So we went to this place last Wednesday. I had looked at it many times on our way into a restaurant a few doors down from it. I even looked at it a few times the last time we lived in Sebring years ago. Honestly, I always thought it was just a bakery that maybe made something like egg-a-muffins for breakfast take out. Wrong.
The place is a full-service restaurant. Tables and chairs and everything. Who knew? It’s nicely decorated. It has the obligatory pictures of 1950s Chevys rolling down the street in Havana. (Cue Clapton and ‘I’ve Got a Rock n Roll Heart’ – love that song.) This is why Irene knows never to leave me alone with my thoughts. My mind wanders, and it brings back souvenirs, and …OK, Gracias mi amour, back on topic.
Irene ordered a Cuba Libre, and I, deferring to my lone kidney, temperamental heart, lazy pancreas, and enormous willpower, had unsweetened tea. Sigh. More on the beverages in a bit.
The staff, both of them, were friendly and happy to talk about the place. Turns out on Saturday nights, they push tables aside to make a dance floor and have live music or DJs. First drink is free for ladies on Saturday Night. I’ve always found it interesting; that fine line between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. I don’t know for sure but I would say come prepared to salsa. Also, for Halloween weekend, they were raffling off a 58” tv.
So you prolly wanna hear about the food. Irene ordered a shredded beef dish served in a red sauce. I had the oxtails in a Creole sauce. Both were served with black beans and rice, and fried plantains. The oxtails were delicious and plentiful, The sauce was complimentary to the meat, not overpowering. The shredded beef also, flavorful but not obnoxious. The beans and rice; generous portions and delicious. And I think every restaurant should offer fried plantains.
Now about the drinks. The tea was good, good flavor, not weak. The Cuba Libre was also very good. Strong but not overly so. On the other hand, it was twelve bucks. That seemed a little steep to me for a six ounce glass and the venue. We’ve paid that for a Margarita when we stay at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, but it’s made with 1800 tequila and in a place where you don’t touch your luggage from the time you drive up to the valet to the time you walk out to the valet. They’ll even shine your shoes if you want. So twelve bucks at a luxury resort I can see. At a restaurant in a strip mall in Sebring, not so much.
The food was great, and priced fairly for current conditions, $17.95 for the shredded beef, $24.95 for the ox tails. Total for dinner and drinks: $57.85 plus tax and tip.
They do also have a bakery. We didn’t partake but the selection in the display case was impressive and extraordinarily fattening, even in the evening hours. (The time reference there was to the amount of inventory, not the caloric value. I’m sure it’s equally fattening any time of day.)
We’ll definitely go back, but probably substitute lemonade for the bar drink.
I have an affinity for Cuba and the Cuban people, having been a player in the Mariel boatlift. One of the groups of refugees we picked up was on a home made raft in the straights of Florida, near the Cay Sal Banks. A young lady on that raft was five months pregnant. I’ve always wondered what happened to that kid. First generation U.S. citizen. He’d be almost fifty now. A banker? Software developer? Cocaine Dealer? I guess I’ll never know what happened to any of those folks. Only that we changed their lives. Semper Paratus.
The Havana Restaurant and Bakery is located at 2912 U.S. Highway 27 North in Sebring, which is in the Winn Dixie shopping center. It’s in the south side of the center, between Beef O’Bradys and the Hibachi Buffet. Be careful in the parking lot; people seem to think it’s Talladega. It is open 0600 – 2000 Monday through Saturday, and 0800 – 1500 Sunday. Phone:+1 863 385 8085 Website:www.havana-restaurant.com
¡Buen provecho vecinos!
g.
