(212) 625-2002

17 Prince St (Elizabeth Street)
New York, NY 10012 40.722743 -73.994209

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Neighborhoods: NoLita, Downtown

CAFEHABANA.COM

Hours:

Daily 9am-12am

Price:

$

Last updated 2.10.12

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Breakfast, Late Night Dining, Brunch, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Food Delivery, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Cuban, Mexican

What People Are Saying About Cafe Habana

Featured Review

Kathleen Squires

Contributor

The line so often snakes around the block at this hip luncheonette that it seems the young, pretty patrons are merely posing outside its retro-chrome exterior. Portions are big and prices are gentle, which explains the determined crowds waiting for Latin favorites like grilled corn smothered with butter, white cheese and chili powder; chicken mole; and the classic Cubano sandwich. Another part of the allure? The name, which this SoHo spot shares with a famous Mexico City musician hangout.

Editor's Tips

Save Time:
No time to wait in line? Order Cafe Habana To Go from the storefront directly next door.
Know Before You Go:
Cafe Habana does not take reservations.
The Extras:
Open in the warmer months, solar-powered Habana Outpost in Brooklyn is a pioneer in eco-friendly eating. Its spacious patio also includes a seasonal market and activities for kids.
ambiance
87.5% positive
  1. Aside from the more than affordable pricing the scene is fun - while your waiting you can sip on a drink & people watch.
  2. great food, nice ambience, cheap
  3. We all enjoyed the delicious food, fun atmosphere, and sweet wait staff.
  4. Given the wait and the slightly lagging service, the food is fantastic, atmosphere even better, and mojitos and corn the prime stars.
  5. Decor is perfect for what it is, the food is fantastic with off-island prices, their mojitos are top-notch and the crowd is fun.
  6. Overall, fun, cramped, and good food!
  7. If your a very picky person you probably won't enjoy the very simple decor - it's very tightly packed and basic seating but sometimes you need the no frill's environment to just enjoy what's in front of you.
  8. This cozy little place on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth is one of my favorite spots in Manhattan.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. Steak enchilladas are filling and delicious- the sour cream and meat perfectly accented with avocado and cilantro.
  2. And their hot chocolate is the best in the city.
drinks
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. The corn was amazing and I like the drinks they have, some type of flavored pop, I forget the name.
  2. the mango margarita slush drink was great.
  3. Kudos to the fab waitress with the afro and killer smile who suggested the perfect meal along with the tall drink of water making margaritas like a mad man behind the bar.
  4. Aside from the more than affordable pricing the scene is fun - while your waiting you can sip on a drink & people watch.
  5. so good, so cheap--bad drinks?
  6. The drinks were absolutely great margarita was just right.
  7. love the love love love love the spinach, the corn, the corn boat thing with the goat cheese and the drinks are insane.
  8. One of the waitstaff spilled a huge drink on the floor that splattered everyone nearby, no offering of apology was made or to foot the drycleaning bill and no comp was offered either.
  9. Every time I go to this restaurant I expect a bit of a wait, good drinks while I do so, and very good food for the price.
  10. TIp: eat first to enjoy the delicious food and then enjoy the drinks!
  11. Went with three people last saturday night - half way through our entrees we tried to order a second bottle of wine - both the hostess and waitress told us no, "cause, ehh, the place is very crowded this night guys.
  12. The food is amazing and their drinks are the best.
food quality
86.26999855041504% positive
  1. The food is amazing and their drinks are the best.
  2. Also, the service was pretty bad, which usually doesn't matter to me if the food is good, but that was not the case.
  3. other than the rushed service, our food was great.
  4. Tasty blackened chicken sandwiches, molletes and cafe con leche were served swiftly.
  5. For awhile the servers and hostesses were rude and unfriendly-however, within the past year, the staff has changed, and they are absolutely fantastic, especially the enthusiastic hostess, which adds to the amazing food.
  6. Excellent food.
  7. Cafe Habana is a perfect casual meal.
  8. The corn on the cob is to die for and the grilled steak is excellent.
  9. For brunch, eggs with chorizo is highly recommended.
  10. And the food is consistantly great and the bills are consistantly small.
  11. The steak enchilada leftovers made for a superb late night snack after going out.
  12. We all enjoyed the delicious food, fun atmosphere, and sweet wait staff.
  13. Kudos to the fab waitress with the afro and killer smile who suggested the perfect meal along with the tall drink of water making margaritas like a mad man behind the bar.
  14. Ok, the food is good BUT do I really have to pay to get treated as if they are doing ME a favor?
  15. Come on the food is really not that good I usually dont complain about service because I dont intend to marry the staff, but the things you have to endure at Cafe Havana, besides the 20-minutes-means-one-hour wait, are really not worth my time nor money!
  16. also recommend the chicken with mole sauce.
  17. Although the food had little to do with anything Cuban, besides the cuban sandwiches and mojitos, the menu was very creative and had a mexican flare to it.
  18. The main dishes are all great, particularly the steak enchiladas.
  19. Go here and get the corn, the rest of the food is not bad either, I had the skirt steak it was pretty good but not the best skirt steak I?
  20. anyway, as they serve breakfast pretty late, i went for the steak and eggs which were very tasty.
  21. Oh yeh, and the food is surprisingly great.
  22. (and free toothpicks are provided after you consume your delicious corn).
  23. Steak enchilladas are filling and delicious- the sour cream and meat perfectly accented with avocado and cilantro.
  24. great food, value
