Just had their Pollo sandwich with potatoes and escabeche sauce. Great sandwich with chicken, slaw with aji Huacatay sauce, fried shoe string potatoes. The sandwiches here are so good and so much better than the usual sandwich or sub. Highly recommend this place!!! read more

This is a great place to go if you are gluten-free! They can transform any of their tasty sandwiches into salads and they are DELICIOUS!!! Amazing passion fruit drink and the chicken was very tender!! Will eat here again! read more

Best sandwiches in Washington. And i make sandwiches for a living. Im changing my career as of tomorrow. Why even eat a sandwich if it isn't from Cafe Rumba? If you come across this review, do yourself a favor, and try a sandwich. Thank you to the two ladies that made my day. I live 2 hours away from their restaurant and it was totally worth the drive. read more

I love this place I love the butifarras and I love the alfajores has a good service, the owner is very friendly,must stop here is really good place. read more

Cafe Rumba - Love this place. - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Expect a messy delicious meal! I had the fish tacos and they were amazing - lots of fresh fish, well seasoned, the slaw was crispy and freshly made. My husband had the breakfast sandwich and it was hot, mildly spicy, messy and delicious. Some have complained about the mess and that they had to wait for their food. Yes, it took longer than Subway but it was clearly made from scratch. As for messy? Just ask for extra napkins!! read more

Grabbed lunch here with the family after a tour at Western Washington University. Had a couple of sandwiches and the fish tacos. Both excellent. The sandwich was one of the best I've ever had. Not cheap at $15 but really worth it! Staff there were also very nice! read more

These are our favorite sandwiches in town! The house-made bread, the spicy aioli, the juicy pork - delicious. We always get the same sandwich and it's always amazing. Sandwiches come with a side of potatoes and aioli. Breakfast sandies are tasty as well but I recommend lunch. The desserts we've tried were ok but not mind blowing. Sometimes the wait can be brutal, but it's worth the wait. read more

Probably one of the most underrated place in Bellingham! Sandwiches are so delicious and come with a side of potatoes or salad! The number 2 and 4 are my go-to favorites and they're full of flavor and different from any other sandwich I've had. Perfect and filling meal it's just a little on the pricey side of ranging from $9 - $13 but worth it! read more

This place is still one of our favorites in Bellingham! It is so unique. Their potato side with the spicy sauce is craveworthy goodness. It seemed a bit dirtier and noisier than I remember and it was a good 45 minutes before our sandwiches came out. We were questioning our love for the place and then the sandwiches came out and we immediately forgot all that. The sandwiches put you in such a state of savory bliss that nothing else really matters for a while. read more

Cafe Rumba - Peruana - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Very disappointing. Lousy food, rude crap service. Not worth eating there if they were giving the food away.

This place is outstanding. We are visiting from LA and happened to find it. I had the pulled pork sandwich and my wife had roasted pork royal with egg. We traded half they were both delicious. I don't know what they put in that secret sauce but it is the best and it has a little kick to it as well. Wish we lived close by or I would definitely go back. read more

Delicious #2 also there Queso is the bomb! Great service to boot!

This place is a hidden gem! Well, not hidden. It's on a main road but it's so good & I cannot believe it took me this long to try it. Very cozy atmosphere, great food & helpful staff. They explain anything you don't understand. They have sandwiches, soup, salad, breakfast sandwiches & pastries. I had the pavo with turkey, spinach, red onions, and a great salsa sauce. It came with potatoes that had an amazing sauce that is both spicy & flavorful! I will be craving them soon. I also tried the passion fruit juice which was good. read more

Cafe Rumba - Pavo sandwich & papa potatoes - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Wait, wait and wait some more didn't think it would take an hour to get a sandwich but this place proved me wrong...

I am so not familiar with Peruvian food, but these sandwiches are good! The veggie one is delicious and my boyfriend really enjoyed his (I don't remember what he got, but it had multiple meats on it). I'm not a huge fan of the potatoes, though - maybe a bit bland? But, in terms of food options available in Bellingham, this is definitely more on the interesting side! Located on the edge of downtown closer to campus, it's an easy walk from WWU's campus. There's both indoor and outdoor seating, and nice big windows in the front. read more

We called 23 minutes ahead. We waited at least another 15 minutes for them to make our order. We were the only customers. We had a #2 and #5 sandwich. Both were very spicy. #5 was barely edible. We paid ~27 for the 2 sandwiches. read more

Favorite sandwich place downtown especially since I'm a vegetarian. They're to die for my mouth is literally watering as I type this. Plus sandwiches come with a side of yummy potatoes. Keep an eye out for the daily sandwich deal for a discounted price too! read more

