Cemitas Puebla’s new West Loop location
I’m not 100% certain, but I think Glenn Danzig loves sandwiches just as much as the rest of us. And as we all know, he wants, no he needs skulls. Mine, yours, whoevers. Dude loves him some skulls.
Spooky Skull Wall – OK it’s less dark and spooky in real life.
Just a couple of Saturdays ago, Humboldt Park favorite Cemitas Puebla opened a new location in the West Loop on Fulton Market, just a few doors down from Publican Quality Meats, next door to Glazed & Infused. I’ve been following this development with a lot of excitement, as that puts one of my favorite sandwiches in the city within walking distance of my office. I often avoid highly-anticipated new places, as I’m not a fan of crowds, but on a Tuesday, after 1pm, on a day when the weather was a bit on the inhospitable side, I found steady but manageable traffic for my inaugural visit.
I don’t imagine my Chicago sandwich people need to be told how great the food at Cemitas Puebla can be, but if you haven’t checked out the new location, just look for the big skull on the door.
The skull motif starts at the front door.
The interior sports good-sized tables with a combination of benches and chairs, in an arrangement easily lending itself to table sharing. The interior decor also continues the Dia de los Muertos theme.
Cemitas Puebla
It’s a much more attractive space than the original location, but the routine is familiar. Upon entering I was greeted by an older gentleman and asked if I was familiar with the menu, as I’d seen so many times at the North Avenue location. You order and pay at the counter, find a spot to sit, and your food is brought out to you within a couple of minutes. My usual order is the Cemita Milanesa but what they’re really famous for is the Atomica, which combines the Milanesa with Carne Enchilada & ham. I decided I could evaluate multiple ingredients simultaneously by getting the bigger sandwich. It’s all about efficiency, really.
You want the yellow bottle. It’s not mustard.
The three house salsas were brought out even before my sandwich hit the table. Salsa verde, with a punchy tomatillo tartness and not too much heat. A more standard red salsa, thin enough for a squeeze bottle but with a nice savory tomato flavor. And the one you want, the chipotle sauce, smokey, hot, rich, like the best Mexican BBQ sauce you’ve ever dreamed of but didn’t think existed. I find myself trying the other salsas every time, and every time I find myself returning to the Chipotle sauce.
Cloth napkins. Very fancy
My sandwich was brought out on a tin serving tray, lined with wax paper. They brought a cloth napkin, which was a nice touch. With a sandwich like this it’s easy to end up wearing as much of it as you consume. The bread was the familiar cemita roll, huge and crisp-crusted, studded with sesame seeds and toasted on the grill.
THIS. is a sandwich.
Minor complaints could be made–the avocado could have been a touch riper, the balance between the three meats could have been a bit more even. I did not detect any papalo, though that is likely because the season is ending and it may not be available anymore. But these complaints would really be nitpicking. The Milanesa was fried just right, remaining crisp within the sandwich without being dried out. The carne enchilada was moist and flavorful. There was just the right amount of the mild Oaxacan cheese to announce its presence without overwhelming. It all worked together. This was a great sandwich.
My friend and fellow Sandwich Tribunal writer/editor Josh makes time for a sandwich from Publican Quality Meats every time he comes to Chicago. Josh, I think you’re going to have to make 2 Fulton Market trips next time. You don’t want to miss this, and you won’t need a second sandwich after one of these.
Having Cemitas Puebla so easily available is going to require a lot more self-control than I’m really comfortable with.
I like sandwiches.
I like a lot of other things too but sandwiches are pretty great
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