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Havana Mania
Category: Restaurants Cuban Cuban [Edit]
3615 Inglewood AveRedondo Beach, CA 90278
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
(310) 725-9075
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
229 reviews for Havana Mania
Review Highlights
"I would recommend The Lechon Cubano."
(in 36 reviews)
"Must go back to sample the extensive mojitos."
(in 78 reviews)
"Live music Fri-Sun, lovely warm service."
(in 33 reviews)
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229 reviews in English
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Review from Kristen M.
Hillsboro, OR
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.5 STARS
Havana Mania is a cute Cuban restaurant located on the corner of Inglewood Ave. and Manhattan Beach Blvd. in the city of Redondo Beach!
Came during HH! (which is Mon 4-10pm and Tues-Fri 4-7pm)
What are they known for?
- Monday Mojitos ($5) = popular flavors are Mango/Passion
- Lechon Cubano
- Plantains
What did I order with my cousin?
- MANGO MOJITO was delicious! Not too minty, not too mango-juicy, it was just right! (4/5)
- PAPAS RELLENA also known as "fried potato balls" according to my cousin! The papas rellena are fried potato balls filled with the meat of your choice (beef/pork). We opted for the beef! This came with a complimentary aioli sauce which was quite divine! (4/5)
- ROPA VIEJA (shredded beef in creole sauce) which was accompanied with FRIED PLANTAINS (which were UHHHHH ------- MAZING!!!!!!!!!) I kinda hate to say it but I think the fried plantains kinda outshined the ropa vieja which sorta came out dry and grainy for me. But the two really did compliment each other. This also came with white rice and black beans. (2/5; but the plantains 5/5).
Service was great! We were well taken care of by our server, who also refilled our glasses of water (without any of our requests).
Bathrooms were cutely marked with Desi Arnez (men) and Lucille "I love LUCY" Ball (women). But I wasn't gushing about the mirror that was strategically placed right in front of the toilet. I don't like to look at myself when I go to the bathroom. I wish the mirror was placed in another location of the single-stalled bathroom. No bueno.
We were too full for dessert, but I know I would definitely make room the next time I'm here to sample that as well as their popular lechon cubano and PLANTAINS! -
Review from Caterina C.
Stevenson Ranch, CA
1/21/2012
We have been dining at Havana Mania since 1999, it is a great place to eat Cuban food, neither the food quality nor the service have changed in all these years.
We like some of the staples of Cuban cuisine such as lechon Cubano( roasted pork), masitas de puerco con maduros, arroz y frejoles negros (pork chunks with sweet plantains, rice and black beans), fufu de yuca (cassava with roasted onions), and some new offerings such as Mofongo (mashed plantains, which we order with lechon).
The service is great, the owner, Luis is so welcoming, and nice, and the vibe is great. They have live music during the weekends. Do not miss this great place, you won't be dissapointed! -
Review from Roger R.
Mission Viejo, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I stopped into Havana Mania for a late lunch. I was led directly to a table by the owner, who helpfully pointed out the lunch specials on the menu. Since it was my first time there, I wanted to rank it against other Cuban joints, and ordered the Cuban sandwich, which came with a green salad and their hot, garlicky bread.
The salad was OK, and the dressing was a little soupy for me; either go with a thicker dressing or use less of the thinner stuff. The sandwich was also OK; it was served on a crusty baguette (+) , but was a little dry (-). Overall it was good but not great. Service was attentive, probably because I was there late.
I will be back for dinner and hope to bump my rating based on a deeper exploration of the menu. The $5 happy hour mojitos helps, too. -
Review from Victoria G.
Lawndale, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love this place! Great food and great people!
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Review from Anna B.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2011
This place is awesome!!! i love everything about it.
It's a cool hole in the wall place but has tons of personality to it!!
They have a great list of mojitos but go for the Spicy Cuban Mojito! It's super yummy!!
They got really good deals for happy hour.
We went for dinner and on weekends they always have live music playing while you eat. That's a great twist to it.
