Havana Restaurant — Restaurant in Albuquerque

Second time here and does not disappoint. This place is tucked away in the NW corner of Daskalos shopping center. We got there around 2:30 pm and there were about 5-6 tables with people waiting for their food. There was only 1 waitress working, so it did take her some time to bring us menus and take our drink orders. We're pretty patient, so we just chilled, and people watched for a bit. Waitress was very nice and spoke little English. So we conversated in Spanish. We ordered the Guava smoothie and a Cortada (Cuban coffee). So right from the start, the drinks were amazing. Guava smoothie had intense flavor. We would get this again for sure. The coffee was super hot and amazingly strong and sweet. Exactly like I prefer my coffee. Would highly recommend it if you're a coffee lover. Left there pretty energized 🤪. We had the fried pork steak, which came with black beans and rice. They give you the option of ordering them separately or mixed. We chose mixed, as it seems to have more flavor that way. It also comes with sweet plantains. The pork steak and beading were really good, but as you ate it, everything on the plate kinda dried up your mouth. I guess only way to describe it as the flavors were thick & rich. I just wish there was something added to it, like a salsa to dip that would pull away the dryness. Don't get me wrong, flavor was there, but an addition would be great. We also ordered the chicken fricasse, which also came with black beans & rice and sweet plantain. This was amazing! It's basically chicken cooked in a tomato broth with lots of flavor and spices with potato. The chicken was so tender that it was falling off the bone. Now this dish I would highly recommend for sure! We look forward to coming back and trying some new stuff as well. We saw lots of happy patrons with yummy looking food around us. I would recommend giving this place a try. Prices are very reasonable as well, and they are handicap accessible. If you read my review. Please hit the like...

This was my first experience eating Cuban food and it was soooo good! I had the palomilla steak with rice, beans, and sweet plantains. I also tried the IronBeer (like a fruity, lighter, Dr. Pepper) and Materva (like a cream soda), both of which were delicious. The steak was on the dry side, but I assume that's how the very thin slice of steak is supposed to be cooked. Paired with the grilled onions on top, the flavor was very rich and tasty. I've never been a fan of plantains, but the way they cook theirs has converted me! I believe they are lightly fried, not overdone, and the slight sweet flavor paired well with the flavor of the steak and beans. The plating of the food was nicely presented.

Unfortunately the menu did not have descriptions of what the food was (just the names of the dishes), and since I'm unfamiliar with Cuban cuisine, I had to look up many of the items. Not a huge inconvenience, but it took some time before I was ready to make a selection.

The interior is clean and bright with nice beach wood ceiling fixture accents. No one greeted us when we walked in and there was no sign to seat ourselves, so we eventually just picked a table and sat which didn't seem to be a problem. It was just one older lady serving all the tables, but she was very nice and our food came out pretty quickly. No complaints! I will definitely be back to try the rest...

Havana Restaurant is a casual, unpretentious Cuban restaurant in NE Albuquerque in the Daskalos Shopping Center between Fun Noodle Bar and Rent-A-Center furniture store. The largest cross streets are San Mateo and Menaul.

The seating, which is solely indoors, consists of half-booths and standalone tables, so patrons in a wheelchair will not encounter any issues.

This was my first time trying Havana. The biggest draw to the restaurant was the fried sweet plantains for $5. They hit the spot! They were sweet, not too greasy, and had a slight crisp on the edges.

I also had the Cuban sandwich for $11, which consisted of a baguette, ham, roast pork, pickles, and mustard. I would have preferred more pickles and more mustard for more of a kick of tartness and moisture. My love of sauces on food is a personal preference, though - other patrons may not need this.

My friend really enjoyed the pork bowl he had, which came with a rice-and-bean combo and fried plantains.

The service was friendly and the server, who I assumed was one of the owners, thanked us for coming in. I would definitely return and am looking forward to trying more dishes, especially because of the reasonable prices. I think the restaurant would benefit from descriptions and pictures on their menus, as only the dish...