Havana's Cuban cuisine

The owner here makes phenomenal recommendations. We got the oxtail, the skirt steak with chimichurri, and the slow cooked pork. All were absolutely delicious and melted in our mouths. The plantains were cooked perfectly: crispy outside, sweet and tender inside. If you would like to experience Cuban food for the first time or want the best Cuban cooking available, you must try this restaurant. Humble, engaging, honest, friendly, and incredibly delicious food.

Fantastic Food. Ox tails are delicious, Mariquitas, so fresh. Flan, unique and delicious. I only took leftovers so I could give my family a taste. Could have licked the plates clean though!

Decided to try out this restaurant despite some negative reviews about service fee, no kids meals, or no strollers allowed. Ultimately it’s about the food and service. Service was great and the food was truly delicious. Lots of flavor and ample portions. Looks like they are no longer adding the automatic 20% service fee. What you ordered is the price charged. Great place. Very authentic Cuban food. Would recommend.

The plantain appetizer, chimichurri steak and tres leches desert were delicious! Went here with a colleague for dinner and had a fantastic meal.

Food is delicious 😋 My husband and I enjoyed dining here. We wemt twice while we stayed at Crown Plaza for the weekend..We definitely will return. Every person we told about it they said the same thing. 10/10. Love it!

Great customer service. It’s been a while since I stepped out for a meal but I felt the genuine welcome of everyone in this place. The food was a lot at first glance and I had doubts about finishing everything on my plates. However, it was so good, I ended up leaving with a small bowl of congri. The beef was well seasoned and the spicy sauce on the side really complimented it perfectly. Also the seafood bowl had so flavor : the lobster, shrimps and mussels had this rich garlic sauce the elevated the overall experience. I absolutely loved it!

Absolutely amazing! Havana Cuban Cuisine is a hidden gem and one of my favorite spots in town. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and authentically Cuban — you can taste the love and care in every dish. The Churrasco and picadillo are outstanding. Tony, the owner, goes above and beyond to make every guest feel welcome. He treats you like family from the moment you walk in. You can tell he takes real pride in his restaurant and his customers. If you’re looking for delicious Cuban food and warm hospitality, Havana Cuban Café is the place to go. Highly recommend!

We really enjoyed Havana’s Cuban Cuisine. Food was excellent, portions were decent, and the service was great. The criollo red sauce on the camarofongo was delicious. Just the right amount of garlic. Would recommend

The vaca frita was excellent! My kids really enjoyed the black beans and rice as well.

Taking advantage of a timeshare spiel, the Cuban salesman recommended his fav Cuban meal: Vaca Frita So I yelped and found this place within a bike ride of the resort. SOOO happy I did!! Closed on Sundays, was glad it was opened on Monday and I pedaled to it after the resort tour and when it opened at 2p Only two couples inside, I found a seat near the window so I could keep an eye out on my bike. The server spoke more English than I do Spanish, but we got help from the gentleman behind the counter (I overhead from convo with another patron/ he's not the owner. But he seemed to really care about the place). He continuously made sure I knew my bike was safe and they had cameras all around It's in a strip mall, and midday, but I'm mindful of complacency and letting guard down while on vacation that can lead to unhappiness...so I kept my eye on it Torn between the oxtail and the Vaca frita, I decided to try what I came for. The VF. Added a Cuban soda. And was NOT disappointed According to the host: they boil a cut of beef, till you can shred it. Then they season it well and fry it up crispy...think beef jerky that is shredable. VERY chewy, but DELICIOUSLY SEASONED! OMG it was seasoned!! I forced myself NOT to eat it all in one setting, JUST so I could have more the next day (I even asked for more onions: next time I'd ask for extra onions from the onset, so they get hard friend and seasoned from the beef) It comes w two sides, and since the Cuban rice is "rice/bean combined" I got it, and the plantain(cooked perfectly!). I actually ordered a serving of Cuban rice to-go, ro ensure I had a duplicate meal the next day The Cuban "beans and rice" was darker than the usual Jamaican bnr: he said cause they partially cook the black beans first and then ADD Rice so it really soaks in the dark juice! (Don't get me wrong, I love my Jamaican bnr. But this was great too!) Not much of a soda drinker, the Metava? (hmm tea/7up concept) Cuban soda was pleasant (hindsight: I should've gotten one of them to go as well) HMMMM. Minorly perturbed that they automatically charge 20% gratuity PLUS 3.5% for using a credit card. So plan to add over 25%+ mark up on your food after you also include taxes My total was $40 and I paid cash!! But again..turned it into two meals (I'd ordered a side to-go). I didn't get a receipt so can't vouch for the correctness of the bill I paid cash, so saved a little. And likely would have left a 25% tip since the food was so good, the guy very helpful in suggesting options, showing and explaining the variety of sodas, and making me comfortable about my bike Def a recommended place Note: lots of paintings on the wall for sale. I'm assuming it's local. But, biking..it was hard enough carrying my leftovers in my small back pack

Definitely do not recommend. Service was poor and food was mediocre at best. There was only one other table occupied when I visited the restaurant but service was slow and the attitude of the server was awful. I almost walked out before I ordered my food because it took so long for the server to come take my order. I asked for water when I placed my order and waited a while and finally decided to get up and go ask the bar for water. The server saw this as he was talking to his other customer and yelled at me across the restaurant "I already took your order". I'd recommend learning some customer service skills and not yelling at your patrons.

We came and this place is empty! Now I know why. The food tastes like my cooking! I am Not a good cook nor have I ever worked at a restaurant. Like the other yelpers said they would not come Back! Now would I! Also 20% gratitude is already added so double check your bull.

Todo bueno menos el batido de mamey que no tenia ningún tipo de sabor es lo único que para mi necesita ser mejorado

The food is way overpriced for 1. What the amount they serve and 2. For the flavors. We have been to many Cuban places in Central Florida (yes I know they are not all the same) however Ropa Vieja has always had a tomato base stew and this was very bland and colorless but not sure how traditional it was and to be charged $18 for rice and the meat just doesn't seem reasonable. Also the breaded bistec, $20?? And the special of the night was a flank steak with veggies and 3 shrimp for $35ish. These 3 dishes was $81.96, no drinks just water. I understand that cost of food has gone up but I believe the area it's in they are taking advantage of tourists to over charge for a plate that can easily be more reasonable in price.

Fantastic! My wife is Cuban and we always try to look for Cuban places when we travel. So we knew we needed to check this one out. We tried several dishes, croquettes, vaca frita, ropa vieja, and the churrasco. All were delicious! But the churrasco was INCREDIBLE! SO tender, juicy and seasoned perfectly!!! The food came out quick and we were served by a very friendly gentleman. I also like the art on the walls, the space is nice and comfortable and they didn't even get upset when our kid got rice all over the place! Fantastic, we will definitely be back!

The food & service was excellent. The only thing that turned us off was the 20% "service charge" on a party of two, hence ZERO tip added

***Avoid this place***Where do I start with this place. Walked in about 8pm and the place was quite empty. The front desk in our hotel recommended this place and it was disappointing. The service was the worst I had in Orlando all week. The bald guy was so rude and had an attitude problem. Our food came out cold and when I told them they took it to the back and threw it in the microwave. They also charge a 20% service charge on all tabs, no matter the size of your party. Which I think its so dumb! If I could give them Zero stars I would.

My favorite place in Orlando. Owner is so friendly. The food - i dream out. The steak, the avocado, the plantains, yuca. Phenom.

Service was okay. Food was overpriced. Price was different from the menu. We ordered 3 dishes. The restaurant adjusted the price for each dish informed us that they added 4% for credit card usage and 20% for gratuity. In total, we paid more than 120 dollars for 3 dishes. Please expect to pay higher-than-average fee when you visit this place. They are not honest.

Our new go to Cuban restaurant in Miami. Great food and great service, a must try when in Orlando.

Visiting from out of town and found this Cuban restaurant since we don't normally have it. In a pretty non-descript shopping area. Not a huge place with a lot of seating but we got in pretty easy. We had the app combo and everything came out fresh and delicious. Never having mofongo, this definitely seemed like a place that would make it authentic so I went with that and their special was a skirt steak and shrimp. Everything was delicious and the garlic sauce with the mofongo was excellent. Would definitely come back here to try their other dishes

Bit pricey, but tastes authentic. Tad of sterile environment during the day, but music helped.. Wonderfully presented salad, balsamic/oil dressing. Plantains superb(deep fried ripe), many very small bones in whole fish to be aware of..take caution...was also over fried. Must pay extra for Cuban bread, but worth it..pieces quite small. Rice/black beans excellent, and rice formed in bowls...(from Miami, and raised enjoying Cuban food). Feel fish experience deteriorated from many years ago, but glad I returned, very costly. No military discount. Hanging art for sale, wish pieces were more Cuban centric, believe tobacco cloth curtains.

You can never really go wrong with Cuban food in Central Florida and this place was no expectation. I was in town for a work conference so I decided to try it out. For my appetizer I had the beef empanada. It was very hearty and flavorful. For my main dish I had the Vaca Frita with rice and peas and plantains. For dessert we had the Tres Leches cake and it was very good. This is probably one of my favorite deserts. The meal was very good and I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good Cuban food.

Awesome meal!!! The Grouper prepared Scampi style melted in the mouth and the flavors were spot on! Service was top- notch and prices quite reasonable for what you get. So glad my niece introduced this place to me, I will definitely be back - many times!

Our first time in Fl we wanted to try good cuban food & our expectations were satisfied!!! Ropa vieja was delicious !

Best food I had in Orlando a little pricey but the service and food was great. The fried fish and steak along with the fried palatines are a must try

The food is not authentic Cuban flavored cuisine. The price points are high. We were just two people visiting the restaurant and the waiter pushed a 22% tip on the bill. After pushing the 22% tip on initial bill, subsequent receipts keep asking for more tips, while obfuscating the initial embedded tip as part of overall bill. This waiter got his 22% tip, but I will never go back. There is no ambience.

Great food and great service!! Will be my go to Cuban spot from now!! The service was very friendly and efficient, clean, and welcoming.

Jesus is not accurate with his description of this place. First Tony the bold guy is very nice. You did not read the signs at the entrance of the restaurant. I was born in Cuba and actually make Cuban food multiple times a month, always wanted to have someone to cook for me. I order the fried snapper and it was absolutely delicious, the rice had the right texture and flavor, my friend ordered the paella and she was very pleased. For the ones not familiar with the Cuban cuisine it's much better to hit south to Miami and you can compare. Tony, keep it up my friend, you are a very nice guy.

I let the reviews fool me, The place was empty, the bold headed guy was behind the counter on his phone and took him a few minutes to realize we were there, he than takes us to a dirty table, so my wife and I both move to a cleaner table, the guy comes back and tells us to move to a smaller table. We left after that. Keep in mind that the place was empty, the moment we walked in we felt very unwelcome, the owner Must not want the business. We went to the Mexican spot next door and their customer service was way better.

Got a great Cuban meal at this place. I will say if you don't want Cuban there are a lot of neighboring restaurants that look good too. Either way, this area is a great place to stop for a meal after a long day.

Back 10 years later and food is still great. I was worried because the overall start rating isn't as good anymore, but we all still loved the food. We had a party if seven and I will agree I find it odd that they add automatic gratuity. But servers were very friendly and service was good. Glad we came back and well definitely come back next time we're in Orlando.

Cold beer on draft. Empanadas were crispy and delicious. Tamales flavorful. Plantains in three ways, all exquisite. Skirt steak and shrimp. But the best part: mouthwateringly tender and delicious oxtail.

We were a party of five, most of us from out of town. Waits to be seated, served and to check out were long but understandable. Food was good. What I didn't appreciate was that, when the bill came, it included the tip. But ok I noticed it. The waiter didn't say anything and after giving my cc he brought back the cc receipt without the detail. Of course, the cc receipt had a line for tip. If I hadn't noticed I would have added another tip. It just felt unethical and slimy. I would return for the food but pay extra attention to the bill!

By far the best Cuban food I've had. I ordered different plates and all were outstanding. Next time I'm in town I'll be there again.

The food was amazing! The bald man was so kind. The restaurant looked nice. All around 5/5!

Horrible customer service!! Very unwelcoming! Drove in with a party of 15 and the place was empty!! Yet, the lady at the counter was overwhelmed and rude! Guessing the owner of this place doesn't need the business #smh

Based on high ratings on Yelp tried them. Walked in at 5:30 today no one else there. Waitress was very nice. Ordered avocado salad but she said out of avocado! Dear, restaurant manager, owner You live in Florida home of some avocado and pretty sure grocery store has some too. How much effort does it take to get avocado ? Also ordered empanadas they were fresh, recommend it. Didn't like the Cesar salad though too much dressing and lettuce was tough ends of head.

Went here on business. This place has very good authentic Cuban dishes and a few novel ones. I had Churrasco skirt steak and the Tamal Cubano and both were excellent. A friendly staff and great service make this a good place for anytime you're looking for great Cuban food in Orlando.

Visiting here for pet global expo, found here near my hotel. Pretty delicious food, music, manager and waitress are all nice!

Food was very good and seasoned. I had red snapper. The chef artfully cut the fish so that the seasoning is fried in to each bite. I have never seen fish cut this way but it helped eliminate some bones. Very tasty.

Don't let the strip mall setting deter you from having some great food and friendly service. The food is fresh! We had the fried plantain chips that are thinly sliced and made to order. For main, we had ox tail and the ropa vieja! The taste was amazing and large portion! Paired with a refreshing pitcher of sangria that had fresh fruits.

Lovely restaurant and awesome staff! The food was delicious. We enjoyed it very much. No leftovers. The staff were friendly, welcoming and professional with Amazing smiles on their faces Highly recommend!!!

Wanted to try this place with my family. Upon arrival restaurant was empty but we were told that our sleeping baby was not welcomed due to their "no strollers allowed" rule. We tried to make it work but ultimately did not feel welcomed so we went down the street to another restaurant.

Great authentic food with warm friendly service. The picadillo and Cuban beans and rice were outstanding!!

1st time here and I loved it if I'm ever in Florida again I will definitely be coming back here again . The food was Amazing!!!

If you're looking for a good family atmosphere go elsewhere. I've been coming here on and off for years and the service and politeness keep going down. I grew up in south Florida and the food here is decent, but the experience of the staff just brings this down to the bottom.

Was visiting from out of town , Texas . Looking for a place to eat dinner. Was tired of fast food and wanted authentic Cuban cuisine . Ask for Tony ,Staff and service was great ! , Food hot , was excellent !! Very clean .

In Orlando for a conference. Decided to stop by this restaurant near the hotel. I have oxtail stew with white rice and black beans. The food was delicious! So much flavor and Tony was a heart conversationalist. Overall a great experience!

Ordered marequitqs and had no taste. Food is overpriced. Will not return. Place was empty should have seen the red flag for a Saturday evening. For Spanish food go to El Campo

Seated and ordering went fairly quickly. There were four of us and we ordered as follows: Cubano Sandwich with a side of fried plantain. This was the sandwich I got as I had always seen it on television and wanted to try it. It was good. The fried plantains were ok. Half were from ab old batch and half seemed fresher. They were sweet though, which helpedm Piccadillo with white rice and sweet plantains. My daughter said she enjoyed it. I tasted it and it was good. I iked the texture of the meat. It wasn't heavy at all. The black beans are delicious. Beef Empanadas my son said they were just okay but attributed it to his expectation and not so much the quality of the food. Pollo Havana with white rice. My son LOVED IT. I tasted it as well and it was really good. Julian recommended it and he was spot on! Customer service was spot on. It's a local restaurant in a small strip mall. We were visiting from California and decided to give it a try.

Tried this mouthwatering fish entee with the family. Highly recommend along with the Churrasco Havana and the vanilla flan. Our server was very gracious and attentive. Lovely restaurant with artistic flare.

This place is awesome!! The food was excellent!! They have some of the best empanadas I've ever tasted (beef). The owner or manager was on point with suggestions and explained various food. I would recommend the sampler plate it was delicious!! I would definitely return if I am in the area!

My husband's family is from Cuba and we went looking for masa de puerco. They said they didn't have any. It was delicious, but we were looking for something very traditional and it wasn't there.

First time in Orlando. Found this hidden gem. Excellent food, must try the Arroz con Pollo.

Arrived to eat some early dinner with my family. The Resturant was completely empty , I mean not one soul in there. Food was good ain't gonna lie the waitress was obviously not busy she did a great job. However finishing my meal my daughter sat in the table next to us. Then the waitress came to tell us that the owner said not to sit on other tables. Mind you the restaurant is completely empty still. Just thought it was ridiculous. Meaning I understand it's a business but if he wanted to win my business back ain't gonna happen.

Absolutely delicious food! We got the mixed sampler for an appetizer and that easily could have been someone's meal. Such a great variety of Cuban options. Our table ordered several different items and everything had great flavor. Service was fantastic and they made sure our water was full all the time. We had a party of 6 and they do require reservations if you're more than 4.

OMG. Some of the best Cuban food I think I've enjoyed. Our party of five enjoyed every bite of everything we ordered. The tamale and Yuca were especially good in the pork platter. Highly recommended. This is a family owned establishment. They work fast and furiously to provide cheerful service. If you're not sure what to order, just ask one of the staff and they will happily give you some recommendations. As with most Cuban food, it's a bit heavy and carb rich. But you will enjoy every bite.