Best Cuban sandwich in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples? Here are JLB's picks
Who makes the best Cuban sandwich in your neighborhood? For National Cuban Sandwich Day JLB picked the best of the best from throughout SWFL.
Of all the fake-sounding food holidays, National Cuban Sandwich Day (which takes place Wednesday) is, actually, the fakest.
Made up last year by an enterprising Tampa Bay Times reporter, this hoax of a holiday has made its way onto food writers' listicles all over the world.
As a compiler of such listicles, I took the bait.
Fake or not, we in Southwest Florida live smack dab in the middle of Cuban-sandwich country. And that's worth celebrating every day of the year.
Best Cuban sandwich in ... Fort Myers — Fat Katz Sports Bistro: This isn't a Cuban restaurant, it's just a crafty one. It's one where whole pork shoulders are roasted till juicy and easily shredded, and it's one where said pork is piled copiously onto layers of sweet ham and melting Swiss cheese. It's not a Cuban restaurant, I know, but one bite in, you're not going to care. (10080 Daniels Interstate Court, south Fort Myers; 768-3541; fatkatzsportsbistro.com)
Cape Coral — Casa Rojas Cuban Bakery: A few years ago I scoured the area for the single best Cuban sandwich, and this place took the cake (or the torta, as it were). Casa Rojas bakes its own bread and roasts its own pork. It buys just the right sweet ham, yellow mustard and dill pickles. And it doesn't skimp, somehow managing to press all that goodness just so. It's a winning combination, flat out. (728 Pine Island Road, Cape Coral; 573-9998; find it on Facebook)
Naples — Fernandez the Bull: This place has been around forever. And for good reason: Its Cuban sandwich is crazy good. It's got all the good things: the juicy shreds of pork, the crunchy pickles, the crumb-spewing bread that shatters between your teeth. It's a sandwich that's lasted this place 30-some years, and that can easily carry it 30-some more. (two locations in Naples; fernandezthebull.com)
More: JLB review - The Bull turns 30
North Fort Myers — Horsin' Around Deli: This out-of-the-way little sandwich shop on Bayshore Road makes a Cuban sandwich that's far better than you'd expect from an out-of-the-way little sandwich shop on Bayshore Road. That's just Horsin' Around Deli's way. And its customers love it for that. (10440 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers; 567-4663; facebook.com/horsinarounddeli)
Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel — Tiki Subs: I've not yet found a great Cuban sandwich on our beaches (please take to the comments if I'm missing someone), but just off the beaches this new joint is a gem. Tiki Subs roasts its pork in house to tender perfection. The bread's not your usual Cuban bread, but everything else about this gooey, massive sandwich makes up for it. (16203 San Carlos Blvd., south Fort Myers; 771-8708; find it on Facebook)
More: Starz founder opens Tiki Subs
South Lee — Martha's Cuban Cafe: If you like your food a little salty, Martha's is your place. It's not high-sodium salty, more sassy-spitfire salty with a side of authentic, Cubano pride. Martha is the real gem here, the woman who lets you know how things will and won't be working the moment you walk through her doors. Some people are put off by this, but her food makes it all worthwhile. But then again: I like salty.
Don't see your favorite Cuban sandwich joint listed? Make it known in the comments.
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Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.