Havana Rumba

Such a great Louisville addition! I prefer this location to the Middletown spot, but I’m a purist and a St. Matthews resident. I usually get the pollo al mojo: grilled chicken with grilled onions, a Citrus lime marinade and plantains and congris. I swap the congris for rice with black beans served separately, because I love the black beans!
Today I mixed it up with the grilled Swai sandwich and sweet potato fries… so delicious!
Some of the best mojitos in town!

Any place that has outdoor seating gets me excited! We don’t get much of that where we live in CA due to the heat.
We met our friends, who live here, here for dinner and we’re glad we did. The food and service were both great. The ceviche and plantain chips were a nice light way to start the meal. The mojitos were just okay, I wasn’t that impressed considering I was at a Cuban restaurant, I have definitely had better. We all ordered the Ropa Vieja which was delicious. The chocolate macaroon cake with coconut ice cream was a great way to end the meal. The cake was moist and fluffy and I could have easily eaten more of the coconut ice cream. If we lived here we would definitely come back.

I love this place, if your visiting Louisville make this a stop. I’m a plantain addict and it sweet plantains and tostones was great, have to get the empenadas. We asked for hot sauce and was pleasantly surprised by their house sauce. Good friendly service as well.

I will keep this short. We are new to this neighborhood and absolutely love this Havana location. Food is awesome. Service is great!!! Drinks are delightful and full of spirit (and they have ½ price margaritas on Wednesday) the bartenders are awesome and we love sitting in the crowded bar area better than in the restaurant. Not sure why we just do! Can’t say enough positive about this restaurant. We visit weekly and bring friends or not. It does get busy crowded and loud at times but when in Havana be in Havana! We like this location better than the one in Middletown. Drinks are way better. Food is just as delicious.

I came here on a recommendation from a friend and I’m glad I did. We were seated right away and the servers were quite attentive.
I mention this in every review, but I have to eat gluten free (celiac) and I want those who also have to eat gluten free to be able to see reviews of places I’ve safely eaten. I’m a total foodie with a quest to still be able to dine out! At any rate, there were a ton of options on the menu for me and I was quite pleased with that.
We ordered the Tostones Con Pollo appetizer (delicious and filling), my boyfriend ordered the Ropa Vieja (I tried it and quite enjoyed it), and I ordered the Lechon Asado (massive pile of pork, yucca, and rice/​beans). The mojitos were great (and strong!). The food was delicious and the menu offered something for everyone. I’ll definitely come back the next time I’m in the area.

Used to go weekly, but the quality of food and service has gone down. The food is just not as good as it used to be. The Bardstown road is the worst location. Went here with my son and the service was negligent, food was cold and bland. Never again. Went to the original location and it wasn’t much better. Also, I noticed that my amount was adjusted from what I paid on my bank statement, so I suspect the waiter gave himself a little bonus. I’m a big tipper, and it was only a few more dollars. I didn’t report it, but be aware. I haven’t been back in a long time… and I will never go to the original location again. If someone insisted on going, I might consider the second location in Middletown, but even then, I am not enthusiastic about going. If I had to go again, I would stick with the Cuban sandwich or the lechon asado (pork) with plantains. I will update this is someone twists my arm and makes me go, but this is where I stand for now.

Havana Rumba is a Cuban style restaurant, they have a large menu so you can try just about anything. We started off with a margarita and that was very good, and a big size! We then ordered the guacamole with plantain chips appetizer and that was so delicious. That was definitely my favorite part of the meal. I ordered the Cubano sandwich with sweet potato fries and I loved it! I got full pretty quickly after the margarita and appetizer but I definitely recommend checking this spot out!

I really enjoyed my Cuban sandwich and side salad. Lunch was only $ 8 and large portions.

I called in a take out order from Havana Rumba and it was ready in the estimated 15 minute window. The place closes at 10p but at 9p when I arrived to get the food, it was still packed and hopping with people. The take out food was amazing so I bet it’s even better when you can sit down and eat at the restaurant. My husband and I split the tostones con pollo, guacamole with plantain chips (YES, you guys) and cubano sandwich (duh). All delicious. All generous servings. All paired great with wine and wincing through the GOP debate.

Havana Rumba has the very best empanadas in the city! I prefer the chicken, but they have beef as well. Delicate and flaky, these little «meat half-​pies» melt in your mouth. I also love the Ceviche, served with plantain crisps, this dish is always very fresh and loaded with flavor.
As far as adult beverages, there is a nice selection of options but I keep it pure with the original Mojito. Served in a tall glass on the rocks, with a long stick of authentic sugar cane and a slice of lime – this drink goes down too easy… Divine!
Always open, good service and deliciously consistent.

