Knoxville Cuban Quest: Bistro at the Bijou
- Jared Hagemann
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Well, I had a busy week at work and didn't finish any of the other website projects I'm working on, but I did find time for another Cuban sandwich!
Today we're looking at the Bistro at the Bijou, the amazing and often overlooked restaurant located at the Bijou Theater.
The Bistro at the Bijou features a seasonal menu, daily specials (which are always incredible), and live jazz every week.
When I found out their lunch menu contains a Cuban sandwich, I knew I had to try it.
Last time, we saw the Aroma Cafe offering, an excellent traditional style Cuban that isn't one to miss, but the Bistro offers a unique spin on the formula.
This is their "Kosher Cuban" - featuring pastrami and turkey vs the pork and ham of a traditional one.
Accompanying the sandwich are house-made kettle potato chips and a generous serving of fresh pickles.
The sandwich itself is no slouch on the meat portion, this sandwich takes a big bite to eat.
The bread is fresh and perfectly pressed, with no dryness on this sandwich for miles.
The meat is also high in tasty flavors, with the pastrami and turkey mixing together excellently, and the fresh pickles complement the whole affair to create a distinctly unique take on the classic Cuban sandwich.
There's a reason I used the words fresh so much to describe this sandwich, everything here tastes high quality and expertly crafted, despite the simplicity of this sandwich.
As for the sides: the fresh kettle potato chips were equally high in flavor in quality and I can't get enough of those pickles.
Conclusion
So yeah, while not traditional, this unique take on the Cuban sandwich is not one to miss out on, and check out the rest of the menu while you're here. I'm still regretting not trying that peanut butter pie...
Where do you think we should visit next? Let us know in the comments below!
Here's our current Cuban sandwich ranking:
1) Aroma Café
2) Bistro at the Bijou
2) Barrelhouse