More Cuban Cuisine: El Bohio Criollo Food Truck Adds Variety to Federal Boulevard

I recently had some tasty Cuban sandwiches and fried potato croquetas at the Cuba Bakery & Cafe — but while the intersection of East Mississippi Avenue and South Chambers Road may be an easy stop for many Aurora residents, it's quite a drive for the sake of a sandwich. Luckily, a new option recently popped up in my neck of the woods: a Cuban food truck called El Bohio Criollo, which serves breakfast and lunch from a parking lot on Federal Boulevard between 17th and 18th avenues.

The truck offers a number of traditional sandwiches, from a pork-pudged Cubano with ham, shredded pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard, to beef or chicken pressed subs, to a sleek little number packed with fried potato croquettes. Each comes topped with a mound of matchstick fries, but other sides are available for a little extra: ham or cheese croquetas, fried yuca, flaky empanadas, and spirals of fried dough called tequeños that ooze white cheese from either end. 
Along with daily specials of juicy meats sided with rice, black beans and fried plantain, the menu also lists an odd sandwich called a frita Cubana — odd in Denver, anyway, since the burger-like construction is popular enough in Miami to warrant its own list of the ten best in that city. Unlike a hamburger, the patty in a frita Cubana is a blend of pork chorizo and beef. Bohio Criollo's version is a dense puck of meat fried until crisp on the edges and wedged into a bun of Cuban bread with yellow cheese, lettuce, pickles, mustard and a shower of matchstick fries.

A side of fried yuca with aji verde (a mild, creamy sauce) is a good accompaniment, but it's filling enough to be shared. The truck also offers a range of batidos: Cuban-style shakes in a rainbow of tropical fruit flavors. If you're looking for the Caribbean equivalent of a burger-and-shake combo, chase your frita Cubana with a batido de trigo — made with puffed wheat — for a classic pairing.
Bohio Criollo is usually open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and there are breakfast options, too, including Cuban coffees and pastries for not-so-early risers. Not that a person could ever get sick of Federal Boulevard's many taco options, but the addition of Cuban cuisine to the stretch makes for a tempting change of pace.