Habana - Costa Mesa

Reservation was rebooked for Irvine, for reasons I could only speculate about, and it was a wreck. We were seated 45 minutes after our reservation time, and while I would like to blame the new COVID regulations closing indoor seating, those were revealed over a week prior. We were given someone else’s food and it was left with us until they realized the mistake. Then the SAME food that was on our table that we definitely BREATHED on (luckily didn’t start eating), was taken from us and given to another table. Our server was lovey, but she was the only good thing about the evening. They didn’t acknowledge our special occasion (anniversary) which was on our original booking, and the special occasion was the only reason we got out of the house in the first place!

the menu is reduced and our favorites were gone, staff was not as engaged.

All around great experience every time!

So good! Can’t wait to go back! Nikolas and ulises were great servers and the food was amazing💗

Came here to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband and 2 young kiddos. Our server was great and very helpful when asking questions. Food was delicious... great way to kick off our anniversary weekend!

I got the churrasco plate for dinner and the meat was too chewy for me. I wanted to like it. The ambiance is cute and has chill vibes. Customer service is good.

Great service, amazing food. We will definitely be back!

Amazing Dining Experience Post Covid!! I have eaten at another establishment post Covid and this was a completely different experience for the good! I felt relaxed, not crowded. All staff were wearing masks. Clean as heck. Food, drinks and service was exceptional!! Will be back again and telling all others that may be apprehensive in dining out, you should try here first!

It’s my wife’s birthday and our first time in this place. Overall, we enjoyed the dinner - ambiance, service, food. The salmon which my wife ordered is a little bland though.

My only complain is that the female servers were chatting in group of two's or three. I'd been to Habana few times & the server were all chatting. I had to make reservation through Open Table because no one answer the incoming call. They call me to confirm my Open table reservation to call back. I called several times but no one pick up the phone. I hope the manager / owner read my feedback.

Everything was perfect! The food, service & literally everything

The seating kind of made it hard to maneuver through to the buffet area but other than that PERFECTION!

My girlfriend and I didn't have a great experience, but I would still recommend Habana - just not for a date night. It's too loud and poorly lit for a date night - better suited for a night out with friends for drinks.

My girlfriend and I checked out Habana for our birthdays (they are a few days apart). We had an evening reservation - 8:30pm - a few days before daylight savings. We both really enjoyed the food and the service was very good. What we didn't expect was how loud and poorly lit the place would be.

We had a table outside on the patio right by the front gate. This was a poor location - every time someone left, they would hit the back of my chair. Quite unfortunate. When we opened our menus, we were unable to read any of the items because of how dark it was - had to bust out the phone flashlight! The music outside (and inside - we checked after our meal) was playing pretty loudly and parties near us were quite loud - I felt like I needed to yell at my girlfriend for her to hear me. We spent most of the evening having to repeat ourselves.

Other than that, the food was great, service was great, and we did like the ambiance, it just wasn't what we expected or wanted for our birthday dinner. We agreed that this would be a great place to come and have drinks with friends, but if you are looking for a nice quiet place to have a romantic dinner, I would definitely avoid Habana. It is too loud and very poorly lit.

There is no bathroom inside of this restaurant. You have to walk outside.

great waiter and wait staff, all food and atmosphere were excellent as well

Too many reservation confirmations (text, email, phone call).
Guy calling to confirm kept asking if I want to cancel..!?
Time limit on meal
Food is good but not amazing
Loud
Crowded
Overlooking a parking lot
Server was awesome

Excellent food. Service was friendly and fair. The host on the other hand was cold and not willing to serve the customer. She made me go back and forth too many times to get to my reserved table.

First, the parking lot is a nightmare. This alone will keep us from ever coming back. It's just not worth the risk of getting dented. As for Habana .... I don't know, but this was not very authentic, at least according to MY Cuban food knowledge. Food was overpriced, and just average. And, not even traditional Cuban. The atmosphere was kinda fun, but not enough to come back. Sorry.

I have heard about Habana in Costa Mesa for quite some time through friends but this was our first time there. we happened to get there for the brunch and it was amazing! the food was great, the ambiance was magical and salt of the earth. I feel like they may have needed more servers as it was hard to get someone to help out when needed but they were cordial once we were able to have eye contact. very thoughtful. I will definitely go there again. great great great!

The brunch was absolutely beautiful! I recommend going to the early bird brunch which is from 9-9:45 because it is $10 cheaper. There is a great variety of food and a good mix of traditional and Cuban foods! Definitely worth the price!

The appetizers were so tiny. We wanted to share a few things before the entres came. the ceviche was so tiny and the empanadas were as well! Came with three pinky size empanadas. I got the half chicken, has potential but the chicken was so boney and the plantains, one of my favorite additions was dry and hard! two salads were ordered, with a Modelo and sangria. Overall the bill was $141 for nothing. Definitely not going there again. Not to mention, we were outside, music was blasting and the cars that pulled in had their lights blinding us every time. Such a horrible experience on our anniversary.

best Cuban food I know west of Miami - makes it easy to eat great in Orange Co

So happy we found this place! Kitchen opened late EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS

Food was extremely delicious. Although it is a buffet, nothing was cold and everything tasted fresh. Our server didn’t seem to be too knowledgeable about things and it was quite awkward dealing with her, maybe she’s new? The blood orange Paloma was so refreshing. Only negative thing is that the restaurant told Open Table that I was a no show for my reservation which was not true. I don’t know what the mix up was but that was disappointing to hear. I believe Open Table was able to resolve everything. Anyways, I will definitely be back.

Great place for celebrations.

My wife and I really enjoyed our Saturday night post-Valentine's dinner at Habana. It was our first time, and we will definitely be returning. We started with a couple cocktails which were excellent. We ordered the calamari/conch fritter appetizer and the sauces, one creamy, one salsa-like, were excellent. My wife ordered the shrimp and scallops served over a bed of rice (risotto?) and bell peppers. It had a delicious spiciness, but was a delicate dish. I had the pork oso-bucco, which was filling and delicious over mashed potatoes. We ran out of room for desert - but they looked tremendous.

Loved this place, the only thing we did not like was how they moved us from our reserved table because there was already another party waiting for that same table. They moved us after we finished paying.

Great service and also great food! It’s such an intimate place for you and your loved one, and the ambience is just wonderful.

The hostess was very welcoming at the podium and the host sat us was polite. Our waitress was incredible and very informative about the menu and drinks because it had been our first visit. A band came in later in the night and the Cuban sounds was sensational! Definitely will visit again.