For dinner, they had the 2 for 20 deal and I went w the Cubano pollo and my friend went withe lechon. For appetizer we loved the yuca frita :)
Great place great food great music :) -
Review from Andrew P.
Lawndale, CA
2/3/2012
Havana Maria, is a good Cuban restaurant, its great for the weekends like Friday night, Saturday, Sunday night! It's a good place to chill eat and listen to live bands! I recommend it!
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Review from Nathan W.
9/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
As far as the food goes, this is some of the best Cuban faire I've ha in LA or the OC. Better than any Versailles & I'd have to Felix's in Old Town Orange as well.
The 20 smackers deal for 2 entrees & an app is scoring a deal out of the park! I had a very unique rice dish with extremely tender squid. The rice was black & delicious, so I suspect squid ink. The plantains were solid & the sauce that came with the fried yucca was IV worthy. My sister's chicken was textbook roasted with a great garlic jus on the side. I also caught glimpses of the whole fish & the pork offerings. Next time Compay! -
Review from CARmEn H.
10/3/2011
I cannot believe that I had not been here before till recently.
The mojitos are fantastic - choose from at least 10 various flavors.
I recommend the citrus and also the midnight mojitos.
My friend and I had the prefix meal for $20.00. You get your choice to an appetizer to share and then an entree. The Tostones con Picadillo were delicious and I could have eaten that alone, for dinner. I had the fish which was very tender and it was seasoned with garlic, onions and tomatoes. It could have used a tad bit more of garlic for I love garlic but overall the meal was delicious.
Side note: they have a live band on Fri and Saturdays -
Review from Julia B.
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great happy hour offers: $5 mojitos, $3 imported beers and certain appetizers.
My brother chose this place for his birthday celebrations and they handled our big group well. When our party got bigger, they happily moved us from inside to the outside.
They have a great list of mojito flavors, which we attempted to try all of them. My favorite was the mango mojito, least favorite was the cucumber. The raspberry one was also a little too sweet for my liking too. My brother liked the midnight one (with black rum) but he did find it a bit heavy.
Food here is pretty good. We shared several dishes - all were really good, the one thing that stood out to me was their sweet potato fries, which were super crispy. All the apps came with the same lemon-garlic sauce. I would've liked more variety in dips, maybe something a little spicy?
They have a great deal, 1 appetizer and 2 entrees for $20!
I asked our waiter for a birthday cake for my brother and out came a tres leches cake with a candle on it.
Our waiter was super friendly and funny. He took care of us all night. When he came out with the birthday cake, he started to sing "we wish you a merry Christmas" hahahaha
I must admit, I left this place pretty wasted. -
Review from Doris R.
Lake Forest, CA
1/19/2012
Second time here, went for lunch today. Found a metal staple in my soup. Server was very apologetic. He was great. Had salad instead. He told the owner who did not have the courtesy to acknowledge me. My steak came and it was undercooked. (they were not having a good day) I ate it anyway because I had time restraints for lunch. I did mention to server though. Again was apologetic. Overall I know that accidents happen and was not that upset, what really put me off was the failure to receive any acknowledgement from the owner. He purposely avoided making eye contact with me for the rest of my meal. The 2 times I did catch his eye, he quickly looked away as if he had not seen me.
For that reason I will never return to this establishment. How difficult is it to come to the table and apologize and or acknowledge the situation. He is a horrible owner and must have momentarily forgotten that without the customers he was so quick to dismiss today, he will be out of business. JERK, get some people skills.! -
Review from Priscilla C.
Los Angeles, CA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place didn't do too much for me. I came here one night after movies with my mom, and she had heard a lot about it from a her coworkers, so we decided to give it a shot.
We were seated immediately, but service wasn't all that. I wasn't sure at all who our server was, and they seemed like they fighting to get us. Our last server was slow, waited forever for the food, and not only that, the food was warm, not hot. The food wasn't all that great (I'm sure Cuban food is not supposed to be bland), and neither was the presentation. Also, we waited forever for the check.
