El Brazo Fuerte Bakery Menu

Pastelitos

Sugar-glazed puff pastry turnovers, the backbone of the Cuban bakery counter and often bought by the dozen for the office.

• Pastelito de Guayaba y QuesoVegetarianGuava paste paired with sweetened cream cheese in a crackly, glazed pastry shell, balancing fruity tang with mellow richness.
• Pastelito de QuesoVegetarianA round or square puff pastry filled with sweet whipped cream cheese, lighter than cheesecake and dusted with sugar.
• Pastelito de CarneSavorySeasoned ground beef picadillo with onion and olives tucked inside sweet-glazed puff pastry, a classic sweet-and-savory contrast.
• Pastelito de CocoVegetarianPuff pastry wrapped around a moist shredded coconut filling cooked with sugar, chewy and fragrant inside golden layers.
• Pastelito de PolloSavoryPastry filled with shredded chicken stewed in a light tomato sofrito, glazed so each bite is both sweet and savory.
• Pastelito de GuayabaVegetarian · Popular pickRectangular puff pastry filled with sticky guava paste and brushed with simple syrup, flaky and shiny with a tart, floral sweetness.

Croquetas y Bocaditos

Fried and savory bites that pair with a cafecito at the walk-up window.

• Croqueta de JamónSavory · Popular pickCylinders of creamy ham béchamel, breaded and fried to a crunchy shell; eaten whole or pressed into Cuban bread.
• Croqueta de PolloSavoryA chicken version of the classic croqueta, with a smooth filling of shredded chicken and béchamel inside crisp breadcrumbs.
• Papa RellenaSavoryA ball of mashed potato stuffed with beef picadillo, breaded and deep-fried; crisp outside, fluffy and well-seasoned inside.
• Empanada de PicadilloSavoryA crimped turnover filled with ground beef simmered in sofrito with raisins and green olives, fried until the dough blisters and crackles.
• Bocadito de PastaSavorySmall, soft sweet rolls filled with a pink ham spread made from deviled ham, cream cheese, and pimiento; a party-tray mainstay.
• Tamal CubanoSavory · Gluten-freeFresh-ground corn masa mixed with pork and sofrito, wrapped in corn husks and steamed; softer and sweeter than Mexican-style tamales.
• Bollitos de CaritaVegan · SavorySmall black-eyed pea fritters seasoned with garlic, fried until crunchy and golden, and served hot as a snack.

Panes y Sándwiches

Long loaves baked throughout the day and the pressed sandwiches built on them.

• Tostada CubanaVegetarianA length of Cuban bread split, buttered generously, and pressed flat on a hot plancha until crisp; meant for dunking into café con leche.
• Sándwich CubanoSavory · Popular pickRoast pork, sweet ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread, pressed until the crust crackles and the cheese melts.
• MedianocheSavoryThe cubano's late-night cousin, built with the same pork, ham, cheese, and pickle fillings on soft, sweet egg bread.
• Pan con LechónSavorySlow-roasted mojo pork with sautéed onions, piled onto pressed Cuban bread; garlicky, citrusy, and juicy.
• Pan con BistecSavoryThin palomilla steak with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and shoestring potato sticks on toasted Cuban bread.
• Pan CubanoDairy-freeA long, light loaf with a thin, crackly crust and airy crumb, traditionally made with lard and scored down its top.
• Pan SuaveVegetarianA soft, slightly sweet egg bread with a golden crust, used for medianoche sandwiches and for toasting.

Dulces y Cakes

Custards, cookies, and cakes, many with Spanish roots and a distinctly Cuban sweet tooth.

• Buñuelos de YucaVegetarian · SeasonalChristmas-season fritters of yuca and malanga twisted into figure eights, fried, and drenched in anise-scented syrup.
• Flan de LecheVegetarian · Gluten-freeClassic Cuban flan made with condensed and evaporated milk, dense and creamy under a pool of deep amber caramel.
• Pudín de PanVegetarianCuban bread pudding baked with day-old bread, milk, eggs, and raisins, set in caramel; tender and lightly spiced.
• Torticas de MorónVegetarianSugar cookies from the town of Morón, crumbly and short with hints of lime zest, sometimes topped with a dab of guava.
• SeñoritaVegetarianA Cuban napoleon of crisp puff pastry sheets layered with vanilla custard and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
• CapuchinosVegetarianSmall cone-shaped yolk sponge cakes soaked in a citrus-and-cinnamon syrup, damp, springy, and gone in two bites.
• MerenguitosVegetarian · Gluten-freeBite-size meringue kisses, crisp and powdery, sometimes tinted pink or flavored with vanilla; a party-tray staple.
• Cake CubanoVegetarianCuban-style celebration cake of vanilla sponge soaked in syrup, filled with guava or custard, and frosted with fluffy meringue.
• Tocinillo del CieloVegetarian · Gluten-freeAn ultra-rich custard made almost entirely of egg yolks and sugar syrup, dense, glossy, and intensely sweet.

Ventanita

Coffee and cold drinks from the walk-up window, sweet and strong.

• CafecitoVegan · Dairy-freeA thimble-size shot of dark-roast espresso whipped with sugar into a pale, foamy espumita; potent and syrupy.
• ColadaVegan · Dairy-freeA larger serving of sweetened Cuban espresso in a foam cup, poured into tiny plastic cups for sharing among coworkers.
• CortaditoVegetarian · Gluten-freeCuban espresso cut with an equal splash of steamed evaporated or whole milk, mellowing the bitterness into a caramel tone.
• Café con LecheVegetarian · Gluten-freeA large cup of hot milk poured with a shot of sweet espresso, traditionally paired with buttered toast for breakfast.
• Batido de MameyVegetarian · Gluten-freeA thick shake blended from mamey sapote, milk, and ice, with a flavor reminiscent of sweet potato, pumpkin, and apricot.
• Champola de GuanábanaVegetarian · Gluten-freeA creamy soursop drink blended with milk and sugar, tangy and tropical with a custardy body.

Drinks

• Cafecito (Cuban espresso)Vegan · Gluten-freeShort, intensely sweet espresso made by whipping the first drops with sugar into an espumita foam; served in thimble-sized cups to share.
• Café de ollaVeganMexican coffee simmered with piloncillo and cinnamon stick, traditionally in a clay pot; earthy, spiced, and molasses-sweet without any milk.
• ChampurradoVegetarian · Gluten-freeThick, warm masa-based drink cooked with Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and piloncillo; spoon-coating texture that pairs naturally with pan dulce or tamales.
• Mexican hot chocolateVegetarianDisks of cinnamon-scented, slightly grainy Mexican chocolate melted into milk and frothed with a molinillo for a foamy, spiced cup.
• HorchataVegetarian · Gluten-freeChilled rice drink blended with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar, sometimes with almonds; milky-white, lightly gritty, and cooling on a hot afternoon.
• Agua frescaVegan · Gluten-freeFresh fruit blended with water, lime, and a little sugar; common rotating flavors include watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and jamaica (hibiscus).