Best Cuban Sandwiches in the Tampa Bay Area

Whether you like it cold or hot pressed, there's nothing quite like a good Cuban sandwich. Often called a Cubano, an authentic Cuban is a gastronomic delight of roast pork, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread - a long flat loaf baked in a wrapper of palmetto leaves. Finding a piece of a leaf in your bread is considered by some to be good luck.

While you can pick them up just about anywhere in the Tampa area from gas stations to fine restaurants, not all Cubans are created equal.

Here's our guide to the top spots for Cubans in the Tampa Bay area:

The Columbia Restaurant
2025 East 7^th Street
Ybor City
813-248-4961
(Additional locations in St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach)

This world famous restaurant is better known for its Paella a la Valencia and the Original 1905 Salad than for sandwiches, but the Columbia's recently re-engineered Cuban is one of the best. With a desire to return to the complexities of the Cuban he remembered as a child, Columbia President Richard Gonzmart even purchased a $30,000 machine to properly marinate the pork for his stack. He also insisted on finding Genoa salami containing peppercorns, an ingredient eliminated by most producers years ago in a cost cutting measure. Gonzmart is so particular about his sandwich he even designates the proper order for compiling: seasoned ham, marinated roast pork, Genoa salami, imported Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustard. The bread, still purchased from La Segunda Central which has been supplying bread to the Columbia for 93 years, is brushed with butter before being pressed into perfection.

Brocato's
5021 E Columbus Drive
Tampa
813- 248-9977

Look up "Dive" in the dictionary and there is probably a picture of Brocato's. What it lacks in ambience (or pavement in the parking lot), it makes up for in quality and quantity of the food it serves. If you order the 12-inch Cuban, you might want to consider sharing - or at least saving your white paper wrapper to take half home for dinner. The sandwich is not only an honest foot long, it's weighty as well - and not with fillers. This Tampa landmark still piles high the meat and cheese just as it has for the past 40 years.

The Floridian
230 Treasure Island Causeway
Treasure Island
727-367-6662
(Additional location in Tampa)

Ted and Valerie Diler slather on mayonnaise along with the other Cuban ingredient staples, but the addition doesn't seem to have hurt the sandwich's popularity. Well-spiced pork and the right cheese and pickles - Swiss, not American and dill, not kosher - helped this Cuban win top honors in two local contests. It was rated #1 in a St. Petersburg Times readers' poll and topped the list of five viewer favorites ranked by a group of Ybor descendents for Fox 13. The Dilar's recipe has become so well-received, they are considering franchising. A shop just opened on Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa, licensed to Harold Seltzer of the Sam Seltzer's Steakhouse chain.

Gold Ring
2510 N Tampa Street
Tampa
813-224-0986

If you happen to check out their website before you show up in person, don't be alarmed. You're at the right place. The opulence of the site sits in sharp contrast to the run-down shop you'll find at the corner of Tampa Street and Columbus Blvd. Still, the food served up at the counter is every bit as good as what they cater. Parking spaces are few, and the lot is awkward but worth waiting for a space. There are booths, but I recommend getting the large Cuban (about $5) to go. A traditional sandwich good for at least two meals.

La Teresita
3246 W Columbus Drive
Tampa
813-878-9704

Some may argue with our inclusion of this sandwich on a "Best" list. La Teresita does top theirs with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise - heresy to the Cuban purist. I still contend it's a good sandwich, and, at around $3.00, you can't beat the price. The roast pork is superbly seasoned with just the right amount of Mojo, giving the meat a great garlicky, citrus flavor. You also can't deny the importance of the bread in a Cuban, and La Teresita's is always fresh and baked to perfection: crusty on the outside, soft in the center. You can order it in the dining room or around the corner at the 24-hour cafeteria counter. For those wanting a more authentic sandwich, ask them to hold those pesky added ingredients.