Honestly, just excellent. Good Cuban food is hard to find around here and that's exactly what this was. Vaca frita and masitas de puerco were excellent. Great moros and maduros. Empanadas de guayaba y queso were wonderful. Friendly service. No frills atmosphere but it's perfect. read more

Havana Cafe - Empanada de guayaba y queso - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The server that was taking my old order had a dry attitude. And for $20 plate, you would expect more food and a lot more flavor. This food did not have good flavor at all. I wasted my time going. read more

Havana Cafe - 20 plate the rice did not taste good at all - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The fried plantains are so good--sweet, soft on the inside, and perfectly cooked. The oxtail is also good, tender, and full of flavor. The Moro rice is good and pairs nicely with the main dishes. The mixed veggies taste like mixed veggies--simple and exactly what you'd expect. I also tried the chicken sandwich, which was good and satisfying. To drink, I had the passion fruit drink, and it was really good and refreshing. Overall, everything was solid, with a nice variety of flavors. It's a good place to enjoy a filling meal with some standout items. read more

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10/10 -- and that's coming from my Cuban family. This is hands down the best Cuban restaurant in the Midwest. I've been to Havana Rumba in Louisville, and this place is without a doubt superior. From the moment you walk in, it feels like you've stepped straight into a café in Havana. I ordered the Cuban sandwich, and the pork was unbelievably juicy and packed with rich, authentic flavor. And the maduros... I genuinely don't have the words perfectly caramelized, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth good. My husband had the steak con congri. The congri was cooked flawlessly, and the steak was bursting with flavor -- but that chimichurri? It elevated everything to a whole new level. If you're looking for a truly authentic, local Cuban restaurant, this is it. We absolutely recommend it and will 100% be back. read more

The dining area is small to medium sized; service was quick and attentive. We sampled all 3 empanadas, and unfortunately, with one, the dough was rancid. I assume they batch make and freeze them. Certainly, they have potential flavor-wise though. The Cuban sandwich was solid. We also got a shredded chicken/rice/cheese dish I can't remember the name of off the top of my head! It was good but could've done with some salt and a squeeze of lime which we asked for and added. All and all, decent. read more

The food was phenomenal, the service (Helena) was very pleasant, attentive, and fast. The ambiance was very comfy and the noise level was great. Highly recommend this place! read more

I could have cleared my plate. Everything was delicious. I had the imperial rice with chicken and everything was so flavorful. I also ordered a café con Leche and it was prepared a little on the sweet side for my liking, but it was delicious and she attended us promptly. It wasn't busy when we got there, but it was nice and cool compared to outside so that was appreciated. Everything is reasonably priced, and they have a lot on their menu to choose from. There's a lot of parking. Definitely a place that I am looking forward to going again and trying more on the menu. read more

Havana Cafe - Arroz imperial - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Always amazing! Customer service always friendly! Their Cuban sandwich is the best hands down!!!

I've been going to the restaurant for years and I absolutely love it! The food is seasoned to perfection, sweet plantains, soft rice, tasteful meat! You can't go wrong! I've had chicken, steak, pork etc all had different flavor profiles but all scrumptious! My all time favorite and go to is the oxtail, tender and stewed in a delicious sauce! Highly recommend! Don't miss out on the coconut flan! read more

Havana Cafe - Entrance - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Quaint little cafe. I have always heard great things about it so we decided to split some ham croquettes & a Cuban sandwich. Both were phenomenal - the croquettes were delicate and not greasy at all. The Cuban is a stand alone star - the bread is perfect, the amount of pork/ham that you gets is generous, and the mustard to pickle ratio was great. Will definitely go back to get some plated meals because everything looked so good. Service was quick and kind! read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Been craving authentic Cuban cuisine. After living in Miami, I could not find a Cuban restaurant that hit the spot. This location will not disappoint you. The service was friendly and made me feel welcomed. Everything was delicious. read more

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If anyone is craving Cuban food in Indiana then make your way to this place! Prior to spending most of my time in Indy, I lived in Fort Lauderdale where Cuban food can be found anywhere. Havana Cafe satisfies my craving for sure!! Their ropa vieja and vaca frita are delicious - we always order these 2 things when here. The restaurant is kind of at a strip mall location in kind of an old-ish neighborhood but I'm telling you that the food is worth it!!! Try them out and thank me later read more

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Ordered a Cuban sandwich. To go.It was ok. Meat was chopped up with one sliced cheese on toasted French bread.

