Havana 1920

As a Cuban American, I know authentic Cuban food when I see (and eat) it. I stopped in for dinner with a couple of friends and the atmosphere is super Cuban, from the decor to the music. We tried the Cuban sandwich and it was just as good as you'll get in Miami. The empanadas and croquetas were amazing. The tostones were slightly over cooked but still good. Our server was great and the prices are reasonable. Definitely recommend if you are a fan of great Cuban food.

Came here because they had a really good Thursday deal which was sandwiches for $7.50. Got here and waited for about 5 minutes until someone came to the front and said I could sit anywhere, I picked the upstairs which was nice. The server explained the deals and drink specials, very through. For food I ordered the Ropa Vieja Sandwich. This sandwich had shredded beef made with peppers, olives, & onions cooked in tomato sauce served with Swiss cheese pressed between slices of buttery cuban bread. Amazing sandwich, would have loved to try the other ones too. Nice vibe, great music, great service and great food.

Excellent Cuban food with strong drinks! Ricky and Arturo treated us like friends. We went back several times and sampled the menu. I'm an ex chef and the food was not only on par with Cuban flair but constant and affordable! Bonus.... There is a speak easy below it that we shut down! Had a blast! Definitely coming back!

We had originally booked well in advance another spot, "Rustic Root" for a business dinner, but after a long wait for our table and service there, we left early and walked across the street to Havana--and what a great decision! From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive and welcoming. Service was prompt, professional, and friendly, which made a big difference after our earlier experience. The food was excellent, flavorful, and beautifully presented. I recommend the Cubana sandwich or the Lechon Rolled Tacos, either paired with their house Mojito was the topper. On top of that, the atmosphere was comfortable enough for conversation, making it perfect for our meeting. We'll definitely be returning and recommending Havana for both business and personal dining.

Went for a quick happy hour! Great service, they were very attentive- Tonya and Edson were great! Food came out hot and quick and they even had their version of chips and salsa.

My dad lived in Cuba as a kid and so I grew up with my grandmother's exceptional Cuban cooking and struggle to find anywhere that lives up to that. Though, to be fair, Grandma food is always the best. Havana 1920 got close, moreso on some dishes than others, but made for a really satisfying meal. There was a whole group of us and the Hatuey got raves from a couple beer fans and the guava daiquiri was definitely a winner. For me, ropa vieja is always my measuring stick for a Cuban restaurant and while not bad, it also didn't blow me away. It was somewhat bland and that was kind of disappointing. The group collectively was very impressed by the bocaditos platter, though the yucca fries were unspectacular. They ended up oily, so likely not cooked at the right temp and became a letdown. The highlight of the whole night was the flan. I managed to convert a couple of my colleagues who were used to Mexican flan to convert and raved about the Cuban version. This was the most similar to what I grew up eating and really packed an emotional punch to compliment how unbelievably delicious it was. I might be an unfair judge as someone who has had so much Cuban food in my life, but I would recommend the place. We were able to put a couple tables together and eat outside and the service was exceptional, no complaints there.

Perfectly cooked steak topped with fresh peppers, creamy avocado, sweet plantains, and the richest black beans ever. Plus, their cocktails are gorgeous and taste even better than they look. Cozy vibes, great music, and friendly service … definitely coming back!

This place is a 💎 among all other regular restaurants in San Diego. Although other local restaurants are local and offer unique experiences, La Havana makes the difference with Cuban Food. From Ropa Vieja, Sandwichs, Tostadas, Mojitos , Pork, the food is delicious, We went twice and enjoyed it from top to bottom. Thanks. I recommend the Camarones al Ajillo and Lechón Asado.

The food and the service was excellent! I came here for lunch on the weekday and I was met with super nice staff and no line. The upstairs had a nice atmosphere and music playing in the background. Shoutout to my server Tonya who gave me suggestions on the menu! I got the Ropa Vieja which was very tender and the plantains were super delicious. I had a Jupina soda as a drink and it was a great sweet imported soda. Definitely will come back if I'm around again!

