The Cuban Invasion of South Louisiana has Begun

Tastes of Cuba and Florida collide in Houma, La for excellent dining.

By Scoop Daniels

Passed by thousands of hungry motorists a day, nestled off Martin Luther King Blvd on Enterprise Drive in Houma, La is one of the best kept dinning secrets in our area...The Havana Gill.

The Havana Grill specializes in Cuban Cuisine and is a locally owned and operated by Jasmin Almeida and her husband. Ms. Jasmin is one of the many smiling faces to greet you as you walk into the Havana Grill. She stands behind the counter taking calls and writing down to go lunch orders.

The first thing to strike you about the Havana Grill is the open floor plan. Booths that can seat four people line the perimeter with ample table seating throughout, and the two island tables that seat eight each are in the heart of the dining room. The entire layout invites you into a casual, friendly atmosphere, and attracts lively conversation.

Havana Grill has exceptional lighting making it easy to read your menu and see your order when it arrives. To me, the well lit dining room shows a confidence in the food being served. The illumination says, "No need for shadows to hide our food. We are proud of the presentation as much as the taste."

The Cuban music that fills the restaurant adds the finishing touch to this charming eatery.

My friend and I are shown to a booth near a window that looks out onto Enterprise Drive by our waitress Suni. She welcomes us to the Havana Grill, asks if this was our first time eating Cuban cuisine, waits for the answer of 'Yes' and quickly takes our drink order while making suggestions of what she felt we should order.

After only a few moments we decide to both try the Sandwich Cubano (Cuban sandwich). The Cubano is a "po-boy style" sandwich made on French bread from Duet's Bakery in Galliano, La. then hot pressed for a delicious - fresh out of the oven taste. The Cubano is topped with roasted pork, ham, baby Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. It is served warm with the bread not crunchy or brittle like the toasted style of most sandwich shops.

There was hardly any wait for our Cubanos. Had we ordered an appetizer I doubt we would have finished it before our entree arrived. The sandwich was all that I hoped and more. The roasted pork gave the sandwich a smoky flavor with only the slightest hint of spice. The ham added sweetness and the lightly mustard bread brought all the flavors together into what I can safely describe as fantastic!

Similar size sandwiches at other establishments have left me feeling bloated and needing a nap, but because the Cubano is served warm and not over stuffed with pork or ham, it left me feeling satisfied and rejuvenated. I was ready to get back to work and finish the day strong.

After the meal Ms. Jasmin walked over to our table and asked us about our meal and told us that the Havana Grill is currently only offering lunch service but will soon be opening on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant has only been open three months but has already won a large following of lunchtime patrons.

We talked with some of our fellow diners and got their take on the Havana Grill's other menu items. Most had come for the Cubano but others swear by the Bistec de Palomilla con arroz blanco, frijoles negro y tostones (Thinly sliced tenderized steak with white rice, black beans & twice fried green plantains) or the Carne asada con arroz blanco, frijoles negros y maduro frito (Pork pot roast garnished with onions & served with white rice, black beans, and sweet plantains). For appetizers I suggest the Empanada (Cuban meat pie) and the Papa Rellena (seasoned ground beef stuffed potato).

I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience and will definitely make the Havana Grill a regular stop to satisfy my lunch time hunger. I whole heartedly urge you to do the same.

With that, I give the Havana Grill 4.95 Sunbursts out of a possible 5. Why not a 5? Simply because I can't enjoy this charming eatery after three o'clock...yet.