Bomba Tacos & Rum

tried Bomba for the first time and am obsessed with it now! the food is awesome and the mojitos are really good. they put raw sugar cane in them which I thought was pretty cool. we waited an hour but it was well worth it to stand and drink for a while. plus theyre running a specials menu which I thought was pretty cool that they had drink specials on a Saturday, that’s not a common thing

If you don’t like these tacos then you don’t like tacos. Crispy shrimp tacos are the best. They are super accommodating. They made me vegan pancakes. Their drinks are the best. I try and go a minimum of once a week.

This place has a very nice venue, but the food left a lot to be desired. I felt that the taco that I had could of had more seasoning. Also I got a scallion rice. The rice was quite hard and could of been cooked longer. I don’t think I would be coming back.

I can’t imagine what took me so long to try this place — now I can’t imagine how I can possibly wait another minute to go back! I absolutely loved my tacos — what a great selection — but I can’t remember which ones I ordered — my head is still spinning, they were so good! So many more choices to try on my return visit! Yummmmm!

I went here for the first time last night and I loved it! The drinks were great, the food was amazing and we didn’t spend our whole paycheck!
I drank mojitos, which are usually too syrupy and sweet but these were perfect. My husband got their version of a Cuba Libre — the BOMBA Libre. I don’t even like Coke and I thought it was delicious. The food was equally as good — everything from the guac to the tacos to the yuca fries were on point. My husband has an allergy, which is usually an issue but the waiter said ‘just order what you want and we’ll modify it to work.’ That is a rarity. Usually we just get shoulder shrugs and bland suggestions (it’s just dairy people!).
You know what else? The staff is also really great. It was a busy Friday night but the bartender still actually took the time to ask our names and talk with us and he even shook our hand. The waiter was just as friendly. We will definitely be back.

The tacos were flame warmed flour tortillas. Best thing ever. Thank you.
The tacos as a whole were not very good. The mix of flavors was odd and the aioli tasted like straight mayo on a pork taco. Not my thing.
The atmosphere and set up of Bomba was my style. Low lights, an open bar. Yes please.
Service from Sabina the bartender was perfect. She knew about the rum, recommended items from the menu in detail.
I will come back for the service, drinks, atmosphere, and possibly a second chance on the tacos.

Last night was our first visit and both my hubby and I were impressed. We were with friends, and because of that, we were able to call ahead for seating. They texted back when a table was available. Being a Friday night, they were extremely busy! The call ahead seating was a nice feature.
Our waiter spent a great deal of time with us, explaining the menu and offering suggestions. My dietary requirements are such that I cannot have tomatoes, citrus, and spicy things. They were able to accommodate me graciously! Never in my life did I think I would order fish tacos. But last night I did and they were absolutely delicious! I am still dreaming about the side dish of rice and mango and coconut. I can’t wait to have that again!
Not only was my food perfectly prepared, but my drink was as well. Not being able to have lime, they left that out of my Mojito. It tasted just like a mint julep for me which is one of my preferred beverages. When we ordered a second round, they remembered the way I liked it. I was one happy girl!
I have to admit it was a little on the noisy side being so busy. That made it difficult to talk with our friends but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless and look forward to a return visit!

Two things I love about this place: the patio and the kale tacos.
The patio is perfect for Cleveland summers. Sit near the doors and you can forget the parking lot (sorta).
The kale taco is spectacular. I have tried all the veggie tacos on the menu and waffled between this and the sweet potato, but this is the clear winner for me. It is worth coming here just for those tacos.
There is a customized guac you can get also. It is decent. The fun thing with this guac is the chips. They are different root vegetables instead of the typical corn tortilla.
We will continue to comeback over and over. I am looking forward to summer again.