Decided to come here on a Saturday night after a day at the zoo with the family. Highly recommend reservations, but there were definitely tables available for walk in. They take you to the second floor, and the restaurant was decorated incredibly well. You will truly enjoy the decor. The food was okay, but what you expect paying downtown prices. The service was sadly a little slow. The flan had the consistency of cheesecake. While a super cool concept, I wouldn't want to come back.

Ordered the Cuban Sandwich. It was very delicious and tasty. Server was quick and fast in getting my drinks and sides. The place has two story, with the main seating area on the second floor. The ambiance is great with their salsa music playing on the background. Overall, great place to come if you're looking for Cuban sandwich!

I want to first say that I did come here during a very busy Comic Con week, so maybe other times they are not as bad. This is located in the GasLamp and we were given the option to sit inside out outside, so we chose outside. The table was covered in food pieces do she wiped it down quickly with a rag. We were just ordering drinks to kill some time, so didn't care too much. The table was pretty old looking as well. It did take them quite a while to come take our order, we got 2 cuban espresso martinis which were made with gin i believe. It took them an extremely long time to bring the drinks and in the mean time 2 other people, including the manager stopped to see if we were helped. We finally got our drinks, and the were ok, but not the best I've had. The server said they had to make some fresh cold brew and that's what took a while. I like mine darker and stronger, but these were lighter in color. I also think i prefer the vodka. They did bring a small bowl of plantain chips which were good. If i go back in definitely sitting inside next time, and trying the food

Great Cuban restaurant. They have a great ambiance and had nice live music on a Friday night. We have empanadas and a Cuban sandwich with a Mexican twist. Both very good. They also gave us fried plantains which was a nice touch. I would recommend if you are in the area. Staff was very friendly.

We had originally booked well in advance another spot, "Rustic Root" for a business dinner, but after a long wait for our table and service there, we left early and walked across the street to Havana--and what a great decision! From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive and welcoming. Service was prompt, professional, and friendly, which made a big difference after our earlier experience. The food was excellent, flavorful, and beautifully presented. I recommend the Cubana sandwich or the Lechon Rolled Tacos, either paired with their house Mojito was the topper. On top of that, the atmosphere was comfortable enough for conversation, making it perfect for our meeting. We'll definitely be returning and recommending Havana for both business and personal dining.

This place was a location on a food tour I was on. This was a cool location based on the décor and atmosphere. There were two floors and most of the tables were upstairs including the bar. It really did seem like old school Cuba. I had a beef empanada as well as a ham and cheese empanada. The beef was very flavorful and meaty. There were small pieces of carrot I believe too. The ham and cheese had plenty of ham and cheese. It was a great combination. The outer layer of both was crispy and flaky. There was also a sriracha, ketchup, and mayo sauce as well as a garlic sauce given. The mayo was okay, too much ketchup. The garlic sauce was good and paired well with both empanadas. Will I go back? Yes.

I visited with a large group and found them very easy to work with! Everybody enjoyed their meals and the live entertainment we had on the 2nd floor. Service was also good, and to my knowledge, no one in the group felt like things exceeded waited times for anything. My only disappointment was the strength of my cocktail. I ordered a pitcher of mojito which was over half full of ice. Unfortunately, the ice diluted the pitcher so much that it affected the flavor and quality of the drink. It started out good, but it didn't last long. Knowing that this is a Cuban restaurant, I fully understand the rum forward cocktails. I would like to have also seen a few more tequila options available.

