Amazing! Love the sandwiches that rival (and beat) a close competitors ;) They're fresh, huge and not as messy as ^^ competitors. Also, LOVE the outdoor sand and seating area for our toddler. read more

I would probably like this place more if they didn't consistently run out of food at dinnertime. Come on guys - pork is your thing. You should have enough to last through dinnertime. Running out before 3pm is kind of ridiculous. Good food - great food even - but I should be able to come to eat or call in for take out and actually get what I want. read more

The desi is hands down the best cuban sandwich I have ever had. Service can be slow sometimes because they get pretty busy. This place is definitely worth trying at least once! read more

Great food! Love the casualness of the place. The meals are so so good. It is a popular place so you might have to wait in line. Well worth the wait! read more

Very tasty. The food and service was excellent, not to mention the menu is quite reasonably priced.

Bongos is as good as Un Bien. Some of their sandwiches are better. There. I said it. I miss when no one knew about this place, but I'm glad that they're getting business and can stay open. Just not looking forward to them being on a food show and then having to stand in line every time I want a Ropa Vieja. Rare in the whiteness that is Seattle. A gem. read more

Bongos is good. Definitely a unique restaurant with food to offer that I don't usually eat. The yuca fries are AMAZING when hot, and the mango slaw was delish. I love the outdoor area, real beachy feel with actual sand. You do not feel like you are right off Aurora. Maybe I'm not used to the style of Carribean food, but my boyfriend and I got the Trinidad steak and the Bucco chicken plate, and I felt both meats were over-charred. The chicken was the better of the two. The steak was super chewy and had tasted like it had no seasoning, not even salt, so my 4 stars goes to the chicken. I don't know if we'll go back, but I would recommend at least trying it! read more

Located right next to Green Lake, Bongos is a local gem. We came here on the recommendation of a friend who lives in the neighborhood. When you first walk in, the setting seems a little surreal. From the outside, you see a walled inside area, but as you walk in, you're presented with a wooden walkway surrounded by tables sitting in sand. The entire courtyard is, in fact, a sand "beach." The inside walls are covered with murals of life in the Caribbean, a nice touch. We ordered a veggie platter, Ropa Vieja and Boca Chicken. Ropa Vieja was moist, delicious and not too spicy, the rice and beans were excellent and the plantains outstanding. Our kids enjoyed the veggie plate, which consisted of maduros, yucca fries and plantains, again, with rice and beans. Boca Chicken was dressed with a super-tasty tangy mango salsa. We ordered a nice IPA and a Lager, and enjoyed our dinner outside. If you're in the neighborhood, you owe it to yourself to check this place out. We loved it. read more

Love the food. But... Just 3 stars due to their failure to abide by the Bite Squad rules of charging the same amount in-restaurant as they charge via Bite Squad. read more

The food is excellent but I've heard thru the grape vine that a new kitchen manager is being hired. This is a huge mistake the lady can't manage a bowel movement. Don't hire her you will regret hiring her just giving you a heads up. read more

Their meat is more flavorful than Un Bien, and their sides are generally better (unless it's roasted corn season) (the old Paseo) - there I said it. If they served a better, more Un Bien-like bun, and added roasted corn to their menu, they would hands down dominate the market. read more

One visit, one experience, and a cold food was enough never to go back. I find it insulting and a health risk for restaurants or anyone to present their customers or guest with a cold food. read more

Bucco chicken is AMAZING! Also delicious maduros. My friends had jerk chicken and brisket and everything was great. All plates come with slaw, beans, and rice. I definitely recommend getting extra maduros. I also quite enjoyed the goofy atmosphere with the sandy eating area. read more

Went there yesterday wait in line 35 no big deal after I ordered my food 47 minutes waiting that's ridiculous a few employees just talking in the kitchen seems like no boss around the owners arrive and everyone start doing their jobs food and place excellent but there needs to be someone to make sure customers don't suffer to much over 80 minutes for one dinner it's wait to much . read more

Fantastic addition to the North Seattle food scene! Love the atmosphere and most importantly the food. Some of the best Cuban food I've had - we think it tops Paseo in its heyday. Big bonus is that in the summer the big sand pit/dining area is incredibly kid friendly. Great for toddlers who refuse to sit in the chairs! For adults, it gives off a great beach vibe. Warning though: expect long lines at peak dinner times. Word is getting out that this place is good. Good thing they serve beer to sip on while you wait. :-) read more

