Havana Rumba & Tapas Bar

Eating at Havana Rumba is like eating at my Cuban friends houses when I lived in Miami. About as authentic and good as it gets.
Tonight we started off with Banana Coladas, which are a frozen version of a piña colada with a banana flavor, served in a fluted glass and the rim coated in caramel and toasted coconut and a pineapple garnish. Mighty tasty! Thank goodness they don’t serve it at Dairy Queen!
We had three dinners: the Camarones al Ajillo, the Havana Club Sandwich, and the Vaca Frita. I can only speak to the Vaca Frita, which was my dinner. It is a seasoned fried beef with sautéed vegetables, onions and peppers and even included pickled onions. It came with traditional Cuban sides of black beans and rice and fried plantains. Everything was prepared just about perfect. The beef was tender and had good flavor, not over seasoned. The black beans and rice were like your abuela would make. I have to consciously slow myself down when I eat here because I can’t eat it fast enough.
Dinner was finished off with Tres Leches desert that was just right, not too sweet, or too wet.
The only complaint I have is with the Cuban coffee. In most Cuban households I’ve dined in, the coffee is almost a ritual. I’ve seen grown men argue over who makes the best coffee and the best way to make it. When it’s made right, Cuban coffee is a sweet, smoothe, froth-​topped wonder. But, what I got was thin, not much froth, and the sugar was left undissolved at the bottom of the cup. To complete a true Cuban experience, that coffee needs to be done right.
Our server was Sara, who was very attentive, great attitude and worked hard to make dinner a good experience. When she found out it was my birthday, she bought over the staff, including congas, to sing Feliz Cumpleaños. A good wait person really contributes to the whole experience and we really appreciated Sara.
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When I need my Cuban food fix, this is the place.

Ok let me preface this by saying …
#1. Cuban food is all the rage these days AND
#2. I am from Tampa Florida and have eaten and loved Cuban food my entire life
So yes-​Cuban in Louisville? Of course I was leery.
Started out with the chorizo/​beef cheese dip appetizer. Not bad but nothing I would describe as «Cuban». Never seen anything like it and it had guacamole in it. I don’t think I’ve seen guacamole in a Cuban place in my entire life. It came with long cut fried plantains pretty good. I’d try it again
Mouse got the roast pork which was as good as any I’ve had in Miami or west tampa or Ybor city. Perfect! Juicy! Real McCoy! I had the palomilla which came with onions. Now traditionally where I come from this steak is usually breaded (not always) but the onions are grilled but still firm. These onions were like something on a Philly cheesesteak-​cooked to mush. Not bad but not «authentic» IMHO. Steak was tasty and the black beans were most surely homemade and not from a can. Little heavy handed on the bay leaf but that’s how they make them there and I can’t argue with that. They were good. Plantains were good as well. The bread they served had absolutely nothing in common with Cuban bread. It was a nice soft loaf of French bread or something but surely not Cuban bread. I will have to try a Cuban sandwich and see how it stands up but I cannot imagine it could be anything close if it’s on a soft bread like that. Real Cuban bread is hard as a rock on the outside and super soft inside. It’s truly one of the best things about a Cuban or Spanish restaurant in Florida.
I will have to cut them some slack as I’m sure the closest Cuban bakery to here is probably in North Tampa.
I’m also surprised they didn’t have Cuban or Spanish classics like arroz con pollo or salteado.
Ok I’m being picky and littoral and probably acting a bit superior here. The place is real cute, food is good and the staff was nice despite the crowds. Yes crowds. They are obviously doing something right here!
Anyway, if you ever get to Tampa or Miami (and those two cities only-​not Sarasota or Ft Myers they won’t have it) get some real Cuban bread and Cuban sandwiches.
I am anxious to go back and get the charrasco steak. I will certainly be back.

Absolutely the best food and service in the Highlands! Expanded veggie menu is a plus. Drinks are amazing and inexpensive. Service is exceptional. Friendly place.

Havana Rumba is the restaurant I’ve talked about to many friends, but I’ve only been a few times. Each time that I go, I smack myself for not making it to this gem more.
The food is the highlight. I’ve had a traditional pork meal from Havana Rumba that knocked my socks off. It’s everything I have come to expect when eating Cuban food. The fish dish is my favorite. It’s marinated to perfection with herbs and cilantro and comes out with a green tint, which was initially a turn off for me. The minute I tasted it though, I was hooked. It’s the best grilled fish I have ever had.
The sides are great as well. The black beans, plantains, and rice come with most of the meals, and each has their own tasty unique flavor. The guacamole comes with plantain chips that are a great alternative boring tortilla chips.
The drinks are also fantastic. The margaritas are well crafted as a perfect polygamous marriage between ice, tequila, and lime. They have many variations on this favorite, I suggest the sangria margarita. The swirl of these flavors left me happier than I have been on any Monday in quite some time.
This location seems small from the outside but is nicely sized to be inside a small shopping mall. The atmosphere is inviting, and casual. The service was fantastic. I never waited for any of my food, I was surprised at how fast everything was in fact.

