Consistently authentic and tasty Cuban food. Friendly and hard-working owners. The cafe is small and busy, so arrive before or after the lunch rush. read more

Havana Cafe is a really popular spot in downtown Jefferson, and it's worth all the hype! I went for lunch and got the half Cuban & fries (perfectly crispy) with iced tea (perfectly sweet & refreshing). The Cuban (roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard) was delicious: bread was perfectly toasted, all the fillings were nicely salty with acidic contrast from mustard & pickles. Ambiance is good with both indoor & outdoor seating. Service was fast & friendly. Parking is free in downtown Jefferson. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Havana Cafe - Half Cuban & fries - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

The food was pretty good, but the atmosphere wasn't my favorite. It was standing room only at first and we had to wait for a table to open up- there just wasn't any room to wait. I felt like I was in the way the whole time. Then once we found a seat another customer came up and demanded that we give them the table because they were there first. It just wasn't the best experience. The customer was not the restaurant's fault at all- they just really need more space. read more

Havana Cafe - The Cuban with rice and beans - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

Absolutely phenomenal Cuban sandwich! This place is several hours from our home and my husband and I both said it would be with the trip just to get this sandwich again. read more

Fast friendly service. Cuban Sandwich, fries and black beans were very tasty, hot, and fresh. I am from Tampa area. This compares well to S fla cubans. We will be back. read more

Speedy service and really delicious food. If you go for lunch, go early. A crowd, mostly locals, will appear.

Best authentic Cuban sandwich ever. We have it often. Have tried,many Cuban sandwiches across the US. An incredible spot in West Jefferson of all places. Owner has a Florida background so that explains the authenticity. The garlic cilantro green sauce is amazing,be sure to order a side. read more

What a great stop. This reminds me of my uncles cooking. Fresh and so tasty! You can't really go wrong with anything on the menu! Make sure you add some plantains. read more

I laugh when I read some of these dumb a@@ reviews complaining about wait times. And a blind man can see that the food is that good, or more so, EXCELLENT. If you want fast food, go to McDonald's. There is one before you get into town. I have been eating at this place for years and yes even I have to wait sometimes, but it is always worth it. Folks let me remind you, this is the south and we don't want your northern attitude or you here to start with. read more

Really good food served quickly in quaint little restaurant downtown in walking distance of many attractions.

Delicious! Had the Patacon with chicken, black beans and rice, plantains and the pork nachos daily special. Great casual place to grab a bite. Fresh food and friendly people. read more

Havana Cafe - Daily special Pork Nacho's - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

See all

Had the Cuban sandwich, fries, black beans, rice and plantains. The Cuban had really good pork and ham on it. Bun was shipped in from Tampa Florida from a Cuban bakery.Fries were crispy and good. Black bean and rice was very tasty. The plantains were cooked perfectly and semi sweet. Would definitely go back if in the area. read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban, Black beans and rice. Plantains - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

We had an outstanding lunch at Havana Cafe in West Jefferson, NC. We ate outside on their cute, red, two top cafe tables. I had the best Cuban Sandwich of all times! The Picadillo was also outstanding! The kids shared the Chicken Fajitas and enjoyed my french fries. I got a side of Plantains that were also delicious. I highly recommend Havana Cafe if you're in Ashe County and worth the drive to West Jefferson. read more

See all

INCREDIBLE food, something for everyone, very friendly service. Can get busy during the high season, so plan on being patient and taking your food to go since seating is limited. Totally worth it. Use the outside window for to go orders. Sincerely Pink Shirt Guy. read more

Havana Cafe - Ropa vieja with fried plantains--A traditional Cuban dish. - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

See all

Great food and service. The menu has good selection of meals and sandwiches. Always busy but not overly. We are always able to get a table.

