Let me tell you. I've been going to Mambo for the past year and they have never let me down. I started ordering from them via door dash and was blown away by their arepitas. I visited them in person for Mother's Day and they treated us so well. They even honor BYOB! They had wonderful classic salsa playing with the occasional bad bunny and reggaeton. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful decorated and outdoor seating is very comfortable. Their servers and managers are so so sweet and attentive (and funny!) Everything we needed, we received and then some. I recommend the Arepitas Dulce, their Puerquito and literally ANYTHING off their Barrio Chino section of the menu. That Cuban Shrimp Fried Rice? Wow. Please visit!! read more

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Great food! It's byob and they have sangria mixers. There's also a liquor store across the street. They have outdoor seating which was dog friendly. read more

The Shrimp Mofongo was flavorful and a massive portion. I was able to have it for lunch the next day. The calamari was ok. Pastelon Empanada was delicious. The place is pricey considering what the ingredients are and other places I know around that can make the same meals for a cheaper price. However, the portion size makes up for the pricing. They were out of 2 dishes we asked for...so that was a let down. Service was good and the waitress was attentive. We will go back and try out other meals to see what else is good. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Shrimp Mofongo - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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I hadn't been here in a while and I have no idea why ! This place rocks! Safe distance outdoor dining, tables with umbrellas. BYO and a liquor store across the street. All the necessities. Appetizers were spectacular- Garlic Shrimp, Croquettes and Coconut Shrimp all delivered a serious dose of flavors. Entrees were even better- Skirt Steak with Rice And Beans, Mango Chicken and show stopper- Mofongo with Fried Pork. All the dishes were executed perfectly with amazing layers of Cuban flavors. Unfortunately too full for dessert. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Mofongo with Fried Pork Pieces - NEW - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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This food here is absolutely delicious when dining in (or outdoors). The staff is so kind, and the service is fast. The plantains are cooked to perfection, and the mango sauce has a ton of flavor. The chicken is juicy and tender, not the cheap "squishy" texture found at a few other local restaurants. The food is a bit expensive, Mango Chicken with plantains costs about $27. It is worth the cost! I've always had leftovers, which taste just as good the next day. The reason I'm not giving five stars is because of the takeout. I've ordered takeout/delivery several times since I moved to town in May. It's unfortunately become worse with each order. I've received barely cooked chicken and vegetables. The containers also leak, leaving little mango sauce on the food. I feel that takeout orders are rushed, because there is such a huge contrast to dine-in. I hope this improves, because I truly love Mambo! read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Sweet Plantains Mango Chicken - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

I've had my fair share of pernil and this was underwhelming to say the least. Overcooked and salty but the rice and beans were ok. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Pernil - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

This place blew me away, I have been going back ever since. Empanadas are packing lots of different punches as well as combinations,(try the oxtail empanadas) it will knock your socks off. But the real knockout punch is the Chicharrón, Chef AJ is the true "Chicharrón King" You definitely will not be disappointed with anything about this joint. Enjoy read more

I wanted to try a new restaurant. I was with my two little nieces, 7 and 9. We shared the shrimp and mac and cheese empanadas, chicken fingers and the fried rice. The girls LOVED the homemade passion fruit iced tea. We all enjoyed the food. Beyond my expectations for a Rutherford restaurant. Prices are extremely reasonable. Our server Dee was sweet and pleasant. They deliver but dining in is much nicer. The atmosphere/server/food/music all excellent. What a find! We will be back! read more

I saw this place on yelp and drove out of my way to try it. Well..big mistake. The restaurant is very nice. The staff was awesome and very attentive. However, the food was less than mediocre. My friend enjoyed the Cuban sandwich..everything else was not edible. The empanadas made me nauseas. That was such a surprise to me. How can you mess up empanadas? I had the Saltado..it had a teriyaki base..that is not Peruvian. My friend had the chicken and unfortunately it was very dry..I will not be returning. read more

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My almost $20 soup and my $8.00 Elote. This place should be embarrassed!!! And on top of that the manager had no remorse when questioning the quality of my delivery. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - $8.00 Elote !!! Embarrassing! - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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The lomo saltado was exactly what I needed. Tasted like someone's grandma made it. So good. I ordered via Uber Eats but I would definitely dine in. I also got the Mexican street corn empanada and it was really good. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

I love everything about this place ! The decor is very adorable ,, the food is fantastic and so is the service !

