If you’re reading this Sanguich Downtown Miami review because you’re trying to decide where to eat at Bayside Marketplace, let me save you some scrolling: order the Cubano and thank me later.
When you’re walking around downtown, especially near the cruise port, finding a quick lunch that’s actually good (and not just convenient) can be harder than it should be.
Founded by Daniel Figueredo and Rosa Romero — lifelong Miami locals with deep Cuban-American roots — Sanguich was built around one very clear idea: elevate the classic Cuban sandwich without messing with what makes it great. The goal wasn’t to reinvent Cuban food. It was to honor it properly.
And that care shows from the first bite.
This counter-service sandwich shop earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes exceptional food at a great value. For a pressed sandwich spot to land on Michelin’s radar? That says a lot.
If you’re planning a full downtown food crawl, you can see my full review of Café Bastille Downtown Miami for brunch earlier in the day — but for lunch, this is where you want to be.
You’re going to ask what to order, so let’s just get into it.
City ham, lechón, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread — pressed until golden and crisp.
This is the benchmark. The pork is flavorful, the ham adds saltiness, the pickles bring acidity, and the bread has that perfect pressed crunch. It’s balanced, traditional, and exactly what you picture when someone says “Cuban sandwich.”
The bread alone deserves a moment. That crisp exterior with a soft, warm interior is what makes the whole thing work. No soggy middle. No overwhelming mustard situation. Just proper proportions.
Shredded pork, pickled mojo onions, and garlic cilantro aioli on Cuban bread.
This one leans deeper into pork flavor. The mojo onions brighten everything up, and the aioli adds creaminess without overpowering the meat. It leans harder into the pork than the Cubano.
Both are outstanding.
If you’re with someone, order both and split them. That’s the move. It’s basically research.
If you’re solo, go with the Cubano — it’s the classic for a reason.
The downtown location sits inside Bayside Marketplace right on the water, which makes it incredibly convenient if you’re staying nearby or heading out on a cruise.
It’s counter service with limited seating, so think “grab your sandwich and enjoy the waterfront” rather than long sit-down lunch. You can also order online ahead of time and do pickup, which is perfect if you’re short on time.
If you’re staying downtown, I always recommend staying near Bayside so you can walk to places like this instead of fighting traffic. Being able to grab a Michelin-recognized sandwich and stroll by the water without calling an Uber? That’s efficient planning.
If you’re flying into Miami just for a quick stay or cruise, I usually check flights on Skyscanner first to compare times and airlines easily — especially if you’re trying to land early enough to grab lunch here before boarding.
And if you’re building out your full day, check out my guide to Bayside Marketplace Miami for more food spots and things to do within walking distance.
Sanguich has expanded beyond just one storefront. You can also find locations in:
Calle Ocho
Little Haiti
Coral Gables
Bayside
Aventura
Same quality. Same focus on traditional Cuban sandwiches done properly.
If you’re exploring beyond downtown and renting a car makes this much easier, I usually browse options through Discover Cars so you can compare pickup spots around Miami without overpaying at the counter.
Yes! Sanguich works because it doesn’t try to be trendy. It focuses on doing the classics correctly. There’s no unnecessary twist, no dramatic reinvention, no “fusion” surprise. Just roasted pork done well. Bread pressed properly. Flavors that make sense together.
It’s nostalgic. It’s intentional. It’s rooted in culture. And it just happens to be one of the best lunch stops in downtown Miami. If you’re walking around Bayside wondering where to eat, this is an easy answer.
If you’re planning a bigger food-focused trip, you can learn more in my post about the best restaurants in Downtown Miami to map out your meals ahead of time. Because if you’re going to do Miami right, you might as well eat well while you’re at it.
And yes — I’d plan my timing around this sandwich again.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
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