Yuma is opening on Friday, serving Cubano sandwiches and more.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
A sandwich popup that built a loyal following for its Cuban and Brazilian sandwiches is finally opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant this week, complete with a Houston-inspired menu and a Latin-forward bar program.
Yuma opens Friday in the former Ninja Ramen space at 4219 Washington Ave. The restaurant comes from husband-and-wife team Mike Hartley and Miriam Leek-Meira, whose Brazilian heritage is woven throughout the menu.
“When people think of Brazilian cuisine, they think of the churrascarias that are just meat smorgasbords that have become synonymous with Brazil here in the United States,” said Leek-Meira. “We have so much more to offer. I’m excited to introduce people to what I grew up eating in Brazil through the prism of the Cuban sandwich.”
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It’s been a long time coming for Yuma, which held its first popup in late 2023. The couple replaced Ninja Ramen’s grungy aesthetic with neutral tones, tropical greenery and artwork from Brazil and Cuba that ties together the intimate, 1,400-square-foot restaurant.
The team is also paying homage to the building’s past life with the return of Ninja Ramen’s popular Monday karaoke and industry night.
Michael Hartley and Miriam Leek-Meira officially open their Cuban-Brazilian sandwich restaurant on Friday.
Raquel Natalicchio, Houston Chronicle
Hartley and Leek-Meira met while working at Brasserie 19, where Hartley served as executive sous chef. They later left the River Oaks restaurant to help open a downtown bar before launching MMH Provisions, a microbakery, in 2021. The business specialized in bread sold at farmers markets.
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The couple began making Cuban bread — a baguette-like loaf — after a friend requested it. When the first batch came out of the oven, Leek-Meira was struck by how much it smelled like the bread she remembered from spending summers in Brazil as a child. Both Cuban and Brazilian breads are traditionally made with lard rather than butter or oil.
As she dug deeper, Leek-Meira found similarities between Cuban and Brazilian cooking traditions. The same friend who requested the bread later suggested opening a Cuban sanduicheira, planting the seed for what would become Yuma. The concept eventually evolved into a sandwich menu inspired by the global flavors that define Houston.
The pair retired MMH Provisions in February 2025 to focus fully on Yuma, which by then was popping up several times a week at bars and farmers markets. Hartley leads the kitchen, baking the bread for every sandwich served.
“The intention was never to open a brick-and-mortar bakery. We wanted an awesome restaurant that has a really great bread program,” Hartley said.
A selection of sandwiches, small plates and drinks from Yuma, a Brazilian and Cuban sandwich restaurant opening Friday.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
A Cubano sandwich at Yuma in Houston.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
Tostones served with a side of sofrito sauce at Yuma in Houston.
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Croquetas filled with ham and Gruyère cheese at Yuma in Houston.
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The El Penny sandwich, inspired by Cuban and Vietnamese flavors at Yuma.
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Pão de queijo, Brazilian cheese rolls at Yuma.
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The Vice Presidente cocktail at Yuma.
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The Guava Aperol Spritz, a nonalcoholic cocktail, is photographed at Yuma.
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Yuma’s Guanabana Caipi, is a nonalcoholic caipirinha made with guanabana syrup, lime juice and coconut water.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
Michael Hartley and Miriam Leek-Meira, owners of Yuma, a Brazilian and Cuban sandwich restaurant opening its first brick-and-mortar location later this month, are photographed inside the restaurant in Houston, Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
The classic Cubano, made with roasted pork, ham, gruyere, pickles and mustard, is Yuma’s best-seller. Other sandwiches include the caipira, a Brazilian-inspired cheesesteak; El Jardín, a hearty vegan sandwich with tostones, sofrito, mustard greens and black bean purée; El Penny Cubano Banh Mi, a chicken sandwich; and a newly added fish sando.
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New for the former popup is a full bar. Bar bites include Brazilian-inspired items such as pão de queijo, or Brazilian cheese rolls, and pastel de bife, Brazilian beef empanadas. Desserts include rotating flavors of brigadeiros, a Brazilian confection.
“Houston’s got a really great culinary scene, but I feel like what we’re doing something that doesn’t exist,” Hartley said.
The drink menu was developed in consultation with Jamie Diaz of Nancy’s Hustle, with an emphasis on cachaça, a Brazilian spirit made from sugarcane, and rum. The team is aiming to build the largest cachaça collection in Houston. Signature drinks include the Lime Caipirinha, a nod to Brazil’s classic cocktail; the Passionfruit Cloud, made with cachaça, passionfruit and honey; and the Toasted Caju, an old fashioned with clarified cashew milk. The wine list will focus on smaller labels and natural wines.
The Passionfruit Cloud cocktail at Yuma has cachaca, passionfruit and honey.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
The Yuma owners also put just as much effort into making a menu of zero-proof cocktails, with options such as a guava Aperol spritz and Guarana libre, a twist on a Cuba libre that uses Brazilian soda. Leek-Meira is making her own nonalcoholic rum. There will also be NA wines and beer.
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“This could be equally considered a non-alcoholic bar, just as much as an alcoholic bar,” Leek-Meira said.
Yuma’s normal operating hours will be 4 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Monday. It plans to offer lunch service and a late-night to-go window in the future.
The exterior of Yuma, a Brazilian and Cuban sandwich restaurant opening its first brick-and-mortar location on Friday.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
Dining and Cooking