Went to Havana's last night for dinner. I had no issues with the service or food considering the place was busy. I give this place only two stars as I ordered two old fashions with Bookers bourbon. They charged $48 each drink! That is ridiculous! Thinking they made a mistake I spoke with our server and the bartender who said the owners establish the pricing and nothing they could do about it. There was no price on the menu or mention of an upcharge but i expected it to be in line with what other establishments charge. I wasn't happy! After dinner my party walked across the street to The Dive and found the same Bookers bourbon for $14, much more reasonable and in line with what it should cost. I walked back across the street to Havana's and showed the bartender The Dive's menu and pricing. Still nothing could be done. Apparently the owners are greedy and ripping customers off on drinks so buyer be ware! I won't be going back. read more

I'm not going to write about the food. I ate the grilled chicken salad (not a fish eater) and my friends said they enjoyed their fish. It was a windy, rainy Friday night, and we were seated in the tented outdoor space. Not at all quiet, comfortable, or desirable for anyone, though a brave couple was eating out there. I'm assuming they had a waitperson exclusively for the outside who needed to work, but no guests wanted to sit there. The host seemed frazzled, but I immediately asked to be seated indoors. This was not going to work for us, I said. Another host came by, understood and within 3 minutes seated us in a booth upstairs. Perfect! It's a convenient location if you're staying on the beach, casual/upscale, a large selection of fish, their specialty, but don't expect it to be your best vacation meal ever. Relax, you're at the beach, ask for what you want, don't be rude to the staff and they'll be kind to you. read more

The ambiance of this restaurant is lovely, and the service was prompt. However, the hostess seemed ill informed about the specials and actually gave wrong information. I am disabled and the elevator wasn't operational so I could not get into the restaurant at all. We ate outside. The food was well below par. One member of my party ordered the grouper and it was inedible. She sent it back ( she was not charged for it and the waitress tried to make it right). I had flounder tacos and had food poisoning in the middle of the night. The steak salad was adequate at best. BT's chicken was the best dish, well seasoned and moist. There are many more and better restaurants to enjoy in this area... avoid this one. read more

Holy overpriced. I get that inflation is real but this place gave me sticker shock well above what I expect for a tourist seafood place. $18 for the crab dip, which lacked any depth of flavor. $40 for Mahi filet, $4.50 up charge to get the creole sauce on it, which we weren't aware of. $32 for seafood pasta, the scallops were a bit undercooked. We also got the pork chops which had good flavor but we're over cooked. The rice pilaf was great, only reason I gave it 2 stars read more

Don't waste your time and especially not your money. Came to this restaurant because it was a convenient walk from our AirBNB. The patio/outdoor seating was nice looking but we chose to sit inside because it was hot. The inside, however, was so ridiculously steamy and humid. It's like they didn't bother at all to turn on the AC and this is coming from someone who is constantly cold. Everything from there continued downhill, particular the food which was approximately $35/plate. Everything was grossly under seasoned and bland. There was nothing creative or unique about the menu -- something you could easily make at home (steamed asparagus, mashed red potatoes and pan seared fish). My favorite part of the evening is when we received the bill and realized they passed the credit card fee onto us. There are much better restaurants, particularly seafood options in Wilmington. Just go somewhere else. read more

This looks like a home from the outside, but it is a completely decked out restaurant space inside and out. I was actually surprised by how many tables were in this place. First off, the drinks...I ordered a margarita, can't remember the exact name of the margarita, but it was the one with patron. I'm extremely particular about my margaritas. This was exceptional. Balanced, not too sour and the bartender didn't skimp on the tequila. I had a cup of New England Clam Chowder and devoured it. This was the best Clam Chowder I've ever had. Order it! You won't be disappointed. The fish tacos were my main course. They were good, not great. I actually only ate one and gave the other to my companion. The accompanying tortillas with queso were really good. Nice change from chips and salsa. Decent priced meal. read more

Havana's - Clam Chowder - Cup - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

See all

We visited this weekend for dinner and then for Sunday brunch. Service was great, wait was short and food was so good! This has become a regular spot for us. read more

