Havana Grill

Let me say the service here is very good and the serving staff personable. The restaurant is clean and inviting.
The food though was disappointing. I have not eaten at a lot of Cuban restaurants but the flavor here was was extremely bland compared to the restaurant we frequented in Albuquerque.
I had the El Cubano sandwich and my wife the Cuban American sandwich.
I will leave it at this. For the price we paid I expected much better. We will probably give this place another chance but we will try others in the area first.

That Cubano sandwich is well done! Nothing fancy — just the way it’s supposed to be.
My wife picked up the food but said the place looks great and is must to go on a date night.

Yum yum yum!!! I got one of their chicken sandwiches and it was so awesome!!! Tasted very fresh, and don’t let me get started on their plantain chips (: a definite must try!

I am SO glad to have found Havana Grill — and went on Friday evening, 17^th of June 2016.
My oh my! The lechon was what I ordered based on one of the Reviews here on Unilocal — and am VERY glad. Dinner was absolutely delicious and the wait staff was friendly and loved that I enjoyed the food! Me, too!
My 33 miles drive (one-​way) was worth the trip, folks.
I must say, too, that I left about 2 minutes BEFORE closing and they welcomed a group of 6 or so people who I had motioned through the window to come in!
Nice folks to have honored that group! I know the food is good — and I will be back even with the 66 miles round trip.
Thank you, Havana Grill! (my son-​in-​law is from Cuba)

Love the ambience and food! Every time I want a taste of home, without having to cook it myself, I come here. The prices for some items are a little high, but the great food and service make up for it. The yuca fries are amazing! & so is the fricase de pollo and black beans. My suegra and abuelos really enjoyed it as well! The owner, Sandra, is so delightful! Thank you for bringing an authentic taste of Cuba to San Diego!
Dios los bendiga,
From a Boricua– De corazón

Out of plantains?! Think Panera Bread but Cuban style and more moody and upscale. I think when/​if there’s a line, it starts on the right, but the door convenient faces the cash register so we walked right up. Not too large of a menu, but hits a lot of the main Cuban dishes. They also have desserts and Cuban coffee! You order first and get a number to sit down, either inside (tables and couches) or outside.
Ordred a lechon plate and the special which was an oxtail dish. Both dishes were flavorful and meat was very tender. Oxtail was fall off the bone and tasted great with rice and the sauce around it. Very savory and meaty. Dishes came with a small «salad,» beans, rice, and yucca fries instead of plantains. Yucca fries were delicious – crunchy, but not oily at all. Portions are not very large and the oxtail plate was a little smaller than I thought, but still satisfying.
It’s a little bit pricey, but I’ve noticed that with many Cuban and Latin American places. It’s a shame that it’s tucked away on the side of Clairemont Mesa that not as many people venture to, it’s great for Cuban food!

I’m adding another star since the the business contacted me and they are making constant efforts to improve their food quality. I like the constant pursuit of culinary perfection. :)

Man! Oh! Man! Being from Miami, Fl. I am so excited to have Havana Grill! I already can’t wait to come back!

Coñooo!
Oye la comida estuvo tremenda!
The food was phenomenal!
I am a second-​gen Cuban who grew up in Miami and I can assure you that the food here is top-​notch. A co-​worker of mine introduced me to the locale and wanted to check the authenticity of the food. Nothing out there is more authentic (that I know of) in the SD area.
I lived in Glendale, a few blocks from Portos, which was a great bakery that later added Cuban cuisine to their menu. Portos is NOT as good as HG, but it is not an apples to apples comparison either.
I had the roasted pork (lechon asado) plate. Yum!
I made sure to try the Yuca (steamed). Awesome.
Coworker had the chicken fricase. Looked good, but I was never one for fricase…
I broke the rules and had the mojitos for lunch. They were good as well.
Lastly, I tried their pastelito de guyava y queso (uh…guava and cheese pastry). Good.
All in all… it was so good that I came the same day (today) and bought more two lechon plates for the wife and kids. My wife (Japanese) tried it and yelled «Oh my God! This is so good!»
I just chuckled. They are eating as I type…
Good stuff. I plan to take the folks at my office there and make this a regular place.
Great food. Great staff. Good value for the money (in my opinion).
–J

Service and hospitality are great. Cuban or not, the food is good if not spectacular. For this reason, their food is overpriced.
I’d compare Havana Grill with great home-​style food. Unfortunately, if I want home-​style food, I’d visit a friend or family member who cooks well. I go to restaurants because they’re paid to spend their time and expertise to for better ingredients, food preparation, cooking, service, and hospitality. Havana Grill would get a higher rating if they better devoted their division of labor on their food so it surpasses home-​style.

