Casual Habana
“Oxtail empanadas are very tasty and my guava ribs were fantastic.”
“Finish your meal off with a cortadito and slice of tres leches and don't forget to BYOB for sangria!”
“I've tried a few of the dishes here and I've liked them all, but for me, the king of all kings is the baby pernil.”
Casual Habana
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I have been wanting to try Casual Habana and I am glad I finally went. The food is very tasty! I tried the yucca fries and had the Cubano sandwich for lunch. The meat was tender and the portion was large and came with plantain chips. This is definitely a restaurant where you get value for your money. I'd like to try the lunch buffet some time.
The staff was very nice and allowed us to stay and talk without making us feel rushed.
Food, service and ambience are nice. BYOB which I didn't know. We started with 3 appetizer special (shrimp, calamari terrific choices). Group had ribs (two big thumbs up) and salmon valsoverde (I really liked mine). Sides varied but were well crafted and liked; salads are surprisingly good. Staff attentive and knowledgeable and it's a nice change of pace and very solid meal. Parking is easy nearby and lunch menus and brunches are very affordable.
Pleasantly surprised with the majority of my experience here.
I was given a recommendation by a coworker who lives nearby, so I took it with a grain of salt. I went with a group of girls for a night of catching up and it ended up going really well. It was in the middle of the week, around 7 and there weren't too many people. Throughout the meal, the waitstaff was attentive and they even were helpful in ordering appetizers and entrees.
To share we ordered the Chicharon de Pollo, Camarones al Ajillo and Chorizo Johnny. All really flavorful. I especially loved the dipping sauce for the chicharon. For entrees my friends got the Ropa Vieja and Churrasco and veggies, maduros, rice and beans for sides. I had some bites of each of them and they were all well-cooked and really flavorful.
It seems I made the wrong move by ordering the mofongo. I absolutely LOVE mofongo, so much so I consider myself a snob and only order it at select restaurants, throughout Passaic county and Washington Heights. When I saw this enlarged menu item splattered through the middle of the menu, it caught my eye and the description made it almost impossible to avoid. When it came out, I already knew it was going to be a huge disappointment. First of all, it was flat. Nowhere else in the world has a mofongo been served flat on the plate. Drizzled on top was some kind of chipotle sauce and the chicharron chucks just scattered throughout as a topping. It was nothing like what a mofongo should be, and I regretted ordering it. I would have given this place at least 4 stars but this was a major shortfall in my eyes, especially after their advertisement of it.
I definitely recommend this place, but do not get the mofongo.
I have been to Casual Habana numerous times, and I have never been disappointed. Their food, is most certainly some of the best cuban food around! Blows some of these other Cuban places out of the water! If you want traditional, this is the place to be. The atmosphere is great, the service is wonderful, and Ben the owner, what a gem! Their menu has all your 'basic', traditional meals. Churrassaco (their chimmichurri sauce, addicting!), Ropa Vejia, Maduros, Tostones, Yuca Frita, Empanadas, etc. Everything is fresh, well seasoned, and portions are a good size!
They recently opened another location in New Milford, which is equally wonderful AND they have a separate Catering Room, which, if you're looking for a place to host a party, I would absolutely recommend Casual Habana!
Aside from their food being awesome, they are also a BYOB and offer a lunch buffet, every day (M-F), for $10.99.
If you plan on going on a Friday or Saturday, I would recommend giving them a call and making a reservation! They get super busy!!!
Go check them out!
Enjoy!
Solid cuban food. Also, one of the few air conditioned places I have found on Main Street.
Went there for lunch, decided to order from the regular menu.
Ensalada Cubana Tradicional
Fresh romaine hearts, red onion and tomato in red wine and extra virgin olive oil
$5.00
Probably the one main dish I wasn't a big fan of, not enough flavor in the dressing, fresh though. 3.2
Caldo Gallego
Peasant Style white bean, chorizo, morcilla and kale soup
$5.00
Excellent, a lot of meat/beans and a lot of spice. 4.2
Minuta de Pescado
Crispy tilapia, lettuce and tomato with garlic and cilantro aioli
$7.00
Tried some of it, excellent sandwich. Fish was well not fishy. Good sauce. The side of crispy plantains was excellent. Nice crunch. 4.1
Pastel de Picadillo y Platano
Our savoury beef, layered with ripe plantain and smothered with melted cheese
$10.00
Oh my was this rich. Then again, I knew it was going to be. Picadillo had some great flavors, nice amount of plantain. Super rich and it came with 2 sides because why not. 4.2
Yuca Frita
Chunks of steam cassava smothered with tangy garlic and aromatic garlic oil and cilantro dip
$3.00
it was OK. I don't like the texture of this usually and I forgot it when ordering. Good portion for the side. 3.1
Frijoles Negros
Traditional Cuban black bean potage
$3.00
Solid, not the best nor the worse. 3.3
Food is solid, prices are fine. Took a little while to get everything but solid good.
I had a variety of this delicious Cuban food at a lunch at work back in June and I was really impressed; the flavors were fantastic and everything was cooked really well. The pork was particularly amazing and I could have eaten a whole plate of that and that alone. I haven't had a chance to get to the actually restaurant (the lunch was catered by this restaurant), but this is an easy 4 stars on the taste of the food alone!
I was trying to give this place a second chance. I had been here a few times while I was in massage school and also another time with a friend. The food was just okay back then. I've tried their lechon sandwich, croquettas, and chicharron de cerdo. Out of all three the one that was best was the chicharron. But today I ordered for pick up to take home and was highly dissatisfied.
I placed a pick up order for Fritas cubanas, French fries and a manchego y espinaca empanda. The Fritas were …not tasty. I've had way better. They put way too many onions that were basically raw. The mini Fritas were slider size and the onions were bigger than the bread, like really. I would suggest smaller cut onion
slices and Sautee them down more. The "tomato jam" is just ketchup nothing special. The empanada was so tiny I can't believe they charge $1.50 for it. Very little spinach and cheese inside…mostly hollow. The fries were okay, they are shoestring style, but a bit dried out though.
My experience within the past two years went from mediocre to bad, I don't think I will be coming back… . Maybe if they change the chef.
Reasonably priced Cuban — older sibling of a newer tapas version by the same name in New Milford.
The 3 stars are mostly my reflection of the pleasing service, excellent white wine/guava Sangria, and the atmosphere. They'll even muddle you a Mojito if you bring the fixings.
I was a little disappointed by the food in spots — uneven — under/over seasoned — over fried -but I blame myself in part for ordering too many fried offerings and not enough greens and seafood as a counterpoint to this rather heavy menu.
The bright spots:
Roast pork hock (Pernil) was fall off the bone tender and crispy on the outside — with subtle spicing. I liked this the best and would eat it again. The manchego/spinach empanadas were lightly fried and the cheese/spinach filling was a pleasingly salty, gooey and rich pairing to the crispy dough pockets — enhanced by a mild garlicky cream sauce. Nice starter.
Chicharon, the ubiquitous Latin munchy, was served with the same garlic sauce, and the platonas maduros were caramelized to a sweet/rich/ripe banana soft texture. Both were excellent.
The not so bright spots:
The house special rope vieja over mofongo was unpleasant. The meat itself, while tender, was over salted and overly vinegary, and the mofongo, which is supposed to have a mashed potato consistency — was dry, hard and chewy. The other sides (dirty rice, fried yucca) were bland or, like the tostones, fried to inedibility.
Next trip I'd like to try some of their seafood and salad samplings, and perhaps do so at their new location in New Milford, which sports a full bar. TBC.