips. Everything is homemade. The pork in the sandwich is slow roasted to perfection with a delicious garlicy spicy mustard and the salty crispy tang of pickle to offset the richness of the melted cheese. The plaintain chips are excellent. We have vowed to return, and return we will soon. Carteles is the name of an old Cuban magazine whose artistic covers adorn the walls by the way. Go! Enjoy! Muy rico. And check out the upstairs bar which should be open by now.

I love love love the décor of this place. The colors and textures are so inviting and warm.
There are about 10 seats — 6 along the bar and 4 along the wall. There is a window seat to wait for to-​go orders.
I thought the food was ok, but let me preface by saying I only tried the breakfast sandwich. It was an omelet with tons of cheese, bell peppers, and ham sandwiched in a fluffy bun. The side of freshly made plaintain chips were seasoned with spices and perfectly fried to a good crisp. My café cubano hit the spot.
Service was friendly, not too busy.

3.5 stars for the food, 4 stars for service, and 4 stars for price. i liked the simplicity of the menu — 5 sandwiches with your choice of plantain or potato chips. my friend and i got the cubano and the sloppy joe. both were good, but i’ve had better cuban sandwiches before. the place is quite small with counter space and stools only. the guy behind the counter was awesome and i think there was 1 cook there, so it took awhile to get our orders. however, it’s nice to know that they don’t make it till you order it!
the waiter recommended the special: tres leches dessert and it was the best thing that night. if they have it when you go, it’s DEFINITELY worth a try.

I’m quite particular about my Cuban sandwichs, and moreso, black bean soup. While these sandwiches are not traditionally Cuban, I do like how Carteles made it its own. What I really will rave on is their black bean soup. My abuela’s will always be number one (and everyone who has had the pleasure of having hers), but theirs can be a close second or third. The tres leche was truely amazing, and the reason I will be stopping by again and again.

I like sandwiches. I like Cuban sandwiches. This place has one of the best in NYC. The Swiss was melty, pickles sliced thinly, the mustard spicy, and the whole thing was pressed and toasted perfection. Sometimes Cubans are too salty, and you need to gulp down a glass of water for every other bite. Not this one. Everything blended together perfectly, and the plantain chips were a spicy little accompaniment. It didn’t take too long, either, but then again, my friend and I (and one other guy, already eating) were the only ones there.
This was a happy little refuge from a wet and gray day. Bright yellow and blue décor, Cuban music playing, good food – I couldn’t have asked for more. I left here with such a full belly that I didn’t need to eat dinner after having a sorta-​late lunch.
Will have to swing by sometime to try the coffee, holding back on 5 stars until I experience it myself. No fewer than 3 people came in for just coffee while I was there, so I imagine it must be pretty good.
Next time I want a Cuban I’m coming back.

Very disappointed.
Just had a Cuban sandwich with plantain chips.
This was not a real Cuban sandwich, my friends. The combination of flavors was wrong.
In addition, it’s mad expensive ($ 9+) — and small!
The plantain chips were mediocre at best.
Save your money and get a much better sandwich at Sophie’s!

===IF SNARKY V WROTE MY REVIEW AS AGENT DALE COOPER===
Diane, it’s a quarter past 10 tonight, Saturday, February the sixth. I spent the evening at a comedy show in the East Village, soaking up the neighborhood’s culture, and observing the locals. This area is filled with cafes, but one in particular caught my eye. It’s called «Carteles», and it is clearly a Cuban themed café. The bright tiles and lively music made me feel very much at home. I didn’t see if they had any pie on the menu, but I have to tell you, Diane– this was DAMN GOOD COFFEE! And strong! I have a feeling my dreams will be vivid tonight. Perhaps this coffee will lead me one more step in the direction of Bob.
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IF I WROTE THIS REVIEW MYSELF:
Holy shit!!! Exclamation points everywhere!!! This isn’t any MIAMI joint, but it’ll have to do the trick. I feel like I’m at my aunt’s house, the tiles and music make me feel like I’m cozying up with my family. And the Bustelo! Fuck yeah! Exclamation points!!! I wish I lived in the neighborhood so I could indulge in a Cuban breakfast (Café con leche and buttery, pressed Cuban toast) on my way to work. I don’t care if it’s unhealthy. I’ll do what I want!!! Exclamation points!!!
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Page Six
America Ferrera was spotted hangin’ with friends at Carteles @ Cienfuego, this past Saturday night. She unabashedly checked out future celeb Briana M.‘s lover man, Carlos Y. Was the latin flava too much for her to resist?

It was as frigid as a gym teacher inside this place for lunch, courtesy of a gaping hole beneath the entrance door. But don’t get me wrong, the décor is interesting, the sandwiches are tasty, and the plantain chips are dangerous. While I’ve also had a better cortadito, I won’t hold it against you Carteles — just bring the mustard and pickle ratio in the cubano up to specs. 3.5 stars, but we’ll round up.

I’m VERY happy this place just opened literally on my block. There is room for improvement, but the place is just a week old, so I’m sure they will work out some kinks.
Came with a friend and ordered 2 sandwiches and went halvsies. We got the Sloppy Joe, which is ropa vieja on a crusty roll. Great idea, though the ropa could be better. They should study the Ropa @ Café Cortadito right in the hood and take some notes. We also had the Cuban Cristo, which was the cuban sandwich soaked in egg and lightly fried. Very sloppy but tasty. I agree with the other Unilocaler that there could’ve been more mustard and pickles too. Maybe put some mustard out on the counters so customers can use as desired. Pickles too! We each opted for the house made potato chips which were good. The sandwiches are def not huge and I think you can find better value elsewhere, but I think this will end up being a hot spot because it’s part of the Mayhuel/​Death & Co group. They are also working on a rum bar upstairs that I’m guessing will be small and exclusive.
Service was good but it did take between 15 – 20 minutes for 2 sandwiches and the place was practically empty. I’ll attribute that to a new joint working out the kinks. There was a boom box bumping Cuban music that was great but a tad bit loud for the small space. It is also freezing out and they could use one of those buffer doors to keep some of it out. Every time the door opened everyone was FREEZING!
I’m sure I will return because of the proximity to my apt, but if I’m fixing for the kick ass cuban, I will walk 5 minutes more to Café Cortadito, and you should too.

Ordered a takeout El Cubano for lunch here today. The service was friendly, but the sandwich did take almost 15 minutes to make. I’d call ahead next time.
The sandwich came with salted plantain chips which were absolutely delicious. Much nicer than potato chips.
The Cubano itself was a bit small, and could have used a touch more mustard to my taste — I’ll ask for it next time. The flavor was great, though, and the ingredients all tasted like they were high quality. I’ll definitely be coming back in the future.