On National Cuban Sandwich Day (August 23), my friends and I decided to try the best Cuban Sandwich in Tampa. Now many of you may think this is up for discussion, but Tampa did vote on May 28th at the Cuban Sandwich Festival and the people of the bay all agreed that one place stood above all. Everyone, The Cuban Sandwich Champion of Tampa, FLAN FACTORY.
Flan Factory
Located just outside of Ybor City, Flan Factory is a family-owned restaurant that strives to keep the spirit of abuela’s (grandma’s) kitchen alive, but with a modern twist. The 1718 Nebraska avenue restaurant uses the freshest and highest-quality ingredients to deliver the same authentic taste that the family has enjoyed for generations. The moment you walk in, there is a feeling of belonging and a comfort of home that overcomes you. I felt as if I was coming home for the holidays and everyone in my family was greeting with hugs as I walked in, instead my family were the people working and the hugs were smiles from everyone there. Everybody was so happy to be there, and so was I. This made me even more excited to try the food.
If you’re a true Tampaian you know the true ingredients to a Cuban sandwich. The key to making a great Cuban sandwich is that slow roasted pork. Some places try to cut corners and use a lower quality meat or won’t take the time to incorporate all those Mojo flavors. Not at the Flan Factory. They only use high quality ingredients like serrano ham and Genoa salami. Here are some of the reasons why not just the Cuban sandwich, but all the food at Flan Factory is worth a visit! If you already know how good Flan Factory is, let us know your favorite dish on social media!
Appetizer
We started our feast with the highly suggested Timba. Now before you ask, no I did not stack them like this. These 6 cubes are flash-fried chunks of queso blanco that is paired with a tub of their signature guava sauce that will have you feigning for more. Keep that guava sauce handy though, because you’re going to need it for one of my secret hacks later.
La Havana Frita
I hope you saved that guava I told you about before, because this is when you’re going to use it. Now I’ve never had a Frita before and I don’t know if they make this anywhere else, but this sandwich hits the spot! The ground chuck and chorizo patties make for a crazy combination you didn’t know you needed to try. Add the melted American cheese and smoked aioli and voila, you are soaring through the sky on the wings of flavor. But throw in the guava sauce and I’m telling you, you will feel a piece of heaven. It is like a boxing match of flavor going on in your mouth between sweet and salty, but they both win.
Cuban Sandwich
The whole reason why we came in the first place. In my opinion, this was one of my top 3 Cuban’s I’ve ever had and it wasn’t number 3. Between the crispy and crunchy pressed Cuban bread was the fresh pulled pork, ham, salami and melted Swiss cheese that made it clear why this place was crowned champion. The sandwich was so good, I totally forgot about the pickles inside. And I HATE PICKLES. Does this make me a pickle fan now?!
Guava Flan
If you managed to save room for more food, you definitely have to try what the place is named after. Flan of course! Good luck on deciding which kind of flan you’re going to get though. Just from the list I remembered, they had Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, guava, cheese and even coquito! I decided to try the guava since it was the signature house sauce.