If you're looking for tasty dishes, relaxed atmosphere and good vibes Bongos is it! While Bongos is casual dining (order at the front then find a place to sit) their food is absolutely delicious! I love the plantains to start and then the spicy jerk chicken! They have a diverse menu with a lot of options and it's a great way to step out of your usual food selections! Service varies, I've waited between 10-30 minutes for food but everyone is enjoying themselves so the time passes quickly! Only thing I find off putting is the sand because I don't believe there's any way to clean it and I've seen a lot of food, children, dogs and toes in it so I usually opt for one of the other tables. read more

I ordered the pork roast bowl (sorry can't remember the name). The beans and the pork were salty but over all good. It came with a soda and a side of plantains with a spicy pineapple sauce. The pineapple sauce was tasty; however, the plantains were too oily for my taste. The bill came to ten dollars and if the plantains would have been good and larger in quantity then it would have been worth that price, but alas they were not. read more

I've been to Bongo's three times now and loving it more and more with each visit!! First time I had the "sloppy joe" styled sandwich. It has spicy pulled pork with a mole sauce and hint of chocolate and delicious cole slaw! All together it was amazing on a Macrina toasted roll. I also got the to tostones with pineapple salsa. They were sweet, and salty and hit the spot! They've got an excellent combo deal which I suggest you try! For $1.50 more you get tostones or maduros and a drink! Second time I decided to get the One A.M. This sandwich is my favorite so far. It comes with pulled pork, cilantro, HOMEMADE PICKLES (which are amazing!!!), an amazing tangy sauce and jalapeños. I dream of this sandwich often! It comes on a macrina roll also. This time I got it with the maduros, and I'm in love! They come with a great salsa, spicy sweet! And for my third visit, I decided to get the Bongo Burger! Great price, 6.99! To start, it was on an amazing bun, toasted perfectly. It has homemade aioli, pineapple salsa, cilantro, and an amazing chorizo burger. I loved every bite of my burger, and did not want to share! Needless to say, this is becoming a favorite sandwich shop of mine! Go there! Eat it up! read more

My husband and I are regulars. We love the Desi and 1AM sandwiches. The hamburger is also great. I love the spicy ketchup. The maduras are a must. The sauce is perfect. I highly recommend giving Bongos a try. read more

I think Bongos will be my new spot in the neighborhood. When we arrived at Bongos there was a line of six-eight in front of us and a group of 20 sitting waiting for food. Made us a little nervous but, we wanted to wait it out. We were glad we did. The guys working were super friendly - not the in your face/trying to hard kind of friendly. And although there were plenty of people who arrived before us, our food came out relatively quickly and was quite tasty!! The plaintain chips were awesome! Will definitely be coming in again! read more

The food gets better every time I eat here! The maduros are highly recommended. I suggest trying the chevolution burger. Excited to have them open up outside seating this summer. Great new spot in Greenlake! read more

What a great place to get a Cuban sandwich! The 1AM sandwich is my go-to. There is a sand pit outside for dining which really sets the mood, the fence blocks off the view of Aurora. Rivals Paseo for their quality and flavor. I can't wait for the happy hours to start. Matt, the proprietor offers great service and a friendly face. Do yourself a favor if you're in Greenlake, go to Bongos. read more

Bongos is the best! Better than Paseo! The guy that runs the place is awesome! First time I went in he gave me and my friend free plantains and free apple sodas just because we hadn't tried them yet! He hired this guy who was living out of his van behind the restaurant because he became friends with him and still lets him park in the same spot! He is a wonderful man and his positive attitude emulates into his food! He hired a local graffiti artist to do the logos and the decor is so awesomely dive. If you haven't eatin here yet please do! Try the Desi! read more

I was skeptical at first, since this place is basically a renovated gas station on Aurora Ave. But the owner was super friendly, everything was clean, and best of all, the food was superb. I ordered the Desi sandwich and yucca fries, which reminded me of my days in Peru. Quite tasty. And the best part about Bongos? There's no line, because everybody's busy standing around at Paseos. read more

Sorry I waited so long. Pollo Havana sandwich is better than the sacred Fiery Thigh sandwich from the now-defunct place of worship, Paseo. No ridiculous line. Ample seating. Amped-up front man seemed genuinely interested we were there and explained all the menu choices. Buddies each had the Desi sandwich. Triply dazzled! The special is a sandwich, half a side and a soda...$11.49. We all ended up with black beans and rice so now I need to take my wife and check out the plantains and fries. Half a side was mondo! The building has been a gazillion different enterprises since the 60's. I hope Bongo's is the last venture to occupy the space. Live long and prosper, Mahn! Only thing l'd ask is for condiments (hot sauce) and napkins out on the tables. read more

I'd choose Bongos' maduros to be the side dish of my last meal on this Earth. 'Nuff said.

