La Rumba (https://www.larumbaasheville.com/) opened three weeks in the location Bonefish Grill previously occupied at 105 River Hills Rd, Suite C, Asheville. If you haven’t been inside, it’s spacious with plenty of seating in two connected dining rooms.
Folks in Hendersonville have been asking, “Where’s Rey?” Previously the Manager at Arabelle, he’s brought his knowledge, energy, and charm to La Rumba as part owner! He welcomed patrons by name, which left me a little embarassed the first couple times because I hadn’t remembered his. It took him a split second to recognize our good friends, Joe and Paula, me, and my husband, since we were in a totally different environment. His eyes smiled (mask) big time as soon as he realized who we were. And this is where I give Joe and Paula credit for finding Ray and asking us along for a meal. So fun!
As soon as you step inside, you’ll get why I say it’s a different type of Latino restaurant. Decor is “classic restaurant”, simple, clean lines, not a lot of clutter. It’s about the food, drinks, and service.
You’ll notice in the gallery below there aren’t a lot of customers. Think 11am and brand new restaurant without much media exposure. Avoid future waits and go now.
Below the gallery is a description of dishes and drinks we sampled. Some aren’t pictured because I was having too much fun and suffered missed the opportunities. All were authentic and good. See the FULL MENU HERE, including “Brunch all Day”.
Pictured:
FIRST: A note about their rice. It’s made using Ray’s grandmother’s recipe. Absolutely flavorful and delicious!
ELOTES: Mexican street corn with mayo, chili powder, queso fresco, and a squeeze of fresh lime. My take: excellent! The corn was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. One of us, who will remain nameless, scooped up extra sauce in a spoon and ate it by itself. If they hadn’t done that, I might have.
EMPANADAS: Three handmade, masa friend stuffed turnovers with chicken, chopped tomato, onions, cilantro, and queso fresco, served with cilantro crema sauce. My take: very good. A lot of food for an appetizer, so folks with “smaller” appetites, go ahead and order for your entree.
BREAKFAST BURRITO: Grilled burrito stuffed with your choice of meat, potatoes, onion, bell pepper, guacamole, queso Oaxaca, bacon, scrambled eggs*, and sour crema. Served with toast. My take: very good!
OCEAN VIEW COCKTAIL: Sugar Island Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Milk. Our take: needs a little recipe tweaking and body for our palates.
AVOCADO TOAST: Grilled sourdough bread, topped with house-made guacamole, radish, queso fresco, and two eggs* your way. My take: the menu says topped with house-made quacamole. It might have been due to some kind of unusual circumstance, but mine was topped with avocado slices in addition to all the other things mentioned. The grilled sourdough is tasty, but very hard to cut through – even with a steak knife. Don’t let this stop you from ordering it!
BREAKFAST PLATE: Traditional breakfast served with two eggs* your way, choice of bacon, sausage, or chorizo, smashed fried potatoes, and toast.
Not Pictured:
PLATANOS FRITOS: With queso fresco and sour crema. My take: delicious! So delicious, I ate most of them on the plate meant for sharing.
HORCHATA: My take: all the cinnamon goodness of classic Horchata. We left with a refill to go!
LOVE POTION COCKTAIL: Tito’s Vodka, Chambord, Ginger Beer, Muddled Raspberries. My take: If you know me, you probably guessed this was my cocktail, since it has Ginger Beer in it. It’s light and refreshing. It would be good any time, but I’d definitely get this during warmer weather.
La Rumba
105 River Hills Rd, Suite C
Asheville, N.C. 28805
828-505-2128