We love Mambo! The food is amazing, the staff is fantastic and the restaurant is beautiful. Our dining experience was so great we ordered appetizers and entrees to go so we could eat more of MLK's incredible food the next day... And, we're going back again next week! Mambo gets 5 huge stars from us! read more

They only get a 2 because the food was good and decor was beautiful! The service was not the best & I try to be patient and dont like to complain. We ordered three appetizers- waited over a half hour for simple dishes. After waiting over a half hour the server told us they didnt have something and they were going to make it work anyway, so we waited another 15-20 for it to come out and be made completely wrong. They basically made up a dish that isnt even on the menu. It was a ball of sweet plantain with cheese. Not horrible, but very different from what was ordered. (We ordered the arepitas dulce.) There was no meat and they were out of the corn cakes. The guacamole came with plantain chips and we werent told they were out of tortilla chips until it was on our table. Had we known, we probably wouldnt have ordered it. the other issue we had was that everything we ordered they didnt have - im not exaggerating when I say that at least 5 or more things we asked for they didnt have. It was a Friday night so idk how they could be out of SO much. read more

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Outdoor seating on the sidewalk with nice sun umbrellas and music! We stumbled upon the restaurant while waiting to get errands done. Service was great during lunch. We got the lunch special rotisserie chicken, which is slightly dry but the green sauce and fried rice made up for the taste. The empanadas were huge and very fried. The beef ones were yummy and shrimp one was well stuffed. The best out of the meal was the special shrimp cerviche which came with guacamole and plantain chips that were quite addicting. read more

I was thinking this was a Cuban restaurant because it's roots go back to Mambo Tea House, but no ! You got a mixed selection of Hispanic foods here, Peruvian, Columbian, Dominican, and yeah some Cuban. So I jump to their website and use the Order system they got that is easy to use and has photos and descriptions of everything, and it gave me a first-timer discount. I spotted an $8 meal deal and got the Mambo Strip Steak that lets you mix and match different kinds of rice, beans, fries, or salads. and along with an empanada named the Pastelón, it has Cuban style ground beef, sweet plantains, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese, and cilantro. And I got a guava version of the Tres Leches dessert, a yellow cake soaked in three kinds of milk topped with a layer of sweet guava, a dash of whip cream. The steak in the $8 meal was savory but not a lot of it. And it was packed with rice and the beans that had a good taste too, it's was a super value for $8, and will fill you up. The meat filling in the Pastelón empanada was season well with Caribbean flavoring and the shell was crispy and had its own flavoring too. The Guava Tres Leches has some secret ingre3dient added to make it stand out from the typical Tres Leches cakes I had before, I don't think it was just the vanilla. All in all, I should have given Mambo some love long ago, but I can now add them to my recommend list of places for a good meal. read more

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The best restaurant in Rutherford and this town has a ton of great places to eat. Also has the best take out dinner option going, Latin Chicken dinner is unmatched. read more

Loved this restaurant!! The food was AMAZING, from the empanadas, to the mofongo, to the tres leches! We had a large table (9) and everyone absolutely loved their meal. The portions are big, which was great for the price. The ambiance was also great, as they played great music. They also put the birthday girl's picture on the menu he which I thought was such a nice touch. The service was as phenomenal, our waitress was patient and super sweet! I will definitely return soon. Restaurant is small, so I suggest making a reservation if it's more than 2 people. read more

Had to try this spin off of mambo tea house since the tea house is one of my favorite restaurants. It's a smaller location a little off the beaten track and a more casual appearance. Not crowded when I went for both lunch and dinner. They are open earlier on Sat than tea house. The food was good but I think I just prefer the choices at tea house. I do like the selection of empanadas here especially the shrimp (hence mambo empanadas). The big difference is that they have Chinese-Peruvian options and not as many Cuban ones. I had the lomo saltado, which was on the salty side for me and is a ton of fries. They do have the tres leches cake and I think the slice was actually taller here. No pork chunks at this location. The yucca fries were on the hard side and not seasoned enough. The dipping sauces were delicious and consistent with tea house. Cuban sandwich and skirt steak were good. The portion of arroz con pollo was enough to fill a large mixing bowl. We don't leave hungry that's for sure. read more

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Mambo Empanadas surprised me. I was not expecting legit Latin food in Rutherford. A few things I recommend: - Sancocho - Dominican stew with a plethora or meats (oxtail, pork, chicken) with cassava, plantain, and corn. This is my fave dish. - Whole rotisserie chicken - seasoned and roasted perfectly with juicy meat. Gotta add garlic mojo and spicy green sauces - Churrasco con Chimichurri - the skirt steak was grilled just the way I wanted and fulfilled my steak craving. Moro rice was on point. - Chicken or beef empanadas - Empanada is in their name, so they better do it right I've dine in and taken out. Both smooth experiences. The place is understated and casual. Service is friendly. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Skirt steak - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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The food and ambiance were great!! The place is small & clean. Would recommend eating here.

