Located at 100 Main St. in the historic Old Town area of St. Peters, Havana 1961 is owned and operated by a family with Cuban roots. Maria Ruhl, her son James Ortiz and other family members, including Maria’s daughter and grandson, work in the restaurant. Affectionately referred to as “Momma Maria,” she will often walk through the restaurant, stopping at tables to ask guests how they’ve enjoyed the food and chat, making guests feel as welcomed, well-fed, and cared for as if they’ve stopped by the home of a good friend or family member, rather than a restaurant.
Ruhl and Ortiz bring a variety of prior restaurant experience, with Ruhl previously owning Papu Cuban Cafe in Warrenton, while Ortiz has worked in a number of roles in the restaurant business for over 20 years as well as being an entrepreneur in other industries. In addition to their restaurant experience, the mother and son bring a passion for sharing the food they’ve grown up cooking, eating and serving to their loved ones, to the St. Peters community. Since the restaurant opened in mid-May, they’ve gotten lots of positive feedback and have already started to establish a repeat customer base.
“Some of our customers come three to four times a week, and they usually order something different each day,” she said. Perhaps the best compliment a restaurant owner can receive is to sell out of something for the day, which has happened on more than one occasion and with more than one menu item.
The menu features authentic Cuban dishes like Pernil, a slow-roasted pork dish that is served with rice and black beans. The shredded pork is also used in the eatery’s Papu Cuban, a sandwich that also features sliced ham, swiss, pickles and a mustard-mayo mix, and is served on pressed Cuban bread. Other offerings include the Ropa Vieja, which is beef that is slow-cooked and served in a savory sauce, and is completed with rice and black beans, along with the eatery’s Cuban Chicken Fricassée, which Ruhl calls “delicious and comforting.”
The Cuban take on the staple of French cuisine marries braised chicken with a savory tomato sauce that has peppers, potatoes and olives, giving the dish a flavorful and hearty sauce to accompany the rice and black beans. And a few other items on the menu blend cultures and flavors together, like the two po’boy sandwiches, both come with battered and fried shrimp and are served on pressed Cuban bread, but the Voodoo Po’boy features shrimp that’s been tossed in the house Mango Tango sauce, while the Shrimp Po’boy has a housemade remoulade.
There’s also wings or shrimp available served in a variety of sauces that bring together fruit and savory spices, such as the Mango Tango, which combines the sweet, tropical fruit with some heat, to the Garlic Orange or the smokey sweet Peach BBQ.
Although the portions of the main dishes are large enough to take some home, the starters on the menu shouldn’t be missed. The shareable items include two types of plantains. Maduros, which are sweet and cooked until carmelized and golden, as well as tostones, a savory variety that are fried twice, making them crunchy and perfect for dipping. Other appetizers include the Croquetas de Jamón, croquettes filled with minced ham and served with a creamy, garlicky mayo-based sauce, as well as yuca fries and more.
While the eatery is in the process of obtaining a full liquor license, for now, guests can order soft drinks like iced tea and bottled sodas, including multiple flavors of Jarritos, as well as cafe con leche.
Although the food may be the thing that initially draws people to Havana 1961, for Ruhl and her son, it’s not enough to bring a taste of Cuba to the Midwest; they’re also aiming to provide guests with an immersive experience. The inside of the 4,000-square-foot establishment features Cuban music playing softly in the background, as well as decor that’s reminiscent of old Havana, with artificial flowers and greenery draped from the ceilings and along the walls and the table coverings gracing the twenty or so tables inside are adorned with tropical details like citrus fruits, flamingos and flowers.
Among the decor is a photo of Ruhl’s parents, along with a wall decorated with fedoras in shades of red, white and blue, the colors of not only the American flag, but the Cuban flag as well.
“It helps people feel like they’ve traveled outside of Missouri for a little bit,” Ortiz said of the decor.
In addition to the indoor space, there’s also a handful of seats in front of the building and the establishment is in the midst of creating a 60 seat, 3,500-square-foot patio behind the restaurant that is slated to open during the business’s grand opening celebration on July 4 and 5. Follow Havana 1961 on social media to stay updated on the grand opening festivities.
Check out the slideshow below for a look at the space and some of the offerings.
