Reviews of Havana Grill (Restaurant)

Jeremy Chipps

Fantastic experience! Food & cocktails are terrific. Accomdating staff & great late night music.

Carlos Landa

Food here is elegant, and exremely delicious. It's a small place and get packed during lunch time, but the lunch price and choices are balanced.

Hui Jin

Great seafood!

Manuel Garcia

Great food and great service.Very attentive and our server Johnny was great made us feel at home as well as the staff.

Syaqinah Harun

The paella dish was amazing! Would definitely recommend. Also tried the mojito flight and guava was my favorite as I'm not a fan of too sweet of drinks. 4 stars because it took a while past our reservation time to seat a party of 4. But overall great food and great ambience.

Arvin J.K. Gallanosa

"Response from the owner 12 hours ago We really take criticism from everyone very seriously, specially [sic] from such an a [sic] expert on retail stores and fast food Restaurants" Curious response to a customer -- any customer! -- who gives a bad rating. I wouldn't call myself an "expert on retail stores and fast food Restaurants." I guess Google labels me such since I answer their "yes/no" questions regarding these establishments. I would have let this rating simply stand without a formal review, but since you apparently must know why I gave such a poor rating, here goes. We were seated almost immediately (having already made a reservation using Open Table) in a somewhat cramped booth at the back of the first floor. The service was good, while the ambience was loud. The food was not particularly impressive: somewhat bland, but it tasted fine. What I did not realize was the gift that would come afterward -- food poisoining. I was up all night, unable to sleep the entire evening after our visit. The next morning all the food from the night before came back up with a vengeance. I also had diarrhea, which (I found out later) another member of our party also had. So, thank you, Havana Cafe, for insisting upon an explanation for the poor rating. And thank you, too, for making this a New Year's weekend I'll not soon forget.

Johannes Christian

Excellent Cuban food. Fried plantain, great seafood options , skirt steaks are very good too. They also have vegetarian options

Maggie W

Excellent mojito pitchers and appetizers as a happy hour spot. Reasonably priced and delicious lunch menu. Most lunch specials are around $10, which is a good deal for a restaurant of this caliber in River North.

Daphne Tucker

The food is very good and its very cozy

Michael P

It seems that almost every night out in River North ends with drinks and dancing at Havana. The caparinias are very good and very strong. I've only eaten dinner here once and that was also very good. Would recommend if you are out in the area!

Claudia Fischer

Great spot, great Cubano sandwich and awesome guacamole!

Thomas Helms

Delicious food and drinks, and pretty authentic - I live in Florida now, which is full of Cubans - and this is just as good as the places I've tried here.

Pam Greer

Great Vibe, Great Food

Michael Spears

Great cocktails (caipirina!!!) and world-class top shelf rum collection. Ask the bartender for a suggestion. I love grabbing a drink here every time I'm in Chicago. Happy hour specials are good.

Jeffery Wille

Good food, great service and nice drinks. Noise level is very energetic but manageable.

Arturo Vazquez

Goodfood great place

Mary Lee James

This is our go to place for authentic Cuban food and a cozy atmosphere. Ernesto is our favorite server and greets us by name. A truly hidden gem in River North.

sandy j

Had wonderful service and the food was fabulous. Had drinks, appetizers, and entrees. Very nice comfy atmosphere

Dustin Hickle

Awesome pork mojo and great piece sour, plus outdoor seating!

Lucky Luke

Great place, live music, cheap drinks!!!

Shad B

Good food. A little pricey. Good location

Julia Loschkin

Great food and drinks. Mojitos were tasty and coming in pitchers ! After eating tables are moved and dancing starts. Great atmosphere , enjoyed the evening

Thomas Olson

Great food, mojitos are second to none.

Jennifer Heraty

Yummy food, great atmosphere, and Latin music (live on certain weekend nights)! What more could you want? Give one of their mojitos a try, delicious!

Ebony Lucas

I love this place! The caipirinhas are really good. They have a black bean dip that you'll crave long after you've left. Atmosphere is relaxed but can be more formal and romantic if you sit at a table.

Bryant Robinson

The food always taste great.

Ashwin k

Had an awesome lunch on weekday. Burgers were amazing, nice ribs as well

Norma

My husband and I went to listen to the band on Saturday. Very dispointed, started 12:30am instead of 11:30 as advertised. Music wasn’t good at all, Band was extremely loud and they seemed very Unorganized.

Nisha Singh

The food here is AH-MAZING!!!! I havent had Cuban food this good since Miami!

Richard Hendrix

Great food! Can't wait to get back to try more.

