Havana Cafe — Restaurant in North Attleborough

Who knew? I lived in North Attleboro through the 70's to 90's I'm not sure if a place like this would have opened much less survived. During a return visit I did a Google search for restaurants near downtown. I was pleasantly surprised to see Havana Cafe pop up. I was more surprised at the location. Havana Cafe is a very cozy little, well Cafe. The building is small but they can seat your party of six and with notice maybe more. However there is a little alcove with table for two that looked very romantic. The decor is very homey, reminding me of my Sicilian uncle's rumpus room but not kitschy, tasteful prints and decorations invoking Cuba surround making you feel like you really are at a home. But on to the food. I ordered the camarones al ajillo I got it with plantains and a special rice. OK first off, I'm not crazy about plantains. I loved these. I regret not getting the salty ones since me and my dining partner both got the sweet. Live and learn, I would have liked to try them. The rice was a yellow rice very simply cooked with corn and ham. Remember that the sparkling ritzy resort Cuba on the TV is for tourists. This is like the real Cuba, where food is like home and family. The rice was light and fluffy very fresh.. I was served black beans as a starter/soup (new to me) and they were very good, well seasoned and tender. The Shrimp was firm but not over cooked.(!) in a buttery garlic sauce sinful enough to earn a dope slap from your doctor. But the real gem was my partners choice. Anyone who knows Cuban food knows of the pressed pork sandwich. I had one once in Austin Texas. I was unimpressed, I thought it was awful. After reading Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series I was re-interested. Oh my. One bite turned into me finishing both dishes. As an engineer and baker I would have liked to have explored the bread some more but the sandwich seemed to disappear somewhere. The bread was the key. Delightfully light crusty and chewy all at once. The pulled pork ham and mustard perfectly proportioned, I would have loved more pickle and had there been banana peppers I would have started singing. All totaled $27 without the tip! fantastic, and the Shrimp was twice the price of the Cuban. I made sure the waitress not only knew how much I loved the food it but that they had restored my faith in the cult sandwich. This Cafe deserves your attention if you like Cuban food, or if you like Mexican food but want something new. The owners asked for my contact information so they could invite me to the pig roast they are planning. Cruel fate! I won't be back in town. If Havana Cafe can restore my faith in the Cuban Sandwich I bet they could wipe the slate clean on my two earlier experiences with pig roasts. ...

I have been going to Havana Cafe for just over a year now and my numerous trips have always rewarded with delicious food with great, friendly service.

This is a modest but cozy family-owned establishment and we've always felt very welcome there and well taken care of. The service is fantastic and the woman is so nice and smiley!

Cuban food is so good and this place makes no exception. Through my numerous visits, I've been making my way through most of the menu. I really dig their sandwiches including their Cubano ($7.99) and Croquette ($6.99) one. Both are very different but delicious. The real star however and my go-to is their Vaca Frita ($14.95) entree (shredded flank steak, grilled onions, white rice, black beans and salty plantains). It is one divine and so different. The textures and flavors are out of this world. If you want to go traditional, you can order the Cuban national dish, Ropa Vieja which is rather similar but which also features bell peppers in the mix.

I always get appetizers here by the way, and their empanadas are a sweet deal at a buck fifty each. Their guava one is really good as is their meat and cheese ones. I usually get a bunch of them to share among ourselves.

Whatever you do though, make room for dessert. Especially for their Margarita's flan ($5.25) which showcases Cuban flan baked onto pound cake. It's a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Do it.

All in all, this place has made the rotation of restaurants that I often go out of my way to patronize and I really love it. It's simple, well done and affordable and I look forward to many more visits...

What a hidden gem! On our way to our friends boutique we drove by and pulled an immediate u turn! Something told me it looked like a hidden gem and we were right. Not being from the area we had driven by a few times they weren’t open but never able to get back until today. It was AMAZING! Reminds me of the great cuban joints with similar decor and music of key west and Florida. We ordered the pork belly, beef empanadas both amazing (empanada wasn’t dry like some can get and the olives had almost a Dominican flair to it) but the star of the show was the Cuban sandwich. INSANELY GOOD! Not some sort of fancy carver ham or slow roasted pork like some do. It was just perfectly executed and the bread was the star of the dish’s. Crispy but with a buttery flakiness and grilled to perfection. The melted cheese played off perfectly and the thin thin pickles capped it off. Don’t get me wrong when I say it’s not fancy it’s not negative, it’s just a traditional made Cuban that doesn’t need all the glitz and glamor to make it amazing. Service was fantastic and they were so grateful we came back after missing them last time we were in town. We talked to some strangers about how good it was when we were at another store and they had the same feedback: dynamite!

You will not be disappointed. When we have more time we definitely want to try the entrees but do your self a favor and get the...