Address: | 200 Main St, New Milford, NJ 07646, USA |
Phone: | +1 201-576-0400 |
Site: | casualhabanacafe.com |
Rating: | 4.6 |
Working: | Closed 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–9PM |
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Christopher Drummond
So I had this placed bookmarked based on the reviews and pictures I saw for a very long time. I decided to come to this location first instead of the Hackensack NJ sister location they have which I read was not to great so I had huge expectations. My friend and I were greeted by a very sweet hostess and seated right away. The customer service by the staff all night was great. Everyone was knowledgeable of the menu and helpful answering questions we had. The restaurant is decent looking; some of the decor is unique and the seating was somewhat comfy nicely spaced so you have privacy with your party. However, the bathroom is toward the entrance which is kind of interesting or maybe that just me. Those who frequent the bathroom should by the bar area so you wont have a lang walk to go back towards the entrance to use the restrooms. I would stick with a party of 2 - 4 for comfort because this place has nice size interior from what I could see larger parties may be somewhat tight and squeezed. The ambiance overall was pretty cool easy on the eyes and looked like your normal Cuban NJ/NY restaurant with a little more class than normal. Drinks (3.5 out 5 stars) - Their Coconut Mojito was was good but could have been stronger per my friend. They gave her another drink to replace that one which was slightly better lol but it was during happy hour so no real biggie there. I liked the little sugar cane in the drink which made it look a little more sexy than normal. I had the virgin Passion Fruit Margarita which was pretty good with decent flavor but I have had much better. Tapas (3.5 out 5 stars) - "Pollo Borracho" Sugarcane & rum glazed chicken chunks was okay could have been amazing had the chicken been more tender. It was not fresh tasting but the sugarcane and rum glazed helped masked the toughness of the chicken. Chicken Empanadas were decent but I have had much better. The shell of the empandas was soft whch was good and the chicken inside could have better seasoned. The dipping sauce it came with was actually very good. Camarones al Coco" coconut shrimp served over pineapple & avocado salsa. Now this was AMAZING !!!!! one of the highlights of the night for me WOW DEFINITELY A MUST ORDER !!! Entrees (3.75 out 5 stars) "Mahi Mahi Tropical" Coconut crusted Mahi served w/dry mango & toasted coconut salsa was what my friend order and her fish tasted pretty good and was a perfect blend with the mango coconut salsa which was very good. The portion was about right I guess for the price $17.00. I ordered the "Arroz Con Pollo de la Abuelita" All natural shredded chicken & saffron rice casserole and I have to say i was extremely disappointed in my meal. I frequent have Latin based foods and this is one of my favorite dishes but they did not live up to my expectation on this one. The chicken was bland with no seasoning and had a toughness to it not tender at all. The sides "Frijoles Negros" Cuban black beans were PHENOMENAL !!!! definitely choose that as side per my recommendation. "Tostones" Twice fried plantains were okay as well but that dipping sauce it came with was Very GOOD!! (I never asked what it was). Service (4.0 out of 5 Stars) - Our waitress was very unintrusive & they were great about pacing the meals/appetizers The owner/chef came and asked how we were doing introducing himself which was pretty cool and appreciated as a customer. They made a couple of mistakes on my order by giving me "Yuca con mojo" Steamed Yucca instead of the Yucca fries and also having olives in my Arroz Con Pollo when I requested that not to be in my order but all good. Overall I see mostly everyone had great experiences but for me personally the food was okay. The customer service was above average and friendly great hard working staff which was appreciated. I would recommend coming during happy hour during the week to try some Tapas and drinks to see if it works for you but for me I would give them another chance possibly but wont make it a priority.
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ken tallman
One off the worst dining experiences I have had. Service was poor and thats being kind waiter would just disappear for very long periods of time didnt check on how things were. The food was bland no taste and very pricey .$8 for three tiny empanadas the 3 of them together didnt even equal the size of one reg empanada you can get for a buck or two anywhere else So if your thinking of checking this place out dont stay home. I was very very disappointed after reading all the good reviews about this place they didnt even come close to measuring up. Gave it one star only because it wont let me give 0 stars ( New Milford Location)
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Corinne Schmidt
Amazing food, awesome decor, unbelievable staff! The chef always comes out to speak to the customer to make sure of their satisfaction with food- spends quality time in speech! Im a very picky as to where I dine due to the fact that I love to cook and Im quite good. This restaurant excels in every way- absolutely strongly recommend!!!!!!!!
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Dan Garcia
My third time here and I can honestly say I havent had a bad experience yet. I love the food, the atmosphere and the service. I am a first generation Cuban American and this food remind me of my grandmothers cooking. The owner comes out to greet us and is very sincere. Great place and will gladly be back again, easy to recommend.
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DVAB NJ
Tried it for the first time at lunch. We both had the roasted pork and it was delicious. This version is browned a bit first so the meat is both moist and very flavorful. Huge serving- and the fried yucca is done perfectly. Also tried the Cuban guacamole- just a tad salty but we still wolfed it down. Highly recommended!
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Heriberto Santana
The food was amazing!!! The service was personal, warm and inviting! The owner takes time to welcome you and make you feel like your part of the family having dinner at his house. He takes great pride in making sure you had a great experience and leave happy and enamored with the place.
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dee bee
Happy hour was decent. The empanadas are small but tasty and for $1 you cant beat them. The tropical sangria and habana spice were both strong and tasty. I took one star off due to the ambience and another because the food was ok.
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Tifane Rees
Nice selection of margaritas for happy hour! My favorite was the passion fruit. Food was ok, coconut shrimp was tasty but yucca fries were too dry. Bartender was very attentive and educated us about different liquors.
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Tonia Papadopoulos
Great food! Great atmosphere!! Reasonably priced!! Staff is very friendly and the chef came around saying hello to everyone. Im going back again and I highly recommend this place!!!
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kdistel319
Good bar crew. Excellent and authentic food. Nice layout for medium-large sized groups. Owned by great people. Overall, excellent place for parties.
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Mike Blake
We have been to this restaurant on two occasions recently. Wow, the food and service was outstanding. Will definitely go back many more times.
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Matthew Frazier
We ordered both of the daily apps and had 3 lunches. All of the food was outstanding. Exceptional BBQ ribs and beautiful presentation.
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Nytmare
Great drinks overall, but mojitos were on point. delicious ! Ordered the ropa vieja, and it left me wanting more. Found a customer in me