Havana

I’m not from Seattle and while searching on here for a good nightclub, the Havana is what came up. de when I arrived and once inside it was packed! The cover was about $ 11 when I arrived around midnight and there was a line outside. You quickly forget how packed it is because of the good music they play; a lot of 90s and early 2000s. The bartenders were quick to get (good) drinks out and help out the next customers. If you’re from out of town (like me) and need a good club, this is where you want to be!

For anyone who hasn’t been to this club before, this place is located right next to Poquitos. To enter, simply go to the back parking lot behind Poquitos and there, you’ll usually find a line of some sort that leads to the club entrance. For ladies, if you’re here before 10pm, it’s free entry! Between 10−1130ish, this club doesn’t get too packed. Closer to midnight, expect to dance almost shoulder to shoulder with people. Age range here: Majority are in the late 20s — 30s/​40s, and the guy to girl ratio is usually even. Coat check is around $ 3 and drinks are typical prices ($ 8−10+). For the most part, the booths/​tables are first come, first serve basis unless you see a Reserved sign on it. Dance floor is an ok size but you will find it feeling a bit small and cramped when this place gets packed.
As for the music and experience here, you either love it or you hate it. For the vast majority of the music, it’s usually 90s to early 2000s hip hop music. On really fun nights (and depending on the crowd), it’s pretty cool to see people recognize the same songs you grew up listening to and having a spontaneous group karaōke session with everyone singing along to the song. For me, last Saturday was pretty awesome. The music cuts were slightly on the more current trends (with more trap remixes + 2010 and later songs) and there were some random Rock ‘n Roll + Top 40 as well. But at the end of the night, the DJs brought back the old school vibe with the classic songs of the 90s to the crowd. For me, I would consider a bad night to be full of 90s rap (which makes dancing difficult unless you’re intoxicated) + guy ratio = too many creepy men. Fortunately, the bad scenario only happened a couple of times for me and all the other visits has always been fun.
Overall, this is a pretty decent place to get your old school vibe on with good hip hop music =]

After visiting Havana in Seattle for the first time ever, I am not impressed. I ordered two Jameson/​gingers, and was rudely enlightened that a Jameson/​ginger has bitters in it which I wasn’t aware of (being one who works nightlife in DC)!The bald bartender was overall nasty when I inquired about my Jameson/​ginger, and as a matter of fact laughed at me when I challenged the fact that I ordered two Jameson Gingers. Sorry for complicating business, I guess.

Worst 2016 new year eve party ever, guy at security check was rude and dumb. Bartender lost my friends credit card, we will never visit this place again.

I came here not too long ago when I was on vacation and this place was one of the most fun clubs ever! Idk if it’s a club or a bar since it was small but there was no cover fee when I went. The music was so «hip» and it has all the oldies which was extremely new to me because I am very used to hip hop or edm. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in this type of environment is awhile where they busted some Michael Jackson. The people were really nice as well and I have I complaints overall. I wish I was in Seattle more just because the environment was so nice compared to how My home town is so it was definitely a great experience!

So I’ll start by saying I’ve spent numerous night dancing my face off at Havana on 90s night on Tuesday’s. There used to be 2 girls DJing who rocked my world. I hadn’t been in a while so me and my friend decided to drop in tonight to get down to some 90s. We stand in line watching a (very drunk) group of individuals show their ID and get their stamp to enter. My friend and I walk up, show IDs — standard procedure — the bouncer then proceeds to inforn us he «cannot let you ladies in tonight» (let me be clear that my friend and I are both androgynous females, therefore, by default «obviously gay») I assume he is being friendly and joking. That is until he proceeds to check the next groups IDs and let’s them in…
It really didn’t hit me until we were walking away that we’d been discriminated against.
Very, very disappointed…
You won’t even let us in? Disagree with my lifestyle if you must but don’t discriminate…
Update: We decided to go back and ask why we weren’t allowed in. I cannot recall if she was there before but there was a lady standing by the door man and she stated she saw us «ditch a Fireball bottle in the parking lot» — while I understand that as a manager it’s her job to identify such things. In case she was wrong and in my opinion handled it unprofessionally. That being said — look for updates bc I am going to be doing a «science experiment» on Havana with friends to see if this was an isolated incident or just a mistake on the managers part.

