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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
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NEWS FLASH: I can shake my booty y'all.
Really, I can.
And if y'all were out and about Adams Morgan Saturday night you would have seen me shaking what my momma gave me at the Rumba Café.
I know I may not be your stereotypical fiery latino salsa dancer, but a few mojitos down the hatch and I'm Ricky Ricardo in heat for some Lucy. Now I may have gotten a little out of hand and *too* into the vibe here, so I believe a few apologies (and some thank you's) are in order:
So...
AN APOLOGY to the skinny girl dancing behind me that I nearly knocked down. You got in the way of my butt, and when it's a shakin', I'm not liable for your safety. Also, I AINT liable for your lack of coordination or general dance competence either. Listen to the song that's playing and not the one you got goin' in your head honey.
AN APOLOGY to the jacked Bolivian dude dancing with the pretty girl roughly 1/8 your size. I didn't mean to inappropriately grab your partner's _______, that was a total accident. I swear "they" touched me.
A THANK YOU to Jimena and Maya for showing me the ropes out on the dance floor! You two made me feel like a real latino for the first time in my life. Orale!
A THANK YOU to Yella, Mic, and Sean for pretending we were latinos and singing along to Spanish songs we didn't know just so we could fit in. I'm sure we offended everyone by whatever it was that was coming out of our mouths. And I'm pretty sure "ACKI ACKI OCHO OCHO" wasn't real Spanish but it was outta love, and that's all that matters in the end.
And a BIG THANK YOU to Rumba Café for your phenomenal mojitos, live music, and overall ambiance. You guys know what a great night out is all about. I don't remember the last time I've encountered so many people smiling at a bar. Truly amazing.
This is as far as the best restaurant I've ever been. The menu is a combination of tapas and main courses. One of my favorites which I recommend is the Bife de Chorizo if you are into big steaks. Yumm!
I really enjoy the artistic and vibrant atmosphere, the people are very nice and the manager is one of the best not to mention the bartenders. One of my favorite bartenders is the tall girl with short hair, she makes the best mojitos and she's very nice. Live music Fridays & Saturday is fantastic.
I go back everytime I get a chance.
As part of the Yelpers outing of the fake Bachelor/ette party turned into "Help Brian/O'Yella Birthday extravaganza, I put the bug on Jimena to go to Rumba Cafe. I have already checked that Kike and Miguel were playing that evening (according to Facebook), so it was a guaranteed GREAT Night!. To my surprise our group kept growing. Watching Farzan park was fun (see pic) and once at Rumba I felt like I never left...I have been going to Rumba for over 7 years!. Mojitos on hand and Jimena and I danced all night, the guys did too...plenty of hip movement! Amazing time, I am always game to come back, Thank you guys!
Let's say this is my old home....a place where if I got early enough got dinner otherwise got to… Read more »
Something must be wrong....this is another place in Adams Morgan that I actually like! This was the last stop on the "Help Brian aka Unka Yella Celebrate His Birthday" outing. While it was initiallly crowded, which forced Sean, Farzan and I to seek a respite elsewhere, upon our return we had a smidgen more room, which turned out to be very helpful, because you had no choice but to dance while there. The band was wonderful! Good suggestion, Miss Maya (definitely the person you want to take with you to a Latin club). I don't know if the band is there EVERY Saturday, but if they are we definitely have to go back. I also had the distinctive pleasure of dancing with Maya and the lovely Jimena, which....well, you just haven't danced until you've danced with her. My 1/23rd Peruvian side definitely started coming slowly to the surface....drawn out by the music and the atmosphere and the EVERYTHING. It didn't matter that we were packed in the place like sardines....it was all about moving to the music. Even though I swear that little midget tried to pick my back pocket. Or maybe she was copping a feel. *shrug* Go to this place...Saturday night....get a table if you can...and enjoy. Also, shout out to Curtis at the door....he's good people for remembering us and giving us some ideas on where to go for a drink.
