A torpedo-shaped croquette of blue crab meat in spicy tomato sofrito, wrapped in a paste made from Cuban bread crumbs and deep-fried until golden.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
Deviled crabs originated in Ybor City's Spanish-Cuban-Italian immigrant community during the 1920 cigar workers strike. Cigar workers caught blue crabs from Tampa Bay and used day-old Cuban bread to stretch the meat into a portable, deep-fried croquette they could carry on the picket line. The Spanish croquette tradition mixed with Cuban sofrito and Sicilian peppers and onions. Francisco Oscar Miranda sold devil crabs from a motorized bike across Tampa from 1920 to 1953. The torpedo shape is the signature.
Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish
Tip from the editors. The Cuban-bread breadcrumb is non-negotiable. If you cannot find Cuban bread, use stale brioche; never panko, which breaks the texture.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Brocato's on East Columbus Drive in Tampa has built Cuban sandwiches, deviled crabs and stuffed potatoes since 1948 from a neighborhood storefront.
Order: The Cuban sandwich with a deviled crab on the side.
Tip: Cash and card both work; the party finger sandwiches (mini Cubans and mini deviled crabs) are the catering pick.
Michelle Faedo's deviled crabs run $6 each from the Ybor counter and food truck, the most affordable take on the classic Tampa croquette. Open year-round.
Try: Deviled crab
Mauricio Faedo's Bakery on North Florida Avenue bakes Cuban bread, breakfast Cuban toast and deviled crabs daily, with the family running it since 1955.
Worth the queue: Daily-baked Cuban bread
Alessi Bakery on West Cypress has run an Italian and Cuban bakery in Tampa since 1912, with famous hand-carved Cuban sandwiches, deviled crabs and cannolis.
Worth the queue: Hand-carved Cuban sandwich
La Teresita on Columbus Drive has run a Cuban counter and dining room in West Tampa since 1972, owned by the Capdevila family across two generations.
Order: Palomilla steak with yellow rice and black beans.
Tip: The counter side runs 6am to midnight Friday and Saturday; the dining room takes reservations next door.
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