Habana

The bustling Sixth Street locale draws downtown professionals and hotel guests with iconographic Cuban decor and its unique menu. Decidedly not Tex-Mex, it features dishes made with pork, chicken, plantains, yucca and Cuban white rice. Diners enjoy table service inside or on the lush patio courtyard, consuming imported Latin American beers, mojitos, rum and other tropical drinks. The revolution lives on after 10pm on weekends when revelers take over the downstairs bar and courtyard.

I went to Habana on 6th for the first time with a coworker for lunch. We had to sit down stairs where there are atleast 4 large televisions all playing sports. Come to find out from the waiter, they are changing the entire place into a sports bar and changing their menu. They are keeping a couple of dishes but they are making the menu more "American bar-fare." It's a shame. I ordered the Cuban sandwich which was great! I absolutely loved it. The tostones though were dry, tough and cold, like they were left over from the day before. The service was VERY slow, but the waiter was nice enough. If you can get down there before they become just another frat sports bar, you should. The Cuban sandwich is something you shouldn't miss!

I've been to Habana probably 7-10 times and have had a great experience each time. The food is great, especially the Jibarito and anything with the pineapple salsa. Service isn't outstanding, but it's not bad either. Sitting out back with the fans on the porch is a great way to sip some mojitos and enjoy your dinner. They're worth it, give them a try.

I ordered what was billed as a Pineapple Margarita at the 6th St locale. What I got was half a cup of pineapple juice with a weak shot of tequila and something like looked like half a glass of foam (?) on top - foam? It wasn't sweet, it was bitter. The foam settled. I asked the waiter to take it back and ordered a Mojito. Said waiter charged me for the Pineapple Disaster and didn't bother to tell me it would not be taken off my bill. Talked to the manager who was rude and implied I had drank half the P.D. because I was a cheap drunk - nice. I told him I would not ever come back and did not leave a tip. Had I known they would charge me for the P.D., I would have left before ordering the mediocre food. A while a go they burned down. I certainly hope this never happens again. That would be a tragedy.

This is the worst supposed 'Cuban' food I've ever had. I'm truly amazed the people of Austin give it such glowing reviews. It just goes to show that Austin is completely lacking in Cuban and Caribbean cuisine. And I know, because I am Cuban. The 'Puerto Rican' dishes also leave a lot to be desired. I dined here with a Puerto Rican friend, who ordered what he thought was one of his favorite traditional dishes, and essentially got bland, plain old fried chicken. Greasy, gross, and bland, bland, bland. I found a chunk of unidentified meat swimming in the greasiest platanos maduros I have ever seen in my life. My rice was undercooked and Uncle Ben's style. Are you kidding me? I even went a second time just to make sure it wasn't an off night the first time. Nope, it just is always that terrible. They told me they didn't have platanos maduros because they 'weren't in season' which is an out and out lie. You can go down to the Fiesta market and buy them fresh or frozen and ready... Read more

I was part of a large party, on a Friday night. Besides the fact that they refuse to split checks, they also decided that you can only pay using 2 forms, and were quite rude about saying so. I have decided that if a business does not want to take my money in whatever form I choose to give it, and however many ways it needs to be split, then they just wont get it, so I choose to not order anything. Actually, several people at our table did the same. It is called the service industry for a reason. As a customer, who has been in the Customer Service industry for 20 years, I am appalled at the attitude so many businesses are taking. I know for a fact that it does not take much more time to split a check, or run several cards, and the dollar in fees that they may be charged by the credit card companies will surely be cancelled out by the $13.50 they could have gotten from me for the dish I was going to order. Especially since the cost of the actual food was close to $4.00, with labor. On t... Read more

I dined here with one of my girlfriends, and we found the drinks made to perfections. I ordered the mojito with coconut rum and absolutely loved it. I eagerly await my next visit for another. My girlfriend enjoyed a few well made mai tai. We ate on the balcony and enjoyed the atmosphere. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. My only complaint is we both found the food to be bland. There were out of our first two appetizers of choice. We then ordered a total of four other appetizers: Spinach Empanada and Cheese Empanada were well made, but I was surprised you only got one. The Yoca Frita and Mariquitas is what left us disappointed. They lacked flavor. I have heard rave reviews about this place, so I will probably try them again.

