Excellent vibe. You feel cool just hanging out here. I heard they have over 700 types of rum - the bartender seemed to know all of them. True professional - his arms were a blur - you'd think he was part octopus! The Japanese Snow Monkey was tart, bitter, and chilled perfectly -- dangerously !delicious! The snacks are terrific. The beef brisket taco seemed small, but turned out to be just the right size. Solid corn tortilla, with an unctuous beef filling just oozing with flavor. The empanadas stole the show. Incredible pastry crust - flaky, chewy, and loaded with flavor by itself. They were stuffed to the seams with the respective filling, and the side slaw was a great palate cleanser. Kale and mushroom was delicate seasoned, each bite just melted. The Jamaican beef, though, was even better . The spice ratio was perfect. These are almost addictive. Note: don't know all the details, but two patrons next to me at the bar had little treasure maps and on the "hunt" to try all of the varieties by answering a bunch of questions. Check it out! read more

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This is owned by the same group as Agua Verde by UW, but has more of an upscale tiki bar vibe. Food overall is mediocre. It's not terrible but for the price it's not really worth it, even at happy hour prices. Examples: meat is super dried out and flavorless, deviled eggs are $4 for one USDA medium (or maybe small?) egg. I think the only reason to go here would be for the convenience (proximity to the convention center, etc) or the cocktails if you like that type of drink. Or maybe for a work happy hour if the boss is paying! Staff were friendly and service worked like a well-oiled machine. Pretty small space overall, seating for maybe 20 parties plus a bar (unless there's a back room somewhere that I didn't see). There's a outdoor bar/counter; not sure if it's available during the warmer months or if it's now a relic of early COVID outdoor dining. They do take reservations. This is an automatic 20% service charge place, which is fine as they're very clear and upfront about it. The awkward part is the credit card reader then also asks you to add a 2%, 4%, or 6% tip and it's set up such that the user interface makes it more difficult to add 0 tip than to add an additional tip. Besides which, the wait person is staring at you (and the screen) the whole time. From a monetary perspective, I don't mind tipping an extra ~5% on top of the service fee, as I would have tipped around 25% regardless, but I hate coercive UX/UI design choices like this on principle because it's skeezy. I hope the 20% is at least going to the staff and not leaving them to tip out off of people's 2% tips because that would be rough....! read more

We had a really fun experience at Rumba. Stepping into Rumba you feel like you've walked into quaint and charming rum bar in Barbados! The cocktails menu was full of crowd pleasers, but we both loved the riff on the old fashioned with the toasted marshmallows, and Rhum with a Vieux was probably just as good! We split the Ropa Vieja, and were glad we tried something different. The beef was tender and flavorful. It's not necessarily enough for two people with an appetite, but we were just hopping places and noshing. The staff was extremely accommodating and friendly, often talking to us about the food and drinks, as well as sharing foodie experiences and plans for the weekend. This was a memorable visit and I can't recommend Rumba enough! read more

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Fun strong drinks, cool atmosphere. Stopped by here before a show at the paramount. The guacamole appetizer with plantain chips was the star imo! We shared an empanada and I got the chicken sliders. My brother in law got the tacos and those looked good! read more

Rumba - Mai tai - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was nice. Nothing super memorable but food, service and vibe were great. Not too busy and we ordered a few drinks. Main reason we were there. read more

Rumba - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We wanted to go the Inside Passage, arriving there an hour before they closed and they said they gave away their last table which was a bummer. :( We probably could have timed that better. But we still got to sit in the main upstairs area of the Rumba bar which still had fun tropical beach vibes. Our waiter was super nice and cheerful. I ordered the red wedding. It had a strong flavor. I later just wanted a shot of Malibu and when they said they didn't have it the server was able to find a very similar alternative which I really appreciated! And he was spot on. read more

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I only tried the desserts but they were good!! Nice plating, atmosphere and service were great, very friendly. read more

