Havana Grill

Totally overpriced. A steak costs around $35, but the problem is that the size of the plate and the sides are small. For example, on my steak, it came with 2 Yuka pieces and 2 small banana slices. For a little bit more, you can go to a Brazilian restaurant and do one all you can eat. Service was ok and atmosphere was too noisy. Service was ok and the atmosphere was too noisy.

Some of the best Cuban food! Enjoyed mojitos and a few outstanding dishes. Every dish we ordered was delicious, savory and bursting with flavor. The portions sizes were more than enough. It was so good, we left empty plates. Menu has a large selection of dishes. Try the Churassco, Vieja Roja and the Cuban Pork. Closed out with coffee and the coconut flan for dessert. The staff was very friendily and attentive. Atmosphere is cozy, warm and calm. Highly recommend you stop in for lunch or dinner.

Love this place! Good family restaurant vibes. Food is always dank and mojitos are strong. Vaca frita was outstanding!! Chimichurri sauce that came with the Cuban had a lot of flavor as well

I was wrapping up my trip in Chicago and found Havana Grill from the lively music they had playing outside the restaurant. I sat at the bar and got the Carne Asada with the Guava Mezcal Margarita! The Bartender great and so was the food! If you’re looking for a great place in Chicago, this is one of them! Highly recommend!

Delicious, great portions and authentic taste. Haven’t had ropa vieja for a long time and they hit the right note with it. Paella was good too although not too much meat. The place was pretty busy. They charged us a fixed 20% gratuity fee (we were 2 people).

Went to Havana Grill to celebrate my birthday and they did not disappoint. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about their menu. Being at Havana felt like dinning with family. Food was very delicious, drinks were awesome and presentation was beautiful. If you want more than just a dinning experience and love Spanish dancing; after hours the dinning room becomes a dance floor. My party and I really enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Havana for making my birthday special.

Food was really good but service felt like get in and get out. I was served water but wasn’t offered anything else to drink, was looking forward for some dessert but wasn’t offered that either. When the bill came there was a difference in paying in cash than a credit card. So carry cash.

This place is such a value. It is one of the best meals I have had anywhere in Chicago. I will go back again at least 2 more times this trip.

(Kari's Rating 9/10) I've been meaning to come here for quite some time now, I ended up stumbling in on a week night with a friend and I don't live very far, so I really don't have an excuse for why I haven't tried this before. The vibes were relatively chill, it's not a super fancy place, but the service was quick, the servers were knowledgeable, and the food was absolutely delicious. I'm not usually a drinker, but they're known for their Mojitos, so I ordered a guava Mojito and it was so incredibly refreshing. And someone is not a big drinker, it was the perfect balance of sweetness to freshness to alcohol. I probably couldn't have more than two as it would probably give you a hangover. For an entrée, I ordered the Ropa Vieja. I asked the server what was their favorite dish in man, it did not disappoint. It was this perfectly cooked piece of marinated flank steak served with a bell pepper sauce over a bed of rice, with beans and a side of plantains. I'm so upset. I forgot to take a picture! The servings were quite large as I had to ask for a box! When I came, it was relatively quiet, so you're able to have a conversation with the person sitting across the booth with you. I don't think you typically need a reservation, but I can see it being crowded on Friday and Saturday. This is definitely one of my top places for Pan Latin and Cuban American dishes!

The staff are so nice and welcoming! The music sets a fun vibe. They serve a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and meat with rice. Cuban food offers a good alternative to the other American restaurants in the area. I'll be back!

Stopped in for a quick coffee and some guacamole and really enjoyed it. The guacamole comes with pico and a tomatillo sauce on the side along with chips, and everything had good fresh flavor. The interior is nice, the bartender was friendly, and the servers were kind and welcoming. It is an easy place to relax for a bit, and I would come back. The veggie parillada sounds great, so that is next on my list.

Came here on Sunday night and genuinely got some sort of low level food poisoning so yeah, I will not be returning again. It's unfortunate because I loved it the first time.

