Bella Cuba Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Ana

Bravissimo. This restaurant feels more like an actual home than just a business. When you step in those doors, the atmosphere is truly warm and congenial. I am only docking one star because the bar set for Cuban food has been set a little too high by Jonathan Gold's favorite Versailles Cuban Restaurant, which used to be my go-to when I lived closer. Still, this place holds their own. I appreciate their service and food very much.

When my partner and I moved to Orange County, we tried another deceptively highly reviewed, so-called "Cuban" restaurant, Habana. It was obnoxiously inauthentic and distasteful with interior decor that looked like a spinoff of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. That fake franchise restaurant look. I can't stand it, I really can't. The bread at Habana somehow smelled and tasted like dirty wet socks. I couldn't stand it and I was so upset and saddened that I hadn't found good Cuban food in Orange County. Someone in the neighborhood asked me what I was thinking of our new home so far and recommended Bella Cuba when I shared my disappointment. I am very, very glad they did. This place is just about a mile away from our home. We've been in multiple times and ordered when our family came over because of home evacuations due to the San Fernando Valley fires.

My partner's mother, who is part Chilean and loves her beans, said the beans here are truly authentic. She loves them. The empanadas are piping hot when they serve it to you, but it's hard to resist trying to bite into it even when it's burning your mouth! Hopping around, sucking air in through your teeth, but still wanting to keep chomping! It's so flavorful and delicious, and the pastry is perfectly flaky and melts in your mouth. I've only ever had dense, dry pastry with an empanada before, so I've never liked them until I tried the ones from Bella Cuba.

Some of our family favorites are yucca frita (fried yucca), yucca con mojo (steamed yucca) platanos maduros (sweet fried plaintains), (, papa rellena, lechon asado (roasted pork), pollo asado (roasted chicken), rabo encendido (stewed oxtail), and chilindron de cordero (stewed lamb). Everything I've tried here has been delicious and the quality has been consistent. You can expect the same taste and same level of service whenever you come in. I haven't tried the seafood yet, surprisingly and think I may try the fried red snapper next!

The smoothies / shakes / batidos are delicious. I usually get the papaya but have been curious about the mamey, which I've never tried before. Mango is a great one too. I didn't know until I just looked it up that the guanabana is soursop, which is so tasty! I love soursop! Will try them all eventually.

I wonder if they'd find it odd if I came in just for coffee? Cuban coffee is wonderful. I looooove Cuban espresso and cafe con leche.

Thank you for treating us with such kindness and...

Honestly, I want to leave my most sincere comment, without intending to be destructive, but rather with the aim of being constructive. I believe there is a lot to improve, and I think well-founded feedback helps businesses like this one grow and offer a better experience for their customers.

I am Cuban, and in my opinion, the food presented here as Cuban does not have the authentic flavor of our cuisine. For example, the pork needs a complete improvement; it seems more boiled than traditionally cooked. The beans have a very unpleasant taste, almost as if they were burned, and they don’t resemble the rich flavor of traditional Cuban beans. The rice is also not good: it’s sticky, served in excessive amounts, and neither the presentation nor the flavor is appealing.

That said, I want to highlight something positive: the waiters are very kind, attentive, and helpful. They are always checking in and asking if everything is okay, which is greatly appreciated. They do an excellent job and are definitely not to blame for the deficiencies in the kitchen.

In conclusion, I believe there is a serious issue with the flavors of the food that is presented as Cuban. It doesn’t resemble what our traditional cuisine should taste like at all. I hope these observations are helpful for improvement, as the potential is there, but more work is needed on the quality and authenticity...

The food was yummy and flavourful. We ordered 4 different items from the menu. Not to mention the bring out to every table a heaping pile of warm buttered garlic bread. I couldn’t help but take down 3 before the food came out! Here’s the breakdown of what we ordered:

Chicken empanadas - My son loved these. They had great flavor, and a good amount of filling. The outside was crispy and light, not thick, but flaky. We ended up ordering another 2 more! 4 total!

Mahi mahi plate - Came with rice, beans, plantains and the garlic seasoned fish. Now this prob was the least fave of all the stuff we ordered. The fish was just a tad over cooked.

Garlic chicken - Also came with rice and beans, plantains and the chicken. The chicken was delicious. I think they lightly floured it because it has a slight crisp on the outside, not just the normal chicken skin crisp. The flavor was on point, and it came layered with yummy onions on top! The beans and plantains at this restaurant are AMAZING.

Garlic shrimp - My daughter who is 6 murdered these! She loved it. I think it came with maybe 9 shrimp. I had 2 and my husband had 1, and my daughter had the rest! The sauce was so yummy that I took the leftover sauce home even tho there were no more shrimp. I honestly felt like it would be great to just add more shrimp at home and add the sauce!

Overall very satisfied...