  25. The Pollo Mirador, (chicken in garlic sauce with spinach) is simply amazing.
  26. The food is wonderful (especially the grilled corn and pollo mirador), the staff nice and the price amazing!
  27. The margarita on the rocks was good and the rest of our food was yummy, but the corn was the star.
  28. Great huevos rancheros and the best vegetarian Cuban sandwich in New York - Torta con queso blanco - white cheese, black beans, and avocado!
  29. also love the dish that is a corn "boat" filled with goat cheese & other things.
  30. TIp: eat first to enjoy the delicious food and then enjoy the drinks!
  31. The wait is very long, but in the end, it is worth it because you will have had the best meal of your life.
  32. The food is great.
  33. Good food- tight space
  34. great food at decent prices
  35. my favorite is the pork adobo sandwich and the corn.
  36. The pollo con mole, cheese and avocado and mushroom and cheese tortas are fantastic.
  37. delicious cubano food stuffs
  38. don't care that the staff are brisk with you, the food here is AMAZING!
  39. The corn is incredible, butter, cheese and roasted to delicious perfection.
  40. the unexpected surprise was that the home fries were AWESOME.
  41. The cuban sandwich was also quite good.
  42. Decor is perfect for what it is, the food is fantastic with off-island prices, their mojitos are top-notch and the crowd is fun.
  43. The food wasn't even good, in fact, it was disgusting.
  44. great food, nice ambience, cheap
  45. Great food - go just for the corn.
  46. My favorite dish in this tiny Elizabeth St. hideout is the vegetarian plate: yellow rice and black beans served with sauteed spinach.
  47. The weekends are insane, especially in the summer, but it's still a strong contender with good food.
  48. I'm not a bean type of girl, I love my rice.
  49. the grilled chicken wrap is so satisfying.
  50. The food is well-prepared and extremely flavorful and the prices are very reasonable.
  51. Every time I go to this restaurant I expect a bit of a wait, good drinks while I do so, and very good food for the price.
  52. Another favorite would be the cuban sandwich.
  53. The steak in both dishes was really, really good (tender, succulent, and well seasoned).
  54. The cuban sandwich is crunchy with just enough ham, pork and cheese and a crunchy sour pickle to make it a great combo.
  55. Food is delicious and the service is good, if you behave yourself and don't mind the wait.
  56. Overall, fun, cramped, and good food!
  57. don't even like corn on the cob that much but I get this every time I go; it's delicious.
  58. The long wait and tiny space, i can tolerate for their great food and cheap price.
  59. When she finally brought the food out, she "slammed" it on our table, giving the worst attitude possible.
  60. The grilled corn is a favorite among everyone, but I've yet to try anything I don't like there from the cuban sandwich, grilled chicken and corn salad and chorizo breakfast burrito.
  61. the corn and chicken salad is REALLY good and so is the steamed spinach with garlic.
  62. SERVICE ruins the GREAT food
  63. If poor service is a turn-off for you too, might as well just get your food from the take-out section next-door.
  64. But the food is great.
  65. love their grilled corn with parmesan and paprika as well as their grilled pork, black beans and rice.
  66. I've been here a dozen times cuz their Cuban sandwich might be the best ever.
  67. The food is so good; the service is so bad.
  68. Given the wait and the slightly lagging service, the food is fantastic, atmosphere even better, and mojitos and corn the prime stars.
  69. ordered/paid. The meal was a pretty good value though and the people-watching there was great.
  70. The meat was too dry for my taste.
  71. The food here is fantastic and the price is right.
  72. Great food despite the scene
  73. Take out from the window next door is probably the best way to enjoy the food here.
  74. The food in general was great and I would go back in a heart beat!
  75. The menu features fresh meats and vegetables in mouth watering combinations.
  76. Cuban sandwiches come on cool bread, not pressed as they are supposed to be, and with dry chunks of pork.
  77. The food is delicious!
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The menu features fresh meats and vegetables in mouth watering combinations.
  2. Although the food had little to do with anything Cuban, besides the cuban sandwiches and mojitos, the menu was very creative and had a mexican flare to it.
overall
75.0% positive
  1. This is my favorite restaurant in New York.
  2. The corn is by far the best and if you can wait an hour+ then i highly recommend this restaurant BUT beware of the wait and don't expect the indie service ladies pop a smile, say THANK YOU or anything.
  3. have been living in New York for five years, and this is by far my favorite restaurant in the city.
  4. went with a group which admittedly is not the best idea cuz the place is so tiny but when the waitress tells you 15 minutes you think...15 minutes right?
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. The food in general was great and I would go back in a heart beat!
service
63.979997634887695% positive
  1. Kudos to the fab waitress with the afro and killer smile who suggested the perfect meal along with the tall drink of water making margaritas like a mad man behind the bar.
  2. We all enjoyed the delicious food, fun atmosphere, and sweet wait staff.
  3. Food is delicious and the service is good, if you behave yourself and don't mind the wait.
  4. Guess what, NYC is literally full of great restarants with cheap prices, and with decent service as well.
  5. Sorry but if you are paying for dinner the least you can have is decent service.
  6. Service was great and friendly!
  7. The food is wonderful (especially the grilled corn and pollo mirador), the staff nice and the price amazing!
  8. Come on the food is really not that good I usually dont complain about service because I dont intend to marry the staff, but the things you have to endure at Cafe Havana, besides the 20-minutes-means-one-hour wait, are really not worth my time nor money!
  9. The food is so good; the service is so bad.
  10. Drinks were also good and I found the waitstaff to be very pleasant although not that attentive.
