(Chocolate Martini) (Pina Colada)
(Guacamole a lo Cubano) (Trio de empanadas)
(Chicharrón de Pollo) (Ropa vieja de pollo) Shivani’s POV-
Restaurant Review:
Cuban food has been another cuisine that we have taken a liking towards and decided to try out this beautiful restaurant in Clifton, NJ called Rumba Cubana. The interior is designed nicely and a very spacious area for a dinner date, a family dinner, or any event you celebrate. The menu is very diverse and has tons of different options to choose from for both the drinks and food. However the menu might be a little limited for vegetarians who would like to try this restaurant.
I started off the dinner with a chocolate martini and if the picture doesn’t make you want to go right now to try it let me tell you that you need to do so ASAP. The martini was deliciously curated with the perfect amount of alcohol which didn’t make it too strong.
For appetizers we decided to try out trio de empanadas and got it with a chicken filling. It came with this sweet spicy dipping sauce which made every bite just perfect!! The other appetizer we decided to try was the Guacamole a lo Cubano which is just like a regular guac except this had pineapple and plantain chips in it. Personally the guacamole was not something I would try again or liked much. I may be biased but the typical guac with tortilla chips will always be my go to.
The entree is something I personally always look forward to because that is the part that always affects the whole meal. I ordered the Chicharrón de Pollo which was fried chicken with their special signature Mojo sauce. The chicken was perfectly crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Even though the chicken tasted heavenly by itself I would have liked it in a sort of sauce or something so it didn’t feel so dry to eat after. With the entree I got a side of cuban black rice and black beans. The rice had an amazing flavor but the beans did let me down a little.
Overall it’s a great restaurant with amazing service, spacious seating, and delicious food to try. So go and give it a try and let us know how you like it!!!
Hospitality/ Environment: The location where the restaurant is located is very safe. Service was AMAZING and the servers, waitresses, and bartenders were very friendly and helped us with anything we needed throughout the night.
Cost: $$
Parking: There is a valet parking lot right next to the restaurant which is very convenient.
Would you go back?: Yes, I would love to go and try their other dishes.
Overall rating: 8/10
Shivam’s POV:
Restaurant Review-
For starters I had a piña colada which honestly was one of the best ones i’ve ever had. It not only was the perfect texture but it was creamy and not overly sweet as some of the other places I have been to. As Shivani said, we had the empanadas and the guacamole in which the empanadas excelled but the guacamole fell just shy of amazing. The empanadas were seasoned well and the sauce that was included in the meal added a unique flavor to the taste. The guacamole lacked spice and an authentic South American flavor, though the strips of plantain definitely caught my eye.
After the starters, I had the ropa vieja de pollo which was a shredded chicken dish with a red curry like sauce as my main course. It was served with black beans, rice, and plantains. The ropa vieja was, in my opinion, really great but needed a bit more spice and flavor for my liking. It was definitely a dish I would come back to try again but would definitely ask for a bit more spice. Overall, the atmosphere, the servers, and the overall crowd was amazing down to the dot. Not only is Rumba Cubana accommodating, but it’s definitely a place I'd come back to in the future to just try out their other dishes.
Cost- $$
Would you go back? Yes
Overall rating: 7/10
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