Husband and wife team Gilbert and B.J. Hernandez opened their first Havana Café on Camelback Road in December 1989 after a 10-year tenure in the restaurant business, their ensuing success a testament to the staying power of their labor-of-love operation. In a cool and colorful atmosphere, Havana Café transports you to another place, be it a quaint ethnic eatery in Miami, a breezy patio in the Caribbean, or a sidewalk café in Barcelona. The extensive menu combines authentic Spanish, Cuban and Latin American specialties. Standouts include an outstanding list of tapas - baskets of Calypso Chips (fried plantains with black bean purée dipping sauce) are more than addicting. Black bean fritters, ceviche and Cuban-style tamales or empanaditas are not to be missed. Main dish favorites include picadillo (seasoned ground beef with olives, raisins and pimientos), masas de puerco (lime-and-garlic marinated pork loin cubes) and ropa vieja (braised beef brisket in a zesty red wine and tomato sauce). Vegetarian-friendly options are plentiful as well. And there are nearly 20 different desserts, headlined by a wonderful flan.
Full bar. Serving lunch Mon-Sat, dinner nightly.
"Thumbs-up for the papa rellena, shrimp pancakes, pastelitos and ceviche."
- Phoenix magazine
ADDRESS
4225 E Camelback Road,
Phoenix, AZ 85018
LOCALEATS AWARDS
Top 100 Restaurant
Best Cuban in Phoenix
DESCRIPTION
Husband and wife team Gilbert and B.J. Hernandez opened their first Havana Café on Camelback Road in December 1989 after a 10-year tenure in the restaurant business, their ensuing success a testament to the staying power of their labor-of-love operation. In a cool and colorful atmosphere, Havana Café transports you to another place, be it a quaint ethnic eatery in Miami, a breezy patio in the Caribbean, or a sidewalk café in Barcelona. The extensive menu combines authentic Spanish, Cuban and Latin American specialties. Standouts include an outstanding list of tapas - baskets of Calypso Chips (fried plantains with black bean purée dipping sauce) are more than addicting. Black bean fritters, ceviche and Cuban-style tamales or empanaditas are not to be missed. Main dish favorites include picadillo (seasoned ground beef with olives, raisins and pimientos), masas de puerco (lime-and-garlic marinated pork loin cubes) and ropa vieja (braised beef brisket in a zesty red wine and tomato sauce). Vegetarian-friendly options are plentiful as well. And there are nearly 20 different desserts, headlined by a wonderful flan.
Full bar. Serving lunch Mon-Sat, dinner nightly.
"Thumbs-up for the papa rellena, shrimp pancakes, pastelitos and ceviche."
- Phoenix magazine