My two friends and I went on a Thursday night when they have their very much promoted happy hours from 4-7. We sat in the patio, and it took us about 15 minutes to flag down a waiter and order our drinks. He didn't bother asking if we needed food menus. Finally, we had to ask for them. My friend ordered a wing appetizer, and another 15 minutes later the waiter comes back and tells us they are out of wings. That seemed weird since there were not very many people at the restaurant. The waiter suggested that my friend order what I believe was called "pollo asado" or something like that. He assured us that is was a huge serving. My friend believed the waiter's suggestion and ordered. Well, when the plate arrived, it was ridiculous. Even the waiter said, "well, it used to be big!" The order consisted of a piece of chicken thigh and leg...that was it. My friend also ordered a tamal. I am not sure how much my friend paid for his food, but he said it was outrageous. Save your mone... Read more

My mom came to visit and we wanted to go somewhere to have some appetizers and drinks. I only wish it weren't so hot out! I can't wait to come back to this place on a cool day. They have a nice patio downstairs and a kind of balcony with tables on it. The frozen mojitos are awesome and I noticed they had great beer specials on certain nights of the week-only problem, how to get home after consumption of such great specials! We had the cheese empanada and beef one, they were awesome, with flaky crust. Definitely will try the spinach and cheese next time. Also got the little disks of fried plantain (forgot the name), they were yummy, as were the maduros(?), the soft, (sauteed?) caramelized plantain. Only downer was that I like sour cream with mine, and they don't carry it. We also split the Cuban sandwich, very good, but it was HUGE! Definitely split it with someone, unless you are really hungry. We did try the rice pudding for dessert, it was kind of bland, will not be orderi... Read more

I've been here twice, as it was orginally recommended by a close friend, and both times I have left with positive feelings. The rice is cooked golden brown and has the cuban flavor I've been missing all these years. The bananas or plantanes, whichever, seemed to be fried but it didn't scare me away. They did knock my socks off. Service was slow, food was great. But, I mean, it's Austin! I drive up from San Antonio to enjoy this restaurant and i haven't been disapointed yet. But then again, I don't have too much experience with latin food. It's like some kid from New York telling me of this GREAT BBQ or fantastic tex mex. Anyway you shake it, I love this place.

I just ate lunch at Habana for the first time (at the South Congress location). There was a group of about eight of us, and no one liked their meal - it was all so bland! We ended up asking for limes, cilantro, and hot sauce to add some flavor. I ordered a pork sandwich - the pork was the house specialty, but it was on the dry side and had no flavor. I also ordered fried plantains with mojo sauce - the sauce tasted like nothing. I would not eat here again. However, I will admit that I have never eaten Cuban food before, so the issue may simply be that I don't like Cuban food. I gave it two stars because the food was edible and the service was fine.

Ive been to Habana on 6th for several occasions, including my birthday and have loved the food and gotten good service. The last time i went was sometime last week, the waitress was good, I ordered the "pollo salteado with maduros" (sweet plantains) as i usually do, my plate came out with tostones(another type of plantain, not sweet). We couldnt find the waitress anywhere so we got a manager to come over and correct the small error. The manager was very rude and condescending, he was defensive and responded with the maduros being a "garnish" just like the mint leaf he pointed to that was on my plate, while the mint leaf was not described on the menu as the maduros were. He said it was also just a seasonal item, which is untrue according to my cuban friend. I then said i had just watned to have been informed that my plate was not going to come out the way that it was described on the menu, and he threw out his arms and said "well what do you want me to do about it?" he also said "well... Read more

Delicious food and Mojitos. Dined at both locations many times! The outdoor seating at the Congress location is very relaxing. We've dined in large groups and as a couple- service is always great (well, there's this one waitress, but you cannot judge by one employee.) I love it!

