I'm a Miami born Texas gal and this place just smelled and tasted like home. It reminded me so much of my family in Miami's cooking. The staff was so nice and the restaurant itself is a great hang out spot! LOVED IT! read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Habana's Restaurant in Austin, was reminiscent of good home Puerto Rican cooking. The service was personal and great. The overall ambiance is legit and cute. You've got to sit in the cabanas outside. You'll love it. read more

Food was super salty, I must've had 4 glasses of water because of all the salt. We ordered Rabo encendido (ox tail), outrageously expensive ($46 for 2 people) and only gave us 4 pieces of ox tail served on a bed of watery, salty rice. We were very disappointed with the service as well -- the server would disappear for 15 to 20 at a time as she was tending other tables in another section of the restaurant. Done with this restaurant! read more

Best drinks. You must go here, what a vibe. Seriously, get in the car and head this way right now.

After having some bomb Cuban food in Miami Beach.... this place really hits the spot if you're craving comfort Cuban food. They give you a lot of meat with your entrees and they were so flavorful. I ordered the ropa vieja with maduros and enjoyed it so much! 10/10 would order again. The plate was literally 50% meat and 50% rice/beans.... WOW! So filling and the staff was super attentive. I will be back! read more

Awesome spot to grab food and mingle with friends! Get the Cubano sandwich and a mojito! Sandwich Cubano read more

This place is a reason to miss ATX. We like to still stop in when in the area. Cuban nachos are great cuz they're made with plátanos. Yum! The ropa vieja is perfect. All the appetizers are all worth trying. Their chicken wings are a nice size and have this savory flavor. Options on beans. Yeah. And the crafty cocktails mmmm. It's all good. Staff is cool and all look cute in guayaberas. Not too crazy busy when we've been but just enough. Make it a must for an ATX visit if u can. And if u live in. Austin....u lucky duck. read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Strawberry Chocolate Tres Leches Pastel - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

The owner is legit so customer focused it's incredible. Food 9/10 Service 10/10 HAPPY HOUR HERE IS THE BEES KNEEES read more

I never thought I'd find a good Cuban restaurant in Austin, of all places! I'm from South Florida and used to having Cuban food, and this restaurant rivals any good one I've been to. The waiter was very nice, even gave me free yuca because I was eying it on my son's plate. Now, I usually don't like yuca, but theirs was amazing! I ate my heart out! Try this place, you won't be disappointed! read more

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Yum! We need to go back soon. Love the atmosphere, people and the Food. Try it all as it's all yummy. Get over there and fun with friends read more

This was the first time I've had Cuban food, and I was pleasantly surprised by the tasty the Cuban sandwich and the empanadas. Delicious! read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cubano Sandwich and Tostones - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This place was a cute lil date night spot & the mojitos were amazing! Vegan options available read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Veggie sandwich with fries! Ps the mojitos are AMAZING! - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ambience is really nice- definitely feels mom and pop. Food portions were large. The food was delicious!!

Incredibly spacious outdoor seating area, the food and service were great and the art pieces were captivating read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

Got takeout from here and I wish I had gotten food to stay -- this place had a great vibe and a HUGE patio for sitting outside. That said, the food is DELICIOUS. I was craving some plaintains. Got the maduros and tostones -- Both are great, the yucca fries came with mojo pork to dip in and all of the flavors and spices in it were mouthwatering. Also got the all veggie plate and that was delicious too. The black beans have a spice profile that is amazing so it's not just plain old boring black beans. I'd come back just for these. Definitely a place to come back to! read more

My family and I love this place, excellent Cuban food with all the traditional flavor, super excellent staff and always with the best treatment.... And if all you want is to have a good drink, they have a magnificent bar with exquisite drinks and good music always. read more

Don't even know where to start... everything was amazing... to start we got tres leches pina colada and a pineapple margarita. Both were great but the winner was pina colada hands down. We decided to snack instead of having an entire meal. Went with ceviche, "un poco de todo", & a Cuban sandwich. Unbelievably delicious! read more

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Had a late lunch. Service was excellent. I was not really impressed with my pork shoulder. It did not have a lot of flavor and had several bones mixed in. One of the bones I crunches into before I realized what it was. My wife loved her meal of fried beef. The Yaca was good so I would recommend it as a side. My salad was also very good with a mango dressing. Overall a good lunch and perhaps I just do not like Cuban food as this is my first time to try it. read more

