Havana Grill

Unique, tasty Cuban cuisine right in the middle of Chicago downtown. I've been living just a short walk away for years so I'm disappointed I didn't try Havana Cafe earlier. The interior is artfully decorated with Latin music playing that really sets the atmosphere.

I started with a pisco sour which was very reasonably priced at $11, and my girlfriend and I split a ceviche mixto. The seafood was fresh and I liked that it's served with both tortilla and plantain chips, but it could've been tastier and the portion wasn't that big. For my main I got the Havana roasted

Havana has such a nice Vibe to it. With great food options! I always get the Havana Steak Sandwich! It’s so good! The flavors are everything. We also get the chimichangas as an appetizer each time! Try these out next time you go here!

My coworker and I loved this place! Service, food and drinks were all amazing. We had the rollitos manchengos, the salmon and passion fruit and jalapeño caipirinhas. Food was well seasoned and the drinks were strong. Will definitely be back!

Came for lunch and had a wonderful experience! Service was quick and attentive, our water glasses were always filled and cocktails were excellent. The passionfruit caipirinha was excellent and quite strong The restaurant has nice ambiance with upbeat latin music.

Appetizers ceviche mixto and tostones were good not great. Steak sandwiches (jibarito - which has plantains instead of bread - and havana steak) were juicy and delicious. Table favorite was Havana Roasted pulled pork which is served over jalepeño mashed potatoes and roasted creamed corn.

Was looking forward to trying this place on my trip to Chicago. I had the Cuban sandwich which was just okay and the mojito which was really good. I came for lunch just after 12pm and there were only 3 other people in the restaurant and all I heard was an employee talking to other employees about how wasted drunk she got last night. After finishing my meal I went to the restroom just to find the same employee on the phone in the bathroom on speaker with her friend talking about her wild drunken night. It was highly obnoxious. Doubtful I'd visit again.

Amazing Guava Mojito, Jalea de Mariscos:
seared sea scallops, shrimp, mussels, calamari, and tilapia, finished with a coconut-infused cream sauce and served with white rice was is the sinfully delightful. Service was the only thing lacking. They need extra workers to handle the flow

It was good. The crab cakes were ok, but the plantain was yummy! I enjoyed my Cuban sandwich and my friend liked the salad. I guess I wanted a little more traditional Cuban. Super friendly staff and nice environment

I wish I could give this 10 stars! This is my favorite place in Chicago to bring friends. The outdoor dining is a huge perk for the summer. #1 mojitos in Chicago. Super affordable and the food is always amazing.

I was impressed by the food and drinks, except for the Yucca. Do not order that. It was really bad. Everything else was delicious. We had the crab cakes, steak, salmon and the flights.

Great location on River North serving the community for years. Friendly & helpful servers. Go for lunch, dinner or drinks after work. So many delicious food choices you will not go hungry. Always a good time to be had.

Amazing food and great service. I especially liked the chimichangas and the mojitos we had. Guava was great but peach didn't have a strong peach flavor. The pork with jalapeño mashed potatoes was good but the corn sauce that surrounded it was a little sweet to match the meal. I would have preferred it more savory. Overall though we had a great experience and really enjoyed our meal. I'd come back for sure!

The outdoor patio transports you to Cuba- the decor, music, and food items all add to the experience.

We went on a Friday evening and it was very busy. It took a while for the food and drinks to come out, but we enjoyed the patio weather. The veggie enchilada dish was good but nothing too special. I was disappointed with the lack of topping options and the fact that they charged me extra for guac when I was told it comes with the dish. The rice and beans were also pretty bland. The drinks were good- def get the flights as they are worth the price compared to getting a single drink.

My wife and I have wanted to try this restaurant for some time since we love Cuban food. We went last night for our anniversary and were immediately underwhelmed by the atmosphere. It was fine, but didn't feel like a celebratory dinner place when we walked in. It was too cold to dine outdoors, but that would have provided better ambiance.

The real issue, throughout the evening, was the glacially slow service. Our waiter was friendly enough, but it took a long time to put in a drink order (we also ordered guacamole). After we finished our drinks and appetizer, we waited quite a while before

I've always wanted to dine at Havana Grill, so when my girlfriend and I met family here the other week I was pretty stoked. Not only were my expectations met but they were well exceeded too.

We started with a round of Mojitos - refreshing and delicious - as well as chips and guacamole. The perfect way to start the evening.

I had my eye on the Havana Steak Sandwich and did not regret my choice. By far one of the best sandwiches (and I've had a ton of sandwiches in my life). My girlfriend had the Steak Cubano and loved it.

