Rumba’s Cafe

1. Fresh squeezed orange juice for under $ 4.00
2. Soups that taste homemade
3. Fried sweet plantains (maduros?)
4. Generous portions
5. Delicious, flavorful rice (yellow, black, etc.)
6. Go there enough and they treat you like family
7. Great prices overall
8. Close to where I live
9. Menu variety
10. Even when crowded, worth the wait

Their spanish coffee was just great. Good espresso coffee. Mango mousse was okay. Didn’t try anything else.

Crazy affordable prices plus delicious to boot. Can’t beat it!!! Will definitely be going here for my Cuban fix!

I love this spot because it’s extremely affordable and the food is decent. I’m in love with the breakfast menu everything is $ 5 and a lot of food is serve. I’m a fan I haven definitely came here multiple times with friends and they all couldn’t believe the price for the amount of food severed. Would highly recommend this to someone who is around the area

Love this place for a great, affordable breakfast/​lunch (haven’t tried dinner yet although it’s prob also delish). The food comes out quickly and tastes great, and they always give you more than you can eat. However, show up early because the place gets packed and you will definitely find yourself waiting for a seat. I always have an empanada and the mangu breakfast. My bf normally goes for one of the sandwiches and always devours it. If you’re in the mood for some Cuban food definitely stop in.

The people who work here are the sweetest. Food is delicious, always so happy I came when I leave. Wish I lived closers so I could go more often.

Really like the food here. Love their fresh squeezed orange juice. Good prices! Family friendly. It’s not meant to be fine dining, but it is good everyday type of food. Coffee is pretty good too.

Don’t even know where to begin! Too many good things about this place. If you want a HUGE portion of HOMEY Spanish goodness, then this is the place for you. This place has a nice, casual atmosphere. Portion sizes are huge and usually comes with your choice of yellow/​white rice AND red/​black beans. My go tos are usually the Ropa Vieja, Churrasco, or breaded chicken with hotsauce. I ordered the breaded chicken & got my leftovers for lunch packed and it lasted as dinner and even breakfast the next day. Mango, papaya, vanilla and strawberry shakes taste amazing! Be sure to try a shake! Or, get freshly squeezed orange juice for a lighter feel. Leche flan, cheesecake and tres leches are to die for.
The menu given is pretty on point in regards to pricing.
Parking is provided but can only fit about 5 cars. This place is getting really popular so expect to find street parking on Central Ave during busy hours.

How have I not reviewed Rumba’s yet?! The only excuse is that I fall into a food coma after every visit because I can’t get enough of their delicious food.
I desperately miss living in walking distance of this place, so anytime i’m in the Heights I snag a few empanadas and a papa rellena for old time sake. I noticed that they started adding lime slices to the already generous portions of chicharron which takes it to the next level. The cubanos and media noche are inexpensive and filling.
The daily specials can’t be beat and everyone has a favorite. The spare ribs sell out on Sundays, get there early or prepare a second choice. I like that the beans and rice are packed separately for takeout orders, soggy rice makes me cranky.
Service is not overly effusive but it is fast and efficient. There are a lot of regulars but there’s rarely a long wait for take out or seated dining.
tl;dr: Go to Rumba’s Cuban Café, you won’t regret it.

I ADORE this place! The food is authentic and the prices are spectacular for what you get! My boyfriend and I get tons of food and the bill is usually $ 20 or less. My favorite Cuban place EVER!
The only cons would be that the place is quite small and there’s a tiny parking area that’s kind of difficult to get out of.
Otherwise, like I keep saying: I love Rumba’s!

Amazes me that you can get such a great little breakfast for just a few bucks. Steak, fries, eggs, bread, fresh orange juice (yes, freshly squeezed) and Spanish coffee. I always leave a really good tip, like the same cost of the meal or more — I don’t know, I guess I guilt trip myself into it. I mean, come on, even 20% on a meal that costs under 5 bucks is not great.
You have to try the Tres Leches (milke cake). Seriously the best Tres Leches I’ve ever had. This place is dangerously too close to my home for my waistline to cope with.
Expect to be waiting in line for a while if you come here on a Saturday morning.

Delicioussssss!!!
My parents have come here once before and wanted to take my brother and I.
The place is small but seats a good number of people. The menu is made so each day has different dishes. In addition, it has a breakfast (til noon) menu, a la carte section and sandwiches that’s served everyday.
I got the pollo asado with black rice and a side of tostones. The chicken was so tender and flavorful! This is a must try. I have my whole family a piece to try and they loved it as well. The black rice was good too. Def pick it over white rice. The tostones were crispy and light. I probably could have used a sauce to dip it in (like mayoketchup).
My brother order the churrasco and he also said it was super tender and good. It came on a hot plate and it was sizzling! My parents ordered the chicken sandwich and Cuban sandwich. Which they both enjoyed the previous visit so they had it again.
And to top it off… the prices are awesomely cheap! For all that (and a side of fries) it came out to be $ 30 (excluding tip)! Who can beat that?!
I’ll definitely be coming back!
PS Parking lot is small and not much street parking so heads up on that. If you can carpool, that’ll be the best way to go.