Rumba - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you're seeking cute kitschy hole in the wall for clever cocktails & decor to delight guests, bring them here! We chose fairly standard drinks, yet our neighbors had a drink served in a pirate chest overflowing with dry ice fog, very fun. The adjacent bar has a 20 foot octopus on the ceiling! I wasn't blown away by the food, but did enjoy the deep fried deviled eggs & the noodles were delicious. read more

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I always enjoy myself here. We had a group of 8 before a show and even though some of us struggled to find parking so we arrived at disjointed times, they did a great job of taking care of us. We got some app deals during happy hour and then moved to meals. The plantain chips with guac were salty and crispy and the guac was perfection. Everyone was loving their rhum drinks. The Cuban was good for west coast Cuban, but the empanada was amazing. Two people raved over their poke bowls and I heard the chimichurri that went with the asada was also fantastic. They did a great job keeping drinks filled and waters refreshed and getting us out on time for the show. It can be a little noisy but it's still a lovely vibe. read more

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We went here to celebrate a birthday before going out to the bars. Overall, we had a good experience. The service was very slow, but that could be a result of it being a Saturday night. The atmosphere in Rumba is exotic and colorful. The bar has bottles of alcohol lined up to the ceiling, which catches your eye as you enter. Rumba is on the pricier side and has small portions. I had the expresso martini ($18) and three tacos (shrimp, portobello mushroom, and carnitas) ($18). The expresso martini was quite small compared to ones that I have had at other bars. The tacos were good. My only complaint was that the portobello mushroom taco had too much sauce, and it was messy to eat. I would not go here if you are looking for a substantive meal. read more

Rumba - Expresso martini ($18) and three tacos ($18) - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I placed a pick up order from Rumba on a Monday evening, and please that it was ready when I arrive. I ordered the jerk chicken dish which came with collard greens and rice and peas. It was an extremely generous portion for the price that I paid. The chicken was seasoned very well and the the rest of the dish was also very tasty! I'm glad I tried out this restaurant and would highly recommend this to anyone else who is a fan of Caribbean food. Be warned, though, there is a bit of a spicy kick to the jerk chicken. read more

Rumba - Jerk chicken, greens and rice and peas - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Good food and drinks! This is a pretty spacious bar with a variety of seating. They have primarily rum-based cocktails, but they have both the traditional drinks and some unique ones as well. I got the japanese snow monkey, which was nice and light and refereshing. For food we tried the fries and yuca fries, plantain chips and guac, beef and carnitas tacos, deviled eggs, and wings. I would say the yuca fries, plaintain chips and guac, carnitas tacos, and deviled eggs were the best amongst the bunch. I really enjoyed those! Overall, vibes are good and service was on top of it too - I'd come again! read more

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This place was a miss I fear. Come for the drinks cause that might be the best thing you get. Ceviche- bland. Guacamole- bland. Jerk wings - smoky flavor but missing salt and real jerk flavors. Empanada - the best of everything I ate there but still not great, I'd bet it's not freshly made. Again, just come for the drinks. Speakeasy on the other side looked cool. Waitress was nice. read more

Great drinks. Knowledgeable and fun staff. All the rum you could ask for. Wish we had a Rumba in L.A. Great place and so happy I made it part of my trip to Seattle. read more

A delish Caribbean staple in Seattle that never disappoints. I came here recently with a medium sized corporate group. They were able to accommodate us well with relatively quick service. A wait for some drinks, but we were a big group and that's a lot of hand crafted drinks to make. Everyone liked their food, empanadas were tasty, yucca fries were cozy, and maduros are always a hit! Looking forward to more summer nights here. read more

Rumba - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service was great and very friendly. Loved our experience. We did not end up trying any of the food here but got several of the drinks. If you want to experience a more upscale tropical ambience with strong drinks and good service, then check it out! read more

Rumba - Inside - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The good: charming and hip - great vibes for date night! The meh: I realize this is primarily a rum bar, but I have my go-to drinks (dirty martini, mezcal diet - pretty simple right?) and they said they didn't have the stuff for either. This surprised me since we sat at the bar looking at wall of liquor beyond rum. Whatever - no big. So I mentioned I was open to a rum cocktail, but I hate sweet drinks, so asked for something simple without too much sugar. 3 minutes later the bartender hands me a very red, flowery, sweet punch-like drink in a tall tiki glass. Hated it. The other bartender was able to get me a tequila soda. Tip: be specific on what you want here. read more

