John R.
Yelp
Someone pointed me to the Mandy Burger - 8oz Brasstown beef patty, pepper-candied bacon, Boursin cheese, tobacco fried onions, toasted brioche bun. Well, it was worth the trip. Cooked perfectly and a melody of tasts coming together in every single bite.
Service was attentive and the decor was spot on that vibe from Havanna. However, I looked at the wall seeing the famous mug shot of Frank Sinatra from Bergen County NJ and wondered what was that all about? So, I "searched" on AI and discovered something I didn't know before:
The Havana Beach Bar & Grill draws its inspiration directly from El Floridita, a legendary bar in Havana, Cuba, famous as a hangout for Ernest Hemingway and emblematic of the city's vibrant mid-20th-century nightlife scene. This ties into a broader theme of celebrating Cuba's golden era of cocktails, cuisine, and revelry, with menu influences from Caribbean and Gulf Coast flavors that evoke that spirit.
Frank Sinatra's inclusion in the decor isn't random--it's a deliberate nod to his well-documented ties to Havana during the 1940s and 1950s. He visited Cuba multiple times, performed at iconic venues like the Tropicana and Hotel Nacional, and was part of the celebrity and mob-influenced social scene there. Notably, in February 1947, Sinatra traveled to Havana for what was publicly a gala event but was actually a cover for a major mob conference attended by figures like Lucky Luciano and the Fischetti brothers; he even arrived with a suitcase of cash and entertained at the gathering. Places like Havana's Hotel Nacional still display photos of him today as a famous visitor from that pre-revolutionary period.
The specific use of his 1938 Bergen County mug shot (from an arrest on outdated charges of "seduction" involving a married woman) adds a layer of edginess, fitting the restaurant's evocation of Havana's glamorous yet gritty underworld vibe during the mob's heyday in Cuba. It's an iconic image often used in vintage decor to highlight Sinatra's rebellious early persona, which aligns with the era's celebrity lore that the restaurant channels amid its otherwise Cuba-focused elements.