The reviews for Havana Cafe have been mixed on Yelp and on Urbanspoon. Â None of them are all that current. My husband and I were there this evening and I can tell you that the positive reviews and comments are absolutely accurate!
The food, service, and price were spot-on. Don't let the outside fool you...give it a try!
If you want to eat better Cuban cuisine then you had best start driving South and call ahead to Key West for a boat rental. Holy Schnikees this Cuban food is awesome!!
My wife and I had wanted to try this place for some time and tonight we indulged. I had the shredded beef cooked in garlic, onion, and lemon with the moro rice which is white rice mixed with black beans. I also had the fried sweet plantains. Everything was fantastic.
My wife had a pork dish with yellow rice and the plantains as well. Her dish was just as tasty and had a sauce with it that is to die for to say the least. I missed the name of it so I'm just going to call it Awesomesauceâ„¢.
The portions were large, the service was friendly, and the restaurant was tidy and clean. Â Price tag for two entrees and two soft drinks plus a 20% tip was $35. We were both very happy and will probably be back next weekend for round two!
I'm a huge fan of Cuban cuisine (not just the sandwiches, although those are my favorite).
Havana Cafe truly does Cuban cuisine justice.
I hadn't been here for several months, and upon entering, I noticed immediately that they have really upped their game as far as ambience is concerned. Â The room is nicely appointed, with white linen tablecloths and tasteful Cuban art/decoration.
I found out that ownership had changed since my last visit and those improvements were evident.
As far as the food goes, it is still excellent. Â The Cuban sandwich is still one of the best in the city and the ropa vieja is the best.
They also still serve breakfast, which although I have never tried theirs, I greatly look forward to in the near future.
I went to lunch here today and the food was great! Not only that, but our waitress was very nice and knowledgable. We had never eaten Cuban food before and she was a great help when it came to picking out our entrees.
I had the first pork dish on the menu--I'm not sure what it was called, but it was good. I had it with moro--black beans and rice and the plantains. As an added bonus it came with some fried pork skin! Try it! I promise it was nothing like the kind you see at the gas station.
Overall, me and my company enjoyed our lunch. Check it out!
Some friends and I went for lunch and were very pleased.
Service was attentive and friendly - we all asked for recommendations on what to order and the waitress was very helpful and guided our orders expertly.
I had the Ropa Veja - a beef dish in a zesty stew-like sauce. The beef was shredded and tender, the sauce complemented the meat perfectly. They had several rice options, I had some of the best black beans and rice - so savory. As part of my dish I opted for the plantains (instead of the veggie option) - they were perfect, be sure to eat them while hot for the best effect, the heat brings out the banana-like sweetness and flavor while the firm starchy texture remains.
One of my friends raved about the cubano sandwich - one of the best sandwiches he's ever had. It looked really good and is a nice price for lunch.
There are a lot of items to choose from on the menu, daily specials, a kids menu and even breakfast. This is a must try for any adventurous diner!
I went here with the Indy International Supper Club for dinner and had a smattering of all sorts of things: Imperial rice (with chicken, cheese, and olives), black beans and rice, mojito pork with onions, some type of braised beef with peppers, veggie lasagna, and plantains. Â Holy moly, it was a lot but it was delicious. Â I loved the Imperial Rice and the plantains. Â I probably could have eaten my weight in plantains they were so scrumptious. Â I can't speak much to the "normal" service but our "special party" service was very nice and my water came with a lime. Â Nice and fresh tasting!
Review Source:Ever had one of those moments where you're in a public setting with a bunch of new faces and find yourself sweating so profusely that you're pretty damn sure when you lift your ass from that plastic chair Lake Erie will have formed where you ass once sat? Too candid for ya? It rarely actually happens, but there is that intense fear that one of these days it will and all the kids in the class are going to be pointing and laughing at you. This exact scenario went down tonight at Havana Cafe. Holy jamoly do they need some blind action in the front windows, or what? This redhead doesn't handle heat all too well.
The moment you have a plateful of Havana Cafe's Cuban food in front of you is the moment you forget Lake Erie is taking shape on your backside. For this particular visit, I was joining the fabulous Indy International Supper Club. The Cafe provided a $20 buffet that made exploring Cuban cuisine as easy as pie.
Meal breakdown:
-Meats: loved them all - each in their own special way. Pork: extremely juicy, broke  apart in nice chunks with a unique tangy flavor. Vaca Frita: (fried cow) toss up between this one and the pork for being my favorite meat. Great seasonings! Unlike anything I've had before.