This place is expensive. The food was good, but not amazing.
Cons:
The black rice I got was dry. Not sure if it’s the way it is or I got the bottom of the pit of rice but it sucks when you have a hard rice to chew on.
Prices are 2x portos for similar quality? I felt it was very very expensive for what I got.
It takes a long time to get your food, like 15 to 20 minutes at minimum.
My pork meat was very fatty. Can’t eat half of it.
Grab your own forks napkins water etc — this place is not worth tipping. you get everything yourself except your plate of food.
Pros:
Plantain chips were the best I’ve tried.

So glad to have discovered this gem in Clairemont.
I have been here twice now and it has been consistently good. The first time, I had the steak sandwich and thought it was good. The second time, I had the classic sandwich, and it was excellent. So good, I probably won’t be trying any other entrees here because I can’t imagine a more perfect sandwich. Seriously.
All sandwiches come with a little cup of plantain chips, which is a really nice addition. The people are very friendly and the atmosphere is very nice — classier than I expected seeing it on the outside.
I’ve also tried the Ensalada Cubana, which was good, but a LOT of tomatoes. I probably won’t get that again. I had the chocolate bomb dessert, which was good, but a bit underwhelming for $ 6. However, I will keep happily coming back here and ordering the classic sandwich. :)

Wonderful and quick! I had the Cubans salad with shrimp — very fresh and tasty. The shrimp were large and perfect. My mojito was a perfect blend. My husband had the Cubana American steak sandwich with plantain fries. He loved both and was pleasantly surprised by the fries. (He doesn’t often venture into new foods.) We’re just visiting the area, but will be back next time we’re in toe
Wn.

Maravillosa! I forgot I wasn’t in Miami walking in, I was super homesick until I walked in here. It’s not your typical Cuban spot but it’s so gorgeous here. I wanted to eat everything! Especially all the desserts but maybe I’ll try one next time.
I got the lechon of course I can never have enough, very full of flavor with the arroz congri. They give you an ice old glass with your drinks and after you order they give you a number for your table and bring the food to you.
Food is a little more pricey but the presentation is lovely. I wanted to dance with the music they were playing. Portions are fair but the salad??? I don’t know if it was just decoration but I don’t consider a leaf of lettuce folded in half salad. I thought that was lazy. It did arrive fairly quick though so that was nice.
Would I come here again? Yes, not often though because with their prices everything adds up quickly.

Traditional Cuban Cusine
Stopped in with friends, we each ordered our dishes and ate family style so we could sample a little of everything. The taste was amazingly packed full of flavor. All of the food tasted fresh and the smell of the kitchen overloaded my senses.
I ordered the Lechon plate. The roasted pork, onions and cilantro together with the sauce was sooo delicious. The plate was served with brown rice and the house black beans. My friends ordered the Ensalada Cubana salad, a cuban sandwich called the El Cubano, plantain chips (tasty and not weighed down by oil), beef empinada (I’m going back again to have another) and sweet creamy rice pudding. Each of the portion sizes were generous.
We left happy and stuffed.
The atmosphere is upbeat, open and inviting, the restaurant is very clean. Great music and lighting. I can’t wait to come back and try more from the menu.

Esperar x la comida 1 hora y a demas esta salada mi comida… para terminar mal olvidaron mi empanada … Nada como ««««««Andres restaurante»»»»». If you want eat cuban’s food ., go to Andres restaurant… Best food and good service.