Quite a weird experience from start to finish. You go through a cafe upstairs to get to the restaurant, it was 100% empty around 6pm on a weekday. A small group of drunk girls came and cackled up a storm. A photographer (not sure if affiliated with the restaurant) took pictures of us and then came back with framed copies to see if we wanted to buy it. Apps were hit and miss but seemed like it was pretty traditional Cuban food. We did get a free cocktail because there was a bartender in training so that was nice. Food: 6/10 Service: 6/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Value: 5/10

Super cute Cuban restaurant right in the Gaslamp area of SD. We opted for indoor seating, which is upstairs. The outdoor area is right in the front, and quite small. Not sure if they have more purpose seating out back. They share a bathroom with the restaurant next door, so that is downstairs and through an employee area. Bathroom was very clean. The host was nice enough, our server was great and very attentive. They greet you with fresh plantain chips - SO GOOD! We had the papás rellenas, croquetas, and empanadas to start. The beef empanada had a great taste, as did the croquetas. The filling of the vegetarian empanada was not my favorite, but our vegetarian diner loved it. The ceviche was missing a little salt, but once you ate it with the tortilla chips, that helped out. The lechón was our favorite! Very good flavor and the portion was really good. Two of us shared it and we had plenty. The rice side is also plenty, I do wish I had ordered more beans. The bistec was tender, but it was missing a little seasoning for my taste.

What a not so secret place to dine! Went to an Galentines event that was hosted here. My bff and I were completely surprised and ecstatic about our experience here. Not only do they have delicious food and cocktails, but the live music and vibe is EVERYTHING! During our Galentines event, we got to sample all their best food! The experience was so much fun because the servers and staff were also very welcoming and made our time here much more fun! If you were ever to come here I'd recommend: The plantains mariquitas Plantains muduros Picadillo Lechon asado And refresh with the pineapple soda!

A group of eight of us stopped by Havana 1920 for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Upon arrival we were quickly greeted and sat upstairs in a speakeasy type area near the back bar. The space is small but inviting, I've never been to Havana but I can image its filled with places like this. Our server Arturo was awesome! He was very attentive and was also our bartender. All the drinks were delicious and he overheard that we were celebrating a birthday and made us a round of shots that were really good! If I remember correctly it was the Hotel Nacional drink that he made into shots for us to celebrate. We ordered several different dishes and everyone loved the food. The Cubano was my personal favorite, I will definitely be ordering it again. They start you off with some fried plantains for the table with a couple different dipping sauces which is a nice touch. They offer several different coffees and after dinner drink options like the traditional Cuban Cortado which Arturo made custom for different tastes, lastly he also brought out a churro & ice cream dessert for the table to share which hit the spot! It was all of our first time visiting Havana 1920 but won't be the last! The service, food and ambiance was 10/10, thank you so much for a great experience it was great way to kick off our friend's Birthday in San Diego.

The waitress was very nice and outgoing. She was very accommodating and made good suggestions. The food was delicious! We ordered ceviche and two cubanos. We went for lunch on a Sunday so, it wasn't very busy. The restaurant it self is very cute and unique. I'd love to go back if I ever go back to San Diego.

The ambiance is welcoming and warm and they play great music. Our server was really nice but we only saw him when he took our order, when he filled our empty waters, and when the check was dropped off. Felt like he was the only server for the entire dinning room. The food was good. My ropa vieja had a little too much cumin but I still enjoyed it. The portions are large and we left with full bellies. The plantains were sooo good. I could eat an entire plate of just that. FYI If you pay by credit card they'll add a 3.99% surcharge. Thankfully I had cash so I avoided paying the extra charge.

My first visit here and I know I'll return! Charming music filled the space and the service was fun and friendly. The food was delicious and I can't wait to try other options. Do yourself a favor and check it out! They even have Cuban beer and sodas.

Staff were friendly. Love the ambiance with live music. Ceviche was good and the shrimp salad were my favorites. Drinks were ok.

Came here for a late lunch while on vacation with a friend. The flavoring of the food was great. Service was acceptable and our particular server was very sweet. I opted to go for a margarita flight because I was feeling a bit saucy on vacation. Those were really good. Nice and strong, which I liked. My only complaint is when I ordered my steak medium rare, it came to the table completely well done. I asked my server if we could have it fixed. She obliged, but when the platter came back the steak was cold in the middle and completely blue. By that point, I just wasn't feeling it anymore and asked to have the platter removed from our tab. Our server was incredibly apologetic and did as requested. She even offered us dessert after we had completed our meal. The decor of the restaurant was so fun! There is a lot to look at while you are dining with friends. On the day we dined here, there was a live band that set up and started playing in the middle of our meal. We stayed longer than it took to finish our meal so we could listen to the band.

