Habana

Love coming here for a really good mojito (hard to find!) and some crispy mariquitas (plantain chips) with mojo. Ropa viejo es fantastico! more

I've had Cuban food many times, not only in Miami but in Cuba during a visit in 2003. The food here trumps both -- better quality than in Florida, much bigger portions than in Cuba. Weeknights it will be easier to get sat right away, and the service has always been attentive and friendly. Weekend nights it can be bustling, but the service is great nonetheless. Try the Cuban sandwich if you dig pork. Or maybe better, the platano loco, which is a Cuban sandwich on plantain instead of bread. And of course, the tres leches cake is rightly famous. Pros: Great mojitos, pork, ropa vieja, relaxed atmosphere Cons: Arroz con morro was dry more

I am Cuban and that is not Cuban food. Two tries and NEVER go back. I felt sorry for the americans sitting next to me that did not know what real Cuban food should taste like. The flan was the only thing worth eating. The food has no taste, it is extremely dry and taste a few days old. I also went to culinary school and their beans are canned beans. The waitress are not Cuban. They are Puerto Rican and it does make a difference. What an insult to Cuban food!!! on top of it all, it is ridiculously expensive. HORRIBLE!!!!! Pros: Can Soda, Flan more

The 1st time we went the drinks were nasty but the food was decent. The 2nd time we waited over 45min for our food and my sis in law was dissapointed with her dry, flavorless chicken. I don't know why it took so long, the place was pretty empty. The 3rd time the rice was from the day(s) before. I think the we keep going cuz my husband likes to say that were going to a Cuban restaurant and I hope that it'll get better. Pros: yuca & lechon Cons: reheated food, long wait more

My husband and I decided to try this place out as we were driving back from Zilker. My husband liked his pork dish, but I wasn't impressed with my vegetarian dish. Flavor for me was very bland and I feel I could have made this dish at home for much less money. Atmosphere was good and it wasn't crowded at all. We will not be going back for many reasons, but maily because both my husband and son became ill last night after eating their pork dish. I didn't have any and am OK. Pros: good atmosphere, not busy Cons: expensive, bland food, husband and son became sick afterward more

After two tries, i will never go back again. Worst service in Austin. Waitress kept dissappearing. She was worthless. Dishes on menu have cuban names but there is nothing cuban about them. A cuban sandwich is all about the pressed bread. Here, it's simply a ham and pork sandwich on french bread. My husbands meal was cold, black beans bland and the white rice was so undercooked it was unedible. Skip this place unless you just want to listen to cuban music. At least that that cuban. Cons: worst food and service in austin more

food was horrible fries were burn on the kids plates expensive ,and very bad experience for sure we never go back to tjhis restaurant Pros: did not like it more

I went for the first time today since they reopened and the food is still as good as I remember it. The roast pork was excellent. Good Happy Hour. Great Drinks. Excellent Service. Good Music. The only thing I missed was the old Habana flare. Funky Tablecloths and Big Plants. It just wasn't as special as it used to be. I miss the funkiness. When you feel like you are on vacation. That's what Habana used to be about. And of course the food Pros: Great Food Cons: Inside looks just like any other restaurant in Austin more

I've been wanting to check out Habana for a while, so when we tried to go to Cafe Josie on west sixth and found it closed, we ventured down congress. What a let down! The pork was very good and so were the fried plantains (something I've made at home before - not too difficult) , but.....the rest of the meal was very bland. The yuca was dry and the other various deep fried items were very tasteless. My husband and I each had a meal and a drink and we left there unhappy and had spent 50 bucks. The mojito was mediocre and our waitress didn't show up to our table for over ten minutes after we were seated. Pros: did have good music and good pork Cons: tasteless food, too pricey more

I went with a few friends for ""happy hour"" and sat on the patio. We got the first round of drinks fine but as the 7 o'clock cutoff neared, our waitress was no where to be found. The restaurant was not busy at all so I knew she wasn't helping other customers. I finally had to go to the bar to order drinks. When we wanted food I had to walk inside and track our waitress down and ask her if we could order. The food was pretty good though we just ordered appetizers. The mojitos were great too but I'm not an expert. Only come here if you are extremely low maintenance and don't mind being neglected by your server. more

Tonight, my friend and I tried Habana for the first time. I'm adventurous when it comes to food and will try anything once. I'm also not picky and have eaten such odd things as racoon, armadillo, squirrel, rabbit, squid, shark, buttermilk soup, ceviche, sushi, tripe, and esgarot. I love Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisine, but am just as at home with fried catfish or vegetarian fare. \r \r Tonight I ate Habana's stewed chicken and my friend had some sort of pork dish for $12.50. We also both had a mojito. Sadly, the meal was unexciting.\r \r My chicken still had the skin and fat on it, and the flavor was just plain.--No zip, zing, or zest. I could have cooked the same thing at home (minus the skin & fat, which I feel is unappetizing, not to mention unhealthy). I also tasted my friend's pork and again, couldn't find any spice or flavor. The pork tasted like salted pork with nothing else. It was neither bad or good and could best be described as unmemorable. While my friend didn't complain, I also noticed she didn't eat much of it. \r \r The sides were beans and rice, which one can find just about anywhere.\r \r Probably the mojito was the best thing we had and even it didn't do that much for me. For the total price of $37.00 for two people not including the tip, I was unimpressed and will probably not go back. I must say though that the service was good--attentive and courteous--and yes, we did tip well. Pros: Good service Cons: Unmemorable and expensive food (for what you get) more

how does a venue with a restaurant with a name like habana get away with not playing salsa music to dance to. under your floor was the original and first salsa club in austin, the borrinqin. apparently the owner did not know this, he must be a capitalist. your food and mojitos are good but with salsa it could be better. more