WOWE.
started off with mojitos. I had two. They’re very strong – be warned. Or don’t be warned. Be tough. Get two mojitos. Everything tastes better after two mojitos.
My table decided to split a bunch of tapas. I got the bacon and chorizo skewers, and let me say… that might have been the best thing i’ve ever put in my mouth. i swear. bacon. wrapped. chorizo. skewers. GAWD.
i also got the patatas bravas… what ever garlic aioli they use on everything; i want to bathe in it. incredible.
we also go the guac and plaintain chips, and yucca fries. everything was phenomenal, but let me say… once i had the skewers, it was like meeting the love of your life. nothing even compares afterwards, really.
As far as ambience there were drummers and it was loud and incredibly busy. we waited for about thirty minutes, but did i mention i had two mojitos?
really enjoyed myself!

I came here with coworkers for Cinco de Mayo, and loved it! Killer mojitos, crispy plantains with chorizo-​queso dip, and delicious meats simmered with veggies. If you are looking for a step up from the basic Mexican restaurant — come here! Cuban flair and incredible flavors.

Love the food!!! I like that I can go light or heavy when it comes to the food. I have the option to go vegetarian or you can get meat. The ensaladas are yummy and my favorite fish tacos are delicious.

Wonderful meal and I love the noisy musical atmosphere cause I was out for just that, great drinks, wonderful food, and a marvelous server, I could not find anything wrong (bathroom wait on a crowd night but I was good) come and enjoy the sights and sounds, taste the Cuba and leave feeling real good.

Parking is a bust but you can find decent parking spots adjacent to it in the neighborhoods nearby. Atmosphere is great. Live entertainment. $ 5 mojitos, margaritas, & sangrias served daily. The tapas plates were good & well-​priced. There’s something for everyone.

Can never say enough good things about this place. Went with 11 friends for lunch and everything was perfect! Vaca Frita. Best I’ve ever had.

Had a delicious and fun dinner at Havana Rumba this weekend!
We chose to try HR out after a friend from the area raved about the margaritas– and for good reason. They were generously portioned and not too saccharine-​sweet. We started out with plantain chips and guac. The plantain chips were still warm from being freshly made and the guacamole hit the spot. I had to stop myself from eating too much before our entrees were brought out so I’d still have room! I had the veggie sub with a side of black beans– the Cuban bread was very flaky and delicious!
Our waitress was attentive, funny, and friendly– all around great service. I will be back next time I’m in Louisville!

Since today is National Empanada Day, I decided that a visit to Havana Rumba was needed! It was the first time I came to this location; I absolutely loved the experience and, the food, as always, did not disappoint! We were going to order the empanada appetizer but our server, Noël, suggested we have the empanadas listed on the lunch menu as these came with a side; great suggestion as we were able to order some Tostones and Maduros for less (if you haven’t tried them before, you better get to it!). I also ordered the Cubano Sandwich with the Yuca Frita which were both were delicious and very fresh. I must say that our server Noël was fantastic; he was extremely friendly, very knowledgeable, and definitely went above and beyond our expectations. He made sure to come check on us often and was quite attentive because after noticing that my husband loved the dipping sauce that came with the sweet potato fries, he brought some in a little to-​go container to put in the box with the leftovers. Awesome experience, can’t wait to go back!

Everything here is authentic right down to the personnel. They have live music on weekends. Their drinks are also awesome. Their desserts are real! Please order yuka with sauce. The congri is my favorite (rice with black beans cooked together) and cafecito to finish.

Really love the atmosphere of this place! As with the other Havana Rumba locations, they often have live music, which makes it even more fun. The tapas here are unique and always tasty. I can’t remember the name of anything I have ordered, except the tamale. But, I’ve never had anything bad. The drinks are always incredible too!

Havana Rumba. Oh how I love you. Let me count the ways…
1) You’re nice a clean. I like the artwork. I like the décor generally. Your atmosphere is on point.
2) You have a really nice bar area. I doubt you get very busy with people tearing it down, but it is a nice place to tear one down. The bar would be completely yours.
3) Your food is outrageous. Genuinely some of the most flavorful food that I’ve ever laid atop my taste buds, and subsequently allowed to slide down my gullet, and subsequently allowed my stomach to digest and flow through my small intestine, and subsequently flow through my large intestine and out my rectum, and subsequently flushed into the Greater Louisville sewer system.
4) The price wasn’t bad.
I guess you can say that I’ll be back. Like, shyeah!
Don’t ask me what I got. The menu items were in Spanish. I didn’t memorize them. I just read the ingredients, pointed to it, and ate it when it was placed before me. It was all delicious.

