Habana

On Friday, Habana is a place to go to experience Latin music played by long time professional musicians. True, the food was not much to brag about, but the warmth of patrons brought you back again and again. Long time Friends were made, laughter and smiles everywhere. I have been there many times on Friday, danced and cheered. The restaurant has recently closed, another owner now owns the restaurant. Hopefully, He and/or She will maintain and foster what was developing into a very profitable and fun filled Friday event. Pros: Music, Parking, Ambience, Warmth, Security, Classy People Cons: Cuban food more

I have no idea how this place got 4 1/2 stars. The food is the worst and the guy that manages the place could care less about you. The food was dry. There was no flavor in any of my food or my dates. When we complained, the manager shrugged his shoulders. I felt bad because I picked the place. Luckily, my date was understanding and she was as frustrated with the place as I was. Pros: Nothing Cons: Terrible food and the owner is an a**hole more

I should have read the reviews first. The food was just awful. Not one of the persons in our group could finish their meal. When the manager asked how was the dinner, we all pointed to our plates to show how little of the food we were able to eat. His response, "Maybe you weren't that hungry." Unbelievable! The food wasn't fit for human consumption and manager tried shift the blame on us. Also, he did absolutely nothing to make it right. His attitude was it was OUR mistake because WE chose to eat there. We paid our bill and tried not to take it out on the server. Poor girl, she rolled her eyes and told us how they have been getting nothing but complaints about the poor quality of food. I just wish we could have given her all the money and not paid for the food. Well, don't make the same mistake we made. Go someplace, any place else. Pros: Trying to lose weight? This place will make you swear off food. Cons: The owner is more interested in his bottom line than customer satisfaction more

Wow, what a great find! At 7pm on New Years Eve we had no plans (We're getting old!) and we decided to at least try something new. I had watched the old Jamar steak house get it's make-over into something called Habana and had been meaning to try it. What could be a more perfect opportunity? We had the Sampler plate for 2 (and there were 3 of us) and the Tropical salad, which we split. The plates are big! Unless you absolutely starving go small and add on if you need to (you wont!). I had never had Cuban food and I was suprised by how "light" it was, not greasy at all. The salad had yummy grilled chicken on top and came with all of the dressings they offered. Every one of them delicious. We each had a Mojito, which were very good. The bill total was about $60 which I think was very reasonable for the amount of food and 3 drinks. The service was great, staff is young and very friendly, food came quick and our server took a lit of time explaining what each dish was. The decor is simple, but much brighter than the old Jamar velvet, dark dining room. Definately a must when your in the mood for light latin cuisine! Pros: food quality Service more

Why did Castro revolt? Well, the food at "Habana: A Taste of Cuba" maybe one of the reasons why. The tostones were hard, dry, and bland. I now know what the SDSU Aztec's use as hockey pucks in the off season. After a game of Russian roulette to see who would eat the last tostone, a series of desiccated meats and fish came to thet table. One again, the table felt that the food was sub par. The pork chops were like shoe leather, the fish had as much flavor as the wood table we ate off of, and the chicken tasted like parchment paper. What a disappointment. How could a culture whose food is renowned for its aesthetics and flavor produce such a disaster? We quickly found out the answer upon speaking to a manager. With a defensive attitude, the manager quickly blamed the servers. I know of very few restaurants where the servers actually prepare the food. The quality of the food is the responsibility of the cooks. The unhappy experience is the responsibility of the manager. So what did the manager do when we complained? He subtracted the manadatory 18% gratuity intended for the server for parties of 6 or more. What a cheapshake! Instead of being a man and admitting to the problem and taking responsibility, he chose to punt the blame at the server and penalize her in front of us. After realizing what the manager had done, we tipped the server $20. on a $100 ticket. G*d forbid any money should come out of his pocket for something as manager and co-owner he is responsible for. In case you are wondering what happened to the cooks that served Castro and Guevara in prison? They're cooking the food and managing the restaurant known as "Habana: A Taste of Cuba." Pros: None. Cons: The food is bad. The management is is unfair to its employees more