This is one of the top 2 or 3 restaurants in all of Ashe County. And who would have thought you could get really good Cuban food up here in the middle of nowhere? Well, it is right here in W. Jefferson on the Back St. across from the covered Farmer's Market. They also have a walk up window that is handy for getting that delicious Cuban coffee to go. Just wish they had enough demand to be open more hours. read more

High priced tourist trap . The portions were small including a small bag of potato chips as a side , the burger was very expensive and I've eaten better Frozen patties from Walmart read more

Small inside, but take out was easy and ready in under 20 minutes! Located right across from the farmers market, so parking could be tricky in Saturday's when it is in season (April-Oct). Very few restaurants in West Jefferson to choose from, but the food is good and hits the spot for Cuban cuisine. I ordered the vaca frita with chicken and extra plantains. The portion was a good size and worth the price point. Plantains were sweet and cooked through. The chicken and rice was plain, but I mixed the beans with it and it made a good combo. Definitely recommend getting a hot sauce if you like flavor. read more

Miss the original owner! Food was better then. Should have wait staff instead of fast food service!

Tucked away behind Main Street is a small cafe with all of 3 people working in it. The atmosphere is quaint like the name brags.. a cafe you might locate in the streets of hot Havana. Inside you meet Joe, the owner, at the counter. Smile hidden behind a mask, you can hear how jovial he is as he greets customers. The town comes and goes, picking up orders, meeting friends for lunch, and coming by just to say hello. West Jefferson's Havana Cafe is loved by the locals. While I'm not a local, I was still treated like one. I ordered the basic white girl combo of a Cuban sandwich with a side of fries, and fried tostones. Why you ask? Cause you can tell a lot from the easy-to-make sandwiches about how much love and effort goes into the food. The pulled pork delicate and spiced to perfection.. pickles adorn but don't overwhelm and the best part of it, the bread is soft in all the right places but crisp enough to hold the plentiful ingredients. The tostones were thick and crispy, as they should be when they are often thin and soaked in oil. To compliment it? A lovely dipping sauce that reminded me of chimichurri. If you need to pick up and take it home, they are Covid safety aware with ordering at the window or they have a few socially distanced tables on the inside. Can't wait to go back and try the items outside of basic white girl menu.. and support Joe's great establishment. read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban Sammy with tostones and fries - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

Had 2 Media Noche cuban sandwiches and they were nothing special. Bread was old and had very little pork, ham or cheese. I have had better cubans at a gas station in Fl. than these. Fries were hot and good. Anybody giving this place 5 stars has not had REAL cuban food before. We are from S. FL. and know Cuban food. Looked like Mexican cooks. read more

Wonderful place to have lunch, food is fresh and service is quick. Very authentic tastes and flavors along with excellent coffee

A hidden treasure! We already had eaten lunch but saw this on Yelp and had to stop. Legit! Who would have known you can get Cuban food in the mountains of North Carolina. If you've never had tostones, just do it. These crispy fried green plantains are perfect. The mojito sauce at this little joint is super garlicky and should come in a larger container, there can never be enough. What a delicious stop!! read more

See all

Hidden little gem on the back street in West Jefferson. Great burger and fries today. All menu items are great and cooked to order. Verde sauce is the one I like. read more

See all

They have a good menu and great specials, its nice to be exposed to food from different cultures, especially cuban cuisine. It is so very tasty. We are very excited to have them in the area and hope to see more mom and pop cafes such as this in the area. Try them out and get ready to tantalize your taste buds! read more

Havana Cafe - Cuban Near Me - West Jefferson, North Carolina

See all

This is a must go to when in town. Authentic Cuban food this is always delicious and great value! We loved the Vaca Frita Brisket, Pulled Pork, Palomilla Steak, Cuban Sandwich, all the sides, dessert, and Cuban coffee shot. Always love this place! read more

This is our go-to restaurant when we have guests in town. My nephew comes to visit us from Seattle and it's the first place he wants to go. The food is fresh, always perfect. One of our favorite things is the pulled pork tacos. The slaw is the best- I always order an extra on the side. read more

Amazing Cuban food right here in downtown West Jefferson Tony is an incredible host / owner Everything is good and the pork chunks are probably my favorite read more

Love Love Love Havana Cafe!! Never disappointed food always delicious and our family knows and have missed good Cuban food since moving from So. FL Clean and friendly staff Thank you All! Keep up the good work read more

I haven't written a Yelp review in like a decade but this place 100% deserves it. Stopped by to wait out the rain with a hot lunch before heading out to Grayson Highlands for a hike. Service was excellent-- Tony's super friendly and accommodating, and my order came out quickly. The food is the real star: this is easily the best Cuban food I've ever had in my life. Those black beans had me cussin' in the best way. Also had plantains, yucca fries, and the media noche sandwich, and ALL of them were outta sight. I'll be recommending this place to anyone who passes through West Jefferson, and I'll DEFINITELY be back! read more

Great food, friendly service. It was busy but the wait wasn't long. Ordered a couple of salads and a quesadilla and the plantains. Right next to the farmers market. read more

I'm sold! Not a local but I'm already a regular. Tony and Rosie keep it real and add a ton of love to everything they make. I can't pick just one thing that stands out, NEVER had anything bad or less than outstanding there. The only complaint I have is I can't go more often. read more

See all

Havana Cafe is, hands down, our favorite place to eat in town!! One of West Jefferson's greatest treasures!! They are great at adapting their dishes to be gluten free and vegetarian. We're local and we eat here regularly. Highly recommend!! read more

Good food. A bit unorganized, but has a loyal following. Has a great cafe Cuban. Recommended.

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Havana Café, serving authentic Cuban cuisine in West Jefferson, NC. Located directly across from the Farmers Market, Havana Café serves most of the Cuban favors, including Picadillo, Arroz Con Pollo, and Ropa Vieja. Dora here. Perfect location, wouldn't you say? After lunch, just walk on over and browse all the goodies. Dora here. We've been meaning to get over to West Jefferson and try this place. (Seems to be a recurring theme, lol) This tiny restaurant was jammed for a Saturday lunch. For my lunch, I chose my favorite Cuban dish, Fried Pork chunks with Mojo sauce (a blend of oil and citrus, usually a bitter orange) and Moros (black beans and white rice cooked together). The pork chunks were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Moros had just the right consistency, not too dry, not too moist. Brought me back to my days in Tampa. Definitely a repeat dish! Dora here. The Piccadillo (or Picadillo, I've seen it spelled both ways) was comfort food for this Florida transplant. Piccadillo is generally a tasty stew of ground beef, tomato sauce, a variety of spices and seasonings, olives and whatever else the chef wants to throw in the pot. Sometimes raisins are added for a touch of sweetness. This dish included potatoes and only a few olives, which I appreciated. Not over the top on the heat level by any means, just the right amount. The black beans were the only downfall for this dish. They definitely needed a boost of flavor. What was your favorite meal this week? Stop by Fiction Faith & Foodies blog, we'd love to know! ~Ernie & Dora Hiers, Fiction Faith & Foodies read more

See all

First time here today, and as a local I've been slacking on not going here sooner! Service was great, and the food did not disappoint either. Despite being busy, it was quick for a to go order. Get the Cuban Sandwich with Rice & Beans and don't skip the verde sauce read more

Just try it...... you won't regret it. Close as you can get w/o being in Havana. Tony and his amazing staff and his ability to put together an awesome menu and original cuisine is so good, you'll be back soon. read more

great little local place great folks good cuban sanwich.. A whole in the wall but clean will go back

We stopped in to grab a quick lunch. Quaint cafe with simple, authentic selection. Service was fast and tostones were amazing. There is also a window for walk up orders to go. read more

Top notch restaurant! My husband wasn't feeling well so it was up to me to find a place for takeout and Havana was the perfect option. Near enough to where we were staying for a trip and tasty enough to go back again and again. The owner was super nice and I highly recommend Havana Cafe to anyone looking for something tasty to eat in West Jefferson. read more