07/05/09

bad imitation of cuban food

by carpotx

After two tries, i will never go back again. Worst service in Austin. Waitress kept dissappearing. She was worthless. Dishes on menu have cuban names but there is nothing cuban about them. A cuban sandwich is all about the pressed bread. Here, it's simply a ham and pork sandwich on french bread. My husbands meal was cold, black beans bland and the white rice was so undercooked it was unedible. Skip this place unless you just want to listen to cuban music. At least that that cuban.

• Cons: worst food and service in austin

06/07/09

never come back

by varro

food was horrible fries were burn on the kids plates expensive ,and very bad experience for sure we never go back to tjhis restaurant

• Pros: did not like it

01/07/09

Food ist still as good as it used to be

by okimadoki

I went for the first time today since they reopened and the food is still as good as I remember it. The roast pork was excellent. Good Happy Hour. Great Drinks. Excellent Service. Good Music. The only thing I missed was the old Habana flare. Funky Tablecloths and Big Plants. It just wasn't as special as it used to be. I miss the funkiness. When you feel like you are on vacation. That's what Habana used to be about. And of course the food

• Pros: Great Food
• Cons: Inside looks just like any other restaurant in Austin

07/02/08

bland food

by danaanglin

I've been wanting to check out Habana for a while, so when we tried to go to Cafe Josie on west sixth and found it closed, we ventured down congress. What a let down! The pork was very good and so were the fried plantains (something I've made at home before - not too difficult) , but.....the rest of the meal was very bland. The yuca was dry and the other various deep fried items were very tasteless. My husband and I each had a meal and a drink and we left there unhappy and had spent 50 bucks. The mojito was mediocre and our waitress didn't show up to our table for over ten minutes after we were seated.

• Pros: did have good music and good pork
• Cons: tasteless food, too pricey

06/12/08

Terrible service

by Michapalooza

I went with a few friends for "happy hour" and sat on the patio. We got the first round of drinks fine but as the 7 o'clock cutoff neared, our waitress was no where to be found. The restaurant was not busy at all so I knew she wasn't helping other customers. I finally had to go to the bar to order drinks. When we wanted food I had to walk inside and track our waitress down and ask her if we could order. The food was pretty good though we just ordered appetizers. The mojitos were great too but I'm not an expert. Only come here if you are extremely low maintenance and don't mind being neglected by your server.

04/10/08

No zing, but good service

by LauraMunoz

Tonight, my friend and I tried Habana for the first time. I'm adventurous when it comes to food and will try anything once. I'm also not picky and have eaten such odd things as racoon, armadillo, squirrel, rabbit, squid, shark, buttermilk soup, ceviche, sushi, tripe, and esgarot. I love Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisine, but am just as at home with fried catfish or vegetarian fare.

Tonight I ate Habana's stewed chicken and my friend had some sort of pork dish for $12.50. We also both had a mojito. Sadly, the meal was unexciting.

My chicken still had the skin and fat on it, and the flavor was just plain.--No zip, zing, or zest. I could have cooked the same thing at home (minus the skin & fat, which I feel is unappetizing, not to mention unhealthy). I also tasted my friend's pork and again, couldn't find any spice or flavor. The pork tasted like salted pork with nothing else. It was neither bad or good and could best be described as unmemorable. While my friend didn't complain, I also noticed she didn't eat much of it.

The sides were beans and rice, which one can find just about anywhere.

Probably the mojito was the best thing we had and even it didn't do that much for me. For the total price of $37.00 for two people not including the tip, I was unimpressed and will probably not go back. I must say though that the service was good--attentive and courteous--and yes, we did tip well.

• Pros: Good service
• Cons: Unmemorable and expensive food (for what you get)

09/20/07

no salsa

by syacu123

how does a venue with a restaurant with a name like habana get away with not playing salsa music to dance to. under your floor was the original and first salsa club in austin, the borrinqin. apparently the owner did not know this, he must be a capitalist. your food and mojitos are good but with salsa it could be better.

Tropical decor and thatched awnings hint at the authentic Cuban sandwiches, roast pork, fried plantains and other island dishes found at this South Congress eatery.

by Contributor

In Short
More intimate than its Sixth Street sister location, the restaurant attracts families and South Austin residents with its warm, casual atmosphere and unique menu. Decidedly not Tex-Mex, it features dishes made with pork, chicken, plantains, yucca and Cuban white rice. Diners enjoy table service or sit at the bar, consuming imported Latin American beers. Lush greenery accents palapa-covered outdoor tables, creating a tone that's as local to South Austin as it is to Cuba's capital.