We took Havana Grill down in seriously less than 30 mins! Can I explain please?
We were on our way to a UYE Spring Break (Unofficial Unilocal Event) at Kilowatt Brewery down the street, and we needed to get our grub on. We had to be there at 7 pm. It was just past 6:30 pm. We went on Panic Unilocal mode (this means we were feverishly searching for a place to eat, between bookmarks and the normal search in the area), and I suggested Havana Grill, since it was bookmarked for awhile and I wanted to try it out! The question really was were we going to make it on time?
The short answer was no.
We drove up and the parking was great! We walked in and the smell of Cuban food took over me. I already knew what I wanted: Their El Cubano. Standard Cuban sandwich, and it was awesome! I also ordered plantains on the side. What made these fried plantains unique, was that they weren’t greasy or salty at all. My wife ended ordering their Ensalada Cubana Salad. Her salad looked fresh, but wasn’t something I would get. She did however help me finish the sandwich. I forgot to mention Krystle also decided to order their empanada and their rice pudding, none of which stood a chance! I could have just ordered the empanada and been good to go, it was that good! Flavorful, well seasoned, and the crust was amazing! The rice pudding was out of this world! Had a really good taste, with a hint of what seemed to be lemon. Wow.
Bev got their Lechon plate. Seriously, the roasted pork, sweet plantains, and the side of rice and beans were ridiculous. I got to sample all of it!
I don’t know what we were thinking, but we left there about 10 after 7, and rushed down the street to Kilowatt. The food was so good, and we did enjoy it, but next time we’re going to relax! I also ordered a Café Con Leche, and it was awesome! It sucked that I had to drink it so fast, but I was not about to leave a drop of that behind! Great experience and outstanding quality of food! I will be back!

Had a really nice experience greeted by he Owner she was super pleasant and cheerful. Placed my order and listen to good ol Cuban music totally awesome
The food arrived and to my surprise it was good nice presentation and reasonable prices
A must do to get away from the norm
Went back for a second time, (WHAT HAPPENED). I came back with my family and it was deserted
We ordered and this time I guess it was a different cook, because it tasted awful GREASY from 3 or 4 day old grease
Here I thought I had found a place to enjoy my roots cuisine
Only to be let down once again
Wow what a disappointment

I was in the mood for something different and had this place on my list for a while now. They were closing in less than an hour, but since it’s a fast-​casual restaurant, our order was ready extremely fast.
I asked for a recommendation and the lady behind the counter suggested lechon. She said that «my people» have something similar. I was a little offended at first, but ignored her comment since my culture does have a dish like this to celebrate weddings. I decided to order the lechon with white rice and my friend had the Cuban sandwich. My meal comes with black beans on the side and the sandwich comes with plantain chips. I grabbed our number and picked a table to sit at. We also shared the dulce de leche for dessert, so they brought that out to us first.
I was disappointed that their wasn’t any crunchy skin in my lechon dish, but overall it was pretty tasty. My friend said that his Cuban sandwich was alright, but the bread tasted very generic. At least the dessert wasn’t too bad. I think the plantain chips were delicious though!
There was a woman (the owner/​manager?) asking us if everything was okay, but ended up saying that the employees were going to celebrate after they closed since they’ve been working since 8am. I knew she was trying to kick us out in a nice way since it was almost closing time. We were actually done eating anyways, but now felt the need to get out of there since we were now the last customers.

You can’t help but feel the cool vibes and imagine being transported to Havana when the lively Latin music hits you as you enter. The place has a nice modern, yet relaxed atmosphere (must be the lounge area in the corner).
I’m guessing the lounge area in the corner of the joint is: 1) where can go and enjoy some coffee and dessert, or 2) where you can nap after eating a delicious meal here.
My group really wanted to try out the Cubano. The descriptions of the other sandwiches appealed to us so it ended up being sandwich night. Pretty much ordered one of every sandwich. The Hemingway definitely caught my attention as well, but the Cubano won the fight. #itsokaynexttime
Our food came out in a timely manner and our group devoured the sandwiches. We shared guava pastries for dessert, which were decent, but not close to Porto’s. The plantain chips were okay, we enjoyed the fried sweet plantains more. Only knock is the portions could have been better (especially for $ 5)… we only got 6 (small) pieces, not a good value.
No parking issues here. It might be a problem during lunch, I couldn’t say because we came for dinner. Cool restaurant, I’ll be back to try the Hemingway.
⁴⁄₅ — El Cubano
³⁄₅ — The Classic
⁴⁄₅ — Havana Chicken
³⁄₅ — Fried Sweet Plantains
³⁄₅ — Guava Pastries
3.5 /​5 — Service
⁴⁄₅ — Cleanliness
⁴⁄₅ — Atmosphere
⁴⁄₅ — Overall