Randomly ended up here on Friday night while we were driving to an Ethiopian restaurant and decided to change course--glad we did. The inside is unassuming or slightly cheesy, but the whole vibe is oddly charming and we were happy at our little two-top table. (The outside looks like it could be a fun place to hang out with friends when the weather is better.) We started with a mojito and the habanatini--both were delicious! And both had a decent amount of rum :) The frozen mojito we ordered later wasn't as good as the original, but still, no complaints. For food we started with the Cuban nachos--untraditional but amazing. The meat was very tender and we love that they used plantain chips. Our only complaint is that the toppings were dolloped on in individual sections as opposed to being evenly dispersed across the chips, so it was kind of annoying to eat. But still, good. The ceviche was the only disappointment of the night, and we would recommend skipping it if you go: the seafood did not taste particularly fresh and the whole thing was bland. The cubano sandwich, though, was LEGIT. We've already had the best version possible (at Versailles in Miami), but for Austin, we really have to say that they nailed it. The bread was crisp, there was a perfect balance of ingredients, super salty, sooo goooooood. Side salad was whatever but got the job done. For dessert, we had the tres leches and it was incredible--one of the better ones that we've ever had in town. Our waitress wasn't the most knowledgable about the menu, etc, but she was super sweet and took excellent care of us. Prices are slightly high for what this place is, but we weren't upset about them. Bottom line: a hidden gem! We will definitely be back with our little one at some point and would gladly recommend it to others if you're looking for a casual dinner spot that has some flavorful and interesting food. Four happy stars. read more

The food here was good! I visited this place for lunch while on on a road trip from Dallas. The lunch portions are nice! The atmosphere was very quiet. It was a Friday when I visited so I expected to see more people but there were not many there. I'm guessing it's not a popping lunch spot, but in any case I enjoyed my visit and would recommend to others that are looking for some nice Cuban food. Review provided by a recent Texas visitor. :) read more

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When I eat here it is easy for me to imagine I am sitting at the family dining table with actually Caribbean folks. The atmosphere is definitely on par, but the flavors are so authentic and home made. Many newer restaurants elevate authentic flavors with a professional culinary spin. This place doesn't do that, because it knows better. The restaurant respects home cooked flavors and knows it doesn't need to change a thing to inspire our palettes. I will say the congrí is usually a bit dry and the sides sometimes seem like an afterthought. This would be five star for sure if some of these details where fixed. I have been here for several years with family and colleagues and I have had everything on the menu. I even take my nephews with incredibly narrow palettes and they fell in love. My point is there is something for everyone to love here. So, come here and bring friends and family. This will soon be one of your favorite spots too. read more

This review reflects the price of of "Rabo encendido" It wasn't on the manu, and because of that I was charged $30.00. No doubt the tail was really good, but I don't think I'll go back to this place. read more

1st time ever having Cuban food i really liked this place. Its a bit hidden but i love the inside, with the art work and pictures makes you really get the feel for it. The food and drinks were on point! The Lechon de puerco was my main dish with maduros and a mojito which was made perfectly, perfect drink for this texas heat. It was a bit on the pricey side but for the quality i got and excellent service i would go again read more

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The outside patio and lively Cuban music are inviting. This restaurant makes you wanna to relax upon walking in. Definitely wait to sit outside to be surrounded by the tropical plants. The ceviche, plantain pina colada, pollo salteado, and ropa vieja are so good. read more