It was a Saturday night and my friends and I were looking for a place that played ‘ratchet’ music. We walked passed Havana and saw a line but didn’t think anything of it. After researching on Unilocal,Havana was the place to be for some good hip-​hop music.
We waited in line for about 30+ minutes, and we figured this place must be great since there’s a line. We get to the front and pay a $ 10 cover charge. By this time, we were already sober and just wanted to dance. We get inside and it looked packed. It was a pain just getting into the dance floor. The dance floor was a decent size, however it was just way too crowded. In addition, my friends and I were right in front of the DJ so there’s also a walkway right around there where people kept bumping into us as they walked through.
The DJ was a lot of fun – he played a lot of old school hip-​hop and R&B which I LOVE. It’s a very nostalgic feeling. I’m not sure if we got there too late but I guess the DJ starts from mainstream top 40 to old school. I wish we got there earlier because we all really wanted to get ratchet… but we were still having fun dancing to old school hip-​hop.
Overall, this was a fun club but it got really annoying when people bump into you. So don’t stand by where the DJ is, try to find a spot on the dance floor elsewhere. It especially sucks when you’re on the shorter end of the spectrum. I’d give this place another chance though because the music was great.

Havana is a trendy nights by depending on the night you get anything from hip hop eighties music this is local establishment on pike. Be prepared for a hot sweaty night in a long line to get in. Bartenders are slow but are always prompt to give you the drink that you need. Crowd can be sketchy at many points so buyer beware! As we walked in we had to stop and wait for a full on bar fight. Warning you might get jumped

So first, realize that this is a pretty popular night club amongst a younger crowd especially on Tuesdays for 90’s night and then of course on the weekends. After you do that, set your expectation-​o-​meter accordingly.
Now with that said, Havana is some of the MOST fun you can have on the Hill. Yes, the dance floor will be crowde. Yea you might have to wait a bit at the bar for drinks. Yes, the staff might be a bit short when they’re busy (but only the servers who have to constantly fight through the dancefloor madness). But that’s also why you go with your friends, find a spot on the dance floor and just enjoy yourself. The drinks are great and pretty reasonably priced (I think I usually pay 10 for a long island). The music is a great mix of like hip-​hop and top-​40 so if you’re into that sorta thing I’d definitely give it a shot. Be warned on the weekends there is a $ 10 cover, but it’s worth it! Don’t let all the naysayers scare you away! There’s a reason it’s always so crowded!

We had an enjoyable time here.
To get the negatives out of the way: the music was a bit loud. I’m no stranger to clubs, but we were shouting and talking into each other’s ears to hold a conversation. Left my throat a bit sore after a while of that. Drinks could have been better, for their price tag; I’d take $ 1 off every price on the menu. Location is awkward (why is the entrance in a sketch parking lot?)
I feel like every club has its own ambiance, and this apparently is the place to go if you wanna dance with your friends without worrying about creeps and «here to scout women» dude squads. Admittedly, it was a ladies night but even when the dudes started showing up, they were respectful, and no intrusive strangers got up in our business. Just noticed in a few other reviews that creeps can appear at this place, but while we were there (likely because it was ladies night, and we left by midnight) they weren’t even on our radar.
The music was solid throwback 90s hip hop, with a few newer tunes mixed in. The décor keeps it classy, and the crowd was a fashionable blend of young to slightly older people having a fun time. It is a small venue, though, so it could be a little challenging to start and end your night here. We got a little restless and bounced after a couple hours.
Reserve a table if you have a group; I’m sure we would’ve stayed even longer if we’d done that. On a busy night, they’ll all be reserved before you get there.

Probably won’t ever come back to this establishment again after my most recent experience. I feel like it’s basic knowledge to know that if you want your customers to frequent your business, or to ever come back again, you treat them nicely. Or at least acknowledge them?!

The staff here is really cool and they have cheap drink specials. I feel like this place is an oasis– tucked away behind Panchitos it attracts only those who seek it out– filtering out your typical dude bros and judgy hipsters. The upstairs lounge is a great place to take a load off and people watch, or if it’s closed sink into the comfy couches or booths downstairs and you may never want to leave!

