Cafe Habana Malibu

The service here is delightful — very attentive. The ambiance on the patio is great (especially for out of town guests who want to be outdoors — even in the winter months — there are heaters strategically placed above most seating areas outside). The cocktail list, although slightly expensive (common for the neighborhood) had a lot of variety to choose from. The food is delicious — try the Cubano, the shrimp tacos, the goat cheese quesadilla, and of course — the churro ice cream dessert! I will be back — and so will my future out of town guests. :)

I happen to like this spot for business lunches, since the environment is very relaxed and fresh in the outdoor area. Shaded with plants all around, it gives it the natural café feel in contrast with the small inside and bar. Menu is very simple. I default to the vegetable salad and the portion size and quality is always good. My guests always order the corn, so that appears to be a hit. I’ve never had an an amazing server here — it’s been so-​so at best. Had to flag down my server for the check one time and on another occasion I literally walked up my credit card. Overall, test it out for lunch.

I am in the L.A. area (visiting from Chicago) twice a year, and always make a stop here, typically for lunch on the tropically-​themed outdoor patio, which is a real treat when visiting during the winter (I just got back). Their more formal entrees (carne asada, garlic shrimp) are good but what keeps me coming back are three specific dishes: the ceviche, the cubano sandwich (one of the most delicious versions I’ve had, stuffed with the things you find in a cubano without being greasy), and most of all, the caramelized plantains. I have yet to figure out how to replicate those at home (I’m about to try again tomorrow), so I guess I’ll just have to keep coming back.

I was fooled by the name into thinking this restaurant somehow had a Cuban connection but less then 5% of the items on the menu were in anyway connected to Cuba. This is a straight forward general Mexican. The food was not bad, the service was OK, it was a bit expensive for what it was but then I choose to eat in Malibu so I guess it’s my fault.
Nice environment which shows whoever their designer is, knew their stuff since its in a building which is devoid of character next to a whole load of upscale brand new clothes shops. Even the outside tables are pretty good considering its right next to a busy highway and the gas station is within spitting distance (don’t worry you can’t see it). Was a but confused by the large tv screens over the bar, I guess they double up the place as a sports bar sometimes, seemed strange but they had no sound on so ok unless you are dining with someone who can’t resist watching the tv over your shoulder while you are trying to have a nice romantic evening.
Very young staff who seat you and do not a bad job. Wait staff effective. Not an extensive menu but I have had about 5 of the dishes and they were all good enough.

After watching the movie Chef with Jon Favreau, I am on the hunt for Cubanos. No, its not a cigar, but that does sound good after a beastly manwich. If you don’t know what a Cubano is, then you’re in luck to try one here. The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami.
–WHAT SHOULD I ORDER–
1) Get the Corn on the cob grated with cheese… WOW.
2) Get the Cubano Sandwich which is a beast.
3) The Churro Ice Cream Sandwich was sweet and a nice touch after a salty sandwich.
–HOW IS THE SERVICE–
We went on a down time which was a little slow. Other than that, it was acceptable.
–WHAT IS THE PRICE–
Expect each person to pay about $ 15-​$ 25 at the end of the bill.
Source: Came here before watching Chef. Now all I want to do is Cubano sandwiches.

We stopped here for some coffee while shopping and I was expecting it to be a bit better.
Coffee cup was not even half full and not very hot either.
Considering we paid $ 10 for two coffees I did not enjoy and poured mine into my husbands cup and his was still not full I was better off at Coffee Bean where we went to next.
The restaurant itself is dim, outside much nicer, I might come back to try some of their food or cocktails, but the coffee is a pass.

My husband took me to this quaint restaurant on our way to our hotel after picking me up at LAX. Their website said they were open until 1:00 a.m., so we figured there would be no issue with getting a late night bite after my cross-​country trip. We arrived around 11:00 and it was difficult to find their parking area across from Malibu Country Market. But we drove around the back and parked and walked to the entrance across another small parking area. Two hostesses greeted us but told us the kitchen was closed. When we explained what their website said, they checked with a manager for approval to allow us in to eat, although we saw the patio area was still full of diners. I was grateful that they allowed us to enter as I was famished from my trip and really wanted to try this place.
We were seated at a banquette on the patio and I enjoyed the laid back feel of the place. We ordered the grilled street corn appetizer, along with the complimentary chips and salsa. The appetizer is a delicious grilled corn, light cojita cheese mixture that had a wonderful flavor and texture. My margarita was a perfect balance of tequila and tartness. I ordered the fish tacos as a main entrée’ with a side of roasted plantains. The fish tacos were some of the best I’ve tasted. The mahi was substantial and grilled perfectly, not at all mushy, which is usually an issue for me, but not here. The accompanying chipotle cream and slaw were just enough and not too overwhelming for the fish. Loved them and want more in the future. The plantains were also roasted and seasoned perfectly.
Wait staff was pleasant and attentive. Will happily go back to this location when in the area. Discovered later that this is the same Café Habana that we have been to in NYC. Guess the Pacific Ocean breeze made it feel and taste quite different than when we were in NYC. But have to say we thoroughly enjoyed both locations.