Came for drinks and, although we had to wait a little to order after we got seated, the drinks were delicious! read more

Rumba - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Strong drinks, interesting menu. Plenty of seating even though it's small and dark. Definitely not a tiki bar; though the focus seems to be rum. Modern and clean vibes. Servers were nice, and service was quick. Chicken wings were super soggy and disappointing. The jerk spices just kinda slid off the rubbery wing skin. Even after some drinks we couldn't eat this. read more

Rumba - Jerk wings - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The ultimate destination for a great spread paired with some of the most unique rums you taste in Seattle. The staff is very enthusiastic and high spirited about their menu which makes the selection process that much mor enjoyable. The low light ambiance only adds to the allure of Rumba. read more

Rumba - Jerk Chicken. Rumba Guacamole (Large), Jamaican Patty - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Starting off, I must say the service is incredible. We had a very kind, attentive server. I had ordered the jerk chicken with a double side of the callaloo, which happened to be a bit of a mistake. The chicken unfortunately wasn't marinated/seasoned/loved well and the callaloo had the same deal going on, straight boiled greens with a whisper of salt, if anything to be honest. But again, we got amazing help with our server of getting that replaced with the INCREDIBLE carnitas tacos. Some of the best I've had in Cap Hill so far. Because our reservation was at 5:30, we were still in the window for happy hour and our awesome server took the rude chicken off the bill and gave us the happy hour price on the tacos. Amazing service, amazing tacos, maybe just stick to the tacos. read more

Rumba - Jim's jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's a large, beautiful space with a huge menu and super friendly/helpful staff. I would love to come back here time and time again. (However, the yucca fries were overly fried and yucky. Avoid those) read more

Rumba - Golden Harvest - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Our server was really nice! We got here right before it opened and went into the "speakeasy"-- I don't know if I would truly call it a speakeasy because it is advertised and they asked if we wanted to go there. Despite that the ambiance in the speakeasy was great and the presentation of the drinks were great. As for taste nothing out of this world but a fun place to grab quirky cocktails and chat with friends. read more

Rumba - A - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A friend and I came in for happy hour (daily til 6pm). Rumba was the perfect place to warm our cold bones with tropical drinks and a cozy, verdant atmosphere. I enjoyed one of their classic daiquiris (with grapefruit, I believe) and a Barbados punch. Their drinks menu also includes seasonal specials and NA cocktails, so there's lots to choose from. Their food menu veers meat/fish, but they do have some vegetarian offerings as well. The portabello taco on their happy hour menu was good snack to start off with. It was really flavorful, and I liked the hot sauce our server brought to accompany it. The vegetarian sliders (house-made patties of soy chorizo, black beans & plantain w/ cheddar cheese, mixed greens, pickled red onion and vegan chipotle aioli on vegan buns) were also really good, though if you don't like the lingering flavor of soyrizo, buyer beware. We poked our heads into Inside Passage before leaving and agreed that we'll have to make a return visit to enjoy that small bar. Looking forward to it. read more

My buddies and I were visiting Seattle over the weekend, and being the tiki nerd that I am, we hoped to get into Inside Passage (supposedly Seattle's best tiki bar) which is inside Rumba. Unfortunately Inside Passage was full for the night, so we sat at the bar in Rumba and weren't disappointed. I immediately noticed that Rumba has an insanely good rum selection (one of the best I've ever seen), and a pretty welcoming and cozy atmosphere. Our bartender was super nice and incredibly knowledgeable. She also very kindly put up with my nerdy rum and tiki questions/conversation that I get going on when I find myself in a solid establishment with a great cocktail/rum program. I ordered the pina colada and was very happy to hear the bartender ask if I wanted it blended/frozen or on the rocks (I prefer on the rocks as shown in the photo of my cocktail). Their garnish game is also very impressive and on point. Overall, I am bummed we didn't get into Inside Passage, I'll have to give it another go when I'm in Seattle next, but the bar experience and cocktails at Rumba were some of the best I've had. I highly recommend stopping into Rumba for a cocktail, especially if Inside Passage is full! read more

