Cuban-Latino restaurant and bar on Washington Street in the former Shalimar Cafe space. An offshoot of a restaurant of the same name in Royal Oak, the Ann Arbor location is larger. Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a wide range of cocktails.

Cafe Habana is scheduled to close in 2012 to allow for the expansion of the adjacent Blue Tractor restaurant into its space.

Cafe Habana, 211 East Washington Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-332-6046

Cafe Habana website (not very informative yet, but the menu links work): http://cafehabanas.com/ch/annarbor/index.htm

Recently moved to the place occupied by the Parthenon, below a new Cuban restaurant called Lena. 226 South Main.

 

Cafe Habana CLOSED in spring of 2016

Reviews

In fact, I have to say between the two meals that the only thing that disappointed us was the Pan Cubano appetizer: three small pieces of grilled bread and chimichurri sauce. The bread and sauces were wonderful, but I felt three dollars should get you more than three small, albeit tasty, pieces of bread. If they were smart, they'd give that bread and sample bowls of the chimichurri sauce out for free just to get people to try an unfamiliar taste that would likely get them hooked and ordering expensive steaks...

Other than Mexican, Ann Arbor does not seem to have many Latin restaurants (and yes friends, Latin and Mexican are two different types of food — think Thai vs. Chinese). When you’re the “only game in town” and have a packed house, it’s quite unlikely you’re going to listen to any criticism from Fat Freddy. That being said, Cafe Habana scores a big “No.” Hopefully, some competition will roll into town and set the bar higher.

During the month-long renovations, the Cafe Habana restaurant space will be transformed to look like Blue Tractor, with salvaged barn wood on the walls, a more open kitchen and a second smoker.

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