Has a great menu for pan-Latin American and Cuban cuisine. Interior is homey, outdoor patio is nice for a beautiful fall day. We opted for outdoor dining, complete with foliage decoration and lights. To share we had tortilla chips with guacamole, pico and hot salsa . Great combo of tangy, spicy and crunchy. Great start to the evening. For my drink I opted for the original mojito. It was strong but balanced with refreshing mint and lemon. Didn't get the flavored one so no syrupy aftertaste. My entree was the Cuban sandwich. Bread was crusty and slightly chewy. Inside was pork loin, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. Meat was tender and melted in your mouth. Chimchurri was served on the side. Dish came with crisp French fries and ketchup. A filling and satisfying meal. A perfect way to celebrate finishing the Chicago Marathon!

If you're looking for a Mojito, that will knock your socks off and get you lit this the place to get it from in Chicago! I love that you're able to customize your Mojito with the ample flavor options they provide. I chose a coconut Mojito and that ish was amazing. These drinks are very parallel to what you would get in Miami in my opinion. Very tasty, very rum forward and tropical. My friend also loved her Mojito. I believe hers was a mango version. She ordered the trio empanada app and she did not like it at all. It was also extremely oily and made her feel unwell. I ordered the steak sandwich with came with a mixed medley of sweet and regular fries. The steak was a skirt steak, which made it a little harder to eat between the ciabatta bread it was between. However, it was extremely tasty, especially with the chimichurri sauce that they provide on the side. That sauce was so damn good. They need to bottle that up and the Mojito for me every time I come to the city. I loved being able to sit on the patio however I definitely migrated with the bees. It was a perfect atmosphere to people watch have great conversation and sip on a drink. If you're shopping down magnificent mile or just catching the views of downtown this is worth this stop to get a quick bite to eat and sip on a really good drink. Staff were attentive and during the week it was pretty quiet. If you're in the area, definitely stopped and try this place out.

First time alert! Wanted to try Havana's based on Yelp reviews and wasn't too far from where we were walking around in Chicago. I ordered the paella (no pineapple) and it was ok; it was definitely missing something maybe tomato paste, not sure. My guest deferred the chicken tacos which I'll say she liked because she ate all 3. Her favorite was the black bean soup. As you can see I forgot to take pics of our entrees HOWEVER I did snap the star of the brunch...Zacapa 23 Old Fashion; there take on an old fashioned but substitute bourbon w/ rum! Where has the drink been all my life??? If I don't come back for food I will definitely come back for the wait staff as they were very friendly and helpful w/ food/drink recommendations and of course another Zacapa 23 Old Fashion!

We stopped by here for quick cocktails. The vibe of the place was quite nice and chill. Cocktails were yum especially the Litchi Martini and Espresso Martini. Service was quick as we were sitting by the bar. Would love to try the food the next time I visit!

An upbeat place to dance on a Saturday night! My friends and I stopped by for a few drinks after Lollapalooza, as we heard the music is great on the weekends. The DJ hadn't started his set when we arrived around 10:30pm, but things were in full-swing by 11pm, lasers and all! If you love Latin music, you absolutely have to come here. One of my friends felt his caipirinha was way too strong, but I liked my guava mojito. The regular mojito was also strong, but enjoyable. There was plenty of space to dance and everyone there was clearly having a good time. We felt safe and the staff was efficient and professional. My only wish is that there was better ventilation as the area where people were dancing was verging on uncomfortably warm.

Tortilla soup was ok, I probably wouldn't get again. Piña colada virgin was very good, was very refreshing since it was hot and we were seated outside. Trio Empanada was amazing I definitely recommend. Out of all the desserts, the flan was the best. Chocolate cake was dry. Guava cheese cake tasted weird. I also would not recommend sitting outside. The outdoor seating is right next to an alley so we would occasionally smell strong smells of chicago alley while we were sitting. It was really nasty. We also went on a Saturday evening so the restaurant was super packed. Wait times for getting our food was very long.