Rumba - Pina colada on the rocks - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Walked in around 7 on a Friday and were luckily able to get seated right away. It was quite crowded as every seat was taken, with a new party to occupy the seat quickly after. I loved all the tropical and moody vibes of this bar! We ordered two drinks; a frozen piña colada and a classic daiquiri no.3. Both were delightful and, although quite spirit forward in taste, had a balanced profile without being too sweet. Our waitress was also such a gem, so kind, gave great recommendations, and was super attentive. Overall a very fun bar to stop at! read more

Rumba - Piña colada, frozen on the left. Daiquiri no.3 on the right - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Legendary drinks and epic bites! Rumba takes their crafted cocktails and culinary masterpieces seriously. Deliciously boozy forward cocktails that have been mindfully crafted. I would like to keep this place all to myself, but everyone deserves to try the food here by Chef Arturo Diaz. Here you can find the most heavenly buttery melt in your mouth flakiest empanadas you have ever had in your life. The yucca fries were made to perfection and the spicy shrimp was divine. The desserts were an otherworldly experience, that can only be fully appreciated when try them yourself. Service A+ and first class vibes are packed into Rumba. read more

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I've been to Rumba three times and had a great experience every time. The service is friendly and efficient and the vibe of the interior is dark/moody but also upbeat and fun. In terms of food, I've only gotten the ceviche and beef empanadas because I mostly go for the cocktails. Ceviche was underwhelming and wish it had more flavor. But the beef empanadas are amazing! The first time I tried it, I ordered it again great flavor and flaky puff pastry. Cocktails are yummy and so pretty too! Very rum forward. I can't remember the names of the ones I got but there's a nice variety that can choosing any is worth a shot. read more

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I gotta try this amazing location! With these wonderful food options! Great staff Friendly Nice! read more

I celebrated the arrival of spring by eating outside at Rumba. Their empanadas are a flaky, tender delight. I particularly enjoy the texture of the pine nuts in the kale empanadas. The guacamole has chunks of mango in it and comes with a generous portion of fried plantains. Rumba has outstanding and creative cocktails, so I wanted to try one of their spirit-free options. The Red Planet is beautiful, and I really enjoyed the flavor. It's a complex, earthy, spicy alcohol free cocktail with a spiced hibiscus tea base. Very tasty! read more

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I came here and enjoyed the experience. The service was good and we had a friendly server. The ambiance is cool, have a fish on the wall. I wish I caught a big feeeeeesh. The drinks were good but pretty pricey. Got deviled eggs which were extra devilish. Very yummy. Pricing is what you expect in Capital Hill. Got the Cuban sandwich and it was mediocre. Very dry, needs a sauce like more mustard and pickles. If they did that I would have gave them a 5 star. Parking sucks but that is not their fault. I will be back one day. read more

Mimicking another reviewer's 1-star review from a year ago, today's male server had no time for my party of 5 celebrating my sister's wedding. I'd use a name if it was stated, but there was no intro or cordial greeting by this employee. This was even our second visit to the restaurant since we thought highly of our first experience just a few days prior. That being said, this was the easiest way to spend over $100 in an hour. By the way, 20% gratuity is automatically added for all orders regardless of party size, but it only seems to remove any incentive for good service. We only intended to order one round of drinks each and an order of wings while seated at the closest table to the front, but the service was so slow there were multiple times our whole table had to flag the server down to get the first order in. It wasn't that busy around 6pm, and halfway through finally taking our order, he left the table without clearly saying anything to serve another party who had already been there - just bizarre. After everything was served, we didn't get the right number of plates and got no utensils so we had to flag him down again. When he was nowhere to be seen, we had to resort to asking the kind hostess for utensils. Subsequent check-ins were curt and if we didn't rush to answer then he'd turn around distractedly before we got a chance to finish our sentence. Besides the lack of service, most of the drinks and food were fine, although the Red Wedding barely had any mezcal included and the cocktails mainly consisted of ice. Wings were fine but not as good as the first time. The atmosphere of the whole place has chill oldies music and lots of Caribbean references to set the scene, so that's what we focused on enjoying. Maybe this was just an off evening for the Rumba as a whole, but we will not be coming back as long as anyone working for minimum 20% tips are still on 'island time'. read more

