Havana Cafe

I came to Habana Café for the first time on a Wednesday night just to try it out — and from that moment, I couldn’t stop coming back. I ended up visiting three days in a row for both lunch and dinner. Before coming, I had read some reviews where people compared the food here to Miami’s, and honestly, I think that’s a bit silly. Even when you’re talking about the same type of food, every place has its own flavor and soul. As a proud Puerto Rican, I can tell you: this place is not just authentic — it’s something special. The atmosphere, the décor, the service, the prices, the freshness of the food, the coffee, the bread — everything is just incredible. The staff is genuinely kind and welcoming, which makes the whole experience even better. And let me tell you: the Cuban sandwich? Out of this world. Seriously, one of the best I’ve ever had. If you’re even thinking about trying this place, don’t hesitate for a second. Grab your friends, come hungry, and experience real Cuban food at its finest. You won’t regret it. 🇨🇺💙❤️

I really want to give this place 5 stars, because the guy behind the counter was very nice and welcoming, but the food itself is just not it. Havana sampler; bland "sugared"(?) plantains, except no sugar just softened bland plantain. Fried plantain, also bland. The little fried nugs, deep fried and greasy. Tasted like old oil. The sauces were alright, but nothing to rave about. The very dry roast sandwich with no flavor--well...atleast the tables come with salt shakers, too bad there is no real flavor to the roast, but it won't matter because you'll be chewing on a hunk of meat for the next 5 mins. Bummed, great service just really mid food.

As soon as I walked up to the restaurant with my mother, we were instantly greeted and invited in. The food was excellent, I got the Pollo a la plancha with Maduros, they were so charitable to give us a complementary order of yuca fries. This restaurant will make you feel like you’re at home (but with way better food!).

I loveeee the Cuban sandwich, black beans and rice is good but I have to spice it up a little to my liking. The family is so inviting and kind. It’s a wonderful option to eat local and family owned.

Love this place! I come here often on my lunch break and the staff couldn’t be more friendly and the food couldn’t be tastier! I always get an Andy’s Cuban which is phenomenal with a side of black beans. I often get a side of mariquitas which are so good and great to dip into the black beans. Everyone has always been so nice here especially Andy the owner, and the atmosphere is amazing. If you want to support a newer local business focused on bringing you authentic food you have to stop by here! I always tell people in town about this spot. Thanks guys I’ll continue to keep coming back!

We love Cuban food and made a habit of sampling the best places we could get the last time we were in Tampa and other parts of South Florida. For those like-minded folks looking for those flavors here in Eugene, this is the place. The menu is small and focused, ordering is counter serve and seating is decent. Street parking is downtown but cheap and free on Sundays. My wife had the ropa vieja, while I had the pan de bistec (steak sandwich), and both were tremendous. The ropa/beans/rice were exactly what she hoped for, and the steak sandwich was flavorful and served on delicious crusty buttered bread. The madruros (plantains) were quite tasty as well.

I absolutely love cuban food so i was so excited to try this place but this is some of the worst food I've had from a restaurant before. Just dry rubbery chicken and unseasoned beans and rice with 2 tostones that tasted about 4 days old. They also just left out the side of yuca frita i paid extra for. It's also ridiculous expensive for food that tasted like they only thought about adding salt to it

My food was amazing I got the special-fried cheeks over beans and rice. Their mojo sauce is delish. My friends said their sandwiches weren't great because there wasn't a lot of flavor in the meat. They had to use their habanero sauce for flavor.

Authentic and delicious in a Cuban ambiance. The owners and staff go above and beyond to accommodate customers. I had a shredded pork w black beans and rice that was delicious. My only regret is I had no room for flan. Next time I'll start with dessert.

The food was delicious, the ambiance was lively and bright, and the service was fantastic. I'm addicted to the tostones! Nice that they have Coke products and lots of Topo Chico flavors!

Great Cuban food, kind of like what I've had growing up in Florida. The owner was super friendly and took a lot of pride in his craft. The inside is very colorful and nicely decorated, too!

Tasty, hospitable, very clean. A recommended stop for a taste of Cuba. The "cafe con ketches, con pan" ( my spelling is sketchy) is a treat to launch an afternoon of friendly conversation.

