Press and Media

Unsung Heroes: Café Laguardia

Jane Boal
Reporter/Producer
September 30, 2005
Source: WGN TV

Cafe Laguardia is one of Bucktown's hottest Chicago restaurants. They also have an inspiring family story behind all of the amazing Cuban food, festive Cuban drinks, and live music.

The place is run by Mom, Dad, and Carlos, who greets and seats guests.

"Most of what I know is from my parents," Carlos says.

Customers like Victor Rodriquz rave about the menu which has authentic home-style Cuban foods. "The flavor is just right. The people in the kitchen are born and raised Cubans," Rodriquz says.

Add in a few of Mom's recipes...

"This is typical, shredded beef, and has pork medallions, and the red plantains," Carlos says. With a bit of flair from the specials menu. "We call these jungle rolls," Carlos says.

Some recipes are also inspired from their Dad's old restaurant in Cuba. "The way it was made back in 1950 in Cuba," Carlos says.

The original Cafe Laguardia was located near Havana, Cuba. It was called 'Los Cubanitos', which means little Cuban. It served as a restaurant, bar and a grocery store.

The Laguardia family moved to the United States in 1970. Then Dad suffered a heart attack after working in a factory. In an effort to keep him alive and happy (in their words) the brothers (Jorge now runs Cafe Laguardia West) pitched in and bought him an out-of-business sandwich shop.

"It was small it was real tiny," Carlos says.

Eight years later, Cafe Laguardia is a huge success in Chicago's trendy Bucktown neighborhood.

Mom and Carlos say they each work six days a week. And Dad, Roger is still going strong he puts in seven days a week, no less than 10 hours a day.

"He actually starts the groceries around 6 o'clock in the morning just when everything is opening up," Carlos says.

"He and my mom are the ones who trained the kitchen staff about eight years ago and we've had the same two chefs back there ever since we opened up," Carlos says.

Chicago's Very Own, Cafe Laguardia family for supporting one another and serving up authentic Cuban style cuisine.

Run by Jorge, the Cafe Laguardia family has opened up a second restaurant in Oak Park, on North Avenue, called Cafe Laguardia West.