Havana Carolina Restaurant & Bar

Celebrated a birthday lunch with my husband at Havana Carolina. It was an impromptu decision and the best Decision . We have discovered a gem in Concord, nc. Great atmosphere, music, food and an excellent service from Alejandro. I was celebrated with my favorite dessert ever, flan… and I must say it was the best I’ve had and I e had many. We will be going back regularly and taking friends and family. Like to try the live band on a Saturday evening.

Went for a late lunch and was very impressed. Definitely try the pounded yam balls as an appetizer. The wait staff was amazing, fast, and the food was delicious!! Live music on Saturday nights…I’ll have to come back again!

We had a great experience and as always absolutely amazing food!!! It happened to be their 8th Anniversary this night and the live music and dancers were beautiful. We love to get their cordadito and their desserts are to die for 😍

I’ve been a customer for years, but the quality and service have gone downhill. They often close early without notice—leaving customers locked out with orders already placed and paid for. My most recent order (pork chunks with congri and plantains) was missing the plantains, came with only three small pieces of pork for $24, and the onions looked and tasted old. In the past, the same meal came with 5–6 pieces of pork. It’s clear they just handed me leftovers instead of a proper meal. Between the poor service, reduced portions, and declining food quality, I won’t be returning.

Food was amazing, I had the Tesoros Cubano, which is listed as an appetizer it has a little bit of everything. My favorite were empanadas and the tamales. Paired with their cilantro sauce is amazing. Atmosphere is such a cute cuban café, relaxing but vibrant at the same time. I had 2 drinks a mango mojito an a cuban hurricane. Cuban hurricane was on the sweeter side however you could most definitely taste the alcohol. The mango mojito on the hand, is and has been the best mojito ive had. Exactly what a mojito should taste prefect balance of mint and sweetness. The bartender knows exactly what their doing. 10/10

Good Cuban food, if in the area we will return. The boiled yucca was one of my favorite it’s was flavorful and fork tender, the mojo on top made the dish. The black beans were seasoned to perfection, you can eat them alone. We also tried the vegetarian tostones and the yucca balls. The tostones were a little stale the precooked a sat for a while. Lots of seating, live music some nights

Cute little place and they have live music on certain nights. Being from South Florida, we're particular about Cuban food. We found this food to be average at best. Bryan, our server, was great and the staff, very friendly. Our favorite thing was the tostones cups with lechon inside and a touch of cheese on top.

We had the best experience at Havana Carolina in Concord, NC! Niurka, the manager, was so welcoming and made us feel right at home. The entire restaurant has such a warm, friendly, and inviting environment, it truly feels like family. I ordered the palomia steak with congri and maduros, and every bite tasted like it came straight from abuela’s kitchen. The tostones appetizer was absolutely incredible and set the tone for the whole meal. The rest of our party ordered the Cuban sandwich, and they loved it just as much. Perfectly prepared and full of flavor. From start to finish, everything was delicious, authentic, and cooked with so much care. I highly recommend Havana Carolina if you’re looking for authentic Cuban food, amazing hospitality, and a welcoming atmosphere. We’ll definitely be back!

Some of the best food around! Aryoly was an amazing server as well! Highly recommend the lechon asado and rooa vieja.

I've been a customer for years, but the quality and service have gone downhill. They often close early without notice--leaving customers locked out with orders already placed and paid for. My most recent order (pork chunks with congri and plantains) was missing the plantains, came with only three small pieces of pork for $24, and the onions looked and tasted old. In the past, the same meal came with 5-6 pieces of pork. It's clear they just handed me leftovers instead of a proper meal. Between the poor service, reduced portions, and declining food quality, I won't be returning.

Did not completely live up to the hype. We arrived on a very busy Saturday with a reservation but had to wait quite a while to be seated. The restaurant is hard to find being located in the back of a commercial building but we just followed the crowd. It was loud and hectic with a live band. After being seated we had another wait for drinks and for our orders to be taken. Our server was not very helpful with menu suggestions as he was juggling multiple tables. The food was good but not great. The coffee definitely did not live up to the hype and to be honest we were happy to finally get our check and leave.