This is my Cheers. The only difference is that nobody knows my name, and I don't come here much.... because every time I do, I meet someone new and make a new friend whether I meant to or not. The drinks are powerful, and the crowd is 'of the people'. No velvet ropes. The food is decent, but not ground breaking. Occasionally, members of the crowd break out into dancing to the beats, which are great. Decor also way cool. The pisco sours are authentic.
$9 drinks- pricey, I know. That's what I thought until I took a sip of the most sublime mojito ever. It was sweet (as it should be), but strong enough to ward of the sickeningly sugariness of a good mojito. I had one and I didn't need anymore for at least another hour or two.
Another highlight of this place - the grilled calamari. Nothing fancy - just baby squid, drenched in chili oil, garlic, (and lime?) No, I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but if I happened to be in the area - it's a perfect place to have a drink/snack outside on a warm sunny day.
I went there last night and I couldnt believe that I had not been here before. We only had appetizers so I cant really comment on the quality of the food as a whole, but the appetizers were fantastic. Great flavor!
The beer selection is limited, but very good, and the drinks are very good. After living in Miami I am very picky about mojitos and this ones were done right!
The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating.
The best thing about this place is the live music on Saturday nights. If you like latin rock and listening to live music. This is your spot. The band plays mellow music while people are eating but around mid night the place starts to get crowded and although the place is small the dancing begins. The band and the DJ do a very good combination of salsa/merenge and old- school rock (i.e. Soda Stereo, Enanitos Verdes).
Good times.
Perhaps my second most favorite joints, rumba will take your palate on a tour of force, with delicious south American dishes.
the arepas are so RICAS, ropa vieja are my thing, the move on to the parrillada for two, or the lobster with shrimp in garlic, delicious. the ambiance is really awesome, there is a wall covered in masks, and Little trinkets, that anyone can appreciate, also they make a pretty good mojito. The only problem, is that is really expensive, damn, you will drop a dime in this place, so if you stop by bring your hard earned cash,, and a few singles, that way you can adorn one of the pretty saints they have on the wall.
Average entree = $18 (not worth it) / Average Appetizer = $8 (not worth it)
No culinary training in this kitchen - I hardly recommend visiting for its nightlife...
My Order:
Arepa de Queso con Ropa Vieja (Colombian Style): NOT Colombian-style at all - didn't taste like arepas at all to begin with...the texture was soggy, and they didn't use typical Colombian arepa flour - couldn't taste the cheese for that matter. Ropa Vieja is supposed to be pulled tender beef, and typically is served right on top or inside the arepa (in Colombia)...I was served a shot (the tin was the size of a shot) of terribly hard and cold pulled beef...along with really hard and cold black beans.
The Chicken Soup was simply bland, and at bright yellow did not look appetizing to begin with.
NOT what Latin American food tastes like. The waiter and bartender must've cooked our food because there was NO resemblance to Latin American fare that my party could detect in the food we received.
Waiter service...we had to flag down the bus boy each time we needed refills or to get hot sauce or an add'l appetizer...we only saw the waiter when check-time came.
I love this spot. They make incredibly good, tasty dishes and slammin mojitos and capirinhas... One of my fave spots to go when in Adams Morgan. The inside decor is really cool to look at too... Lots of interesting stuff plastered all over the walls.
Also, not sure who the people are that marked this as no alkeymahal... they do serve from a full bar!
It's been a long time since we last came to Rumba. We used to come regularly -- maybe we should start doing that again.
I've known Rumba through several different owners, and my husband has known it even longer. We're still friends with the original owners, and we would go back even after Gustavo bought it from them. Now there's a whole new owner -- there's a different vibe when you don't get greeted with a hug. But as Martin said, with a few more visits and some healthy tips, we could become good friends with the new owner as well :-)
I'm glad to report that throughout all this change, Rumba has stayed substantially the same -- same decor, atmosphere, great mojitos, and pretty much the same menu, though a little expanded.
I think there has been some improvement in the food department. In the past there were times when Gustavo would declare himself chef. Sometimes that turned out well, sometimes not so much..... The food yesterday looked and tasted better than it used to.
