Old's Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina — Restaurant in Miami

Visiting Miami with family and decided to grab a table here for our group of 16. They were able to accommodate us quickly and last minute; not to mention the place was packed to the brim. Great atmosphere for any event but seats are super close to each other you’re practically able to eat off a strangers plate, that’s how close you are.

Certain things on the menu were not priced- so don’t be sticker shocked when you get your bill and have to pay market price for your steak.

Parts of my chimichurri steak just melted in my mouth and was VERY tasty, other parts were a bit rarer than I ordered so the server had the staff put it back on the grill.

Coconut Mojito was just okay, the mint wasn’t muddled enough and Bahama Breeze, Coconut Mojito still takes first place in my book. Their flan 🍮 desert was alright, being Spanish I know a perfect Flan- theirs had air bubbles in it which took away from the creaminess, but still edible.

Upon asking for the bill our server was scatter-brained as she was the only one serving our table; she had tickets messed up so she spent over 15 minutes trying to get the orders correct, which was just amateurish. Noticed on our first bill there were three additional items added to our receipt that we didn’t order,after she took it back to fix it, she then comes with the new receipt which was more money then the first receipt, which made absolutely no sense. She decided on the new second receipt to charge us for water that was poured right when we sat down. We never ordered water nor were we even told PRIOR to her pouring that there was a charge for water; after a member of the party let her know that she should have stated it PRIOR to the bill, she did nothing to correct the situation, we weren’t going to argue over water but it was very clear I wouldn’t be coming back. Our group was charged over $80 for ten bottles of lukewarm water!!

As she was correcting the tabs the manager sat there just eyeballing us as if we were going to skip out on the bill- which was just uncomfortable and irritating.

Heads up, they add 18% automatically to the bill and so for our party of four our bill came out to $200 (mind you one of the meals was a kids meal for $8.99)

I think it is overrated. I do like the Cuban vibe and that this restaurant is on a lively street, right next to the infamous Domino Park.

Don’t think I would recommend due to the lack of transparency and professionalism. Barely any parking and the ones in front of the restaurant you must download an app and pay...

My wife and I drove to Miami from Boca Raton yesterday, to pick something up at a local brick supplier. Afterwards, we decided to head on over to Old's Havana Bar & Cocina for a first time lunch visit. Located on Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana, we learned quickly, upon entry, you're going to become an integral part of Cuban tradition and it's lifestyle, in the food that you eat and the staff and people you'll meet here today. We were seated immediately at a table for 2 and were quickly greeted by Adriana, our server. Adriana patiently explained the menu and some of the traditional offerings worth considering. We started by ordering our drinks; a traditional Old's Mojito for my wife, with some Yerba Buena and a big stick of sugar cane sticking out of the glass, and a Stella draft for me, served in an ice cold pilsner glass. Both drinks were equally refreshing. Next, we chose the 6 piece Croquettes mix appetizer of fish, ham and chicken, flavorfully delicious and served hot with just the right amount of fried crisp on the outside. For our lunch, Adriana helped us decide on the Pan Con Lechon sandwich, served on soft Cuban bread with a very light outer crispness. The flavor and texture of the bread was a perfect compliment to the ingredients in the sandwich. We had so much fun interacting with Adriana, our server, and talking with some of the other diners around us. We also met Wilmer, who kindly went and got some "Wobble Wedges" to balance the legs on our shaky table. Wilmer checked back from time to time to talk with us briefly throughout our visit, as he cleared and bussed other surrounding tables. We saw a street vendor walking through the restaurant occasionally holding up something rolled up in a paper tube in the shape of a funnel. We asked Adriana what the vendor was selling and she chuckled and explained the vendor was selling peanuts. The vendor walks throughout the district, and Adriana explained that this is a common practice you'll see in Cuba. The food, drinks, Adriana, Wilmer and all the events we experienced here today will never be forgotten. Our thanks also to the administrative staff for curating and staffing this awesome Cuban...

Umpteen thousand positive reviews, the place is packed, and I thought, "It all sounds too good to be true. Got to be a gimmick somewhere." Maybe a tourist trap? Over hyped? But nope, this place is 100% the real deal.

It could probably survive by reputation alone, on maybe the live conga music or just the cool kitchy eclectic decor, the hot Miami vibe humming through the air in the courtyard, or hell, maybe even the live chickens running around. The place makes you feel alive. And understandably, with all of these good things going on, it would be easy to overlook substandard food. The amazing thing is that this kitchen puts out food that is so good, so perfect, that you swear each plate was approved by someone's abuelita. Except it tastes like abuelita went to culinary school, to boot.

We started with a cortadita, a cafe con leche, and the crudo de pulpo. Not just good, but outstanding. The octopus was perfectly thin, perfectly "cooked," and topped with the most refreshing ponzu sauce and an arugula, tomato, and roasted pepper salad that this diner could have imagined.

Then the lechon asado came and was like an ode to porcine perfection. The meat was meltingly tender and moist, with perfect hints of garlic and citrus. Not too much, but just enough, so you chased it with each bite. The type of meal you start to miss even before you finish it.

There is something special about this place. It's both defiantly traditional but at the same time reimagined and fresh. You can not compete with this combination of atmosphere, vibe, and food that deserves a Michelin star or two. The place is casual and come-as-you-are, yet festive and seems to have its own beat. Places like this are special, and you'd be missing out on one of Miami's coolest cultural and culinary experiences by not stopping here. If you are lucky enough to get our waitress, Gipsia, your visit will be even better. She's special. Cannot wait to return here. We're already plotting...