Brother Apolo O. had written a glowing review, and I found myself across the street from the restaurant today on business and was hungry.
Easy parking at 2:30 pm in the adjacent lot and into a VERY nicely appointed restaurant.
The very kind lady at the counter who helped me suggested The Hemingway plate-​grilled marinated skirt steak, wild caught Gulf shrimp, herb chimichurri ($ 18.00), over The Cubano sandwich-​sliced, roasted pork, smoked ham, cheese, mustard, pickles, hot pressed ($ 12.00) as those were my two dishes of interest.
Oh MAN!!!
The dish came out perfect, accompanied with slightly under cooked carrots and Brussels sprouts, mixed with zucchini, peppers, onions, broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower… I mean there is love and thought put into the veggie side. There were black beans, rice (choice of white, brown or Congris (beans and rice)), and perfectly caramelized sweet plantains as well. I chose brown rice.
Everyone was very helpful and pleasant, and the owner, Sandra Cardet stopped by my table on her way in and asked me how I liked the steak. It’s now grass fed, and I told her that I really liked it with the chimichurri because the olive oil in it added a fat note to the grass fed steak which is notoriously lean tasting. We chatted after I had finished as much as I could eat (BIG plate of food), and she told me that the restaurant spent multiple $ 1,000.00’s on Italian EVOO monthly alone, and I believe it.
Sandra told me that she is a GC by trade and actually built up the restaurant with her crew. The passion and craft is so evident at this establishment that it is truly an honor to eat here, I’ll be back to try The Cubano and the Fricasé de Pollo. It’s the best Cuban food that I have eaten in San Diego.
Ambiance/​Cleanliness-​5 stars
Service-​5 Stars
Food-​5 Stars

Enjoyable is an understatement!
As you open the door the music hits you like a breath of fresh air. The salsa music courses through your veins, you have no choice but to dance in line. As I worked on my timing I was able to scan the charming décor. Best way I can describe it is Panera Bread with Latin flair. The place is very clean and maintained. Hec, my buddy had to use the wash room and he came back and said: Dude, even the bathrooms are nice!
Time to order, decisions decisions. A beef or chicken plate? I selected the Picadillo ($ 13) which is ground beef, onions, peppers, raisins and green olives served on a bed of Congris rice. This white rice is mixed in with black beans. I received my number and waited for less than 10 min.
First bite: Delicious!
Everything worked well together, none of the ingredients were overpowered by the next. The rice and beans were savory and the picadillo was served in a perfectly seasoned sauce. I also received a couple pieces of tasty maduros (fried sweet plantains).
Last bite: Delicious!
Service was fantastic. The smiling lady behind the counter offered her advice on what I should eat, so helpful. She also picked up our plates and checked in on us twice even though they started getting busy. My whole experience only would have been better if I ordered the coconut flan, damn you metabolism! But there is always next time. ;)
Food = 5 stars
Service = 5 stars
Cleanliness = 5 stars

I absolutely love that more Cuban inspired cuisine is popping up here in San Diego. About time… and about time I came to Havana Grill to try out their food.
The minute you exit off the 805 South, its right over to your right so slow down or you’ll miss you turn. But than again, you can’t miss the sign that says «HAVANA GRILL NOW OPEN.» Smart strategy.
We walked in and I think we just went right to the counter completely missing the sign that says «start here.» oh well, the cashier was very welcoming and nice. It being our first time here, he explained the concept and process. Right off the back, the boo knew what he wanted… the Cuban. Always the main staple to start with and it came with plantain chips. Yum!
I was stuck between ordering the lechon or the ropa vieja. it didn’t help when the staff member was like «both are good. The lechon is a popular dish but I like the ropa vieja.» awww. boo. But since the lechon was the first dish on the menu, that was the lucky pick.
Once you pay, get your number, grab a table and don’t forget to head over to the drink station to pick up your silverware, napkins and even grap a bottle of Cilantro Mint chutney!!!
The food came out fast and OMG… that Lechon plate was perfect. I order the rice cooked in black beans which gave it this flavor. That lechon though… WOW! Stewed and marinated in juices which made it perfectly soft and savory with every bite. It wasn’t dry nor was it mushy. It was the great consistency to make a bomb pulled pork sandwich. It also came with this mojo sauce/​dressing that I poured all up on my tomatoes, cucumber and onions to make this kind of salsa. it was a nice palette cleanser to every heaping bite of rice and lechon.
To top it off (other than the two pieces of caramelized plantains that came with the meal) was the coconut flan. Remember that moment in Ratatouille when the food critic took his first bite into the dish and was transformed back to his childhood… that happened. My grandma used to make flan with coconut and OMG… I almost cried out of happiness. She used to put the coconut on top so when it baked it got nice and crispy. Here, they put the coconut as a crust on the bottom. Either way, I was happy.

