CLEVELAND FOOD & CULTURE
Five Cleveland kitchens are keeping the jibarito alive—but only one can win the Cleveland Boricua reader vote.
By Cleveland Boricua Staff | Updated Aug. 23, 2026
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Reach more. Sell more.Grow your visibility with Cleveland Boricua.SIGN UP NOWCLEVELAND, Ohio — Crispy, garlicky and built without a traditional bun, the jibarito is one of the most unforgettable sandwiches found in Puerto Rican and Latin kitchens. Two flattened, fried green plantains take the place of bread, holding together combinations of steak, pernil, chicken or other meats with cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo-ketchup.
But who makes Cleveland’s best one?
Cleveland Boricua checked restaurant websites, ordering platforms and recent business listings to identify the Cleveland restaurants that currently advertise a jibarito—or a clearly comparable plantain sandwich. We found five contenders inside the city limits.
1. Gually’s Bakery & Restaurant
6201 Denison Ave., Cleveland
Gually’s offers one of the most customizable jibaritos in this lineup. Its current ordering menu allows customers to choose steak, pernil, chicken or ham between fried plantains with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo-ketchup. The combination of a Puerto Rican bakery, hot-food counter and sandwich menu also makes Gually’s a convenient stop for anyone who wants pan sobao or pastries with the meal.
View Gually’s current ordering menu.
2. Rincon Criollo Take #2
7403 Denison Ave., Cleveland
Rincon Criollo has long been connected to Cleveland’s Puerto Rican food scene, and its jibarito remains one of the city’s best-known versions. Recent customer listings mention both steak and pernil sandwiches at the Denison Avenue restaurant.
There is an important location update: the original Rincon Criollo on Detroit Avenue closed in 2026 and was replaced by El Kiosquito on Detroit. Rincon Criollo Take #2 on Denison remains open, according to recent local reporting.
Visit Rincon Criollo’s website and read the latest location update from Cleveland Magazine.
3. Tapatia’s Taqueria
12501 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
Tapatia’s brings a broader Latin spin to the competition with its “Jibarito San Juan & Fries.” Diners can choose steak, chicken, carnitas or chorizo with fried tostones, lettuce, red onions and tomato, finished with cilantro-lime mayo or traditional mayo-ketchup.
4. Benny’s Sports Bar and Latin Restaurant
3463 Fulton Road, Cleveland
Benny’s online menu lists two straightforward Puerto Rican-style choices: a steak jibarito and a chicken jibarito, both made with flattened fried green plantains instead of bread. Because the available menu is supplied by a third-party listing, readers should call ahead to confirm current availability and pricing.
View Benny’s online menu listing.
5. Caribe Bake Shop
2906 Fulton Road, Cleveland
Caribe’s version appears online as a “Sandwich de Plátano” rather than under the jibarito name. The listing offers pastrami, pernil or chicken inside fried plantains. Caribe Bake Shop remains open, but customers should call first because its detailed sandwich listing comes from a third-party menu.
Check Caribe Bake Shop’s current location information or view the plantain-sandwich listing.
Who Makes Cleveland’s Best Jibarito?
Choose your favorite—and if we missed your neighborhood spot, tell us in the comments.
This Vote Is About More Than One Sandwich
The jibarito conversation is also a chance to recognize the cooks, bakeries, bars and family-run restaurants carrying Puerto Rican flavors across Cleveland. Every order supports a local kitchen—and every recommendation helps another neighbor discover a business they may have passed without noticing.
Cleveland Boricua is not selecting a winner or endorsing one restaurant over another. The community will decide through the reader poll. Restaurants are welcome to contact Cleveland Boricua with corrections, updated menus or additional jibarito offerings.
A Note About Closed Restaurants
Older searches may still surface jibarito menus from The Blue Palm, the original Rincon Criollo on Detroit Avenue, Moncho’s Mexican Grill and Twisted Taino in Parma. Those closed locations were not included as current contenders. El Kiosquito now operates from the former Rincon Criollo space on Detroit Avenue, but Cleveland Boricua did not find a currently published jibarito listing for the restaurant during this review.
Methodology: Cleveland Boricua reviewed official restaurant websites, active ordering platforms, recent business listings and local reporting available on Aug. 23, 2026. Menus, prices and hours can change. Readers should contact each restaurant before making a special trip.
Feature image: Cleveland Boricua-generated editorial illustration. It does not depict a sandwich from any specific restaurant.
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