Havana 58 café — Restaurant in North Carolina

I am a connoisseur of coffees. I've never been one of those who could be satisfied with pre-ground, vacuum packed canned coffee from a national brand. I prefer mine freshly ground, just before perking, and with all the heavenly taste coffee should have. That being said... when it comes to coffees... I'm pretty picky. I've been pretty fortunate to find some fine roasteries in the area, and yet one thing that evaded me... that I craved... is real vibrant robust Cuban coffee. I had reached a conclusion long ago that the only times I would be able to enjoy that amazing flavor would be on my visits to my cousin Rick's in Florida.... that is... until now. I have found an authentic treasure.. REAL... ROBUST... VIBRANT... Cuban Coffee in an environment that would have one think that he was sitting in Cafe Arcengel or Cafe El Dandy in Havana. Real Cuban coffee is something that not every barista can master. It requires the right blend of coffee beans, slow roasted to perfection. It requires a unique brewing that draws out the vibrant flavors of the bean. And for the very best... it requires a barista that has grown up with the unique flavor filled environment of Cuba where folks made the best of what little they had. So finding REAL Cuban coffee anywhere above Florida is NOT an easy task... at least not until now. Nestled in a tiny little shopping block at 1010 Henderson Drive in Jacksonville, North Carolina is perhaps one of the best little and very authentic Cuban Coffee shops I've ever found, right down to the classic chess table set up and ready for the next person to play. It's more than just coffees... it's an experience in culture with the unique music of cuba, the aromas of the coffee, the sweets one only finds until now in Florida and Cuba, and real cuban sandwiches!! One would be hard pressed to choose if the shop is a coffeehouse, a cafe, or bakery... I suppose it's all of them... of as they say in Cuba.. a Coffee Cafe. It is amazing. It's has been said that there are no words that can adequately describe the energizing flavor of a real Cuban Expresso, or the dynamic almost heavenly flavors of the cakes.... or the experience of a true Cuban Sandwich. But those who have experienced Havana 58 on Henderson Drive in Jacksonville know that this tiny Cafe is a true culinary treasure, reasonable in its pricing.. an experience to be savored and treasured. The folks that own the shop, run the shop. Service is excellent. It's not a place for the giant crowds, or those who just want turn and burn. Havana 58 is authentic... and one could not ask for better. I definitely give them five stars in all...

This coffee shop used to be a reliable favorite but my last two experiences have been horrendous.

A couple weeks ago, somebody got my coffee order wrong and gave me old, very cold breakfast burritos. I chalked it up to a one time thing since this spot is usually pretty good.

However, today’s order was absolutely unacceptable. The coffee tasted extremely burnt and bitter, and the barista appears to have put in a bunch of extra syrup to compensate for it which just made it worse. The breakfast burritos were all different sizes, very stale and crumbly and it seemed that these had been sitting around for a while. One of the burritos had been cut weird and spilled all over my vehicle when I tried to pick it up, since they were not packaged properly and were just wrapped in flimsy foil. This entire order (2 drinks and 3 burritos) was close to $40, which is fine usually but was just extremely frustrating for inedible food/drinks.

I don’t know what’s going on with this shop but it’s been very disappointing to see this sudden decline in quality. I don’t think I’ll be taking another chance and spending my...

There are 2 girls here that make incredible coffee. Today the older man and woman who were present seemed Iike they were guessing each order they pushed out. Really disappointed as I regularly drive 30 mins just to get coffee from here, multiple times dropping $35+ on food and drinks for coworkers. I get the same drink every time and this is the first time I was served it differently and it came out quicker than ever before.they just scooped sugar in the bottom and poured coffee over it for $7 this is totally unacceptable. If the person serving me my coffee says “do you wanna taste it first?” and tells me how the drink is “usually made” after I say how I want it twice…I should use my better judgment and just ask for a refund.

Unfortunately, one bad experience ruins everything and I won’t be coming back after this. Super disappointed but unless there’s uniformity on how drinks are made across the board, I’m not gonna spend my time and money...