Havana's - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

See all

So we finally tried this place again after a 10 year hiatus from a lousy experience. All of our friends were telling us to give it another go after all that time had passed. So we went for dinner Labor Day Monday. We sat outside and people watched while we had a few drinks, apps and entrees. Our waiter was great. She looked completely fried (as did most of the staff) but they were all friendly and accommodating. The food was good. We started with the crab dip - decent - not sure about the menu claim to be full of backfin crab but we certainly enjoyed it. For entrees I ordered the Salmon Carolina served with steamed broccoli and white rice. The salmon was good, didn't knock my socks off, and I'm not really sure who goes to restaurants and raves about the steamed broccoli and white rice. My husband had the Crispy Shrimp Platter, which one might think you can't really screw up, but us beach people know you most certainly can screw up fried shrimp. The shrimp were quite tasty and the fry on them balanced well with the size of the shrimp. The shrimp portion was substantial and left overs were packed up and taken home. We didn't try any of the signature cocktails just vodka/sodas and a glass of house wine but there were lots of people around us seeming to enjoy in the "fancier" adult beverages. Overall Havana's did redeem themselves to a certain degree. Will we go back? Maybe deeper into off season when we don't want to go too far for a bite but that's about it. Btw, while we were people watching we noticed the hostess turning away potential diners towards the end of dinner service. She said they were extremely short staffed and just couldn't handle anymore orders. Same story heard all over our island this summer. read more

Visited Havana's while on a trip to Carolina Beach. It was just ok. Pretty over priced for just average food and service.

The food was absolutely amazing! The calamari was crispy and the sweet chili sauce on the side was to die for, the volcano shrimp was delicious, and the Cha-Cha Salmon was cooked to perfection. I do think they should switch up their rice recipe because it very much gives off the "from the box" taste. The broccoli would've used some extra steaming but everyone is different. Our server Chase gave great service & got us everything we needed and kept us happy as can be. The ambiance is a little off in here but the dark lighting and outdoor seating does help outweigh the cons, aka the weird pictures that are nailed into the walls. Haven't been the biggest fan of staring at a picture of a monkey while I'm eating, haha! read more

Havana's - Cha-Cha Salmon, Crispy Calamari, Volcano Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Good food although not as hot as you would expect. Covered outdoors area was ok but a bit drafty. Good service and nice people. read more

We arrived later in the evening and it had just rained so outdoor seating was not an option. Grabbed a drink at bar while we waited. Bartender was busy but still attentive. Food was pricy but also good. Pricing is to be expected being close to the beach. The menu had a lot of options. I was happy that the options were not all fried food! All in all a good experience. read more

This restaurant is a must for us anytime we're anywhere nearby. Food and drinks are always impeccable, with new menu items and seasonal specials added regularly. Beautiful setting in a historic home with lovely garden and porch seating that they improve regularly. Service is always top-notch, but if you're smart, ask for Jane. She's a true professional with a wonderful personality and awesome sense of humor to match. She's one of the reasons we keep coming back. I can't say enough good things about Havana's, so do yourself a big favor and give it a try! read more

Food was absolutely phenomenal!! Service was top tier. I felt as if I was royalty it was so good. Jessica who was my server told me they only sell Pepsi products so I asked for a cherry Pepsi they didn't have it but she actually made me cherry pepsi. Doesn't get much better than that. The ambiance was perfect for a mid afternoon lunch. read more

I am not one who desires to give negative food reviews because it can be a subjective thing. Not to mention, the food industry is incredibly tough and I respect that everyone is trying their best. However, seeing as prices are what they are now and that my husband ended up with food poisoning I thought now would be an appropriate time. I encourage you to not eat at Havana's. The quality of everything - food, service and most definitely the way food is cooked, stored or handled is poor. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

Poke bowl is bad, rice or I hope its rice is crunchy and not in a good way. The rest of the menu isn't bad, some of it is. But not a great place. read more

Early season visit. Sat outside at the curbside bar. Great apps and drinks! Can't wait to come back!

Visited this restaurant for an early dinner with my family today. A party of three. The restaurant looked empty. The hostess offered to seat us upstairs. Upstairs the room was small with very tiny windows and musty. Very musty. Hard to breathe. I asked not be seated there. The hostess took us back downstairs to the same empty room we came into the restaurant. We felt very insulted. Not sure what was that about. Food was just okay. We liked our waiter. A nice and polite young man. But don't think I will be visiting this restaurant again. I hope they were more courteous and kind to all customers. Yocasta read more

The service was not the greatest. The food was so slow to come out. We went at 830 pm on a Wednesday night (not busy). The person who hosts us was nice, but I noticed apps came out pretty much with the entree which was bizarre. For the price, I think they could improve a lot better. I got nachos as app and mahi mahi entree which I pretty much boxed up bc it was getting so late. Regardless of my service, I think 3stars is fair, I noticed that food timing and amount of time it took was complaints of others there as well. I asked my server is that normal, she brushed me off. No manager came by, i will give them another try m, maybe they had a bad night. read more

Havana's - Food of nachos - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Great food and atmosphere!! Best fish tacos . Really good service!! Our waitress Katelyn was awesome and took great care of us!! read more

There is a good amount of cheese and bread in the soup. Rather sweet and seasoned perfectly. It is a little high price point for the amount and no bread is served on the side but overall I'll give it a 4 1/2 out of five stars. The fries are evenly and thinly sliced with a unique shape. They are perfectly cooked neither overdone nor underdone, the oil must've been the perfect temperature because they're not greasy and the seasoning is perfect. My wife described the salmon as amazing. The cream sauce is quite flavorful, and the salmon is cooked perfectly. It is a very generous portion. Everything else on the plate she said was cooked perfectly. The cauliflower fish tacos have a very generous portion of perfectly cooked small pieces of cauliflower, the sauce served with it is spicy and balances perfectly with the cauliflower and the tortilla. The shrimp on top of the salmon was delectable. It was cooked perfectly neither too soft nor too firm the rice had a surprising depth of flavor. read more

See all

We enjoyed a very delicious meal at Havana's accompanied by the friendliest service you could ask for. We lucked out at Sunday morning brunch and we're treated to live music. We would go back for the music on alone! All in all everyone enjoyed the variety of food items each one ordered. I had the crab eggs Benedict which I really enjoyed. I appreciated the fried plantains on the side for some thing sweet to complement the savory. Most of us were visiting from out of town but we will surely return on our next visit. read more

This place is centrally located on the main drag in Carolina Beach, and has nice outdoor seating with music playing. Food was pretty decent, service was friendly but kind of lacking. The servers were very friendly, but everything took forever. For example, they'd bring food but not utensils and then it would be a 10 minute wait to get silverware. Given we spent $330 on a lunch for 4 adults and 2 kids my expectations are higher than that so I'm knocking down a star for that. Food was good though, I had nachos for appetizer and Shrimp & Scallop Alfredo both of which were tasty. Overall decent but tourist prices and island time service- up to you if you want to try your luck. read more

While in Carolina Beach we ate two meals here. Nice fresh menu and outside seating. We experienced both inside and outside. The Mahi Mahi tacos were a bit wet (drippy) for us the first night but the Tuna salad wells great! The second night the Carolina style Mahi Mahi was great. My son's creole pasta I think was the name was great and the 13 year old finished the complete dish much to server's surprise. My husband had the horseradish tuna and it was good just not great. All in all great two dinners! Highly appreciated the freshness and friendly staff. read more

See all

Busy night but was seated promptly - great service from Wyatt. Had some basics salads with grilled chicken and shrimp, ceasar and soup-hubs had pasta -all yummy will def come back read more

If I could give it 0 starts I would No flavor on any of the food Jerk chick starter, no flavor calamari was under cooked and the batter was soggy Shrimp under cooked and no seasoning chicken...trash Can't even get a 1/2 way decent drink As I was walking out someone asked how was it I said trash, I would leave On top of everything it was way over priced EPIC FAIL Taco Bell would have been better read more

Everything we had on the menu was great. Loved the blue crab appetizer! S&S Alfredo was so amazing too. Their fries were very unique and very tasty. Service was fast and efficient. Had a nice dark lighting feel. read more

After waiting twenty minutes for a table, I waited another thirty minutes but was not acknowledged by any of the wait staff. It was a Tuesday night and not particularly busy. read more

