Havana Bar & Grill — Restaurant in San Juan

I AM ABSOLUTELY APPALLED. 3 of us dined. We all ordered the churrasco risotto, that came HIGLY recommended, by the waiter, who also assured us that they are known for, "when you order steak medium rare, you get it medium rare." NOPE! It was more like medium well. ALSO, my mother's plate came with a special surprise. Something on the plate that looked like a chopped piece of a mouse, with hair and everything.....(sorry for the mental image) She sent it back, and said, I don't want it. He came back.......WITH THE PLATE, and said, "that is from the pork they use when they make the beans, we took it off." 🤮 We ordered a beef dish, no one told us there would be may be pork in it, especially a piece that still had hair on it, a pretty important detail. The waiter then recommended the house salad to my mom, it wasn't very good either. I was VERY hungry, and I ate, while thoroughly inspecting the dish, as did my aunt. Needless to say, we were not very happy. (I literally gagged a few times.) When the bill arrived, they charged my mom for the salad, and really didn't even try to make up for the disgusting thing on her plate. My aunt and I went outside to wait, while my mom stayed and had a conversation with the manager. This man told my mom he didn't know about the hair thing on her plate, but really didn't seem to concerned, and let us leave unhappy. If you're looking for this kind of food, I recommended going ANYWHERE else. After this experience, I would have NEVER allowed someone at my restaurant pay this kind of money. (Picture attached) I'm thinking I should have known, since we didn't even get a warm welcome. (It's the...

A Magical Cuban Dining Experience in Condado

We had an absolutely wonderful evening at Havana, a Cuban restaurant nestled in the heart of Condado with an unbeatable view of the ocean. The setting is stunning, especially at night, with floor-to-ceiling windows that let you take in the beautifully lit ocean—truly a sight to remember.

What truly made our experience exceptional was the service, particularly from Marcello, our amazing waiter. He’s an incredibly friendly Italian who speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Marcello was warm, attentive, and especially kind to our kids. He made sure our drinks and dishes were always just right and offered spot-on recommendations throughout the night.

Our children had churrasco with fries, which they absolutely loved. My wife and I decided to share a variety of appetizers—croquettes, ropa vieja and sweet plantains quesadillas (amazing), and fried calamari. Each dish was packed with flavor, but the croquettes with the house-made sauce really stood out. That sauce deserves its own spotlight!

For the main course, we had the vaca frita, which was simply phenomenal—crispy, tender, and bursting with authentic Cuban flavor. Honestly, it competed neck-and-neck with the churrasco as the star of the night.

As a Cuban myself, I can confidently say they nailed the classics: ropa vieja, congrí, vaca frita, and mojitos—each dish felt like home.

Between the delicious food, the breathtaking ocean view, and Marcello’s charm and attentiveness, this was a night to remember. Highly recommended for anyone looking for authentic Cuban cuisine in a gorgeous setting with...

This is Ropa Vieja's sister restaurant. Located about a 12 minute walk away. We stopped by Ropa around 6 PM on a weekday and we could not get a table for our large party. We were so glad we could make reservations in such a short amount of time. This is probably one of the finer upscale restaurants on the island. For appetizers, we ordered the grilled octopus, Tiritas de Churrasco, alcapurrias con pique, and calamari. Wow the grilled octopus was a must. We ordered the octopus 6 times between 12 people. The churrasco dish is a must order as well. Marinated beef over a rich beet slaw with an Asian dressing. Great combination of flavors and textures.

For the dinner entrees, we ordered family style. We shared the seafood risotto, sirloin steak, chicken Alfredo, mofongo with ropa vieja, salmon with tostones, surf & turf which includes steak and shrimp. All of the meats and seafood were cooked perfectly. The steaks and risotto were the highlights of the entree. They give you plenty of risotto and the combination of seafood with the creamy sauce was perfect. The chimichurri sauce for our steak added plenty of flavor.

Our group had a great time here. We probably drank and dined for almost 2 hours. The staff was so accommodating and attentive. Even with a packed restaurant our food came out in a reasonable time. Nothing had to be sent back or re placed. Our drinks and utensils were constantly being refilled. Highly recommend this place for a great meal. I'll definitely be back to try their other menu items and hopefully get seated inside to...