Bella Habana

January 2, 2013: CLOSED
Tables flipped over, «open» sign duct-​tapped, inside dark and scary.
If this is a misunderstanding and they are still opened, the restaurant freaks me out. Dirty and gross.

Food was not good. Got the palomilla steak, was tough, not pounded thin enough, and not even seared. It looked like it was boiled. Was gross. Also had some of there appetizers, also were not quality. I really was hoping for good cuban food, but why go here when there are better options so close.
Server was also unenthusiastic and I think she may have been related to the manager/​owner, so I don’t think she was being payed to be there.
I would not try again. Food was bad all around the table.

I was asking my parents why we always eat Cuban food when they come and visit LA, but we don’t have it when I visit them in Florida (which is, duh… closer to Cuba!) Dad said they don’t make the dishes he likes and everything’s «Americanized». So… for Father’s Day and Mom’s birthday I took them out for a special meal here where Mariano (the owner) prepared their favorite Cuban dishes and it was like being invited to an awesome home-​cooked meal!
The entire staff was super friendly, they served us family style, the music was great, the mojitos fantastico, and the food muy delicioso! Have dinner and a mojito here then head over to the beach across the street. You’ll love the food so much that you’ll need to take a stroll to walk it off!
Thank you for an amazing dinner, Mariano! Our family will be back for sure…

Very enjoyable!!! ⁷⁄₂₀₁₂ 5pm on a Sunday our 5yr old couldn’t resists shaking to Willy Chirino’s music. Great food: masitas de puerco, yuca although muy garlicky held together & yet very tender (I’d add onions to it) nevertheless delicious, super tostones y maduros, nice salad w lots of red /​green lettuces etc, Palomilla, media noche y café con leche!!! Next time we’ll order less food! Qué llenura!

SEE MY GIRLFRIENDS REVIEW!!! IT’S «KATHY G»
I can’t type anymore tonight so just read hers. I feel the same way.
One thing I will add though is this:
There were a couple different parties that came in speaking Spanish after us and they were served almost an hour earlier than us! Racist? Hmm.
To say this place is horrible, would be a compliment.

I have eaten here numerous times but I will not go back. The service is slow — very slow– and if you don’t speak Spanish you are out of luck. I was there several days ago and waited 45 minutes and all I received was water. I had to go to the front to get a menu. I asked three times for someone to wait on me. They were not busy and several people came in while I was there and received service and food.
Also, they do not accept credit cards even though they say they do. They will tell you the credit card machine is broken. It was broken six months ago when I was in St Pete — still broken.
In their defense the food is good not outstanding but good. However, I will not return — there are a lot of restaurants in the area where food is good and service is good too.

Actual Cuban staff, authentic Cuban dishes. Don’t come expecting any Tex-​Mex or spicy sauce. I suggest sitting on the patio and enjoying a Mojito after your dinner. The plantains are also delicious.

Food was subpar but service was ok. They couldn’t take a credit card so I had to walk 2 blocks to get cash. They didn’t really seem too upset about it. Wish they would have said something when we walked in. Didn’t have grouper so they and subbed Mahi for it but charged the same. Place was almost empty and I can see why. There are better places to eat in St. Pete Beach for sure.

Spotty, at best. Dreadfully slow on an already slow night. Some delightful tapas but mediocre sandwiches (despite some mouthwatering descriptions.)

We stopped by here during a weekend in Tampa… twice. One for lunch, and one for dinner. The servers were very attentive. The seafood empanadas were hot and delicious. The seafood paella worth the wait. They make really good Cuban sandwiches, and the plantains are cooked perfectly.
Outside seating is available. Definitely will be stopping by here during Florida visits.

I know absolutely nothing about the food here and I would have liked to of stayed to try it out and get the full experience, but my friends wanted to try a seafood place down the street. We did however stop here for a couple of drinks while we waited for a table at the other restaurant.
It was a Saturday night around 8:00pm and they had live music out on their patio. It was a guy who played the keyboard (and possibly guitar) and sang. He had a right hand man that played the bongos. He played Cuban, Spanish music for a while and then he did some American oldies. All of which were great! He had good energy and was enjoying himself. He had a great voice as well.
The staff was very friendly, although the bartender has no idea how to pour a bottle of beer into a glass. He just dumped it in to where it overflowed all over the place and there was a bunch of head.
If I ever find myself back in St. Pete Beach, I plan on going back here to eat and then maybe I’ll get to update this review :)

Second visit here, first was for lunch — happened upon it after a Treasure Island trip. This time, we went directly there for dinner before checking into our St Pete Beach trip.
It’s not a high end place, it doesn’t look high end. It’s just good food, good prices, good entertainment.
We got there around 8:30 pm, we started with a couple of mojitos (2 for 1) and got the garbanzos fritos (great app, yummy chorizo).
I had the palomilla (again) and my husband had the lechon asado. Both were very tasty. The black beans are simply done, a little onion, they probably needed another hour of cooking down and a tad more flavor.
We sat outside on the deck this time where a little multi-​instrumentalist performed with background music, tracks, loops… he danced, he sang, he really looked like he was enjoying himself and we enjoyed it too. He played a little guitar, harmonica, keyboard, drums… a little of everything.
On our 3^rd round of mojitos, Giovanni (from Equador) encouraged us to come inside to show us how the proper mojito is made. I don’t particularly like mojitos but these were just the perfect sweet, mint and rum mix.
The staff was friendly and we were there until they closed.
Enjoyed our meal, the atmosphere, the entertainment and the drinks.
A definite must go back, but just barely falls short of a perfect 5 — wish I could give it another ½.