The attention at this restaurant is flawless, I can't complain about it, it was perfect, friendly Staff and the place is clean and neat. The food is a tad behind the service, wasn't bad, but I think it's not as good I was expecting. We order the jibarito, steak and chicken (I don't remember the exact names) but it was ok, the congri (black rice) was exceptional but other than that the rest of the food was just ok, that's why I am giving them 3 starts, I which I could do 3.5 but this is not the case. Give it a try you might love it. I didn't but I could come back for. A second round.

Hovering between a 3 and 4. While I love their outdoor patio, the friendliness from some of the staff can be a bit better. The carne con tequila was good! (Cooked medium, server recommended medium rare). It was better from the Cuban sandwich I had last time (picture not available). If they can improve some of their food and staff friendliness, I do believe that they can get more 4 & 5 stars ratings.

Great place for cuban food in the area. It felt and tasted pretty authentic. The people here are really nice and offer a great service. The only thing I didn't like about this place was their mojito. It was more on the strong side and could've used more mint. Aside from that I would definitely come back.

Food was mid... charged me 75 cents for my mojo for my RopaVeja... dude just build it in the price of the meal. Food was a bit cold too, which was odd because they were so busy. Almost tasted microwaved... Very nice bartender tho, good floor awareness.

Hmmm...I remember there being more rum in the mojitos some years ago. Our mojitos were definitely lacking. They use to be so good; my favorite mojitos in the city. My friend had a beef jibarito which they felt wasn't very flavorful, and I had one of the only two vegan options they had. It was just roasted veggies stacked up with a side of really good chimichurri. I wish they would had some creative vegan dishes to the menu. I will give them a try again and hope things have improved.

Top notch service and awesome food. Love this place. Highly recommended and the atmosphere is exceptional.

The vibes were immaculate feeling like you're sitting on the city streets of Cuba. Sitting outside was cramped but truly beautiful views with the stunning restaurant building and views of the city in all directions. Even with the sky scrapers you feel you're transformed to another country. We enjoyed the plain mint mojito than the fruit flavored ones in the flight. The chicken enchiladas were yummy and were served with lots of beans and rice to be a satisfying meal. Overall, a good choice in River north!

Came here for the chimichangas that my girl swore by 10 years ago. Let me tell you, they missed the mark, they kinda tasted like the PF Chan's frozen egg rolls you can get at the grocery store. The service blasé and I expected more from this spot as it is supposed to have Latin-fusion cuisine which I love.

Nice Cuban restaurant in downtown Chicago. The menu has a nice selection of meals and drinks. I ordered the ropa vieja with a guava mojito. Very good and flavorful. It was a very fulfilling meal

Havana offered an authentic Cuban cuisine experience! From the music, menu offerings, and ambiance it felt like we got on a flight right to Havana! We visited on a Friday evening about 6pm, I got there early and was able to enjoy some of their happy hour offerings which was nice (until 6p). We were seated right away and upon our arrival they were pretty light in traffic. By the time we left the traffic was picking up so I do suggest a reservation. The service was friendly, fast and efficient. While the food was authentic Cuban cuisine, some of it missed the mark for me. For starters we ordered the Crab Cakes, which were tasty and the chipotle sauce added a lot of character and flavor. We also ordered the Trio Empanadas, I really enjoyed the manchego cheese one, it had a good crunch and flavor however the pollo and picadillo ones lacked flavor in my opinion. For our entrees Tacos de Camaron, the shrimp was seasoned well and cooked perfectly, the chipotle coleslaw added a good flavor! Additionally we ordered the Vaca Frita, while the flavor and intention was there, the meat was a bit chewy/tough maybe a bit overcooked? While some of the food wr ordered missed the mark, their menu is so expansive I would certainly be back to try some other items! I still recommend especially for that authentic feel!