My dad lived in Cuba as a kid and so I grew up with my grandmother's exceptional Cuban cooking and struggle to find anywhere that lives up to that. Though, to be fair, Grandma food is always the best. Havana 1920 got close, moreso on some dishes than others, but made for a really satisfying meal. There was a whole group of us and the Hatuey got raves from a couple beer fans and the guava daiquiri was definitely a winner. For me, ropa vieja is always my measuring stick for a Cuban restaurant and while not bad, it also didn't blow me away. It was somewhat bland and that was kind of disappointing. The group collectively was very impressed by the bocaditos platter, though the yucca fries were unspectacular. They ended up oily, so likely not cooked at the right temp and became a letdown. The highlight of the whole night was the flan. I managed to convert a couple of my colleagues who were used to Mexican flan to convert and raved about the Cuban version. This was the most similar to what I grew up eating and really packed an emotional punch to compliment how unbelievably delicious it was. I might be an unfair judge as someone who has had so much Cuban food in my life, but I would recommend the place. We were able to put a couple tables together and eat outside and the service was exceptional, no complaints there.

Located in the heart of Gaslamp. *live music was a plus *food was average/small portion *drinks were yummy *service was great We ordered a drink that ended up being too sour and they politely offered to replace it with no extra charge.

Ambiance and service were great! Minor take away was my chair was sunk in and felt like it was falling apart... my croquetas were good, my daughter ordered Bistec Havana and the meat was tough and chewy , may have to try something different, but we will go back..

Food was so delicious. 10/10 would get the empanadas & pollo again! The service was excellent & they had a live band but we unfortunately didn't stay long enough to get to see them play. I would highly recommend this place!

First time here. They had live music playing that evening. I checked in and got a FREE Item per chef choice by checking in. So do this next time you are here. Staff was friendly and helpful. He gave us advice on what to try. We tried the Cuban sandwich; yuca frita with mojo; plantain chips, and ceviche. Everything tasted good. We did have to wait a long time for the food so the waitress discounted an item. That was very nice of him. All in all we had a good time. The decor was great and I even got up to look around as I loved the historical pictures and items. Will be back.

I had never had a CUBANA Sandwich, and it was really good. REALLY GOOD!!! I was pleased to see that they took their time on making the sandwiches. Indeed, it is a complex sandwich. As I was sitting at one of the tables,, waiter brought over two glasses of water!!!

The 3 stars is specifically on food because it was such a let down. The pork empanada was good but ham and cheese was just ok. Empanadas were too oily to be honest. Ours was dripping of oil with each bite. Hostess, Service and Band that were playing tonight were great. The food was just so disappointing that I'm giving it a 3/5.

We went on a Friday at 7 pm- LIVE MUSIC! Good live music! So fun and an extra layer of character and good times when eating out. The food was good, not the best ceviche I have ever had- and not the best chicken I have had but the rice was probably my favorite thing of the night! My husband's dish of shrimp stuffed salmon was a particular highlight of the night! Overall great experience! Highly recommend!

Ambience was great due to music! Food was delicious !! Service was ok. We had veggie empanadas, vieja ropa, and maduros y tostones!! We will be back. Thank you.

One of many, many choices you have in the Gaslamp area. Cuban food cooked in a traditional way with lots of pork, fish choices. The food is seasoned well and portioned correctly. Service is okay but not overly a "wow".. just okay. Not a bad choice bot to be honest I am not sure if I would go back or not. On the fence on this one.

