TAMPA — After nearly one year in New Tampa, Marcos Silverio feels comfortable declaring his Box of Cubans fast-casual restaurant a success.
Not only did Silverio and his wife, Oni, open a second location of their popular Cuban sandwich shop during a tough time for restaurants, but it strayed far from its original location in Riverview to pick a spot in New Tampa where two restaurants, Mochinut and Mahana Fresh, had failed in the previous two years.
“I’ve had that mentioned, you know, numerous times, especially from clients that have known us from our Brandon days, because they basically work in that area, and they live in New Tampa.,” Silverio said. “They were very concerned about us.”
But for a business that started in a gas station and opened its first location in a tricky spot as well, the Silverios are no stranger to challenges.
In fact, Silverio is currently looking to add a third location, maybe in Brandon.
“At the end of the day, my belief is that if you have a good product, provide exceptional customer service, and you provide value, people are going to come,” he said. “I will stick with that any day. That is the winning formula.”
The Food
Silverio’s menu delivers some of the area’s best Cuban goodies. Yelp named Box of Cubans Tampa Bay’s Best Restaurant in 2023, and earlier this year it ranked as the 29th-best sandwich shop in the U.S.
We can see why, after downing one of their traditional Cuban sandwiches, generously stacked with slow-cooked pork and pressed on La Segunda bread. It deserves every bit of the attention it gets. But its tasty cousin, the Media Noche — served on a sweeter, egg dough bread — deserves some of the spotlight as well.
While Silverio keeps things traditional, he likes to add a few of his own touches. The Mojito Pork sandwich, one of our favorites, layers sauteed onions, sauteed pickled jalapenos, melted Swiss and its house cilantro with tender and tasteful pork.
The Cuban griddle, a sausage, egg and cheese omelette with a strip of guava in the middle served on Media Noche bread, is another original favorite.
“We like to be traditional, but those two sandwiches are unique to us,” Silverio says.
Other top sellers include the Steak “Pan Con Bistec” and the Black Bean Cuban Bowl, both featuring perfectly cooked and tender Palomilla steak. Responding to requests, Silverio has also added a veggie bowl, with a vegetable medley he describes as an Asian and Cuban fusion.
Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?
Box of Cubans is open all day, so take your pick.
Our favorite? Breakfast.
A frothy café con leche (which is also offered frozen) pairs beautifully with French toast, a hearty Steak and Egg Sandwich or even just a few pieces of Cuban toast.
The aforementioned Cuban griddle and Pipo’s breakfast sandwiches are great, and Silverio recommends the breakfast sliders — sausage, egg and cheese on caramelized fresh toast buns, drizzled with strawberry puree.
Despite a haul that included multiple sandwiches and a bowl, the 20-year-old in our group said the ham, egg and cheese empanada was his favorite. We wouldn’t know, because he didn’t share.
But Box of Cubans has 13 different varieties of the empanada, including a southwest veggie option, a cheeseburger option and sweeter versions with banana and Nutella or guava and cream.
Pro Tip
The location isn’t as tricky as you think. There are multiple ways to get in, and if you shoot for the popular Glory Days on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, the Box of Cubans is just a few doors down in the next plaza. It’s worth the trip.
The Verdict
Friendly service, exceptional sandwiches, and a plethora of other options. But breakfast is a can’t miss, as you will see with my upcoming story “I ate French toast and drank café con leche every meal for a month, and here’s what happened next.” Yum.