Cuban beans and food remarkably good… I have yet to ever find anything at Havana Rumba that wasn’t absolutely delicious… but my favorite thing on the menu is the simple Pollo al mojo. I always make sure that the waitress knows that I like the plantains and the congri especially. Congri is the cuban black bean and rice dish.
But at night they serve Tapas and their tapas are usually decent portions and not tastes of food. The sweet Potato fries with smoked honey is amazing… I have to be careful as I can easily get out of control ordering stuff here.
This is a restaurant that you can go to for a special occasion and celebrate something amazing with those you love. It’s obvious that the people who own it care about the Guests experience. I will probably never in my lifetime get to go to Cuba, but for the moment you can go in and imagine and escape to someplace closer to the equator.
As for deserts, the simple plantains are often ignored. They are a tasty, more healthy option and worthy of trying. Best advice I can give is come hungry, portions are gigante and if you are in a larger party Tapas is fun to share to try new things. (Tapas = little dishes of a small portion of amazing food). If you still are intimidated by the menu you can’t go wrong with Empanadas.

I love coming to Havana Rumba. This location makes you feel like you’re at a Cuban restaurant in Miami. We always get the chicken tostones and empanadas for a starter, but the calamari is also very tasty. You can’t go wrong with most of the dishes we’ve tried. The fish sandwich is huge and delicious, the fricase de pollo is a tasty stewed chicken with potatoes that are to die for and the chicken Milanese is a huge slab of chicken covered in sauce and cheese. Doesn’t get better than that.

I have to say that my expectations for Havana Rumba were higher than my experience. Not that it was bad by any means, but I was expecting to be blown away with five star food. However, it was more like «pretty good» for me. Nothing I’m dying to get back to, but still tasty.
We started with the beef empanadas, which were excellent. For my entrée, I had the vaca fritta. While the dish looked phenonmenal, I was slightly disappointed with the taste. The meat was a bit dry and bland for me. I always say that I like my food wet, so adjust your expectations accordingly. Still, the dish was very good. Meat, onions and peppers, served with rice, black beans, and plantains; it really is a delicious, complete meal.
All in all, I enjoyed Havana Rumba and will be happy dining there again.

I know I’ve mentioned it before but a restaurant has to be pretty outstanding for me to go back. In a city like Louisville, which seems to have endless choices of great food, I always prefer to go somewhere new, but I had such a good memory of the Havana Rumba sandwich here that when my sister asked where we should go for dinner, I didn’t really even need to think.
This time we dined in, and the ambiance tempted me badly to order a margarita… but we were running the Kentucky Bourbon Chase the next day, so I was trying to be good. While our server was very nice, she was extremely slow during our entire meal. It could have been forgivable if the restaurant had been busy but it was not. To start, we split the guacamole which came with plantain chips. This was amazing. My entrée, however, was not. I ordered the Havana Rumba sandwich again, and this time it was just so dry and uninteresting. I was pretty disappointed.
I hope this was just an off night for them. I can’t yet bring myself to bump my rating down to 3 stars, especially after the deliciousness that was the guac appetizer, but I probably will never order that sandwich again.

The place should be called Havana Yumba because the food and drinks are so tasty. This is Louisville’s original Cuban restaurant that set the standard. Service is always welcoming, attentive and friendly. The ultimate margarita is the best margarita I’ve had and it packs a nice punch. The mojito also is tasty and drink perfection. Must haves on the menu are the Gallic shrimp, the
Cuban press and the pork. Empanadas are also a nice appetizer to set the tone. Sweet potato fries oh my! This is the first time I have had sweet potato fries and they are good. Atmosphere is nice and festive and has athletic Cuban art on the walls. Close your eyes and you can almost imagine being In a warmer climate like Miami or Havana. Prices are a good value and I always leave feeling like I’ve had drinks and a great meal for a good value.

Have the Cuban sandwich! It is so good. The sweet potato fries are on point.
The only negative about this place is that their menu is hard to read. They don’t serve a lunch menu on Sunday’s, they use the dinner prices. But unless you read the fine print you don’t know that until the waiter tells you.
This is a great place for food with okay service!

