Cassava root boiled, then deep-fried until golden, served with garlic mojo dipping sauce. The Cuban alternative to french fries on every Cuban diner menu.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Yuca (cassava) has been a Cuban staple for centuries, brought to Cuba by indigenous Taino people and adopted by Spanish colonists. Tampa Cuban kitchens fry yuca after boiling to give a crispy outside and a fluffy interior. La Teresita and Brocato's serve them with mojo (sour orange and garlic) on the side. The crispy mojo-yuca is the side dish that pairs with Cuban sandwiches and palomilla steak across Tampa.
Tip from the editors. Fresh yuca needs the inner woody core removed before boiling. Frozen yuca is faster and cleaner. Mojo is best made fresh; the garlic flavor fades after a day.
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.
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.
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.
Columbia in Ybor City has plated 1905 Salad, paella and Spanish-Cuban classics since 1905, Florida's oldest restaurant under five Gonzmart family generations.
Wright's Gourmet House on South Dale Mabry has built Tampa's classic Cuban and roast-beef sandwiches plus the famous rum cake since 1963. A Tampa table.
Order: Cuban sandwich pressed and a slice of the rum cake to take home.
Tip: Pete and Marjorie Wright started the shop on April 20, 1963; the Casper family bought it in 2024 to keep it Tampa-owned.
More cities are in research. Want yuca fries (yuca frita) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.