We tried a duck taquito (tasty, but with over-cooked duck), a quesadilla (extra fat with an amazing amount of avocado inside), and the Ensalada Tropical (still a bright and tasty assemblage of greens, fruit and nuts). Everything we had was quite tasty. Unfortunately, they still serve the same tasteless bread with the meal, but they've enhanced it by offering up olive oil to soak it in.
The beer selection is still -- meh. Martin got his usual Quilmes, and as usual, said it was crappy but did the job. I held off for a while but couldn't resist the siren song of the mojito -- yes, it was fabulous.
Service was friendly with a real desire to please. The new owner was a constant presence, and made sure to ask us how everything was. And, as always, the best part about dining at Rumba is sitting on the patio, mojito in hand, watching the hustle and bustle of 18th Street go by.
Very bad brunch experience. The waiter was mentally "not there". We had to keep flagging him down to get his attention. The owner came out to help the waiter--mind you, when we arrived, there was only one other table occupied, Halfway through brunch there were four tables taken up (outside). the owner was very friendly. The food however, very bad. The eggs in the huevos rancheros were raw and instead of a Bloody Mary, I think I had tomato juice, they may have forgotten to add Vodka.
Nice outdoor eating area.
Good fried yucca. Can it be bad?
Bad bread - white/preservative-laden/supermarket style; at the least, needs some toasting.
Decent mojito. Can it be bad? (Maybe.)
Below average service - nervous and impersonal.
Fine.
I went for a late lunch w/a friend from out of town who happens to be Cuban. He had the Cuban sandwich and he approved. Actually, he liked it a lot, but to me the bread looked kind of greasy, but what do I know? The sandwich came with fries were definitely home made and actually tasted like potatoes, which was nice. I ordered the black bean soup and it was phenomenal. There were fresh cut scallions on top which was a nice touch. My only complaint is that they didn't give me anything to "go with" my soup. I was craving tortillas or something, so I just kept stealing my friend's fries. I want to come back for a late dinner and dancing.
Yes yes, the mojitos are spectacular. I love the decor on the walls - the mirrors, crucifixes, avant garde photography, etc. There was an awesome live band when I was there on Sat night.
But that's about it. Service was horrible. We were seated for an 830 reservation at 930. The snapper I ordered was overcooked, yet raw on the end (WTF) rubbery, flavorless, inedible. I'll eat just about anything and I could not get it down. On top of that, I was charged more than the menu price for said fish. After a few bill corrections, I was gladly on my way.
Non-consumables: there's only one tiny bathroom per gender. Imbibing ladies must wait in line.
Summary: This place is for drinks only. Don't order food here. Pee elsewhere too.
Sadly though this place had potential, it was as dead as I felt the next morning. I was looking forward to a Mojito on an outdoor patio as I thought I was going to die from the heat and humidity! The temperature was finally starting to cool down so I wanted to take full advantage of hanging outside for a few.
Sadly, the mojitos were a bit disappointing. Waaaay too sweet! But the staff was phenomenal so it all evens out in the end I guess.
Drinks? Sure.
Patio? Definitely.
The best salsa-esque dancing one can pull-off to live music and the tiniest excuse of a dance floor? Only if you're dancing with Gene - he'll kick the ass of anyone who gets in your way, and keeps a mean rhythm, too.
rumba cafe is solid. i loved it, i loved the ambiance, the food, the service. yes, its tiny and it gets crowded. the outdoors seating area is cute when the place is not so busy, otherwise it could get a little uncomfortable. i was here for dinner, ordered the mofongo con mariscos, delicious mashed fried plantains with shrip and scallops in a tomato based sauce. i also had the lomo a la huancaina. huancaina is a peruvian sauce which is made with cheese, yellow peruvian pepper and some other good stuff. this dish was delicious. the steak was perfect and the huancaina sauce on top was to die for. as a peruvian who grew up in the dominican republic, i can assure you both of these dishes were delicious. the chef definitely knows whats going on. i agree with what the other yelpers say about the bread. i wonder why they serve that stinky bread there. really throws you off...
i guess theres a cover charge on saturday night because theres live music. 5$ for the boys. girls come in free. this is good.. because the place is tiny so just by charging 5$ youre filtering some people out :-P the band was pretty interesting, they played lots of covers but rumba/cumbia style. for those who know about latin american music, the band performed songs by: abuelos de la nada, andres calamaro, sui generis, buena vista social club, soda stereo. juanes... i really enjoyed this restaurant and im definitely going back next time im in dc. also, their house wine sells at 24$ for the bottle and its a very decent argentinian cabernet. oh man, i cant wait to go back.
