So on September 9th, Havana Central decided to give a little something back to the people that help keep them in business...THEIR CUSTOMERS!
As a token of their gratitude they held a Guest Appreciation Day where
all customers on that day, at any time during that day, were able to eat
all they could for $12! ONLY $12 STINKING BUCKS! Me being the man I am, I just HAD to see if this was a serious offer. Ok, I'm lying. I wanted to eat all I could for 12 bucks...sue me!
How the HELL did you find out about that?
To
be honest, I got really lucky. A coworker of mine told me about it a
few days in advance. Excited about the offer but skeptical about whether
it was true or not I was actually going to pass on the festivities.
However, my coworker went, said it was legit and she had a really nice
time. After hearing that, my fate was pretty much sealed.
Uh....was it really $12?
Surprisingly, it was! I always get a little edgy when venues use words like "all you can eat" and "unlimited." I go, I indulge, and then because of some bullshit
fine print I'm stuck with a ridiculous tab that I wasn't expecting.
Didn't happen here. I was with a friend and when the bill came it was
$26 and some change (you know they're going to add tax in there).
Nice, but enough about the setup. What kinda food does this place have?
CUBAN!!! I'm
sure I've mentioned before, the type of fan I am when it comes to
Spanish cuisine so I'm not even going to tell you how I was pretty much
in my glory the whole night!
So with the whole menu at your disposal what did you decide to order...if not everything?
If
I could have ordered everything I certainly would have tried! I failed
to mention before that this all you can eat business had some
restrictions to it. I'll detail those and then get into what I ordered.
1 - the whole menu was not up for grabs. Select items from the appetizers, entrees, and dessert menu were selected
2
- you could only order per person and once the current dish was
finished. So you couldn't walk in there, order everything from the
selective menu, and sit and have Sunday dinner at your table. You had to
order an entree, EAT the entree, and then order the next item. Ordering something that you weren't going to finish was HIGHLY unadvised!
3
- there was a maximum amount of time that you could sit if you were
partaking in the all you can eat. I believe it was an hour and half.
Can't say I blame them either because I damn sure wouldn't want someone
eating, chilling until their food digest, and then have them start
ordering more food. That just doesn't make sense.
So, to answer your question, I RAN THROUGH basically the whole all you can eat menu.
More specifically?
- Picadillo: Cuban ground beef
- Pernil: roast pork
- Ropa Vieja: braised beef with onions and peppers
- Empanadas: beef picadillo, Cubano, chicken Sofrito, shrimp Sofrito (x2), spinach and goat cheese
- Rice and Beans: yellow rice and black beans
- Maduros: sweet plantains
- Flan: caramel custard
EVERY PLATE WAS CLEEEEEEAAAAAN when I was done! I play no games ladies and gentlemen!
WTF! You could have fed a small to mid sized village with all that damn food! Was it any good?
You bet your ass it was. The pernil was VERY GOOD!
I'll even go out and say it was the best thing that I had. Followed by
the empanadas. With the exception of the spinach and goat cheese one
(which wasn't even all that bad), all the empanadas were great! Highly
recommend the shrimp and chicken ones. The ground beef, the braised
beef, flan, and sweet plantains were enjoyable as well. Nothing really
stood out about them, but they were good.
Was there anything from the all you can eat menu that you didn't try?
Basically,
the soup, salad, sandwich, and chicken (because most chicken at Cuban
spots taste the same). I don't doubt that those items are good, but I
wanted to cut to the chase and not fill up on things that I didn't
really have much interest in.
Fair enough...how was the venue?
Venue
was amazing! It's spacious, very clean, pleasant staff, outside seating
if you're into that. Overall, a very nice venue. Good for an after work
cocktail or an intimate evening with a significant other. Just to give
you the heads up though...this place can get pretty loud. With the
background music and customers shouting over each other...the noise
level may get a little high. Other then that I have ABSOLUTELY no complaints!
Recommendations?
Go
here! The staff is good, the food is great, the experience is worth it!
They have several locations (and I've been to just about all of them),
but if I had to pick one to go to, it would definitely be their location
in Ridge Hill Mall (out in Yonkers).
Havana Central
238 Market Street
Yonkers, NY 10710
I can't even believe that restaurant week has been around for so long and I'm just now taking advantage of it. SMH...silly me! Let's not dwell on my negligence, but focus more on my experience.
You're an idiot for taking so long to indulge in restaurant week, but like you said I won't dwell...where did you go?
Ok...no
need for the name calling now! First stop, was Victor's Cafe. An upbeat
Cuban restaurant located in the theater district. Figured since I'm a
huge fan of Spanish cuisine, what better way to start my restaurant week
adventures?
Nice! I'm sure you had you're hands full with picking a dish, so what did you end up getting?