Staff were friendly, attentive, and helped with explanations and suggestions. The cuisine is unique, refreshingly different from oh so many "eclectic American" restaurants. The mojitos and margaritas were delicious. For appetizers, we had the ceviche and tostones which were yummy. We ordered extra plantain chips because they were so good. My carne con tequila skirt steak was delicious with complex flavors. My wife loved her combo paella caribena and then flan for dessert while I ended with perfectly brewed Cuban coffee. We will definitely be back!

Tried this place out for a work lunch and it was good! I didn't have the chance to try one of their actual Cuban dishes but they looked really good and I will have to go back to try one of them. Service was fast, food had large portions, and the inside was really cute. They also have a patio for when the weather. I'll have to come back to try more options out here

Love this place!! it's a great place to sit out in the summer and the food is always good. I've been multiple times now. The drinks are super strong too!

I really like this place!! I've never eaten here however the mojitos are delicious a bit sweet for me however it's still good! I love this music too, I wish they had a dance floor. Service is good too

Ordered the Havana Steak Sandwich and would order it again! The Mojitos have that fresh mint taste to them Its a little tight in the restaurant but was able to fit a group of 6 easily Great service as well :)

Loved the food and the service. The carne asada was delicious as well as the chips and guacamole. I didn't have drinks but my friends did. And they said the minutos were super good. Our waitress, can't recall the name was super nice and attentive. And the best part is that at the end of the night the restaurant turned into a night club where they played Soanish music. We had tons of fun. I definitely recommend

I've only done takeout but the food is good everytime. I really like their grilled chicken with rice and beans. The chicken is always juicy and the beans are not soupy. I will continue ordering from them.

We got this vegetarian vegetable dish and it was not filling for how much it is , while it was good it's a bit disappointing how few vegetarian options they have. I wish they'd have a few more options

I give it four stars and it's because I love the ambiance, the staff, the prices, and the drinks. The mojitos are my favorite, and you can even get a mojito flight or pitchers. The atmosphere makes you feel like you're in Miami with the music and decor! I also love their outdoor sidewalk patio. However, the food isn't great, so I'd just come for a Cuban sandwich if I wanted something to accompany my drinks.

Nice little spot in the River North neighborhood. The food and cocktails were so good we ate at this restaurant twice during our stay in Chicago. I can't wait to come back for the Vaca Fritas and Mojito sampler. Oh, don't forget the chips and guac!!!

First clue that the owner of this establishment is NOT Cuban, the typo. Also, caipirinhas are from Brasil....and tacos from Mexico. Not a truly Cuban restaurant. The flan was, however, delicious. The bartenders took care of us. And the lechón (advertised as Cuban roasted pork on the menu) looked great. Mojitos were too sweet for my tasting.

Our second time coming to this authentic Cuban restaurant. I had the Cuban old fashioned made with zon zacapa 23 and Bacardi, which came out really well. My wife had the spicy margarita, which she enjoyed. My main course was the carne asada, which I truly enjoyed. The meat was cooked to perfection, melted in my mouth. Flavored very nicely, and tangy. The crab cakes were done nicely as well

Tiny Cuban spot, BIG flavor! I stumbled upon this gem while researching Chicago restaurants (a.k.a. drooling over food pics online) and found a Groupon deal. Being Valentine's Day, I wasn't sure if they'd let me use it because, you know, love is expensive. But they did, and let me tell you, the food was chef's kiss. We kicked things off with a tequila flight, because what's better than one drink? Three drinks. Paired with my already perfect margarita, I was basically one sip away from salsa dancing on the table. For the main event, I had the Cuban steak, and I'm pretty sure it whispered, "I love you" before I devoured it. My husband got the churrasco, which he claims was amazing but honestly, I was too busy having a moment with my own plate to notice. Moral of the story: Do NOT skip this place. It's got fantastic food, great service, and enough tequila to make you think you are Cuban.