It was my first time at Havana 1920 with my husband and son for Happy Hour and I have to say that I was very pleased with their HH drinks and food specials. The two story restaurant has such a cool Cuban/ Miami vibe to it which made me feel like I was away on vacation ;) I made a reservation since I didn't know if it would be super packed on a Friday at 200pm. Luckily, it wasn't when we got there, but more people started showing up when we left so I do recommend making a reservation. Our server was very pleasant and took down our orders, brought out our drinks and food. She did such an amazing job despite being the only server working the second floor. Nevertheless, she got the job done and we were extremely happy with her service and the restaurant itself! Plantain appetizers were very tasty, Mojitos were sooooo refreshing and not watered down like other places. Our bocadito platter and my son's bistec sandwich was pretty darn good. We will come again!

This hidden gem is amazing! We had our company party here and it was great! From the food to the service, and ambiance with the live Latin band. Our group was impressed. All the empanadas were delicious! Croquetas, and the seńoritas cheese and guava! Morgan, Ricky; Taylor, Perry and crew were attentive and hospitable. We will definitely return.

Just wow!! Good service, awesome food, and a great little restaurant. Will do this one again just to try all the unique foods!!

3.5 stars Got the ceviche tropical and ropa viejas sandwich. Both were solid not something I'd crave to return to. I think it was also because of the slow service, seemed like they forgot about me as I dined outside and alone. The food was flavorful and enjoyable and worth trying once.

First restaurant my husband and I ate at when we moved to San Diego. A staple in our household if we are out in SD. Few things are as great as their live music and empanadas. Staff are very friendly!

Unfortunately this experience wasn't as good as the last time. The service here was really bad. We got seated quickly, but after that it was all down hill. The place wasn't busy at all, the waiter was just hanging out with the others the whole time. We got our appetizer at the end of our meal, from another waiter. I never got the refill I asked for three times. It took a long time to take our order, get drinks, get food, and forever to get the check. The whole experience took a really long time. The food also seemed to be overcooked. The plantains were delicious tho. The band was also really good.

After a show at the Civic Theater, we decided to explore the Gaslamp Quarter and passed by Havana 1920. The place is very inviting and relaxing, and most importantly, they had live music--I just loved it! We ordered their sampler platter. Everything was fresh, crispy, and delicious. The server was superb; we loved his enthusiastic vibe. Also, all the drinks were spot on!

The atmosphere is very warm and inviting. We had a great server (Bunny). She had great suggestions on dinner items and we were not disappointed. Try it out!!!

Great food, except for the dessert, which was rubbery. Awesome service. Perfect ambiance.

Located in downtown, you will have to find parking either in the paid parking lots or meter street parking. We parked on a 2hr meter parking spot and it was $2.50 for 2 hours. We went on a Saturday at 12:30pm with reservation and we were the only table. The restroom is shared with the Mexican restaurant next door but there is a connection to the back inside the restaurant. Just follow the signs. All of the food items were really good except the pollo/chicken. It says it is marinated in garlic citrus mojo but it lacked both flavors. It was not dry but just felt like it needed more seasoning. Their fried plantains and the plantain chips were great and the other meat dishes. Our server was the bartender who was great! Very helpful in giving us details of the food as well as splitting our bill 6 ways for us. There is a 3.3% surcharge for using a credit card so bring cash if you don't want to pay extra for it. He made that clear by circling that information which I appreciate. We also bought flan on our way out which was $7 but the waitress told me it was $8 (I saw the screen when she was ringing it up and it was $7 plus tax). So I gave her $10 and she gave me back $2 and crumpled up the receipt. I guess it is a couple changes and I would have told her to keep the loose change but it is different when they decide to just up the price and keep the change themselves? So all in all, food and service was great upstairs but watch it when you are buying something from their downstairs cafe. They might overcharge you without telling you. Just ask for the receipt and maybe they will be honest about the price. I think it doesn't help that the price is not displayed.

We had such a great meal at Havana 1920! Food and service were both amazing, as we did a friend's birthday lunch here. We had a large group, but Havana was on top of it with drink orders right as people started arriving. When we ordered food, things came out quickly and prepared well. This location shares a building with El Chingon Mexican food, and there is just one bathroom shared between both restaurants. PROPS: Great Cuban food, great drinks, and great service. SLOPS: The bathroom situation was not awesome for lunch. It's probably much more chaotic during a busy dinner or nightlife rush.

