02/13/09

Great Cuban Food in San Jose!

by CAGOURMET

Habana is a wonderful neighborhood restraunt.. Great tasting food, presented well with considerate wait staff and a nice nice atmosphere with very fair prices. I lived in Miami for 10 years eating Cuban food almost daily and Habana is on Top of my list for Cuban / Latin food! Don't miss the garlic chicken and the rabo both are delicious!

• Pros: Great Cuban food
• Cons: Parking on a busy night can get tight

12/22/08

OK Food, Bad Service

by Ytmn

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 I'm familiar with the cuisine. I've definitely had better Cuban food. Black beans should be part of the meal and weren't. We had to request them. Their advantage is there are very few other Cuban restaurants in this area. This place wouldn't make it with any competition. I had the Tamal Cubano con Pollo which included 1 chicken thigh with a sweet dry tamale, potatoes, rice and a salad.

There were no bread baskets. We'd have appreciated some.

Our waiter we had was awful. The carafes of water on the table were completely empty by the time we left. He didn't check to see if he could bring anything else and wasn't available when we needed something - like more water, which is pretty basic. When he asked if anyone wanted desert or coffee, 2 people said yes, so he brought 1 desert menu. Most of us did have desert, but all had to share the single menu. Even when he saw us passing the menu around as he stood there waiting for us to order, he didn't go get more. He couldn't remember who got what, even though he made notes. A good waiter really adds to a dining experience. Ours subtracted, sadly.

This restaurant wasn't busy when we were there. Most tables were empty. I couldn't see any excuse for his lack of interest.

08/06/08

Best Cuban

by kitcathy

Habana Cuba is amazing. Although I've only been here once, I'm going to go ahead and declare this one of my favorite restaurants. A friend of mine from Miami who claims to really know her Cuban food raved about this place being the best in the San Jose. Needless to say, she was dead-on. Off appetizers alone I was already full. The plate I ordered was the seafood cioppino. It came with all the goodies: clams, shrimp, lobster, and bass that literally just melts in your mouth. The plate came out pipping hot but was so good it didn't stop me from biting into it. Another recommendation would be my husband's dish, the lechon de la Cubana. Ever since I've gone I've been telling all my friends about my experience. Nice ambiance, huge portions on food, very attentive staff, I'd go back to Habana Cuba in a heartbeat.