Flavors · Tampa

Cuban sandwich

Cuban sandwich made with Cuban bread, roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed on a griddle. In Tampa it also includes salami. The City Council declared it the city’s signature sandwich in 2012.

Traditional dish from Tampa, Flórida

Also known as: Cubano, Cuban mix, Mixto, Sándwich cubano

Updated October 2026

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Cuban sandwich — Tampa, the United States — Cuban sandwich

Cuban sandwich — Tampa, the United States

The Cuban sandwich is made with Cuban bread, long and thin-crusted, filled with marinated roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, cucumber pickles and mustard. After assembly it’s pressed on a flat griddle until the bread is crispy and the cheese melts, then sliced diagonally.

The exact origin is hard to pin down because the back-and-forth between Cuba and Florida was intense and poorly documented. The earliest records of a distinct Cuban sandwich come from the cafés frequented by cigar factory workers in Ybor City and West Tampa, around 1900.

In Tampa the sandwich includes Genoa salami, an addition attributed to Italian immigrants who lived in Ybor City alongside Cubans and Spaniards. Researcher Andrew Huse describes the local version as an original Tampa creation, developed from older mixed sandwiches.

In April 2012, the Tampa City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring the “Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich” the city’s signature sandwich. Miami, where the sandwich became popular with Cuban exiles from the 1960s onward, contests the claim, and recipes there typically omit salami. The resolution is municipal and does not settle the dispute.

The sandwich is counter food and a quick lunch item, and Tampa holds an annual festival dedicated to it.

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Where it comes from

Tampa , Flórida
Declared Tampa’s signature sandwich by a 2012 municipal resolution.

Ingredients

Cuban bread, marinated roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, cucumber pickles, mustard and, in Tampa, Genoa salami.

How it is eaten

Hot, pressed and cut on the diagonal, eaten with the hands.

When it is eaten

Year-round, at lunch or as a snack.

Your questions

Questions about Cuban sandwich

What is the difference between the Tampa Cuban sandwich and the Miami one?

The Tampa version includes Genoa salami, a legacy of the Italian immigrants in Ybor City. The Miami version typically does not include salami.

Was the Cuban sandwich invented in Cuba?

The exact origin is uncertain. The earliest records of a distinct Cuban sandwich come from the cafés of cigar workers in Tampa, around 1900.

How is the Cuban sandwich prepared?

The Cuban bread is filled and pressed on a flat griddle until crispy and the cheese melts, then cut on the diagonal.

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