Sloppy Joe : the Truth Behind its Origins

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My top five American dishes : Hamburgers, Pizza (American), Chicken wings, Succotash, and Sloppy Joe sandwiches.

I could literally eat each one every single day and not get tired of it. They are embedded in my DNA. There’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing these items on a menu (ESPECIALLY the happy hour menu heyyyooo), and then proceeding to stuff my face until I can no longer eat.

So. Imagine my surprise when I learned something that would shock my existence forever.

Sloppy Joe’s were invented in Cuba.

WHAT?!?!?!?

Before I get into that though, let’s look at the other contenders. There are three establishments currently credited with creating the “first” sloppy joe. So…which one ACTUALLY did it?

Who Invented the Sloppy Joe?

Theory 1 – Iowa, USA

Ye Olde Tavern, a super low key cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, is probably the more widely known and accepted as being the creator of the delicious Sloppy Joe sandwich. Ye Olde Tavern, opened in 1924 by David Heglin. Basically, the sandwiches were just loose ground beef sandwiches (that he called tavern burgers).

So a sloppy joe without the tomato sauce. BUT, there were a lot of places selling loose meat sandwiches in the 30s. In 1926, the franchaise Maid-Rite opened up, also in Iowa. It also sold loose meat sandwiches. So why does Ye Olde Tavern get the credit? ALLEGEDLY some cook at Ye Olde Tavern allegedly named Joe allegedly added tomato sauce (no DATE reference tho) to the loose meat sandwich somewhere down the line, creating the sloppy Joe we know today.

Theory 2 – Florida, USA

Then theres the Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Florida. Well, it was actually first named the Blind Pig, and then the Silver Slipper. It opened in 1933 (*cough* specifically the day AFTER prohibition, but we’ll get to that later). So, huh. The early thirty’s? Yeah. That’s basically around the same time the cook from Ye Olde Tavern would have added tomato sauce to their loose meat sandwich.

Now get this. The owner of the Silver Slipper, Joe Russell, was convinced by his friend Ernest Hemingway to change the name of the bar to Sloppy Joe’s after a bar in Havana that Hemingway loved. Hemingway was literally obsessed with Cuba. Although the Florida bar copied the name, they decided to officially give the sandwich the name Sloppy Joe.

Theory 3 – Havana, Cuba

That brings us to Cuba. Specifically, Havana. SPECIFICALLY, the original Sloppy Joe Bar. The owner, whose name is DOCUMENTED, José Abeal y Otero, opened his bar between 1917-1919. Does that date spark any marketing opportunities? The American prohibition era started in 1920. That meant thirsty Americans would be flocking to the shores of Cuba in search of a quick drank.

However, all the americans soaking up mojitos and daquiris also needed food as they piled into the bar. José whipped up a simple sandwich for his customers. Americans LOVE sandwiches. Everyone from Hemingway, to Eva Gardner, to Frank Sinatra, to Joe Luis would frequent the bar! He needed to make sure the menu complimented the drinks, but also left them wanting more.

José used the classic Cuban dish, ropa vieja as the base. If you don’t know, ropa vieja is LITERALLY beef mixed with tomatoes and spices. If you’re cooking for hundreds of hungry Americans, just ground the beef and throw it into a stew of tomatoes and spices. Boom. Easy. Done. Another Cuban comfort food is picadillo, which is ground beef mixed with capers, olives, and raisins.

Yeah. Kinda sounds just like a sloppy joe, huh?

So why sloppy? The name makes sense with the messy dish. BUT, it was actually José’s nickname since his regular customers (like Hemingway) like to tease him about his cleanliness. And y’all know how Americans love to anglicize everybody’s name. He even named his bar after his nickname.

Westerners trying to copy other cultures??? When does that ever happen??

Honestly, the Havana version seems the most concrete to me. Especially since a variation of the sloppy joe in New Jersey (at Millburn Deli) was inspired after a local politician visited Cuba and suggested the delis at home make their own versions.

I sense a theme.

In any case, I’m sticking with the Havana story. So one of my favorite American dishes wasn’t realllllyyyy American. Well naturally, that only meant I had to go see this Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Havana for myself.

Yes, my main reason for visiting Cuba was to eat this sandwich. If you’re new here, hi Im Kay, the Awkward Traveler.

People say the bar is in Old Havana, but to me it seemed more on the border of old and Central. Just type it into your google map and you’ll find your way there. Or, just as any local Cuban. They’ll know.

Sloppy Joe’s Bar was actually shut down in 1959 after the Cuban revolution, but then reopened again in 2013. The City Historian Office spent YEARS on the restoration, bringing the bar back to life after half a century of decay. I’d say they did a pretty great job with it! So yay!! Though, as soon as I walked in I sensed something amiss.

My encounter with the legendary establishment

“Hmmm…” I squinted. “It seems like…a state owned restaurant…”

Televisions playing tourism ads and hotels confirmed my suspicions. The restaurant was now run by Habaguanex Tourist Company. I held a certain skepticism of state run foods in Havana. But I was on a mission to try this sandwich, regardless! Besides, maybe I’ll be surprised!

The interior is modern, by Cuban aesthetics anyway, with delicate vintage touches and postcards dating back to the 20s. Posters of celebrities and politicians that had visited the bar in it’s glory hang on the walls. I wasn’t greeted at the door like the friendly paladar (privately owned) restaurants around Havana, so I picked a table and plopped down. There were a few other customers, who I assumed were also tourists.

Almost immediately, a waiter appeared and placed a menu in front of me. Though, I already knew what I wanted. I ordered a sloppy joe, obvi.

The wait wasn’t too long either! The waiter came back and placed the MAGNIFICENT BEAST in front of me. I almost cried at how beautifully it sat in front of me.

I dug into it like it was my last meal on Earth.

And it was glorious.

Possibly, one of THE BEST sloppy joe sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. The olives really sent it over the edge man.

If you’re in Havana, I highly recommend stopping by to try the ORIGINAL Sloppy Joe. But there’s tons of other excellent food in Cuba as well! And while you’re in Havana, consider knocking out a few other cool activities with my handy dandy Havana travel guide!

Have you ever been to Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Havana? Which of the origin stories do you believe?

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