V T Clark

I have been a patron of VT Clark General Merchandise since 1989. So for Port Tampa I am almost considered a resident. Sue has been making my Veggie Cheese Cuban sandwiches since then. She knows what I want on mine and what my wife, each of my 4 kids and my father in law likes on theirs as well. Full on premises fresh, hand cut and freshly ground meats. Not to mention catching up on all of the activities in town. The owners are good friends to the community as well.

Located on property that used to be part of olf downtown Port Tampa, and has been around for more than 100 years, this little cornerstone in the Port Tampa community is a jump back in time. Now, if you’re not familiar with Port Tampa and the PRIDE associated with it’s residents, then you need to get down there and experience it. See, the folks who live in Hillsborough County’s extreme southwest corner are very vocal about their neighborhood, and on the surface, one might wonder why. It’s not necessarily the nicest area, and there aren’t multimillion dollar homes on every street, but you’d never guess that if you were talking to a resident. This pride is deeply rooted in the area’s history. Port Tampa played a critical part in the development of Tampa and crucial to the coordination of the Spanish-​American War with it’s large and busy ports and railways during the 1800s. This City was the creation of Henry B. Plant, and its port and railroads is what ultimately lured Vicente Ybor to Tampa. And until 1961, Port Tampa City was independent until being annexed by the larger city of Tampa.
So understanding that, one can see how this small, independent «general merchandise» store with it’s limited hours and cash-​only policy has been able to keep it’s doors opened for decades regardless of the surrounding Circle K and 7-​Eleven convenience stores that have come and gone.
They have two claims to fame: Cuban sandwiches and PORT TAMPA t-​shirts. Personally, I’m not a fan of the sandwiches, but I still rock the PT shirt that I bought in 1995 on a weekly basis. So go get yours!
CUBAN SANDWICH REPORT CARD:
Bread: Fresh, bakery unknown.
Ham: Boiled ham /​lunch meat
Pork: Processed pork /​lunch meat
Salami: Yes
Swiss: Yes
Mustard: Yes
Pickles: Yes
Pressed: Upon request
Lettuce/​Tomato/​Mayo: Upon request
Rating: 2.0 /​5.0