So let me start this by saying I would do unspeakable things for a real Cubano sandwich. The lengths I would be willing to go to to get my hands on a traditional Puerto Rican meal are not OK. Turns out I don’t have to worry about that any more because of Mamacitas.
Pulling up to Mamacitas is a bit of a pain because the parking situation is so tight to the road, but I have definitely dealt with worse parking lots. And the parking is literally the only downside to this place. Three of us went and part of me wishes we had all gotten different things so we could try everything, but we ended up with a couple of overlaps.
Chelsea got one of the daily specials, the Mama Mac Tacos, which is Mamacitas take on a Big Mac in taco form but with their own “mac sauce” with a side of cajun fries and an additional side of Tostones with Garlic Mojo. The tacos were absolutely divine. Perfectly cooked, beautifully moist taco shells, just the right amount of lettuce and cheese, great flavor all around. The cajun fries had a perfect kick without being too hot and were crispy and fluffy, making a nice side option to go with the sweet and savory tacos. The Tostones (thinly sliced fried plantains drizzled with a traditional Cuban orange, lime and cumin sauce with added garlic) were just as perfect. Lightly crispy, mildly earthy and sweet at the same time, gently sour garlicy sauce on top, just as a tostones should be.
We ended up with two Tampa Style Cubano Sandwiches, one with cajun fries and one with garlic parm fries. The Cubano is served on DiLauro’s 10″ bakery roll, so it’s always awesome to see one local business supporting another. Tampa Style Cubano differs from a traditional cubano by adding salami, but otherwise they are the same sandwich with pork, ham, yellow mustard, pickles and swiss cheese toasted and pressed. The cubano is culinary perfection to me. Something about this savory, vinegary, toasted sandwich is the best damn thing to ever hit my taste buds. And Mamacitas knocked it clean out of the park. Every. Single. Aspect. Everything. It was magical experience, eating that sandwich. There was the perfect amount of every ingredient, it was toasted beautifully, the pickles and the mustard added lovely vinegar tastes to play off of the savory ham and pork with the gentle sourness of Swiss cheese and salami all mingling into an act of God on bread. The pork was the absolute standout, as you can taste the slow roast and how much care went into making it to the point where you could feel the owner’s ancestors smiling down on how beautiful that pork was. This was seriously the best damn sandwich I have ever eaten, blowing away even the cubanos I got on street corners in Arizona from cart vendors who barely spoke English. Oh, and the garlic parm fries were also fantastic with a heavy garlic flavor countered by the delicious parmesan cheese.
We also ended up getting two Chicken and Cheese Empanadas without realizing it. The empanada were a wild adventure in flavors and textures with a crispy crunchy tortilla, slow roasted chicken, the right amount of veggies and a light-but-perfect amount of cheesy. There were so many flavors and textures hitting at once that I kept stopping after each bite and staring at the empanada in my hand in bewilderment. I have had empanadas before and even made empanadas before, but never one like this. Unfortunately, we forgot to get the cilantro crema to go with the empanada, but that was rectified when we decided to get a Beef and Cheese Empanada to go.
In the end, we left with half a Cubano leftover, a Beef and Cheese Empanada and a cup of Cilantro Crema and extremely full bellies. The Cubano is enough food to feed two people or even save for lunch the next day. The owner and her family were wonderful to talk to and hearing them sing the praises of other locally owned businesses was beautiful. This place is stellar all around. Great people with fun attitudes, immaculate food with beautiful flavors. There’s a reason they have a ton of local awards hanging on the wall and people can’t stop talking about them. This is what the culinary world is all about. Simple food made to absolute one-of-a-kind experiences that will leave you wanting more and more. I need to make it back on a Thursday when they have birria as a special, because if their birria is even half as good as that Cubano, I’m sold.
Mamacitas Puerto Rican Kitchen
6059 E Taft Rd, Syracuse, NY 13212
(315) 300-1946