A taste of Miami in Huntsville Discovering Havanabamas Cuban hospitality

A taste of Miami in Huntsville: Discovering Havanabama’s Cuban hospitality

“Cuban coffee is very powerful, very sweet, and a little dangerous — just like the people who drink it.” — Gloria Estefan. 

So reads a quotation on the menu of Havanabama, an oasis of joy and hospitality — tucked into an inconspicuous strip mall on South Parkway. 

It’s a Friday in late August, and I want to do something unique with my dad, in celebration of his recent birthday. Dad spent two years as a “misionero” in a Spanish-speaking country during his early adult years and so empanadas are deep fried nostalgia for him. 

We’ve heard the ones at Havanabama are exceptional so we’re on a mission — of the culinary kind. 

Havanabama is located in the commissary kitchen of Fire & Spice. Dad and I pause very briefly at the doors, but when we step inside it’s clear we’ve come to the right place.

Karlene Athena Nazario, owner of Havanabama, is standing behind the bar in an apron that reads “Cubans don’t measure when we cook … I stop seasoning when my ancestors whisper ‘¡Ya!’”

Havanabama is primarily a pickup spot, rather than a sitdown restaurant, but we’re lucky that Karlene has empanadas and pulled pork roast already made. Dad opts for two empanadas — one carne and one pollo. I order lechon asado, arroz blanco, frijoles negros, and maduros (Cuban pot roast, white rice, black beans, and plaintains). Karlene tells us about the Cuban soft drinks on offer and I go for a Jupiña — a refreshing pineapple soda.

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Dad and I peruse the shop while Karlene fries the empanadas and readies the lechon asado. Bars of Camay rose soap, Para Mi Bebé Baby Cologne, boxes of Sazón Goya seasoning, dominoes, and mini Cuban bread wax melts — all lovingly brought back from Karlene’s native Miami — line the shelves. 

Dad and Karlene swap pleasantries and jokes in Spanish. When the food is ready we take our seats at the counter. 

Karlene purposefully serves the empanadas just as they do in her hometown of Miami — in a red plastic basket. The empanadas remind Dad of the ones he used to get in Buenos Aires in his youth. He’s a man of few words but he declares them “Super good” and the empanadas disappear. Mission accomplished.  

The lechon asado is mouthwatering and I ask Karlene how she does it. 

“The pork marinates for 24 hours,” says Karlene. “A lot of garlic, lots of garlic. The main thing is mojo — it’s a marinade. You get your food processor, grab three handfuls of garlic — Cubans don’t measure — then add naranja agria. Naranja is sour orange. Cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, more onion, more garlic. Sugar. We put sugar in everything.”

IMG 2594After the meal, Karlene begins making the cafecito. Cafecito is part of the fabric of life in Cuba and, by extension, Miami.  

We laugh when Karlene tells us she’s been known to serve shots of cafecito in the school carline.

“The important part of making cafecito is getting the first bit of coffee that comes out of that little pot,” Karlene says. “It’s the freshest. Once that part comes out, I’m going to mix in the sugar. I’m going to have you mix it too — so you can be a part of this experience.”

I will know I’ve mixed correctly, she says, when the cafecito looks like “liquid gold.” 

Karlene says she makes cafecito for anyone who comes to her home, as a way to show appreciation and care for her guests. 

A customer recently told Karlene, “Of all the bakeries in Miami, you make the best cafecito.” She beams as she retells his words. High praise. 

“I want to make sure I give people that Miami experience, you know? I’m not Cuban, I wasn’t born in Cuba, but it’s in my blood,” says Karlene, the daughter of Cuban parents. “I want to stay true to the people who come from Miami, so when they come here they get a taste of home. It’s nostalgic for them, not just in the food and the conversation, but in the artwork and in the music as well.” 

Two more customers walk in just as the cafecito is ready. The couple has recently returned from a vacation in Miami and they are looking for a shot of liquid gold. 

Karlene hands the pot over to me and I begin whipping the sugar into the coffee. 

When the sugar is fully incorporated, Karlene pours cafecito shots for herself, the just-arrived couple, and me. 

“¡Salud!” the four of us toast, clinking our plastic shot glasses.

The cafecito is, just as Gloria Estefan promised, sweet and strong. The sugar makes the drink thicker — and, to my mind, more satisfying — than a typical espresso. The combination of the texture and the taste is “perfecto.”

The couple begins regaling us with tales of their recent travels to Miami and the Caribbean as we sip. 

It’s time to go and Karlene comes around the bar to hug both my dad and me before we step back out into the Alabama heat. Even though I met Karlene an hour ago, I feel like I am leaving the home of a dear friend. It’s clear that being deeply hospitable is not a job for Karlene, but the way she moves through life. 

Karlene shapes Havanabama’s weekly schedule around her family’s, so be certain to visit her website for her hours and daily specials before you visit

She prefers 24 hour notice for empanadas and 48 hours for lechon asado, since it marinates for 24 hours and cooks for 6. When you are ready to order, email Karlene at info@havanabama.com. Karlene also offers in-home cooking classes. Contact her for availability and pricing. 

Karlene will be at CulturA Festival, “a celebration of Hispanic culture, food, and music in Huntsville.”

CulturA Festival, a free event, will take place on Sunday, September 22 from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Orion Amphitheater.