SO GOOD, the atmosphere with live music is epic and the food here just hits different

I'm a fan of Cuban food. Papas rellenas, plátanos maduros, vaca frita, yuca frita, picadillo cubano, medianoche, and of course the delicious espresso. It's available here. Havana Carolina Restaurant hits the right notes, but most offerings fall short. The 'Cafe Havana' exceeded expectations on the pricing as it rivals even the most exclusive local DIPA pints and bougiest decked out coffee you can think of at both local and chain establishments. I suppose I'm paying mostly for the presentation which I don't mind, but felt it was worthy of mention. It's a layer of condensed milk with espresso poured over. With chocolate syrup, 'Cuba' is written over it and was pretty after all. Honestly, I should've just ordered ol' faithful--café con leche. The beef empanadas were quite tasty, and the cubano was also good with a serving of crinkle cut fries and a side ketchup packets. Wild take, but places with crinkle cut fries are usually pretty mediocre... that's just like my opinion man. There's some exceptions of course. The ambience is dark, and depending on the day there's live music. That was super cool. Service was good. Lastly--don't get it confused with another nearby spot called Havana Carolina Cafe, they're not the same.

I ordered the 'sampler' platter as my meal so I could try a little of everything. Our server attempted to answer our questions - definitely a language barrier there. Food came out quickly, food was hot when it arrived to the table, I was given an explanation of what everything was on my plate, my friend was told which empanada was chicken/beef. The sampler platter was kinda hit and miss for me - tamale was too wet for my liking, all the meats were great, chicken empanada filling was good (pastry was pretty dry, not sure if that is how they are supposed to be?), plantain chips were great, tostones were good, etc. Music played in the background, quiet enough to have a conversation. As we were finishing our meal - we were asked 4x by 2 different people how our food was. BUT...we had to go find someone to get a box and to get a to-go water? Both of us paid in cash - we were both given larger bills in change which made tipping difficult (gave $40 on $30 recieved back two $5). Overall, good experience. I don't get to Concord frequently but would eat there again if the opportunity arose.

I haven't visited the town of Concord since 2014 and that was the last time I ate at Havana Carolina Restaurant. I remembered the great meal then so I decided to bring my co-worker to join me for this meal. His project is a short drive from HCR and after our meal, he will be a regular. We started with Empanadas- beef and chicken with each of us sharing half to try out both kinds. Excellent especially with the green sauce. Both were crispy and flavorful. For entrees I ordered the Picadillo Cuban and he got the Ropa Vieja. We both enjoyed our meals. The Piccadillo and the brown rice went well with the sweetness of the plantain. It was a good plate of Cuban comfort food on a cold December day. My coworker got the white rice to go with his Ropa Vieja and he had enough to take some home for later. We finished off the meal with a cup of Cuban cortadito. The owner spoke with us to check on our meal and our server brought us extra green sauce upon request. I hope it doesn't take me 10 years to make it back to HCR.

Came here with my mom for lunch. Absolutely LOVED it. Truly haven't found many good places to go out and eat food at, but this place is wonderful, and will definitely be going back. Food - We ordered the beef empanadas which were absolutely flavorful, fresh, and delicious. I forgot the name of the other two things we got, it was a shrimp dish and fried balls with cheese, and my gosh it was amazing. We even loved the cortaditos so much that we ordered one more round of them. Service - staff was very nice and made the experience pleasant :) Ambiance - Ambiance was nice too. Dim-lit and a nice space. Please try this place out if you want some great tasting Cuban food!!

I have been wanting to try this restaurant for years and today I finally did! Havana Carolina is located in downtown Concord off of Union Street. My suggestion is to park behind the building where there is a parking lot off of Church Street versus Union Street. When entering through the front door you have to walk to the back to locate the restaurant. Havana Carolina has backdrop for a quick photo op! You know the girls love a good picture! When we walked in we were greeted by Bryan and seated immediately. It was pretty quiet when we first got there. The restaurant is decorated like a typical cuban cafe. Because this was my first time visiting I was overwhelmed by the menu but Bryan made suggestions and recommendations. We started with an appetizer that had a little of everything on it. The appetizer really is sufficient for two people, but both my friend and myself were famished so we also ordered entrées. I ordered the Cuban sandwich and my friend ordered the steak sandwich. I also had two Mojitos, which were made perfectly by Niurka. Although the drink was pretty, I was so glad that it was not too sweet. Niurka and Bryan showed excitement to have customers and both provided excellent customer service. You know sometimes you visit restaurants and the employees seem like they're mad that you're there- I didn't get that feel here. The food was delicious. To add insult to injury I also ordered Tres Leche's and it was so good sweet and moist. What I like most about my visit to this restaurant was the customer service sadly, customer service has gone downhill tremendously since the pandemic and it felt good to have someone who communicated well who is happy and funny. Tomorrow is Thursday and they are having specials on Mojitos. I may pop back in.