Food is consistently amazing, a delicious addition to downtown Bellingham! Tables are consistently dirty (sticky, crumbs) every time I have been... Brought my out-of-town Peruvian friend here and she was impressed with menu/quality. Colorful local art on the walls! read more

I walk in and order my meal. I'm told there's a 30 minute wait which is fine...Two people plus a family order after me, get there food, and there taking their sweet time!! You have 4 people working in a kitchen and 9 people at their tables of those which 60% have their food. get it together!! I wish I could take my tip back! and stop using a microwave! don't be lazy! read more

By and far my favorite place in Bellingham! Anytime I'm in town I HAVE to eat here and get the chicken sandwich. Their sauce is amazing and just everything is super flavorful. Honestly I've never been disappointed in their food and the staff is pretty cool here also. read more

My family and I were on our way up to Whistler and knew we'd be ready for lunch around Bellingham. I Yelped for some lunch spots and we went here due to the high reviews. We were not disappointed. My mom was so blown away by the sauce on the potatoes that she grilled the staff on the ingredients. I had the Butifarra pork sandwich. Flavor explosion on amazing bread. We walked away full and happy. And a week later, as we were heading south again, it looked like we'd hit Bellingham at about lunchtime. So we went right back to Rumba. This time I had the Mixto, which was just as good, but with different flavors. This time, we got to chat with the owner for a while, who is a fascinating guy with a surprising background. I highly recommend this place and will be heading here on the way to and from Whistler again in the future! read more

I had their special sandwich which had turkey, bacon, roasted red peppers, chimichuri, mozzarella, and a really good spicy sauce. I also got the purple corn drink. Both of these items were super good! The sandwich was huge, the drink was cold, refreshing, and not too sweet. The spicy sauce was PERFECT. I love everything spicy and this sauce nailed it. For dessert I ordered one of their Dulce de leche shortbread cookies.... Oh my god. Melt in your mouth amazing. So freaking good. I absolutely will be back to Cafe Rumba! Even the staff were very friendly and helpful, which is saying something in Bellingham. P.S. If you've got your student ID card, they have a student discount! Also, with a punch card you get the 10th sandwich free! read more

Delicious and unique options in an adorable, lowkey space. It's a bit of a hole in the wall, but easily has some of the best food downtown, and for affordable prices too! read more

I approached the counter and asked what I should have if this would be the only time I visited. I mentioned the sanguiches y'all posted on yelp, but to my surprise, the staff said the most popular is the #8 pollo. It was so everything. Way more than I can eat; if I lived here I would definitely have made two meals of this. The young women up front provided excellent service in a warm and genuine way. read more

Cafe Rumba - POLLO, TOCINO, & PALTA - you want this. - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Pretty dang happy to have found this spot! Sooo my sister and brother-in-law are always claiming to know the best spots around b-ham and taking me to them, and they are usually a good authority when it comes to this area. This time though, I decided to use my better judgement and trusted my fellow yelpers who rarely steer me wrong! Peruvian food is my new favorite, hands down! We came here (My fiancé (Indira), sister (Jessica) and brother-in-law (Nick)) on a rainy Saturday afternoon, after reading an immense amount of positive reviews and had to see what the fuss was about. We all decided to try the different sanguches; I think that just means sandwich but i'm not too sure. Nick and I both ordered the Butifarra, which is country ham, yam, mixed greens, salsa criollo and aji amarillo ($8.00). Indira and Jessica got the Rumba TIP filled with slow-roasted beef, caramelized onion, mozzarella, house spicy au jus, aji limo ($9.00). If you don't understand some of the ingredients, you're not alone; there basically Peruvian sauces and salsa's and are pretty spicy if you don't like heat. Indira asked for some sauce not as spicy in a side cup for the potatoes that come with each sandwich and for the sanguche itself. I recommend doing that because I like spicy but it was even a bit much for me. As for drinks, water is free to the left of the cash register and beer is only $3.50 a piece, they offer almost 10 different kinds as well, even local breweries. Staff- Amazing, kind and helpful Location- Wonderful, downtown Ambiance- Clean but nothing special Price- Very reasonable for astonishing foods and nice portions read more