Service: the gal behind the counter said hello with a huge smile on her face the second I walked in the door and was very helpful and kind. As I was appreciating the family photos on the wall, the owner said hello and was happy to give me his time explaining stories behind the photos. Very welcoming and personable family oriented place! The food: good portions for the price. For what I'd spend at McDonalds I got a clean healthy home cooked meal. The chicken was well seasoned, moist and not over cooked. Rice was fluffy and just right, beans were good and the plantains were soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside just as they should be! Highly recommend. Support your local businesses!!!

I love their Cuban sandwich, and have been obsessed recently. I wish there were more pickles, but either way it's the best I've had! I've tried the desserts, and they're great as well. Definitely try this spot.... I'm looking forward to trying some of their other dishes! As a side note, go in person. There's a noticeable difference in price and quality between ordering (even to go) in person and via Uber eats. My favorite sandwich in Eugene by far!

I love their food and the people who work there, but I only eat there about a fourth of the times I want to because their online ordering is frequently offline :-(

Excellent service, as soon as you walk in the door, you feel their passion for what they're making. Best Cuban I've had in my life, again, super friendly family run restaurant, been here 4-5 times now, and it's fantastic everytime!

I read some of these reviews and am puzzled. When I make rice (which is often) I only add a pinch of salt as most guides say to do. It's pretty bland, it's supposed to be, as a base for what is going with it so I add salt to my food as needed to my liking. The same with spaghetti, a pinch of salt in the water, then you add the sauce. I had the ropa vieja with rice and black beans today at Havana Cafe and poured the beans over the rice like mom taught me to do and they were flavorful. I think the prices are reasonable considering that everything is more expensive and minimum wage has gone up. I remember going to a favorite restaurant and paying under ten dollars for a meal just two years ago and that same meal now costs over $15 that I had a couple weeks ago. I spoke to the owner after my visit and he explained that he cooks most of the food himself from scratch, that's refreshing and it tastes that way. I'll be returning again, it reminds me of Miami and home so much. And for the record nobody in their right mind liked Fidel or Hitler either!

This was my first time having Cuban food and I will be trying this again! The bread was so crispy, the pork was tender and juicy I'm surprised the bread stayed so crispy with how much juice came from the meat. I'm not a fan of mustard and I wasn't sure if the ham was needed in the sandwich but I shoudn't have questioned it, all the flavors came together beautifully. This is definitely the type of sandwich you want to grab on a cold day. Next time I would grab their mojo sauce just to change the flavor a bit, this is a hearty sandwich and with all the savory meat the tartness of the mojo sauce would pair nicely. This meal will definitely fill you up and keep you full. The fries were super crispy, there is salt on the table for you to add. Next time I'll order this to go and pick up some fresh jalepeños and I'll be set!

Great Service, Delicious Food, and very nice Ambiance! La Papa Rellena está exquisita y crujiente. El pastelito muy sabroso, y el café que ni se diga!

I happened upon this place completely by accident. I was walking the wrong way to get ramen when I saw the well designed space and thought...pulled pork sounds better. I got the Arroz con frijoles negros y lechon (which is simply black beans and rice with slow roasted pork and simply delicious). I topped it with some Havana Cafe Mojo sauce which took it over the edge. I also got a side of plantains that were hot and fresh. I grew up eating this particular meal and no lie...this was as close to fresh off the boat homemade goodness. I only like to Yelp meals that rock my world. This place did that. I walked in curious and hungry. But walked out beyond happy and well beyond stuffed.

This is by far the best Cuban place in all Oregon. I enjoyed having Andy's Original and it was the best sandwich I've ever had. We also ordered Pollo a la plancha, white rice, black beans and a side of croquetas. The flan is a must have. Service was excellent Hands down 5 stars+. The ambiance was being at local place back home. I'll definitely visit again!

Andy, the owner is friendly and amazingly kind. The stuffed tostones are my favorite. With ropa vieja filling they are juice and delicious. I could eat ten.

Excellent Cuban Sandwich! Fresh, delicious pork, crunchy crust, very tasty. Service was quick and friendly. Nice music and vibe. My family has been here a few times now and very happy to have this addition to Eugene.

Good food. Friendly staff. Tried a few things at the owner's suggestion and enjoyed them more than what I ordered but everything was good.