This my go to restaurant for date night! There is always live music, and the servers are super friendly! It’s difficult to decide between tapas or an entrée. You won’t be disappointed no matter what you decide!

Amazing food and amazing atmosphere! Loved trying this place for the first time. I am sure we will go back!

Had the Pollo champianas. OMG. TOTALLY FREAKING AMAZING. Live music. Friendly staff. Amazing food. Had the sampler platter. Steak tacos. Pork sandwich. Everything was amazing.

Ate her with some high school friends — a group of about 10. The food came out super fast and was so tasty! I have the ropa veja (sp) which was shredded beef, olives, peppers in a creole sauce, YUM! It cam with plantains and beans and rice. It was so delicious. I have visited the other locations and this is just as good as those, I don’t think there is a bad item on the menu!!!
The only knock is the parking on Bardstown rd. The one CVS lot big enough for the overflow threatens to tow people. They need more parking for the shops right in there.

My boyfriend and I tried this spot last night for the first time for date night and we can’t wait to go back! We sat at the bar which had a really nice atmosphere. The bartenders were super friendly and had some great recommendations.
Neither of us had ever tried true Cuban food before but the tapas we had were FANTASTIC! Awesome shrimp ceviche served with plantain chips, a queso dip that was on special, a crab cake tapas, and tacos… the tacos! Such amazing tacos!
Loved the guy playing live music!
Overall a really great experience. We will most definitely be returning and may even become regulars. :)

This is an awesome place, food, service and the place itself are outstanding. Had the fricase de pollo, it was delicious!!!

This place was amazing! Tim found Havana as rated #1 in Louisville on Trip Advisor… I still haven’t convinced him to switch to Unilocal… so we stopped in for lunch before heading to the airport. It’s right on Bardstown, which is close to many other great restaurants and shops.
All of the food was delicious, as were the drinks :) We split our appetizer, steak tacos, and a Havana Rumba sandwich (with sweet potato fries). We can’t wait to come back to try more. Check out the photos I posted too.

Here’s a clue — when the staff are energetic and happy to have you there, the restaurant is generally busy at all times, it’s a reflective vibe of the cuisine/​culture represented, the staff can pronounce the food names correctly and they have fresh plantation chips, guacamole and salsa you had me at 5 stars. We had the Tapeo Criollo which was the tapas sampler and it was a great way to do a light lunch/​snack. The chorizo and the empanadas were by far my favorite along with the overall service.

My all time favourite Cuban restaurant in the world! I always get the vegetarian panini and I am never disappointed with it.
It’s right on Bardstown which is such a cute street. I love Louisville in general and this is an adorable restaurant. The food is delicious, the drinks are amazing, the waiters and waitresses are so friendly and very welcoming.

Stopped here one night just for tapas. We pretty much tried them all. The queso fundido was perfect. The tostones were also delicious, hidden under a mountain of cheese and chicken. The empanadas were full of flavor and we could’ve easily had five more.

Way to go Unilocal!
Looking for lunch with our team (3 people) and we found Havana. Ordered from the lunch menu and as we wrap up it seems like we will have to roll out of the booth and cart ourselves away via a large forklift… and we still have leftovers.
The dishes are flavorful and the portions are massive. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable.
We were in town for work and ate at good local restaurants (all 3/​thanks to Unilocal). Havana was by far the best.

Lovely little Cuban restaurant that serves the best fish tacos and guacamole. The servers were on point with fantastic service. The beers were cold and food was hot. Lovely atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. My husband ordered the crab cakes and they were full crab and he said they were very good.

I went here tonight, and LOVED it!
First of all, happy hour on Monday and Tuesday is 5PM until close with $ 2 off mojitos, margaritas, and sangria. I had the peach sangria, which was as delicious as it sounds, and perfect for a summer night.
Then we ordered the guac and plantain chips for a starter… DELICIOUS! If you’ve never had plantain chips you will love them. If you have, they pair amazingly with guacamole.
For my meal I ordered two hot tapas: the chicken empanadas and tostones con pollo. Both were amazing. I love empanadas and these ones were perfect: not too flaky and the chicken was seasoned well. The sauce accompanying the empanadas was not necessary but a great add. The tostones was great as well, but again you can’t go wrong with that: essentially a bed of cheese and salsa on top of chicken and plantains – if you haven’t noticed yet, I love plantains. However, it was a lot of food, and I ended up bringing a lot of it home.
My friends loved their sandwiches, the Cuban and the Havana Rumba, as well as the sweet potato fries that came with. They said the ceviche was also great here!
I’m so excited to come back. I want to try the Pollo al Mojo.

