Eaten here twice so far. It's always a treat in terms of the atmosphere--the design of the restaurant is very distinct, evoking the Cuban vibe. I've eaten at a table open to the outside and one more in the restaurant interior--I preferred being closer to the outdoors, for a slightly quieter experience. My service has never been stellar--but mostly it was benign neglect rather than anything truly awful. Orders have always been correct, though taking the order has taken a long time and they have been out of things I wanted to order. In terms of the food--I have certainly had better Cuban food. The Cubanos are a little uninspired, the empanadas a pretty good. I enjoyed the congris, but was disappointed to see that getting the rice and beans separate actually means you get a lot more food. The plantain chips and tostones are yummy. But for something different in San Diego, its worth checking out.
Kathryn Andreolli, Esq.
ordered ropa veija, platanos, and the banana dessert. The ropa was supposed to have olives in it but they no where to be found and the dish just lacked any authentic flavors. The platanos were undercooked and hard. The banana dessert was stale and a complete disappointment and waste of money. I’m never eating here again.
KEVIN ERRASQUIN
Amazing food and service! I have tried couple dishes including the ropa vieja, picadillo, grilled shrimp, tostones and others, all of them have been outstanding in both quality and flavor. It’s awesome to have such a great restaurant in the area!
Stanislav
I ordered coffee to go and waited 17 minutes, my sandwich and during this time it became cold and I was even more disappointed that the sandwich was without sauces and very dry.
Sabrina Escobedo
It was our first time and the food was incredible. The service was great.
nancy romero
I have been here a number of times - the food is great and authentic, the decor is so cute and the music always poppin.
The cafe con leche is also KILLER, I come periodically for that and an empanada, it’s the perfect snack/pick-me-up.
However, I was compelled to finally write a review because of Sydney. She is the absolute sweetest waitress, every single time.
I went for lunch today with my 4 year old daughter and Sydney was so attentive, and vibrant and an absolute joy. It can be stressful going out with toddlers, but I wouldn’t think twice about coming back here, especially if Sydney is around. Keep her FOREVER!
Richard MacKnight
Service was a bit slow…severs were friendly. I had the Pollo cooked perfectly….would have loved cooked onions versus sliced raw. Plantains were excellent but portion was small. Had glass of wine, a small pour. Small salad was fresh and crisp but uneventful. Guests I was with had the Hemingway, steak cooked perfectly and the other had Chix breast a bit over cooked. The beans were very tasty as was the white rice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sweet Plantains, Black Beans
Nathan Kalupa
Great vibes. Well Priced. Nice service. Good vibes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
Kourosh Khoylou
i've had great experiences with the food here
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Victoria Singleton
I got the chicken soup and it’s the best soup I’ve had at a restaurant
Nice, clean place. Servers are friendly. Nice good music, vibes. Food came out fast. Ordered arroz con pollo from specialty menu good. My hot sandwich however did not come out hot or warm even. Ordered 3 empanadas. Picadillo was the best. However the bean and cheese tasted like it was out of a can. It’s a chunk of black means with little cheese. Cuban empanada was bland. Came with no dipping sauces. But the breading is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Utensils, Sweet Plantains
Linda Ridge Johnson
A friend posted a beautiful photo of their Seafood Paella, and I knew I would try the Havana Grill one day! Yesterday a friend took me to lunch! I rode the trolley from El Cajon to Mission Valley and walked thru the Mission Valley Mall to this hidden treasure. Currently, you order at the front, pay, and the food is delivered to the table of your choice! I even met the owner who is making a change to table service at customers' requests. That is a perfect scale-up to this all-in-one gourmet bakery, walkup coffee stand, indoor restaurant, and happy-hour bar! I had the Seafood Paella and my friend, dressed like a Cuban, had the Chicken Fricasé with black beans, brown rice, and fried yuca! We cleaned our plates. Even their filtered water is lovely!
Y'all owe it to yourself to try this place for a date night, tourist showplace, high-class birthday party, girl's getaway, or an important business meeting! The 'slow' time is between 3pm and 5pm if you want peace and quiet during your meal. I have found my new 'favorite' place, at least until I try everything on the menu! ?
Very good flavor and attention, I would only add more content to the dish. Of the desserts, the guava cakes are delicious! The Havana Mojitos are special ?, cheers!
Modern and trendy vibes. I loved the lighting and outdoor seating. The cubano was amazing and authentic, when the food came out it did not have cheese so they took it back and put cheese on it without an extra charge. The lady who took our order was super friendly as well as the guy who brought out our food. Would definitely come back here ✨
Vegetarian options: You can easily ask for an item without the meat on it.
