Havana Central
“We dined a little too early to be able to experience the live band but I heard they're awesome so I'd love to be there for that.”
“We ordered the Churrasco Empanadas for appetizer and we shared the Pernil Asado as an entree.”
“We tried the empanada sampler.”
Havana Central
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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So it's my 2nd time here and I must say the food was spot on both times…..I know the yelp reviews are not consistent but after my 2nd visit that would be my true test here. Here's some tips you may want to know:
– Parking is plenty….top deck you may find it hard to find parking but below, find the staircase that leads to the restaurant….I went on a Friday night and it wasn't bad at all
– MAKE reservations online…..Friday night….first time it took about 15 min to get seated, 2nd time around at 8pm I got seated right away.
– Friday night they have a LIVE band so prepare yourself to shout while speaking to whomever you are with….they do take breaks but then they have music in the background which is not too bad.
– The mall is a few steps away like literally….so I always thought that was a perk.
– They have a table behind Glass Doors to reserve so keep that in mind.
– Coconut Mojito is banging!!!
So now onto the food:
Avocado stuffed with lobster with a side of tostones – WOW….now this was delicious. It's a large avocado stuffed with a lobster salad….almost like a seafood salad…..the taste was great…the seasoning was great and when you spread it on top of the tostones….Holy amazeballs perfect bite!!!
Empanada sampler:
We can choose 3….so we got the following:
1. Goat and cheese – perfectly blended…stuffed to the fullest….the outside was crunchy and sooooo good….my fave.
2.Shrimp Sofrito – shrimp on the seasoning was so good and again perfectly fried….my 2nd fave
3. Beef – all fried perfectly….this was your typical but still really good.
Entrees….OMG me and my 2 girlfriends were getting full……we ordered the following and did family style:
– Pulled pork with Moro (dirty rice and black beans) with salad – surprisingly the pulled porks seasoning was great….moist…not too salty…..great with the rice.
– Camarones (Shrimp with garlic sauce and yellow rice) – Oh man I can't get sick of the garlic sauce….it is to die for….shrimp was tasty….if you love shrimp get this.
– Churassco – Skirt Steak with white rice and black beans…..we ordered it medium and mmmmm. I love Spanish white rice….the way it's cooked with the oil and salt added….man oh man its good. The steak was not rubbery….I literally enjoyed everything!
Top it off with the dessert platter:
Tres Leche – Fave!!!!! The cake is so moist….the merengue is somewhat a bit sweet…..i can demolish one of my own.
Flan – this was thick and the way I love flan baked.
Churros – this had a dipping of chocolate and caramel….want a crunchy dessert get this.
The latte was great with dessert too.
Service was ehhh….always waiting around for utensils and plates and I hate that!
I would definitely come back.
My first visit here and I have to say we had a very pleasant experience. The server Michael was awesome , he was very attentive and very helpful in making suggestions. I started off with a blackberry Mojito and have to say that was one of the best I have ever had.
We ordered queso fundido with Chorizo and Tostones Rellenos as an appetizers which were simply amazing. As our main courses we tried Pernil Asado, Cuban sandwich, Vaca Frita, and Mango Salmon along with children's skirt steak. Each dish was full of flavor and just as good as the next the portions are just right .
The ambiance has its Cuban flare you really feel like you are in Havana . We will definitely be coming back for another round . If you are in the Edison area you will have to give it a try.
Came here again recently with a friend, her 2 kids, and my beau for dinner. The mister and I had already eaten, but she was starving so the two of us decided to at least have some dessert and coffee. We were seated at one of the nice booths that curtains draped in front of it.
Our waitress was AWESOME, her name was Jenn (I remember this because my friend is also a Jenn). Loved her. So my friend and her daughter order the pineapple chicken (I did not have a good experience with this the last time) and her son a cubano sandwich. The chicken this time was not overcooked and actually came with moro. I had a bite to try it and much better than my experience. I was sitting next to her son and everytime he took a bite I could hear the crunch of the crispy roll it was on. It sounded and looked good and he devoured everything. Not sure if it was because it was that good or he was a ravenous teenager.