This Cuban restaurant is in a somewhat picturesque small strip center. During my visit for lunch today I found finding open parking spaces difficult with all of the other businesses nearby.
The restaurant has a modern interior look. I ordered the El Cubano sandwich that comes with plantains. The food came out in less than 10 minutes (see pic). I thought the sandwich was good along with the plantains. It is of course a pressed sandwich and was tasty and filling. I graded the meal at a 3.5.
For Unilocal purposes I am going to give an overall score of 3. Nothing bad here. My meal was totally acceptable it’s just I couldn’t justify giving a 4 on just this one visit. Take that in mind when reading this review. This might be a 4 star place but not on my visit today. Counter service was friendly.

Havana Grill makes me want to rumba. Maybe it’s the Cuban music, or the 16 spices gracing the black beans. Chocolatey beans with 17 spices. I’ll sell my unborn great grandchild to Rumpelstilskin for the secret recipe for these beans.
The Congrís rice is vegetarian, and it is the best black bean & rice combo that I’ve ever tasted.
The Lechon plate sported delicious marinated pork, which I enjoyed, although I’d get the rich sauce on the side next time. I couldn’t finish my pork, and the leftovers made a nice taco the next day.
The Fricasé de Pollo has tender chicken and marvelous flavors, with wine, tomato, onions and olives. I wanted more chicken on this plate, but I was full after I ate everything.
The Cuban coffees are excellent, and I order mine less sweet.
UPDATE:
My 3^rd visit for dinner on a Friday night was disappointing. Since this is their soft opening, I only subtracted 1 star from my review. I had The Hemingway, which is mostly beef, and 2 small shrimp. My grilled marinated skirt steak was so tough I could barely saw through it with my knife. It came with grilled vegetables which were so undercooked that the Brussels sprouts were raw. The veggies also arrived cold at the table. My Mojito didn’t arrive at all and I had to get up and interrupt a very busy lady who appeared to be the owner or manager to get my Mojito. My dinner for $ 16 was very disappointing.
Suggestions: I suggest that the owner or manager train every staff member to ask customers if their meal is good and to report the answers to the manager or owner. Several times we mentioned problems to people who kept coming to clear our table, but they seemed mystified as to what to do. One guy said he’d tell the kitchen but I’m sure he didn’t as nothing was fixed.
I believe that Havana Grill will resolve their issues by the Grand Opening.

Havana grill is a new restaurant located on clairemont Mesa blvd near the motel 6 and Korean BBQ place. I have had this place on my radar for a few weeks and was excited to try some Cuban food as I am not too familiar with Cuban cuisine.
The parking lot is tricky but when I pulled in there was a spot right in front. VIP parking, it was meant to be. Inside is nice, and clean. You walk around the right perimeter of the restaurant to approach the counter and order there, then take a number and choose your seat. Much like corner bakery and Phil’s BBQ and other similar establishments do. They have numerous desserts and side dishes on display.
We ordered the lechon, their signature marinated pork dish covered with grilled onions and served with rice and beans and a side of mojo sauce. Let me break this down. The onions were totally raw, which is fine, I don’t mind raw onions. But the dish is meant to be served with grilled onions. They have different flavors. Next, we were not given the mojo sauce. I got up to look for it by the soda machines thinking maybe we serve it ourselves. It wasn’t there. A server approached me and asked if I needed help. I asked for sauce or if they have some sort of salsa to go with it. He brings me back tobasco sauce. So needless to say we didn’t get the full experience of this dish as the pork was a little dry.
Next, they were out of black beans. The woman at the counter informs us we may choose from white rice or something else that was inaudible. She says it is beans and rice mixture. I said OK and what is it called? She then repeats I may choose white rice and …“inaudible «I said I can’t understand what the second thing you’re saying. She then kind of gives attitude and repeats the whole thing all over again. I just said yeah the second thing you said. When I went home and looked it up on their website, she was saying «congris». Now I know.
I had for my entrée was ropa viejo. Marinated shredded beef in a wine sauce. Served with CONGRIS as I mentioned above. My dish was delicious. No complaints. The flavors blended well. I used the sauce from beef to cover the pork dish mentioned above since that was dry. This improved the lechon. We also tried a papa rellena. Basically a potato ball filled with beef and vegetables and fried. It was good, but I will try something else next time.
I think Havana grill has potential. I feel they would benefit greatly from making it a sit down with a menu and order at the table type of place. I disliked ordering at the counter. It makes the place seem «cheap» or impersonal. The woman at the counter taking orders could speak a little louder and more clearly. I wish we could have tried the mojo sauce. I would be willing to come again and give it another try after they work out all the kinks of being new.