Havana Restaurant Havana Restaurant - Talk of The Villages Florida

Havana Restaurant

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-23-2014, 09:35 AM
kyblue kyblue is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 149
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default Havana Restaurant

Can you tell me if Havana serves lunches inside and outside poolside. And if they do - has it gotten better?
__________________
Cincinnati, Ft. Thomas, Ky, Fairfield, OH, The Villages
  #2  
Old 08-23-2014, 11:07 AM
xkeowner xkeowner is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 331
Thanks: 27
Thanked 182 Times in 69 Posts
Default

Open for lunch and I believe it is very good, although some complain about their prices being a bit high. Service is a complete turn for the better from the previous management. I don't know about poolside but you can eat outside.
  #3  
Old 08-23-2014, 11:28 AM
Bogie Shooter Bogie Shooter is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 19,756
Thanks: 13
Thanked 6,121 Times in 2,719 Posts
Default

Lunch after golf last week, good service, good food. Inside or outside was available.
Forget about the past...........................
__________________
The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwell.
“Only truth and transparency can guarantee freedom”, John McCain
  #4  
Old 08-23-2014, 11:44 AM
Villages Kahuna's Avatar
Villages Kahuna Villages Kahuna is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Seventeen-year Villager
Posts: 3,892
Thanks: 16
Thanked 1,132 Times in 418 Posts
Default Yes And No

Quote:
Originally Posted by kyblue View Post
Can you tell me if Havana serves lunches inside and outside poolside. And if they do - has it gotten better?
Now operated by the same restauranteur who operates almost everyone's old favorite, the Nancy Lopez CC dining room. The menu is more creative, food quality pretty good--except the dinner rolls, which I think must be baked at Lopez and brought over the next day. Nice ambiance and good service if you get one of their experienced wait staff--not so good if a newbie. But the prices are a bit elevated compared to the other country clubs. Havana could make its way to my 'top choices' list here in The Villages, but it's not there yet.
__________________
Politicians are like diapers--they should be changed frequently, and for the same reason.
  #5  
Old 08-23-2014, 12:55 PM
swimdawg's Avatar
swimdawg swimdawg is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Village of St. James
Posts: 920
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Thumbs up Dinner at Havana

I had dinner last night at Havana. I have to admit, when I was invited to go there, I was not exactly excited. My previous experiences at Havana were not great. However, what a turnaround! The food was absolutely scrumptious and I thought it was a reasonable price for the quality of food. The service was great and the atmosphere was delightful. Did they do something to the ceiling? Acoustics are so much better. If I remember correctly, conversations used to be difficult to hear but now it's wonderful. Anyway, bottom line is that I would highly recommend it and I will definitely go back. Lots of outside dining available as well.

I had a wonderful fun and fattening breakfast this morning at Perkins with a new TOTV friend. Always nice to meet new people!

I'll be waddling off to Buffalo in a few days. Some people Shuffle off to Buffalo.....not me! Life is good!!!!
__________________
Swimdawg because I swim daily and I have the World's Cutest Dawg, Ali Lin
(My name is Karen)

Last edited by swimdawg; 08-23-2014 at 02:15 PM.
  #6  
Old 10-19-2014, 06:43 PM
bettymg1866 bettymg1866 is offline
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 50
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default Hemingway at Havanna

Our table for 10 was given to 2 different waitresses. One side had food and drinks served WAAAAY before the other side... just rediculous... one waitress cant handle a table of 10?????
I ordered a Beefeaters martini, beet and goat cheese salad, Oysters rockefeller(their version) and a side of vegies.
it was 20 minutes before the martini was served,,, i asked where our drinks were and was told..."i dont know" not a good answer... then the waitress brought the veggies... i said that should be with the dinner... she took them away. then my oysters came with my half of the tables dinner with the over heated veggies.. i asked where my salad was and I was told "I didnt order it cause i had too many drink orders from your half of the table". i was told there were 6 oysters to the order and I rec'd 4... i walked out STARVING.... i didnt make a big deal about this because I have been a waitress and know how difficult it can be but this was just awful. they had better get their act together before the snowbirds get here or they will be right back where they started.... havana the horrible..... I'll be going to Bonifay and Evans Prairie.... the manangement there knows how to run a restaurant.... It will be a long time before i go back.... I have given them AMPLE opportunities.
  #7  
Old 10-19-2014, 07:04 PM
SoccerCoach SoccerCoach is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: CT, AZ, FL, GA, WV, VA, CT, Hemingway
Posts: 231
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Send a message via ICQ to SoccerCoach
Default

