Havana Central

For starters we had Cheese empanadas which were excellent. We tried the Classic Mojito, special of the day Sangria as well as the Rum punch. All 3 drinks were well made. For main dish we had Shrimp and Rice which was excellent as well as the Shrimp scampi with rice as a side dish. Unfortunately my dish which was the Surf and Turf was just good. The Shrimp and Calamari were excellent but the Skirt Steak had NO flavor at all. Tried it with the Chimichurri sauce and no change as well as the Olive oil. Tried it with the Scampi sauce and that made it better but a steak is not done with scampi sauce. Kids Mac and Cheese was very good and big size portion.

Being a Miami native, at first I was a bit apprehensive. To date, I have not had any luck with Cuban food in Connecticut or New York. That is, until today. Havana Central is thee BEST Cuban food I've had in the northeast! We started with drinks, I had a passionfruit mojito, the hubby had a Hatuey beer - both delish! For appetizers we have empanadas - they were decent, not the best I've ever had, but good. I had the calabaza soup - it was a bisque-type soup, it came with sliced Cuban tostadas...delicioco! The hubby had the Cuban sandwich - hands down amazing! I ordered a chicken sandwich to go that was the day's special - also very good. We will definitely be making more frequent trips to Havana Central to get our Cuban food fix. I'm hoping they have cafe con leche to try on my next trip - as this is my Achilles! One thing that I did notice in the reviews is how patrons were checked on by management throughout their meals. I actually noticed a gentleman walking around tables surrounding ours asking how everything was - but he walked around ours. That was peculiar, but I'm hoping it was not intentional & merely coincidental. My next visit will confirm.

Take a quick trip to Cuba via I-87 on your next stop at Havana Central inside of the Ridge Hill Mall. The palm trees, music and Caribbean cuisine set the mood for any dinner date night. I had the Ropa Vieja with yellow rice and black beans. The dish was flavorful, and paired with a nice Cuban ale, all I was missing was the 80 degree weather of the real Havana to top off a fun night! There was no wait for seating, but you can always call for reservations. They have live music on certain days of the week so check their event calendar on their website for more information. The prices are right to take your family. For a family of four, you can eat and spend under $100. If you are at the mall and craving some Latin cuisine, check out Havana Central for a nice night out!