The food was so delicious and the lady that waited on us was very nice! The restaurant was clean, nice and simple. We will definitely be back! read more

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Nice little spot for comfort food. I had the ropa vieja (pictured) and my partner had the arroz con pollo. The seasoning and portion was perfect for a filling meal. We shared the flan for dessert, which was silky smooth but the sauce was a bit strong (rum-like?) for my taste. The woman who served us was quiet but accommodating. We got there at 8pm on a Friday. There was a group of 10 already seated and waiting for entrees, but our food only took about 15 minutes to come out after we ordered. Tables continued to fill in the small, cozy space as the evening went on. We'll definitely be back when we need to satisfy our Cuban craving! read more

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It doesn't look like much but that was the best Ropa Vieja I've ever had. Absolutely delicious and the right portion size. Followed up with a cheese flan and my taste buds were overjoyed. read more

Had a nice dinner tonight with friends at this cozy spot tucked into a strip mall on the west side of Indy. First visit for most of the group and I generally steer towards a Cuban sandwich but the menu had lots to offer and I went with a braised pork dinner with black rice and plantains as my side . I believe everything is cooked to order and with a bit of a wait every item came out hot from the kitchen. My meal was very good and I had enough to bring home leftovers for the next day. Our sever was very nice and prices were very reasonable. read more

Havana Cafe - Pork, black rice and beans with plantains - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I don't know about the service but if they don't open on time I don't recommend it. El servicio no se pero si no abren a la hora no lo recomiendo. Debieron abrir a las 11 y a las 11:15 estaban cerrados read more

Havana Cafe - a man's hand holding a watch - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The food was authentic and very good, the staff was attentive and very friendly we will definitely return when in the Indianapolis area.

Born and raised in Miami and was in town for work and saw this place and said hey why not. First off the owner and the staff are not Cuban and for that matter and even from any Caribbean country for that matter. The Cuban sandwich resembles a Mexican torta with no flavor and overwhelming amount of mustard to take away from the lack of flavor on the meat. A very thin slice of cooked ham and no cheese whatsoever.The flan was dry as you can see in the photo and tastes like a dry pudding. This is a lack of respect to true Cubans food. What a disgraceful experience read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban sandwich and flan - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The waitress is awful. I'm in town from Florida and I asked her what's the most popular dish? She refused to answer my question saying that "they are all popular" I said ok so which dish on the menu do you sell the most and she went on to say "oh you don't understand all Cuban cuisine is popular." Then she walked away! By this time I had ordered a coffee. I paid for the coffee & left. read more

One dish could carry this restaurant - the vaca frita. Oh my goodness it is so good, like a punch in the taste buds. The lemony tang, the crispy fringes, the meaty chewiness! Om nom nom nom. Most everything else is great on the menu too. 4 stars instead of 5 because the last time I ate there something was very off with the white rice, like some chemical or cooking gas accidentally got into the rice. I ate half of it and threw the rest out, something was not right. read more

Stopped in here heading home from the airport, and I'm so happy we did. Don't let the picture fool you, I know it doesn't look like a lot but the food here was delicious! My son got a Cuban (sorry no picture he was hungry) and it was delicious as well. Staff was so friendly and food came out quick and hot! read more

Havana Cafe - Pollo a la Milanese - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The food was wonderful! took my friends to go eat with me and we all had a great time. we ordered the oxtail, steak sandwich, and the empanadas. not a single bad review!! i especially love the maracuya!! the maracuya water is the best i ever had. not too sweet but not too bland. waitress was a blonde lady who wore a hat. super attentive and super nice. overall great experience. hats off to the chef! read more

Still amazing. My family has been coming here since 2017. We basically celebrate every birthday or celebration here. Brenda works her butt off so it makes me really sad to see all the negative reviews about the service. She is typically the only one there and I have never seen her sit down to take a break. So yes, it can be slow sometimes, but it's worth the wait. After all they went through during covid, I'm so happy that they're still up and running. Just please be kind and considerate. I've had just about everything on the menu. My favorite things are: -Vaca frita -Bistec de pallomia - The Cuban sandwich - Lechon asado - The croquettas - Their tostones and maduros - the guava and cheese empanada - the arroz imperial We love you Brenda and Family read more

This place is so good. You really need to try it, especially if you haven't had Cuban food before. Though if you have had Cuban and love it, this is the place for you in Indy. I highly recommend the vaca frita with tostones (so you get their to die for mojo sauce.) Everything we order from there is delicious, I've never left unsatisfied. The coffee is also very good. read more

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Pues [well]... I can't believe I wrote a review three years ago only commenting on their frituras and haven't updated yet! Settle in, y'all... Welcome to your own mini vacación to Havana, Cuba. This restaurant and the one on Broad Ripple are the only Indy options for Cuban, and both are good. This one differs from BR in that it is a formal sit-down restaurant with sandwiches, appetizers, and a large entree menu + deserts. When you walk in, there's soft lighting and vibrant music (usually salsa). There's six 4-person tables and four 6-person tables, plus a bar with some seating (great if you are doing take-out). I'd recommend coming here for lunch, because the lunch specials (3 each day) are about $9.99 and include some of their best dishes like arroz imperial (chicken and rice, so juicy) or ropa vieja (shredded beef with rice). The lunch specials rotate. Their entrees are reasonably priced, and there are lots of options (unless you're vegetarian or vegan, sorry). The ropa vieja is, I think, on the more expensive end at $13.99 (but totally worth it!) but other dishes are $10.99 or $11.99. Whatever I e tried, I've liked. They take a lot of care with their food - FYI which means it can take a while to be prepared, so understand if you're on a time rush (but not always! Today at dinner I got mine in 15 min!) The appetizers are WOO good. The marinated beef in the beef empanadas makes this one of the BEST beef empanadas (if not the best) in the city. The papa rellena is very good, also (and VERY hard to find in Indy). Both are $3 or $3.50, which is a great deal. The fried plantains are cooked PERFECTLY and are beautiful. Service is great, and it's always this one woman (owner?) and an older woman. Parking is right in front of the restaurant! read more

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If you want delicious Cuban food in Indianapolis, this is where you go. If you are in a rush, call ahead and order takeout. If you're good w a leisurely dining experience, it's worth it. The masitas are my absolute favorite dish but honestly, I've not had one thing I've disliked. The cafe is small but they're still taking steps to keep everyone safe. They aren't requiring masks to dine-in but the server still wears one, and plexiglass is still in place at the counter. There is no outdoor seating. This place does not disappoint! read more

Will definitely be back!! Skirt steak was AMAZING, the plantain was perfect and the cheese flan is mouth watering!! Coconut flan is okay. read more

Havana Cafe - Flan - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Alright alright alright, this place is smooth and sexy. Great choice of drinks and cigars with a humidor, and all the good stuff to drink neat or with a round cube. What makes this place so smart is food and seating with close conversation seating and great lighting. Now for the food, the menu is small but each plate is thought out. Tacos, pasta, and dips where exceptional but the cook carrots on the menu ROCK! Don't be a veggie snob, best I've ever had. If have lady with you she will thank you for ordering, mine did. read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Absolutely delicious! I had the arroz con pollo a la chorrera. Incredibly generous portions! And such an incredible depth of flavor, I can barely even begin to describe it, so you'll just have to try it for yourself the sweet plantains were amazing, they reminded my of me time in Guatemala. So these were as authentic as authentic gets!! I had the coconut flan for dessert. It was so good, it left me speechless. So rich and creamy, I was sad when it was all gone! Highly recommend this little gem! read more

Service was good. Beef empanadas were fire, rice was amazing. Tostones & maduro was delicious. The pork was a little dry & so was the bistec which is why I personally am not giving it 5 stars. Other than that this is the best cuban joint in indianapolis & would recommend it. read more

My Wife and I walked into an empty Cafe. Host seated us but left without taking drink order. As we looked at menu we waited for waitress to appear. She or he didn't. We got up and left. We could not understand why it was taking so long for someone to provide basic service of meet and greet. Greeting customers is fundamental in any business. Something to work on. read more

From previous visits I know they make a mean Cuban sandwich so big I always take half home for a second meal. This visit I made a concious decision to order something else and I'm glad I did. As you can see Havana Cafe has a comprehensive menu and it's a difficult decision on what to order. I waffled between #34 because I dearly love my shrimp and the #26 pork dish. Our fabulous waitress shared with me that at this time of the year the Lechon Asado is a more traditional choice so I ordered it with Arroz Amarillo and Platanos Maduros as my two sides. Glad I took her advice...the pork was so so tender, mildly spiced (and a very generous portion as you can see) and the crispness of the onions was a nice contrast. Their sweet plantains are fantastic -- plump with just a hint of sweetness vs the disc like fried plantains that remind me of potato chips and aren't nearly as flavorful. You can taste the love and care that is put into every plate of food that comes out of the kitchen at Havana Cafe. Since each dish is prepared to order it takes a bit of time to get your food, but it is definitely worth a bit of a wait. Great atmosphere, service and food as usual. Can't wait until my next visit. read more

