HAVANA 86 - Authentic Cuban Flavor — Restaurant in Tampa

RACIST - NEVER COMING BACK Go to Carribean Twist. I came in to purchase dinner for my family. We always are kind, purchase here, we love the staff (usually) and the people. We are Puerto Rican, Cuban, Portuguese, Ecuador, Latino but my sister was born here and does not speak Spanish.

She called in an order, had trouble with Spanish speaking server - so we just wanted to confirm the order with my sister on the phone. (Never been served by her - the other woman are great always)

The disrespectful attitude she gave, was shocking. She was so upset and offended when we just wanted to double check. She was rolling her eyes, tapping the pen, and we told her - I’m sorry but we need to confirm because she speak English only.

She turned around and wrote “GRINGA” when we told her the name, and hand the bag to us and walked away.

My family was outraged by her behavior. We do not expect good treatment and respect because we spend money - respect should be given especially we did nothing to her and always respect the staff.

The manager was worse. He came Manager: “lol you want free food for writing gringa? Oh u want her fired”? Us: no. We are sharing this is disrespectful. Derogatory . Racist. We wouldn’t want “spic” to go on your food bag. Manager: “shut up and get out”. “I’m a man before I’m a manager”. “I don’t care how much money you spend here”

Clearly. She felt empowered to solve disrespectful - because of the lack of respect her manager has. This was wrong. She started this issue and no true attempt to fix it was made. She could have asked the name, to spell it, wrote the color of our shirt. He is unrefined, unprofessional, and I would be embarrassed to work for someone like this.

Rude, impatient, arrogant, disrespectful, dishonest, unprofessional.

I hope they can grow some accountability. Vs trying to blame the customer over a serious customer service mistake. God knows, Big mistake here, u don’t treat people this way-eat...

Extremely Disappointed — Unacceptable Behavior from Staff I’ve been a regular at Havana 86 for a long time. It’s always been a place I bring family when they’re in town, and the food has consistently been good. Unfortunately, after our recent experience, I can confidently say I’ll never return. My daughter called in an order — she doesn’t speak Spanish fluently, but understands enough to communicate. When my son went to pick it up, not only was the server incredibly rude, but she also wrote the word “gringa” in large letters on the takeout bag and the receipt — a clear and unnecessary comment directed at my daughter. That term, especially used in this context, felt discriminatory and inappropriate. When we asked to speak to the manager to calmly explain the situation, we were met with even more rudeness. Instead of listening and addressing the issue professionally, he insinuated we were just trying to get free food or have the server fired — which was never our intention. We simply wanted him to acknowledge the unacceptable behavior and speak to his staff about how to treat customers, regardless of language or background. At one point, when my son was trying to explain what happened, the manager actually told him to “shut up.” That was the final straw. This isn’t just about a misunderstanding or language barrier — it’s about basic respect. No customer should be treated this way, especially not at a place they’ve supported over the years. While the kitchen staff may do a great job, when the front-of-house treats people with such disregard, it ruins the entire experience. We’ve since discovered a wonderful alternative — The Caribbean Twist. Their food is excellent and their service is welcoming, respectful, and professional. From now on, they’ll be getting all of our business...

My husband and I had dinner at Havana 86 and I was excited to write a review since of late there are so few eating establishments that are actually worth eating at much less writing about. I don't know what's happened since Covid hit but restaurants, food quality and particularly service are so lacking! So it was refreshing to happen upon this little Cuban restaurant which nicely brought together the best of all of those elements. A quaint little strip mall restaurant in the heart of Historic West Tampa, Havana 86 serves up a relatively large menu of Cuban food ranging from simple Cuban sandwiches to scrumptious traditional plates like black beans, white rice and roast pork with fried plantains to my now chosen favorite, the Rabo Encendido (Oxtail in a spicy red sauce) with moros and yuca frita! DELICIOUS!! The service was also quite good, just the right combination of friendly yet professional. The wait staff consisted of a handful of lovely Latin girls that alternated between taking your order, bringing your meal, insuring that your drink is never empty and that all is well!! So, my recomendation to you is, if your looking for a reasonably priced, authentic Cuban restaurant stop by this one and try it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I understand their Pizza Cubana, Cuban sandwiches and batidos (milkshakes made with tropical fruits like Mango) are super delicious too!! MAYBE I'LL...