This Florida Old-World Restaurant Has Perfected The Cuban Sandwich For Over 100 Years
In Florida, few places carry the weight of culinary history like Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.
Located at 2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605, this old-world gem has been delighting diners for over a century.
Its Cuban sandwiches are legendary, crafted with layers of tender meats, pickles, mustard, and perfectly pressed bread that locals and visitors alike crave.
The atmosphere feels timeless, with rich décor and a welcoming spirit that makes every meal special.
In Florida, Columbia Restaurant proves that tradition, care, and consistency create flavors that stand the test of time and keep people coming back for generations.
Founded in 1905, Making It Florida’s Oldest Restaurant
Casimiro Hernandez Sr. opened a small corner cafe in Ybor City back in 1905, and he probably had no idea he was creating Florida history.
That tiny 60-seat establishment has grown into a sprawling 1,700-seat restaurant that still occupies the same block where it all started.
The restaurant has weathered boom times, lean years, and every shift in Tampa’s dining scene.
While other restaurants come and go like Tampa’s afternoon thunderstorms, Columbia has remained a constant fixture in the community.
Walking through the doors feels like stepping onto a movie set from old Havana.
The hand-painted tiles, ornate fountains, and vintage photographs tell stories of generations who’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and life’s biggest moments within these walls.
Today, the restaurant is still family-owned and operated by the fourth and fifth generations of the Hernandez-Gonzmart family.
That kind of dedication to tradition is rarer than a perfectly pressed Cuban sandwich, and it shows in every detail of the dining experience.
The Cuban Sandwich Recipe Has Remained Unchanged for Decades
Some recipes are meant to be tweaked and modernized, but Columbia’s Cuban sandwich is not one of them.
Versions have been served here since the restaurant’s early days, and the approach leans on Tampa tradition, not trends today.
Each sandwich starts with fresh Cuban bread baked daily, then gets layered with roast pork, Genoa salami, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.
The ingredients are pressed together on a hot plancha until the cheese melts into gooey perfection and the bread develops that signature crispy exterior.
What makes this sandwich special isn’t just the ingredients but the technique passed down through generations of kitchen staff.
The pressing time, the heat level, and even the way the sandwich is sliced all follow strict guidelines that have been refined over more than a century.
Regulars swear they can taste the difference between Columbia’s Cuban and every other version in Tampa.
That’s the magic of sticking to what works instead of chasing food trends.
Fifteen Dining Rooms Spread Across an Entire City Block
Forget cozy neighborhood joints; Columbia Restaurant is a full-blown dining complex that could swallow most restaurants whole.
The original location in Ybor City has expanded to include fifteen uniquely decorated dining rooms, each with its own personality and charm.
One room features hand-painted Spanish tiles depicting scenes from Don Quixote, while another showcases vintage photographs of Ybor City’s cigar-rolling heyday.
The Siboney Room transports diners to a Cuban courtyard with its fountain and tropical plants, while the Don Quixote Room feels like a Spanish nobleman’s private dining hall.
This sprawling layout means you could visit Columbia a dozen times and have a completely different visual experience each visit.
Large parties can book private rooms for celebrations, while couples can find intimate corners for romantic dinners.
The sheer size of the place is impressive, but what’s more remarkable is how the staff manages to maintain consistent quality and service across every single dining space.
Nightly Flamenco Shows Bring Spanish Culture to Life
Dinner and a show isn’t just a marketing gimmick at Columbia; it’s a genuine cultural experience that’s been part of the restaurant’s identity for decades.
Professional flamenco dancers perform Monday through Saturday nights, their rhythmic footwork echoing through the dining rooms like thunder.
The dancers don’t perform on some distant stage where you need binoculars to see them.
They move between tables, their colorful dresses swirling just inches from diners, making eye contact and bringing the passion of Spanish dance right to your dinner table.
These aren’t amateur performers either.
Columbia employs some of the most talented flamenco artists in the country, many of whom have trained in Spain and performed internationally.
The combination of incredible food and live entertainment creates an atmosphere that’s equal parts restaurant and cultural center.
You’re not just eating dinner; you’re experiencing a piece of Spanish heritage that’s been carefully preserved in the heart of Tampa.
The Original 1905 Salad Was Created Right Here
Before Columbia’s 1905 Salad became a Tampa staple, waiter Tony Noriega created a version in the 1940s, and the restaurant later refined it and the dressing.
Now it’s one of the most famous salads in Florida, with people ordering it by name at restaurants across the state.
The salad combines crisp iceberg lettuce, julienned baked ham, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, olives, and Romano cheese, all tossed tableside in a tangy Worcestershire-based dressing.
Watching the servers mix it with theatrical flair is part of the experience, their practiced movements turning simple ingredients into edible art.