Parking: It is in a mall so there was a big parking lot with lots of spots to park.
Eaten here twice so far. It's always a treat in terms of the atmosphere--the design of the restaurant is very distinct, evoking the Cuban vibe. I've eaten at a table open to the outside and one more in the restaurant interior--I preferred being closer to the outdoors, for a slightly quieter experience.
My service has never been stellar--but mostly it was benign neglect rather than anything truly awful. Orders have always been correct, though taking the order has taken a long time and they have been out of things I wanted to order.
In terms of the food--I have certainly had better Cuban food. The Cubanos are a little uninspired, the empanadas a pretty good. I enjoyed the congris, but was disappointed to see that getting the rice and beans separate actually means you get a lot more food. The plantain chips and tostones are yummy. But for something different in San Diego, its worth checking out.
ordered ropa veija, platanos, and the banana dessert. The ropa was supposed to have olives in it but they no where to be found and the dish just lacked any authentic flavors. The platanos were undercooked and hard. The banana dessert was stale and a complete disappointment and waste of money. I’m never eating here again.
Amazing food and service! I have tried couple dishes including the ropa vieja, picadillo, grilled shrimp, tostones and others, all of them have been outstanding in both quality and flavor. It’s awesome to have such a great restaurant in the area!
I ordered coffee to go and waited 17 minutes, my sandwich and during this time it became cold and I was even more disappointed that the sandwich was without sauces and very dry.
It was our first time and the food was incredible. The service was great.
I have been here a number of times - the food is great and authentic, the decor is so cute and the music always poppin.
The cafe con leche is also KILLER, I come periodically for that and an empanada, it’s the perfect snack/pick-me-up.
However, I was compelled to finally write a review because of Sydney. She is the absolute sweetest waitress, every single time.
I went for lunch today with my 4 year old daughter and Sydney was so attentive, and vibrant and an absolute joy. It can be stressful going out with toddlers, but I wouldn’t think twice about coming back here, especially if Sydney is around. Keep her FOREVER!
Service was a bit slow…severs were friendly. I had the Pollo cooked perfectly….would have loved cooked onions versus sliced raw. Plantains were excellent but portion was small. Had glass of wine, a small pour. Small salad was fresh and crisp but uneventful. Guests I was with had the Hemingway, steak cooked perfectly and the other had Chix breast a bit over cooked. The beans were very tasty as was the white rice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sweet Plantains, Black Beans
Great vibes. Well Priced. Nice service. Good vibes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
i've had great experiences with the food here
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I got the chicken soup and it’s the best soup I’ve had at a restaurant
Food: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice, clean place. Servers are friendly. Nice good music, vibes. Food came out fast. Ordered arroz con pollo from specialty menu good. My hot sandwich however did not come out hot or warm even. Ordered 3 empanadas. Picadillo was the best. However the bean and cheese tasted like it was out of a can. It’s a chunk of black means with little cheese. Cuban empanada was bland. Came with no dipping sauces. But the breading is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Utensils, Sweet Plantains
A friend posted a beautiful photo of their Seafood Paella, and I knew I would try the Havana Grill one day! Yesterday a friend took me to lunch! I rode the trolley from El Cajon to Mission Valley and walked thru the Mission Valley Mall to this hidden treasure. Currently, you order at the front, pay, and the food is delivered to the table of your choice! I even met the owner who is making a change to table service at customers' requests. That is a perfect scale-up to this all-in-one gourmet bakery, walkup coffee stand, indoor restaurant, and happy-hour bar!
I had the Seafood Paella and my friend, dressed like a Cuban, had the Chicken Fricasé with black beans, brown rice, and fried yuca! We cleaned our plates. Even their filtered water is lovely!
Y'all owe it to yourself to try this place for a date night, tourist showplace, high-class birthday party, girl's getaway, or an important business meeting! The 'slow' time is between 3pm and 5pm if you want peace and quiet during your meal. I have found my new 'favorite' place, at least until I try everything on the menu! ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Paella, Picadillo Empanada, Braised Beef Empanada, Empanadas
Very good flavor and attention, I would only add more content to the dish. Of the desserts, the guava cakes are delicious! The Havana Mojitos are special ?, cheers!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Guava Cheese Pastry, Vaca Frita
Modern and trendy vibes. I loved the lighting and outdoor seating. The cubano was amazing and authentic, when the food came out it did not have cheese so they took it back and put cheese on it without an extra charge. The lady who took our order was super friendly as well as the guy who brought out our food. Would definitely come back here ✨
Vegetarian options: You can easily ask for an item without the meat on it.
Parking: It is in a mall so there was a big parking lot with lots of spots to park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: El Cubano Sandwich
Great food
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