Here is my take on the restaurant: The restaurant is expensive for what you are eating. For example, the tostones were the prepackaged kind, and the pork was bland with no flavor or sazon. The chicken also had no flavor and was over powered by the lemon juice the cook used on the chicken. Finally, the beans that come with each meal were lack flavor. Altogether, I would rate the restaurant a one star for using pre-packaged food, as well as using minimal seasoning on their food and charging people an arm and a leg for the amount of food they give you.

Food and ambiance are excellent. Really enjoyed trying the fufu and picadillo plates. Very authentic and full of flavor! Don't be fooled by what may look like a smaller serving size. It's a very dense meal--it will fill you up in a hurry! A little feedback for the management; there's doesn't appear to be an organized order numbering system and there is no counter space where orders can be set out to waiting customers. This gets confusing quickly, especially if you sit at an outside/sidewalk table. We decided to move indoors and had a server approach our table twice with orders for different guests. It also looks like our dessert may have been delivered to another table--we never received it. Unfortunately we didn't realize it until after we left. This could greatly be improved upon.

Hands down, best food we've had since moving to Eugene!! The flavors are deep, rich, layered-this is how food should be cooked! We loved it so much we ordered again the next day. Portions are generous, the staff is so nice!

Great Cuban food in Eugene! Give it a try! Especially the plantains and the Cuban sandwich, and the yucca fries!

I'm no expert on Cuban food - in fact I've barely had it before so you can take this with a large lump of sal. But I highly enjoyed this! My boyfriend and I went three days after their opening, and the decor and wall murals were beautiful and evocative. I had a croqueta sandwich, which was yummy and rich and reminded me of the best croquetas I had in Spain, but definitely bready and simple: just ham and cheese croquettes encased in bread. My boyfriend had the Cuban sandwich which was decadent, complex and delicious! I would highly recommend that one and am excited to go back to try it again. The maduros were also yummy -though they don't give you much for the price. Finally, it is true that the pre packaged potato sticks are a bit underwhelming. But I considered it to be a cultural and nostalgic element that I didn't truly comprehend. Loved the employees there, they gave a true family owned vibe. And it was so sweet when they started dancing together. Buenas vibras all around!

FINALLY SOME GOOD LATIN FOOD. I just moved here from LA and have been STRUGGLING to find any form of good quality and authentic Latin food. Well, I finally found the spot. The ambience is open, welcoming, and relaxing as well.

The cuban was amazing. Taste on point. I was more disappointed of the shoe string chips. They were not the "fries" I am use to. Should of ordered the yuca fries. Recommend for some good taste and eats.

Simple, delicious Cuban food. This is by far the best Cuban Sandwich in Eugene! I might get another one. Sweet family style business, friendly faces and good music. It's not fine dining atmosphere, it's all about the food.

What a great find!!! This family run restaurant was incredibly delicious ! I lived in Florida for 22 years and missed Cuban food, so my kids and grands brought me here for my birthday!! We all ordered a different main meal and several appetizers ! We were all ecstatically delighted with every dish we ordered ( and tasted each others) . None of us had been here before! But we are coming back very soon!!! The chef and staff were so welcoming and friendly! Highly recommended!

Great food. Service was excellent. Will return. Great music and decorations. Bread fr sandwich was great.

Authentic cuban cuisine in a fast-food type setting. Very quick service with friendly people. The meal was very good and filling.

I have eaten Cuban food frequently. Was excited to see that a Cuban place opened in Eugene. Such a disappointment. The beans tasted like they were boiled in water with zero seasoning, garlic, or onion. The lechon had no seasoning at all. Even the rice was not good. Pretty sure the tostones and Maduros were from a frozen package. The mojo was just over lemon sauce that didn't even taste like mojo (no garlic). I felt that they didn't season anything. The food was also such small portions for $18 a plate. We ended leaving without barely touching our food. Which is insane for how much we spent. We were so hungry that we went to a different restaurant to eat. The place is cute and the music that they play was really nice. Just a huge let down when you had actual Cuban food

I got plantain chips and picadillo, OMG!!!! I grew up eating cuban food, and THIS IS NOT CUBAN FOOD. the picadillo HAS NO TASTE. The black beans HAVE NO TASTE. And the plantain chips!!! OMFG! I was so looking forward to actual real plantain chips, thick, crispy golden on the outside, yummy plantain on the inside... what i got were obviously pre-made chips i could order from amazon anytime, heated up in the damn microwave... SO VERY, VERY DISAPOINTED. And my grandmother and greatgrandmother would be outraged, OUTRAGED to call this SHITE authentic cuban food. You should be ashamed.