I had never been to Austin before. The first night I got there, my brother took us to Habana on South Congress. I was very disappointed. We seated ourselves because well like I said Never Been There Before... The waiter was nice at first, cleaned the table and sat us down. Then acouple minutes later he came back and asked if we had been seated. We said no. So he made us get up, which I thought was embarrasing. The waiter said there was people before us that needed to be seated. The host said that the patio was for reservations only. So what is it? Of course I didn't want to spend my money there, so I spend it else where.. actually down the street at a very nice Italian Restaurant, the food was ok, but the service was worth every penny. So I guess I'm just saying LEARN FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS.. Without customers you have nothing, so treat everyone with respect. You never know who they might be. Can't say anything about HABANA's Food, didn't get to taste it....

I took my wife and a few friends to Habana on Saturday night to celebrate my wife's birthday. It had been recommended to me by a co-worker whose family is Cuban and vouched for its authenticity. All I can say is, we'll definitely be back. Our server was attentive and friendly, and the food was delicious. I had the roast pork "specialty" which I think is impossible not to love. The congris rice and beans were a little dry and unexciting for my taste, so I'd recommend another rice and bean choice. Everything else was great, particularly the habanero fish my wife ordered. Five entrees, and every one got rave reviews. Appetizers (we had croquettes and little plantain cups filled with shredded beef) and dessert (tres leches) also excellent. Unique and delicious.

My husband and I just ate at Habana and as expected to food was great. However, our server got us our drinks and took our order, but then neglected us on the patio. I had to go inside to get someone's attention. When she finally came back out to refill our drinks, she rolled her eyes and made an ugly face on her way back inside. Everyone says Austin is laidback, which is cool, but this is not an excuse to give slow or poor service. I'll go back, but I will avoid this waitress: straight,k dark brown hair about 19 years old.

I'm sorry to say that the food and service at Habana SoCo are nowhere near those of the previous restaurant that occupied this space, Borinquen. The menu is almost the same, but the service is impersonal, the rice and beans are dry and tasteless, the lechon has no flavor, and my order of stir-fried pollo with vegetables was almost too dry to eat. I asked for some mojo to try to get some flavor into the food, and had to wait for at least 15 minutes before finding that the waitress had forgotten...then waited some more. All this, and the fact that the prices are twice what they were at the old restaurant, with smaller portions, has made me very sad that the Durans sold their business. What a disappointment.

I've been a fan of Habana since before their 6th Street location, when they still only had their location on South Congress near St. Edward's. I am a regular at both locations and love both of them. I agree that sometimes service can be slow, but in all the times I have eaten at Habana, service is always friendly and good and the food is always excellent. My husband and I are vegetarian and they do have many options for vegetarians, including two vegetarian entrees. Their mango margaritas are TO DIE FOR so you must try them!! Their tres leches cake is also TO DIE FOR and we order it for parties all the time. I heartily recommend Habana and hope that both locations are open for a long time to come.

Service can be a little dodgy, but the food is good. While the food is Cuban, it's missing some classic recipes. Love the location, though!

Habana is a great place for a nice relaxed lunch/dinner outdoors whether it be for a date or for just hanging out with some friends. The parking can be a bit limited since it is on 6th, but parking under I-35 is a decent option. The restaurant has a great ambiance indoors and especially outdoors. The menu definitely had some great options on there. I tried the Lechon as per everyones recommendation and because i'm a big fan of Filipino Lechon (almost the same thing). I will admit that the lechon was savory and decent, but i felt that it still needed something (maybe some kind of sauce like mang tomas). I believe the lechon meat in a sandwich would have been the better option. I do not recommend getting the PLAINtains. The other options on the menu were good. I just wish they didn't highly recommend the lechon.

I have visited this restaurant several times and was always pleased with the food and service. I love the empanadas and mojitos. Seems like it would be a great place for happy hour.