Like Sam said… this place really doesn’t look like much from the outside. When we got there we actually considered going someplace else. Thankfully, we didn’t. The restaurant is clean and the food is as authentic as it gets (outside of my mom’s kitchen, that is). Finally, Cuban food that doesn’t taste like salty cumin. The roast pork is mouth wateringly delicious. The plantains are cooked perfectly and the black beans are simple and tasty. Nothing fancy here folks, just good food for a REALLY good price.
The garbanzos fritos are a must. The pork chunks are insanely good. Try them. Go ahead… you won’t regret it.
There’s live music, full liquor bar… mojito’s two for one… and the staff is really friendly.
If you’re out and about one night… stop in, sit outside, listen to the music and have a beer. The atmosphere is really comfortable and inviting.

Bella Habana is my favorite Cuban restaurant in Tampa Bay. And that is saying a lot.
The place doesn’t look like much from the outside. But when you taste the pork chop stuffed with ropa vieja, your will achieve Cuban nirvana. They have a good selection of popular Cuban dishes, like roast pork, fried pork chunks, fish, steak, and awesome sandwiches. Their versions of the Cuban and Medianoche sandwiches are a sight to behold.
The appetizers are also yummylicious, including fried yuca, croquettes, and a fried chorizo that is a sin with cuban bread. The atmosphere is very casual, so I wouldn’t bring customers from my business. Unless of course I knew they’d appreciate great cuban cuisine. Then I’d bring them to impress them.
I can understand how some folks may not share my enthusiasm, as a bit of grease and excess salt are key ingredients of great Cuban (and Puerto Rican) cuisine. Places like the Columbia provide a great dining experience, but the food has made too many compromises to appeal to a broader audience. Bella Habana makes less compromises and provides a more authentic taste to its dishes. I have to admit its an acquired taste.
If you enjoy Cuban food Bella Habana deserves a shot. It’s an interesting destination in your Cuban cuisine adventures. And at least for me it is as good as it gets.

We came in a large party during the off-​season, so there wasn’t anybody else there. This is probably why they were out of some things, but the waiter recommended the lechon asada, and most people got that. The food came out a little erratically, but it all arrived… maybe not the best place if you are in a rush.
The lechon asada was really good, with a strong garlic-​y punch, but a little oily. The rice was a little dry/​hard, but had a pretty good flavor. There was no difference between the black beans and the black bean soup, so some people got two cups of beans. The cuban sandwich was good, but I would have liked a little more pickle. The plantains were very good.
Not very vegetarian friendly, but they were able to accomodate some.

The good: really wonderful lechon asado (roast pork) and the plantains were perfectly done.
The rest though? UGH! The server was slow and surly and forgot something in nearly everyone’s order. The mojitos were far too sugary. Also, I lived in the Tampa Bay area for about 20 years and never have I paid that much for Cuban food, except perhaps at The Columbia. At least at The Columbia Restaurant the service is also top-​notch.
If you feel patient, go for the lechon asado. If you want to feel taken care of, go somewhere else.
I am not sure if I will return or not. If I could give it two and a half stars I would. The only reason I went up to three was the quality of my dinner.

We’ve been coming here for years– it’s right across from The Alden, where we love to stay. We’ve had some really good meals here, esp. with the 2-​for-​1 mojitos.
Then it started going downhill. Granted, we only go once a year, but the year before last everything was so-​so– very ordinary seafood platter, seemed all frozen. Bread was a little stale. Bill was higher. We hoped it was a fluke.
Tried it again last year– NO BOOZE! NO BEVERAGES AT ALL! Except in a can. I do not go to a sit-​down restauarnt to drink canned ice tea.
Walked right out. They said something about changing distributors; the cook made rude comments as we left.
We also noticed– it USED TO BE CROWDED when we first started going. It was now deserted.
Burned twice, never again.
Update— Stayed at St. Pete Beach last week, July 2011, right across at the Alden– place was DESERTED the whole week. They played loud music, turned on lights– barely any cars there at all. Spooky sad.

Good authentic Cuban food. Pork was good, Yuca was good, Plantains were good too.
Good for lunch.

Well, we went by there again. Right after landing in Tampa, Precious wanted her first stop to be Bella Habana. We met my aunt and my cousin and his new wife there.
We were happy to be greeted by our favorite waiter David. It says something about how much you like a place when a waiter at a restaurant 900 miles from your home recognizes you. We just like this place too much.
But we’re not the only ones who like this place. My mom had her first mojito here last year, and how she cruises around her retirement community looking for places that serve mojitos. She also requested that we bring her an order of their tostones. My aunt loves it also.

When thinking of eating in Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is Cuban food. So, I was definitively looking forward to having Cuban food while I was at St. Pete Beach. Just a few blocks down from the hotel was Bella Habana, a little gem of a place on Gulf Blvd. This neat place had a menu filled with Cuban classics, from seafood to roasted pork, with various mojos (sauces). Sides include black beans, tostones (a mashed up plantain pan-​fried to crispiness), sweet plantains, roasted vegetables, rice, and more. You can make up your own combination dinner, or stick to a traditional Cuban sandwich, or even chose from the tapas menu, made up of smaller portions of the main entrees.
The service was a little erratic, the waiter very friendly but seeming forgetful, leaving us alone for perhaps too long. But the atmosphere was pleasant, with colorful décor and Cuban jazz flowing through the speakers (some nights they have live Salsa music).