The previous reviews made me salivate for this hip club as did there website, very cool. However I was very disappointed. There are no longer happy hour specials, nor salsa classes, nor specified dance area. They still have a live salsa band but the atmosphere is not conducive to salsa. I thought the prices were a little high, the food okay. Bring your kids not a date. more

So if your looking to have a good time trying something new at somplace diffrent than habana is the place to go. To start off the food at habana is so good so so good. I have tried a few diffrent cuban joints and habana is definately the best. The enviroment is awsome the servers are fun. They have a full bar and the drinks there are great too. Man if you are lookin to have a good time as well as a good meal this is great place to go. If you drink try there fusion drink man it will kick your butt and it like ervrything i had there is fantastic. more

My wife and I were in the mood to try somthing new and we got it on a whim from a random finger drop in the yellow pages. I had never had cuban before and I didn't know what I was missing. Habana is definately easy to find but it felt like a secret. "a wondeful secret!" The service was fantastic, like my wife said they really care about there place, unlike corporate places. I am not sure if Habana is a chain but they should be. It is now my favorite place too go. The food is so so good, I highly recomend the sampler platter to get a try of all of the signature dishes. We got a sampler platter and our server took us on a tour of exciting flavors. If I had to explain cuban food to somebody who has never had it before I would explain it as full of flavor, not spicy, juicy and savory. I highly recomend this place to anyone. Take a chance it is well worth it. Careful not to expect the quikest service on friday, they have live music and dancing and it is packed and super busy. Saturday is great. Trust me, give it a try. Pros: Ambience, service, ervrything! Cons: none more

My girlfriend and I visited Habana after seeing an ad in CityBeat for Best Cuban Food. Reading CityBeat (rag) should have been our first indication this place was going to be bad, but my girlfriend insisted we give it a try. We waited 5 minutes for a hostess to show us to our table. It took close to 30 minutes to get our order in and receive our drinks, which was a coke and sprite and another 45 minutes for our food to arrive. The rice was cold, the sandwich which my girlfriend ordered was the wrong order and the waitress disappeared for a smoke break (you could smell the smoke on her). My food had was alright, but I was expecting more. Save your money and go to Miami to get the real thing. Two painful hours later I thought we'd never get the check. We finally got out of there and went to In and Out and pigged out. I would NOT recommend Habana. BY THE WAY THE THIRD REVIEW BELOW IS WRITTEN BY THE OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT. Fantastic Food, Great Service & Fun Atmosphere! 02/27/2007 Posted by dflores91941 Pros: None Cons: Everything more

Here's my observation: I can sit in my alley behind my office on plastic chairs and wait an hour while I figure out how to mix a mojito. If I paint my alley walls in a jungle motif, I think I've captured the ambience of Habano. The food was ok if you like "CARBS". If you make your customers wait long enough, they will eat anything, including cold dirty rice. I would prefer a restaurant with a decent wine list. Tough commute to get there. Hopefully you can pick a day when the humidity is high and the temperature reaches 100+, then you will have all the ammenities of Cuba! Conclusion: I was not impressed with Habano. Pros: Good happy hour prices Cons: Small patio, slow service, carbs, carbs, carbs more

Yummy eats, sweet treats!! Love the Ropa Vieja- the meat's so juicy! And the Tres Leches cake is a MUST!! I live in the North County area- well worth the drive and the parking is free! Love the tropical ambience, great music, and great Mojitos! What more can you ask for? Family friendly and affordable! Love the "all you can eat" Sunday brunch- can't beat $4.00 unlimited Marys, Drivers, or Mimosas!!! Pros: affordable, delicious, ambience, parking more

The food here rocks! The Cuban Sandwich and Cuban Empanadas are delicious. . . but save room for dessert. We couldn't decide which was better - the Tres Leches cake or the Flan. AMAZING Mojitos and enjoyed the house-made Habatini with a cigar on the patio. Great, friendly service, easy parking, relaxed environment - love the outdoor dining patio and live music with salsa dancing on the weekends. Our kids love the food too. We keep coming back and it just keeps getting better and better!! Pros: Food, Service, Ambience, Parking, Patio Dining, Cigar Garden more