I'd recently heard about a new Cuban Restaurant that recently opened in La Mesa, from reader and frequent commenter Reynila and My good friend and frequent contributor to Chowhound, Gayla. During a quick call to Habana I found out that during Happy Hour(between 4-6 pm) all appetizers are half price, and specialty drinks are $2 off! A good deal. Needless to say, we had a bunch of appetizers. All appetizer prices in the post, are the "menu" prices. To calculate Happy Hour prices, divide by '2'.
We arrived at approximately 430pm, and found Habana empty. The large dining area goes for a tropical feel.
After looking over the "Tropical" drink menu……
The Missus tried a Habanatini($7 – $5 Happy Hour). Kind of on the weak side, but ok overall.
We looked over the menu and started ordering. We decided on 5 appetizers, and ordered one entree to share.
The first appetizer to arrive were the Chicken Croquetas($3.95):
The croquettes were moist and fairly light, though I really could not taste any chicken. As a whole fairly unremarkable.
Beef Empanada ($3.95).
The empananda was quite large, and the exterior was nicely fried and crisp. The filling was pretty dry and the flavor was on the mild side.
The Maduros (Fried Plantains – $4.25), fried well, with a nice sweetness that wasn't cloying. Overall, quite nicely done.
Yuca Frita (Fried yuca), served with a "mojo" ($4.50). The Yuca was crisp on the outside, and moist on the inside. There was a mild sweet flavor to go with the slightly dense stachy interior. The "mojo" was a flavorful concoction. The menu said the yuca was served with a garlic sauce, but we were sure that there was some meat in the sauce. Our suspicions were confirmed when we asked what was in the sauce, and the word "pork" was mentioned. No wonder it was so tasty!
The Yuca con Mojo – the best dish of the night ($3.95). The boiled Yuca was served with a lemon-olive oil-garlic sauce that bordered on addictive. The sauteed onions added an almost sweet flavor to the dish.
We also ordered one entree to share. The classic Cuban Dish, Ropa Vieja($11.50), we ordered Arroz Morro and Papa Dulce Roja(Yams) as our "sides".
The dish was a disappointment. The Arroz Morro, supposedly black beans and rice simmered in wine was flavorless. The black beans were also very hard. The yams were nothing special either. The Ropa Vieja was dry and tough, and very mild in flavor. Of the four version of Ropa Vieja I've had so far, this is ranked at a solid "number 4".
Would I recommend Habana? I'd say if you want to go for Happy Hour, I would say that the food is a fairly good value. How can you argue with $2 appetizers? We probably be back to Habana for the Yuca con Mojo, and maybe try another Entree. Out total bill for the evening, for 5 appetizers, two specialty drinks, and one entree was $37. Habana also offers a Sunday Brunch:
I forwarded the photos of the menu to Jim the Brunchmaster.
One last item, our Server, Amy, was excellent. So nice and efficient.
Habana Restaurant & Bar
7777 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91941
619-713-2011
hi kirk
wow, you went to habana already! : ) i’m going there again on father’s day (for my husband)…there’s some other dishes i’ve got to try. looking forward to the rest of your post.
Those empanadas look good. I love yuca too but I’m a yuca snob because I had some amazing yuca in Montrose (L.A.). I’ll have to try out that restaurant. I miss Cuban food! We had some great Cuban food in D.C. (where I’m from).
Hi, I realize this is the wrong cuisine but I know you like a good burger and fries. Have you tried In-N-Out’s secret menu? Well, it’s not really a secret since it is on their website but apparently not alot of people are aware of it. Here’s a more in-depth website about it:
http://www.badmouth.net/in-n-outs-secret-menu/
If you haven’t experienced it yet, definitely try the double double and especially the fries, “animal style”. I know you’re not too crazy about their usual fries but this style will undoubtedly change your mind!
Whoa! Those empanadas are HUGE! 😉
Hi Kirk,
I keep hearing good things about this place, so I’m looking forward to reading your review… so far, the pics make it look quite yummy!
Hi Reynila – Thanks for letting us know about Habana!
Hi Kady – I don’t know, the Yuca was pretty darn good for $2 at Happy Hour. You must be pretty hardcore to turn that down……
Hi Roger – Having lived in SoCal for the last 9 years I know all about I ‘N’ O’s secret menu. Still I like mines without spread.
Hi Kristy – The empanada was fairly large, but the filling was a bit disappointing.
Hi Joan – The dishes we had were fairly uneven, but the Happy Hour specials are really reasonable.
Look at how they filled that cocktail glass right up to the brim. No wonder it was weak; it would take a double shot of liquor to make up for all that water and mixer. I assume they want to make you feel like you are getting a good deal by filling up the glass. It’s like eating an omelet at Denny’s; even three eggs get lost under all the other junk they throw in there.
Hi JosephE – Well not much of a mixed-drink kinda person….BTW, I’ve only been to Denny’s like twice in my life! Never even had an omeltte there…..
Hi Kirk,
Thanks for the tip. We enjoyed the brunch today. Good value and pretty good food to boot. Here is the link:
http://www.sandiegosundaybrunchmaster.com/Habana.html
Your Web pal, Jim
Hi Jim – That looks really good. I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves.
you should try Azafran cuban cusine at 1001 s. coast hwy Oceanside CA. the food is beter than the rest of the cuban restaurants
Hi Juan – Thanks for the recommendation.
Oh, it was Sherman’s, and a Pho place, Ethiopian and then I did see a sign about Soul Food too, Omar, but am unsure it it was Ethiopian Soul Food or what. The place has been burned down for at least 9 months now, if my memory serves me right. Like Kirk said, Happy Hour is always a safe choice and that is the only experience I have had eating at Habana. Kirk will enjoy reading your note once he gets back from Peru.
Does Habana have a authentic Cubana Tortas on the menu? i went to tj at this mall in a plaza at rio and they had the best cubaba sandwich ive ever tasted i cant find a place like it. I also went to andres and tried theres and i was very dispointed it was nothing like the one in tj.
Hi Reggie – They used to….and it is listed on their website:
http://www.habanasandiego.com/menu-lunchdinner.html