This place is BONGOS!! After my run at Green Lake, my friend and I decided to go eat. But what to eat? I did a yelp search and the first photo I saw was the sand, umbrellas and Caribbean themed decor. I was sold! The food also looked delicious. You order inside and you take seat and it gets delivered to you. As for drinks you get a ticket and they serve you your drinks outside. I loved the atmosphere and ambience of this place. I got the desi which was then Caribbean roasted pork. It was delicious. I wish there was more onions like Paseos but this plate definitely felt a lot healthy. Not too much oil and I was not extremely full after. Although it was fake sand I still loved the concept and the food. I see myself coming back multiple times over the summer. read more

Bongos - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

INCREDIBLE food and wonderful setting! The seating area is so cute: it has a beachy theme, and they even put sand down in the outdoor section. The food is cooked to perfection, with elegantly balanced seasoning and authentic flavors. DEFINITELY going back!!! read more

Bongos - Gumbo! - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I am very confused by the rave reviews for Bongos. I got the Bucco Chicken plate and it was just okay. It was so lacking in flavor, when I got home I added my own spices. It tasted like pretty plain grilled chicken. The beans also tasted very basic. The meal was just very plain and not flavorful. If it was cheaper I'd come back, but at the current price it is difficult for me to tell what you are paying for. read more

Got takeout of the "West Indies chicken plate". The food tastes good, but the main course to side ratio was way off. Barely any chicken, but lots of coleslaw, rice and beans. read more

Came down from Vancouver, BC, for a nice night out with family and friends. Was too chilly so we opted to sit inside. I ordered the chicken curry with the beer combo at 5.99, which I chose the yuca fries (delicious) and the African amber. The chicken curry was good but nothing too different as it kind of reminded me of the various Indian curries I've eaten. Hubby got the Trinidad streak, medium rare, and was a tad bit too chewy. Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun here. The outside seating looks awesome and i'd definitely opt for this when the weather is warmer. read more

Bongos - African amber and receipt - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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SOOO GOOD!! I'm only taking down a star because I've been twice and they were not able to make me the desi sandwich I can't wait to try it one day. The Trinidad steak is OUTSTANDING. Whole plate is so juicy, wow wow. You need to try this place, period. read more

Ehhh....not so sure about all these reviews?? Who are you people? Go to Paseo or Un Bien over this place x1000. Food is shall we say..uh...sloppy. Very soggy bread on both sandwiches, mango slaw that barely has any mango, and like 7 (literally) yucca fries for $4? The Desi carnitas tastes like straight up Hungry Joe's sloppy meat stuff. Legitimately. What are all you people on?? Service was fine, but it sure better be for that price. Pay the cost to stay in the hood. It's terrible. Really. I feel gentrified. read more

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Amazing food! Love the atmosphere and location. The sandwiches are delicious. I suggest not tipping more than ten percent because it's a stand in line and bus your own table kind of place. read more

Best shrimp po boy I have had in a while. Not classic style, but still flipping delicious. Excellent bread.. the steak and spicy shrimp bowls also were fantastic. read more

Funky Caribbean restaurant right off Aurora. Parking is a pretty limited and it gets crazy busy on the weekend but the food is worth it. I tried the jerk chicken, which is one if the spiciest dishes I've been served in the Seattle area. It has a long, slow afterburner and was full if flavor. It's a great place to bring kids and I love that you can get almost anything on the menu in a child's portion. read more

Huge fan of this place's atmosphere, not so big a fan of the food. We ordered the Bart with a side of yuca fries and tostones. The sandwich was alright. The bread was already pretty soggy when we opened it from the foil but it did have a lot stuffed it in which was nice - no skimping on the meat here. The yuca fries and tostones were quite bland and we mistook the cilantro aioli for tartar sauce. Fun place, but I don't foresee myself returning. read more

