Vieja Havana Grill — Restaurant in Holland Charter Township

Ok...so here is a re-do as the owner instantly replied and didn't appreciate how I reviewed the restaurant. Looks like they are looking for positive criticism.

Positive criticism...cute spot on the corner of 120th and Fulch. Great attempt at carribbean food. Didn't work out, due to the steak in the steak sandwich being tough. Great attempt at tostones, unfortunately they were undercooked and the cheese was too salty and there was no acid to cut the saltiness and fat. Great attempt at ropa vieja, unfortunately my appetite dissipated at the site of the cook and that amount of time he took in the restroom which is in plain site. Perhaps a privacy screen would be a good idea so that customers don't have such a great view? Great attempt at pupusa, epanadas and stuffed tostones, unfortunately those were not available to order as an appetizer or entree. Great attempt at a clean environment, unfortunately it looked like they haven't cleaned in a while as there were hard crumbs from previous diners and sticky tables.

A refund is not necessary as it was my choice to dine at your establishment despite the review of uncleanliness, and over priced, overly salty food.

Not gonna lie. I was super, super excited to go. I've been looking for a close-ish spot that serves Caribbean food. I saw a post on a local foodie FB page and I took my family this past weekend. We got there and it was dirty. The space between the window and the tables where dusty and had old, hard remains of other people's food. Tables were sticky.

Fine, I decided to overlook that, we got our menu's and they too were dirty and crusty from sauce or liquid - all 4 menu's. Overlooked that as well. Tried to order about 3 different items and they were out. Pupusas, tostones rellenas, empanadas. So there went any appetizers and main entree's we had in mind.

We ended up getting the tostones that come with fried cheese and avocado. The tostones were undercooked and soft, the cheese was salty. Typically when serving fried cheese, you want acid to cut the fat and saltiness. Nope. All salty.

Three of my party of 4 ordered the steak sandwich with fries. The steak was barely edible. My poor family could barely eat the steak because of the amount of rubbery fat on it. My son was pulling on the steak with his teeth so hard, I was concerned it would pull a tooth... seriously. Needless to say all three sandwich were not finished. We asked for a to go box for each and I dumped it in the trash when I got home.

I ordered the ropa vieja. The taste was fine, but the Maduro was not sweet. I was half enjoying it when one of the cooks walked out to use the restroom. I lost some of my appetite. Pretty sure he took a dump. He was there Almost 10 minutes. I pushed my plate away and didn't even bother. Fyi. Restroom is within view of most of the restaurant. You can't unsee it. I took my barely touched plate home and that too went into the garbage. 🤮. 60 bucks went straight to the trash.

I would love to support a local mom and pop place, but unfortunately, this is not a place I will be returning to. Totally bummed, because I really wanted a place to turn to for my latino carribbean and central...

We truly enjoyed our date night for my birthday dinner at this restaurant in Holland, MI in May, the week after Tulip Festival. This small restaurant is a hidden gem!!! I wish we didn't live on the other side of the state, because if we lived locally, this would become a staple. It serves Latin food, like Cuban and Puerto Rican, as well as traditional Mexican dishes. Valentina was our server, and she was fantastic! She had a warm, inviting smile, was quick, attentive, and friendly. She is one of those kinds of people who are truly beautiful on the inside and out. She made it a great experience for us. As for the food, it was absolutely phenomenal! Everything we ordered, from our mojito, empanada appetizer, and both of our entrees was absolutely delicious and had generous portions. I don't know who the chef is, but that special person is very talented and their passion for cooking and their culture shines through their food! The favorites for both of us included the steak and shrimp in our dishes, (serious happy dance eating it) but everything was scrumptious. And oh my goodness the freshly made salsas/sauces, wow! I wish there was an option to purchase them by the pint or quart and take them back home with me. We will definitely be back in the future when we visit Holland. Seriously, if this was my last meal, I would die a very full and happy woman! A giant thanks to our server and chef for helping to make my birthday dinner incredibly delicious and special! Although I may never have the pleasure to visit Cuba in my lifetime, you gave us a wonderful opportunity to try some of it's authentic cuisine. Seriously, do not hesitate to try this restaurant! You will not be...

Ok, we loved our food for the most part. My daughter had a meal with shrimp, chicken and steak. The steak was tough and she didn't enjoy it, but the rest of the meal from plantains to rice, was very good. My meal, a bowl with rice, beans, avocado, pico de gallo was all good. I had a side of chimichurri sauce which was very good. We ordered take out which took a while, but the staff was friendly and helpful. The location, if you chose to eat in, was nice. They serve alcohol and had some nice sounding drinks on their menu. The not good, and why it dropped all the way down to average, is that they included a few tiny containers of sauces, and one was bad. It was bloated - the lid almost exploding off because the sauce had gone off. It smelled horribly and was obviously spoiled. There's no way a staff person filling the order should have missed that. It made us worry slightly about the other containers which my daughter had already used. They were ok, fyi. The avocado in my dish, while good, was turning brown in a few areas. I get it - avocados turn quickly, but unappealing parts should not be served. Still, the food offerings are good, and with a little closer attention to detail, would...