The ambience is energizing and the food was amazing as was the service definitely coming back

This has become one of my favorite spots to visit with my partner. The food is so good and we love it. The service is pretty good. Very nice spot right on 5th Avenue.

Great Vibe and ambiance! Our service was excellent! Our food ranged from excellent to good.

Fun little hidden gem upstairs. Live music, palm fans, people talking politics at the table next to ours. Really felt like we were in Cuba. And the food was absolutely divine. The banana chips they brought out with the sauces were so yummy. And then we got the vegetarian empanada -- ended up ordering a second one just because it was so delicious. The ceviche was solid. But the best part of the meal was the chicken tortilla soup. It was incredible. Just a steaming hot bowl of spicy goodness. Perfect for a chilly evening. The service was great too. We'll be coming back here!

Spent our Valentine's Day dinner here as we were missing authentic Cuban food from our trip to Miami. This hit the spot! It felt like we were back in the city. The service, the live music, and the ambiance are all incredible.

I was so excited to go here but unfortunately was let down It started by waiting just to get a hostess to seat us. Eventually we were sat upstairs by the window facing the street. It was nice inside and service afterwards was decent. The ropa vieja was not the best I've had. It had a Smokey flavor to it. The empanadas were delicious.

I've never really had Cuban food besides a cubano and items from Porto's (lol) so I was excited to try this place! Our group of 3 shared 3 different empanadas, all which were really good! I got the ropa vieja, which is the Cuban national dish, and it was super flavorful! The other two in my group got the steak and chicken, and both raved about their dishes. We got the churros with salted caramel ice cream (I think that's what the ice cream flavor was) for dessert, and the churros tasted fresh and the ice cream was really good! Would definitely recommend! Our server Ricky was super nice and helpful, answering all our questions about the menu.

**The low review is mostly because of the restaurant practices, and less about the food** We found this place super cute for a Friday night dinner. Live music made it even better We ordered: - veggie empanada, daily special (rose empanada), yucca fries and a mojito + sangria The food was ok, but mid way through our meal, we got our photo taken (without any context what it was for). We were pretty sure we were going to be asked to purchase the picture at the end, which was kind of annoying as we didn't have enough time to react and politely decline Sure enough, while food is still on our table, someone came to our table and pretty aggressively started laying out framed photos of us and told us it would be $20 for each photo. We said no thanks, and the man walked away. Finally, we asked for the bill and when we got it, the receipt had a section which was circled and mentioned a 4% surcharge for credit card. Nowhere was this mentioned (on the menu, or anywhere else). We felt a bit scammed since we would have carried cash, had we known. Overall, while the food was ok, the experience towards the end left a not so great taste.

Cute location in gaslamp. Nice server who was nice and helpful. I'm from Florida and the one thing I miss is Cuban food. It's so hard to find on the west coast but this worked, not 100% traditions but still tasty. We had the papa rellena de carne and plantain chips for appetizers which were both delicious and filling. I had the ropa vieja and my man had the lechon for mains. I had an ice yummy cold iron beer soda and he had painkiller that was nice.

very romantic spot! Would be perfect for a date night - the atmosphere is really cool and dim, they had live magic playing Saturday evening. Service was good, Ricky did a great job taking care of us. Food was delicious and everything had decent portion sizes.

Friday night in Gaslamp was getting heated up. I walked around and went into this unassuming Cuban joint that shares a host with the Mexican place next door. Once seated upstairs in this joint it had a very jazz club kinda feel. They did have great local live Latin music. The 3 guys were great, really set the scene. Here's my three things: 1) I was based out of Miami for a while. This chef has painted the Cuban culture perfectly out here on the left coast. 2) Tostones, were fried to perfection with a nice mojo de ajo! Cuba Librè mixed drink was pretty good to match. (Salty & sweet combo) 3) Lechon Asado was 4/5 stars just missed the crispy tips that most places have. I will be back!