The vibe here is busy but relaxed and a great place to unwind

Definitely should make a reservation to guarantee a seat as it gets pretty busy (even during the weekdays). The happy hour is until 6 pm every day, though it isn't very clear what is part of the happy hour menu. We sat on the patio, which is pretty much just on the closed-off street.

Guacamole & Chips ($13) - The house-made guac was so good and you can definitely tell that it's fresh. The pico de Gallo and spicy salsa were also great with the chips. The chips felt like Costco tortilla chips though.

Tostones ($6 for half) - I was expecting this to be a lot more crispy than it was

Went for my wife’s birthday and we were not disappointed. Their food was good and received big portions and their drink were really good especially their coconut mojitos they are a must. Definitely will be back for more mojitos!

Food was pretty good, service unfortunately was not. Came here on a Friday afternoon with some colleagues after work. They didn't have any reservations available so we took our chances with walking-in. We wanted to sit on the patio, and there luckily were plenty of spots. When the host showed me outside, I asked if we could sit at a table with an umbrella and was just told "no." I assumed maybe it was reserved so fine; however, the entire time we were there no one sat there.

Service was very slow from start to finish. It took a while for the server to come take our drink orders

Went for lunch on a Monday and sat in the street patio. Servers were cordial but not super attentive—thankfully all of our food was delicious, and we weren’t in a rush, so it was no issue for us this time. I ordered a virgin mojito which was decent but could have used more lime. For my meal, I had the Havana Roasted Pulled Pork and it was way above my expectations. The jalapeño mashed potatoes were a little dry but with the sauce it was perfectly fine. The flavors of the meat, potatoes, corn, and sauce balanced out well. Overall, would come again!

Yum, yum & more yum! We dined al fresco, which was lovely outside of the occasional bee 🐝 that wanted to spend time with us too! I enjoyed everything I tasted and was thoroughly happy with the fried plantains!!! They have that recipe right!

I remember when this used to be Mambo Grill and I loved it. I was pleased to find that Havana Grill is similar and just as enjoyable. Come for the drinks and apps for sure! They tout some of the best mojitos and I concur. The chimichanga apps and guacamole w/ chips and salsa were fantastic. I found the entrees to be just okay. The chicken enchiladas were a bit dry, but the beans and rice were really good. Friends ordered the tilapia tacos and seemed to enjoy those. The service could have been better as after our food arrived nobody checked on us until we asked for the check. However the atmosphere

Stopped by on a Sunday evening, and although located on a bustling and busy street in river north, Havana Grill had availability around 8 pm for a party of 4. I like the aesthetic of the restaurant--relatively no frills, painted in a mustard yellow from front to back. My only qualm is that upon entering it seemed as though smoke hung in the air, particularly in the back seating area. In a way it contributed to that Cuban ambiance, but it was a bit surprising initially.
We were seated quickly and ordered mains. No apps or drinks for us today, sadly an early wake up was in store the next day. However

Let me start by saying this place wasn't our first choice for dinner but it ended up being quite the delight. Clark St is a gem of an area, filled with several restaurants/bars. Stopped in on a week night around 6 and for 5 of us there was no wait (other restaurants in the area had long waits).

They have a great selection of drinks & an extensive food menu. If you love mojitos, this place is for you! They have "mojito flights" and although I've had more fresh tasting mojitos, these do the trick. Beware they are super sweet and stay away from the berry flavored- it has

I was missing this Cuban/Latin flavor and am very glad I found Havana.
We sat outside and service was a bit hectic, but our food and drinks came out pretty quickly after we got to order.
The presentation was gorgeous, only superceded by the intoxicating aromas. Though I typically try to get a few good before shots, mid meal is when we realized we had forgot! Another instance of the food being too good. I got a little too excited. Maybe is was the Pisco, it was so refreshing.
Definitely returning to this spot.

Impromptu dinner with friends. To be honest, we weren't In love with the pitcher of jalapeño caipirinha. Our friend who got their before we did ordered 1 jalapeño caipirinha and that tasted great! Not sure why the pitcher version was lacking oomph.

Some of the stand out dishes were the carne with tequila and the seafood paella. We were disappointed that they did not have the coconut flan or coffee as the machine was broken.

Overall, a nice outdoor seating with some delicious entrees. If you stop by, definitely get the carne tequila.

I'm no longer in Chicago.

I had the pleasure of dining here in the spring while the streets were blocked, so our table was in the street. Sun, music, and food took me on a vacation. It was also pet friendly so I had my Corgi as my travel buddy.

Food: delightful, savory, fulfilled the cravings, satisfying

Atmosphere: outdoor dining in the street was perfect

Service: quick and attentive

Improvement: Host. Me and another party were awkwardly waiting at the front to talk to someone about getting a table while no one else we there to greet us initially. We were confused as to if we grabbed