Decided to visit Castas rum bar after reading up on some reviews. We visited here on Saturday about 2pm for drinks and a little bit of food. No reservation needed, when we arrived it was very empty.., maybe about 6 other people at the restaurant. The restaurant is tucked away and it can be a little hard to find but inside is pretty big. We sat on the indoor patio area. We ordered the churros and the lechon asada with cheese (recommended by our waitress). The churros were absolutely delicious, they paired really well with the coffee/caramel sauce it came with, it also came with a chocolate sauce which was a bit too bitter for my liking. The Lechon asada was pretty good, make sure you request cheese on it, it tastes so much better and there is no up charge for it. It's pretty much a roasted pork sandwich and it was paired with Yucca which i personally have never tried and didn't really enjoy much. For the drinks, i had the pina colada (delicious AF), nacional and the mojito. I was not much of a fan of the mojito and Nacional and my friend ordered the mango daiquiri which was a little too sweet for my liking. Parking can be difficult, took about 30 minutes to find street parking but we found it within walking distance. I also did notice there was a tucked away garage within walking distance from the restaurant. read more

See all

Castas has emerged as my favorite spot in dc. Mojito pitchers are great and more than enough to split with a group. The plantains wrapped in bacon are one of the best things I've ever had. Overall great vibes to get a night started with friends! read more

Casta's is such a West end gem. My favorites to order are the mojitos, pina coladas and of course, the empanadas. The decor really gives Havana vibes and authentic Cuban flair. I have been several times since its opening. No matter the night I've had an enjoyable experience. Casta's is truly a hidden treasure! read more

The menu reads "$12" cocktails. When I paid I learned they were actually $16.00. When I asked where the $4 came from, I was told the gratuity is included. When I actually saw the bill the total was $15.60 so they add a 30% tip to your bill! And then, the credit card receipt has a space to write in a tip. This is very deceptive. I am sure there are folks who don't pay attention and they are overpaying for well drinks that taste terrible. My friend's drink was not good either. We took a few sips and left more than half in our glasses. Beware of the tiny, fine print at the bottom of the menu. Can you imagine having a $100 bill and being forced to tip $30 regardless of whether or not you enjoyed the service? I can understand a one-time pandemic Service charge but not 30% for low quality drinks. If your palate is accustomed to premium spirits, stay away from the menu cocktails and order name brand spirits with a mixer, that would be your safest bet. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Tasted like powdered medicine in water. - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Made a reservation here for my mom's birthday dinner and was pretty disappointed. We ordered the ceviche, black bean hummus, and yuca fries to share. The food was lacking a lot of flavor and didn't taste very fresh. Our waitress was not very friendly and the overall vibe of the restaurant felt more club-ish than a nice Cuban vibe restaurant like I was expecting. I love reggaeton but I felt like I could have just gone to a regular bar for the same vibes but not as expensive. I would return here maybe for a low key night out with girlfriends but not for the food. read more

I finally visited Casta's after months of passing by it's very mysterious and inconspicuous entrance. The Cuban flag that hangs up front and the little hallway that is available between the street and its main door creates enough time for you to build up some excitement and translocate yourself to Havana. A hostess welcomed us in and asked if we needed a table. It was almost 6pm on a Monday evening and so luckily there was ample seating space, both in the bar as well as more private seating. The walls were reminiscent of an old historic Latin/European building, with tiles designs and brick included at random places. There were also vibrant and colorful tiles on the floor, which added an extra touch and fully transported one to outside of the USA mentally. The HH includes $10 cocktails and $5 wine/beers until 7pm so I indulged on some red wine which was generously poured. I overheard the ladies next to me speaking about how impressed they were with the rum cocktails, which I admit looked very visually appealing as well. We ordered chicken empanadas, which I honestly wish was either a little bigger or came with more than just 2 empanadas--these were quite tasty. We also ordered the fried yucca which did not disappoint in true yucca style. I was hoping to get a little more generosity with the food portions, but that was the only thing that I would remark on at Casta's. As the night got older, the music got a little more danceable and that transformed the ambience to a degree. This is a perfect spot to catch up with friends, or to go on an intimate date. I saw a door that might have led to an outdoor seating area, but it was too cold outside to discover if my guess was right. The service was awesome! Staff ensured that we were happy and satisfied with our experience and we never felt neglected even after it got busier. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Chicken Empanada - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Drinks were delicious and music was great. Felt like I was on a beach vacation. My girls and I had so much fun. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Ooouuuu if you haven't been here for happy hour yet, you're missing out! On Wednesday's they have happy hour all night. It's a good vibe with loud music, scenery, and great food & drinks. The only thing I didn't like was the classic Cuban sandwich...it was really dry. But the rest of our food was great, especially the ribs. read more

