I have been to this place a few times, but last night when I got there, there was a full house! We had to wait for a table! Of course there's a good reason for it to drive the crowd to Cemitas.. because of their yummy-licious CEMITAS!! My bf and I got the carne asada and spit roasted pork (the meat they use for *taco arabes) cemitas and an order of chalupas. Â (*tip.. must try the taco arabes, they are as delicious in a taco form) I love love love the oaxacan cheese they use for cemitas! So delicious! Next time I want to try their ATOMICA!!!! Their food are simply amazing and their salas are icing on the cake!
Ok.. enough with the food.. now to the service. Â Despite they were super busy last night, the staff was on top of things and the owner is always so friendly!
I will definitely come back here again and again!
I tried cemitas puebla after watching dive and diners. I also went to check out regional mexican food since there are few choices here in Chicago. I have to say they make an okay torta but nothing special. Overall I would recommend you go here but dont make a special trip since it is just okay.
Review Source:I enjoyed my cemita, but I think the ambiance is what really takes the cake here.
The owner of Cemita's is an absolute character. Â He spoke to every single person entering the door, welcoming them and explaining the menu. Â He asks every single person if they've been there before, and makes sure to let the waiter know. Â He even came to our table and did magic tricks while we were waiting for our food!
The only thing I didn't like was that he literally forces you to order a cemita if you've never been there before. Â I enjoyed my cemita, but I'm not a sandwich person and would have preferred something else. Â Oh well, I can order something else next time now.
The horchata was delicious, and the flan was perfect as well!
One of the best things about Chicago is the ability to find amazing little gems just like Cemitas Pueblas. Â
My husband and I LOVED the Atomica cemita. Â Like true love, drool on your face, ensure you come back and order the same thing over and over again love.
Also, it's BYOB so 2 Zombie Dusts topped off the meal nicely. Â The owner is super friendly and will be sure to guide you through your first adventure. Â Plenty of street parking available.
If you are into a simple authentic food, this place is a must!
Came with a relatively large grop some members of which like to try many different things and don't mind sharing. So we ordered lots of things from the menue including some rare items that many Americans may find a no-no.
Everything was super tasty and cost literally nothing. The stuff is super friendly. Cannot recommend it higher.
I'd never had a Cemita before, but I'm so happy now that I have. Â I tried the steak and the pork/onion and both were delicious. Â Their green sauce is absolutely delectable as well. Â You can get a free horchata if you check in on Yelp while there, but you may want to stir it up a bit, all of the cinnamon had settled to the bottom of mine, so when I took my last sip, it was like all of those people on Youtube doing the "Cinnamon Challenge".
Anyways, if you're in the area and hungry, just go. Â The food is awesome and you can't beat the price.
I liked this place. It was warm and friendly. My cemita was pretty damn good and the hot sauce it came with was just awesome and SPICY. I also got a cheesecake at the end and it eased my burning mouth perfectly.
I drove here from Oak Park in a snowfall. (I was craving this sandwich!) I'll return, but next time in better weather.
Another great sandwich place crossed off my list. Another full stomach and smile on my face.
The atomica cemitas was my choice based on the recommendation of the owner, Tony, who greeted me warmly at the door. Jamon, guajillo pork loin, breaded milanesa, avocado, and Oaxacan cheese is stacked high on a sesame seed roll that manages to stay crusty and warm without becoming soggy. I couldn't wait to get home to eat it. By the time I hit the highway, it was already finished and I'm still full two hours after eating it.
Don't let the humble surroundings fool you. You'll get a sandwich here that will challenge Rick Bayless' best any time for half the price.
Mucho gracias, Tony. I'll be back for your chorizo and carne asada very soon.
The food was flavorful. Â I loved the green salsa. Â I gave it 4 stars because I'm not too crazy about the steak. Â The texture was more like boiled rather than grilled. Â I enjoyed the horchata - sweetened to perfection.
The employees were very courteous and attentive. Â Will definitely come back.
Was pretty bummed to get here and be told they're out of cemita bread...however, the chorizo and al pastor were quite good- so good in fact that for the cemita to be the star here they must be damn good. Â
And the chicharron quesadilla was so stupid simple good, crunchy, porky, salty, cheesy- this has entered my easy late night repertoire. Â
Trust, I will be back for a cemita, and an update will follow.
Comida autentica!
Indeed.
This is authentic down-to-earth Mexican food from the casa. Nothing fancy here but that pairs up with the food itself. Simple, fresh, delicious and passionately prepared.
