La Pola Restaurant

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SANDWICH. It’s the «Especial De La Casa» from La Pola in West New York, NJ. It has Pernil, Jamin Dulce, Prosciutto, Salami, Queso, Chorizo and Pepino. All the meats are sliced in house and then placed on Cuban bread with a really intense garlic mojo and then pressed in a small panini press. The business had been family owned and operating for more than 40 years. It’s the absolute best Cuban sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Rent a car. Get an Über. Walk. Take a bus. Whatever it takes, get this sandwich into your face!!!

Years ago I would come here exclusively for the Cuban sandwich. Back then, the sandwich was made with a healthy portion of freshly roasted pork and ham. Today the same pork is used; however the quantity has diminished. This place was the best restaurant to make a Cuban sandwich. Not even in Miami could they compete with La Pola. However, something has changed with the sandwich. If you could go back to what you were doing 10 years ago you would have a line out the door. Still a great sandwich but it’s missing the magic it once had. Wish you the best

long day at the pool — all you want is a «real» traditional tasty as hell cuban. sandwich… well. la pola is the absolute best. besides the overall feel of walking off the street of NJ and into little havana– the taste of the pork and ham and pickles and oh my goodness. I could have eaten 2 or more. also recommend the plantain chips… I would drive from anywhere to eat here…

Best cuban sandwich outside of Hialeah. Pork is perfectly seasoned, ham, swiss and thinly cut pickles on true crispy Cuban bread.

Best Cuban Sandwich outside of Miami hands down! You have to get it with a Batido de Mamey for the true Cuban experience.

I was definitely looking forward to the Cuban Sandwich. I must say it was good but I had really high hopes and they weren’t met! My husband ordered the streak sandwich and yuca frita. It was ok but I’m still looking for that perfect Cuban sandwich.
The place is rather small, good for a take out I guess.

La Pola is my go to place for my Cuban sandwich fix and they never fail to get it right. I highly recommend «Especial De La Casa», the house special, to cure that hankering! And don’t forget the side order of «plantanitos» while you’re there!

Best Cuban sandwiches around hands down!

Makes my favorite Cuban sandwiches, although I favor its variant, the Medianoche. The sandwiches are just fresher than what’s around in other places.

It’s a little pricey but it’s the only place where I actually prefer to let the pickles in rather than no pickles like I always do. The Cuban sandwiche are really good.

Holy cuban sandwich batman !! Hands down, the best i’ve ever come across. And I’m from Hudson county and lived in Florida for several years. The pork is succulent and flavorful, the ham is good. Perfectly thin pickle slices, slightly zesty mustard and a mild cut of acidty comes from the mojo. Swiss cheese kisses it all together, but the finisher is the bread… So they brown the pork on the press, leave the drippings on, then splash some mojo down, then press the sandwich in. Which leaves the bread crispy, hot, and exploding with cuban goodness !
I can’t lie, i really haven’t tried much else from the menu other than your basic appetizers, which were average, but i am fixated when i come here, and it’s all about the cuban.
I have ordered Christmas pernil (pork) for the family before, which was good, with nice, crunchy cuero (skin). Their packaged plantain chips are addictively tasty as well.
Try to forget about the crap parking situation as this place is wedged into a frantically busy intersection. The parking spot literally has 3 spots and your usually blocked in by double parked cars that are there for the cuban sandwiches a s well. But its 1 block off the main drag, Bergenline ave, and u can easily come in by bus from NYC, Jersey City, Fort Lee, or the surrounding towns.
Do youself a favor and check it out for yourself…

Hands-​down, the best Cuban sandwiches ever! There is no better Cuban sandwich or medianoche in NJ OR Miami for that matter. Everyone at the restaurant is friendly and the place is kept very clean. This is definitely a must if you want to experience an amazing Cuban Sandwich. Oh, and the plantain chips and chicharrones are out of this world!

Fui hace unos Meses ordene un Cubano no me gustó Tanto los ingredientes el Jamón Barrato, tienen que mejorar en los ingredientes todo lo demás bien!!! eh Probado mejores Sitió

The food here is amazing. From the Cuban sandwich (my personal favorite) to the croquetas, to the flan, this place is outstanding. Great service, family owned, I will be coming back here! I HIGHLY recommend it.

Service here is miserable. The owner is not a friendly or kind person. I recently went in to order a Cuban sandwich and he asked if I wanted it for here or to go. When I told him for here, he told me in spanish, «You need to take it to go because we’re already ready to close.» I was a little miffed and wondered why the hell he even asked me then. But I didn’t stop my order, I was hungry and in the mood for a Cuban sandwich.
But then my grandmother asked about a bag of plantain chips. He told her they were $ 2 even with a sign indicating they were $ 1.50. When my grandmother asked him about the sign, the owner dismissed it by saying it was an old sign and then said very rudely, «Do you want them or not!?» If I had understood Spanish a little better, I would have said something back to him. There was NO need for him to be nasty like that and especially to my grandmother and seriously… over fifty cents?!

It’s a dive, reminiscent of a little diner, but the smell of sandwiches is heavenly and the service is friendly. If you’re in West New York and are craving an excellent sandwich Cubano or a Media Noche, this is the place to go.

Perhaps the best Cuban sandwich, heres the kicker — made by a Cuban haha, best Cuban Sandwiches I’ve been consuming since I was a kid — they are made on the spot! Make sure they put the sauce/​juice.

Decent Cuban sandwiches, served by a friendly (and bilingual) shop owner. Try the the cubano especial, which comes with a high-​quality, sliced off the bone ham. Worth a stop if you’re in the area and looking for a quick bite.

Just to give you a little back round here I grew up as a kid in West New York and spend 16 years in Miami. Not only did I grow up eating Cuban sandwiches, it was practically part of my basic food groups. Having said that I’ll I will say this, La Pola makes my favorite Cuban sandwich of all times!
If your looking for a true classic order the «Cubano Especial»
knife sliced roasted pork. Knife sliced «real» ham, not processed people!
The bread they use is soft yet crispy on the outside thanks to the sandwich press. A little bit of mojito to make it the most succulent Cuban you ever had.
Order «El Especial de la casa» if you want a Galician twist on an old Cuban tradition. They add Spanish hams and salami to this local original sandwich.
Other traditional Cuban/​Spanish dishes I really love here are «el Caldo Gallego» and the «Tamal en casuela»
«Caldo Gallego» is a traditional Cuban soup with origins in northwest Spain. One of my favorite soups and they are the authority of authenticity of this dish. Ham, White kidney beans, chorizo make this a soup a meal in it self or a great side (cup size) to any sandwich.
The staff is quick, professional and courteous. The prices are great, you can pay $ 10-​$ 12 for a sandwich in the city and not even get half the quality and taste your getting here for half that price!

Best Cuban Sandwich I ever had! The beef Empanadas are ok, I never tried anything else on the menu, so I can’t give an opinion at this time.

I really wanted to like this place, it’s too bad it wasn’t so good. When I ordered they didn’t have «maduros» (fried plantains). I ordered a steak sandwich, rice, black beans, a beef empanada, and a drink for take out.
The rice was hard, the sandwich contained so much gristle and fat that it was barely chewable and I had to open the sandwich and take out about half the meat, also some parts of it were way too salty. The beans were ok, nothing bad about them. I have yet to try the beef empanada though. For this plus a soda drink I payed $ 12 + $ 1(take out tip) = $ 13.
The good thing though was that it was well packaged in the bag and they included a straw and napkins, plus the staff was attentive.
EDIT: I did have the beef empanada later. One word, oily. No wait, two words: overly oily… bleh!