Lunch special $ 9.95 for 3 tacos and a side. This is a great restaurant with abundant vegetarian options. Reasonably priced. Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking options.
We tried the fried avocado, kale and potato, rio style chicken, zuchini and mushroom tacos. They were all so yummy. With The side of bean soup makes for a heavy lunch. The superior margarita was perfect and probably the best margarita in this part of town, a little expensive for the quantity at $ 9. Ambience is good. Happy hour from 3 – 6:30 had some pretty good deals.
Worth revisiting

Beef ropa and black bean soup. Both amazing. Had to add salt to soup and my garnish was brown and dying.
Guacamole added bacon and goat cheese! Delicious!

A-​ok is the best way to describe this place, I think. My vegan tacos (I had to explain what vegan meant to my server and ask her about every ingredient in every taco to make sure I didn’t accidentally get anything I couldn’t eat) were just alright. It’s been a couple days since I ate there and honestly, all I can remember eating was the avocado taco. And that was just ok, too. The guacamole I ordered was nothing to write home about and my drinks were solid, but… I’m in no rush to go back.
I would drink there — often — if I lived nearby, but as an east sider, I’ll stick to having happy hour at Bomba’s sister restaurant — Paladar.

I love their parent restaurant Paladar so I had to try Bomba. The guacamole and drinks are always on point. You can’t go wrong with any drink. Plus, their chips of plantains, malanga and corn is so fresh and crispy.
Tacos can use a little work but I’ve been able to give feedback and the staff had always been so attentive and gracious. I really liked this chicken tinga, pork, and kale and corn. The crispy avocado is weird. I think a different batter might help.
The atmosphere is fun and I love the patio options of fully open and open doors.
But one of the best reasons about Bomba and Paladar… Their service. They are friendly, genuine, informative, and caring and I’ve never had a bad experience.

I recently dined here on a visit home and was really impressed. It’s probably even better than what I experienced because I didn’t try the rum offerings on this visit. We sat in the covered patio area which was nice on a beautiful summer day and was very comfortable.
First, our waitress was a complete sweetheart and really helpful in explaining the menu and with menu suggestions. I wish I remembered her name… she had brown hair and glasses. She was very attentive and suggested a dish that I would have never thought to order on my own, but loved.
The lunch specials are very reasonably priced and generously portioned. We started with chips and salsa. I loved their unique touch since it did include some of the traditional tortilla chips, but also a variety of root vegetables made into chips. I chose the three taco and a side option. My taco choices were the crispy fish, chorizo and potato, and zucchini and charred corn. The flavors on all of the tacos was perfect, they chose great sauces and cheeses to make everything not only unique, but delicious. My side was the coconut rice with mango which was more like a dessert in a good way. I can’t wait to go back next time I’m in Ohio.

I finally made it to Bomba!
I’ve been trying to get here for a while and we finally found some time. Came on a Friday around 6pm. It was still happy hour!
We started with the premium aged rum flight. $ 5 off. Came with 3 shot glasses. They were all really smooth and delicious. I especially like the 23 year aged rum. So so smooth.
Then we had the queso fundido and some roasted red pepper salsa & chips The queso was hot cheese in a plate and it came with some corn tortillas. It was a nice change from the typical «queso» dip. We also had an order of the Fire Roasted Tomato salsa. The salsa had a really nice flavor! I also liked that it came out with all sorts of different chips. I especially liked the plantain chips paired with the salsa.
For dinner the hubs and I shared 6 of the tacos. Some were better than others. I will mention the best first: Braised beef, Lamb Barbacoa, and Sweet Potato. In the middle was the blackened fish. On the bottom were the mushroom and the chicken. [ahh! I cannot remember which chicken one we had! sorry! — just order the Lamb, you won’t be sorry]
With the apps, the 6 tacos was probably a bit (read: I was STUFFED) too much food for two, but we really just wanted to try them all! I think we could have gone with only 3 or 4 total tacos.
The service was good, even during Friday Happy Hour and the atmosphere was the bomb (a)! I really enjoyed sitting on the covered patio with the breeze coming in. Very nice.
So, overall I will definitely be back. Fun place, good rum, close to home, and the food hold it’s own for sure. I’d like to try a few different things on the menu including the guac and some of the other flavors of salsa.

