Havana Cafe brings authentic Cuban cuisine to Eugene

Two years ago, Havana Cafe owner Andy Llarena went from crunching numbers to cooking Cuban classics, trading his banking career for a culinary dream.

Although Llarena (pronounced Yuh-rain-uh, with a rolled r) followed his father and brother into finance, he never forgot a promise he made as a 15-year-old to his mother, Mary Llarena, to open a restaurant serving her recipes. 

The popularity of his mother’s cooking was evident early on — everybody told him her food was delicious, including the parents of the kids who were eating at the Llarenas instead of at their homes. Though his parents didn’t live to see the dream realized, in March 2023, at 58, Andy Llarena finally made good on that promise. 

“I got to the point where I just didn’t like crunching numbers anymore,” he said. “Even though I still have to crunch numbers here at the restaurant, but now I’m doing it for me.”

Walking into the cafe on Broadway in downtown Eugene brings an immediate hit of a Cuban vibe, with its colorful red and yellow walls, multicolored striped chairs, old-fashioned Coca-Cola machine, and photos of Cuba on the walls. Framed signs include sayings such as “You don’t scare me, I was raised by a Cuban mother.” 

Llarena runs the restaurant with his partner, Shanti Sanchez, who hails from Puerto Rico. Together, they “rock and roll the kitchen” by themselves, he said, serving Llarena’s mother’s authentic family recipes. Her cookbook, filled with handwritten notes, is his guide. 

“It’s older than me,” Llarena said with pride. 

Fleeing Castro’s Cuba

As with many Cuban immigrants, the reason Llarena’s parents and two older siblings left the island was political. In addition to his accounting work, Andy Llarena’s father, Luis Llarena, worked for the primary Cuban newspaper, La Prensa Libre, which was outspoken against Fidel Castro, the political leader who transformed Cuba into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Once Castro took over, family members told him people were getting picked up and thrown in jail. 

“One of my uncles told my dad, ‘They’re looking for you,’” Andy Llarena said. After calling contacts in the United States, everyone in the family except an older brother —  who was in military school — left the Caribbean island in about 48 hours.

First, the family went to New Jersey, where Llarena was born, but after two years there his father said, “it’s too damn cold,” so the family headed to a sunnier Los Angeles, where Llarena was raised. He moved to Eugene in 2001.

By 5, Llarena was in the kitchen helping his mother sift through black beans looking for rocks. Before leaving for the Marines at 17, he was cooking for the whole family. 

Although Llarena didn’t enlist as a cook, he showcased his culinary savvy by adding Tabasco sauce, ketchup, or mustard to improve his unit’s MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) and C-rations. His skills were valued enough that others would take on the burden of carrying the stove so he wouldn’t have to. 

“Authentic, not fancy”

Havana Cafe serves authentic Cuban staples including plantains and rice and beans, which can be ordered individually or added to any sandwich order (which are served with thin and crispy shoestring potato sticks). 

Llarena prepares plantains in several ways: fried until lightly caramelized and sweet (maduros), fried and salty (tostones), formed into a cup and filled with beef (tostone cups) and as salty chips (mariquitas). Another plantain recipe is fufu – mashed and seasoned with garlic and olive oil. 

Havana Cafe serves a version of Cuba’s national dish, ropa vieja, which translates to “old clothes.” This is low- and slow-cooked flank steak, richly seasoned and shredded by hand. Llarena also serves smoked pork chops, savory ground beef called picadillo, and flat-top grilled chicken, among other items.

Havana Cafe’s menu is deliberately focused. 

“I’d rather go with what I know,” Llarena said, emphasizing his recipes are authentic to what his mother cooked and what he likes, but not necessarily authentic to what might be served elsewhere. 

Take the Cuban sandwich, for instance. Llarena makes it the traditional way, with one small deviation — he adds a touch of mayonnaise, though he’s happy to leave it off for purists.

Llarena is proud his restaurant has inspired other local establishments to offer Cuban sandwiches, though he notes with mild frustration that many miss key elements. 

“Cuban sandwiches have dill pickles, not sliced cucumbers, and not sweet pickles,” he said. The pork must be “prepared a specific way, seasoned a specific way, not with barbecue sauce.”

For bread, Llarena partners with Reality Kitchen, a local nonprofit that trains and employs people with developmental disabilities. It makes his Cuban bread, a soft and rich baguette with a thin crust, and a special puff pastry stuffed with cream cheese and guava paste.

A common misconception is that Cuban food is similar to Mexican food. While it’s true many Cuban staples, such as plantains and black beans, are shared with other Caribbean and Latin American cuisines, Llarena emphasizes that Cuban cuisine is distinct. He describes it as “full of flavor, not heat,” because it primarily uses bell peppers rather than spicy varieties. 

“I like heat,” he said. “I add heat to my plates when I want it for myself. But we serve traditional homemade Cuban — authentic, not fancy. The way you see it on the plate is the way it would be if you were in my own kitchen at home and I’m serving you.”

And, Llarena doesn’t mess with the traditional Cuban coffee, which he serves strong and sweet.

Creating community

For Llarena, a complete Cuban experience extends beyond the plate. His monthly “Havana Nights” events transform the restaurant into a dance venue with a limited food menu. He rearranges the seating to make space for at least 70 people. A dance instructor offers lessons for the first 30 minutes or so before a DJ takes over until about 11 p.m. 

“That rounds everything off because I’ve got the food, I’ve got the ambiance, I’ve got music,” he said. “All I needed was dancing.”

After a winter break, “Havana Nights” returns April 12, with the regular monthly date being announced shortly after. 

Want to go?

Havana Cafe
225 W. Broadway
541-844-1247
Wed through Sun: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

About the Cubano, the Cuban sandwich

Most Americans know the Cubano as layers of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread. The sandwich can be pressed or not. 

It’s unclear whether the Cubano originated in Cuba.

People in the Florida cities of Tampa and Miami claim to have invented the sandwich, and their versions are slightly different. The Miami sandwich features a smooth, tender bread. The Tampa version adds salami and uses crustier bread.

A November 2023 New York Times article about research done by Andy Huse, co-author of the book “The Cuban Sandwich, a History in Layers,” asserts that the Cubano actually did originate in Cuba as a version of the popular “mixto” sandwich, made with different meats and cheeses. 

Huse asserts that as Americans began visiting the island in the late 1800s, visitors tried the unique ham sandwich and it quickly began being served in Florida. As Cuban migrants entered Florida, the sandwich became a popular lunch item for workers in cigar factories, eventually becoming emblematic of Cuban cuisine in America.