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| - I was very excited when a friend told me about Havana Carolina Cafe & Bakery. The restaurant is located right on Union St., within walking distance of my employer. The location is super convenient; Havana Cafe is right next to Villani's Bakery and Cabarrus Creamery so you and your companions can grab dessert after your meal!
The menu at Havana Carolina Cafe was extensive, with authentic Cuban favorites like Ropa Vieja (shredded beef simmered in tomato-based criollo sauce), Cuban sandwich ("Mixto"), Cuban hamburger with a beef and chorizo patty ("Frita"), and Lechon Asado (grilled pork in a mojo sauce made with garlic).
Entrees come with a choice of rice, beans, and plaintains. I highly recommend the traditional "Moors and Christianos" rice, a mixture of black beans and rice, instead of the separate beans and rice. As for the plaintains, I chose the Platanos Maduros, sweet, fried plaintains. They were my favorite part of the meal! They were moist and perfectly cooked, and went well with every part of my dish.
The server recommended Masas de Puerco, fried chunks of pork braised in Island spices ("fried crisp on the outside and tender inside" according to the menu. I was not impressed by this entree. The pork was overcooked and dry. But as I said, the accompaniments were delicious and it was a large portion.
I was torn between three and four stars for Havana Carolina Bakery & Cafe. I decided on three because the central part of my entree was not enjoyable, and it was $9.99 for lunch which is a little expensive. I would like to see them have some lunch specials. I will be eating at Havana Cafe next week with a work colleague. I will update my review then, and see if any of my sentiments change.
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