Ole' Tampa Cubans is a gem in Mulberry

MULBERRY — Seeking out a good Cuban sandwich can be fraught with disappointment, especially for those who are sensitive to tradition.

Aficionados endlessly debate the merits of sandwich styles, as in Miami versus Tampa, cold or hot, pressed or unmolested.

Ole’ Tampa Cubans is a newcomer to Mulberry’s restaurant scene, but the roadside eatery on busy Church Street is all about the sandwich that has become a Florida staple — merely a toasted ham-and-cheese affair with mustard and pickle made with bread that approximates an airy, French baguette.

That is an oversimplification, of course, but you get the idea. The sandwiches at Ole’ Tampa Cubans are made for purists. To satisfy the two main camps, the restaurant produces two varieties: El Cubano, an homage to those who prefer Tampa-style, which adds Genoa salami to the mix, and an American Cuban with salami, lettuce and tomato.

Both options feature sweet ham that’s sliced paper thin, and shreds of lean, flavorful roasted pork that’s cooked in-house. Swiss cheese and pickles complete the package. A full sandwich in either style is just $7.50, and large enough to share, especially when you add any of the excellent side dishes.

The restaurant staff work inside an air-conditioned building while customers order at a counter window and dine outdoors on a nice, clean, elevated, fan-swept deck furnished with black, wrought iron tables and chairs.

Every table comes with a bottle of Crystal hot sauce, which is a must on just about everything on the menu, except maybe the fresh, flaky guava pastries. On second thought, why not?

If you’re new to the debate of which city gave rise to the Cuban sandwich, and which style is best or most authentic, many historians give credit to Tampa’s Ybor City, where Francisco Ferlita opened a bakery in 1896.

A native of Sicily, Ferlita catered to a population that included many other Italians, not to mention Spaniards and Cubans. Fire destroyed Ferlita’s bakery, which was made of wood, and sometime in the early 1920s he constructed a new business out of brick.

The brick bakery now is home to Ybor City Museum, but Ferlita’s original ovens are included in the exhibits. It’s said that Ybor’s early Italian immigrants married their love of salami to a sandwich that Cuban immigrants once enjoyed back home. It’s a tradition that did not translate with Miami’s influx of Cubans during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Miami remains dedicated to salami-free Cubans, and often slathers the bread with butter and a swipe of mustard. No mayo, or mayo-mustard hybrids, which are common throughout greater Tampa Bay.

As a child, Dwayne Williams often spent Saturdays visiting his dad, who worked as a shop supervisor for an oil company at the Port of Tampa. The younger Williams opened Ole’ Tampa Cubans as something of a memorial to those early memories. He also owns Dwayne’s Place Diner & Grill, located just a bit north of Mulberry in the Christina Plaza.

In addition to spot-on Cubans made with bread baked at Ybor’s historic La Segunda Central Bakery, his new restaurant delivers a solid version of black beans and rice, the beans cooked to perfection, the white rice lightly seasoned and quite flavorful. Make it a meal by ordering the large bowl, $7.95, which adds diced onions, pico de gallo, cilantro and lime.

Williams, a former director of operations for the Fred’s Market restaurant chain, said he uses fresh, blue crabs to fashion his devil crab rolls, $4.50, fried to order and bursting with fresh, crab flavor, along with a dose of mild spice. These are head and shoulders above most appetizers of the type, which typically are frozen and re-heated.

I could go on and on about Ole’ Tampa Cubans Spanish bean soup, delivered hot, savory and full of chunks of potato and chorizo. I wouldn’t mind a heavier hand with the sausage, but no serious quibbles here. A cup is $4.95, a bowl $6.95.

The menu includes a salad topped in ham, salami, black beans and shredded pork, and a baked potato all dolled up, Cuban style, with butter, sour cream, melted cheese, cilantro and pork, $7.29.

Williams said he’s keeping the menu simple so that he can duplicate the concept in other locations to be determined later.

The original, which opened in October, is a gem, serving up serious Cuban treats at a fair price, fairly fast and neatly packaged. It’s a concept that should prosper in this part of the world, where the Cubano, pressed thin, hot and crisp, is king.

Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528.

Ole' Tampa Cubans

713 N. Church St., Mulberry; 863-943-5556.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

FOOD: ★★★★

SERVICE: ★★★

AMBIENCE: ★★★

THE GIST: Informal, patio restaurant and drive-thru serving Cuban sandwiches and other specialties.

Credit cards: All

Price range: All items less than $9.

Must try: Cuban sandwiches, deviled crab, Spanish bean soup, guava pastry.

THE STARS

5 Stars - Extraordinary

4 Stars - Great, goes above and beyond expectations

3 Stars - Good, meets all expectations

2 Stars - Fair

1 Star - Poor