5 Brothers, Key West, Florida

Last year, Sue Boyd (Nancy’s co-grandmother) mentioned that 5 Brothers had one of the highly regarded Cuban sandwiches in Key West. 5 Brothers also enjoyed positive online reviews, and I was eager to try it. I decided to run by and grab a sandwich late in the morning while I was waiting for others to sort out the day’s schedule.

To start, Key West has its own approach to the Cuban sandwich. Come to think of it, Key West has its own approach to ‘most everything. The standard Cuban sandwich includes Cuban pork (roasted with herbs, lots of sour orange, and even more garlic), a slice of ham, a slice of cheese, yellow mustard, aioli, and pickle (preferably sour). The pork is the star.

In Key West, it’s usually a “Cuban Mix.” The Key West Cuban adds a layer of salami or pepperoni, and lettuce and tomato. And that’s what you get when you order a Cuban at 5 Brothers.

5 Brothers is situated in a former corner grocery store. Today, 5 Brothers has a smattering of grocery items available, along with t-shirts and other souvenirs. It’s a nice place, a bit cramped with friendly regulars and a few zombies (they’re about in the morning in Key West) even at 11:00 am. I moved up the line, and ordered a Cuban sandwich.

As you can see, they have the ratios all wrong. Lots of ham. a good bit of lettuce and tomato, a slab of cheese, and, last snd, alas, least, some pork.

Pork shouldn’t be overshadowed. The pork is the whole reason for the Cuban sandwich, the star of the show. At 5 Brothers, however, the pork is overshadowed by the ham. It’s as if someone were putting on Hamlet and cast, oh, Laurence Olivier or John Gielgud as an attendant lord rather than a principal. it’s just wrong.

But maybe I hit them on an off day. Maybe the pork and sour orange and garlic had been held up in the supply chain. It happens. A week or two ago, a major grocery here in Washington was out of garlic. Completely out. Not a clove. 5 Brothers is a nice place and they deserve another chance, especially since 5 Brothers also offers a traditional Cuban sandwich, one without the lettuce and tomato and salami. I’ll have to try that on my next trip to Key West. Meanwhile, if you get a chance, swing by and try one, and let me know what you think.

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