Havana in Hoboken

On Friday night, Marcy and I headed to Hoboken to have a little girls night with Steph.  We were all exhausted from our respective long weeks so we weren't looking for a super wild night, but we were definitely in search of good food and gossip.  We found just that at Havana Cafe, a new restaurant in Hoboken.  Beyond being in a super convenient location just off the path, the food was quite tasty - good news for me since I love Cuban food and there aren't too many Cuban restaurants lying around.

I missed the complementary cheese and olives because I got caught up at work, but Steph and Marcy assured me it was a great way to start the meal.  I arrived just in time to bite into the two appetizers they ordered while I was on the subway, shrimp tartlets and yuca fries.  I liked the flavor of the shrimp app, but there was a little too much crust for my taste.  The yuca fries were a perfect light golden and came with a garlic dip that would have made me wary of meeting any boys had that been a possibility.  Since I knew there were no gentleman callers on the horizon, I dunked away.  The entrees all run $15-$18 and come with your choice of two sides.  Steph got the red snapper while Marcy and I both got the lechon asado.  My suckling pig was so tender it just fell apart.  On the other hand, the black beans and rice I got as a side dish were a little dry but still enjoyable.  My other side dish was maduros (sweet plantains) and they were prepared perfectly.

I was impressed by the list of mojitos.  They were all made with fresh ingredients and tasted like a summer vacation.  Unfortunately, it seemed to be a non-alcoholic vacation because the drinks - though tasty - weren't very strong.  I wasn't looking to get wasted, so I was happy just to have the fun flavors.

I was very happy with my meal and thought the prices were reasonable.  If you live in Manhattan, I wouldn't necessarily rush there since you could potentially find something similar in the city (though I'm still searching for a good Cuban dinner place that isn't too pricey so if you know of it, please let me know).  However, if you live in Hoboken, I would definitely stop by.