There is live music that plays at night, and their happy hour prices seem pretty great. But aside from that, I think this restaurant has tons of room for improvement. -
Review from Julien R.
11/5/2011
Haven't been here in awhile, but man oh man do I need to come back! I love Havana Mania, they have the most delicious Papas Rellena (Beef stuffed in fried ball) and all their sirloin beef entrees are tender/perfect. If you're a meat eater, you can't go wrong with Havana Mania. This place is a family owned cuban restaurant, and occasionally you'll see one of the owners pass on by and greet you. And the service is pretty awesome as well, they'll make you feel at home. I heard they have hard to turn down happy hours. Prices vary but for the most part it's not to bad. Dress casual and bring a date here.
Listed in: Starving in the South Bay
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Review from Kevin R.
Manhattan Beach, CA
11/14/2011
This is a great place for Cuban food. The owner, Luis, is always there to greet us when we dine, and will offer a recommendation for one of the many great mojitos. The Gran Gala Mojito is my favorite.
The food is always tasty with many traditional cuban recipes to choose from. My wife and I frequently take advantage of the deal which offers 2 entrees and an appetizer for $20. The fried yucca is always a hit. My favorite dish here is the Lechon Cubano. -
Review from Frank D.
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great Cuban cuisine from a staff that from the front to the back of the house couldn't be more professional and courteous. Service as well as food & drink here is top notch. Happy Hour offers mojitos in a plethora of flavors for $5. My newest discovery is the "Hot&Spicy" mojito. It's the same as their regular mojito(mint,lime,rum,club soda,simple syrup) except they muddle a few slices of serrano chile with the lime and mint. This makes for an incredible drink w/ a kick on the back end. All the way off the chain!!! My favorite is the Paella. Takes 45 minutes to prepare but is worth every minute of the wait and does not dissapoint from first to last bite. The lechon and ropa vieja are also a couple standouts on the menu. There is live salsa on Fridays and Saturday's which is a nice touch to an already great meal. Once a week they roast a whole pig(Tuesday I believe). Awesome!!!
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Review from Sandy K.
Updated - 6/29/2011 3 photos
I made reservations for a Saturday evening for six. Havana Mania has live music on weekends and the corking fee is $10.00 per bottle here.
Our waitress was friendly and she was very helpful with advise on what's tasty here. I took her up on the lamb stew which came with black beans, steamed rice and fried plantains. The lamb stew was delicious and the portion was generous. It paired well with BV 07 private reserve Cabernet.
Everybody enjoyed their food and the music was decent. For desert we tried the Tres Leche and chocolate cake. I preferred the leche but the cake was decent too.
Looking forward to returning here and trying their Paella and having two or twee Mojitos!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/18/2010
I drove by this restaurant Friday night and noticed it was packed even after 9:00 pm.
I've never… Read more »
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Review from Rya L.
Los Angeles, CA
6/20/2011
Came here on a Sunday night with family after playing some 2on2 ball... after a great workout, we were all famished! We originally wanted to drop by Chicken Maison, but it was closed, so we opted for Havana Mania. Upon opening the menu, hubby saw the 2 for $20 deal that includes an appetizer, so we opted for that. I ordered the grilled fish plate and he ordered their lechon cubano. We tried the non-fried yucca appetizer as well. Nephews ordered the a steak dish and a spicy chicken dish. The plates all came with fried plantains, rice and black beans.
My plate was delicious, and the fried plantains were perfectly made, crispy and sweet on the outside and soft on the inside. The fish was flavorful too. I tried hubby's pork and thought it was a little too salty. My nephew's chicken dish was very spicy after one small bite, but he enjoyed it. The steak was thin, but it was well made. The yucca appetizer was very filling and extremely mushy, I think I would opt for the fried yucca next time. The dinner also came with some yummy bread. They had some live music when we were there, I think its a usual event during weekend dinnertime.
Overall, I'm a fan, but it was a bit pricey for the amount the give you. -
Review from Chris I.
Reno, NV
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
excellent service.2 staffers and the owner personally attended to my needs.fresh tasting spicy mojito.bold and sweet cuban-style coffee.generous portion for the 2 for 20 deal.