Much improved from the previous owner & management. Unfortunately, 100% will never be satisfied, but 95 is mighty good!
__________________
I am who I am for a reason
  #8  
Old 10-19-2014, 07:53 PM
Birdie Dreamer Birdie Dreamer is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 140
Thanks: 1
Thanked 8 Times in 2 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bettymg1866 View Post
Our table for 10 was given to 2 different waitresses. One side had food and drinks served WAAAAY before the other side... just rediculous... one waitress cant handle a table of 10?????
I ordered a Beefeaters martini, beet and goat cheese salad, Oysters rockefeller(their version) and a side of vegies.
it was 20 minutes before the martini was served,,, i asked where our drinks were and was told..."i dont know" not a good answer... then the waitress brought the veggies... i said that should be with the dinner... she took them away. then my oysters came with my half of the tables dinner with the over heated veggies.. i asked where my salad was and I was told "I didnt order it cause i had too many drink orders from your half of the table". i was told there were 6 oysters to the order and I rec'd 4... i walked out STARVING.... i didnt make a big deal about this because I have been a waitress and know how difficult it can be but this was just awful. they had better get their act together before the snowbirds get here or they will be right back where they started.... havana the horrible..... I'll be going to Bonifay and Evans Prairie.... the manangement there knows how to run a restaurant.... It will be a long time before i go back.... I have given them AMPLE opportunities.
Sorry about your experience. As you described it, it certainly sounds like a less than pleasant experience. I have eaten there on multiple occasions since the new owners took over. Usually with a group of 20. Have never had bad food or an experience as you did.
__________________
Collegeville, PA - Bellingham, MA - Royersford, PA - Downingtown, PA - Wellington, FL - The Villages (Collier)
  #9  
Old 10-19-2014, 08:17 PM
ROCKETMAN ROCKETMAN is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 667
Thanks: 1
Thanked 195 Times in 90 Posts
Default

They by far have the best service outside in the covered seating areas, not the restaurant. Wegolf at every country club and usually have to find a waitress or get the beer ourself but at havana the waitress is there before we sit down and if we order 3 pitchers of beer, another waitress helps out. very efficient and the cheapest pitchers in the villages, 5 bucks.
  #10  
Old 10-19-2014, 08:42 PM
cbv0211 cbv0211 is offline
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Hemingway
Posts: 51
Thanks: 0
Thanked 28 Times in 11 Posts
Default

There has been an amazing turnaround at the restaurant. We've been there for lunch and dinner and have not been disappointed. Service has been excellent and food is delicious.
  #11  
Old 10-19-2014, 09:32 PM
NYGUY NYGUY is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Village of Charlotte
Posts: 1,643
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bettymg1866 View Post
....one waitress cant handle a table of 10?????[/FONT]
I, for one, don't like The Villages residents practice of showing up at a restaurant without a private party reservation if it is for more than 8. I do not go with such groups....it is unfair to the restaurant and staff and generally results in perceived poor service to those expecting only perfection!!
__________________
Don't take life too seriously, it's not like you're going to get out alive!!!
  #12  
Old 10-20-2014, 06:50 AM
weenielady1 weenielady1 is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default newbie service was excellent

Just read the post about service being bad by a newbie.My husband and I dined at hemingways on Fri and were served by a newbie named Scott.He was so efficient and right on target,little nervous at first but an excellent server.As a retireree we must not forget about when we were new at a job,I am sure we were not pro's at first.We will continue to dine at Hemingways,it has changed for the better..
  #13  
Old 10-20-2014, 10:46 PM
simpkinp's Avatar
simpkinp simpkinp is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Village of Mallory Square
Posts: 673
Thanks: 2
Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts
Default

Hemingway's is one of our favorite restaurants. We prefer to go as a couple or with maybe one or two more couples. IMHO Large groups have a hard time even communicating with each other at big, long tables, so what' the point of doing it? It only stresses the waitstaff and the kitchen.
Closed Thread


You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:56 PM.