I ordered the tres leches cake (on Jenn's recommendation) and my boyfriend the churros. Wow, that tres leches was el bomb diggity! (doesn't anyone say that anymore? No?).
Much better experience then the last time we were there and the waitress Jenn rocks.
This place is a nice addition to the area. Parking is a little tough because it's connected to the mall. Try parking downstairs and just walking up to the restaurant. As far as the place it's self….very festive inside. They had a band playing tonight so that was cool. Wasn't too loud either. Wait staff was very nice…our waitress Joanna was very sweet. She had excellent suggestions and seemed to know the menu well. We had the paella, salmon, grilled chicken and the steak salad….all were cooked perfect. Definitely get the fundido as an appetizer and ask for extra bread…it's amazing!! Place is a little pricey but it makes for a nice date night.
If we were rating everything solely on the service and hospitality, this would be a solid 5 stars. Thanks to all of the bartenders, servers, and to the manager who really welcomed us with open arms and a beautiful private area. The setting and decor were great.
Drinks were good, but a bit sweet. I preferred the mojitos to the margaritas with the fresh lime and cane sugar. The drinks were plentiful and ever flowing.
On to the empanadas. …tray after tray emerged. We were some of the lucky ones who tried the pizza empanadas. They were my favs followed by the guava and cheese, then the plantains and chicken.
How fun to have an actual pig roast. It was amazing to see the whole thing disappear in the hour or so which it was served.
Overall, we had a great time and look forward to trying other great food at Havana central.
I must say that I usually don't get impressed by Latin chain restaurants because I always think they don't have a great Latin flavor, this place kind of proved me wrong. Got there early enough to enjoy their happy hour which they had classic mojitos for $6, margaritas for $7 and beers.
We started with empanadas appetizer, again, thinking that they would be just okay they were actually better than I anticipated. Ordered the shrimp sofrito, Cuban, and beef. They were delicious and mostly impressed by the Cuban one which was a mini Cuban sandwich in an empanada. Well played!
We ordered mojitos for cocktails which were refreshing and decent. Not the best mojito I've had but definitely not the worst. Our waitress was really on top of her game and came by to check in with us in between drinks and food. She was sweet and attentive.
I went with the Pollo Con Piña for dinner – call me bias but I gotta go with anything pineapple! Anyway, two pieces of grilled chicken breast and two pieces of pineapple slices over them. The dish came with a side of moro which is my favorite rice and must say it was so good!! I could have eaten so much of that rice LOL.
To finish the meal we had the tres leche cake which was good but I wasn't a fan of the icing. It was your typical too sweet Spanish cake type. I would recommend going with the flan instead. Other than that this was a good meal with good service. They were also really quick with bringing everything out.
I've been to this place twice now. The first time I wasn't too crazy about it, the second time I felt a little better about it. There are great things about this place: It's conveniently located at the mall. The decor is nice and sometimes they have live music which is nice as well. The food is good, but not amazing. What really bothers me about this place is the price point more than anything. Most dishes are about $20 bucks or more and we're talking about simple dishes here. Most Caribbean food is poor man's food and really shouldn't cost that much! The menu is also lacking in options, I think. I'd like some more options. Drinks are good, but again, uber expensive. I think this place gets all caught up in the decor and ambiance and I'm not just that kind of girl. Take me to a hole in the wall with great food any day of the week and I'll be happy. The live music on a Sunday was a very nice touch, but can make it a little too loud if you're trying to have a conversation…and my group was on the opposite side of the restaurant.
A nice place for maybe a nice evening out, but if you're just looking for great Cuban food without the frills, I'd definitely go elsewhere.
Havana Central is a great spot for some tasty Latin food or a private event. The space by the windows in the back has nice comfy couches and tables. They even held a pig roast which was delicious. The food was great and covered the range of pretty much every type of empenada I can think of and some I never would have like cream cheese and jelly. So good! The drinks were awesome as well. One of the better mojitos I've had. Great spot for a fun day, especially with the mall location.