Love this spot on Greenlake for some of the best Caribbean in the city. Every single dish is good but I am partial to the spicy shrimp plate or po-boy. Love their custom sauces and fries too. Dine-in space is limited and outdoor so I do takeout except for when it's a sunny summer day! More of a casual, family-friendly vibe. read more

Fantastic with kids! They have sand and some sand toys. The food is also really good. I always recommend taking friends with kids here for a relaxing dinner. read more

Amazing food and huge portions. Get the desi for sure, it's their best item. We love it here

Rock star staff and delicious menu! The business continues to evolve over time and has some new features every time I stop by. The shrimp plate and sandwich are both perfection. read more

Super cool outdoor dining option (the tables are in fake sand and so it feels like you are at the beach and there is also a fire pit). Ambience aside, the food is INCREDIBLE. The spicy shrimp bowl is so good and so is the ropa vieja. Get a side of maduros! read more

Bongos - Spicy Shrimp Bowl - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wow! Amazing Caribbean food. So delish. There is a sand garden inside. Very chill for casual groups

Ok, so the first time I ate here the food was spot on. This time, it was still great but I have some warnings that didn't come up the first time: - The jerk chicken was enjoyably spicy the first time, but this time it kicked my ass and was quite painful to eat. - If you don't like cilantro, the coleslaw contains CILANTRO. The first time there wasn't enough to tell, but this time it was definitely noticeable :( read more

I am a vegetarian and their Chevolution burger is my favorite burger. Their dining area is also quite pleasant on a warm day, albeit a bit gimmicky. Yuca fries are good too. read more

I've already given Bongos 5 stars which I rarely do but this updates covers new items. I've now eaten my way through about 50% of the Menu. I've now eaten the Desi Sandwich, the 1 AM, Cuban Joe, West Indies, The Bart, Desi Plate, Yucca fries and Maduros - none of it was anything less than stellar. Normally you find a really great restaurant and after sampling everything you settle on "the best" items. The "worst" sandwich I've had at Bongo's would still be a top competitor to the best sandwich in Seattle. We've had the "Bongos vs New Paseos vs Old Paseos vs Chuck Norris with a Bowie knife" conversation. All of my dining partners agree that Bongo's is better than New Paseos and half think it's better than Old Paseos too. That's not an accolade given lightly. We also think Bongo's could probably take Chuck Norris with a Bowie Knife too. My only hesitation to proclaiming Bongo's better than Old Paseos is that one or two of Old Paseos sandwiches were absolutely fantastic - equal to Bongo's. However, Bongos has at least 5 sandwiches of this caliber. Actually five - maybe more - I'll let you know when I try them. Let's get into the food. I won't talk about the Desi since I did that in my previous review. The Cuban Joe (pronounced hyo by our server) is made of slow cooked brisket, house aioli, and cilantro, served on a toasted salted bun. This description does not do this thing justice. They've forgotten to mention magic sauce that makes your eyes droop and the corners of your mouth to sag. The meat is largely inconsequential as they could use pork and it would probably taste the same - it's all about the rest of it. So so much flavor. The toasted salted bun is different than the very tough Saba Roll of the Desi. The toasted salted bun is much softer and if you wait too long will become mush. It's not like waiting too long to eat this will be an issue. However, if you take it to go be aware. The West Indies is Caribbean jerk spiced chicken, served over mango slaw, on a toasted saba roll. Again there's no way you can tell how incredible this sandwich is from this description. I've had jerk chicken before and it's always cloyingly over dry spiced. The West Indies is spicy hot, smooth and there's so many contrasts going on here. It and the Cuban Joe are probably my two favorites. Both fit into the holy crap category. The 1AM is the same Citrus braised pork as the Desi plus sweet ham, swiss cheese, fresh pickled cucumber, cilantro, and stone mustard aioli, served on a toasted saba roll. I hesitate to say this is my least favorite sandwich because the only reason this sandwich isn't my favorite is because the other's exist. If this was all they made it still might be the best sandwich in Seattle. The Citrus braised pork is wonderful if a bit subdued, the sweet ham felt a tiny bit out of place and I'm not sure the cheese really helped plus you don't get the caramelized onions. However, DO NOT take what I wrote too seriously. If I rated the Cuban Joe a 95 on a 0-100 scale the 1AM would be 92. It's actually fantastic - it just doesn't stand up so well to the Cuban Joe and West Indies. The Bart combines the toppings of the Desi and 1AM. This means you get the Citrus braised pork, caramelized onions, pickled jalapenos, banana peppers, ham, pickled cucumbers and mustard aoili on a saba roll. I'd rate this higher than the 1AM because it has the spicy pickled stuff and caramelized onions. The Desi Plate is the Citrus Braised Pork on a plate covered with caramelized onions, with slaw, black beans and rice and maduros on the side. The pork and onions are as good her as the Desi sandwich. The black beans had a nice flavor to them and aren't boring like beans you get with most Latin American meals. The slaw was the biggest letdown and tasted like - slaw.. I was expecting the mango slaw that's on the West Indies which would be awesome. Maduros are plantains that are extremely ripe (black) and then fried and served with cream. The maduro's on the Desi Plate didn't come with cream but even without it they were fantastic. I spent a bit of time in South America (Ecuador, Peru and the Amazon) and they eat plantains for every meal. After coming back to the states I swore I'd never eat another plantain again. I lied, I'd eat these regularly. For reviews of the Yucca fries see my previous review. We haven't tried a the Shrimp Poboy, Pollo Havana or most of the plates but believe me, we're willing. Again, really exceptional. The environment is fantastic, they have booths and tables inside and a fire pit outside as well as tables in sand under a roof. I can't say enough about this place. My only complaint - more beer choices. They have Negra Modelo and last time we did the Coconut Porter which is OK, but had too much coconut for me. Note, they are not open on Mondays AND Tuesdays. read more