Getting some good vibes from this place with the atmosphere not to mention the good ass drinks and food. Havana had got it going on for sure. If you like Mexican food it's not a big stretch getting Cuban stuff. A lot of pretty similar items. There's lots of the menu from meaty stuff to healthier and lighter options. Even though it was busy the stuff came pretty fast. It's expensive compared to some places but for River North it wasn't so much. The menu is a combination of Cuban and Mexican classics, and some of these blend together. Cocktails include margaritas. It's $8 for the Signature Margarita, which has cucumber jalapeño tequila. As for the food it's got the Cuban, the classic ham sandwich. There's also a few things for vegetarians. I got the Veggie Parillada. It's about $15 for a plate of seasoned vegetables. This had a pretty spicy chimichurri sauce to go on a pile of green peppers, jicama, mango, portobello, red peppers, squash, and zucchini. It actually made a pretty good meal. The coworkers liked their Cubans and whatever else they got so it turned out good even though it's pricy. Hot flavors as well as atmosphere. It gets busy and loud so it's for sure a hip spot to be seen. They still manage to get drinks and food out fast though.

Loved this place so much! Was visiting family in Chicago and ate dinner with my friend here. Perfect choice. Quick service and we were able to be seated outside on a nice afternoon. Food was delicious and seasoned and tasty. We especially loved splitting the mojito flights we shared. I enjoyed the shrimp tacos and rice. So yummy and I would definitely recommend it. So glad I found this awesome spot for a fun night out.

We've eaten here a few times over the years and it is always authentic and delicious. I've had their tacos previously, very tasty, and their Cuban, which had a crisp bun, salty ham (in a good way), gooey cheese, and tangy mustard. Loved the Cuban. And the golden fries! They have a variety of sandwiches, beef/steak dishes, pork dishes, seafood, and more. The star here are the drinks--amazing mojitos, caipirinhas, and margaritas, as well as a few other cocktails. The restaurant is decorated in dark toned wood and earthy colors. There is a beautiful set of glass doors that open onto the sidewalk and outdoor dining areas. Service is laid back, yet super kind and attentive. Perfect vibe.

The service was good and the ambience did feel reminiscent of a nice Caribbean vibe. While my daughter enjoyed her steak sandwich, I tried my first jibarito and was singularly unimpressed. The key lime pie was portioned pretty small as well.

Food was great. Service sucked. It so disappointing because I know that Rick would be furious that a staff member was so lazy.

I get that I ordered my meal for delivery and that often the"tasty" level depreciates, but it shouldn't be to the level where it has NO flavor at all. I ordered the steak jibarito and the flavor was non-existent. I didn't receive any mango chutney, which I like to think would have boosted the flavor. The steak was pretty tough, and the lettuce and tomatoes were sparse. The best thing about my meal were the fries and the hot temperature. I really wanted this to be good because jibaritos are one of my favorite sandwiches, but there was nothing redeemable about this.

Havana Grill never disappoints. I have visited Havana more times than I can count and they are always consistent. I always rave about Havana and recently introduced some friends to the place so it's finally time to write a review! I stumbled upon Havana many moons ago when the waiting time at a nearby place was too long. Back in 2017/18 when I found out about Havana my group was able to easily get a table but I don't think that would be the case today. I cannot say this louder but you must make a reservation if you want to avoid a long wait. It's been times when I was midway making a reservation and all of the decent times were snatched up. Unless you want to eat dinner with the early birds (4pm) or the night owls (8pm-10pm) make the reservation a few weeks in advance. Now to the actual food... Havana is the one place you can go with a chatty group and when the food comes the whole table is quiet. I always get the Havana steak sandwich when I visit. I've tried the sandwich Cubano and other things but the Havana steak sandwich knocks it out of the park. The steak is cooked to perfection and the fries are a mix of sweet potato and yucca. The serving size decent enough that you will be able to take something home. I normally can get one and a half and sometimes two meals from my Havana visits. I really like the mojitos. I recently tried the mojito flight with mango, berry, and guava flavors. I liked the guava because it was subtle and I struggled to tell the difference between other two flavors. The mango and peach were on the sweeter side. I will probably stick will the more subtle flavors. I would highly recommend visiting Havana Grill! If you struggle to book a reservation from their site call them up. I was able to get a reservation for a group of 7 more easily over the phone.