Only complaint is that they have become a bit touristy since they have been in media spotlight (Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives as well as Check, Please if I recall correctly). Â So, expect a somewhat staged welcome when you get there by one of the family members.
5 stars for doing a bang-up job at good (authentic) eats and using passionately sourced ingredients as well (some from farms that they know in Mexico).
Really wanted to come here after watching Diners, Drive ins, and Dives. Â was a little bit further than I usually drive to for lunch, but definitely worth it.
I had the steak Cemita, chorizo taco and shared guacamole and chips. Â Everything was fantastic. Guac was fresh, nothing special about the chips, but the salsa's available were all unique and delicious. Â The highlight was the cemita which was everything I had hoped it would be. Â A a bonus, if you check in you get a free horchata which was also fresh and delicious.
Very, very good.
This was my first experience with cemitas, and it was a success. After seeing an episode of that show with the insufferable douchebag with the bleached blonde hair, I made a trip to Cemitas Puebla with one of my Chicago-resident friends.
Al pastor was excellent, horchata sweet and delicious, the carne enchilada was a little fatty, and the chalupas were full of cheesy goodness.
Sure, I feel a little touristy going to a place I saw on TV, but this was damn good, authentic, and I'd totally go back again.
We heard about this place through Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and finally decided to give it a shot for lunch. Â
My friends both got the Cemitas - a sandwich with a sesame seed bun and their choice of meat (they both picked carne asada). Â Really, really good. Â I tried 3 different tacos - al pastor, taco arabes and chorizo. Â I thought they were all very good, but I wish I had ordered all chorizo. Â Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting it to be my favorite, but the chorizo tacos were sooo good. Â They chorizo was very flavorful and cooked perfectly - I would go back for these in a heartbeat!
Random thoughts: If you check in on Yelp, they will give you a free Horchata (Mexican rice drink). Â We were able to park very easily on the street. Â
Another tip: we had an a la card, which gave us $10 off (as long as we spent $25). Â It was only $16 for 3 people! Â
15/365
Cemitas Puebla- another Triple D bookmark checked off the list!
We have visited this restaurant a couple of times, and find the consistancy and quality of the food to be great. A cemita is pretty much a torta on locally baked bread. The cheese (which is delicious, I might add) is imported from Mexico, so I guess it does not get any more authentic!
I prefer the cemitas over the tacos, but they make a pretty righteous al pastor! Their chicken remains juicy and therefore is a winner, and so is their carne asada. My husband likes to order a carne asada burrito, and these badboys are huge!
The restaurant is pretty barebones. The walls and ceiling is covered with posters of performers and soccer players, as well as what appears to be friends, family and customers. The obligatory occasional celebrity photo with signature can be found on the wall by the door. Guy Fieri's Triple D book is available for purchase at the counter.
They sell horchata which is not half bad, and like every other place in Chicago they carry Mexican Coke and Jarritos.
It's overhyped, but the food is good.
My boyfriend and I had a $25 A la Card for Cemitas,but made sure to bring a friend after looking at the menu and seeing how cheap it is. The first time we went I must not have been particularly impressed, because I was hesitant to go back, but my boyfriend was insistent and I'm so glad he was! My second trip was definitely memorable. He ordered a chicken Cemitas which was good, but not as flavorful as the enchilada torta that I had. The meat on both was nice and tender, and both sandwiches were very big. I only ate half (but my boyfriend finished his plus my other half). We also both ordered tacos, which were tasty as well. I remember the first time getting horchata, which is especially good with some of the spicier options.
The people are friendly but get right down to business. The owner (whose pic is all over the wall) explains the menu to you, you pick a table, order at the register, and your food comes out to you, quickly I might add.
I'll be back!
"Lives up to the hype in a big way" wrote another reviewer, and I couldn't agree more. Â We had a groupon and this is one of the few groupon places we'll be returning to sans groupon. Â
Friendly staff, yummy food, and plenty of it. Â While the cemitas (sandwich on a sweet tasty bread) were marvelous, I'd say the homemade chorizo on the chalupa was the highlight - the chalupas are quite big.
Easy street parking is available near the restaurant.
Man, has everyone been binging on zinc tabs lately?? Or are my taste buds the ones that are askew? Â I have been to Cemitas Puebla twice. Â First time I had a groupon dealio for $40 worth of food and realized there was no way my boyfriend and I could eat $40 worth of food. The second time we brought a friend to help w/ the damage.