Biswajit Maharathi

I must admit, this is a terrific place. Loved the food, quite nice ambience. The platter is not small, go hungry.

Emily Ruf

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. They have good vegetarian options, which I wasn't expecting! They also have drink specials (pitchers) that are perfect for groups.

Derrick Lipscomb

Good food and good dancing&music as it gets later.

Crystal Rojas

The food is great, the service is awesome. And I enjoy the variety of music they play in the evening.

Elizabeth Mendez

Love this place. The staff was very attentive and nice. The food was AMAZING. Everything was delicious and we had a pitcher of red sangria and it gone before we finished dinner. We had the empanada trio for an appetizer and they were crispy, hot, and full of flavor! I had el pollo horneado con platano with sweet potato and a side of their habanero sauce and it was so good. The chicken was marinated so well and the sauce was really spicy but so good. The sweet potatoes were sweet and tasty. My boyfriend had the rollitos manchegos And the green sauce that comes with that is to die for. Lastly we finished with the guava cheesecake and we were full and satisfied. Definitely coming back here again!!

jessica bastidas

Great place for a touch of Cuba in your life! Lunch was amazing and will definitely be trying their dinner soon!

Tony Ivanov

It's an ok quality food. Don't regret going there but probably won't go there again. The environment is very grimy. The service was better than the food and the ambience.

Victoria Banks

The daily specials are awesome and the food was great! I enjoyed every part my dining experience.

Prashant Ranade

If you want to visit a cosy place with good food, this is the place for you.

Richard Kim

The deliciousness of Latin influenced dishes are like a sumptuous kick to the groin full of flavor. Latin burger is wonderful and the cubano is fantastic. They serve this spiced oil with their fries. I dont know what's in it and I don't care. Its fantastic with the sweet potato/regular potato fries. Fully stocked bar too and really good, refreshing sangria.

Dianne Domenech-Burgos

Havana is the best Cuban/Mexican restaurant and lounge in Chicago! I always come here when I visit! The food is delicious! The drinks are amazing! The staff and bartender Arturo are the best in all the world! Highly recommend Havana!

Bahar Burcu Karakaya

Food was yummy. We also enjoyed outdoorseating very vibrant area with cuban music.

Alex ste

Everything was soo good! Service was awesome! Will definatly come back!

Keith Krellwitz

The best steak sandwich I have had in Chicago, it comes with a combination of regular and sweet potatoe fries.. The Cuban salad is also delicious. And, you can't beat the price.

Wayne Kouf

Service was a little slow and the appetizers were average. But the drinks and the main courses were OUTSTANDING

Terry Lundy

Outstanding menu and food. This is a really fun establishment. Cool spot near the river.

Brian Clancy O'Durnin

Good service, good prices

L G

Loved this place! Made a reservation through open table on Christmas since it was one of the few places open. It was lively inside and plenty busy. The food was delicious and the sangria pitchers were tasty and the deal for the day!

Esther Ba

Food was savory, service was great and drinks were amazing!

John Spencer

Always amazing!

Melinda Dowe

Love this place! The food was excellent and served in a timely fashion. We always love the music and dancing later in the evening!

Vin P

Awesome live music. Great place to dance all night long.

Alex Lopes

Nice ambiance, casual but still fashionable, looking like an older Latin restaurant with contemporary touches. Good service overall, very polite and helpful but not intrusive. The food portions were generous and everything tasted delicious. The fried calamari appetizer had a very good price for the amount of food one gets. Easy to share among three people, the calamari was crispy and not oily and the dipping sauce had a very pleasant smokiness. My pork chops dinner was a bit overcooked but the sauce was very good, which added to the mashed sweet potato made up a very hearty and delicious meal.

Shannon Schulte

Great new restaurant. Wish them success. Food and cocktails were delicious

miki mali

Always good to visit

Barbara Russell

Wonderful, authentic restaurant. Johnny a very good server. Table by the front window good for hearing each ither well.

Chelsea Franklin

Our food and drinks were delicious! My date had the ribs, they were extremely tender. I had the braised pulled pork, also fabulous. Service was pretty good, waiter was very attentive.

Shawn Miranda

Fantastic Salsa band and strong drinks

John Biven

The pisco sours are good. The place is too crowded to dance though. Why would I go to a Latin club if I can dance?

Steve Batzka

Great food, great drinks, and fantastic music. Will be back for more fun

Eric Hepner

Last minute reservation for 15 at prime Friday night time, management didn't have a problem. We were in the basement dining room, at one long banquet table. Things were a bit tight and the music was VERY loud. Service was very attentive and friendly. I'm not usually a fan of ethnic food, but the carne con tequilla was excellent and my first flan experience was also very good. Prices were quite reasonable considering the quality and neighborhood.

