Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of communities with roots in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. In South Florida, that celebration feels especially close to home: it lives in the language, the music, family gatherings, and, of course, a culinary culture where Cuban influence is part of Miami’s everyday identity.
For anyone looking to experience Hispanic Heritage Month Cuban food, gathering around the table can be one of the most direct ways to do it. Family recipes, traditional ingredients, coffee, rum, mojitos, and dishes passed down from one generation to the next tell a story that connects Cuba with Miami, one that restaurants like Havana 1957 keep alive through food and an experience inspired by Havana’s golden era.
Why does Hispanic Heritage Month begin on September 15?
Unlike other cultural celebrations that follow a calendar month, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. The starting date has historical significance: September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.
The observance began in the United States in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and was later expanded to a 30-day period. Since then, the celebration has recognized the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic communities that have helped shape the identity of the country.
Although Cuba is not part of that group of September independence celebrations, its history and diaspora hold a fundamental place within South Florida’s Hispanic experience. In Miami, Cuban culture doesn’t appear only during an annual celebration: it is part of the city’s character, with food serving as one of its most recognizable expressions.
Cuban food culture: traditions that live on at the table
Food has the ability to preserve stories even as cities and generations change. In Cuban food culture, dishes such as Ropa Vieja, lechón asado, tamales, and family recipes share the table with familiar staples that appear again and again: rice, black beans, yuca, plantains, and mojo.
These are traditions Havana 1957 keeps at the heart of its menu. Among them is Pollo Havana 1957, the brand’s signature dish and, above all, a family recipe. Roasted chicken with Cuban gravy is served with white rice, black beans, roasted potatoes, and sweet plantains, bringing together several flavors deeply associated with Cuban cuisine on a single plate.
Other classics reinforce that connection to tradition. Ropa Vieja, Roasted Pork served with Cuban mojo, and the Cuban Sampler, which brings together Havana 1957 Chicken, Ropa Vieja, and roasted pork, represent recipes and combinations that continue to hold a recognizable place within Cuban cuisine in Miami.
Ingredients that tell a story, too
Celebrating Hispanic food culture also means recognizing the ingredients and flavors that make a cuisine identifiable even before you finish reading the menu.
The Corn Tamal, for example, preserves a traditional preparation with seasoned pork, corn husk, and Cuban mojo. Yuca and plantains appear in different dishes and sides, while rice and black beans accompany many of the restaurant’s classics.
Mojo is another of those instantly recognizable flavors: a citrusy preparation with onions that is especially well suited to pork, yuca, and other recipes. Not every dish needs to be complex to speak to tradition; often, it is precisely these ingredients, repeated across generations and shared around the table, that keep a culinary identity alive.
Mojitos, rum, and the social spirit of Cuban culture
The Cuban experience around the table doesn’t end with the food. Cocktails, and rum in particular, play an important role in the Havana 1957 experience.
The brand builds part of that experience around its Mojito Bar, featuring more than 120 varieties of rum from around the world. The classic Mojito, Cuba Libre, and other Cuban cocktails keep rum at the center of the experience.
That social dimension is also part of Cuban traditions in Miami. Eating, drinking, listening to music, and sharing a table are all connected, helping explain why food can be a gateway to a much broader culture.
Havana 1957: Un Día en La Habana
Havana 1957 defines itself as more than a traditional Cuban restaurant. Its concept seeks to recreate an experience inspired by the glamour, energy, and spirit of 1950s Havana, inviting guests to experience Un Día en La Habana through flavors, music, culture, and nostalgia.
Photographs and memorabilia dedicated to iconic Cuban figures, music from artists such as Celia Cruz and Benny Moré, classic cocktails, and Cuban hospitality accompany the food as part of the same experience. In this way, Havana 1957 connects Cuban culture in Miami with something that goes beyond ordering a dish: it brings guests closer to an era and to a way of gathering, eating, and celebrating.
That identity also remains consistent across its different locations: a look at the menus shows signature dishes such as Pollo Havana 1957, Ropa Vieja, Roasted Pork, Cuban Sampler, and tamal appearing consistently as part of the brand’s Cuban offering.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through Cuban flavor
Searching for Hispanic Heritage Month restaurants can also be an opportunity to discover the stories behind the food. In South Florida, where Cuban culture has left a profound mark, flavors, recipes, and traditions help tell a fundamental part of Miami’s identity.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Havana 1957 invites guests to celebrate that connection around the table: start with a Mojito, share a tamal or croquettes, and discover classics such as Ropa Vieja, Roasted Pork, or Pollo Havana 1957, the family recipe that has become a signature of the house.
From September 15 through October 15, celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through one of the cultural expressions that connects generations best: food. At Havana 1957, Cuban flavors, music, cocktails, and the nostalgia of Havana come together to tell a story that, in South Florida, also feels like home.