A cemita is nothing but a glorified torta. Not sure if they bake the cemita bread in house or not but it was kind of stale both times. The chicharron quesadillas are good to try at least once in your lifetime but are nothing that will really change your life. I tried their taco arabes -- just alright. Also had a carne asada cemita. Eh. If they are gonna specialize in the cemita with average tasting fillings, the bread should be amazing....but it wasn't.
I will say, the rice is tasty. It's amazing how you could put 5 plates of different varieties of mexican rice in front of you that look virtually the same and some with have good flavor while some will completely lack it.
Unfortunately the rice isn't enough to bring me back to CP. Sorry, the food here is just way too below average, even for these askew taste buds.
This place lives up to the hype in a big way!
If you're looking at Chicago Magazine's 2012 '50 Best Sandwiches in Chicago' list, definitely try this place.
This kind of place is what big cities are about; Cemitas is something you will not find in most suburbs. Â It's a niche product that you have to try before you can appreciate it, and a less-than-authentic experience can totally skew your perspective.
I absolutely love the Atomica sandwich. I've always been a huge torta fan, but this one takes the cake as the best torta style sandwich I have ever had in my life.
Make the trip over to Humbolt and try out Cemitas! The owners and staff are friendly people and you'll definitely leave satisfied!
So I picked up a deal on Living Social to give this place a try and I was NOT disappointed. Â I tried each of the various types of tacos thinking they would be little 2 bite tacos/appetizers (and who wouldn't for the low low price of ~$2 for each taco). Â Well I barely got two down before I was stuffed. Â The meat was delish - tender, juicy and with just the right about of spice. Â The only one that I didn't particularly care for was the chicken - but that's more so because I don't like "shredded" meat of any kind. Â I also got a side of guac which was quite good but it could have had a bit more spice. Â
Everything was fresh, tasty and made right in front of my very eyes... yum, yum stuff. Â Now if they served margaritas I'd never leave!!
Kenny O. and I came here after reading about their sandwiches on Serious Eats and seeing positive reviews from most of our Yelp friends.
I've never had cemitas before, but the sandwiches are really delicious. We split the milanesa and the atomica. Both were amazing; I liked the atomica just a little bit more than the milanesa. Imagine: three in one... milanesa, carne enchilada, and jamon. Yeah, I'm a fatty.
To be honest, if I hadn't had seen the atomica sandwich advertised on their sign, I probably wouldn't have ordered it. I'd have ordered jamon because that was the item that I was most attracted to when I read the menu. When I think of jamon, I think of ham and headcheese in banh mi sandwiches because that's what I grew up with.
On a later visit, I tried the pata, and it was okay. It tasted like soft tendons, and it was a bit sloppy because the tiny chunks of meat and soft avocados moved around a little too much. I had ordered and ate a little too much food that day, so I ended up eating my cemita a few hours later after ordering it. That may have influenced my thoughts on the sandwich. Perhaps if it was piping hot, I'd have liked it more. Or, perhaps if I hadn't already had beef tripe earlier during the weekend, I'd have savored the taste of tendons more. Who knows.
I like their tacos a lot more, if only because they were easier to eat (and finish; the cemitas are huge). The arabe one was really delicious. So were the carne asada and chorizo (at least that's what I believed the boyfriend ordered).
And I love that if you check in with Yelp, you get a free horchata. Yum and refreshing!
Two words to remember. Tacos Arabes. On the first stop of my taco tour, that's what I had and it was amazing!! I'm sorry but the service straight up still f'n sucks! Excuse my french but I'm just keeping it real. Then again, maybe I'm the one that sucks...hmmm.
The service was the same as the first time around. I had to find my "waitress" to order more drinks. I just hate flagging people down when I'm trying to enjoy a nice meal. SMH
The only thing that's keeping this place open is obviously their food, and that's what restaurants should be known for, so props on that. But they should also strive on customer service, just a tip.
Anyways, this time we ordered tacos arabes and boy oh boy, where have these babies been all my life?! Juicy pork and onions nicely flavored with some chipotle salsa and wrapped in a delicious flour tortilla....daaaaammmmn. I need some right now! I'll make the trip just for these flavorful taquitos.
You've redeemed yourself in my book Cemitas....well your food anyways. ;)
Stopped by on a rainy Sunday afternoon to redeem my Groupon for this place, only because I saw it on Diners Drive-in & Dives. We were lucky and found street parking a block over. We walked in around lunch time and the place was just getting busy. We had the chicken cemitas and the steak cemitas. Both were great. I really enjoyed the cheese chualupas with the 2 types of salsa on top. I had never had that before and they served as a good snack before the main show arrived. The cemitas did not disappoint, it was flavorful, crunchy, and just delicious.