So I like this place.
I made reservations for five people and we were seated on the patio. Our server was awesome and kept up with our groups insanity. Yes, we were sober. He was very attentive and helpful when members of our group had questions or asked for suggestions.
Now the nitty-​gritty on the food. I love Cuban and Mexican food, I actually prefer Cuban food. I love plantains and Cuban beans. So with that said, we all ordered plantains. Seriously, we all ordered our own Plantains– no «let’s share a plate, I can’t eat it all». Screw that. I loved the sticky sweet tartness of their plantains and at $ 6, you can’t beat it.
Half of us ordered the Mexican corn, including myself. Amazing. Definitely not the corn you see being sold at a Echo Park. Twas grilled with the right amount of cotija, cayenne and lime. It was a big hit at the table.
I ordered the tacos and they were expected, awesome tacos. So as I mentioned, I dig Cuban beans. I loved their beans, very tender and mild.
So yes, I will come back again and my friends will too.

Great service from the entire staff, and great music, but the guacamole seemed bland or lifeless. The churro desert seemed more like a donut, though the ice cream it was paired with was nice. I wouldn’t recommend those two items.

Thank you Oliver for your big heart and gracious service, Josh, thank you for being such a kind human person.
After hearing that my 14 year old dog has only days to live, on our 4^th vet visit over the last week, we dazedly made our way next door for food at the dinner hour.
The kindness of Oliver and Josh made me truly value the management that brought on such sweet service. They brought out a big cushion for my dog to sit on, he is truly dying and it’s no joke, no princess Malibu stuff here, just a big sweet guy with a killer disease and they saw that in our faces. They even gave him a little side of pork. If you are going to go, go with happy tastebuds.
I ordered the kale and manchego of course. He had fish tacos, she had child meal. All happy. Wonderful environment outside. But the service was exemplary.

Fantastic cuisine, and the cocktails are amazing. Service is impeccable. The management actually takes the time to ask how everything is going. A go to place for sure!

I’ve been here a number of times and, while the fish tacos and roasted corn are delicious, they are not good enough to excuse the rudeness from the front-​of-​house staff. After walking out before even being seated today, and calling the manager to complain about the hostess’s rude attitude, I don’t think I can come back. I don’t mind waiting for a table, I can excuse slow service if it’s busy, but rudeness? No way. There are plenty of other restaurants in Malibu with better service. Those are the ones I will patronize.
This is not the first time we’ve endured rude treatment from the hostess, but it is the last time.

I had lunch with a friend in Malibu today and Café Habana was the ticket… I have been often so this review is a general collaboration of visits.
Café Habana is truly a mixed bag and can be hit or miss from visit to visit? Kinda Cuban meets Mexican in Malibu and produces a restaurant love child offspring thus Café Habana is born lol
Overall 3.5 stars…
The Grilled corn on the cob with lime and Cotija cheese is legit, addicting and so good…
The fish tacos and Carne Asada both good as well. Nothing fancy but fresh and good. Chips salsa and guacamole basic fare and standbye.
I’m not a drinker but the drinks and casual food is the go too along with the well heeled, easy on the eyes crowd.
We’re talking Malibu (Lumber Yard) here people. Tan, attractive hard bodies in shorts and flips in the summer and winter lol see my point.
Café Habana is a casual fun beachside restaurant with a few really good items but a great place to see and be seen or meet and greet. The choice is yours. Popular hangout in Malibu Malibu Malibu enough said -:)
It’s a very casual but trendy spot in Malibu people that gets busy but worth the wait for the atmosphere and good looking clientele. For those slow people please reread above over and over it will register at some point in time trust me…

The vibes in this resturaunt are great. Very nice and cool set up. The servers are friendly but extremely slow. They don’t really check up often unless there is no one else in the resturaunt. The food is great! The guacamole is perfect and delicious. The salsa tastes like cold tomato soup but the guac makes up for it. Get the Mexican style corn off the cob it is to die for. The steak tacos make my world go round. Add some lime on them and WWWWOOOOWWEEE they are so good. The rice is bomb. Everything about café habana except for the service is great. God bless.