What started as a Columbia signature has been copied by countless restaurants, but none capture the original’s balance of flavors.
The dressing recipe stays closely held, though that hasn’t stopped food bloggers from trying to crack the code.
Order this salad and you’re tasting a piece of culinary history that’s been delighting Tampa diners for generations.
A Wine Cellar Holding Over 50,000 Bottles
Most restaurants keep a small stack of bottled pairings on hand in a back room and call it a day, but Columbia runs a cellar program that feels massive.
Over 50,000 bottles rest in temperature-controlled storage beneath the restaurant, representing producers from Spain to California.
The collection includes hard-to-find imports you won’t see on most local lists, along with familiar bottles that match the restaurant’s Spanish and Cuban cooking.
The beverage list reads like a novel, with pages of choices designed for different tastes and budgets, including picks.
A dedicated team curates the selections with the same care the family puts into the food menu.
They sample and rotate options that complement Columbia’s traditional dishes season after season, making sure each pairing supports what lands on your plate.
Whether you’re a newcomer to pairings or a seasoned diner, the staff can guide you to the right bottle for your meal with confidence.
That level of range and guidance is uncommon outside major metropolitan areas.
The Building Survived Ybor City’s Rise, Fall, and Rebirth
Ybor City wasn’t always the trendy nightlife district it is today.
There were decades when the neighborhood fell into serious decline, with abandoned buildings and empty streets replacing the vibrant immigrant community that once thrived there.
Columbia Restaurant weathered those tough years when other businesses fled to safer locations.
The Gonzmart family refused to abandon their roots, even when it meant operating at a loss during the darkest periods of urban decay.
That loyalty to place paid off when Ybor City experienced its renaissance in recent decades.
Now Columbia stands as both a survivor and a symbol of the neighborhood’s resilience, attracting tourists and locals alike to a district that’s buzzing with energy again.
The restaurant’s commitment to staying put helped anchor Ybor City during its rebuilding phase.
Other businesses took note of Columbia’s success and followed, creating the thriving cultural district that exists today at 2117 E 7th Ave and beyond.
Four Generations of the Same Family Still Run the Restaurant
Corporate chain restaurants dominate the American dining landscape, but Columbia remains defiantly independent and family-operated.
The fourth and fifth generations of the Hernandez-Gonzmart family work in the business today, maintaining standards set by their great-grandfather over a century ago.
Richard Gonzmart, the current president, grew up bussing tables and learning the restaurant business from the ground up.
His children are now following the same path, ensuring that family knowledge and values get passed to the next generation.
This isn’t just a business to them; it’s a legacy and a responsibility to Tampa’s Cuban and Spanish communities.
Every decision gets filtered through the question of whether it honors the family’s history while serving current customers.
That personal investment shows in ways that corporate management never could.
When ownership has the same last name as the founder, quality control and customer satisfaction become matters of family pride, not just profit margins.
The Menu Features Over 100 Items of Spanish and Cuban Cuisine
While the Cuban sandwich gets most of the glory, Columbia’s menu is a masterclass in Spanish and Cuban cooking that extends far beyond pressed sandwiches.
Over 100 dishes showcase the culinary traditions of Spain and Cuba, from simple tapas to elaborate seafood feasts.
The paella Valenciana arrives at your table in a traditional pan, loaded with saffron rice, chicken, seafood, and vegetables that have been cooking together until the flavors merge into something magical.
The ropa vieja features beef that’s been braised until it falls apart, swimming in a tomato-based sauce that begs to be soaked up with crusty bread.
Traditional Spanish tapas like gambas al ajillo and croquetas de jamon provide perfect starters for sharing, while heartier dishes like arroz con pollo satisfy bigger appetites.
The dessert menu includes flan, tres leches cake, and other Spanish sweets that provide the perfect ending.
This extensive menu means you could eat at Columbia weekly for months and never order the same thing twice.
Nearly 21,000 Reviews Averaging 4.6 Stars Prove Its Lasting Appeal
In an age where online reviews can make or break a restaurant, Columbia draws thousands of ratings across platforms, and the score stays strong.
Those totals tell a story of consistent quality that spans generations of diners and countless meals served.
Negative reviews are inevitable for any restaurant, but reading through Columbia’s feedback reveals that even disappointed customers usually acknowledge the restaurant’s historical significance and effort to maintain traditions.
Most complaints focus on wait times during busy periods rather than food quality or service failures.
The positive reviews read like love letters to Tampa’s culinary history.
Customers share memories of celebrating graduations, bringing visiting relatives, and introducing their own children to the same dishes they ate as kids.
This level of sustained approval across so many reviews isn’t luck or marketing magic.
It’s the result of over a century spent refining recipes, training staff, and treating every customer like family, whether it’s their first visit or their hundredth.