See all

I came here for happy hour and i was shocked to discover the pitchers were $50 and the happy hour special was $10 off. Kinda on the expensive side. Also, the drinks weren't that strong to me, especially the ginger beer one. As for the food, the Maduros appetizer was so small. Like TINY. They were good but not enough for the price. The sandwich was also good but small. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Maduros Envueltos en Tocino - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I'm from Miami and appreciate a good Cuban restaurant that makes it feel like back home. This place hits that mark. It's a fun atmosphere with tapas style dishes which makes it great for sharing. End with the churros and thank me later. read more

See all

If you're planning on going on the weekend, you might want to see if you can get a reservation and an Uber. It gets very busy. I have only been on weekends. Several times. I really like the style of the place. Great place for a date, or to hang out with a group of friends. Service is kindly. Look for a beautiful lady, Asian, and I want to say her nickname is "Cookie" to serve you. Very helpful and knows what to suggest. I generally get all appetizers here. Empanadas, Maduros, masas, borrachos, camarones. Always good. Drinks are very good. Nothing is cheap. Come prepared. The kicker: lower split level turns into a night spot! Latin music and other hot songs. Packs in pretty good, so be there before the limit is reached or you're standing outside in line hoping to get in. read more

Not a fan of the brunch food. It's not good, I had the french toast and it was kind of hard. I can also tell it was sandwich bread which should not have cost that much. It's not like it's brioche. My friend didn't like her food either, only the drinks. The service was decent. The drinks are soo good though. That frozen banana espresso is the best. I want to come back with friends to try the mojito tower. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Great service and food. Mojito was excellent as well as the fresh ceviche. Will come back next time Im in DC and try to decide if I'll get that or try something new! read more

Perfect hidden gem. We went two nights in a row. Cocktails were great and apparently their happy hour is on point. Have yet to make It to happy hour yet! Will be back. Friendly staff. read more

What a great find in DC! Food was excellent! We were looking for a place to eat after a long day. Great atmosphere. So fun!!

Stopped for a late night cocktail. Beautiful space. Bartender made us a chaperinga, it was perfect. Fresh ingredients you can clearly taste, refreshing and tasted so good. They had live music when I walked in, such a nice atmosphere. Outside, one section is for the cigar smokers and the other section with the bar and frozen drinks were all beautiful decorated. I really respected their consideration for all patrons. Servers were kind and checked on us at our table. Great service, a hidden little gem worth finding & spending some quality time at. read more

See all

I went here for the 1st time recently with a group of friends. We had a strange experience with the service and got different info depending on who we spoke to. My friend tried to make a reservation in advance since we had a group of about 6, but they told her they didn't take reservations and it was 1st come, 1st serve. Cool, no problem. A few in our group arrived early to get a spot and they told them they should've made a reservation...huh? They gave us a space, but said there was a short time limit because another group (with a reservation) was coming in soon. Lots of confusion. We ordered a bunch of drinks and food to try anyway, and everyone seemed to like their orders overall. I thought the empanada was pretty good and since I'm not a big rum drinker, enjoyed a glass of white wine. Once we started getting close to the time limit, one of the waitresses came over and told us it was time to wrap up. We let her know we were still waiting on food/drinks that hadn't arrived yet and she seemed frustrated. Dude, we can't control how quickly things are coming out. Everyone was getting annoyed by this point. Another waitress came over and apologized. She offered to move us to another table indoors while we waited for the rest of our order, and gave us a free shot - very kind of her. We went inside to finish eating, but left after that. Overall, it seems like a nice spot with pretty good food/drinks, but the service needs some work. read more

See all

The pictures aren't the best quality because its really dark in there BUT I cannot say enough about how amazing the plantains wrapped in bacon was. I haven't stopped thinking about them. My friend immediately went to the store to try and recreate them The tables are a little small so I had to put a plate in my lap which was a little annoying, but I ate food fast anyways so its all good read more

See all

I had the strawberry and lime frozen daiquiri and it was good. 8/10. I went during happy hour and it was $10. Our server was super cool and made our experience worth it. For food I had the classic Cuban sandwich. It was delicious. 8.7/10. I also had the ribs which were good. 8/10. This place is definitely cute for a date or a happy hour experience. read more

My favorite things about this place were the environment and the drinks. They ran out of piña colada when I went so I assume that is a popular choice. The waitress recommended a frozen drink with mango and strawberry which I rly enjoyed but it was slightly too sweet for me. I didn't love the chef's suggestion that was ordered but I will definitely try the empanadas next time I go because they looked delicious. The only con for me was that there were a lot of people smoking cigars and almost no ventilation. The room got pretty smoky when the person behind and in front of my table were smoking them. However, a friend who went previously told me that there weren't any people smoking when she had gone. Maybe it depends on the time of day. Overall: Environment 4/5 Food 3.5/5 (but I would love to try other dishes because they only had the brunch menu available, although it was 6pm) Drinks 4.5/5 read more