Just happened to stumble upon this place tonight. I'm so thrilled I did! The decor in this place is great and so inviting. The staff is very personable and very attentive. My water glass was never empty. Wife and I split several dishes. We two empanadas (chz steak & pastelon) pastelon was awesome. We also had mofongo w masitas, again excellent. Had a avocado and tomato salad w red onion too. FYI def get a side of maduras here, some of the best I've had. Lastly we got a Nutella and banana empanada for dessert . read more

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Is small quaint place.. decorated nicely m. Delicious food. Love the expanadas. Would definitely recommend

Love this place. Went for a meal with family and have returned for date night a few times. Food is delicious and the servers are always kind and friendly. Love that it's BYOB. The decor is very fun. read more

It was delicious! I would definitely recommend this place and the service was great! Can't wait to go back again

We went in on a Thursday night and there was only one other group eating in. They seem to have a steady take out business. The staff was courteous and friendly, and it's a great atmosphere. Our dinner came in a reasonable time and everything was delicious. My daughter said she wants to try at least half the menu so we will be going back again. read more

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Wonderful food and friendly service. Loved the music too. Very accommodating to the birthday party. Bring your own alcoholic beverages, if desired. read more

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We had the Banana and Nutella empanadas and they did not disappoint. We also ordered the Chocolate mouse cake and that was also amazing. We were extremely happy with our desserts! read more

Had brunch with a group of people. Food was delicious and the service was outstanding. Highly recommend this establishment. Will be going there again! read more

Came upon this gem through Yelp. Boy were my family and I happy we did! First, our waiter was great and attentive. The food was first class my kids started with empanadas all 4 varieties were the bomb! My husband and I had the shrimp ceviche, am I glad we did one of the best we have ever had. When you think it couldn't get better we got our entree's out of this world. You can not come here and not have the Shrimp Mofongo..... nothing like I have tasted before!!! Will definitely be back to this outstanding establishment read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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Great food and vibe definitely try the pork chops And empanadas....great kids menu also perfect for a date night read more

See my pictures below for full review. To keep it short found fore item in my rice. Gross ----- This is in response to the owners comment: In response to your detailed comment about me not wanting to return the food, you are missing some facts: when I initially called the restaurant and spoke the lady on the phone (Olga I think her name was), I OFFERED to PERSONALLY bring in that food, which she replied "that's not necessary". It wasn't until I asked for a REFUND and after sending a PICTURE of the EVIDENCE directly to the mobile she provided (which she confirmed she received) and waiting for a SECOND phone call back, that the restaurant now wanted the food returned, at which, yes, I had already thrown out the contaminated food. I'm not sure what your implication really is about me throwing out contaminated food but it came FROM YOUR RESTAURANT and the bottom line is you need to look harder into your food safety practices. read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Rice with something foreign in it!! - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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My boyfriend and I just had dinner here and it was one of the best restaurants we've ever been to. The food was very well prepared, delicious, and comforting. The empanadas were so good - way better than any we've had at other restaurants. We also loved the ambiance. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Great food and service Small but well decorated. Music is a nice touch. Staff is very customer oriented. read more

Love the service and food. The food was amazing from the appetizers to entrees to desserts . Loved that is byob .

Ordered a meal for family of 3 .. it fed us a family of 5 and then some. VACA FRITA on point . They forgot my Tres Leches which is why I didn't give them 5 stars. But the food taste really good. They just need to double and triple check out going orders to make sure all items ordered are present. read more

Mofongo has never been a favorite dish for me because in the other places I've had it, they were usually too dry or too hard but this place does a phenomenal Mofongo which now, ironically, Mofongo now is my favorite dish when I come here. read more

-absurdly overpriced for what is is - more expensive that midtown manhattan -lower quality than those same cheaper manhattan places (e.g., sophies, margon) -the fried plantains were at least pretty good but $9 for a small container of them? -I guess this place has zero competition in the immediate area read more

Looks like they are under new management and they have increased the prices by a lot. The only ordering system still shows the old prices but when you add them into your cart the prices doubled! Ridiculous!! read more

Soooooo this was another one of those random Door Dash explorations. Totally worth the try. I got the oxtail and trifongo. Recently places have been slacking on the oxtail (giving small baby pieces and charging an arm and a leg). But I got a nice batch. The pastelon empanada is a hit. Shrimp and garlic I would have passed on thought. The menu has a nice variety of different options empanadas. I will be ordering from here again read more

Mambo Latin Kitchen - Trifongo with Oxtail - Peruvian Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey