Habana Cuba

Claim
marker

238 Race St, San Jose, CA 95126
San Jose, CA 95126

marker
(408) 998-2822
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Photos
Habana Cuba - San Jose, CA
Reviews
( 19 )
( 8 )
( 6 )
( 6 )
( 8 )

Best

I was blown away at how great everything was. I loved the food the exotic flavors so similar to my cuisine of choice Puerto Rican. I loved it all!!

Worst

I was there as part of a group. I've been there several times. The good part is the food was better than the last time I was there, > a year ago. Much of my family is Cuban, so...

Authentic food, good service, good time 4/11/2007

After a week in Miami I did a search locally for some of the fine and exotic foods I managed to sample on my travels... I was not disappointed stumbling upon Habana Cuba. Twice now I have been there and twice I have a great experience. \r \r Without a doubt the Paella is my favorite dish on the menu and quite enough to feed 2 people. I also recommend the ox tail and the pork. They offer a wine flight that I found to be generous and enjoyable though would probably leave someone with a more discerning pallet supercilious.\r \r Overall, it's a fun and enjoyable dining experience and well worth the relatively modest price when compared with fine dining. Pros: Service, Portions, Quality Cons: Not all dishes are created equally, not the best neighborhood more
Reply | Report abuse |

You'll be doing yourself a favor by not dining here, tonight or any night! 4/3/2007

What happened City Search, you let me down big time! I can not believe how horrible this place was. From the start, things were pretty bad. There is no parking if you come during the late hours of the evening, so don't be surprised if you don't find parking.\r \r As soon as me and my friend came into the restaurant we were unimpressed, its really small and confined. We got seated and started to look at the menu. Everything was unbelievably expensive ($20-$30 a plate). We said to ourselves, ""something this expensive must be delicious,"" (boy were we wrong.)\r \r The food took about 20 minutes to get to the table, and that?s when we found out it was a mistake coming to Habana Cuba. The food looked completely unappetizing. Still with an open mind we decided to give it a try. Let me just say this, me and my friend only ate about half of what we ordered, due to it tasting so bad.\r \r To those who are still interested in dining at Habana Cuba due to the hype, heed my warning and just eat somewhere else! Cons: Parking, Food that is mediocre is overpriced, Bland food more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not Really Great - Or Authentic Cuban 2/14/2007

After reading all the mixed reviews my spouse and I decided to check this place out on our own. The food was not great, my husbands lamb was so dry you could almost choke on it. The Sangria was lite and had canned fruit instead of fresh fruit. The only thing we liked was the tropical salad. I had the Shrimp al Mojillo, again it was just ok.... I don't think we will be back. Definately not authentic Cuban food. Pros: Great waiter - Very kind Cons: Not tasty more
Reply | Report abuse |

Fun atmosphere, GREAT food! 12/7/2006

Habana Cuba is one of my favorite restaurants. I go for the amazing food and fun atmosphere. With salsa music in the background and fun decor, its a great place to go with friends or on a date. The food is also worth every penny with great flavors and good portions. I highly recommend the seafood paella and the arroz con camarones. Pros: food, atmosphere Cons: location more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great Cuban 11/22/2006

I love this place. I don't get to go very often but every time I've been the food has been very good. They have a good selection of beers (maybe that's why I love this place?) and the service is usually decent to good. While the location leaves something to be desired the inside of the restaurant is nice and has a good atmosphere. I wouldn't say it's too kid-friendly for smaller children but it's a great place to go with a group of adults who like to try different food. Parking is not a problem. more
Reply | Report abuse |

The best stewed meats in the world 11/16/2006

Since my family doesn't like lamb, I always get the chilendron de cordero everytime. It's the most succulent lamb stewed in a red wine/olive sauce. Absolutely delicious. The waiters are always very gallant. Lunch is an amazing deal. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Highly Not Recommended! 11/11/2006

After reading all the good reviews, my husband and I decided to give this highly rated restaurant a try, but, boy, was it a BAD mistake!!! We ordered the paella and Zarzuela - two of the most expensive items on the menu. The seafood was clearly not fresh, and the rice was very soggy. This restaurant is definitely one of the worst we've ever been to! \r \r Do not go there unless you have absolutely nowhere else to go!!! Cons: terrible food and service more
Reply | Report abuse |

Love them!!! 8/2/2006

I really enjoy this restaurant, the Paella is amazing so is the Ropa Vieja. I can do without the mariachi so I avoid those evenings! Definitely a place I will go to again and again. I had my wedding reception dinner here and they were so accomodating. Pros: Great service and food, my husband proposed there, I had my reception there Cons: The live music can be a really invasive more
Reply | Report abuse |

Good but not great! 6/28/2006

Don't get me wrong, this place is good-- if you've never tried other Cuban restaurants. I find their food is typically over salted and offers dishes that are the peasant food of Cuba. If you can't get to the Havana in San Francisco (on Van Ness), this would be an okay secone if you're craving this kind of food. The service is rather slow and lacking. Pros: Sangria, bread (you have to request this or else they won't offer) Cons: Poor service, overpriced for basic food more
Reply | Report abuse |

Cuban, not Mexican 6/2/2006

The fried plantains are very good. The service was ok, the staff seemed a bit young, thought they did make a good effort. Overall, I would definitely recommend it as a place for a casual date, not so sure about group dining. Parking on the side, but not overly abundant. Pros: Food, Decent Wine List Cons: Potentially Parking more
Reply | Report abuse |

You can skip this place! 5/25/2006

I was excited to try Cuban cuisine, but it turned out to be a 'stewed' experience. My husband and I arrived at 8pm, as we had a reservation. However the unfriendly hostess showed us a gloomy seat with a dirty plastic screen behind. I refused to seat there and demanded to speak to a manager. A supervisor came along and helped us find a better area. The drinks were good, but the sangria was more like a fruit drink. The appetizers were floating in the broth .The food was average and very pricy. The manager did give us a discount for all the confusion, but I guess you could spend half that amount in a smaller place with better food! Pros: Supervisor's service Cons: Too brothy, Pricy, Hostess more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great date spot 4/30/2006

My girlfriend and I enjoyed our Friday night experience at Habana Cuba. We recommend requesting upstairs seating - more intimate. We ordered the sultido for two, which was a combination of lechon, pollo, and carne. The plantains were absolutely delicious, which were included with dinner, along with beans and rice. The live music was a nice touch. The waitstaff was extremely courteous. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great Memories <3 1/20/2006

My boyfriend took surprised me with this Cuban restaurant for our anniversary and it was pleasant! The servers were friendly and had a comforting ambience; great for dates or even a catch-up dinner with friends. You have to try their chicken and corn soup, as well as the avocado salad (the upgrade is worth it!). They have guitar trios performing on Friday nights, which was lovely .. lighting up the atmosphere. However, a bit of construction was taking place and being seated upstairs seems to be the place to be; ask for upstairs seating when making your reservations. The Mojito was a bit disappointing but not the Mango cocktail. Looking forward to go back again :) Pros: food, guitar trio, romantic Cons: location, parking more
Reply | Report abuse |

Awesome 5***** 1/16/2006

My wife and I had dinner at Habana last weekend. We had a real good time ... Excellent Food & Service. The staff was exceptional ... The Entrées come with a choice of soup or salad. We opted for the soup ... The chicken soup was really good. The Cuban coffee was real good too ... Cons ... Parking ... We had a real tough time getting parking ... the neighborhood is not very good ... Don't forget to make reservations... Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Nice Decor Cons: Parking, Neighborhood more
Reply | Report abuse |

Big Disappointment 12/26/2005

After reading all the hype, I figured we couldn't go wrong with Habana Cuba. How wrong I was. The only seasoning on my steak was oil. The service was BAD and when my wife asked for her meal to be extra spicy they simply drowned it in tabasco sauce. If Denny's was to open a Cuban restaurant, I imagine this would be it. Pros: Great Reviews, Great Reviews Cons: Terrible experience, Bland food more
Reply | Report abuse |

No Spice - No Flavor 12/18/2005

If you are one that is accustomed to fine latin food whether it is Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and even Mexican then you will find many dissapointments with this restaruant. The food was very bland and the seasoning that gives the food accent was sparingly used. You can tell the chef was taught how to make Cuban Cuisine but is not familiar with Cuban cuisine. Usually when you approach a latin restaraunt you can smell the spices and seasonings which was not apparent here. Pros: Parking, None, None Cons: Poorly prepared, Bland, Rude Service more
Reply | Report abuse |

Not impressed! 11/18/2005

I was so excited to go to this restaurant because of the great reviews; however, I now regret selecting it for a night out with friends. We (party of 4) were seated promptly, but we were placed right next to a huge hole in the wall covered by a large sheet of plastic. When our appetizers arrived they looked good, but tasted awful. The prawns were extremely tough and the chicken tamales were just plain bland. Unfortunately our dinner and drinks were no different...bland, bland, bland! All of us have had MUCH better Cuban food in other cities, and at more reasonable prices. Unless they get a new chef and bartender I would recommend skipping this place. Pros: Good Service Cons: Bland Food, Overpriced more
Reply | Report abuse |

try it, you'll go back! 11/14/2005

Best date restaurant I have been to in the south bay. The atmospere is romantic, the staff helpful, the scents tantalizing and there was even live music when we were there. Great ambiance. We did not have reservations so we had to wait for a while, but it was well worth it! Pros: food!, scent, atmosphere more
Reply | Report abuse |

Don't believe the hype 8/24/2005

I'm amazed at how people can rate this restaurant so high, and in fact, my dining experience at Habana Cuba shook my faith in citysearch. I had probably the worst meal of my life there. The food was overpriced (entrees are $25 to $30) and it was just bad. Not so-so, not mediocre, but bad. The drinks were watery, the service was forgettable, the ambience was pathetic (a waiter started vacuuming around our table when we were eating), and the food was awful. The prawns were overcooked and rubbery, the garbanzo bean soup was again overcooked, and the pieces of meat in it tasted like rubber. Awful. Stay away from this place. You've been warned. Cons: Lousy food, Expensive, Terrible ambience more
Reply | Report abuse |

More than a Restaurant 7/21/2005

This is more than a restaurant, it's an experience! From the moment you walk in the door you're transported to a little cafe in Cuba. The waitstaff and decor are wonderful, and the menu options are deliciously fantastic. I've taken many friends there for their first taste of Cuban food, and we all still agree that it's the best we've found anywhere. more
Reply | Report abuse |
< Previous 1 2 3 Next >
Menu for Habana Cuba


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021
Editorial

  • In Short
    Two levels of seating include an outdoor patio and two private rooms. Portions are a lumberjack's dream. Tostones take a little time to prepare, but the fried green plantains are...

  • 7/21/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday Closed
  • Payments: American Express, Discover, Diner's Club, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Central, Sunol-Midtown, Central San Jose
badge