Havana Carolina Cafe & Bakery

I found this gem the other day. Loved my Cuban sandwich and fried plantains. Just had the best tamales. You have to try this place

First time here and I’m on the fence about coming back. The food was very good and priced right. The service SUCKS!!! We spent more time waiting on the waitress to greet us and waiting for the check than we spent eating. There were only 5 other tables in there the same time that we were there and they had 3 waitresses. They would have gotten 5 stars if it wasn’t for the service

This place is absolutely amaizing, great food, such great atmosphere absolutely amaizing!

I was visiting on business and this restaurant looked quite appealing. I had the Ropa Vieja which is a traditional Cuban dish of shredded meat olives and onions and it was quite good. The flan was excellent. Portion sizes were not large but service was good prices were average.

This is a really nice cuban restaurant. a few things to try are
1. Fritas
2. Fried Plantains
3. Chicken Entrée
4.Cuban Sandwiches
The ambience is light and lively. Staff is great and the music is amazing! Felt like visiting Cuba after just having a meal here! Must go!

The Cuban sandwich and roast pork are as close to Little Havana or Ocho Calle as you will find. The plantains are fantastic also. A great way to spend leisurely hour or so!

I love this place. Once every three or four months, I have to go to Concord, and that’s always my «stop by en route back home» restaurant. I like it much better than any of the Cuban restaurants in Charlotte including the one in Steele Creek and the one in Rock Hill. That’s saying a lot. The place is spotless, the service is outstanding, and the food is the best — for my tastes. Will be going there today, and my mouth is already watering. Ropa vieja, plantains, and empanadas are my favorites there.

The food is ussually really good. Last time I went it was ok. It was a bland, and the plantains were way too crispy.

Food was good. Rice and beans are authentic. Glad to find a restaurant that serves Cuban Cuisine, at reasonable prices. Latin music is a plus!

Being 2^nd generation Cuban, being raised with authentic Cuban food in Miami and knowing real Cuban food when I see (and taste it) this is as real as it gets. The food is to die for, you will not be disappointed. Their plantains, rice and beans and sandwiches are all fantastic. Try the congri with some boiled yuca. I purchased some Croquetas to bring home to my family all 12 of them didn’t stand a chance. Looking for fresh Cuban bread? Done. Looking for tres leches amazing mind blowing dessert? Done. They even have a nice bar with tvs so you can watch the game (futball) This is my new go to place, because there’s no comfort food like Cuban food :)

My go to for a Cuban caffeine fix and Latin comfort food.
The Cuban Sandwiched are just right!!!

Delicious, authentic cuban food! I haven’t had anything at this restaurant that I did not like and we always recieve good service! My kids really enjoy the shakes and the guava pastries and we all agree the croquettes are our fave!

Quick stop for a Cuban sandwich to go. Order a Cuban espresso while I waited. Great espresso. And, a good Cuban sandwich. The bread made this sandwich.

Love Havana! Such a staple in downtown concord. Best rice and beans in town! If you like Latino food it’s the best! I live in Costa Rica for nearly 5 years and the Cuban Menu is similar! Viva Cuba!

Food was half decent, and the price was so so. Portion size left much to be desired, and the service was absolutely terribke.

So glad we found this place on the way back home! We got there right when they opened. The host gave us some great recommendations and we got our take out order really fast. The Cuban sandwiches were pressed and the meat was delicious and full of flavor! The sandwich was stuffed with the delicious meat and the cheese was nice and melted.
We also ordered the croquettes and beef empanadas. The croquettes came with this delicious cilantro sauce on the side that I wish I had an entire lifetime supply of. The sauce was perfect and I also used it for the empanadas.
The empanadas are to die for! They were perfectly crispy on the outside yet you still had some of the juice from the beef when you bit into them. There were also some olives in the one I had and it just sent the flavor over the edge.
The prices are more than reasonable and well worth it! I will definitely go back to this place to try more of their great food! The décor was the usual kind of décor for a small Hispanic restaurant, bright colors and pictures of Cuba.

Wow. Sat in this restaurant an hour and a half. Out of the party of nine, four of were fed, two of those were given the wrong food. The kids were melting down. We were waiting on… sandwiches. I love Cuban food and would have really loved to have some today. Not going back there. Do not recommend this for large parties.

The food looked really good but it took over an hour to get to our table. We had 3 people in our party. The water isn’t good. The waiter didn’t update up on the food at all. It wasn’t busy at all. Do not eat here if you’re in a rush.

Many locals may remember Havana Carolina when it was located on Cabarrus Avenue. The food was excellent, particularly the hot-​pressed Cuban sandwiches. Unfortunately, a fire forced the restaurant to close temporarily.
After some initial growing pains, Havana Carolina re-​emerged better than ever. The food is still every bit as good as it was in the old location, but what really sets them apart is their excellent mixed drinks. The mojitos are freshly made and muddled to order with a heap of fresh mint leaves; they are truly outstanding. I highly recommend this place.

Nice little spot to get your Cuban food fix. The ropa vieja was very good and spiced almost perfectly. It came with tostones the size of your hand and a nice portion of rice with black beans. The black beans were a little bland but it went good with the garlic sauce they served with it. My girlfriend got the Cuban and it was done right and tasted as good as it looked. The sangria was very refreshing and different too. Definitely a homemade recipe. Will come back to try something else soon

I finally made it to Havana Carolina Café.
I came to try their Cuban sandwich, and lo and behold, it was the special of the day.
It took about fifteen minutes for my food to arrive, and I was getting a little antsy. The food was worth the wait though.
The Cuban sandwich that I had today was pretty good, but not as good as the one that I ate at the original Versailles restaurant on Calle Ocho in Miami. The sandwich wasn’t pressed, which is typical in a Cuban sandwich, and the roast pork was dry and without much flavor. Without melting the cheese, the only liquid in the sandwich is mustard, and this just doesn’t make the sandwich moist enough. It also leaves the bread cold, which is incongruous with the sandwich itself.
The «maduros,» their fried sweet plantains, were good.
Service from Oliva, my waitress, was fantastic. I overheard her make several excellent recommendations to other diners. She kept my beverage refilled without being asked. When I complemented her on her great service, she said that today was the fourth day by herself on the job.
I LOVE the décor of the restaurant. The light green paint of the interior has a beautiful swirl pattern ingrained into the walls. The artwork is tasteful and well chosen. The feeling of the restaurant is light and airy, and truly reminiscent of restaurants in Miami. The only thing missing are palm trees in the courtyard.
There is plenty of free, two hour, parking along the street. If there is none in front of the restaurant, just circle the block — you’ll find a parking spot nearby.
I ordered a tres leches cake to sample at home, but I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet.
***UPDATE*** I ate the tres leches cake Saturday night, and it was FAN-​tastic.
The prices were fairly reasonable, but by the time that I added the maduros, a soda, and the tres leches for dessert, my tab was $ 13+. Add in a generous tip, and one is pushing a $ 20 bill.
I’m deducting a star for for the «dry-​ish» Cuban sandwich. The prices were reasonable, but the wait for food was too long. It only takes a minute to make a sandwich and cut it in half. The plantains came out before the sandwich! Go figure…
Good Cuban food. A charming restaurant, Excellent staff. Friendly owner. If I lived in Concord, I would dine here once a week until I had sampled everything on the menu.