Great drinks, only tried the churros which were very good. Unfortunately I hate to say it but this spot does not seem to be following covid protocol strictly. Bartender does not have mask on over his face while making drinks. It is a very small space & some staff is walking by with masks on while others just have masks hanging around their chin. Same pen is used for all customers when signing in at the front. Seats/tables do not appear to be fully sanitized after each guest. When I called in advance to find out if they had outdoor seating I was told "yes & it's covered as well" but there was no outdoor seating open at all, simply a warm basement with very little air flowing in. No hand sanitizer present for customers either. This may be a spot to check out after the pandemic but they really need to up their protocol before I consider returning beforehand. read more

Came here several weeks ago with the hubs and definitely love the vibe and ambience of this place! If you do come here to eat, definitely get the Cuban sandwich, it's yummy and a solid choice from the menu. Decent drinks and the fav of them all was the El Presidente. Staff here is great and I totally forgot our server's name, but she was amazing! Super attentive and friendly. I believe the owner also spoke to us and asked how everything was, and that left a great impression that this establishment values their patrons. We stayed into the later hours (it was Sunday) and they had live DJs. Definitely danced and enjoyed the music. read more

See all

Honestly giving this place 1 star is generous. 1. We made reservations for Sunday brunch at 12. My husband got in before me, when I got in the hostess was on her phone. 2. The table they put us at was super wobbly even though there was plenty of open seating.... Not sure why they couldn't trade out the table before we got there. 3. This place opens at 12.... Why was there no toilet paper in either stall of the bathroom? Why was there un-flushed shit in one of the bathrooms, why was the trash not taken out, why was there champagne metal coverings in the sink? Why was the bathroom not clean whatsoever? It literally seemed as no one had looked at the bathroom since Friday night. 4. One server for 10 tables? Everyone working looked extremely flustered 5. Again our reservation was at 12 we didn't leave until almost 3PM because service was so slow. 45 minutes for two guava empanadas and churros? For two people? 6. I had to stand up to get someone to bring us our check because we were waiting so long. 7. Seating is pretty uncomfortable to be sitting that long 8. Automatic 20% gratuity for terrible service. 9. Food is decent, but you can get better empanadas at Julias, Mola, ArepaZone, Empanadas Mendoza. You can get similar better food with better service at La Famosa or Los Hermanos. Better drinks anywhere else. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wandered in late Saturday afternoon. Two-top on plant-filled patio under glass roof. Excellent vibe reinforced by gracious and highly engaged staff. The cocktails were rendered well, and were delicious. Excellent Mojito and Canchanchara. The cigar was excellent, and proper ventilation meant that the non-smoker at our table wasn't fumigated. Very highly recommended. We will make it a point to return next time we are in DC. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Mojito! - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Food and service was excellent! Our waiter was super attentive. Not to mention, the happy hour mojitos pitcher was A+!

Casta's is always a hit. It gets busy, but it's got a really great ambiance and the food and drinks. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Chicken Empanadas, Yuca Frita, Garlic shrimp - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I visited Casta's the Saturday before Halloween around 3 pm. It was mostly empty when we first arrived, so the back bar was pretty chill but within the first hour business started to pick up. My friends were just stopping in for a drink while bopping around the city and opted for a frozen pitcher. It was really good (the recommendation of the bar tender) and the perfect size to be split among 3 people (each of us had about 2 glasses). Can't speak to anything outside of that, but my friend did seem to enjoy his empanadas! read more

Food and service was good the bar / restaurant looked really nice. Service was just what was expected. The only complaint I had was that the server never told me the gratuity was included on the bill. I think this is shady and if they are going to charge a gratuity for 2 people they should let you know when they give you the bill. So watch out for that! Sneaky! Not a bad place just need to train their staff. They can loose a lot of business that way. Im only giving them 3 stars because they failed to tell me they had already included gratuity. read more

Sort of a hidden gem. The restaurant has a lot of different rooms including a small narrow patio. Nice decorations. We went during happy hour and were able to get mojitos which were great. Taj was our waitress she was really nice and accommodating. Got the seafood special for dinner... soo delicious. The only downside is the patio is kind of hot and humid (it looks like it was an outdoor patio that they covered to make it indoor). read more

See all

We came here to drink at the bar and grab some food. Cute aesthetic but the drinks were just okay and the food missed the mark. The pina colada was underwhelming and after being mansplained about how frozen drinks work by our bartender I was somehow still overwhelmed shocker. Spoiler alert the empanadas were cold and semi soggy and the yuca was over cooked and cold. The icing on the cake was the bartenders taking a break to take shots when we were trying to get their attention to check out. Gotta love it. The staff is more attentive to other staff not customers. I realized why when we got our check--20% gratuity is included--yes, even at the bar. So let's recap. Cute decor. Decent menu options. taste of food subpar and drinks lack luster. Service=rough. Just Pass. We tried the following: Pina colada Empanadas - $12 cant mix them Bacon wrapped plantains Yuca Grilled cheese read more