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I'm sitting here, haven't even left but I can't wait to come back! I love Caribbean food so much. This place hit the spot. I got the Trinidad steak. It was topped off with fresh chimmichurri with a side of rice, beans, coleslaw and a plantain. Ask for extra chimmichurri AND the jerk sauce! The steak was high quality and so tender. Everything on the plate was so delicious. My fiancé got the Jamaican Chicken Curry! Add some hot sauce in there and this dish is perfect. Everything we got was sooooooo good!!!!! read more

Bongos - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Been coming to Bongos for years and have always loved it. During the pandemic they have had shifty hours that made it hard to know when you could come, but they seem to be stabilizing. Unfortunately removed their best menu item- the Bucco chicken sandwich was to die for. In its absence I recommend the Desi, so long as you like pork. read more

Oh my! This is a gem. We love eating here! It's always good. I mean, they've got options, but, it's pretty standard to get some Yuca fries and a desk sandwich. They flavors are great and there's plenty to choose from or combine. The hot sauces are unique and delicious. The outdoor seating area is pretty cool and there's a fireplace! We come here every couple weeks and have always had good experiences. The staff is nice but often quite busy so it seems like they're under the gun. They have many drinks too and a bar. It's a popular place so they're expanding the indoor area. read more

Dishes are great. Atmosphere feels delightfully outside of the Seattle norm with sand, reggae on repeat, and colorful everything. The sandwich could use a "cleanup on aisle 3" sign to come with it. They make awesome sandwiches, the mess is just something that comes with that in my opinion. The tostones were a bit too dry and had to sauce them the hell up, but plantains are notorious for this problem. read more

Came in on a nice and sunny weekend. It was pretty packed, but had sufficient amount of parking. The inside seating was few, but the outdoor seating was plenty. Also, prepare wearing some sandals with your "not smelly" feet because the outdoor tables are seated on sand! There is an outdoor bar as well. However, they DO NOT serve Sangria with actual rum; rather a premix... (Fruit juice and fruits). However, the food was good, but not best. They have A-OK Yuca Fries, and burgers. The atmosphere is fun on sunny/breezy days but other then that. The food was ok Service is pretty much all self-serve Drinks was ok Vibe was fun Overall, 4 stars based on: Food quality - Good but not great! Service - Self serve Price - Decent... Vibe and seating was fun! read more

Wow! Great food. Very reasonable prices. Fun atmosphere. I'd be a regular if aI loved closer. Two thumbs up. read more

Bongos - Their counter menu. - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious every time! Fun ambiance if eating in during summers. The Desi sandwiches and West Indies plate are our top contenders. Longer wait lately but still a decent price AND bigger portions so always worth it! When family visit, they're always on our list! read more

Bongos is my favorite spot in this area. I honestly don't want to review it, because it already gets a ton of traffic and I don't wanna wait any longer for my sandwich! Lol. But really, the food is too good not to share. The sandwiches are amazing, and the plates are equally as good. And, they are huge! If you're a polite eater (unlike me), you can probably get away with sharing a sandwich or plate. If you enjoy your food (like me), you'd smack any hand reaching for your plate. *smack!* "Oh, heck no! I'm not sharing!" read more

When they're on the ball, they're excellent. Today, they were excellent! Other times, burned bread or not so burned. Or they would have been given five stars. I'm a sucker for a great sandwich. Portion size, flavor, price point came together to form a beautiful synchrony. Gumbo? No bueno. No one beats them, in my opinion for most of their items. Not Paseo or Geo's or that joke of a place in Woodinville, Twisted Cuban. For the last place, just a heads up, because they're owned by a Cuban, doesn't make them good. read more

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We usually love Bongos. But yesterday when we went we sat next to an unhoused man. He started saying sexually explicit and violent things to our two year old daughter including telling her she was "a brat who would die in the dirt" and things about oral sex that I won't repeat. It was very disturbing. He pretty clearly had altered mental status and was acting generally erratically taking his shoes off and pouring water on the table. read more

Very heavy sandwiches if you prefer that. Very limited seating and service: I would have appreciated more seating options.

I'm very particular about eating out but this place was genuinely amazing. Super flavorful and unique food. You have to try this place!!

I was super excited to try this place out! I had ordered one plate, received my buzzer and then sat outside . 30 minutes passed, 45 minutes, and then an hour. As I watched order after order come out, I finally went up to the desk and asked about it. It was sitting there the entire time.. they said they tried to reach me but clearly the buzzer hadn't been working.. I was offered a soda and then they went back to work. I was pretty disappointed that I had waited that entire time to get barley warm food and was kinda brushed off. It was good when I warmed it up at home but that experience for my first time, wasnt a good one sadly. read more

I love Bongos, they have a really cute outdoor area. From the exterior this place sort of looks like a gas station filled with sand. When you walk inside its a very cute atmosphere. The outdoor setup are tables and sand with firepits. The indoor setup is currently not open. Food is decent, jamaican/jerk style but not a lot of spices for that style. Overall rating this place high for the ambiance. read more

So. Freaking. Good. I just ate here and had to write this review. We got the West Indies plate (jerk chicken) and the desi plate (citrus braised pork). The plates come with rice, mango slaw, beans, and a fried plantain. We also made one of them a combo and got the traditional tostones. Everything was delicious. The jerk chicken and the braised pork were both pretty amazing. And the plantains (maduros) were especially yummy. As for the atmosphere, it felt like I was in the Caribbean. They have an outdoor seating area with sand so that it feels like you're at the beach. So cool. I would definitely come back and recommend this place to everyone I know! Update: Get their Jamaican chicken curry!! They have it as a special from time to time. It's so good!! read more

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This was a first experience for my iA & I. I've always wanted to try Cuban, Puerto Rico Caribbean food and this was a great first experience. - Location - I love, love, love the outside! The white sand and the fireplace spot to eat around amazing for a late night date! Loved the music, makes you want to tango. Loved the spray paint art all around. - Food - We asked the gal at the register what to get since it was our first time. We got the Trinidad steak plate & the spicy shrimp plate. The steak was amazing, cooked well and tasty. My spicy shrimp was spicy for me but the flavor was good! - Service - Everyone was so nice and helpful! Overall experience was great, I would love to come back on a nice day to sit on the sand area outside read more

Bongos - So romantic! Nice fire pit to enjoy our dinner. - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Grandes vibraciones. El cajero fue muy amable y servicial.