Wow! I'm not surprised very often but this was a treat. I didn't take a shot of my meal because it was soooooo good. I got the Piccadillo Cubano and my date got the Ropa Vieja. Both were excellent! The plantains were carmelized and sweet! Drinks were great. I had a Cuban old fashioned. Atmosphere was the topper. They have a tv playing someone walking through the streets oh Havana. With the music playing, makes you think you are there.

Excellent food and service! Will be coming back soon! The food was so flavorful and the mango smoothie was awesome! Our server was very attentive and explained everything.

Drinks were amazing!!!! Tried something I normally wouldn't go for and it was great! Manager was very lovely as well! Definitely found a new spot!

Everything was amazing. The Ron zombie drink was some top tier stuff okay. Get it. The Cuban was cuban'ing. The beans and rice was sooo good. Just like my mama's but don't tell her, she's Puerto Rican. . We sat at the bar and got the best service ever. It's such a great spot for any occasion. The ambiance was so fitting. Low key but perfect for a night out with a friend!

Yummy! We enjoyed a double date night with our close friends and had a great time while listening to live music. The drinks were great and everyone really enjoyed their food. We ordered quite a bit so we had a nice sampling if everything. We had great service with Issa (not sure if that's the correct spelling)!

Food was delicious and service was wonderful! Highly recommend Havana Carolina for a night out.

This was our first time and we had a such a great experience ! We loved the live music and the mojitos. Would definitely come back again!

Hidden gem does not even begin to describe this place. From the moment you step inside, it's as if you have been transported to the island. Every single dish we have tried has been phenomenal, but we especially love the Lechon and the fried yuca (with a dipping sauce to swoon over). Their coconut mojito was excellent too. The staff is so friendly and kind, and on weekend there is usually live music to listen to while you wait for your entree. Don't hesitate to come here!

Great food , service and music! Do yourself a favor and check it out. Remember to try the flan

Being from Miami there are times I have a hankering for some authentic Cuban food, I've been dying to try this place out and I'm so happy I was able to come here on a lunch date with my coworker. The ambiance is intimate so this would definitely be the perfect date spot. There's even some insta worthy decor to take cute pics! Our waiter was super nice and attentive! He was super knowledgeable of the menu which was super helpful. I ordered the sampler which had some really yummy things, obviously the ham croquettes were delicious, I also really liked the shredded pork, the bread with the tomatoes, and the empenada's. Everything else I didn't really care for. My main course was the shredded beef with rice and black beans. Which came with sweet plantain as well. 5/10 - Again being from Miami I've had the pleasure of having some really amazing Cuban food and unfortunately this didn't even come close. I didn't like the rice at all, I couldn't quite put my finger on it but something was off. I wish I had just gotten the white rice with the beans on the side. The beef was seasoned well but was tough to chew... I think i'd try this place again but go with the shredded pork since I really liked it on the sampler. The star of the show for me was the cocktail I ordered, I think it was called the Guavacolada! 10/10 - I'll be back for sure just off the strength of this drink, it was delicious. I love Guava, but most places can't get it right, so it's often a hit or miss when ordering anything with Guava. And they definitely hit home with this cocktail. It was tropical fruity goodness! I can not say enough about it, get this cocktail and thank me later!

Excellent Cuban restaurant! The food was awesome and service was very good. I would highly recommend! Ambiance was very chill.

Located in downtown Concord, Havana Carolina is worth a drive to experience Cuban food. Cocktails are a highlight along with a menu that includes traditional Cuban fare. The menu is varied enough to please a variety of diners. The Cubano picadillo and tamal en hoja were tasty but the tamale was somewhat oily and the picadillo was sparse on olives & raisins. Service was friendly. Note - the restaurant is currently more difficult to find due to road construction.

