SF Bay Area, CACuban

Michael Ekwall opened this California Avenue Cuban room in 1997. Mojitos line the bar under paintings by Cuban artists. The Cubano layers roasted pork, shredded ham, and cheese on crusty bread, while ropa vieja offers another classic route through the menu.

Ciro Calvo brought Cuban recipes to San José, and the restaurant now serves them from a counter inside SoFA Market. Lechon marinates in citrus, cumin, and garlic before a slow roast; the pressed Cuban sandwich is another way into the kitchen.

This Mission rooftop serves Cuban food and rum drinks above the former El Techo space. Order the lechon asado for pork with caramelized edges and tender pieces, or the empanadas filled with saucy ropa vieja. The room also has a dance floor and photo booth. Its Cuban sandwich gets a less enthusiastic assessment than the pork dishes, so the roast and empanadas are the clearer route through the menu.

This family-run Pleasant Hill restaurant cooks Cuban staples from ropa vieja and croquettes to pressed Cubano sandwiches and sweet tarts. Start with the ropa vieja, add croquettes, and leave room for a tart.

This small SoMa Cuban bakery turns out pressed Cubano sandwiches and flaky pastelitos for a quick takeaway lunch. Order the Cubano for roast pork, ham, pickles, cheese and mustard between crisp bread, then add a guava and cream cheese pastelito from the pastry case. There is one outdoor table and no indoor seating, so the room works best for a sandwich and pastry to go.