The service was a little disorganized since they took your order while you were standing and we weren't sure if we were suppose to grab our own drinks. It is definitely a hole in the wall, but none the less, a deliciously cheesy hole in the wall.
I had half my cemita left over the next day and after a few minutes in the toaster oven, it was brought back to life and took a great ride into my belly.
I doubt we would venture to Humboldt Park again, but if I am ever in the area, I might stop by.
Chicago Magazine's #9 Sandwich, The Atomica Cemitas. Â Let me first state that I love the name of the sandwich. Â This was one of the few sandwiches that I could only complete partial input on my first effort. Â The sandwich was a whale. Â Its best feature was the terrific salsa that accompanies the sandwich. Â There was a secondary sauce (I'll call him sauce B), but it was closer to a mole. It wasn't bad, but nowhere near as good as the salsa. Â The sandwich basically consists of milanesa, avocado, peppers and ham. Â
I'm grading this one on a curve. Â There was nothing wrong with the sandwich. Â It was tasty. Â It has several of my favorite attributes when it comes to sandwiches - a pourable sauce, avocado, a terrific bun and most of all, leftovers. Â However, I thought the ham was a little much. Â There was so many things going on it was hard to keep track of them all. Â It's like all the flavors were waiting in a line to get in the club. Â "The club" in this scenario is my severely damaged taste buds that have been permanently detrimented by years of hot sauce abuse. Â
I only stopped in for a brief moment, but the gentleman that handed me the sandwich was extremely polite and very thoughtful. Â Later I find out that he was the guy that was on DD&D on the Food Network. Â I'm still regretting not asking for more salsa.
I visited Cemitas Puelba on my quest to try Chicago Mag's Top 10 sammys from their most recent issue. Cemitas Atomica was #9 and this place has been on my to-try list for a loooong time.
The Cemitas Atomica did not disappoint. The 3 diff meats added a ton of flavor, creaminess from the avocado (and it didn't slide around - bonus!) and the shredded oxacan cheese was really tasty. If you add the chipotle sauce it made it that much better - it needed a little acidity to help break up the richness.
It was good, but I don't know if it was Top 10 in the entire city good. Here is the kicker. It is out in the middle of nowhere (from someone that lives north of Wrigleyville) so it is quite a hike. If you are closer it's a great joint but if you need to drive 20/25+ minutes I don't know if it's worth the commute!
After a long time of wondering what this place was all about, we finally stopped in here for lunch on Sunday. Â We also had a $25 gift certificate which made it even more appealing! =]
We got here at about Noon and walked in to a....different...kind of greeting. Â The guy asked us if it was our first time there and then insinuated that we were just in there because of seeing Guy Fieri on TV....blah blah blah. Â Yeah, immediate reaction was turned off, but then he described what we "wanted" based on what Guy had tried, and yes, it is what I wanted, so I was happy to hear the descriptions.
He told us which table to sit at, so we did and then took a look at the menu before making our final decision. Â We ended up ordering a taco arabes, torta arabes, taco gov. precioso and a torta atomica. Â Oh, and an horchata. Â The kids shared some chips and a steak taco (Max). Â It didn't take too long for the food to come and when it did, we were honestly in heaven!! Â It was SO delicious! Â Everything. Â The standout was the arabes meat...OMG...so juicy, sweet, savory, a little fatty...everything you could want out of a spit roasted meat. Â The torta bread is amazingly fresh and very different from any other torta bread I've ever had. Â The salsas are fresh and super flavorful, the only thing about the chipotle one was that it was a bit overpowering but I liked in nonetheless because it had that sweet/spicy thing going on. Â And PS...they even sell it there for $6 so you can take one home!
I honestly cannot wait to get back in there for some more arabes meat...in every way possible! =] Â And I saw a few people with their version of chalupas and now want to give those a try, too! Â This is a definite must try for people who love great and unique Mexican food! Â Yum!