Best Cuban food I have ever had! Well worth coming! Portion size is great! Come get full like we did!

I highly recommend this Cuban restaurant. the food, service and drinks are hands down the Best in Concord.

Extremely disappointed. Normally I love cuban food and the restaurant but last time I went there was terrible, food was tasteless, steak was bad and prices super expensive. the ambience crowded and loud. The service was ok. They offered me another meal but they charge me for it.

Evelyn was great. Food was delish & drinks so good!! Music & ambiance amazing!! Thank you!!

Excellent, and more importantly, authentic Cuban cuisine. Service was also spot on. The Manager, Niurca, is also super service oriented and charming. Definitely a place to try if in Concord, NC area or surroundings.

The sister restaurant in Charlotte is much better.. the ambience is ok .. the people who work there have been super nice but the food has just been mediocre at best .. I'd give a 3/5 and if area and you want to try it out you should but I wouldn't tell you to go there because it's phenomenal it's just the closest Cuban food i know if in Concord area

Excellent place to get some good authentic Cuban food! Good and service were great! Live music and a lively atmosphere

We stumbled upon Havana Carolina after our original plans got switched due to them not being open and I can without a doubt say we had a much better meal. The flavors, presentation, and overall atmosphere was wonderful.

Concord is a great city and this is a great restaurant. I can't wait to come back to this place. The Mojitos are delicious. The staff is amazing.

Visiting a friend, they wanted to try this establishment at the urging of others. So, we stopped in on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. I'm from Tampa, home of the original Cuban sandwich. Just a short drive away from West Tampa and Ybor City where I can have authentic Cuban food and drink. I admit, I'm spoiled. A large mug of Café con leché is half the price what Havana Carolina charges. A Cuban sandwich is $15. I'll wait til I'm back in Tampa and pay about one third that price. But, my friend enjoyed their meal, and that was the goal. So, no stars for overpriced Cuban coffee, four stars for eveything else.

One of my favorite Cuban restaurants nearby. I love the decor and the space! Service was great as well. I started with the Croquetas. They were so crispy and good. I loved the cilantro sauce that they came with as well. For my entree, I got the churasco which comes with rice and beans and maduros. The steak was cooked perfectly and very flavorful, especially with the sauce and onions on top. I loved the maduros and rice and beans as well.

Haven't been in a while, so glad to be in the area for lunch. My kid ordered empanadas and congri. They expected cheese along with the beef, so empanadas were just okay. Congri tasted good. I had the Cubano with fries. One of my favorite Cuban sandwiches ever. Service was a bit slow, but food came out quick.

Reservation: surprisingly a reservation was not needed. We were seated immediately. Parking: available on the street Cocktail: They have a large selection of cocktails. I ordered the Havana Blue. It is a rum based drink. I highly recommend 5/5 Appetizer: Beef empanada. It's ground beef mixed with seasonings. There was more empanada than beef. I was hoping for shredded beef but it was still tasty. 4/5 Chicken empanada: shredded chicken mixed with spices. It was amazing 5/5. Highly recommend. Staff/service: The staff was friendly and the service was very quick. I like not having to wait very long after ordering. 4/5 Atmosphere: there was a band playing which gave a fun vibe to the restaurant. I was recommend for any occasion if you don't mind the music. Overall, I enjoyed the visit. I would definitely go for another visit. Only down part is, we were told the kitchen closes at 10:30 when we called but found out it closed at 9:45 when we arrived.

The food was amazing. The service was good and the staff were very nice. The whole vibe was just really calm and comforting. I will definitely be coming here again and recommend it.

Great food and great service. Staff were amazing and even had live music. Coffee and Flan recommended and didn't regret it!

The manager Niurka was quite communicative and approachable and very nice. She explained all the typical dishes from Cuba and was always there to check in and make sure we were enjoying our meal. The staff was very friendly. 10 out of 10

Evelyn was such an amazing server very attentive but not overbearing definitely recommend if you are near by! Traveled from GA to NC for a concert and needed a mid day pick me up and it was just what i needed! There is light hispanic music that really makes it feel super authentic! True cuban tasting food is so hard to find and this is by far one of the best states i've visited that has great cuban food!

Went here on a Friday evening, they had an awesome authentic band and the food, service and price was great! We didn't try drinks but will definitely be back to. I recommend it.

A lovely, quaint restaurant serving delicious authentic Cuban cuisine. The owners and staff are incredibly warm and welcoming, and the food is truly top-tier. 10/10.

Fooddrinksservice,ambiance Loved everything about this place. A hidden gem. I recommend.

So my husband and I visited here and absolutely love it. Very cute vibe-- the ambiance is great! We visited on a Thursday for lunch where there were $6 mojitos-- *very* fresh and delicious. My husband got the passion fruit mojito and I ordered a virgin piña colada. We also ordered the sampler appetizer-- EVERYthing was so good! I didn't take a picture because we dove right in My apologies! But please be warned, it's ALOT of food. My husband ordered the cubano sandwich and I ordered the shrimp ajillo, both of which were very tasty. Our tastebuds were thanking us and we will absolutely be back! They have live music on weekends it seems so we look forward to attending that sometime. We were so pleasantly surprised and happy to find a local delicious Cuban restaurant.

Heard about this spot from my friend. Pleasantly surprised. Went on a Friday so recommend reservation (waited about 20 min wait) as mostly locals and not a lot of dining options around here. Had the Vaca frita and my friend the churrasco. The theme is Cuba pre-revolution (think your latin grandma knick knacks, but with flair) Cortadito was on point and the churros for dessert were very good (cheat day so flan was also on deck)...come on Thursday for mojito specials

This was my first time but won't be my last. Everything was amazing. The food, the atmosphere, the service, and the music was everything. We will definitely be back.

I've heard from many friends about Havana Carolina restaurant, and was eager to Love it, but from the beginning it just wasn't right, beginning with an hour wait to be seated. I thought this wait was gonna lead to a great experience of culinary delights. It started pretty good with the Beef empanadas, they came out fresh, and light & full of flavor. After checking in on Yelp Havana Carolina restaurant offers a free Cuban coffee. Our waitress said she knew nothing about that offer but would ask management. After ordering our meals still no word on the the free coffee items came out to us ICE cold & needed to be sent back, my children dish seemed to be sitting for a long time before coming out to me. Our waitress wasnt bad at all she promptly took back the undesirables and brought back warmed up items. So by the end of the evening I was then told that they only except paper coupons, and not the ones on Yelp, so I was disappointed and ready for my night to end, not the greatest experience I've had sorry.

This place is awesome! The food. The drinks. The vibes. The live Latin music. I mean how can you not enjoy it all! Food was so delish and flavorful. The drinks were strong and tasty. The live music was upbeat and somehow made the food and drinks taste even better lol. There was no way you could not move in your seat to the music! A whole vibe! Highly recommend going!

Oh boy.... One thing we're lacking in Greensboro is a great Cuban restaurant. Kannapolis doesn't suffer from such problems, because they have Havana Carolina. This inconspicuous strip mall restaurant serves up some of the best Cuban cuisine I've tasted yet, and for a reasonable price. Everything I ate during my visit was done masterfully. From the perfect ham croquette and papas rellenos (fried mashed potato ball stuffed with picadillo), delicious yuca al mojo, and a mouth-watering platter of grilled chicken breast, tostones and congris (stewed black beans and rice). On the way out, I was sure to grab guava pastries and pan de agua (Spanish baguette). I'm still thinking about the awesome dinner I had, and planning my next trip to Kannapolis, just to get my Cuban fix. Looking forward to try some Cuban coffee!

A friend recommended this place and I'm glad she did! Phenomenal food (the Cubinitas Sampler and Pollo Relleno con Espinaca are must-haves) and great atmosphere. Our waitress (Patri) was excellent. This is a great place for date night or just to meet up with friends.

We made a reservation for 11 people, well over 24 hours in advance. The restaurant reserved another large party an hour before our time. My issue is not with this family; my issue is that I'm failing to understand why we were not offered another area to sit, we were not told to reconsider the time of our reservation, and we certainly were not offered any solution to our problem. 40 minutes after our reservation time, he told us we have to wait continue waiting - keep in mind we arrived 15 minutes before our reservation so we had already been waiting for an hour. Our party was for a 9 year old's birthday, so we had mostly hungry kids with us. Great place for 2-3 people.