Sunday Morning Cuban Coffee
Café Contigo, Anaheim
This morning was Fathers Day, and we decided to honor my father (and mother) by getting some authentic Cuban fare at Café Contigo in downtown Anaheim. My family has always said that there aren’t enough “fast” Cuban eating places around. Most Cuban restaurants are the “sit-down” types and there’s so many great Cuban foods that lend themselves to this type of dining: Empanadas, Cuban Coffee, Cuban Pressed Sandwiches, Batidos (Cuban Smoothies), Tostones (crispy fried plantains) and the list goes on. I was happy to see the fine folks at Café Contigo get it.
Our first impression was the atmosphere. Café Contigo is first and foremost a coffee house, so it has that community/hangout feel to it, and if there’s one thing Cubans know how to do well it’s community hangouts. The decor and ambiance is great! Weathered furniture, deep tones, great natural light and outdoor eating area mixed with wonderful, authentic music. They also have really great coffee table books of life in Cuba and table games like Cuban dominoes. I already knew I was going to like this place the moment I walked in.
Their Cuban Sandwich is authentic and delicious. The foundation of a great Cuban sandwich is really good, crusty Cuban bread, and I found out from talking with the personable staff that Café Contigo gets some of their baked goods (including bread) from Porto’s Bakery in Glendale. Those in the know, know that is a very very good thing! The empanadas at Café Contigo are also delectable, perfectly spiced and cooked. I dare you to only eat one.
If I had one criticism of Café Contigo it’s that their menu is kind of on the light side. The smoothies are not very authentic and they are missing the most quintessential of Cuban Batidos: Mamey. The lack of a Batido de Mamey from the menu was a glaring disappointment. They could also consider adding other sandwiches, Tostones and fried Yucca fries to the menu.
Still, this place was a great find and I look forward to returning and sampling more of their coffee treats and enjoying more empanadas!
Subpar 
Sublime
Wonder Bread 
Multigrain
Fancy Down Home
Credit Card 
Pocket Change
Safe No Ingles
Never Again All-time Fav
July 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
One thing the reviewer must understand is, as he/she stated, that Cafe Contigo is a c o f f e e h o u s e, not really a restaurant. A c a f e. Tradtionally and for a reason, these types of establishments don’t have large menus. Further Cafe Contigo does not have a ‘real’ kitchen with which to operate a deep fryer for his/her request that Tostones and Yucca fries be added to the menu. And, according to wisegeek.com, mamey, a type of tropical fruit native to the C a r i b b a n, is difficult to find outside of that region of the world. Dare I ask when is the last time the reviewer saw bin of mamey fruit in the produce section of their local market? I think your criticisms are a little over the top without doing a little research or asking the staff at Cafe Congtigo about why certain things aren’t on the menu and or suggesting to them that they be added. They can then probably tell you either yes we could look into your request else tell you the reasons why they can’t fill such a request(s).
July 5th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Clarke, Don’t get me wrong, they’re very minor criticisms. Overall I really like what Cafe Contigo has going on. The only way they could improve is to expand their offerings. Those were just suggestions I threw out but there’s definitely a million different ways they could go with it. Even if they did nothing and left it the way it is, it’s still an excellent place and I highly recommend everyone check it out. Thanks for your comment!
July 6th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Actually, since first opening in December ‘07 Cafe Contigo has added quite a few new food and beverage items to its menu. Of course if one’s first time visit is recent, that is within the last couple of months, they wouldn’t know that. But again, and as a coffeehouse/cafe, they’re not looking to have as extensive a menu as would a restaurant. They want to keep it somewhat simple by adding a few itmes now and then or changing up items occasionally and or offering ‘limited time’ items. So you see, they really have that angle well covered. And these have to be items that have ingredients that can be easily obtained and that can be prepared somewhat quickly. I echo your don’t get me wrong statement. Overall, I thought your review was very positive and one that highly recommended Cafe Contigo to others. I must admit that I have met and talked with owners Linda & Petros Frangos many times while visiting Cafe Contigo being a customer since the ‘early days’ and so I know what they are ‘going for’ in when it comes to what Cafe Contigo is and what it will become in the future. They are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. And, when they are in the ‘Cafe’ they want to meet all their customers and are happy to talk with them about any subject they wish, including comments or suggestions they might have on beverage and food items that Cafe Contigo offers or what they might think would be a nice addition to those items.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
I have some very sad news for you - CONTIGO IS CLOSING for good this Sunday. I’ve been going there on a daily basis since I found it and I will sorely miss it. They gave Anaheim a little exotic oasis among so many mediocre shops. Visit them before they close!
October 19th, 2008 at 12:26 am
That’s terrible news! So sad to loose a truly great coffee shop. The few times I was there it wasn’t very crowded which is both a blessing and a curse because you feel like you’ve discovered your own personal kind of place to hang out but if enough people don’t support it they don’t last…