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Review from Amanda W.
Hawthorne, CA
11/3/2011
I came here for dinner with my Mom one night and we were really disappointed. Many people had told us how good it was and how much we would love it and how good the serivce was. I ordered a Mojito that i couldnt drink and when i ordered something else and the waiter take the mojito he never returned with my other drink. Took a long time to get food we were never asked if we were ok or needed anything. Needless to say i left dissapointed in this place. The food was good and I did go back another time and it was ok, but the service is never great here and that is a dissapointment being that there is another good cuban place not too far way that has good service.
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Review from Sean W.
Sacramento, CA
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was my first foray into the delights of Cuban food so I had no idea what to order nor do I even know what it was that I ordered except that it was excellent as was every other thing I sampled. My girlfriend ordered for me since she has had Cuban many times before.
The flavors and foods were simple. Nothing too complex. Nothing bland. It seemed to be an excellent balance between all the flavors presented. Every bite presented itself with the full flavors of each ingredient melded into one beautifully cohesive dish. I left there feeling very satisfied both in terms of my stomach being full as well as my first venture into Cuban food. -
Review from Eric K.
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
A bland experience overall. Was excited to come with expectations high, somewhat disappointed with the quality of chicken rice. Maybe it was me who is not a professional in Cuban dinning, the place was packed with Espanol speaking customers. Maybe I should've ordered the same things that the next table had ordered, they cleaned their plates.
Friend's roast pork was nice.
Check-in's 20% off was nice as well. -
Review from Jerome L.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2011
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeh. This place is all right. I came here on a Saturday night for a birthday party and ordered the Cuban ground beef with olives and the croqatueras. It was okay. The plantains and beans were good but I think they used Uncle Ben's rice which I'm not too fond of. The three mojito's I ordered were okay but they didn't really grab me. I tried some of the Cuban fries with the cucumber ranch dipping sauce and they were good but not great. I also tried a spoonful of a friends calamari rice (cooked in it's own ink) and that was pretty good. The food took about thirty minutes to come out for our large party but they made up for it by discounting the meal and keeping us filled with their soft bread and very delicious garlic butter. Service was decent and the atmosphere was very relaxed.
I bet if I come back here during happy hour I'll be more than happy to give this place five stars. For now, mmmmmmmmmmmmmeh. -
Review from Rachel D.
Redondo Beach, CA
6/4/2011
This most recent time I came to Havana Mania, I had an equally great time as always.
We started with the croquetas y jamon (yummy!) and the boniato frito con picadillo (meh.......I personally like the picadillo at Versailles better. Spicier and more flavorful). We didn't get it this time, but my personal favorite is the papas rellenas, stuffed potato balls. YUM.
This time, we ordered the pork, beef, and chicken platter, as well as the squid and rice. The pork was perfectly cooked, melted in your mouth, and was so tasty and flavorful, my one year old daughter was scarfing it down. We also loved the shredded beef, although the pork just has that extra special yum factor. I thought the chicken would be my least favorite, because it is often overcooked and dry, but it was so moist and tender, and tasted wonderful. My personal favorites here are the seafood dishes. This time we had the arroz y calamares cooked in its own ink, and it was wonderful. I have also had the snapper and shrimp dishes here, and they are delectable. The sides of rice, black beans, and plantains and just the icing on the cake.
Perhaps the best part is the wonderful and attentive service, and the live music that is played on weekend nights. It is a festive atmosphere, and my daughter loved the music.
Parking is easy in the lot outside, and it is right off the freeway. We will definitely keep coming back, like we have for the past few years. -
Review from Sue L.
Lawndale, CA
6/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had higher expectation for this place, but i was disappointed. The food was blah, and the mojito was watery.
never again :( -
Review from Niva S.
9/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love that they have entertainment on the weekends for guest.
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Review from Miranda G.
Los Angeles, CA
5/23/2011
Had the chance to try some good Cuban cuisene this past weekend, and I have to say - it was a nice little place with pretty authentic Cuban food!
