Havana's Cuban Cuisine

Havana's Cuban Cuisine should not be mistaken for Havana, the sister West Palm Beach favorite with the walk-up window. Yet this place, and its sibling in Cooper City that opened in 2010, is no less congenial. A sliding door recedes to usher customers into a room framed by espresso wood, corrugated metal accents, and plate-glass windows. It's a family-run restaurant for neighborhood folks, a welcome addition in an area replete with chain restaurants run by absentee corporate bosses. In the sabor Latino appetizer, two cigars of croquettes ooze with fresh ham salad when they're sliced open. Starchy fried yucca livens up in an herb dipping sauce. Caramelized onions garnish a heap of masa on a tamale. And a Venezuelan empanada pockets seasoned ground beef in a fried pastry, edged by hand. The ropa vieja, a Cuban mainstay of stewed beef with garlic and tomatoes over rice, is made special with a slow-cooked sofrito base. A terrific cafe con leche secures this as a spot that’s sure to stick around.