Rumba is adjacent to their other bar Inside Passage. We visited both in the same evening and had a ball. Rumba was our second stop, so we were just after snacks and one more round. The hot buttered rum was amazing. Rumba guacamole was also great. Sweet potato fries were decent, too. Would return in the future for more drinks! read more

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Drinks: So look, the drinks in my opinion is not bad at all. Sure the Mai Thai is a little stronger but I ain't weak, so I thought it was fine. I didn't even order the Mai Thai, I got the Pina Colada which is FIRE. But since my girlfriend said that is good, I gave that to her (I know I'm an amazing guy) and I took the Mai Thai. Mojito was good too! Service: The host was chill, and the service was fine. It took a little longer for the server to take our order but it's cool, we spilled a drink on accident but they were able to get us another so that's sick of them! Price: It's average in Seattle, like 15-20 a drink but it is what it is now. Also, the ambiance is pretty chill! Pretty tiki vibe, which is pretty groovy! read more

Rumba - Pina Colada, Mai Thai, Mojito, and Japanese Snow Monkey - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great tiki atmosphere in the hidden lounge. Would like to see more reasonable prices though

While waiting to go to inside passage it was a wonderful time to see everyone in Halloween costumes and be in character. Everyone was so kind and accommodating when we were eating and drinking. The food was sooo good and although pricier it definitely satisfied us for the night with all the drinks. I would love to go here in the daylight. The dim lights and theme can be seen and it's such a cool environment. Loved going here and would love to go again! read more

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Fantastic night! Went in intending to have a just a glass of wine, but stayed for a delicious daiquiri and pina colada courtesy of the irrepressibly enthusiastic bartender, Kai. The empanadas were delicious too. We'll be back! read more

First drinks review !! Popped into Rumba on the edge of Capitol Hill on a late Thurs night . The location offers a snug ambience, is adorned with antique furniture, and boasts surf-bar themed decor . We first ordered a round of solo drinks on our own before delving into their recommended classic rum flights . Since we weren't rum connoisseurs, we decided to learn a lil from rum flight 101 . Pina Colada - cold & refreshing, my go-to, creamy, sweetness & alcohol well-balanced Rum Flight 101 - 3/4 oz pours of 4 rums: Appleton Reserve (Jamaica), Barrilito 3 Star (Puerto Rico), Plantation 5 Year (Barbados), Clément VSOP (Martinique); all very strong, favorite was the Appleton Reserve with a strong caramel sweetness and notes of baking spice While I may not be the most ardent enthusiast of rum, I still enjoyed the bartender's detailed explanation of the various rum flavors . She explained the rum origins & lightness differences and patiently answered all of our questions. They sure have an impressive selection of rums to choose from, just check out their wall ! They also serve food including plantain chips, guacamole, and empanadas that I'll order next time I'm back to pair with my rumba drinks . read more

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Fantastic atmosphere, delicious food and fabulous wait staff! It was our daughter's birthday and they took care of us really well! My favorite was the passion fruit mocktail, iykyk! read more

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Fun tropical themed cocktail bar! I came here with a group of friends and we were able to make a reservation in advance. They had very interesting cocktails! I got the midnight snack which had peanut butter infused tequila and berries. I highly recommend this drink. We also did a rum flight which was super interesting. I was able to taste different rums which I've never done before. We also got some food which was good. The Cuban sandwich and the Jamaican beef empanada were okay but the star was the plantain chips and guac. We ended up getting 2 orders! read more

Rumba - midnight snack cocktail - Caribbean Near Me - Seattle, Washington