I tried the Pollo Empanizado w/ Black Beans & Rice. To top it off, there were delishes plantains as well. Despite trying this place on a whim on a Saturday evening, we were seated quickly with no wait. We endulged on a little Sangria (which was very good/refreshing) and enjoyed the whole experience.
Cannot wait to try it again! -
Review from Eugene K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I would have to say this has become one of my favorite Cuban restaurants. My favorite dish here is Picadillo a la Cubana and 1/4 or 1/2 Pollo Cubano a close second.
Although this place is about 10-15 minutes away from work, my co-workers and I still come and visit this place.
The service here is quite good at lunch and the dishes come out tasting delicious.
I have tried other dishes here such as Chicken soup, Hot Spicy Cuban Sandwich, Chicken Mango Sandwich and others and they were all great tasking so I truly believe that you can't go wrong with anything they have on the menu.
This place is very convenient as it's close to the freeway and has plenty of parking. If you have not tried Cuban food before, this should probably be your place to come. -
Review from Mike V.
Torrance, CA
3/4/2011
I haven't had Cuban food ever, but basically thought it would be same as all Hispanic foods are concerned. Don't get me wrong, the Cubano Lechon is bomb, but the service was lacking.
The server was admiring my watch (?) and being a little friendly in the beginning, but after we ordered the 2 for 20 dollar deal, the guy was barely attending us! He promised us bread... waited for at least 10 minutes, then shows up with our appetizer (which was included in the meal) followed by our main dishes. Still, the dude didn't bring the bread, or came up to us asking for more refills on our cokes, nothing!
The Appetizer was a fried pork croquette, I wasn't at all impressed by the fried dumplings... it had some mayonaisey-dip, which didn't cloud the un-fresh taste of that croquette. Eh, so-so.
Next came the Cubano Lechon, which is basically spit-grilled pork with an excellent crunch of pig skin, similar to that of a Chicharon (to our non-latino readers, it's pork rind). The meat was cooked real tender along with some garlic and onions, which were mixed well with the meat. The dish sides were white rice and Black beans and fried plantains- Not sweet, nor bitter as some fried plantains can have that effect.
I like the food, but I don't think I'll be excited to go again. Only if a group of us all agree to go there, I'd just tag along for the ride. That waiter put a bad taste in what could possibly be a great dinner experience. Maybe his revenue was based on the orders completed at the bar... we didn't come here just for the frikken' mojitos! -
Review from Chris B.
Long Beach, CA
1/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
After having this Cuban establishment for the first time... I am gonna have to say "NO NO"
Our waiter didn't pay attention when we ordered our food.
I got the spicy cuban sandwhich, asked "no pickles" and guess what I got pickles!
My friend ordered Picadillo Cubano without anything spicy (peppers) and she got a alot of peppers in her plate!
Dude, wtf was our servers problem? We left completely robbed, and made my first experice of cuban food a complete nightmare.
Never again will I step foot at this place.
Sorry Havana Mania... bye! -
Review from Sharon S.
Long Beach, CA
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for the happy hour (and because I was too lazy to drive all the way out to Versailles).
Their drinks are strong and thus worth the money, their pork is tender and flavorful with perfectly cooked onions, but the chicken wasn't that impressive. It's good, don't get me wrong- but I guess I prefer a crispier skin. If you go, get on that check-in special! 20% off two entrees definitely helped when the bill came around. I'd definitely come back for the pork, but sadly... Versaille's garlic chicken still holds my heart! -
Review from Paul S.
Aliso Viejo, CA
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I brought my wife and two little girls to this restaurant when we drove up to spend the day in the L.A. area from Orange County. My father-in-law lives in Tampa, FL, so when we visit we always get a lot of excellent Cuban food to eat. Cuban places are hard to find in California.
We stepped into the restaurant at lunch time and were immediately greeted by a very friendly hostess. The waitress came almost immediately and took our order. She was very thoughtful and very attentive throughout our stay. The apparent owner of the restaurant came over to our table at least three or four times on his own accord to ask us how everything was going and he socialized a bit with our two- and four-year-old daughters. I could tell this was a very friendly family restaurant.