I LOVE coming to this restaurant for lunch. They have a lunch menu that has great prices. My favorite dish is the steak jibarito with fries. It's essentially a steak sandwich between 2 fried green plantains. I get my steak medium rare, and it's juicy and flavorful. The fries are also are so yummy and the green sauce they serve with the dish is delicious. I recommend dipping your fries in the sauce. The tacos are also great here. They come with guac which is a plus. In the summer, they have a patio with umbrellas, and it's really nice to sit outside. During colder months, sitting inside is still very nice. The inside of the restaurant is clean and elegant-looking.

Havana Grill is simply standard. Neither overwhelming good or bad. I have not been back since my original visit, but I would not be against trying it one more time before I make my final decision about how I feel about this place. We got the plantains and split the dish below (forgetting the name) and a salad. The mojitos were good.

AMAZING INCREDIBLE DIVINE I would fight wars for these chimichangas. I have never had anything better than these in my life. Chill vibes in the restaurant. I had some drinks too but can't say they were my favorite. Staff was friendly but service was pretty normal. I'd go back for a chimichanga, but I'll be skipping the drinks next time.

Stopped into Havana Grill on a whim. My wife and I were walking through the high rent districts of Downtown Chicago and saw the Havana Grill. We love Cuban food (see my south Florida reviews) and thought even though we had eaten already, we needed to go in for a tasty libation or two. Havana Grill is quaint, and has a well stocked bar. You literally feel like your in Cuba while drinking here. The smells, the sounds, the language, all that was missing was a cobbled together 55 Oldsmobile out front. I ordered a classic mojito and my wife got a coconut mojito. Both of the drinks were refreshing with tastes that were out of this world. The coconut was fresh and crisp and the regular mojito was equally as good. If ever in the area, please, stop in and sit down for a bite or a drink, tell them El jefe Enrique sent you, you'll be glad you dropped in.

Everything was phenomenal. The service, food, ambience. I ordered the Churrasco which is a skirt steak. It was cooked perfectly. Perfect char, and perfectly paired with the plantains and chimmichurri.

Initially wanted to come try their pitchers of mojitos (as famously shown on TikTok), but boy let me tell you that their food is just as tasty! The Havana Steak Sandwich was a flavor bomb--meat was juicy and the onions were so sweet. As for the mojitos, easily finished 2 pitchers (guava & mango flavors) bc they were that good.

We stopped in a Monday around 2:00. No worries on seating. The waitstaff sat us quickly and our food came so fast. Water refills no problem, friendly all the things you look for. We all enjoyed our food. We started with the plantains and dipped into a whipped black bean sauce, mango salsa and guacamole. All three separate were amazing but we stayed to mix them on our appetizer plates and that was even better. The calamari- fried to a perfection ! I got the crab cakes for my meal and they were lovely. On the side more mango salsa and a nice sauce drizzled on top. Overall I don't give 5 stars often but they deserved 5!

So delicious and worth the price! I tried going here with a friend a few years go during restaurant week and it was so packed we couldn't get a table. But I was able to finally try it with my boyfriend a month ago and it was so good! I got the Havana steak sandwich and it was so delicious!!! The bread, meat, and the chimichurri was mouthwatering!! The crisp on the bread made it so yummy and I had to dip my sandwich with chimichurri every bite! Also I loved the fries too and how proportionate of an amount we got. I always feel bad leaving a heap of fries when restaurants give us too many. My boyfriend got the Sandwich Cubano and he loved it so much as well. I guess we have our own tastes since he said he loved his more than mine and I loved mine the most lol! We also had the cheesecake afterwards which was delicious. The price for the food quality was amazing and I can't stop thinking about the sandwich!!! Funny enough it turns out my boyfriend's step dad, Ken, said he eats here all the time and looooves the food and the family! And of course, he also raved about the Havana steak sandwich because it is THAT GOOD! Can't wait to come back!

Great outside seating for June. Strong mojitos and I was able to share a sandwich cubano.