With several locations in New Jersey, Rumba Cubana is a good spot in Jersey City, near Hamilton Park, for a nice Cuban brunch. With a vibrant atmosphere, it serves a wide range of Cuban and Latin food, with so many mouth watering dishes that you would want to try everything. It starts with their Cuban tapas. I admit that I am not of big fan of the guacamole cubano ($9.95), simply because the plantains made it hard to eat and get a good amount of guacamole on it. I would have separated them, like they show on their website. Still, I love plantains and also got their plantain chips with cilantro aioli or Mariquitas platano ($3.95). I found them quite addictive. But my favorite was the fritura maiz (5.95) or corn fritters. Topped with parmesan cheese and served with crema fresca, they were delicious crispy and nicely sweet. A must have.

While Jodi had their ensalada tropical ($8.95), one time with queso blanco and one time without, I went for their vaca frita ($16.95), a classic Cuban dish made with crispy seared shredded flank steak, marinated in citrus mojo, and prepared with garlic and red onion. Served in a plantain cup with white rice and black beans, it was very good. Crispy on the outside, but tender inside, the beef with intensely savory, garlicky and citrusy. Another traditional dish I tried was their arroz con pollo a la chorrera ($17.95). This chicken braised in sofrito infused yellow rice with sweet plantains is like a Cuban risotto. I loved it: the chicken was well cooked, and the rice very flavorful, with the plantains adding a nice sweetness. For the price, this was a very good deal considering the generous portion.

With it, I tried their batido, a fruit milkshake that I always get in a Cuban restaurant. Mamey, a tropical fruit also called sapote, is my usual order, and I also tried their mango one. Both were well made and a nice drink to get with food.

For dessert, we tried their tres leches ($4.95) that was nicely sweet, creamy and ultra-moist, and their coconut flan or flan de coco ($4.95), that, although I am not a huge fan of coconut, was pretty good.

We had great food at Rumba Cubana with prices that are reasonable when it comes to what you get in the area. Definitely a place to put on a must explore list.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Rumba Cubana - 235 Pavonia Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Rumba Cubana in Jersey City, NJ

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