To
start I had the Shrimp Ceviche. Followed by the "Ropa Vieja" which is
shredded Angus skirt steak simmered in garlic, tomatoes, onions, and
peppers nestled in a plantain basket. I know I know...it sounds like a
lot but it's basically beef stew in a small cup made out of plantains.
And for dessert I ended up with the traditional flan.
Sounds like you were eating pretty damn good...any dislikes?
Some.
Nothing to keep me from going there again though. First - I thought the
shrimp ceviche was a little plain. Just some cold shrimp with chopped
up onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Nothing all that special. Flavor was
eh. Second - the Ropa Vieja was VERY GOOD, but was a bit on the salty side. The flan was straight though
Doesn't seem like it was that good of a meal...you sure you enjoyed it?
I
did enjoy it...thoroughly. But there were some things that could be
worked on. Don't get me wrong, I would definitely order those same
things again (probably not the ceviche), but just putting it out there
so everyone is prepared.
Anything else you want to get off your chest?
Yes...THE SANGRIA IS BANGING! That's all
Recommendation?
There are definitely other places where the Spanish cuisine is better, but Victor's is worth a shot
Victor's Cafe
236 W 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 586-7714
In an area like Times Square it can be rather difficult to find good Spanish cuisine. I don't think ya'll understand...I'm from the Uptown area of NYC and when I say GOOD Spanish cuisine I mean the rice is on point, the beef in the beef stew is always tender, the beans are in abundance, the roasted chicken is seasoned so good that you wanna just ask for a side of the skin (only people who have had that type of skin would understand what I mean), and Mojito sauce is ALWAYS on standby. Unfortunately, you won't find exactly what I'm talking about in the Times Square area, but what you will find is a little, hole-in-the-wall spot called Margon's.
What can I expect going to Margon's?
Expect to be cramped up! During lunch hours...people are spilling out of this place. The people waiting to order are being bumped by the people leaving and coming in, lines kinda run into each other, it's loud...I LOVE IT! As packed as it can get I can't say that I have had one bad experience yet. Staff is very friendly and if you're a loyal customer they definitely take good care of you.
I'm not really a big fan of crowds...is it worth waiting in that?
Honestly? Yes it is worth the wait!...especially if you are grabbing and going. You have to keep in mind that the place isn't big at all so unless it's dead empty, it will always seem crowded. They do a good job of spotting folks and seeing their position in line though...and it moves pretty quick for the most part. Now if you are looking to sit there and eat...you may wanna reconsider. The tables are usually always taken. If you are lucky enough to find an empty table, know that the tables are right next to the lines. So you can expect a lot of people walking past your food and standing by/over your table. I'm not really a big fan of all that because that's how accidents happen, so I mainly get my food and go.
So I don't get sucked into the confusion, any tips to help expedite my visit?
Sandwiches and shakes are the lines closest to the door and platters are towards the middle. You can sometimes do a mixed order (like order a sandwich and a side of rice & beans all at the sandwich station), but don't try to get a platter while you're on the sandwich line. You will be instructed to the proper line and your wait time will be increased.
What's better...the sandwiches or the platters?
It doesn't really matter because the food is BANGING!
Margon's is known for their Cuban sandwich (which is EXCELLENT) so I would say for the first visit try that. But what you decide to get really depends on how hungry you are. If you're looking for a quick eat and really aren't that hungry, definitely get the sandwich. For some, the Cuban sandwich can be a bit overwhelming because of all that's in it...but they have several other sandwiches to choose from. The steak, the chicken, and the pork sandwiches are all very good.
Now if you're a hungry man such as myself, then you wanna get the platter. For 8+ bucks you get a portion like you wouldn't believe! I'm talking about one of those you can't close the tin container portions. Like...you can split it with someone else and still be satified portions. Everyday there is a different set of specials for you to choose from, but my 2 favorites are the roasted chicken with yellow rice & red beans or the pork with rice & beans. They throw the gravy on there if you want it and you get some plantains! Aside from the portions, the platters are AMAZING! Everything is well seasoned and the rice...don't even think I can put in words how I feel about their rice. I guarantee...that you will not be disappointed after trying anything from that place. Out of everyone I know, I have yet to hear a single complaint.
With all these good things to say, there has to be something wrong?
Other then the actual size of the place and the crowds, I don't think there is anything bad I can say about this place. I mean if you are one of those health buffs, then this may not be the place for you because the food is very flavorful (calories) and can be a tad bit on the greasy side (even more calories). But if you aren't a Vegan or a Vegetarian, you'll really enjoy this place!
Nice! Well the description speaks for itself so I'm sure you'd recommend it to others...
Ab-sa-freaking-lute-ly
Margon's
136 W. 46th Street
New York, NY
212-354-5013
