Havana Grill: Family Cuban Cooking and the Only Full Bar of the Two

Overview

Havana Grill is a family-run Cuban restaurant started by San Diegan Sandra Cardet and her son, Alexander Vara, cooking from her family's recipes. The original has been on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard since around 2016. This one — the Mission Valley location — opened in June 2023.

The kitchen's angle is one you don't usually get with Cuban food: they cook it to be lighter than tradition demands. Their own description is Cuban cooking made with organic produce, naturally raised meats and non-GMO oils, on the reasoning that a lot of Cuban food gets made with processed shortcuts. You can see the philosophy in a small, strange detail on the menu — brown rice is $4 and white rice is $6. It's the only restaurant I can think of that charges you less for the healthier side.

Here's the one thing to understand before you go, because it changes how you use it: this is the location with the bar.

The full bar is only at Mission Valley. So is happy hour — Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m. The Clairemont original has neither. And while the address is inside Westfield Mission Valley, it isn't a food-court counter: it sits on the Camino de la Reina side, open-air, with sidewalk dining. Park on that side and walk up from the street rather than hiking through the mall.

So: Clairemont is where you go for the food. Mission Valley is where you go for the food and a mojito on a sidewalk at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday for four dollars off.

What to Order at Havana Grill

• El Cubano Sandwich ($18). The benchmark. If you only order one thing to judge a Cuban kitchen by, order this. There's also a Hot Cuban ($17), a Crazy Cuban ($19), and a kids' version at $9.
• Ropa Vieja ($24). Shredded beef in tomato and peppers, and the dish most people mean when they say they want Cuban food.
• Vaca Frita ($25). The other beef, crisped hard at the edges. The one to get if you already know ropa vieja.
• Lechón plate ($21) or The Classic Sandwich ($17) for roasted pork. For a group, there's a Garlic Stuffed Pork Roast at $89 that serves four to six.
• Arroz con Pollo ($21). The weeknight order.
• Empanadas ($5.25 each), baked rather than fried — bean and cheese, picadillo, or lechón and yuca, which is the one to get. They're a dollar off at happy hour.
• Tostones ($7) and sweet plantains ($8). Non-negotiable.
• The sides are where it gets interesting. Congris $7, steamed yuca $7, yuca fries $7, Cuban fries $8, black beans $7, roasted vegetables $9. And brown rice at $4, cheaper than the white.
• Café Cubano is $3. A cortadito is $3.50 and a café con leche is $4. Order one after lunch; it costs less than almost anything else on the menu and it's the right ending.
• Dessert is a real program here, and bigger than at the original — Cuban Coffee Tres Leches ($9.95), Guava Cheesecake ($12.95), flan and arroz con leche ($7.95 each), a guava pastry for $4.50, and a Cuban Trio at $20 if you can't choose.
• Vegetarian Plate ($22) if you need it, though the menu doesn't label anything vegan outright.

How to Visit Havana Grill in Mission Valley

• Address: 1652 Camino Del Rio N., Suite FS19, San Diego, CA 92108 — at Westfield Mission Valley, on the Camino de la Reina side
• Phone: (619) 915-5699
• Hours: Monday–Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. · Sunday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Happy hour: Monday–Friday, 3–6 p.m. — $5 draft beers, $4 off the Havana Mojito, Havana Margarita and Cuban Painkiller, and $1 off all empanadas. Mission Valley only.
• Full bar: Mission Valley only
• Sit outside. The open-air sidewalk seating on the Camino de la Reina side is the reason to pick this location over the original, and it's wasted if you sit indoors.
• Reservations are available, and they do dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering. Takeout is a serious part of the business — the family has said it runs as high as 40% of sales — so ordering ahead is normal here, not a fallback.
• Delivery reaches a wide stretch of the central city: Mission Valley, Normal Heights, North Park, South Park, Kensington-Talmadge, University Heights, Old Town, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Clairemont, Mid-City, Balboa Park, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City and more.
• There is a second Havana Grill at 5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite G — the original. Same family, same recipes, no bar, no happy hour, smaller dessert case.

The Takeaway

Go on a weekday at 3, sit on the sidewalk, order a mojito four dollars off, a plate of lechón-and-yuca empanadas a dollar off, and a café Cubano for three bucks at the end.

What makes Havana Grill worth writing about isn't that San Diego needed another Cuban restaurant. It's that this one is a mother and son cooking her family's recipes, quietly refusing the shortcuts the cuisine usually gets made with, and charging less for brown rice than white to make the point. The second location added a bar and a sidewalk. That's the whole upgrade, and on a warm afternoon it's enough.

For more San Diego spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks — and if you're looking at the area itself, our Mission Valley neighborhood guide covers it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Havana Grill in Mission Valley? At 1652 Camino Del Rio N., Suite FS19, San Diego, CA 92108, at Westfield Mission Valley on the Camino de la Reina side, with open-air sidewalk seating.

What are Havana Grill's hours? Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Does Havana Grill have happy hour? Yes, Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., at the Mission Valley location only — $5 draft beers, $4 off signature cocktails and $1 off all empanadas.

How many Havana Grill locations are there? Two. The original is at 5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite G, and the Mission Valley location opened in June 2023. The full bar and happy hour are only in Mission Valley.

Who owns Havana Grill? San Diegan Sandra Cardet and her son, Alexander Vara. The recipes come from her family.

What should I order at Havana Grill? The El Cubano sandwich ($18) to judge the kitchen, ropa vieja ($24) or vaca frita ($25) for a full plate, lechón-and-yuca empanadas ($5.25) to start, and a café Cubano ($3) to finish.

Is Havana Grill's food healthy? The restaurant says it cooks Cuban food using organic produce where possible, naturally raised meats and non-GMO oils, aiming to keep the tradition without the processed shortcuts. That's their description of their own kitchen.

Does Havana Grill deliver? Yes, across much of central San Diego, plus takeout, catering and reservations.