There are a few things a restaurant must do right in order to get a five star review from me. First and foremost, their food has to be fresh and delicious. Next, good beer, including craft beers are becoming a must, at least in Cleveland. Finally, service has to be spot on.
Bomba Tacos & Rum gets this all right. The location is in a wealthy neighborhood with a few expensive cars in the parking lot. The crowd was mixed in age ranging from 30 somethings to 50 and 60 somethings. The joint was packed, but we only waited three minutes for a table.
Once seated by the knockout hostess, our waiter approached and poured us glasses of water. He then left a bottle of filtered water on the table for us to drink, which was nice. Since the water had no flavor at all, I know it was filtered using a reverse osmosis process. I’m sort of a water snob. Anyway, I perused the beer menu and saw not one, but three craft wheat ales — my favorite. By the end of the night, I will have finished two of the three, both of which were yummy. I started with a Breckenridge Agave Wheat ale, which was delicious, followed by a Boulavard, 80 acre, which had a bit more of a hoppy flavor. I preferred the Breckenridge, as it was smoother. Great beer!
My wife spotted ceviche on the menu and immediately extended her arm, hand, and index finger over to my menu to emphatically indicate the presence of the lemony, raw fish appetizer on the menu. Naturally, she ordered it, along with the mojo pork tostones.
Our drinks arrived and then the apps arrived. The beer was delish, as expected. My wife’s mango sangria was also very delicious. We shared everything, so I tasted a lot of stuff on this visit.
Then our appetizers arrived. The ceviche was excellent. It was fresh, lemony, tasty, and it had a good texture. It is on par with the best ceviches a guy from Parma has ever had. Hey! At least I qualified it. The mojo pork tostones were of very good quality, had a very deep flavor and my wife loved em. I just liked em — didn’t love em. I would recommend them, however.
At this point in the meal, the wife and I were very impressed. Our hope was that the entrees would be equally well prepared and tasty. As the apps arrived, we placed our dinner orders.
Just as we finished the apps, the entrees arrived. My three tacos looked pretty mouthwatering (see my photos)! They were stuffed with fresh ingredients, seafood, and mushrooms. I ordered a chipotle mushroom taco, which was of very good quality and taste, but was my least favorite of the three. The next taco was the blackened fish. This taco was served with a nice piece of fresh, well cooked fish laying across the top. Visually, it was stunning. It had a great texture, a little crunch from the veggies, and was probably the best fish taco I’ve ever eaten. Loved every bite of it. Next, the crispy shrimp taco had approximately four pieces of tasty, deep fried shrimp on it. This was my favorite taco of the three. It had a great crunch, a nice sauce, and a spicy kick from few jalapenos. I loved my tacos and I WILL RETURN FOR MORE.
I ordered the yucca fries with aioli, which were delicious! Must try!
Where have you been all my life, Bomba’s? I love it, love it!

I finally made it here for happy hour and I am so glad I did! The service was awesome, the tacos were delicious and the drinks are a great price during happy hour!
Our server was awesome. She had so much personality and while having a few tables she was also taking orders for a huge party next to us (15+ people) and not once forgot about us. Bomba is also doing things right by having runners bring us our food and drinks when our waitress was busy.
The only downfall to this place is they don’t offer free chips and salsa. It’s kind of like not getting bread at a restaurant, we’ve become so accustomed to other restaurants having these items that we get a little bummed when we don’t get them with our meals.
During my visit I ordered a Pomegranate Ginger Margarita and a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc. While the margarita was great it was more pomegranate than ginger. For the tacos I ordered Rio Style Chicken and the Crispy Shrimp (a recommendation from a friend I was with). The Crispy Shrimp was so good that I had to order another and I still think about how delicious that taco is!