See all

Went to Castas with some former coworkers current friends. I was confused upon entering since there is zero indication that they have an enclosed back patio...which is where everyone was...I was waiting at the inside bar forever until someone told me everyone is outside. I thought the place was just dead. Anyway, go out back and have some rum. read more

Love, love, love this speakeasy kind of place- rum, cigars, and Cuban menu! Great service, terrific patio, and terrific drinks. read more

See all

Hostess was extremely rude - sighing and visibly agitated with a request to switch tables. She also gave away our table so we'd be sat outside as opposed to our reservation being made for inside... she was extremely disrespectful. Server asked us to be quiet when everyone was being extremely loud, even other guests at the establishment. We were the only people of color inside. Will not be coming back here again. read more

Have been coming here for a while Tonight a couple of people at a neighboring table started smoking. Seriously. I asked the waitress and she said it is allowed because it is an outside bar BUT it is NOT an outside bar. Everything is sealed off from the outside. I cannot believe that they allow people to smoke! Won't be back. read more

This bar reminds me of a Ticketmaster experience. I paid $75 for four drinks (2x mojito, cocktail, and frozen daiquiri), which included a non-negotiable 20% service fee, and a mysterious "admin fee", which, when asked, could not be explained by the bartender. What kind of bar tacks on an admin fee to every drink order and doesn't train their bartenders to lie about its ultimate purpose outside of fleecing the customers and enriching the owners. Will not return. read more

Loved trying this place out the other night! Yelp recommended it as a possible "hot and new" place so I figured why not try it? It's a fairly large and fun place! Kind of hidden away next to a hotel. Our driver missed it so we got out and found it quickly! The tables were full but the bar seats weren't. There are both indoor and outdoor bars. The décor is a really neat mix of Cuban, tropical and modern. Shudders on the windows, painted tiles, stone, concrete, steel, plants, trees and Pina Colada slurpee machines!?! So the first thing I ordered was a Pina colada. I really liked that they put aged rum on top which made it really interesting. Then we got a Cubano sandwich and a pana con lechon which was even better! Both came with plantain chips. Then I got a mojito with fresh mint and sugar cane stick! Definitely had a great experience and will be back again soon! Oh and shoutout to the the hostess that was really kind and informative! :) read more

This place is a find! Mario our bartender and Justin our server were so friendly and conversational! They knew exactly when to come by to check in. Mario made us customized smoky dragonfruit and tangy passionfruit drinks because the fruit puree was freshly made that day! We just missed out on Happy Hour (5-7pm) pricing, but it's not clear what that pricing is online. Our black bean hummus appetizer was really good! Just needs a larger serving of plantain chips to dip in the hummus and salsa, but Justin was gracious enough to offer to bring us some more. The empanadas looked really good from afar, too. In COVID times, everyone wore masks and the seating was spaced out well. If you'd like to avoid cigar smoke, you can ask to sit closer to the bar. I would definitely come back! Thanks Mario and Justin!!! read more

Terrific ambiance and great food. I love that you can enjoy a great drink and stick (cigars). It's the perfect place to start or end a night! read more

Super disappointed with our experience at Casta's rum bar. I came here with 4 people and two of us ordered mojitos. We both received our drinks and noticed they tasted like soap. We asked the other people in party to taste the mojitos to see if they noticed a strange taste, and everyone said the mojitos tasted very funky. I was really excited to come here to try a new spot in town. I enjoy Spanish music and a good drink. However, I have a hard time understanding how a Cuban restaurant can mess up on a mojito. We both returned our drinks. The waitress brought us our bill WITH the charge of the two drinks. We had to ask her to remove those charges. Fortunately, she did. read more

Oof. Bad bad bad. Was in DC for the weekend with my boyfriend and we wanted something to eat. This place was right down the street from our hotel so we decided to check it out! To say the least this is the Worst Cuban place I've ever been to. For starters the pizza empanadas tasted like crap. It was just pasta sauce stuffed in a doughy empanada. $12 for TWO empanadas. Like is that a joke $6 each?!? Then we got the yucca fries which are my favorite thing ever... Legit got six pieces of yucca and maybe a centimeter of sauce. And that's not it I got the "classic Cuban sandwich" was ice cold and was so dry I could barely get it down. My boyfriend got the chicken sandwich and it looked like a five-year-old made it. Spent $60 for dry, cold, and overpriced food. Should've gone to Taco Bell. Would've had a better meal. Overall super disappointed and will never be coming back when I'm in town. read more

Casta's Rum Bar - Dry as a desert - Cuban Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia