One of the most beloved of American dishes is, undoubtably, Sloppy Joes. The gooey pile of goodness has been a staple of childhood (and, if we’re being honest, adulthood) for around a century at this point. There’s one thing that’s always bothered me though, why is it called that?
I mean the “sloppy” part makes sense, but the “Joe?” Well… that has never made much sense to me. The answer to this quandry is, as is so often the case, a bit unclear.
Sloppy Joes History – 1917
There’s lots of theories regarding the origin of the sandwich and the earliest of them goes all the way back to sometime between 1917 and 1919. Most interesting about this theory is that not only does it go back more than 100 years, it also definitively leaves the US. The story goes that Jose Abeal y Otero made a sandwich of ground beef stewed in tomatoes at his bar in Havana, Cuba.
The theory continues that the dish was likely influenced or inspired by ropa vieja, a Cuban dish with similar construction. Ropa vieja is made with shredded beef, as opposed to ground, and tomatoes, which makes the comparison to sloppy joes rather obvious. Now, it would be rather criminal to call ropa vieja a dish of meat and tomatoes, so let me be clear that it’s also typically made with a white wine or sherry, a delicious blend of pimentos and olives, various herbs (like cilantro and bay leaves), and often peppers, commonly of the bell variety.
At some point, the bar was apparently renamed to “Sloppy Joes”, not for his signature sandwich, but because that was the nickname bestowed upon Jose by English speaking regulars. The story goes that the “Joe” portion comes from a sort of anglicization of the name Jose and the “sloppy” portion was simply a reflection of the way he worked. I suppose that neatly explains the name, but what brought the sandwich from Havana to the States? This is where the theory takes a very more unexpected turn. Ernest Hemmingway.
Even the Sloppy Joe’s Bar’s location is part of the history. Capt. Tony’s claims to be the original location of the Silver Slipper bar.
Apparently, Hemmingway was a common presence at the Sloppy Joes bar in Havana, as he was at many bars. The famed author lived in Key West at the time and also frequented the Silver Slipper, a bar owned by Joe Russell. This theory states that Hemmingway convinced Russell to rename the bar to Sloppy Joe’s, just like the bar in Havana. The new Sloppy Joe’s also served a sandwich that was inspired by the Cuban counterpart. However, in Key West, the dish was Americanized to what we recognize today as Sloppy Joe. In fact, the restaurant still exists and they still serve the sandwich.
Other Contenders in Sloppy Joes History
Although the links to Havana and Hemmingway are certainly compelling, they are not the only theory that exists. Some research has pointed to Sioux City, Iowa and a cook named Joe as the originator of the dish. There’s also the Town Hall Deli in New Jersy that claims they created a sandwich of messy sliced ham and turkey with Russian dressing. That sandwich was also named Sloppy Joe, supposedly copied from the Havana bar just like the situation in Key West, but without any Hemmingways involved.
Given the fact that I was able to dedicate quite a space to the story of a Havana bar and a famous author, one might think that the origin is definitive. However, that’s not exactly how history works. A compelling story doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what happened. Rather, it’s often the case that history isn’t so neatly tied up in a fairly quick and quirky tale but involves more boring and iterative steps.
Still, there is a great deal of evidence that the chain of events that lead a sandwich from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida, via a Nobel Laureate is at least somewhat accurate. Although we may not ever be able to say that the story is definitely true, it’s certainly compelling, and tasty. Perhaps most fun, though, you can visit here and indulge in the history yourself.
