Coppelia

207 W 14th St, New York, NY (Chelsea)

6/8/18

Frita Cubana Burger (Ground sirloin patty, chicharron, lettuce and tomato, pickles, cheddar cheese, roasted pork on brioche roll)

Sides: Empanadas (sweet corn and cheese, chicken, beef picadillo, oxtail: sweet plantains dough, crema, cotija cheese, pico de gallo and salsa verde)

3.1/5 The first Sandwich Friday of 2018 brought us the Frita Cubana Burger from quite possibly the only 24/7 Cuban diner in NYC, Coppelia. This burger started off a summer of sandwich exploration; after all does a burger count as a sandwich?? (see Sandwich Alignment Chart below). Though the buttery, brioche roll was tasty, the sandwich didn't travel well, leaving the bottom buns far too soggy. On top of that, the char on the burger was too much. In the wise words of Alex, "If you're gonna do a burger, you gotta elevate it, I'm just getting burnt diner burger." But enough with the negatives, there were still plenty of great aspects that this sandwich had going for itself. Marlowe claimed the chicharron was a "stroke of genius," while Sara T. stated that "the bites that were good, were so good." In addition, this burger was very filling. Overall, it wasn't the best, but it also wasn't the worst! One thing is for certain, the empanadas were the true winner today; special shoutouts to the beef, sweet corn and the dipping sauce for stealing the show.