I so wanted to love Bomba and perhaps I’ve built up the anticipation in my head too much but overall I wasn’t wow-​ed by the experience.
Started with the mango salsa– it was a bit runny for my taste but it was okay. The plantain/​yucca/​chip mixture was unique and while not to everyone’s taste, I didn’t mind it; it could definitely use more salt and the whole basket was stale, which is a big disappointment since you have to pay for it separately. I’d prefer to have traditional chips and salsa that come with your meal. Also, this is definitely a 2 person basket. 3 – 4 people would be stretching.
The mango-​cilantro margarita was pretty good but thick for a margarita. More like a mango juice with alcohol and cilantro in it; again, it was unique and I enjoyed it but I wouldn’t order more than one.
The tacos were really good– I appreciated the large selection (something to please everyone) and were worth the price. The crispy shrimp was my favorite; the chicken had a really runny sauce in it that made a complete mess and made the shell a little soggy.
I plan on going back this week to try a few more items and sides but as of now, I don’t see myself regularly driving past Barrio to make it here.

I came into Bomba on opening weekend around 3pm because I figured it would be super busy during peak hours. It was still busy but we got seated right away. The staff was welcoming and our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. I mean the place is so cute and eclectic — anyone that doesn’t love the layout and décor is crazy in my mind. They have an addition that has full length doors that open for fresh air during nice weather and a smaller outside patio for summer months.
Now for the food– we split an order of their guac in which you can pick items to be added like goat cheese, corn, pickled onions etc. great touch to personalize and it tasted very good. We also split 6 tacos which they serve family style to encourage sharing. They have many to choose from with a lot of veggie options. Some were awesome and some were good. We didn’t try any of the fun drinks unfortunately. I want to go back to try more of the menu and drinks. It will be a great addition to that area of a Rocky River for sure.

My new favorite spot! This place is so great! What a wonderful design and amazing use of space. I can’t rave enough about how good the drinks were. I tried the pomegranate ginger margarita and it was absolutely delicious! During happy hour (from 3 — 6:30pm) all margs, mojitos and rum flights are $ 5! And $ 2 off wine and beer during happy hour.
All of the apps we tried were really good too. We had an order of guac, salsa, and the jalapeño cheese dip. I loved the assortment of chips they bring you. I think they were plantains, yucca, and regular tortilla chips — great combo! They have such an extensive menu and so many different tacos to choose from. They all sounded so good it was hard to decide what to try. The variety of tacos was great, for meat eaters and vegetarians alike! I ended up ordering the crispy fish taco and the spicy shrimp. Wow, they were perfect! The flavors were so yummy.
This place has it going on! The service was pretty good and it was our friend’s birthday and they brought her a dessert (flan) with a candle. :) We were happy to celebrate her birthday here and check it out for the first time since it just opened. This place is an A+. Sorry Barrio you are out, Bomba is in! Highly recommended!!!

I love their huge rum selection! They even have a guide to rum on their tables to help you decide which rums would best suite your tastes, and if you still have questions the staff is very willing to recommend a rum or a flight. Jack Sparrow would love this place– The rum will NEVER be gone!
Now onto the food: The taco combinations are creative and tasty– especially their vegetarian taco options, which are more than just black beans and tomatoes. I ordered the fried avocado taco, which was creamy and crispy. They also have a sweet potato taco I plan on trying sometime soon. The braised beef taco was juicy and spicy (yay pickled jalapenos)! On their menu they suggest getting 3 or more tacos which is probably a good recommendation unless you just want a little snack. I was excited to see fried plantains on the menu since I just go back from Puerto Rico. The plantains were sweeter than I expected, but I enjoyed them.
I also couldn’t resist the heavenly, dreamy, creamy flan!!! The texture was excellent and it was eloquently plated. I think it was supposed to be coconut flavored, I couldn’t really tell so maybe they could amp that up a bit, but I have no complaints when it comes to a well made flan.