Cafe Habana: “un-rushed, cheery and relaxed vibe”
JOHN’S REVIEW:
Food:
This was my first experience eating Mexican Corn. A few years back I visited Vince when he was living in Chicago. Many street vendors in Chicago were serving an ethnic treat called “elote”. Elote is corn on the cob dipped in mayonnaise, and sprinkled with a Parmesan cheese/chili powder mixture. I didn’t eat elote in Chicago because I am not a fan of mayonnaise. I decided to give Cafe Habana’s Mexican Corn a try. It was delicious, grilled corn sprinkled with cheese and chili powder, and… no mayonnaise. Quite a tasty treat to kick off a meal.
Moving on to the main coarse I ordered a classic: the Cuban Sandwich. Traditionally, a Cuban sandwich is roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard served on Cuban bread that is toasted in a sandwich press. Habana follows most of this formula. The roasted pork is delicious, combined with sliced ham and cheese. The pickles fell short of “dill”, and Habana serves a Cuban sandwich with a mayonnaise sauce instead of yellow mustard.
The food was unexpected on some counts, but delightful nonetheless.
Decor:
The interior of Cafe Habana is small, not unlike every other cafe in NYC. There is a rustic, authentic charm about the place that makes it feel spacious and welcome.
Service:
As every other review I’ve read for Cafe Habana has stated, it’s always crowded. However we showed up at around 12:30, and had a few seating options available to us. Our server was polite and prompt. The atmosphere encourages an un-rushed, cheery and relaxed vibe.
Cost:
$12.00 for 1 ear of corn (1/2 and order I split with Vince), Cuban sandwich and a diet coke.
Proximity:
We took the BDFV train from 30 Rock to the Broadway-Lafayette Street exit and walked the rest of the way. Round-trip our excursion lasted around 1-1/2 hours, pushing the limits of a lunch-hour.
VINCE’S REVIEW:
Food:
I also ordered the Cuban Sandwich and Grilled Corn Mexican Style with a Coke.
The Grilled Corn Mexican Style was super delish. As John wrote above, you get two pieces of corn that we shared. Good thing, because I only wanted one. For something so simple, it was just packed with flavor. The corn is skewered and grilled and topped off with some chili powder and parmesan cheese. I would say that there was butter on it also. It came with a lime wedge also which you must squeeze on top of the corn. It really does add to the overall flavor. Good starter.
I came here a couple of years ago. And I have been craving a Cuban Sandwich for awhile and I have to say that I haven’t found a Cuban Sandwich that tops this one here. I can’t say that it is a super traditional Cuban sandwich, but a decent reinterpretation of it. The pork, ham, cheese and pickles were awesome. It was juicy!! The one thing that I did like was the sauce. I thought that made the sandwich. Everything together was just delicious and filling.
Decor:
I really liked the look of this place. The first thing that I noticed once I stepped in was that everything had a fun retro look. The tables had that desaturated green table tops you would see in a 60’s diner. There was this warm light coming off of the wall sconces and the ceiling. They had palm leaves painted in certain areas of the restaurant also. Everything was understated and Just felt hip and cool without being pretentious. A bit cramped for my taste. We were tucked in the back with a small table. There were three of us that day. A lot of juggling of plates and glasses. We made it work though. But if you need to get people in for the food, I understand. I think that if it were a two person situation, it would have been perfect. You forget all of this once the food comes.
The restroom is a sight to behold though. The whole thing is bathed in a red light. For what reason, I would love to know why. It was like stepping into a horror show. I came out alive though.
Service:
We got there and as expected during a lunch hour service, it was decently full. They seated us and served us fairly quickly even during this time. I thought our server was awesome. She checked on us often. So, good stuff…
Cost:
$12.00…the same as John. Cuban Sandwich, Grilled Corn Mexican Style, and a Coke.
Proximity:
We did push the time limit on this. Prince St. is not a quick jaunt from 30 Rock. You can take the BDFV to Houston and walk a couple blocks from there to Elizabeth and Prince. It wasn’t a hard place to find and the proximity to the subway was ideal. An hour and a half with dining and travel…not bad….