The food was very tasty as I got the Cubano (Cuban Sandwich) and my wife got the Ropa Vieja. We also each ordered a Mojito. They definitely did not skimp on the alcohol and the food was super tasty. We normally would not order dessert at a restaurant, especially for lunch, but the waitress told us about the Flan and the Tres Leches cake. We ordered one piece of the Tres Leches to share and it was really good and hit the spot.
We would definitely come back again and I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Jessica C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally came into Havana Mania after having lived in the area forever... I always assumed the inside was some sort of fast food place where you ordered at a counter and then sat down or took out...
So I was completely surprised when inside I found a very nicely decorated, full-service restaurant.
The staff was very friendly and the service was speedy. Very pleased on that front.
I ordered the filete de pollo... which was essentially grilled chicken with garlic and onions. All entrees come with rice, beans, and plantains, all of which was very tasty and well prepared. They also brought bread and butter to the table... which was AMAZING. Tasted almost like garlic bread. Mmm.
I also saw a great selection of mojitos, and while I didn't have one this time I would definitely want to come back here for happy hour one day... very reasonable at $4.50 for a mojito. :)
This place really stacks up to the other Cuban restaurants I've been in LA... and everything all around was great. The only reason I'd give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it was a little pricey for my wallet. I've been pretty cheap these days so I wouldn't go so far as to say the prices were unreasonable. They also had a two entrees for $10 special that I didn't take advantage of, and I think if I came back I certainly would. I had a good time and would definitely love to come back here and try their other options -- everything looked good! -
Review from Crystal R.
Los Angeles, CA
The dishes were fair, gets kinda crowded during lunch. what i do love was their cooked banana, ill come back just for that.
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Review from Nicole Y.
Los Angeles, CA
2/2/2011
This place is absolutely fantastic! $5-6 happy hour mojitos definitely hit the spot...not to mention the food! You can get smaller plates during happy hour, but during dinner hours they have a 2 for $20 special that includes a selection of appetizers and entrees for two people. An unbelievable deal!
The waitress was very attentive and the food was amazing. The ambiance was very nice and there was even a live band one of the nights that I've gone there. I got the picadillo a la cubano and it was amazing. The beef was wonderfully seasoned and the black beans were superb! My boyfriend got the ensalada de pollo and loved it, and we split the tostones for an appetizer. Despite the portions being fairly large, we had no problem finishing everything off since it was so delicious! We both got different mojitos as well and these were exceptional and well priced.
Would definitely go again (have already been several times but just now getting around to reviewing). I especially recommend the happy hours! -
Review from Patrick D.
Redondo Beach, CA
12/7/2011
I've been coming here for years and it's my favorite Cuban restaurant! Excellent service, friendly staff, clean restaurant and the food is top notch!
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Review from Julianna J.
Hermosa Beach, CA
4/7/2011
Tried this place last night, it was so yummy!
The Pollo Al Caribe was just Delish!
My GF had the Masas De Puerco Fritas she loved it!
The Price was so right and so was the ambiance. I will for sure be back again and again! -
Review from Poupee C.
Good evening with good Cuban food and great Cuban entertainment - songstress Candi Sosa (she has a beautiful voice...Hubbie bought one of her CD tonite..)
Came here with Hubbie this Friday evening and this place was happening. It took a while to get a table due to the high volume of dinner goers. But that's ok. We built up our appetites that much more.
Havana Mania is currently having its 2 for $20 dinner for 2 deal. You have a selection of 1 appetizer or 2 salads; and 2 entrees (These must choose from a small list)
So we opted for the 2 salads and 2 entrees:
Salad - greens with their signature cilantro
Picadillo A la Cubana - Hubbie had this.
Lechon Cubano - I had this - Slow roasted pork in garlic and onions
Both dishes were served with Arroz, Frijoles y Maduros (White rice, black beans and Sweet Plantains)
Extra order:
Yuca al Mojo - Yuca in lemon garlic sauce. This best Yuca I ever ever had. Wowo!