I went during their soft opening over the weekend. Their food was great. The Cuban sandwich was flavorful, the plantains were top notch and the Cuban coffee was strong but not bitter. My only small gripe is that they could use a number system to call out orders. There was some confusion at one point. Other than that the place was top notch and I look forward to going often.

The meat was dry and over cooked, the plantain dishes were tasteless and the service was terrible. I went with a group of 6 and our dishes were brought to the table one at a time. Though we all ordered together almost an hour elapsed between the time the first person was served and the last dish arrived. The only drinks they offer are sodas that come in individual, single-use plastic containers. The atmosphere would be okay except for the extremely offensive framed sign hanging on the wall that reads: "Fidel is dead. Where's the party at?" Real Cuban food can be superb as is the music and culture of the island, but you won't find any of that here. To say it was a disappointing experience is a gross understatement.

Food was good. Cuban sandwich was fulfilling and right for the price. Owner is supper nice and service in general is efficient. Didn't have to wait a lot for my food. And finally the ambiance is really neat and very vibrant.

Excellent food! Must try the Andy's Cuban sandwich. Will be back for Ropa Vieja. The owner is incredibly nice; he makes his own family recipes from Cuba.

Very nice, great food, excellent coffee, friendly staff, we will be going back...the Toston were excellent, the midnight Cuban sandwich was very good.

Amazing food! Really needed in Eugene. We got yucca fries, the medianoche, and croquetas. Easily enough food to share between the two of us, great prices. My favorite were the croquetas, but the sandwich was to die for. We also grabbed a few pastries, which were a tad stale, but still tasty. 10/10 definitely going back.

Big disappointment! I've had wonderful Cuban food in NYC and Miami, and was really excited to have a new Cuban restaurant in Eugene. The only tasty part of my dinner was the Mexican Coke. The rice, beans, pork and maduros were extremely blah and expensive. I ate less than half of my dinner, and did not take the rest to go. I had a bagel when I got home, and it was delicious.

I'm not usually moved to review restaurants, but if you like cuban food, or really food with any amount of seasoning, don't go here. Charged $18 for a plate of dry pork, plain white rice, and al dente black beans. No salt on any of it. I had to use my salt shaker at a cuban restaurant... why? Fufu (an extra like $6 or something) tasted almost... expired. Like others have mentioned I suspect the tostones came from a package. Did not seem fresh. Only remotely decent thing was a sandwich my friend ordered, and even that had dry under-seasoned pork and crusty bread. Cheese saves most things. I rarely leave a restaurant wishing I hadn't even tried the food, but that was this. So sad. Good cuban food is one of the best things in this world.

food was very good, lots of good options of authentic Cuban food. it's a great environment with great music and decorations, a great environment. however, the service wasn't the best. came in with two friends who got the bread with coffee. but they seemed to have forgotten the coffee, so that took about 15 minutes to get, after the bread came out which was cold by the time the coffee was brought out. one of my friends got an order of mariquitas which he got. but i got another order of them and never got mine. they were busy so i get it and i know this place is new so they're still figuring things out which is totally okay. but when i went up and told them i never got my mariquitas the owner told me that we already got them. i explained that my friend got an order and then i got another. to which he said "i might've forgotten about the coffee but i brought the mariquitas out myself so i know you got those". yes we got one order which was my friends. i never got mine. just no willingness to look back at the ticket and see i ordered them because they were on the screen when i was ordering. so i spent $6 for something i never got. started out a great experience but the unwillingness to check the ticket and show some good customer service made this not the best experience. and now i'm down $6 for nothing. i hope they can figure out a better system to prevent this from happening to someone else. i'm willing to come back for the food and the great environment but hope to see some changes to their system so they can operate better

I checked out the Havana Cafe - terrific cuban sandwich! I will be back to try the rest of the menu. It's a wonderfully warm and personal restaurant that is clearly a local business with a dream of cuba. I loved it - definitely check it out.