We've Found The Best Pan Con Bistec in Miami at This Week's Hidden Gem
Surprise, it's in Hialeah
Photo by Carlos Miller
Hialeah is for lovers. If you just spit out your Cafecito laughing, drive through on a weekday afternoon and see how many people have chosen The City of Progress as the destination for their lunchtime honeymoons, at romantic resorts with names like “Miami Express Motel” and “Your Husband Definitely Isn’t Here With His Intern Lodge.” Then, once you’ve finished your cultural anthropology, delve into another thing Hialeah is famous for: Pan con bistec.
If you don’t speak Hialean, Pan con Bistec is one of the easier items on a Cuban cafeteria’s menu to figure out. Not quite as simple as “Cuban Sandwich,” but still pretty easy. “Bistec” literally means “Beefsteak,” so “pan” could mean “kick in the teeth” and you’d probably still order it, because, really, beefsteak. In its essence, it’s a steak sandwich, usually topped with crispy potato strings, lettuce, tomato, onions, and mayo. Finding the best one in Miami, much less the Cuban-American enclave of Hialeah, might seem like a challenge. But luckily we saw a sign that said ‘El major pan con bistec” outside Pronto Café Subs & Wings. Turns out, this was not an exaggeration.
So why is this pan con bistec so good?
Pronto marinates its strip steak in a blend of garlic, pepper, and mysterious spices for 24-to-48 hours, and the result is a piece of meat that could stand alone as an entrée. It’s then topped with 24-hour mojo-marinated onions, which are also tasty on their own. Next come fresh-cut hash browns, and fresh bread that doesn’t slice your mouth up like you owe it money. It comes in daily from Cusano’s Bakery, and while it’s not the Cuban bread you might expect, it takes the sandwich from good to great.
The Space: It's pure Hialeah. There’s reggaeton on TV. There’s families with small children running around. There are video slot machines labelled as “Games of Entertainment” on the back, who’ll still happily accept $1, $5, and $20 bills. Do they pay out? This is Hialeah, bro, if you expect them to pay out you’re exactly the kind of person who plays slot machines at a sandwich shop. Of which, on the afternoon we went in, there were several, who looked like they’d been sitting there since 1980. It’s all the chaos you come to Hialeah for, and deserves to be soaked in as well as the wing sauce.
Photo by Carlos Miller
What to eat and drink: The pan con bistec is the reason you’re going here, because the amount of thought and flavor put into the thing is unlike any I’ve tried in Miami. That said, if you want to explore past the sandwich the wings are also fantastic, marinated in pepper and spices before they’re fried and tossed in a number of sauces. The Bufalo and mango habanero were good, though we’ve been told the lemon pepper is best. The Venezuelan-style empanadas are also winners, with meat made with as much flavor and spice as the steak.
Perfect for: Getting a pan con bistec. Seriously, it’s a lunch counter/cafeteria in Hialeah, so you’re not going here for an anniversary dinner, unless it’s with your +1 at the Airport Express Motel. It’s also a great spot to show an out-of-towner who might want something a little more authentic than Cuban Fusion in Wynwood.
Pro tips: Pronto makes a ropa vieja special a few times a month that’s also fantastic. If it’s there, order it. Also, everything is made to order so expect more restaurant-like wait times for your food than you’d expect at your typical cafeteria.
Expect to pay: About $15. Nooooo, que barato!
How’s the parking: There is a parking lot. A parking lot packed with Hialeah drivers. So, stay alert
Check out the whole video on our Instagram!
@pronto.miami // 86 W. 29th St., Hialeah