Beverage: Mojito Cubano for both of us. I have to say HM makes one of the best Mojitos. Good amount of rum..and lots of mint.
OK all this food and we had dessert too. Yea, just had to. I chose Flan. It was creamy..and pretty sweet. But that's how it is supposed to be, right?
Hubbie had a cortadito too. We made a pact...no matter what time of the day, if we have Cuban food, Hubbie has to order a cortadito. In remembrance of my father-in-law...Listed in: Where I go when I feel like…, Foods that Make Me Warm And…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/15/2010
Gotta come here for the Rabo Encendido - ox tail cooked in a spicy creole sauce. My husband, who is… Read more »
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Review from Stephen K.
Playa Del Rey, CA
1/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was my introduction to Cuban food. The food was good by L.A. standards...meaning mediocre in KC in and Dallas, but I'll take it.
Wait staff was ok. -
Review from mick m.
Los Angeles, CA
8/31/2011
I have been going to Havana Mania since they opened! The place was great - especially the lechon special on Tuesday nights - (whole roasted pig served up). Went for a celebratory evening and discovered they have gone down. Food was not hot, portions have shrank, and prices have increased. Nothing like maximizing profits on hard work established. I will venture to others before I come back, sorry to say.....
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Review from Matthew D.
Venice, CA
1/8/2011
I like Cuban food but I don't know a lot about it. For years, my only experiences with Cuban cuisine were at various Versailles restaurants around LA. And then I went to Miami. Holy crap, I had no idea. The Cuban food was so much better down there! Now when I go to Versailles, I'm disappointed.
Enter Havana Mania. It's not far from my office but I had never heard about it until a Westside friend told me about it. So we met up one night after work and I had Cuban food that reminded me of Miami. Not quite as good as Miami, but close.
We started with papas rellenas (potato croquettes filled with ground beef/pork). I was a little disappointed at these because the meat was kind of bland for my taste and there wasn't much of it. But it's still a fried potato ball stuffed with meat. By definition, it's good. I also ordered tostones, which are twice fried plantains. They are rather bland and I knew that when I ordered, but I like to use them to soak up any extra sauce on my plate. For my main course I had the Lechon Cubano. It's roasted pork. You can't really go wrong with this dish. You get a big pile of shredded pork with a garlicky sauce and onions. It comes with white rice, black beans and sweet plantains, which are all pretty standard. The pork was tender and not overpowered by the garlic. At Versailles, the garlic sauce overwhelms everything. Not here, they let the flavor of the pork come through.
Havana Mania offers daily specials and a happy hour with about twenty different mojitos and appetizer specials. The best deal is the "2 for $20." You get an appetizer or two salads and two entrees from a select list for $20.
Overall, the best Cuban food I have had in LA. I just need to start branching out. I always get pork or chicken at Cuban restaurants. Next time I'm getting seafood. -
Review from Mike S.
Newport Beach, CA
11/30/2010
Tuesday nights!
Being Cuban I like to find Cuban restaurants which have great tasting authentic food. I have been to many which fail this little requirement.
Havana Mania is a wonderful restaurant. The food is authentic and delicious.
*Hot tip: You know it's going to be good when there are Cubans eating there.
If you like roasted pork then Tuesday night is the time to go. They roast a pig on Tuesdays.
Roast Pork/ Lechon Asado, Cuban Style Roast Pork. $10.99
This includes rice black beans, plantains and bread. They even put a piece of the crunchy skin on the plate. It's tender and delicious.
Other notable dishes- Ropa vieja, and Arroz con pollo are also excellent.
Oh and the mojitos are quite good.
They do have happy hour and daily specials along with live entertainment. I would check out their website to see what they have going on. I would recommend making reservations if going on a weekend or on Tuesday nights. This place gets very busy even during the week.
This is one of the better Cuban restaurants in the LA/OC area. I have been to Versailles and the others in L.A. they are good as well.