I used to come here quite frequently on Thursday nights for Soul Night. It’s free and the music is a lot of fun.
The venue is smaller than most places but what I love about Havana is that their soul night is frequented by people who for reals dance. Not fake dance in order to cozy up to you. Just dance. It gets super crowded towards the end of the night sometimes and that’s my cue to leave.
Besides the dancing, service is prompt and friendly. Their drinks are on the weaker side as expected.
Overall, a good place. I’ve only seen what it’s like from the outside on the weekends… And you couldn’t drag me in there if you paid me. But if you wanna dance to Isley Brothers’ Shout and do (or in the case of my uncoordinated self, watch other people do) the mashed potato, come on a Thursday!

You guys. You GUYS. This club is a magical wonderland where your dreams can and will come true. Example. One night my old college roommate, best friend, and recently turned 21 year old brother went to Havana. It was around Christmas (this is relevant.) We started with doubles, and we kept alternating buying rounds for the group. (At no point did anyone think, k now could be a good time to stop pounding booze 2oz at time… Kids, amirite?)
Jam-​wise, we’re working with a sweet combo of top 40 and, from what I can tell, the soundtrack to Save the Last Dance. Right around midnight, I catch a glimpse of a fellow move-​buster wearing (this is real) a sweater (how… it’s approx. 250 degrees in there) with Christmas lights on it (yes) and a hat that says HO HO HO. Dibs.
Fast forward through a couple hours of dancing that had me feeling like Bey but looking like William Hung (those doubles’ll get ya), my friends and I, and my gentleman suitor, leave the club. Everyone’s hammered, so we decided to pop over to the Silver Cloud to pass out. Things get hazy after that. (I think my dance partner’s name is Arthur and he’s Canadian. I can’t be sure, but I dig that about him so I’m sticking with it.)
Anyway, cut to the next morning, I wake up next to Arthur in his birthday suit (congratulations Arthur’s parents because cot damn) to a call from my mother yelling at me. She is asking where my brother is because she got a call from the police that he wandered into Swedish Hospital. Butt. Ass. Naked. (We’re skipping over the part where I had to explain to my mother why I wasn’t in the same hotel room as my friends. Not my finest work.)
So, barely able to walk/​see/​not puke, I stumble over to Swedish down the street to find my idiot brother sitting there in a hospital gown, commando. I brought his clothes, which were, I sheet you not, in a trail leading from his bed to the door. What even is that?
He explains that he came to while walking down the street in broad daylight and realized he had no clothes on. After a brief panic, he ducked into a parking lot that happened to belong to Swedish, where a front desk employee who definitely doesn’t get paid enough to deal with this at 7am on a Sunday called the cops who called my mom and here we are.
I mean. What? It was the unicorn of nights. It was glorious and terrifying and there was a lot of weird nakedness. For that, Havana, I thank you.
Tl;dr: ¹⁰⁄₁₀ Would recommend.

I had a lot of fun here. I’m not sure if it was because I like Havana itself or the fact that we had a table surrounded by great friends for a birthday. I do love the music that they play though, hip-​hop is really fun to dance to, the only downside is that hip-​hop & booze often leads to violence, but I didn’t have to deal with that having a table to separate myself from the crowd on the dance floor.
Location is pretty tricky, you can’t just walk by and decided to check the place out last minute if you were bar hopping or adventure scouting that night, you have to know Havana is the place you are looking for. The bouncers were super cool and friendly, unfortunately even if you have a stamp, you have to wait back in line so I recommend that if you decide to go back, go back at a reasonable time because there will only be a longer line the later it gets! This might be my new spot to gig to ratchet music because 95 Slide is getting scarey ratchet.

Went here for a birthday party and was pretty unsure what to expect from the reviews and the front door. The people checking IDs and taking cover at the front were kind of snippy and when we were all set to go in one of the staff came out and blocked the door so they could talk to them for a while. They didn’t move when we asked if we could get by and tried to squeeze past them, so we just stood there waiting for them to finish their conversation. I am hesitant at best at this point.
We went earlyish, around 11pm, on a Friday. It was not very crowded, no line, music was pretty quiet. After 11 was when it got crowded and the music got really loud. The DJ must have taken notes off from of the previous reviews, or there’s a new DJ, because there were no awkward pauses or annoying cuts between songs. I thought the DJ was great overall, though boy was the mix heavy on the nostalgia (or «nostalgia» as in «I remember this song but I’m not super excited to hear it» in many cases).
Our friend had reserved a table and the waitress we had was awesome. She remembered everyone by name (and this was a big group moving around a lot) and would somehow appear next to you on the sardine dance floor periodically to see if you needed another drink. This made the crowded-​ness less of an issue because I could stay in one spot and she checked in often enough I was never empty-​handed if I didn’t want to be. I have no idea how she did this but she was freaking awesome and I feel like kind of an ass for not remembering her name now since she remembered all of ours. Smart to keep attentive waitstaff because if they didn’t, I probably would have only braved the crowd to buy drinks once or twice. They definitely got more of my money this way but that’s a win-​win for me.
The bouncers inside were also nice, and a lot of them were sort of dancing in place and smiling and laughing with people. The bartenders were also cool the one time I went to the bar, I ended up with the guy with the long dreads (who has mixed mentions from a few others already) who was friendly and speedy.

I’ve been to Havana a few times over the years and actually enjoy it between 9pm — 12ish am. Unfortunately, I’m not 21 and can’t deal with larger groups of 20 somethings dancing up a storm, attempting to make room with the elbows (which is impossible — assume you’re going to be swinging your hips next to a stranger and either a. enjoy it or b. roll your eyes and get over it). I saw a comment about getting groped and definitely agree that it can get bad here (the later the hour!). But I can say if you talk to a bouncer up front about getting harassed or touched inappropriately, they take it very seriously and will diffuse the situation (at least in my experience).
Drinks are good. Waitstaff is good. DJ on Saturday, very good. It is a smaller venue, so be prepared — but definitely a place I would recommend to dance at!
FYI — we were having a small bachelorette party for a friend and you can reserve a table ahead of time for pretty cheap without a food/​bar minimum. You can get there early, too, and try to grab something for free, but if you want a night with easier convenience, I recommend emailing ahead!

One of the only clubs in Seattle that DOESN’T play electronic music. Their old school hip hop hits are the only reason why I come back to this place for girls’ nights.
Getting a drink is near impossible if you don’t wiggle yourself up to the front of the bar and give the bartenders major eye contact. This place is CROWDED. If you are claustrophobic, stay far away from this place. It gets packed on the weekends to the point where you can’t even dance because you’re smushed up against other sweaty sardines.
I seem to get pulled and groped by guys a lot more at this place than other places. Not sure if it’s just coincidence that the club hosts these kinds of dudes the times I have gone or if it’s the normal type of crowd. Seems like the latter based on other reviews I’ve read.
$ 10 cover is only worth it if you get there earlier than the midnight crowd. The music is what is keeping this place alive.

I came here with IPB and a few others and it was an interesting time!
First of all I liked the music. Cover was $ 10. That’s fine. We went in and this place was crowded.
We went to the bar to get drinks. My friend and I both got a cocktail– some tequila grapefruit lime concoction. It was decent but a bit on the tart side.
Oh and there was an ENTIRE BROKEN BOTTOM of a bottle in my friend’s glass mixed in with the ice.
That’s kind of terrifying. It was a big ordeal and it was loud as hell but we finally communicated what happened. They changed out the ice bucket and said they refunded my friend’s purchase but they never gave her a voided credit card receipt. So only time will tell. The bartender did remake both drinks for us.
I haven’t been groped this much in years. Some guy came up behind me and literally punched me in the ass then proceeded to apologize profusely saying he thought I was someone else. Good times.
Typical club scene with people grinding on each other in your face and a mass of humanity all in one small area. If there was a fire there I hate to see what would happen. It had to be beyond capacity.
Anywho. This is why I stay home.
Update: They never did reverse the charge for the drinks after all.

Hooray for the 90s! Hooray for total request nights with DJ Jay Battle (last Wed of every month)! Hooray for Havana!
On Mondays it is empty, but they have their specialty cocktails for what bars out here charge for a well. 5 – 6 bucks, I’ve forgotten now. Try them all!
Tuesdays are 90s night– it is packed and you might get creeped on if you aren’t able to tell people to back off. In my experience, though, it is a lot roomier and less packed than some other yucky clubs I could mention. I always have a great time here, despite a $ 4 cover.
Wednesdays are the best, though, because you can tweet your requests to the DJ. There is a large projector screen that shows the requests/​tweets in real time, which is an added perk. Bar service can be slow when it is slammed, but you’ll get a drink.
Great place for dancing.

Quelle petite phrase bouleversante au coeur d’un être?