All I have to say is OMG!!! I would eat here all the time if I could! Damn, living so far away!
First off I will echo what everyone else has mentioned. I consider myself a mojito connoisseur/​snob and so I HAD to order the mojito just off the reviews alone, and I must say I was not disappointed in the least. GREAT flavor, well made. Absolute perfection! And the sugar cane…
My guy and I ordered a little bit of everything, in somewhat Anthony Bourdain fashion! We don’t get to these places often so when we do, we take advantage of it. Not one thing on those plates disappointed us. I’ve eaten Cuban many times and the flavors, colors, textures and presentation of the food were absolutely beautiful.
I was a little thrown off by the atmosphere of the place. But that’s just due to my preconceived notions of what I THOUGHT it would be like. Not too fancy so don’t expect much but the service… oh, the service. Our guy knew his menu, knew what to suggest with what, kept our drinks flowing, was personable and almost down right Antonio Banderas rico-​suave. Sometimes that will just make the meal!
I HIGHLY recommend this place and we’ve been talking about making the 90 minute trip just to return for another experience! Yes, it’s an experience… not just dinner!

Everything you good you heard about this place is 100% true. I have never had Cuban food before, but if Havana Rumba is an accurate description of it, I never want to eat anything else.
We ventured there a Friday night at dinner time (7pm-​ish). Luckily it was storming outside like it has been the past 4 Fridays, so we were able to get a table within 5 minutes. However, from my understanding, that is not always the case. The restaurant was colorful, full of portraits of famous Cubans and a lively atmosphere.
The waitress brought us bread with warm garlic butter, and we ordered guacamole with plantain chips. Let me tell ya, I have never had guacamole with plantain chips. Now that I have, there is no turning back. The chips were not too salty like tortilla chips but still had that crunch to them. Not to mention, there is a lot less guilt when you eat more than you should of plantain chips.
I ordered the Lecho Asado, a Havana Rumba specialty. It is Cuban pork slow roasted for hours in Cuban spices, garlic and citrus juices. I am from the South. I like to think I know good pork because of BBQs and the like. This was sensational. The citrus juices were just enough to add that zing to it, and the garlic was not at all over-​powering. The pork comes with yucca con mojo which is boiled yucca in a blend of garlic, onion, lime juice and olive juice. I had never had yucca before. It is crunchy and soft; I loved eating it with a bite of pork. The final side is congri which is seasoned black beans and rice. Nick had the Churrasco Chicken (sandwich) with fries. It was a chicken breast atop a soft bread with bacon, onion, swiss cheese and spicy mustard. It was very good as well and served with fries. The portion was large and could have easily taken home half of it.
I cannot rave enough about the food, quality of service and décor. Everything fit together and flowed like a well-​oiled machine. The portions are large, so except to bring some home. I ended up getting 3 meals out of the Lecho Asado. The bathrooms were some of the cleanest I have even seen. The wait staff is welcoming and eager to give you advice on what to try. This is a new favorite for sure.

I love everything about Havana Rumba except it’s distance from my neighborhood (they have 3 locations but St. Mathews is our spot). This comfortable, casual restaurant is one of my go-​to places for everything from a lunch with family to special occasions celebrated with friends.
My favorite dish on the menu is, believe it or not, the fish. I think they make one of the best, fish entrees and sandwiches in Louisville. I had the sandwich de pescado ($ 12.50) for dinner this week, yum!
The large filet of swai, a mild white fish, is marinated in a delicious, green concoction and then grilled perfectly. It’s then served dressed on a fantastic, fresh bun (like no bun you’ve ever had) with a side of French fries — which you can sub out for plantains, sweet potato fries, rice, etc. The garlic aioli served on the side completes the package.
You can also have the fish as an entrée (pescado a la Parrilla), without bun, with a side of sweet plantains and black beans with rice ($ 13.50). Note, sandwiches are a little less at lunchtime.
I’m also a huge fan of the vegetarian empanadas, camarones al ajillo (garlic shrimp in a hot crock) for an appetizer or entrée, and the amazing Havana Bananas for dessert. The mojitos and Hemingway daiquiris are sublime. If you haven’t tried Havana Rhumba, do it!

I had to sleep on it to review this place.
Havana rumba gets a lot of hype from Louisvillians. It’s is a solid choice if you want authentic Cuban fare. The quality of food is good and the food is well-​cooked. You rarely hear anyone say a bad word.
I ordered the fricase pollo. It was tasty — but it was heavy. I felt like it was more bland than I’m accustomed to also. I was expecting a bit more spice and big flavor. This was subtle.
The portions were large; I took a great deal of my food home. Surprisingly, sitting overnight seemed to give it something. I reheated in the microwave and put the stew over the white rice: it was exceptionally tasty.
So, while I wasn’t seeing stars, after having the leftovers I would be willing to try it again.
Also: be prepared to pay a bit more than other restaurants of similar fare (guacamole, mojitos, etc).