I really like coming to Café Habana when I am in Malibu and craving Mexican food. The restaurant itself is awesome — it is at the Malibu Lumber Yard. There is a large outside patio that is nice to sit at when the weather is good, otherwise there is some seating inside and there is a bar too.
The Fish Tacos Malibu Style are delicious. They are made with mahi mahi and it comes with avocado, cabbage, pico de gallo and a delicious chipotle sauce. The tacos are served with rice and beans so it really is a lot of food!
The Grilled Corn Mexican Style is an absolute MUST! It’s soo good! It has cotija cheese, cayenne pepper and lime! Sometime I come here just for the corn.
Every time I have been here, the service has been mediocre — never amazing. Maybe it is because they are always so busy but I think they need to improve their customer service a bit.

Café Habana is my local go-​to when I want to enjoy a delicious Cuban lunch and mojito. The food is always fresh and delicious but I especially love the street corn, fish tacos, tortilla soup, chips and salsa.
There’s an outside eating area surrounded by greenery and the inside includes bar seating (great for watching the World Cup) and during the summer months boasts rousing Thursday nights filled with late night karaōke.
The service is almost always on-​point and customers range from locals and Pepperdine students to celebs and tourists.
My favorite time to go is usually on a weekday after a walk on the beach for a refreshing drink.

I liked that this spot opened right when I turned 21. My roommate and I would come for the Mexican corn and some drinks. I don’t remember any of their entrees being anything I would crave or having much flavor. I doubt it is very authentic and ofcourse it is another overpriced Malibu eatery. I enjoyed my drinks though!
We did see celebrities when we came and heard of many other people having sightings as well. We saw Cailey Cuoco, Kid Rock, and David Spade. and yes all together. How wierd is that?!

Been to Café Habana three times already. Aside from the one time I found a hair in my Cubano, I’ve overall had a great time.
Sat right next to Owen Wilson one of the times. Great place to celeb spot. It’s super chill and not typical Malibu snob.
Cocktails are amazing! I’m quite fond of the prickly pear mojito. The must-​have is their grilled corn with cotija cheese, cayenne pepper and lime! The best 4 bucks you’ll spend.

Came here for the first time over the summer for dinner with some friends and family. I loved how the restaurant was hidden in the left corner of the shopping area. Felt very intimate. The lighting outside was really festive and overall gave a really nice vibe. Returned again for lunch this afternoon and saw the restaurant during the day. It was just as cute and intimate as I remember it being at night.
Ordered the guacamole and fish tacos the first time, as well as the Mexican street corn which is delicious! Today I got the Habana burrito and my friend got the shrimp tacos. Everything was cooked perfectly and I really really love their GUACAMOLE! It isn’t the guacamole loaded with tomatoes and onions that water down the whole dip. It really is made of ALL avocado. So good!!!
In my two experiences here, I’ve never had a bad experience or tasted anything less than delicious. I highly recommend this place if you’re in Malibu country mart area!

I have to say Café Habana Malibu is my favorite Mexican restaurant. I have been there twice. Its one of those places that you say to yourself «I needed to be a regular here». The only thing that kept me from waiting so long to visit again was the long drive from Hollywood. But I cut through the Canyons on a clear sunny day, and even the drive itself was very enjoyable.
I had a nice relaxing time sitting in the bar area. It was a «treat myself to something nice» day. I remembered from back when I was here six months ago, the prettiest purple pink drink — The Prickly Pear Mojito. It is delicious. And its beautiful. If there is ever an award for «The Prettiest Drink in Los Angeles», this would be it.
I got a Steak Burrito, which was so good. And so filling that I could only eat half of it. Very large portions. I got the black beans on the side because I prefer to use them as a dip for the chips, along with the salsa. Half of everything went home with me to have it the next day.
Oh and yes, a Delicious Espresso coffee, to even out the mojitos.
Very nice Host, very nice Waiter too. I relaxed and ate. Read some of my e-​book. Caught some of the football game that was up on the big screen TVs at the bar. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Steak sandwich, ceviche, ropa vieja… nothing more needs to be said.