Food was good, espresso martini was great, service was EXCEPTIONAL. We wanted to bring our senior dog to the beach for her 15th birthday and therefore brought her with us in a stroller for dinner, and everyone was SO kind and gracious with helping us maneuver her around the screened porch even though it was obviously a pain in the ass lol... Allison was our server & she is truly a gem, top notch experience all around, thanks so much yall! read more

Tried again and disappointed We got and waited five minutes until the server came (krista or Kristine, not sure) She filled water glasses and walked away She didn't take drink orders or appetizers Just disappeared Waited 3-5 more minutes and we got up an left When you get waited on, the food is actually good.. the service needs an upgrade... it's bad when you work all week, look forward to a good meal only to be ignored... a true evening / mood killer read more

The salmon was cooked perfectly and the drinks were great! Fantastic service! One of my favorite restaurants at Carolina Beach! read more

Havana's - Cha Cha Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Food was delicious and brought out fast. Server was very accommodating and the ambience was very soothing.

Highly recommend this place! We went for an early dinner, so service was not an issue. They clearly are short staffed due to covid, but service was still excellent! The food and cocktails were great. Highly recommend the salty margarita! They create their own sour mix in house, so that was unique. Each entree we ordered was amazing as well as desserts. Really recommend the key lime pie! Although pricey, I think the food is worth the price compared to other places on Carolina beach. Food is tasty, on the healthier side, and fresh! Can't beat it. read more

Havana's - Yellowfin tuna - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Stopped in with a decent sized group and from the moment we got there the hostess and wait staff was wonderful. Great selection of drinks and fresh seafood while still having safe options for ppl like myself who hate/are allergic to shellfish. Super accommodating for trying to help us get our group able to sit together too. I'd recommend a reservation because they were on a 2 hour wait without 1 but I can say it was definitely worth it. read more

Havana's - BTs chicken - Seafood Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Love this place! Excellent staff and wonderful food. Nice outdoor seating space. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Thoroughly enjoyed Havana's- we opted for outdoor seating and luckily there was a table open! We didn't have our dogs with us but the outside is dog friendly. Every restaurant we've been to during our trip to CB definitely does not skimp on the portion size or amount of meat and Havana's is no exception. I got the steak salad with clam chowder. The rest of the party got pulled pork nachos and the crispy fish platter. We shared a crab dip and chicken skewers. I was a fan of the chowder but it wasn't the "best I've ever had". The chicken skewers were really flavorful and everyone loves their meals. It was SO MUCH FOOD. Cant give a full review on the drinks since I was pregnant at the time but I did get to try a couple sips of some spicy margarita. Definitely recommend if you like spicy things. Mmmm! read more

See all

They cannot cook a medium rare steak for shit... I decided to give them a second chance and they definitely proved me right.. Had to send my steak back and a manager came out with my steak cooked the correct way.. Train your cooks please... I shouldn't have to send it back. Evan was amazing tho read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. The restaurant has nice premises, the outdoor area is great. They also had live music. It is a nice place to spend a good time. The staff is courteous and friendly. The food not so good. At least what we ordered was not great. The cocktail drinks lacked flavor and alcohol. I ordered the French Quarter Pasta, the pasta was dried and also lacked flavor. Maybe the dish needs a new name. I was expecting New Orlean flavors. My wife ordered the seafood lasagna, she was fine with it, nothing extraordinary. Probably we should have not ordered pasta and stick to just seafood. I will still recommend to go to this place to enjoy of the outdoor area. read more

See all

We've been many times and know what to expect. The ambiance is great for a beach restaurant and the manager comes by to check usually more than once. Our waiter this time- Kaylee, was 5 star plus! The food is reliable. Once we found what we liked there, it's always a sure bet. It's certainly not the least expensive place to eat on the beach but it is a tried and true favorite for us. read more

Don't let the "award winning " marketing for the clam chowder fool you. The clam chowder was the worst I've ever tasted. Tough clams. Sour flavor profile that overwhelmed everything. Even with the "fresh batch" they trotted out when I sent the first back. Beyond that Hubby's dinner was cold and the mahi-mahi overcooked and dry. Also had a Caesar salad and pretty sure the dressing came out of a bottle. Cmon. Every restaurant at this level of prices should make their own dressing! Can I get an amen? Won't be back. Gave an extra star because our server was terrific. read more