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Havana serve good food. Only problem is, takes forever to order your food. I suggest for you guys not to go here if you are very hungry due to the long wait for your food. But, I still go here because food is great. If you have not been here, then try it. You won't regret it. Again food is fantastic... read more

When my husband suggested Havana Cafe for dinner last night, I anticipated a hole-in-the-wall joint, where'd I'd have to look past greasy booths to get authentic Cuban flavors. I was right and wrong. Right about the authentic flavors. Wrong about the hole-in-the-wall. Havana Cafe is small, but very clean and nicely decorated. The food was exactly what I'd hoped for. Well, except for the tostones (fried plantains). I'm not sure there was anything wrong with them. They just didn't have a lot of flavor and were served with a salty dipping liquid. I wanted something a little sweeter, but my guess is that's just how tostones really are; otherwise, they would be on the dessert menu instead of the appetizer menu. Mike ordered the Cuban, which was big enough for two meals. He gave me a bite and it was delicious. In addition to the typical yellow mustard, it also had mayo, which gave the sandwich a creaminess. The crust of the bread was perfectly crispy. I ordered the fricase del pollo (or something close to that). It was chicken thighs stewed with some small potatoes in a tomato-based sauce. It tastes like home -- if my home had been in Cuba. Total comfort food. It was served with a choice of 2 sides -- I opted for white rice with black beans and fried yuca. The yuca was kind of French fry like, only fresher and not so heavy feeling. I could have had a whole plate of just that. My meal was big enough (except for the yuca, which only came with 3 pieces), that I was able to take half home to eat for lunch today. (Which I just did and which inspired this review.) Havana Cafe was a win for sure. read more

Havana Cafe - Tostones - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Came here with a Cuban American friend so the expectations were set quite high, to say the least. I ended up ordering the #38 - the vegetarian combo with the guava and cheese patty, white rice, black beans, and sweet plantains. Overall, my favorite part of the dish was the black beans. They were perfectly seasoned and so tasty. The plantains were also a great balance to the saltiness of the beans. I will add that my guava cheese patty was very....odd. It was like a BBQ sauce inside and it was way too sweet for my liking. It felt like the amount of food didn't fully match up with the price tag that I paid for it, but overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to trying something new! PS - I dined in during COVID and social distancing, masks, etc. was enforced. read more

I have to say, not only is this some of the best Cuban food I have had but also some of the most authentic. The service here was also top notch. This is one place I truly can't wait to come here to have another amazing meal. The Cuban Coffee was perfect and my meal was some of the best Cuban food I have ever had. I have had some good Cuban food all over the place, but this was the best I have had. If you are north of Miami FL you deserve giving this place a visit. I ate lunch he with a friend and he had never had Cuban food and not only did he love it, he told me he would gladly come back as well. read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban Coffee. Perfect. - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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After spending a weekend recently in South Beach, I've been on a bit of a Cuban kick. Being landlocked in the Hoosier State, I was afraid when I typed in "Cuban food" into the search field on my handy-dandy Yelp app that it would just start laughing at me and tell me nothing is around within 500 miles that qualifies as decent Cuban fare. Fortunately for me, Havana Cafe popped up and had some decent reviews from people I trusted.. not those wanna be posers who write one review a year to get into events. I also knew it would be good because they're just off 38th Street and everything that isn't hamburgers and hot dogs is better if it's off 38th Street. Arrived on a Monday evening about 6:45 and we had the place to ourselves. It's not a very big place, but they did have a nice big table in the back that seated 8-10 people, so if you've got a big group, they'll probably be able to accommodate you. Decor is mainly South Beach posters and pictures of Miami, not Cuba. Maybe to the untrained eye people would think it's Cuba, but trust me, it's South Beach. Service was a little slow in my opinion.. if I had been in a hurry I probably would have been worried or upset, but maybe they do this on purpose to get people to slow down and relax a little. Doubtful, but we'll go with that. Menu is in Spanish and English. Lots of appetizer options as well as beef, pork, chicken and seafood. I went for the roast pork while one of my friends did the pork chops and another the tiliapia. Drinks are in cans and bottles, so I did a water while they did Goya (gross) and Orange Fanta. Even though we were the only order in, it took 15 minutes or so to get our food, but everything came out hot and well-prepared (although my rice was a little dry). Havana Cafe hit my craving for Cuban-Food spot on! I'm sad it has taken me so long to make it here! One other item to note: closed Tuesdays! read more

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Everything is amazing here! They have the best Cuban Sandwich in town! Great device and reasonable prices. read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban Sandwich - Cuban Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana