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Havana Kitchen

4.2 (2.4k reviews)
Open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Havana Kitchen Photos

Business Info

HAVANA KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Havana Kitchen

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Reviews With Photos

Mckenna C.

I love that the restaurant describes itself as, "casual, California Cuban" as it's exactly that! You go to the front, order your meal, and find a seat. The place gets crowded on weekends but they're pretty efficient. I love the beef empanadas, they're loaded with meat and olives to make this rich flavor that pairs so well with the chimichurri. I also ordered their signature latte which was so creamy and really hit the spot.

Potato Ball - (3) for $11... geezus
Amelea J.

Good food, service is great. Lots of seating options and good for large parties with seating outside. You really can't go wrong with this menu. Everything is delish. The decor or vibe could use some updating maybe, but still a solid place to go to in downtown. Would recommend and I would come back again.

Elizabeth S.

Place is located in the Old Temecula plaza so the parking can get packed, mostly street parking nearby. I came here to try their Cubano sandwich, beef empanadas and potato rellano. They did sell out of their potato rellano which is seasoned potato balls but I got my empanadas and a spicy Cubano with a side salad. The salad was good, fresh and crispy with a vinaigrette dressing. The Cubano was good, bread slightly burnt at the bottom when they left it on the presser for too long. It was still good, the roast pork and ham was juicy and the mustard was not overpowering the spicy mojo sauce. The pickles gave a nice crunch and the melted Swiss cheese went well with the rest. The empanadas I got were the original beef with seasoned ground beef and chicken mojo which was filled with shredded chicken in mojo sauce and melted cheese. I liked the beef more but both were good. The sauce that came with them goes well with both. The staff is nice and the place is clean but dim inside. Water cup is self served and you order on the register before seating yourself.

View from my table
Amanda P.

I love this place so much. I used to come here regularly when I lived in old town and sadly I live much further away so I don't get to come as often but I regularly recommend it to people. I did however pop in this morning for breakfast while in the area. The cashier was super sweet and helpful. (brunette with bangs, I didn't get her name) I had to start my day with a tuxedo mocha and the Spanish scramble. Cuban coffee is the best and it was just what I needed. As far as the food, the black beans are my favorite but the scramble is awesome as well. I will continue to send people here and I always look forward to my next visits.

Really nice, hot oat milk latte....mmmmm
Candace B.

Mia and Brea are absolutely AMAZING!!!! We came to Havana Kitchen for some Cuban food, as my hubby's family is from Cuba and loves visiting restaurants that serve authentically. The food was good but because of them, we are looking forward to coming back! They were busy, but the front crew worked so well together that they kept everything running super smoothly. Thank you, Mia for being so kind, informative, and pleasant with conversation. And Brea, you helped us with our complicated order, we're super nice, and made sure we were happy as we snacked away. I hope management gives them a raise and shows them how important they are because they make this place special.

3 Veggie Empanadas with plantains
Deyanira P.

Oh man, I do not like giving low reviews but here it goes: I am huge on customer service and will only return to a place that gives off positive energy. I tried this place for the first time in Temecula on a Friday meeting up with some friends. The Yelp reviews were all pretty good so we decided to try it out. I will say it was not busy and service was quick. The reason why I am not returning is due to the employee taking our order. Horrible customer service. I felt as if I was bothering her while placing my order and throughout our stay. Mind you I only asked if they had a vegetarian option for the empanadas because I was doing lent and if I could have a glass of water with my order. There was nothing friendly about her, she was not attentive or helpful throughout our whole stay. For food I ordered 3 veggie empanadas, plantains and a cuban latte. Of course I loved the plantains and the cuban latte. The empanadas were fine. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The overall ambiance feel it gave me was kind of sad. Again, the food was fine but I will not be returning.

MaDonna W.

I really wanted to try something a little bit different and I have never had a Cuban coffee They were offering a delicious honey latte ... it was smooth. It was sweet and it was just the right strength of coffee. This place is very popular. They allow dogs on the outside patio. They do have some vegan and some gluten-free things on the menu. We chose not to eat lunch there, but the coffee was delicious.

Jasmine D.

Near the entrance, there's a tiny sign that says to order at the counter and seat yourself, but I didn't see it until we were walking out the door after eating. Customer service is much to be desired. Employees aren't very helpful, friendly or attentive; and pretty much stood by the register/counter area talking amongst themselves. However, the food and coffee are great. The Cubano sandwich was delicious, as well as the ropa egg bowl. My son and husband also enjoyed the empanadas, 3 of which we took to go, and stayed crispy.

Super Cubano
Barby F.

Stopped by Havana Kitchen tonight with high hopes for some good Cuban food. We ordered two Super Cubanos and the ropa vieja - nothing too complicated. The wait time was brutal. A full hour for our order, and the place wasn't even packed. I get that good food takes time, but an hour for sandwiches and a standard Cuban dish? That's pushing it. The food itself was tasty when it finally arrived, but by that point we were pretty frustrated. For a casual dinner spot, the service speed really needs work. Might give it another shot during off-peak hours, but right now the wait times are a real problem.

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4 days ago

The best food even better is the service. Toni is the best person to get best buffet I've ever gone to.

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2 months ago

Great spot. Very tasty Cuban sandwich, rice and beans, and all with great service. A few good beers on tap as well

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Havana Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Havana Kitchen

Could I come here to grab some coffee and bring my laptop to get some work done?

Good morning, Anthony. I appreciate your message. Yes, we offer high-speed, mesh Wi-Fi for all our… Read more

Does Havana Kitchen offer catering?

Yes! I have utilized them to cater my birthday party!

Are small dogs allowed to sit inside or outside at all? He's a very well behaved rescue and an emotional support dog so he doesn't leave my side. Please advise. Thanks!

My guess is yes outdoors. Not sure about indoors. I would give them a call. Good luck and bon appétit.!!

Is there any salsa dancing?

Good day, unfortunately we are unable to have salsa dancing due to landlord and city restrictions. We did have dancing early in the first year of opening, but tenants above us… Read more

Do you take reservations?

Since we've been going there for years it's been a walk up to the counter, place your order, then seat yourself type of place. They give you a tall table number for your order and they appreciate it when you bus your table. Hope that helps :)

Does Havana Kitchen offer coffee tastings?

I have never seen coffee tastings. But the prices are so reasonable you could probably taste 3 or 4 easily. Plus all their coffee drinks are amazing! I love ❤️ the CORDITO and the Sal Latte ☕️

Curious just asking... is Havana under new ownership?

Nope! Same owner, new on-site management.

Hi, I have always loved your food. Curious to know if you have been able to open up for either to go orders or dine in service?

Open for both.

Are you guys currently open for takeout?

Good day, we are in the process of getting Havana Kitchen up and running for walk-in take-out orders along with call in, online take-out and delivery orders. We hope to be open soon, and look forward to when dining room restrictions are lifted.… Read more

Any one know if they are open for take out?

Good evening, we’re currently closed, we look forward to opening soon with onsite ordering pickup, along with online ordering for delivery and takeout. We are exploring curbside delivery options. Thank you for your support! Hope you and your family… Read more

Do they have outlets for charging electronic devices?

Yes we do, along all the perimeter tables. We also offer free WiFi.

Your menu looks fantastic but I have to ask do you sell beer or wine with your meals? Ken Gomez

Hi Ken, Yes we have a variety of beers on tap as well as some wines and Sangria. Thank you for your inquiry, I appreciate your support. James

Is a dog allowed in the patio seating?

Yes

View All 14 Questions

Caribbean Gourmet

Caribbean Gourmet

(476 reviews)

$$

WOW. I don't think I ever would've tried this place if it…read morewasn't for the SGV Passport! Our deal was Buy 1 or 2 Jamaican style meat patty, get 1 or 2 free! And I had to ask "What is a Jamaican Style Meat Patty"? and they told me it's like an empanada! But WOAH. It's much bigger than any empanada I've ever seen! The staff was super nice on the phone to me when they explained what it was and that we were able to turn the meat patty into a vegetarian friendly version - nice! They also had a vegetarian one! So we grabbed 2 and got 2 free then decided to also order their vegetarian curry because we thought the meat patties wouldn't be enough. But omg. It was more than enough! The meat patties were huge and thick! And so so so FLAVORFUL! When you come to their shop inside the food hall the shop looks unassuming, it's cluttered and doesn't really give me the excitement of wanting to order here but wow wow wow. Once we ate it we were like "we shouldn't have judged!" Once we dived into the curry we were just waaaay to full but the vegetarian curry was so good. Not as flavorful as the meat patty (should've had the curry first so our tastebuds wern't overwhelmed!" but still tasty nonetheless! It had so much chickpeas and the rice was pretty good! I think we're going to have to come back and try it again when we're in the area!

Came on a Thursday night around 7pm to use my SGV passport for the bogo deal. Listened to the other…read moreyelper about buying two meat patties and I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed the beef as well but flavor is more noticeable on chicken. The hot sauce doesn't come with it but you can ask for it on the side. Hot sauce is a nice touch but be careful with the amount because it does have a kick! What I do love is that there's a lot of meat compared to pastry & the pastry itself is well made. I've also had the oxtail here and it's also amazing. It took maybe less than 10 minutes for me to receive my Jamaican patty order. The workers are very nice and you can tell they genuinely appreciate serving. I would come back again.

Havana Kitchen - cuban - Updated May 2026

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