In Tampa, the Cuban sandwich isn’t just lunch. It’s a point of civic pride, and people here will argue about it the way Texans argue about brisket. So when our Award-Winning Cuban placed second for World’s Best Traditional Cuban Sandwich at the 15th Annual International Cuban Sandwich Festival in Ybor City, we took it personally, in the best way.
Here’s the story behind the sandwich, what makes it ours, and where to get one in Citrus Park.
A Tampa Sandwich With Rules
The Cuban has deep roots in Ybor City, and Tampa keeps a close eye on how it gets made. A traditional Cuban comes with strict expectations: ham, roast pork, Swiss, pickles and mustard, pressed on Cuban bread. You don’t get to freelance. Change the architecture and it stops being traditional.
That’s exactly why the traditional category is the hard one. A panel that knows the sandwich cold is comparing your build against a standard they grew up eating.
Why a BBQ Joint Makes a Cuban
Fair question. We’re a barbecue pit, not a Cuban café. But our whole menu is built on one idea we call the United Nations of Barbecue. Every sandwich represents a region with serious barbecue: the Carolina, the Summer Luv, the Alabama-Slamma, the Hot Texan.
Florida is one of the traditions we cook from, and in Tampa there’s no sandwich more Florida than the Cuban. Leaving it off the lineup was never an option. The only question was how to make one that belongs on a barbecue menu without disrespecting the one Tampa already loves.
The Festival — Second in the World’s Best Traditional Cuban
On March 29, 2026, the 15th Annual International Cuban Sandwich Festival took over Centennial Park in Historic Ybor City. Our smoked-pork Cuban went up against the traditional field and came home with second place for World’s Best Traditional Cuban Sandwich.
You can read the official announcement in our newsroom: Southern Luv BBQ takes second at the 2026 International Cuban Sandwich Festival. Chef Essi also talked through the festival on the Alan Alford Sports Talk Show. The episode is on Luv News.
What Makes Ours Different
We didn’t reinvent the Cuban. We respected it. Every piece of the classic build is still there:
- Pork: pulled, smoked for 12 hours over pecan wood
- Smoked ham
- Swiss cheese
- Pickles
- Mustard
- Cuban bread, pressed
The one thing we changed is how the pork gets cooked. Instead of a standard roast, it goes on the pit and sits in pecan smoke for 12 hours. That’s the same wood and the same patience we give everything else on the menu. Pecan burns clean and a little sweet, so the smoke adds depth without taking over from the ham, the pickles and the mustard. (If you want the long version on why we burn pecan, it’s in how we smoke brisket over pecan wood.)
The result still eats like a Cuban: crisp pressed bread, melted Swiss, the snap of the pickle, the bite of mustard. There’s just a layer of real wood smoke running through the middle. Pecan wood. Premium cuts. No shortcuts.
Two Years on the Podium
This wasn’t our first trip to the festival.
At the 14th Annual International Cuban Sandwich Festival the year before, we entered a brisket-based Cuban. It kept the pressed Cuban format but swapped the roast pork for pecan-smoked brisket, and it took second place for World’s Best Non-Traditional Cuban Sandwich. That same year we also placed second for Popular Tampeño Food at the Taste of Tampa Festival. Read about both 2025 awards.
Then we came back and placed second again, this time in the traditional category. Those two categories reward nearly opposite things. One rewards fidelity to the classic build, the other rewards breaking from it. Landing on the podium in both, two years running, tells us the pit is doing its job whichever way we build the sandwich.
Where to Get It in Tampa
The Award-Winning Cuban is on the everyday menu at our smokehouse:
Southern Luv BBQ 8019 Citrus Park Drive, Tampa, FL 33624 Mon–Sat 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Closed Sunday
- See it on the menu: The Award-Winning Cuban, alongside the rest of our regional sandwich lineup
- Order ahead for pick-up: order online
- Feeding a crowd: catering for pick-up from 10 guests, drop-off from 15 and buffet with setup from 30
Come hungry. Tampa’s been eating Cubans for generations, and we’re proud to have put a little pecan smoke into that history.
FAQ
Is Southern Luv's Cuban a traditional or non-traditional Cuban sandwich?
Traditional. It keeps the classic Tampa build — ham, pork, Swiss, pickles and mustard pressed on Cuban bread — and placed second for World's Best Traditional Cuban Sandwich at the 15th Annual International Cuban Sandwich Festival in Ybor City on March 29, 2026. The difference is the pork, which we smoke for 12 hours over pecan wood. Our brisket version took second in the non-traditional category the year before.
What's on the Award-Winning Cuban?
Pulled pork smoked over pecan wood, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed on Cuban bread.
Can I get the Cuban for catering?
Catering is quoted per event through the inquiry form on our catering page. Pick-up starts at 10 guests, drop-off at 15 and buffet with setup at 30. Tell us you want Cubans on the spread and we'll work it into your quote.
Where can I eat the award-winning Cuban in Tampa?
At Southern Luv BBQ, 8019 Citrus Park Drive, Tampa, FL 33624. We're open Monday through Saturday, 11 AM to 8 PM, and closed Sunday. You can also order it online for pick-up.