Yes! I am one of "those people" that constantly drive past Bongos while going back and forth from North Seattle to downtown. I originally saw Samantha G.'s review and bookmarked it for the future. Months passed. Oh, Bongos. I should go there. One day, I was riding with two friends past Bongos and they couldn't stop raving about it. Okay. Gotta remember. Go to Bongos. When we arrived at our destination, I ran into Benjamin H. Guess what he specifically wanted to talk to me about? Bongos. It was a sign and I went that night. If you love pork, get the Desi. Beautiful citrus braised pork with large caramelized onions, jalapenos, banana peppers, aioli and cilantro. Bomb. The saba roll was toasted - crisp outside and tender inside. It held up really well to the flavorful aioli and juices from the meat. I usually don't eat jalapenos and banana peppers in the same dish but it works. I think it may be because the jalapenos are pickled. I don't like onions. However, I've eaten them here because the ingredients work really well together. For $7.99, it's a very good sandwich. I've also had yucca fries with cilantro aioli. They were shaped nicely, formed out of smashed yucca, then breaded and fried. They had a nice texture that was slightly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. At $3.99, the price point seems a bit high for the portion. The spicy shrimp is priced at $8.99 for a plate. It's served with rice, Cuban black beans, mango agave slaw and maduro. The portion is good, shrimp cooked well, and the spice is as advertised. For those of you with milder tendencies, they can modify the amount of spice to accommodate you (I think it's perfect the way it is). The mango agave slaw brings freshness and coolness to the dish that tempers the spice of the shrimp. The beans are hearty and flavorful with smoky flavor. Maduro? Yummy! Firm texture, nice caramelization, and sweetness. Don't let the appearance fool you. Yes, it used to be a gas station. The interior is decorated well and the patio outside is split. There is an open area on the concrete complete with umbrellas to shield you from the sun. There is a covered area that has been transformed into bit of a sand pit. Kids love it! This place is great for groups and families. I've also seen a fair number of people with dogs (2 the last time I went). I'm definitely a fan and find the prices reasonable overall. I'm saddened by the fact that it took me so long to go here. read more

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I had heard so many great things about this place so you can only imagine how extremely disappointed I am to have to give this place two stars. This place looks like it used to be an old gas station. I like what they have done with the place. It's very creative and out of the box. They put a seating area where the gas pumps used to be and put sand in with patio chairs. Makes you feel like you're in paradise. Can't say I've been anywhere else like it. I ordered the Desi Plate since it had the most reviews and the description sounded very promising. Received my order and everything just tasted bland and dry. The pork was dry with not much flavor, it tasted overcooked. The slaw wasn't forgettable and honestly a waste of space on my plate. The rice was dry and some of it was hard like it had been sitting out. The beans had the most flavor but it just tasted like they squirted some BBQ sauce on it and call it good. I also ordered the maduros (fried plantains) and those tasted good, but the sauce tasted like sour cream. Pretty much a cream with no real flavor. The plantains were better by themselves. I spent about $10 on everything and I could've spent that at Paeos with a guaranteed satisfied tummy. read more

Bongos - The desi plate - Cuban Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is quite possibly my favorite or one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. The food is sooo tasty-I could eat this every night. The chicken, steak, and slow roasts are my favorite. I love the combo plates. And the Maduros are amazing. Love. Just live farther away now and can't get to this place as much as I used to. read more