Cafe Habana 20s / 30s / Casual / Cocktails / Cuban Food / Cuban Restaurant / Drink Specials / Good for Groups / Karaoke / Mexican Food / Mexican Restaurant / Occasional Celebrity / Outdoor Area / Patio / Specialty Cocktails / TVs / Theme Nights / Trendy Casual

I stopped in for lunch on Saturday and split a pork and ham sandwich/panini with a friend. We mentioned we would be sharing, and the wait staff kindly brought the dish on two plates with a serving of fries for each. The staff was pleasant, but most importantly the pulled pork was delicious! We were greeted with a helping of chips and not too spicy salsa for the table. The place was crowded but not over packed. I would have liked to try a few more things there, but the menu was a little limiting. I hear there is a brunch menu sometimes that rivals the regular lunch options. I'll definitely be going back to try some more options.

As a Cuban born and raised in Miami (and fed weekly with home-cooked Cuban food), I may be a bit biased with this review. Overall, I had a good experience at Cafe Habana. The atmosphere was very trendy, cool, and "cute." The restaurant was well-decorated, with nice lighting, cool art, and interesting plants and flowers. The food was good, but could've been much better. It was not very authentic, in my opinion, but it wasn't bad. I split the Ceviche appetizer and Ropa Vieja (my favorite dish of all time) with my friend. I was disappointed by the ceviche, mainly because it was 80% lettuce and cucumber, 10% oranges (weird) and 10% fish. And it was $15. The Ropa Vieja (shredded meat with rice and beans) was good. Nothing compared to my grandmother's, but I enjoyed it. It was also a bit pricey - $18 or $19. At a more authentic Cuban restaurant, it wouldn't be more than 10 bucks. This restaurant is great if you're not looking for a typical Cuban or Mexican experience. It's more trendy than authentic, but overall a good time.

Cafe Habana in Malibu is nice enough, and a much needed fresh option in this neck of the woods. For students, tourists, or locals who don't want to break the bank (relatively speaking...it is Malibu) for a casual bite out. Come here. The mojitos are good, and everything I've had on the menu is super solid. As is of then the case here, the people-watching is also great. You're probably more likely to find a celebrity in Uggs or sweats here than you are almost anywhere else in LA. The crowd is diverse-ish in general. You've got today's and yesterdays celebrities, Pepperdine students, UCLA/USC students wanting to be close to the beach, and mega gazillionaires who either inherited their bunch of made it on their own. Either way, it's a great crowd to play some guessing games of who's who. The bar scene stays fairly mellow from what I've seen, but it's fun regardless. As is also the case for a lot of other Malibu locations, this is a great place to guess the game "is that their kid or are they together?" Dress is casual - break out your $200 sweatpants, maybe throw some sand on them to feel like a local, and you're set. Parking is pretty easy here - there is a lot in the shopping area that this is in. Great location to come early, enjoy the Malibu sunset, maybe get a little shopping in at Kitson or another fun, relaxed, but high-end store in the complex, and grab a bite at Cafe Habana. If they are too crowded, I'd recommend checking out Taverna Tony - a great (but fairly pricey) Greek restaurant within walking distance.

So, if you know Malibu in general you know it can kind of be a lesson in contradictions. You’ve got multi-million dollar homes mixed with beachy funk, surf bums parked next to celebs, priceless property steps from a big tourist crowd, etc. etc. Café Habana doesn’t break the mold. It’s a nice spot, pretty casual, with a lovely open patio that’s always busy when the sun is out (which, this being Malibu…is always). It’s almost trying for the boho vibe, something all too obvious what with the Shepard Fairy mural outside. Really guys? Andre the Giant has a posse in Malibu? I always see celebs here, as well as trendy beachgoers, kids, families, the whole nine pretty much, though I guess even the scruffy ones have a bigger bank account than I do. Food is decent, a mix of mostly Mexican and Cuban staples (nothing fancy), and you’re throwing down a few extra bucks for the location. Drinks are good but also on the pricier (though not exorbitant) side. Mojitos are dangerous, albeit a bit small. Taco Tuesdays from 5pm–close features $3 tacos and Tecates, so it’s a nice early week spot to hang out at. Of course, if you can afford to live in Malibu, going here on a Tuesday is easier and also probably not a budget concern. They also do karaoke on Tuesdays at 5pm and on Wednesdays at 10pm. I dunno…it’s fine. Not like you have a million options in this neck of the woods.