The vibe just keeps getting better and better here. Havana Rumba is my all time favorite restaurant in the Louisville area and probably of anywhere. I have taken so many people here and feel as if I’m family. I’ve had so many birthdays here with various friends and children. I have 5 daughters and whenever they are in town this is their first request!
The food, awesome! The staff, awesome! The owners, awesome! The value, beyond awesome!

The banana pina coladas with rum are refreshing and so yummy! I ambiance is upbeat with live music playing. The plantain chips with guacamole is my favorite appetizer. The food is also very tasty! I ordered the chicken dish loaded with cheese and salsa. The plate was huge! I’ve had 4 meals out of this dish. I like to come here with to celebrate birthdays and dine with good friends.

Kapasa mi amigos/​amigas!
Being that I’m from the capital of cubano food (Tampa, Florida) I was really dying for some good authentic Cuban food, this place did not disappoint!
I had the cubano sandwich which had the right amount of crisp, perfectly seasoned pork and just enough cheese to tie it together perfectly!
The yuca frites were delish and they made this green sauce which was amazing!
Maduros were perfectly sweet. I wish I had room for dessert!
Hasta Luego!

I remember being so happy when this location opened in the Highlands. I was living very near there at the time and have always loved eating at Havana Rumba (in st matthews). I will say that this place has gone through some changes since it first opened in the neighborhood. I am glad that they have settled in their spot and have consistency now. The tapas menu is separate from the regular menu. You will see the same options on the regular menu as you would at the other locations… the tapas is an extra plus exclusive to this location!
I love the vegetarian empanadas and the guacamole. I was sad on my last visit to see the hummus trio off the menu. It was fantastic! I almost always order a side of the congris, which is a mixture of rice and black beans. So yummy!
They also have great happy hour deals through the week. Mondays and Tuesdays is $ 5 margaritas, mojitos and sangria all day. Wednesday and Thursday (don’t think Friday and Saturday are included) is $ 5 for the above mentioned drinks from 5p-​7p. They also have beer specials as well, though I cannot remember them off the top of my head. This place has one of the best margaritas in town (same ones as their other restaurant, Mojito as well). Order the original on the rocks and you will be blown away. Good stuff!
Service is always friendly at Havana Rumba too. If you have somehow never dined here… go now. And have a drink during happy hour! :)

The guac and plantains were SO good! Crispy and perfectly done! The salad was fine, nothing notable. The chicken comes in long thin strands so that was a bit odd… It seemed very processed. I don’t know any chicken breast that is as long as those strips… Those would be some odd chickens! The service was good.

This is a great cuban place in the Highlands. My favorite picks are:
*Drink — Margarita
*Appetizer — Guacamole (comes with plantain chips… yum!)
*Salad — Ensalada Tropical
*Entrée — Vaca Frita — If you like beef
If you go for just tapas, I really don’t think you can go wrong. I’ve had several tapas here and liked all of them.
Also, I’ve had great customer service. During one visit the Vaca Frita, which I get every time I go, didn’t taste right. When I asked the waiter if they changed the recipe or something, he said that they must have just not made it quite right. Not only did they bring me a new entrée, they also made a second one for me to take home and didn’t charge us for my meal at all. Can’t get much better than that!

Another business meal out while visiting Louisville. We decided to try a Cuban restaurant and once seated we saw a 2 page tapas menu and decided to order multiple items for our table of 6. Everything came out about 2 at a time allowing us to try some before the next item served but before we knew it we had no space on the table. We tried 2 types of salad, and several other dishes unfortunately I cannot remember the names but one was meatballs soaked in a delicious thick sauce, fried plantains with guacamole which was my absolute favorite. We had vegetable and chicken empanadas and fried green tomatoes with an amazing cheese topping.
All the food was very fresh and pleasing to the eye, nose, and palate. My hips aren’t happy but my stomach was. The group ordered 2 dessert which I did not try but they said were delicious.
Great food with excellent service. The 4 stars are because the restaurant was so cold you had to wear your coat during your meal to be comfortable. In fairness to the restaurant Louisville had record lows tonight so may be out of their control but it did detract a little from the overall dining experience.

Absolutely delicious food and an excellent location, if I do say so myself.
If you’re a fan of the other two locations, you won’t be disappointed by the Highlands location of Havana Rumba. I have to admit that the service is hit or miss here, but you can’t go wrong with the food. Some of my favorites are the guacamole with plantain chips, empanadas, and Fricase Pollo. And you can’t miss the combination of black beans and rice!