  11. There are far too many great Cuban places to eat in this city with enjoyable, non-attitude laden servers.
  12. Given the wait and the slightly lagging service, the food is fantastic, atmosphere even better, and mojitos and corn the prime stars.
  13. Aside from the more than affordable pricing the scene is fun - while your waiting you can sip on a drink & people watch.
  14. Went with three people last saturday night - half way through our entrees we tried to order a second bottle of wine - both the hostess and waitress told us no, "cause, ehh, the place is very crowded this night guys.
  15. Nice service.
  16. Once seated the service is great because the staff is always near.
  17. Curse you Cafe Habana, you give shame to the wonderful and friendly cubans.
  18. Food is pretty good but the service is horrific.
  19. The hostess with the close cropped hair is really nice and waiters are pleasant.
  20. The corn is by far the best and if you can wait an hour+ then i highly recommend this restaurant BUT beware of the wait and don't expect the indie service ladies pop a smile, say THANK YOU or anything.
  21. Durning warm weather months you couldn't find a groovier spot to have to hang on the corner and people watch while you wait for your table.
  22. The wait staff is nice even though are always rushing about.
  23. Mango margherita was good and the service was decent--no complaints at all.
  24. can see that service may not be their priority, but the staff were not rude.
  25. This restaurant offers the worst service I have ever experienced in my four years of living in NY.
  26. great corn, terrible service.
  27. very, very rude manner.
  28. It will not compensate for the excessively rude hostess and the 2 hour wait (when you call they will tell you 20 minutes).
  29. The waitress was pretty nice, but over all.
  30. Also, the service was pretty bad, which usually doesn't matter to me if the food is good, but that was not the case.
  31. It was the worst service ever !
  32. our waitress was nice, but was ready to get us out of there.
  33. service at this restaurant is absolutelly horrible!
  34. One waitress was so rude, we got up and left.
  35. went with a group which admittedly is not the best idea cuz the place is so tiny but when the waitress tells you 15 minutes you think...15 minutes right?
  36. The service in the restaurant is always so slow and sometimes even unfriendly.
  37. The restaurant was loud, our waitress was awesome, but the other waitresses seemed rude.
  38. don't care that the staff are brisk with you, the food here is AMAZING!
  39. Once inside the service is HORRIBLE.
  40. If poor service is a turn-off for you too, might as well just get your food from the take-out section next-door.
  41. ordered/paid. The meal was a pretty good value though and the people-watching there was great.
  42. other than the rushed service, our food was great.
  43. For awhile the servers and hostesses were rude and unfriendly-however, within the past year, the staff has changed, and they are absolutely fantastic, especially the enthusiastic hostess, which adds to the amazing food.
  44. Rude, rude rude!
  45. The service was okay, fast seating (for two), looked like a group nearby had been there a long time.
  46. Lots of stars and fabulous people.
value
87.5% positive
  1. Aside from the more than affordable pricing the scene is fun - while your waiting you can sip on a drink & people watch.
  2. so good, so cheap--bad drinks?
  3. The food here is fantastic and the price is right.
  4. The wait is very long, but in the end, it is worth it because you will have had the best meal of your life.
  5. The food is wonderful (especially the grilled corn and pollo mirador), the staff nice and the price amazing!
  6. great food, value
  7. take your huge party to the Heartland Brewery or something!)
  8. great food at decent prices
  9. Also, the prices were extremely reasonable.
  10. Come on the food is really not that good I usually dont complain about service because I dont intend to marry the staff, but the things you have to endure at Cafe Havana, besides the 20-minutes-means-one-hour wait, are really not worth my time nor money!
  11. The price is good.
  12. Decor is perfect for what it is, the food is fantastic with off-island prices, their mojitos are top-notch and the crowd is fun.
  13. great food, nice ambience, cheap
  14. The food is well-prepared and extremely flavorful and the prices are very reasonable.
  15. The long wait and tiny space, i can tolerate for their great food and cheap price.
  16. Every time I go to this restaurant I expect a bit of a wait, good drinks while I do so, and very good food for the price.
  17. there was enough for dinner leftovers the next day and a great value.
  18. One of the waitstaff spilled a huge drink on the floor that splattered everyone nearby, no offering of apology was made or to foot the drycleaning bill and no comp was offered either.
  19. Guess what, NYC is literally full of great restarants with cheap prices, and with decent service as well.
  20. ordered/paid. The meal was a pretty good value though and the people-watching there was great.
wait time
55.56000232696533% positive
  1. It will not compensate for the excessively rude hostess and the 2 hour wait (when you call they will tell you 20 minutes).
  2. The wait is very long, but in the end, it is worth it because you will have had the best meal of your life.
  3. Come on the food is really not that good I usually dont complain about service because I dont intend to marry the staff, but the things you have to endure at Cafe Havana, besides the 20-minutes-means-one-hour wait, are really not worth my time nor money!
  4. The service was okay, fast seating (for two), looked like a group nearby had been there a long time.
  5. BEST place for burritos and the MANGO DRINK, WOW, SO GOOD, get take out, and you only wait like 5-10 minutes, i have never waited longer!
  6. The long wait and tiny space, i can tolerate for their great food and cheap price.
  7. Great quick bite
  8. The service in the restaurant is always so slow and sometimes even unfriendly.
  9. went with a group which admittedly is not the best idea cuz the place is so tiny but when the waitress tells you 15 minutes you think...15 minutes right?
3 Star Rating: Average