I moved here from south Florida, home of the best Cuban Food in the country. Born of Cuban immigrants who moved (Legally) to this country in the late 50's. I've been craving Cuban food this afternoon and decided to pay a visit to Habana Cuban Restaurant on 6th st. As I stepped in the front door I was in dis-belief that they would have hanging on the wall a picture of Che Gavera on it's wall. Any Cuban who fled Cuba or have family still in Cuba would be very offended they would glorify someone who helped bring communisim to their country and responsible for thousand of murders and executions of it's political enemies. But it seems that Austin liberals view him as some great revolutionist with grand ideas. It's very scary that educated people would regard this animal with such high regard. Anyway, enough of politics and lets talk about my experiance at this restaurant. I was immediatly struck by the awful smell of pine sole and when the hostest asked if I wanted to eat indoors o... Read more

My wife and I went early on a Sunday, before the band and big crowd arrived. The waitstaff was friendly, but the service was fairly slow. We really liked to decor and the layout., except for the picture of Che Guevarra which is offensive to true Cubans. I could see this place being a lot of fun during happy hour with the size of the place and the patio below. We sat inside, which turned out to be a good call as the patio below smelled like someone had lost their lunch. We found the menu a little pricey and the drink menu did not list any prices. That alone made us avoid asking. We ordered the Mofongo appetizer, which was good with the sofrito salsa. (This tastes like the sauce you'd get with ropa vieja and it was good.) It helped during the wait for the main course, which was longer than expected, seeing as the place was pretty empty. I asked about the lechon asado (roast pork) and was told it was one of the best things on the menu. My wife and I both ordered it, which turned out to be... Read more

Try anything that has pork in it. Believe me! This pork is something special. Savory! Tender! Creative! The appitizers are great as well. It's a little pricy, but all in all everything on the menu is worth a try. It's fun, ambient, romanitc, and nostalgic to some as well. Give this Caribbean place a chance.

Habana on Calle Seis is a real treat. I have visited on four occasions during the week and never found the service to be a problem. A good cigar is appropriate following a meal here and the "No Smoking' inside the bar is a pain in the robusto. The food is very good, the service is exemplery and the portions are large. Mojitos are skillfully constructed and as good as any found on South Beach or Calle Ocho. I plan my Austin trips to include dinner at this destination on 6th Street.

I was here last week for a friend's birthday dinner, and I was unimpressed. While the food was delicious (huge portions) the service was so bad that it took away from what would have been a great meal otherwise. I waited almost 20 minutes for a draft beer, and mixed drinks took almost 30 minutes...and we were one of only 4 parties in the restaurant. The waitress was friendly, but gave no recommendations to a group of folks who were clearly having trouble with the menu. Overall, go when you've got some patience, and consider splitting an appetizer and an entree with a friend...it will be plenty of food!

I have been to the new location on 6th street a number of times, and the food and atmosphere never disappoint. However, on almost every occasion, the service has been awful. In my most recent experience, it must have taken at least ten minutes for someone to take our drink order and another fifteen or so just to get our drinks... and the restaurant was not at all packed. Either they are incredibly understaffed, or there is just very little concern for good customer service.

i (heart) habana! my first experience was just so-so, but every time i have gone since i have loved it! the food is delish and the new location is awesome! great outdoor patio, good value for the food, and yummy mojitos!

I went to this place with my boyfriend who has parents from both Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. He took me there so I could get a taste for Caribbean food. I LOVED it and he felt like he was eating his mom's home cooking. The frozen Mojitos and the Maduros (fried plantains) were my favorite. The atmosphere was very laid back. We ate outside and there was a live band playing that was pretty good. If you like Caribbean food and just want to try something low-key and different I highly recommend it!

I recently went to Habana for the first time since they relocated. It was a Sunday night and the restaurant wasn't that busy but it still took our waiter a good 15 minutes to come back to our table with our drinks. The food cam pretty quickly but mine was barley warm and the portion was really small. There was a great band playing and it was nice to sit outside on such a hot night. I'd go back for drinks and music but not sure I'd do dinner again. I'm hoping I just caught this place on an off night.