I've been here a few times. I love the live band and the ambiance! They serve one of the best mojitos I've had in the area (besides my own lol). I'll have to actually try the food next time.
Okay, so I didn't get the memo about the mojitos before going to Rumba and I went there for lunch with some friends.
The decor: unique relics from various regions of Latin America line the walls as well as excellent photography, the lighting and seating are fine.
The wait: painful.
The cuisine: Latin American; Guatemalan, Argentinian, Cuban, and Colombian are some of the countries I remember seeing on the menu.
The tapas: tiny. I figured an $8 arepa de queso y aguacate would get me more that two tortillas (two inches in diameter) sandwiching some guacamole. No cheese that I could find.
To their credit my boyfriend's medianoche looked pretty good.
If I give them another chance, I will order the mojitos and go when there's live music, since that's what they seem to have going for them.
I came here for a snack yesterady after Crafty Bastards. I got the huevos rancheros which were super yummy and a bloody mary which was not so yummy. Liked that I was able to get a table on the patio right away but the service in general was awful and so slow. Might come back and try eatting at the bar so I can get my servers attention more easily.
Very weak brunch experience. We stopped by for patio seating on an unexpectedly gorgeous February day. It wasn't packed, but perhaps the staff were taken a bit by surprise because of some heavier-than-usual weather-related brunch traffic. What should have been a simple meal for three people took about an hour. The brunch menu is short, but they had run out of one of the main sandwich offerings. The huevos rancheros were very good, but the sandwiches were only so-so. Stale-ish bread, not much "there" there. While friendly, the staff were very distracted and not very attentive. I'd be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and go back sometime for dinner, but I won't do brunch again.
This is for the atmosphere and making me want to dance with abandon. I wandered into this place at after midnight on a Friday because it looked more interesting than the surrounding Adams Morgan bars that were starting to appear too dumpy to me. They had a Latin band and before I knew it, I was dancing to it and having a blast even though I had no idea I could dance to Latin rhythms, lol.
Well, I'm pretty scared of the Adams Morgan scene, but I feel safe from the crazy/lame factor when I'm at Rumba Cafe - even on the little patio, where the waiters will protect me, I'm sure! It's a must for the mojitos, arepas, stuffed pepper, most of the other food, cool staff, funky decor . . . and fun dancing (or just fun chair dancing if you're in wussy mode!). Also, Rumba Cafe usually stocks aguardiente, which can be a tough one to find - bring it!
The mojitos here would make Fidel proud. Beyond the bar the food is pretty darn good. I had the mole which was quite good but they didn't smother it with mole like they should have. The chicken with cilantro was amazing! Apetizers were very good as well.
It's small so arrive early or be prepared to hang out for a bit.
I totally adore this place! I come for excellent Latin food on weeknights, and to dance the night away on weekends. They have a live band on Fridays and Saturdays starting at midnight. The dancefloor gets really crowded, but it feels like a real Latin party!!! I love the quirky and kitchy decor too. A favourite!
I loved Rumba Cafe. Delicious tapas and great atmosphere. A new fave in DC!
time for the most in depth ( and the longest) review of this place, rumba cafe.. i've only been here once, but here's my first time.. cheers to losin my virginity to RUMBA CAFE~!!
as a miami girl, the whole 'latin' scene is not a new thing for me.. i love it most of the time, and prolli would swear that if i was to be anything other than chinese i would want to be a cuban chick.. so, when we walked up to rumba, i decided why not?
we headed straight for the bar on a sat nite, where the place was decently packed.. everything was superbly dark and i can barely see where i'm walking to, nevertheless to squeeze through the crowded bar for a drink.. We luck out and grab a seat at the corner of the bar where two people had just left. first thing you get here, is the much needed mojitos.. i will state that in comparison to cafe citron, this mojito rocks!!!.... . just sweet enough, with that touch of mint, it just brings back the days on south beach. ** the screen gets wavy.. and flashback mode starts** where you almost feel like you're in your bathing suit basking in the sun.. relaxing by the pool, with the view of the beach in front of you, and the smell of the ocean and the sway of palm trees lull you to sleep.....