Ugh this place…
I don’t even know where to begin. The Cuban food here is exceptional. It’s hard to find these authentic Spanish places near Hoboken so we made the trip out here and it was worth it!!!
Service is great, English is their second language but they are very attentive.
You have to get your own drinks from the fridge .
We ordered 4 empanadas: 2 beef, chicken, and guava & cheese. (All a $ 1 each!)
stewed beef and rice and beans
And baked chicken and rice and beans
And coconut flan.
Every dish was fantastic !!! And they were $ 6 bucks a plate! The chicken was $ 4.75!!!
You can’t beat these prices for how good the food is. The coconut flan is probably the best flan I’ve ever tried. No joke.
Definitely recommend to anyone who loves Spanish food. Can’t wait to go again.

Been here before and it was okay but tonight I got sick from the roasted pork. Been throwing up and it was the only thing I ate today. This really Sucks…

Alert to the caffeinated junkie in search of a coffee worth appreciating. Rumba café has some promising fierce café con leche (the type that has you functioning like an awakened sharp production ready genius.) This cuban coffee is worth the hype and for a fraction of the price of what you will pay for at Starbucks you can get a cup of jolt that will hyper up your body ready to take on any tasks of the day. The best way to describe this coffee is like a perfect functioning fix for your tired brain. In conclusion, the staff are extremely attentive and helpful. Don’t search anywhere else for coffee if you are in the JC area. Even a small cup of jolt here is lethally potent. Coffee connoisseur beware and take a heed of warning before you settle for coffee like this on the daily. It will be difficult to accept coffee from anywhere else after the cuban coffee here rejoices in awakening you.

TL;DR: If I could come here every day, I would.
Why don’t I go every day? Because there is so much food in one order, there are always leftovers. EVERYTHING is awesome here. I usually just call in a dinner order and pick it up in 15 – 20 minutes. One time we ordered food for 7 people, and the bill was less than $ 50. We even had leftovers. There are different daily specials for really great prices, there are photos of the menu in the gallery. Check this restaurant out, you won’t regret it!

I can’t get enough of this place. The food being served has character and you can tell they put some Cuban love in that recipe. This place is always busy and the customers end up coming back for more. I think that Rumba’s strength is the variety of food being prepared. It changes every single day. So the dynamic of this place is that you have lunch specials that change everyday. Keep your stomach guessing!
Up to this point my favorite is the garbanzo soup. Filling and delicious. I wish they had this every day on the menu.
The beef stew with potatoes is also really good. It comes with white rice or yellow rice and black beans. It will keep you full for a long time.
If you are into healthy stuff, they have freshly squeezed OJ and a pretty good selection of smoothies.
The service is hustling and bustling. The energy seen at this place is contagious. Huge accomplishment by the staff.
The price of the dishes are also really affordable. Food quality not deterred by the low cost.
checking in here is your duty if you live close to The Heights.

Great authentic Cuban food serving large portion sizes with lots of flavor. Food is delicious and inexpensive. Waitresses are extremely friendly here, but I find it rather difficult to get their attention and they don’t seem to come around the table as often as I’d like, but that’s minor. Rumba gives off a nice homey feel compared to a lot of the other eateries on Central. It’s simplicity, delicious, and inexpensive menu keeps me coming back!
I always go for the breaded chicken with white rice, black beans and plantains while my boyfriend’s regular continues to be the breaded steak. We have big appetites and it leaves us STUFFED!
Don’t miss out on their milkshakes! I’ve tried all & all are DELICIOUS!

My first real Cuban culinary connection was a success thanks to this place. Considering the price, giving this place 5 stars is a no brainer.
This is what I had on a gloomy Thursday afternoon (ratings in brackets):
Maduro (³⁄₅) — I like mine cooked a bit more
Mango batidos (shake) (4.5÷5) — this was perfect
Spare rib (costilla de cerdo) (3.5÷5) — it was a bit dry but they were about to close. I should give it another try at a better time
Chicken empanada (4.5÷5)
Pork skin (³⁄₅) and papa rellena (⁴⁄₅) to go
I was hungry ;-)
Also don’t forget to try their Spanish Coffee in the morning. It is amazing!

Roast chicken with rice, beans, and plantains for $ 4.25?! Yes, you’re reading that right. I have no idea how they turn a profit with prices like this.
I’ve been going to Rumba’s for years (even before their renovation). They offer delicious food and drinks at incredible prices. I prefer ordering their daily specials because you get more bang for your buck (like roasted pork with rice and beans for $ 5.95). Even when you order from the a la carte menu, you rarely go over $ 10. Their chicken noodle soup is dirt cheap at $ 2.25. You can taste it’s healing effects!
Their breakfasts are seriously delicious. Love the Cuban toast with butter! Can’t beat their breakfasts for well under $ 5!
They also have amazing batidos (shakes) that can be made with either milk or water. I personally prefer my batidos with water. You’d think it would thin the drink out but it’s still thick and creamy! Perfect if you’re lactose intolerant. Their coffee ain’t too shabby either, especially if you like it on the stronger side.
Although they have several tables, the restaurant is best for groups of 4 or less. Otherwise, you’ll need to move some tables around to accommodate your group. They also have a counter, which is perfect for a really quick bite! The atmosphere is comfy, and casual like a diner — a Cuban diner!
Parking is available in the back — fits maybe 6 or 7 cars. Street parking is available too! With that in mind, you don’t really have much of a reason not to stop by :)