-Rices/Sides: Rice and beans of all ethnicity hold a special place in this equal opportunity lover's heart. Havana offered us everything from a plain white rice that fellow Yelper Brittany L. said was mighty tasty to a yellow rice with chunks of chicken. All very good.
-Veggie/fruit action: Yucca was yucka. A little drier than the other yuccas I've had before. Sometimes I find myself force feeding particular food items even if they taste less than good because I am mesmerized by where they come from/what they are. This is the case with yucca. However, the plantains were perrrrfect. Not too dry or greasy like I've had them at other places.
Havana Cafe is just one more reason to love the vibrant international dining scene in the Lafayette Square/38th Street area. Next time, I'll strategically place myself away from those heat radiating windows.
They love Billy Ocean here. Love him. Â When we walked into Havana Cafe Carribean Queen(no more love on the run) was blasting. Â And now its been stuck in my head all day.
In honor on Mr. Ocean and Havana Cafe:my review, inspired by the track listings of Billy Ocean's 1984 powerhouse "Suddenly"
1."Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)"-Havana cafe is run by a friendly lady from the Carribean. Â The New York Times wrote an article on her and her Hoosier establishment.
2."Mystery Lady" -the menu and lunch board specials are kinda confusing...pictures or brief descriptions would be very helpful
3."Syncopation"- the service is scattered and inconsistent
4."The Long and Winding Road"- 38th street is a mess:avoid and try alternate routes
5."Loverboy" -a handsome man with a mustache works there. Â He was nice but seemed frazzled serving just the two of us.
6."Lucky Man"- I felt fortunate to find this little gem. Â It was easily the best Cuban food I've had in Indianapolis.
7."Dancefloor"- Havana Cafe is small consisting of 4-5 table tops. Â Its perfect for lunch or an impromptu dinner date, but you might want to reconsider taking a large group here.
8."If I Should Lose You"-Its not hard to find, but its not the easiest either if you are unfamiliar with the west side. Â
9."Suddenly" -The food is rich. Â You can get full in the blink of an eye. Â I had the piping hot Cuban. Â It was loaded with ham and pork placed betwix some kind of unique bread. Â The mustard and pickles did an excellent job cutting through the fattiness creating a most satisfying sandwich.
and now for dessert......
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdkXV5O5GfJ8&s=d82c9a797750344cbc37004dbde419c6dab4ed2ab1c2a057fd35c88c2a6cfb77" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
I have had Cuban food several times, in Miami and Key West, and I was a little disappointed by what I had here. This may be because this little restaurant is owned by a nice lady from El Salvador. I loved my fried plantains-so hard to find in the midwest!...the sauce they were served with, a mixture of ketchup and mayo...while perhaps traditional? was gross. The black beans were good but lacked the richness of flavor I have had in Cuban black beans in other locations. My entree was pork chunks which again, lacked the depth that I was expecting and were flavored mainly by grilled onions and their own fat. The rice was completely bland...just a pile on the plate to take up space. HOWEVER the pupusas and little quesadilla type things from Central America were REALLY tasty. My partner's shredded beef in sauce dish was good as well. Perhaps because we were here with a large group the food wasn't presented as it usually is. To emphasize this: the food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Overall, I was underwhelmed.
The interior is pleasant enough, painted in bright colors and murals of the beach.
I will definitely return to try some other dishes, but I wonder if this place wouldn't be better named as something besides a Cuban restaurant. I would love to see some empanadas like the ones I had in Costa Rica, and more of the owner's native Salvadoran food.
Absolutely fantastic food at a fair price, but slow service.
That's not to say it was bad service by any stretch, I just wouldn't come here if I were in a hurry. Â There was only one woman working the dining room, and while she was extremely helpful (which is important when most everything is written in Spanish) and very cheerful, she wasn't the world's most efficient
The food is very rich and enjoyable. Â Each dish has lots of flavor and spice, and feels very "homemade". Â There's nothing worse than going to an ethnic restaurant and finding that the food has been prepackaged and/or "blandified" to suit American taste buds. Â This is not the case here. Â I asked the waitress for a recommendation and I was blown away by my meal.
Don't be looking for mojito's though. Â They have a selection of beer and wine, but not everyone's favorite Cuban cocktail.
Overall, it was a great experience from a hole in the wall I might not have tried if not for other positive reviews on the place.
Very good food...friendly..albeit spotty service.
Prices are more than reasonable...excellent cuban coffee.
So nice to see Indy getting more and more of these little gems.
While not an expert on the authenticness (word?) never-the-less...terrific tasting food...obviously made with care !Now..if they would only offer freshly muddled mojitos !
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