UNTIL.. the nasty old guy next to me catches my eye as he's calling me senorita...**wavy screen goes back to reality** i don't mind being called senorita but i'd rather be called senorita by justin timberlake or someone around that age rather than this 56 year old grease bag.. so reality sets back in.
so then i do that thing that girls do best.. roll our eyes and brush what lil' short hair i have back and pretend to be engrossed in the conversation my buddies were having.. soemthing about back hair.. uggh.. anyways. so we chat away as the people in the back are elbowing us as they salsa around the tiny tiny area for dancin. the place isn't the cleanest place,and prolli exactly what i would expect from a place on 18th.. so anyhow, the urge to use the restroom comes, and i start to walk back to the restroom line.
after shoving dancers away to create a pathway.. i get to this lil' door that's supposta be the bathroom.. and to be as frank as possible. this bathroom sucks.. there's everything possible in this, and if you're tooo drunk to squat this is NOT the bathroom to go to because you will slip, fall, and die in muck and goooey stufff..
after getting through the line back to the bar and getting groped by old men, we order four more shots but got ignored for about 20 minutes.. literally.. you know how long 20 minutes atta bar can be without a drink?? and then she was snappy when we asked about our shots..
so, when she screwed up someone else's order and makes an extra mojito, my "cousin" passes over to me, to hold me over til the shots get here... i think the bartender got mad that we took that drink, ( but she was gonna haveta throw it out anyways).... and that's prolli not a nice thing to do as a drunk, so we decided to f- the shots and go to asylum..
in the end, this place is prolli good on a slow nite, compared to a busy one, because a) the place is really small if it's too cold to sit outside.. and it can't hold a big crowd... b) the bathrooms are absolute filth, c) the mojitos are fabulous if you dont steal from the bartender.. and d) the bartenders can't handle such a big crowd.. ( btw btw.. the credit card machine also broke that nite.. so if you had no cash, you were SOL)...
make sure to bring your best snake-hips to rumba cafe
you will be surprised at how quickly you begin to sway-- swept up by how close you are to the good looking boys and girls next to you, the sultry spanish falling off tongues sweetened by the last drop of sugar in a caipirinha, the sound of son and salsa pouring forth from guitars and voices, hands clasped in hands as you are guided to the tiny dance floor and move until you can't remember there is a world outside to ever take you away from your newfound joy.
Is there anything finer than sitting on the front patio on a hot summer DC night, drinking mojitos and watching the craziness unfold on 18th street? No, there is not. Come for the mojitos, stay for the mojitos.
i love it here. i love the food, and i love the wine selection. not a huge list, but i like what they do carry. the music is great too. service could be better, but it is hit and miss truly. sometimes i couldn't be happier. it's easy and small and intimate, and that's awesome. that same size can make it hard to hear at times, but sit closer together!
there are only maybe a dozen tables, otherwise you can squeeze in at the bar. if you are not eating, expect to stand. if you arrive late, expect to stand. i like their fish, but you have to be into latin fish, i suppose, as my dining partner was not stoked. i think that's a palette thing! the bar is great, and generally have good selection of cheap and pricey liquors.
Cool place. Lots of fine latina women, live cubano music, friendly staff who don't mind chattin it up with gringos, and good mojitos. What a pleasant surprise, right in the heart of the debacle that is 18th streeet.
Love the Rumba! Great scene, good service, good food, great pork chops!
As I think everyone pretty much knows, you come here for the mojitos. They are prepared with love (hand-crushed mint, mmm) and are not too sweet which is my usual complaint about mojitos. It gets crowded and the wait for the bathroom can get long, but otherwise the atmosphere is great both indoors and out.
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Cuban
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill/Southeast
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Restaurants
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