It’s no surprise to see some Tampa legends wind up on a list of the very best Cuban Sandwich Spots in America. The latest roundup from Tasting Table sought to highly the 21 must-visit spots across the country for the best traditional Cuban sandwiches. Spots in Miami, Tampa, and Key West all appear on the list, with others from Portland, OR, Manhattan, and Los Angeles winding up in the article.
The methodology is decribed by editor Elettra Pauletto: While I wish I could have traveled the country to sample every Cuban sandwich, I could only try a few great ones myself, which I’ve listed here. I relied on food critics from The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times for the rest. Despite the abundance of great Cuban sandwiches, I had to limit our list to 21. To refine it, I checked Google reviews to see which of the critics’ picks were most loved by the public.
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La Segunda, 108 years of culinary excellence in Tampa
The first featured institution is La Segunda. The bakery was also just listed among the 100 best bakeries in the country by Food & Wine. Here’s what the site had to say about this local gem:
“Cuban bread, handmade by a small army of lifers, still with the signature palm frond running the length of each loaf, the way it’s been done for more than a century. Any further questions? Thought not. Family-owned since day one, a second, sit-down location finally opened not long ago—come in the morning for too much cafe con leche and buttered toast, otherwise known as one of Tampa’s best breakfasts.”
Visit La Segunda at 3 locations:
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- 2512 N. 15th Street, Ybor City
- 4015 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa
- 2424 4th St. N, St. Pete
The Columbia is a Florida foodie treasure
Next up is The Columbia Restaurant, which recently received similiar praise from Southern Living. “The decor will make you feel like you’ve stepped into an old Spanish kingdom or a set for a “Zorro” remake,” writes Pauletto. “Indeed, this location (the first of several), which was established in 1905, is the oldest continually operating restaurant in Florida.”
Columbia’s current Cuban is based on the sandwich popularized over a century ago and features salami, ham, and roast pork. Historian Andrew Huse says the three biggest factors that make The Columbia’s so special are sugar, fat, and bread.
Visit the original Columbia at 2117 E. 7th Ave, and on the ground floor of the Tampa Bay History Center at 801 Water St.
A trip for honeyed bread in West Tampa
The final Tampa inclusion is West Tampa Sandwich Shop. This historic hub came to fame when sitting President Obama paid a visit back in 2012. The former POTUS’ order was the Cuban sandwich on honeyed bread, which from then on became known as The Obama.
The tradiitonal Cuban sandwich here comes with ham, salami, pork, Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes. You can visit the hub at 3904 N Armenia Ave.
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