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Took a drive from SA and just popped this into WAZE. Not a huge fan of franchised/chain restaurants...and this was just up my alley. Was not disappointed. Nice tree canopy, comfortable outdoor seating, loved the jams. Food and service was perfect! Place is clean and staff is pleasant! Parking is interesting but it's Austin... read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Habana Burro. Rum, lime juice, and yum ginger beer! Refreshing! - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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**Pork let-down in Austin?!? For shame.** Everyone talked about how great the lechon asado was, here. Everyone. Even in the poorly-rated reviews, people said, "but the pork was awesome." Um. No. LOCATION. Nice spot, actually. Cool, spacious thatch huts with nice tables, line the front of the restaurant. Great touch. They have a private parking lot, which is a great thing to see, especially for a road-weary traveler, like myself. The inside of the place was clean, but there was nobody at the reception desk. SERVICE. When someone did notice me waiting at the front, she told me my take-out order was available in the bar area. And there it was, sitting alone, just like the bar. Nobody manning the bar. Oooooookaaaaaay. Apparently, people don't man their posts when it's not so busy, here. The girl who eventually showed up, rang me up, and left. FOOD. I couldn't decide what to get, so I got both the Ropa Vieja and the Lechon Asado. Also, tacked on an order of Maduros, since it doesn't come with the meal. Photos of the lechon asado seemed to show that it was served with marinated onions; well, mine had none. Lechon Asado. This is a dish I've come to love. I cannot make it, so I'm not going to give them cooking tips, but I AM a cook, and I know what's missing. "Marinated overnight," it reads on the menu. Well, the pork I got was BONE DRY and completely flavorless. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I've taken note of the manager, Erik, who does a good job giving lip service to Yelpers, but hey, Erik, your pork sucked. Epically. I've never had such a poor take on lechon asado. Your cooks really shat the bed. No moisture, whatsoever. It was terrible. YOU claim to handle problems, but this was absurdly bad. I'm going to go to a store, buy some goodies (and you bet there will be lemon, bay leaves, and garlic on that list) to flavor this bland, dry mess you've given me. (Fail) Ropa Vieja. Did this really come from the same kitchen?!?!? It was great! Juicy, tender, stewed, shredded beef. Bell peppers, tomatoes, and just the right amount of seasoning.... This was a winner. Not the best I've ever had, but in sharp contrast to the desert-dry pork, this dish shined. Maduros. Plaintains, quickly fried. The flavor was good, but they were so goddamn oily that I had to drain them, myself, because apparently the cooks are too lazy to drain them. These cooks are REALLY testing my patience. I thought Austin prided itself on its food. Apparently not. "White" rice. It didn't look so white, but, again, I'm not sure about their cooking process. In my opinion, the rice was downright awful. Dry, and in some cases, crunchy. What the hell? "I feel like I'm on crazy pills." Black Beans. Decent, but not good enough to save the rice, which I like to mix with the black beans, a dish commonly referred to as, Congri. The rice was... just not meant to marry these beans. OVERALL. I wouldn't suggest this place for the lechon asado. I don't understand why I'm the only one who sees that the pork here is a goddamn disaster. The pork should ooze with juices, which should make you both salivate and slightly pucker. The absence of mojo was the ultimate insult. This place is lucky to get a second star, and the only reason is that the pork sucked SO hard that the beef seemed like an oasis, in the middle of a pork desert. Get your shit together, guys. I drove 3,000 miles for THIS?!? For shame. read more

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I have been to Habana a few times since living here. The most recent visit was for a friends birthday and there were about 15 of us. The table started out smaller and the staff was kind enough to add more tables as more people showed up. We started off with drinks and I had the mojito martini. It was good and strong, which was just what I was looking for. If you are looking for something a bit stiffer than a regular mojito then I would recommend it. The table had several appetizers. My favorite was the ceviche served with yuca chips. It had a good flavor and was fresh. I also liked the touch of the avocado on top. Some of the other appetizers here hit or miss and just ok. The plantains I tasted were not the best I have had and needed a bit more of something. My main entree I ordered was the beef milanese, which is like a chicken fried steak almost with a slice of ham, tomato based sauce and cheese on top of that. It kind of reminds me of an inside out cord on blue. It is good and I have actually gotten the dish more than once here. I had the rice and beans mix (can't remember what it is called) and it was just ok. The end of the meal ended on a bang! We ordered Tres Leches cake around the table and it was soooo good! It was my favorite thing for sure! If you are looking for a place to accommodate a large party they definitely have the space here! read more

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I'm not super familiar with Cuban food. But anywhere with fried plantains is okay by me. Especially when you get guacamole to dip them in! Habana Soco Restaurant is a kitschy, fun restaurant on a busy strip of South Congress. It's hidden behind the trees and if it wasn't for their bright, neon sign, you might not notice it was there. They have cabanas and a spacious patio and inside tons of seating and a cute bar. We sat outside and the covered patio was the perfect place to dine and avoid the rain. The portions are huge! Like, too much food and I'm not just saying that because I'm tiny. The fried chicken is half a chicken and the piccadillo is a solid 1/2lb of ground beef. The food was spiced perfectly, not spicy, but still interesting. The portion sizes are proportional to the prices. It can get expensive. You can always split an appetizer, but they have a $2 fee to do so, which is a little lame. read more

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All around bad experience, except for the decor of the restaurant. Food: 1 star Service: 1 star Ambiance: 3 stars, extra points for the Celia Cruz painting 5 of us (colleagues from work) arrived at 11:30am. Our waiter took quite awhile to gather our order, though there were only a few more tables of patrons at the restaurant. Once we ordered, and our food came, one person didn't touch theirs (inedible dry, tough, strange beef sandwich- the menu should have said beef jerky sandwich to be more accurate). I split the veggie meal with the boss (who happens to be Dominican and knows her Latin Cuisine) and it was not good. We were excited b/c it had all the classics... Mofongo, tostones, yuca frita... None of which were good and the mofongo was disgusting. It was dry, tasteless, crumbly, and such a dissappointment. Did I mention my boss was of latin heritage? About the service: We think our waiter was Roberto -that was our translation...(see pic of receipt below that says "Rubber -Toe.") We had to ask to order. We never got any water or tea refills. We could not get him to come to our table... After receiving our food, it was obvious that three of us weren't touching ours, but no one came by to ask if they could help. My colleague with the inedible plate would have liked to have orderd something else, but the two guys who got edible sandwiches (the Cuban and a chicken sandwich) had finished theirs by the time we practically got up from the table a tackled our waiter to get him to respond to our stares. Once we finally begged the waiter to come over to us (especially about that one dish that went completely untouched) and he seemed mostly confused and certainly unresponsive. We had to ask for the check. He had one pen in the whole restaurant. We watched, helpless, as other tables sat with their menus in front of them for 30 minutes plus... No manager or owner was anywhere to be seen or heard and we left, grateful just to leave. Lunch sat in our stomachs like stones and we have all sworn not to return. read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - This is NOT MOFONGO. Gross. Dry. Tasteless. - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I think this may be one of my favorite places in Austin. It has nice outdoor seating, the vibe is totally casual, I don't have to worry about parking and the service is always super-friendly and informative. As for the food, it has never disappointed. The lechon is the signature Cuban dish and if you haven't had it, you should really try it. Lechon is pork falling apart tender with a rich flavor. I believe it is served with yucca with garlic (boiled, not fried)-- one of my favorite comfort foods. I also love the fish dish they serve. It is much better than described on the menu and the portion is huge. The Cuban sandwich is good, more like 2 Cuban sandwiches, and bigger and heartier than traditional, but no harm in that. A Cuban sandwich is one of those sandwiches that don't sound good - until you taste it! Slow roasted pork, ham, swiss, pickles and mustard pressed in a roll. MmmMmm. If you get the plaintain chips, ask for mojo sauce on the side for dipping. Last time I was there, I brought a friend from out of town and we decided to do just starters/side dishes as a lunch. We had my favorite boiled yucca with garlic and olive oil, the wings, which were FANTASTIC and had that crack pineapple sauce, rice with grandules (pigeon peas) and black beans. Great lunch. We were happy and stuffed. Before coming to Texas five years ago, I had never had Cuban food, as there really isn't any in the Bay Area. Then a couple of years ago, I went to Miami and spent some time in Little Havana. Wow. Now I need my Cuban fix every once in a while and Habana Soco does the trick. read more

This is honestly my favorite place in Austin and I've been here for almost 20 years. It's also my mom and sister's favorite and any time they visit we have to go here at least once. Drinks are delicious and the food is authentic. Ambience is great too! I love sitting in the little huts outside- makes me feel like I'm on vacation. read more

First I ordered a Mojito and it tasted awful. I think they used the cheapest Rum possible and made the Mojito in a large batch, but I will give them that because if I should have specified what kinda of alchol to use in my drink. I read lots of reviews raving about the drinks here but even on my second drink order when I specified how I wanted the drink made the bartender still seems to only half try to make my drink tasty. The food was good albeit a bit pricey and I would recommend everyone go here at least once, just don't plan on having good cocktails. read more

So. Much. Food. My friend and I ate here for the first time and I will definitely come back. We ordered the plantain chips with guacamole for our appetizer and Arroz con Pollo for dinner. I was not expecting the portion sizes to be as big as they were. I had leftovers for days! The chicken was nicely cooked as was the rice. Great flavor and not too salty. I recommend you dine al fresco and kick back with a mojito while you wait for your food. Come hungry! read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Arroz con Pollo - Muy Rico! You'll have leftovers for sure. - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

It's so far away from north of Austin, otherwise I can go there often. When I stepped in, I can smell delicious pork. It came out of kitchen, and in the air of whole restaurant. I ordered smashed plantain as appetizer. It tastes so good with the pork cumin sauce. I finished it in one minute. Highly recommend that. I ordered their slow cooked pork as entree. It tastes good alone, but if you put on Cuban bread, the bread will have all pork juice and oil soaked in. I didn't like oily bread that much. It came with Yucca, rice and black beans. Yucca tastes like potato to me. People around me had mojitos. I don't drink, and I found out they have virgin Mojitos. It just tastes like Mojitos with alcohol. $3. Not bad. I like my waitress too. She is very patient. Because I like their sauce, she brought me more for my entrees too. read more

Thanks to the Cuban cigar rollers at Bobalu, we found Habana Soco. Let me start off saying that I was craving and authentic Cuban sandwich when we arrived; however, I was disappointed in a couple of things: instead of Swiss cheese, my sandwich had American AND it was full of thick hunks of avocado and there were no pickles on it either. (which you can see from my uploaded picture) This is not a Cubano Sandwich that I know and love so goes my 1 star deduction. Now, the mojitos are killer. AND they have a spectacular Platano Dacquiri which is basically roasted plantain. OMG, this thing is out of this world divine and totally made distracted me from the sandwich issues. Additionally, my sandwich was served with Yucca fries, which I love and were very good. Chris ordered their Seafood Paella which is a 2-person serving, and boy was it ever! I even tried it out and it was INCREDIBLY delicious and SO full of intense flavors. This is definite MUST when you come here. I look forward to going again because I dearly miss my Platano Dacquiri; it'll cure what ails you! read more

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Just a south Florida girl trapped in Texas, so obviously good Cuban food is something I miss from back home. I eat here pretty frequently and it always satisfies my cravings. They were on point with the COVID-19 to-go ordering so that made me happy, as did my to-go mojito. Highly recommend! read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

Came out to Eat here cause everyone has been talking about their Authentic Cuban Caribbean Food. Not impressed at ALL! Restaurant looks great, Staff very polite and courteous, menu has quite a variety, but the authenticity of the food is not there by far trust me I'm from the Caribbean and this is not Cuban food. The taste is not Cuban Caribbean it's American seasoned when a Restaurant rages about Authentic Foods it must taste, represent and at the most minimum simulate it's regional flavors. I'm sorry I don't like to write negative reviews but I was truly disappointed I will never eat here again. Cuban and Caribbean style foods have almost the same typical taste and our ingredients are very to much the same, if you haven't tried Cuban Caribbean foods you won't understand our foods are seasoned to taste not just salt and pepper. I'm disappointed from the Heart! I would suggest, not saying that you serve Cuban Caribbean Authentic Food cause you truly don't, you may use the main ingredients but the Spices and Caribbean Ingredients are far from our Foods taste buds! read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Habana Restaurant aka serving Authentic Cuban Caribbean Foods not true by far! - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Had Fidel Castro walked up, personally rolled me a Cuban cigar and given me a high-five in complimentary Spanish, I couldn't have had any more of an intriguing pop into Habana than the one I had this week. It's little mystery that this place has been bringing down the raves: I tried on the Bistec de Pollo Empanizada (With Mango Salsa), a breaded chicken dish with traditional Cuban rice on the side, offset by a specialty brew made especially for the restaurant. True too about the killer mojitos: the best way I can explain it is that if you imagine one of the better mojitos you've had, add more mint and a more nuanced, more interesting flavor...small wonder it's a hit. Great happy hour specials, easy service, and like most fan faves in Austin, utterly affordable. I'll be going back time and again 'til they ask me if I want "the usual." read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

My coworkers and I went here for lunch , and the food was simply too good ! This was my first time trying a Cuban restaurant and it did not disappoint. The portions were pretty large- I would suggest sharing or getting a box to go. They have outdoor seating as well , and on a nice summer day it's a pretty cool place to hang out. I recommend going here in the evening , as they serve drinks and cigars( something I haven't seen before ), and it would be a good place to chill out with friends. Will come back here at night sometime read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - The cigar menu - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas

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yummy overpriced food. So, the bf had never had a Cuban sandwich. WHAT??!!??!! must rectify immediately!!! So, we headed down to Habana. It's been a while since i have been here. The cabanas are new! We decide we want to sit at one, when asked at the host booth, i figure it will be a good experience. I was wrong. They are all tore up and everything is sticky. whatever. we ignore it and order a mojito and some sort of pineapple Cuban martini. this will allow us to dismiss the sticky. I ordered the cubano empanada (not on the menu, but a friend had gotten it a week before i was there, so i asked. my awesome waitress obliged.) The Boy got the standard Cubano sandwich. They were both very good.. The tostones were not really good. but, ya know. whatever. Bill was around 70 bucks for our 2 meals, 4 cocktails (their mojitos are AWESOME) and tip. A little pricey.. Probably won't be back for a while. read more

Habana Soco Restaurant - Cubano empanada! - Cuban Near Me - Austin, Texas