Cemitas Puebla has some of the best tacos in Chicago. Â I heard about the place on Living Social's new dining to go feature, then after all the rave reviews on Yelp! I just had to try them. Â The service was pretty fast and good. I got my food to go. Â I ordered chicken and two types of steak tacos, along with a steak cemita. Â
My very first bite into the steak taco was delicious and so flavorful. I planned to do a tasting with my guy but wound up eating the steak taco in its entirety. Â Ha! The chicken taco was just as tasty. Â My guy had the cemita and really enjoyed. He actually asked where the food came from again, so he can go on his own next time. Â It is definitely worth the trip. Â I know my hunger GPS will lead me here plenty more nights in Chicago.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. i dream about this place, i crave this place, and i am so so sad i moved to the burbs i wish they would deliver an hour away!!! cemita is like a torta that has sesame on top. It's delicious bread, stuffed with powerful flavors on the inside: ham, Â carne asada, steak, pastor....or my all time favorite :Cemita Atomica!
their horchata is a little watery, but i'm there for the cemita. Tacos arabes is good too!! mmmmm
Well, it HAS to be good if Guy Fieri stopped by, right? Â And let's just say I wanted to draw a mustache on Steve Dolinsky's picture too. But my problems with old Steve-o go way back. For better or worse, this was the first stop on Osi V's Taco crawl and despite the public accolades Cemitas Puebla gets, I came in ready to find fault in everything.
And my conclusion? Â I LOVE this place. Â Everyone that walked in that day was greeted by the kind owner who helps you find a seat and explains the ordering system and also explains what Cemitas are. Since this was a taco crawl, the Cemitas will have to wait another day. Â We came in for tacos! Â
The hubs and I split the Tacos Arabes (split roasted pork and onions, served with a chipotle salsa) and the Gov. Precioso taco (Chorizo and Carne Asada). Â Both were absolutely delicious. Â You know it's good when there are still 5 more stops on the taco crawl and you're already planning on coming back to this one to get some Taco Arabes to take home!
The Taco Arabes had a great smoky flavor and the onions added a bit of sweetness. The Gov Precioso was delicious too. Â It seemed to have more chorizo that Carne Asada, but that's ok too because I love chorizo. Â Both meats were prepared so well, with a bit of grilled char to it. Â Everything was mouth-wateringly good.
Washed this all down with the fresh cantaloupe water--which also complemented everything well. The Horchata was also really good too and the small size was still free with your Yelp check in.
Lots to choose from off their menu, friendly service, fun atmosphere. Â I'll try the Cemitas next...maybe...those Tacos Arabes will be calling my name. Â Thank goodness for you Steve Dolinsky, the sharpie will stay tucked in my purse.
Ermahgerd, the cermitas are soooooooo good. I have really obsessive thoughts and dreams about the cermitas, and I just want to swim in their sala verde.
But I try to limit myself to eating here once a week, which is hard when I live so close.
The staff is super nice.
(And the horchata is tasty too!)
Ordered in from Cemitas Puebla because of the Living Social and high marks on Yelp. Did not disappoint. Hubby and I shared the Cemitas Atomica and the Cemitas Milanesa. It was amazing to be honest the Cemitas Atomica has more meat on a sandwich then I typically enjoy (insert crude "that's what she said" here) but it was more flavorful then the Milanesa.
P.S. Don't ask your Mexican friends about Cemitas, just because they haven't heard of it doesn't mean it's less authentic. It's regional, people.
Oooh, delightfully delicious. Â I came here with my good friend John on a personal mission: Cemitas. Â I ordered the Milanesa... wonderful. Â My friend ordered a taco arabe, also tasty. Â We topped it off with Horchatas, cinnamony and sugary... just what we wanted to balance the savory of the meal.
About my Milanesa: it is a beauty of complimentary ingredients. Â The thick sesame bread, hugging the flavorful pork meat, with Oaxacan cheese, and the adobo chipotle pepper paste... Â Wow, I love that abodo chipotle paste.. its a very unique, rich, hot flavor.
Prices are not too great, but not bad. Â Also the service is on and off, but you came here for the food anyways so no biggie, right?
Thank you Guy Fieri for this recommendation...this place is definitely worth the schlep. Â It's far from down town, but if you have a car, it's awesome! Â
The service is super friendly and they'll walk you through the menu if you have any questions. Â The guy in front of the register counter was also in every picture on the wall, so he knew what he was talking about. Â
The wife and I shared the following:
Cemitas Milanesa
Tacos on corn tortilla with onions and fresh cilantro:
Carne Asada  (Skirt Steak)
Al Pastor  (Marinated pieces of pork and onions)
Gov. Precioso  (Chorizo and Carne Asada)
Some guac and chips and two sodas.
Definitely worth the trip.
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