Tony Anteliz’s parents both came from the Mexican state of Puebla and raised him between Chicago and summers in Mexico, where he learned to love the city of Puebla’s food culture — particularly two items: the cemita sandwich and the taco arabe. He opened Taqueria Puebla in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, but the standard tacos didn’t draw the attention he wanted. He spent years evangelizing the cemita, offering cut-up samples to customers, until word spread and the Pueblan specialties became Chicago favorites. He renamed the restaurant Cemitas Puebla and it became one of the most celebrated sandwich destinations in the city. The restaurant appeared in Season 4, Episode 11 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Grabbin’ a Sandwich,” which aired October 13, 2008. At the time of filming it was the only place in Chicago serving authentic cemitas — Poblano sandwiches on sesame seed rolls baked fresh daily, slathered with avocado and chipotle adobo, stuffed with meaty fillings and Oaxacan cheese. The original Humboldt Park location closed in 2015 due to a landlord dispute, and a second location in Fulton Market operated until January 2020, when it too closed permanently. Cemitas Puebla is no longer operating.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Cemitas Puebla
City: Chicago, Illinois
Cuisine: Mexican / Sandwiches
DDD Season: 4
DDD Episode: 11
Episode Title: Grabbin’ a Sandwich
Original Air Date: October 13, 2008
Address: 3619 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 (former location)
Status: Permanently Closed
About Cemitas Puebla
The cemita is a sandwich from Puebla, Mexico, built on a sesame seed roll with a brioche-like consistency, filled with pounded-thin breaded meat (milanesa), avocado, Oaxacan string cheese, chipotle peppers in adobo, and a salsa verde. The taco arabe, another Pueblan specialty with Lebanese roots, features spit-roasted meat on pan arabe flatbread with chipotle sauce. Cemitas Puebla was responsible for introducing both to mainstream Chicago, and the restaurant appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Unique Eats, and Chicago’s Best over its 13-year run.
Last Known Location
Original Location: 3619 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 (closed 2015)
Final Location: 817 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL (closed January 2020)
Status: Permanently Closed
Cemitas Puebla appeared in Season 4, Episode 11 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Grabbin’ a Sandwich,” originally aired October 13, 2008. The original Humboldt Park location closed in 2015 and the final Fulton Market location closed in January 2020.