Lelolai Bakery & Cafe

When Lelolai was on West 25^th Street it was a bakery that also sold sandwiches. The draw was the large selection of tropical pastries and the flans. Sitting at a table overlooking the street with strong coffee and sweet pastry was one of those glad to be alive moments.
The move to the Old Arcade puzzles me. Now Leolai offers very little bakery and relies on its weak sandwich offerings. The Cuban sandwich was made on bread that was so dry it was difficult to swallow. I much prefer the more authentic slices of pork over the shreds. From food trucks to diners to restaurants, cooks in Cleveland are lazy and cheap as hell by using all purpose pulled pork where other cuts should be used.
I found no line for Leolai but long lines for Greek food and for the steak and fries. Surely a sign that Leolai’s menu needs vast improvement.

I came here for lunch and ordered a cuban sandwich. What I took back to the office was most definitely not a cuban sandwich.
How can you call some pulled pork on hard bread with no cheese and mayo a cuban? Let me say that again, MAYO!!!
The sandwich was not pressed either.
This place is not worth the time or the money for it and its about as authentic as sbarro. Sbarro would be better.

I’m really excited that Lelolai is back in a new location. I tried them out recently and my Cubano was really good, just not as crunchy as I remembered. Perhaps a bit more time in the sandwich press is in order. That said, it’s still a righteous sandwich and I will be back. And I won’t rule out having some of their delicious flan next time.

This cheap, hidden-​in-​plain-​sight café is absolutely amazing. Two of us shared a Cuban sandwich, empanadas, rice and beans, and almond flan. Everything was delicious and came to only $ 7 each (with soft drinks). All of those things were the best that I’ve ever had. The flan was unbelievably flavorful. The Cuban sandwich was scrumptious, melty, cheesy, and wonderful. The empanadas were magnificent. We also ordered a few coffee drinks, which were great. We were disappointed that they were out of their Cuban coffee, but we plan on going back and getting it soon. It’s a great place to sit, enjoy the city, and people watch while enjoying a great, inexpensive meal.

I usually try to go to spots for lunch around 2 or 3pm. One because I get up later than the 9 to 5ers and I have to get SOME work done before I eat, and two, I have this love/​hate relationship with people, so I hate to be crowded. Walking in around 3, there was only one other customer there and no one eating in (SCORE!), so i’d have the whole place to myself. Right when you walk in, you are greeted with the bakery counter (maybe this is why they put the bakery part first in the name), so you want to just stand there and oogle at all of the confectionery offerings before you even remember why you came there in the first place! Making your way down the counter, you see the menu for the café portion of the business. It’s not very big, but sometimes being good at a couple things is better than being ok at a lot of things. I really like empanadas, so I immediately gravitated toward those for my appetizer, not even thinking about the size of the cuban sandwich. I figured, if I was too full after the empanada, I could always just take the sandwich home and enjoy it all over again, right?
I go for the beef empanada and remembered my coaching from Scotty and got the cuban. He also told me that the Tropi-​Cola is to die for, but more on that later. The older guy at the counter (puerto rican I’m assuming), asked me if I wanted the empanada first, then he’d bring the sandwich… I was taken aback. Almost everywhere I go, I’m always getting the appetizer and the meal at the same time… at RESTAURANTS! So imagine my surprise going to a café/​bakery and they are asking me if I want something first. I was a fan already! The empanada was good and basically what you’ve come to expect from ground beef in a fried shell. Meat could have been a bit more flavorful, and the shell itself had been sitting for a minute, so it wasn’t as crunchy/​flaky as it could have been, but this is also the game you play when you come for lunch at 3pm, AFTER the rush. Overall though, it was a good starter.
Sitting in the dining area, I noticed that the place was clean, there was lots of sunlight from the huge storefront window, multiple fans to keep the place cool, and all the furniture was sunbeam metal patio furniture. Maybe it was the flood of sunshine coming in, but I actually thought that was kind of cool because I HATE eating outside. Too many things to contend with (bugs, wind blowing ur stuff away, ants, etc), and I just like to eat my food and enjoy my conversation. So eating on patio furniture w/​the fans providing a breeze, being close to the window bathed in the sun made me feel like I was on a patio. Best of both worlds… POW!
An extremely polite young man brought me my cuban, and I couldn’t wait to dig in. For those of you who don’t know, the cuban sandwich (also called a Cuban pressed sandwich, or a mixto), «is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers either in Cuba or in the Cuban immigrant communities of Florida, most likely Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. Later on, Cuban immigrants and expatriates brought it to Miami where it is also still very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread.» — From Wikipedia. At Lelolai, this is called a «miami cuban.» I opted for the regular one which had ham, swiss cheese, pulled pork, lettuce, tomato and mayo (sorry to the fundamentalists!).
Digging in, I thought the sandwich had a good overall flavor profile… the bread had that good soft vs crunchy texture (hard bread and the roof of my mouth do not get along), the ham and cheese did its thing, and the pulled pork was nice and stringy. I never trust a pulled pork sandwich that has big hunks of pork (attention to detail is a must!). I killed it pretty quicky, and at the end it was just the right amount of food after my empanada. Then it was all washed down with the Tropi-​Cola, which bills itself as champagne cola or something… That was the most curious name i’ve ever seen for a can of pop and I even had to ask the guy at the counter if it had alcohol in it, since I recently stopped drinking (told you I was serious). It was a weird taste. Imagine a coke/​pepsi, but sweeter, fizzier, and this strange taste I can’t quite identify (vanilla + something…). I guess you’ll just have to try it for yourself. Overall a great experience. I invite you to do the same…

I’ve noticed that more and more of my reviews are about sandwiches and how delicious they are. It takes a lot to make a bad sandwich and I can remember the few places where I’ve had one. However, I cannot tell you how many good sandwich places I’ve been to and have forgotten because, although good, there was nothing memorable. This place is the exception. They are one of the few that can make a proclamation stating they’re the best and live up to it.
On a recent trip I went a little crazy and ordered the Miami instead of the regular Cuban. I now have a new favorite. With tender pulled pork, ham, crisp pickles, mustard and garlic (the original is the same minus the garlic) on homemade bread, it really doesn’t get any better. For about 6.50 you get a brick wrapped in foil. It’s the only sandwich that I will force myself to eat in one sitting because I cannot put it down. The bloated stomach feeling afterwards is completely worth it.
Oh and that flan? Yes it’s as good as they say. Rich, smooth, creamy and light it’s delicious. They have several different flavors or little mini samplers of the original you can take home to try. I’ve had the coconut bread pudding as well, it as dense and delicious.
I may stop reviewing sandwich places because I no longer need to try out any new ones.

I am a sucker for the Miami Cuban sandwich with extra pickles. The bread is baked fresh daily and it makes a great soft inside, crisp outside texture.
I, too often, enjoy the polvorones (light cookies) and brownies.
I would also recommend buying a bottle of Champagne Vinaigrette salad dressing that they make to take home.