04/12/11

Not Bad But Had Better

by Kristen Shoark

This place was ok, not the best Cuban food that I've had but not the worst. The wait was pretty long, service wasn't great and the food was average. I prob wont be going back anytime soon.

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/06/11

Never going back

by allanbbb

I actually like this place and go there often. Tonight, my order was taken incorrectly. Even after I gave it to them again I received a different dish. Then when my order arrived it looked like it had been scrapped onto my plate from another plate made earlier. When I ate the food it was over cooked. Then they actually had the nerve to include gratuity on my bill. I'm never going back.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/14/10

AMAZING grilled corn !

by DS1773

There def. is a long wait when coming to this place but it's quite worth it - $12 for a whole platter of rice and beans and grilled skirt steak that tastes delicious !

Aside from the more than affordable pricing the scene is fun - while your waiting you can sip on a drink & people watch. The hostess with the close cropped hair is really nice and waiters are pleasant.

If your a very picky person you probably won't enjoy the very simple decor - it's very tightly packed and basic seating but sometimes you need the no frill's environment to just enjoy what's in front of you.

  • Pros: Casual , affordable and delicious
  • Cons: long wait
2 Star Rating: Below Average

04/05/10

I've had better.

by accidentalvoyeur

I'm sorry, I just didn't like anything about this place. I came here at night with a friend and we hate to wait a long time to sit down. I ordered the corn and some other dish and it was all just Okay. I think it was kind of plain and definitely overpriced. I wouldn't come back.

  • Pros: Food is just okay at best
  • Cons: Too crowded, not worth the wait
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/31/10

Best Cuban EVER!

by Dorothy0202

The food is amazing and their drinks are the best. I highly reccommend the Mexican corn and the Cuban, but everything I have eaten there has been good. The wait staff runs a tight ship, which can been interpreted as rudeness, but they are ALWAYS busy and they do the best they can to accomodate every customer. But even so, getting it for take out is best.

  • Pros: Cuban Sandwiches, Mexican corn
  • Cons: Tight space and the wait

The Details on Cafe Habana

Place Categories:

  • great delicious food
  • best grilled corn
  • decent service
  • like drinks
  • favorite little place
  • nice sweet wait staff
  • rude hostesses
  • extremely reasonable prices
  • perfect casual meal
  • best vegetarian cuban sandwich
  • rude servers
  • favorite restaurant
  • very tasty skirt steak
  • great value
  • great mojitos
  • wonderful cubans
  • too dry meat
  • ridiculous hour wait
  • favorite dish
  • recommend mole chicken
  • fantastic tortas
  • favorite spot
  • worst attitude
  • ready waitress
  • not amazing food

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