Yehuda Gardner

Awesome place to have some food when in a hurry. The customer service is rapid, prices are reasonable, great ambience. Will visit here again

John Alles

Food tastes great. A bit noisy but worth it

Brenda Perez

Let me start by saying that the food was amazing, our waiter was great and attentive, and overall it was a great dining experience. The problem was the “hostess”, as soon as we walked it appeared like she was uncomfortable with our group, no greeting not even a small smile just up and down looks. There were two women working as hosts and to clarify the hostess that was created the problem was the one wearing a tan turtleneck and long black skirt (Saturday June 22nd) the other hostess was great and welcoming. We were celebrating a bachelorette party and no we were not the obnoxious, drunk or even loud type of group. This hostess was constantly walking past our table and just stating at members of our party. When the check arrived and we were trying to figure out payment amongst our group she came by and stared one out members for about a minute and rolled her eyes. As we are walking out she says out loud as she walks by our group “ THANK GOD THAT GROUP IS FINALLY LEAVING!!” Which is completely unacceptable. We just spent almost $500 with your establishment and to get treated like that by someone that is suppose to be your most “welcoming” employee?! Again HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE. Besides that highly uncomfortable situation we had a great time but as a business you might want to consider who you place as the face of your establishment.

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Great restaurant and bar. The food is fresh and tasty. Recommend the sweet plantains and shrimp dish...very flavorful. The flavored mojitos were great too. Staff was friendly and attentive the whole time and the crowd was relaxed & fun with the great music from the DJ (as the night gets closer) - good vibes all around.

juv rod

Drinks are a bit price but, is a good place to hang for a while

Christine McPherson

Had an excellent, quick dinner here before going out for drinks down the street. We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night, but were seated immediately. We were served promptly and the food was amazing! I had the enchiladas and the red sauce on them was just outstanding.

Jason

The food was amazing! And so was the rum

loxaargos

Best Cuban food I have had since Miami trip earlier this year. Any sandwich you get is amazing and the empanadas are delicioso

Armando Perez

Great food and Friday and Saturday after 10 live music

Ailen Esquirol

The food was okay. I ordered Pork,it comes with arroz congris, literally two small pieces of Yuca and two small pieces of sweet fried plantains. The pork had too much oil and it was salty. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. The tostones were great and the staff was friendly.

Louis Belanger

Great place with great service !!!

David Scroggins

Great place to grab lunch. Have yet to order anything here I didn't love. Recommend the Cubano sandwich in particular.

D Cartwright

Better than average Cuban food, lively bar too. The dining choices in this area are spectacular so Havana has tough competition but I wouldn't hesitate to dine here if Cuban cuisine is what I had in mind

Abhro J. Mondal

Nice place to have an office lunch. Considering their dishes and taste, I would rather not pay that much from my own pocket.

Shane Olson

A little spendy but great for and service

Nate Bognar

Only been here a few times but it's already one of my go-to spots for a fun meal with friends. Lively atmosphere, fast service and an exciting menu that has enough variety for whatever you're in the mood for. I got the delicious jalapeno honey pork chops; definitely enough to save some leftovers! If you're in the mood for a cocktail I recommend keeping it tropical and trying one with passion fruit or guava.

Vanessa Rodriguez

Food was amazing!!! Service was ok...

Rondell Jefferson

Good was really good. Place was clean and great customer service!! Good beer selection as well.

Karla gomez morales

The food is delicious!!! I try the ceviche, the calamari and a pork plate called manchegos everything was really good!! I also like a lot the music!!! I went one day when they had a live band ( I am not sure if they always have it or if it was something special for that day) and it was awesome! They play a lot of latin music and we could dance with my friends.

Nade Tambik

Great atmosphere, food was delicious, only we missed the life music because it starts at 11:30 pm

Sally Chains

Excellent Cuban food. Cozy atmosphere. Friendly staff. Got the Havana steak sand. Excellent Cuba sandwich. Waiter was on top of it. Can also recommend crab cakes. everything spiced so tastily. would recommend dropping volume of music a notch or two (but i am not a fan of music in restaurants anyway)

Sam Seidel

Fast service, great food and reasonable price. Ask the server for recommendations but there are many you will enjoy.

Lisa Rosochacki

Yum! Tons of flavor to the food. Definitely a good place to stop for a bite and a drink. Came highly recommended by a local friend and we totally enjoyed it.

