Havana Central

I didn't discover how much I loved Cuban food until about two years ago, and for a while there I was OBSESSED. There was an amazing, authentic restaurant pretty close to my house back in Georgia, which sadly burned down this past year, that I seriously still dream about. I've tried a few Cuban sandwiches at various places around New York, but never at a restaurant that actually advertised itself as being Cuban. I decided to stop in at Havana Central for lunch because of its close proximity to my school. I ordered the "Cubano Classico" ($9.00) to go, with a side of black beans and rice (other options were side salad or sweet potato fries). My order took over 20 minutes to come out, which is much more than I am used to waiting. A 10 minute train ride later I was home-and hungry! I opened the bag, and was immediately impressed by how big the sandwich and the rice and beans portion was! For nine bucks, I could easily eat this for two meals.

I started with the sandwich, which smelled delicious. Sadly, it had gotten pretty soggy with the long wait time and I had to pop it in the toaster for a second. This solved the problem, and the rest of the sandwich was pretty good. The bread was sweat and soft, and the cheese was melted to perfection. No complaints! The rice and beans were decent- but under seasoned. I mixed in some onion and chili and garlic powder that I had around, and this immediately pepped it up. My lunch from Havana Central was decent, but I am still searching for the best Cuban sandwich in New York. If you all any tips, let me know!
Address: Union Square location 22 East 17th Street(between Broadway & 5th Aves)
Phone: 212 414-4999
Average Lunch Price: $9-13
Grade: B