Good Food, NOT Cuban The food and service were good, but as anyone familiar with Cuban food would tell you, it was not Cuban. The food tasted more Mexican than Cuban, they clearly don't use the correct spices for Cuban food. Overall I would recommend this place, just don't expect traditional Cuban. read more

The food is great! I just came from 30 years in Miami and this food is authentic! Cute place on Aurora with great murals being painted on the inside. Need some music to down out traffic outside. We'll be back. Glad we finally stopped, by the way, it was the smell driving by that made us stop (and I'm so glad we did!) Enjoy! read more

If you could give 0 stars I would. After a 45 min wait for my meal I was immediately disappointed with the food. My chicken was simply grilled and drenched in hot sauce. Mind you I enjoy hit sauce. I also enjoy tasting my food. My girlfriend ordered steak medium. It was rare. Like it had possibly spent 60 seconds on a grill top and sent to my table. Overall a complete waste of my time and money. Happy Fathers day bongos. read more

Love this place. Order the Desi plate and don't look back. They also have Trickster on tap which I'm a large fan of!

Soooooo good! In my opinion it's better than Paseo's (too much hype). Here's a sandwich that is flavorful, filling, and massive but not unnecessarily messy. They have a decent variety of meat and topping combinations to choose from and you can mix and match for no extra charge. Also their burger is one of the best burgers I've had in Seattle! Plus they have a outside seating area with a sandy patch to dig your feet into. read more

Flavor was excellent, but order was wrong, and sandwiches were soggy when they got here (maybe amend the recipe for delivery-- hold the jus?) Also, there was a long red hair in my Desi Plate! Gross. Thankfully, BiteSquad was gracious enough to refund our order. read more

Best Caribbean restaurant in Seattle, The owners are very friendly. Really good food, I go to eat at this place once a week, sometimes 2 times a week. The food is delicious. I would recommend this restaurant any time. read more

Love Bongos... food is delicious, staff are incredibly nice. Only downside is a bit of a wait, but I guess you can't rush the delicousness. Definitely a hidden gem. read more

Came here and immediately loved it. Im from Florida so I wanted some authentic cuban food and let me tell you what this was the place!!!!

Well, I was happily impressed with the food, the price and the physical environment. My daughter raved about this place and here I was just a few blocks away. Had to call her, set up a lunch date on the fly...worked out great! I like what they did to the building to hide the fact that it was a gas station and auto repair shop in the past. The openness and natural finishes are refreshing. The Bart and Maduros were both tasty and filling. Yum Yum! I will definitely go back and take a friend. read more

THEBOMB.COM If you crave Caribbean food like me... THIS IS THE PLACE! Super delicious jerk chicken and I LOVE their plantain chips! Everything I've ever tried here has been amazing! In the summer you can relax on their makeshift beach which used to be a gas station. It's fun if you have kids cause they have sand... and what kid doesn't love sand? It's also right across the 99 from Greenlake, so after you burn some calories on your run... you can come here and add some back on! :) I hope one day they will add escovitch fish & festival to the menu! Fingers crossed! read more

Have you heard about the best Cuban pork sandwich in town? It isn't the Caribbean roast at Um Bien or Pesos, it is the Desi at Bongos. The pork is amazing, and they serve it on a nice lightly toasted ciabatta roll! Oh ,did I mention they have a patio with a nice little beer selection?! read more

I went in for diner on a Friday, which i had never done before. The place was packed and full of happy people. I get up to the register and order. A minute later i was told they were out of what i ordered. I was sooooooooo bummed until they painlessly took another order from me and bent over backwards to make it right. They even gave me some extra sides. I left even happier than i started. I will continue to eat here until The end of time. read more

The Desi is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had in my life. The people who work there are kind and courteous. The outside patio allows dogs which is nice is if you are an animal lover. A MUST TRY in Seattle. read more