Bronson Ebaugh

Really good Cuban food. Great original Cuban food and some really good blends with other Latin American foods. The empanada appetizer is delicious.

haseeb ala

Great place to dine.very central. Cocktails awsome. Food excellent. Service superb. Must go place

Sean Mccoy

What a great place. We started off with the Calamari and sweet plantains, both were outstanding. My daughter had the Cubano Sandwich and I had the Carne Con Tequila. The skirt steak was unbelievable. Her sandwich was one of the best Cubans I’ve ever had. We exchanged plates half way through the meal... she loved the steak as we. The atmosphere was perfect. Can’t wait to go back.

Maria jose Martinez

Good food

Spencer Urso

Best mojitos in town!!!

Daniel Munoz

Best food around! Get the flan, you won't regret it!

Matt Leske

Exceptional food and sangria with very attentive waitstaff. The outdoor patio is small and close to the street but it provides a nice option for outdoor eating.

Raw Toast

Pretty, good place. Good food

Urszula Tanouye

Lovely flavors, great mojitos.

Andrzej Ciborowski

Jessica is the best bartender love the live music on Saturdays.

Korey Montanez

Amazing food and mojitos. Loved the shrimp appetizer and the poblano chicken!!!

Erin McClarty

The seafood is amazing, service phenomenal and cocktails on point. Was just visiting, but will definitely be back.

Alejandro Pedroza

some good food. a bit in the $$$

Hali Reed

Excellent food. Didn’t have to wait for a table. Prices were great and the drinks were strong!

Michael Falleroni

Such amazing food and drinks! Our waiter Eddie was awesome and made perfect recommendations. Definitely check this place out!

Joshua David1

Very cool I recommend it. Great feel.

Zeljko Dakic

This place is always great place to visit, lunch or dinner. From the menu, you can't pick wrong, everything is great. Cuban music is always present and staff is on hand and helpful. I always like to come back.

Kurt Roberts

Great spot love atmosphere

Shaddiff McKamie

The music, the service and the food were excellent.

Rebecca Liedke

Staff was friendly and accommodating, food was good, drinks were great. Prices were great, especially for the area.

Federico C.

always good cuban

Jack Howard

Possibly the best restaurant in River North. Definitely a go-to for lunch. Get the Cuban sandwich or torta. For dinner, would definitely recommend the carne asada. Their fries are also amazing, with a mix of sweet potato and normal ones. For drinks, they have good margarita specials. Also they're known for their mojitos. Fun place. Great value. Watch out for some of the booths that have seats pretty low compared to the table.

Michael-John Longtin

Phenomenal food. Mojito's go down a little too smooth!

Michael Aumiller

River North is known for high prices and low quality. Not so with Havana. The prices are AMAZING for anywhere in Chicago let alone in River North. The food is terrific, the best Cuban sandwich in the city for my money. The staff is always polite and reliable. The drink specials are great deals too. Do yourself a favor and stop by if you are in the area. Highly recommend.

Juan Cepero

Been a while since I had a Mojito as good as the one I had here. Great music, mixture of all the great salsa hits from past and present. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

Lina M. Brugés

Amazing! I felt like home

Ben Boozer

Good food and drink. Not expensive for the area. I had the slow roasted pork over potatoes.

Bernadette Corsaro

The food was tasty, but nothing special. The staff was friendly, but we waited for quite a while for our checks to come.

Jonathan Carter

The staff really works hard to provide a great experience. Menu offers a fusion of latin cuisine. I really liked the vibe. I sampled a couple of classic dishes. The steak cubano and plantains were very flavorful. The highlight of options we sampled was the cuban rice & beans... Spectacular! The roasted pork on the other hand was a bit disappointing and surprisingly sweet. The fried yucca common to many of the entrees were dry and woody. Cocktail scene is good here. Lots of latin patrons which is a nod to how authentic this restaurant is I'd recommend this restaurant to others for sure but given there are a 1000 other options close by we're apt to try another latin option to compare

Sherman Oliver

Great Mojitos! Great prices and excellent food. I will be back.

Aasrith Reddy

Been here only once. The food is fantastic! Never did I had my taste buds feel so good when I ate a cubano. The seasoning on the fries is also amazing. The drink menu is huge and are also well made. The order takes a little long to arrive but it's good. The environment is lively with people chatting loud. Located in the downtown area close to the most hotels around.

Jose Hernandez

Just stop by to get drinks , they really good and reasonable prices

rosa orellana

Food was delicious, service was excellent! I would definitely recommend this place!

Julius Bautista

Festive, intimate and fun little spot with a live band after 10 PM. The food was rich with flavor, and the cocktails were creative