It's still good: 9 years later, Havana Carolina is still serving up the American dream
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Appetizer spread at Havana Carolina: croquetas, bolitas de yuca, and tamales. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Havana Carolina, an authentic Cuban restaurant in downtown Concord, turns nine this year.
Why it matters: What started as one family-run dream has grown into a collection of some of the Charlotte area's most recognizable Latin restaurants. But getting here took resilience.
Flashback: Idael Pérez Maldonado, his wife, Dania Ochoa Hernández, and their children, Manny and Ana, immigrated from Cuba to Lincolnton in 2015. Two years later, they purchased Havana Carolina and reopened it under their ownership on Oct. 17, 2017.
- The day before Thanksgiving of that year, Idael, 44, was killed in a car crash. Dania was suddenly left to keep the restaurant running and carry on their family's dream while Manny was in college and Ana was finishing high school.
Havana Carolina survived that devastating first year and, later, the pandemic and the challenges that followed for the restaurant industry.
- Today, the family's footprint includes El Puro, Muraya and Babaloo Coffee Club, which is preparing to open its second location in Rea Farms.
💭 My thought bubble: As a Cuban immigrant myself, I'm always searching for authentic food that reminds me of home. Somehow, it's taken me this long to make the 45-minute trek from east Charlotte to Havana Carolina. I've been missing out.
- If El Puro feels like a special occasion, Havana Carolina feels like a home-cooked meal. The entrées are big enough to feed two people.
Here's everything I ate during a recent visit:
- Start with a tamale ($12), croquetas or bollitas de yuca.
- For mains, try the vaca frita ($25) or pescado ($27), with maduros and congri on the side.
- Wash it down with a virgin piña colada or coconut mojito.
- End the meal the Cuban way, with a cortadito.
Stop by: Havana Carolina Restaurant and Bar is open daily at 11 Union St S, Suite 108, Concord, N.C.
"It's Still Good" is an occasional series that spotlights tried-and-true, locally owned favorites. If you have an "It's Still Good" recommendation, email us at [email protected] for consideration.