Joshua Castillo
Google
Disappointed by the Service — Especially from Our Waitress, Yara
My friends and I visited Havana last Thursday, the 10th, shortly after the lunch rush to celebrate a graduation. We were a group of seven and were told by the hostess that we’d need to split into separate tables, even though there appeared to be enough space to accommodate us together. While not ideal, we agreed and sat down in good spirits—unfortunately, that changed quickly.
Our server, Yara, approached us with zero greeting, no smile, no introduction, and no apology for the long delay in even bringing water. From the start, she came off as rude, uninterested, and slow.
When we noticed a larger table had opened up that could seat all seven of us, we politely asked Yara if we could move. She rolled her eyes and said she’d check with the manager, then disappeared for quite a while. Eventually, we asked the hostess instead, who kindly took initiative and moved us to the larger table without hesitation. Yara later returned, offered no acknowledgment or help, and seemed annoyed that we had moved without her.
Things continued to decline from there. We waited over 35 minutes for our food, and while several servers helped bring it out, the one bright moment was seeing Brojhan (I hope I spelled that right), a server we had met the day before who had provided a great experience. I asked him for a strawberry jam he had recommended previously, and he kindly said he would get it. However, Yara saw him and became visibly upset, making a comment about how I was being “difficult” and “asking for too many favors.”
At that point, the experience went from disappointing to unacceptable. Yes, the service was slow. Yes, our food took longer than expected which we all realize is not a big deal. But being treated rudely, dismissed, and insulted by our waitress ruined our entire lunch. We were a group simply trying to enjoy a celebration—and were nothing but polite and patient throughout.
We tried to speak with a manager afterward, but were told by the hostess that none were available. We were told Ana Keough had just went to her office.
To be clear: the food was excellent, as it always is at Havana, and this review is not meant to take away from that. But if Yara is your server, prepare for a difficult experience. She was by far the worst part of our visit, and I hope this feedback is taken seriously—by the management and by Yara herself. Everyone has bad days, but taking it out on guests is never okay.