Cafe Rumba - #4- $8.75, phenomenal! - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Truly unbelievable food! I would have never expected Peruvian sandwiches to become one of my favorite foods, but it has and Cafe Rumba has played no small part in that. I have been here many times and each and every time I get something different. I have yet to be underwhelmed or disappointed with the fare. The prices are very good and the portions are enough to satisfy. The sandwiches come with a side of potatoes with a special spicy sauce on them. I guarantee, if you can take the heat, you will return simply for the sake of the sauce. As of late they are selling their special sauce by itself to take home and use yourself! They do change their menu relatively frequently and have a variety of specials. It is tough to say which dish is my favorite. Literally, I have a hard time pronouncing everything. All joking aside, get anything, you will be satisfied. The shop is small, can get packed quickly, and is a open cafeteria style (like many places in Bham). The only negative thing I can say is that I wish they were open later, I would be there more often! There is no waiter service, but the employees there are always nice and welcoming. read more

We started the day in Canada, with plans to drive home to Seattle. We wanted to stop somewhere to eat, and went through a nice long list of places. I saw Cafe Rumba, and thought "Peruvian Sandwiches" sounds pretty tasty! So I bookmarked the place in my phone, and we headed out. Now we have a young baby in the car, so any detour is a pain, but we were really hungry, and wanted to treat ourselves. We took the ~5-10 minute detour off the highway, and found parking near the Cafe. We parked, got the baby dressed in outdoor clothes, got her diaper bag, got our backpack, valuables out of the car, and headed to the cafe. The door was locked. I looked at the door. Sunday, 11-4pm. It was around 1pm. Should be in the middle of their day. I look around at the door, no signs about it being closed. I look through the front window. There are two workers walking around nearby inside, one person sweeping, another wiping tables. Oh I think to myself, perhaps they were just opening late today? Perhaps they locked because someone had to go to the bathroom or something? No idea why the door was closed, but considering our baby was hanging from my arm in her car seat, I thought I'd check to see what was up. Maybe they were going to open in a few minutes. I really didn't fancy getting right back into the car, and loading her up again for more driving. I knocked on the window. No answer. I knock again, no answer. No one acknowledges I'm there. The two people cleaning are like 10 feet away, this is strange. I knock a bit louder. One person walks away, the other picks up her stuff & starts to walk away. Still, no recognition of the obvious customer standing at the door with a baby. Now I actually knock loudly. The lady walking away turns briefly, shakes her head no, and keeps walking. What the heck. Your hours say you're open. You have workers inside. I completely understand if your gas got turned off, or perhaps the owner is sick, or perhaps you have to close due to some mysterious religious holiday. But you have customers outside. The least you could do is say "Sorry folks, we're closed for the rest of the day". Perhaps "We apologize for the inconvenience". Of course the obvious of something like a sign on the door if you're closing early would be a treat. I don't actually know what the food tastes like. I get the impression from the reviews that the food itself is good. However, a rating is supposed to be about the entire business, not just the food they cook. The attitude of the people in the store (owners or workers, I have no idea) was unacceptable. I could expect that from someone at McDonalds, but not from a small restaurant. Very disappointing. read more

This is probably my favorite steakhouse in town. If you're going to splurge, this is the place to do it. The service is prompt but gruff, though I'd argue that's part of the rustic steakhouse feel. Our waiter, Tom, was able to give us some great guidance and was especially helpful for pairing beers with our steaks. Everything you've heard is %100 true and then some! Obviously the steak (Butifarra Sandwich) is the main event, and every time I go it is top-knotch - juicy and perfectly cooked. Don't skip dessert! The housemade cheesecake is out-of-this-world good, so save room on your main course! read more

Worth the Wait We were passing through Bellingham and stumbled upon this little gem (thanks to the yelpers out there). Its a Peruvian inspired torta style sandwich place. The line was out the door (lunch rush), but we endured 45 min wait on our food thanks to the high reccomendation given on yelp and some humble Bellingham folk. We got the pulled pork and something with chicken (no. 8 & 9) on the menu. When the food came, OH MAN THIS FOOD IS AWESOME! Well the wait was totally worth it as on would hope for all good things in life ;) If you're at the lunch rush, be forewarned of a bit of a wait as this place is rightfully popular. Plan your holiday around going to this place if you're up this way ;) read more

Let me preface this review by saying that I think the food at Cafe Rumba tastes good, when made RIGHT. However, the lack of care and utter disregard for cooperating with customer requests is almost laughable. It I leaves disappointing, unappealing, and mayo-flavored taste in my mouth. Some people are allergic to mayonnaise. Some people simply don't like mayonnaise. I spend $17 on a sandwich with the simple request of no sauce or sauce on the side and consistently get sauce on my food. It's happened 4 times now. When I called to inquire about a refund, I was simply told that the food was made to order. Phenomenal customer service! Take my review as you want. Maybe I am a picky eater. Or maybe this place is just mid. Either way, there's better, cheaper options in Bellingham. read more

I absolutely loved this little sandwich shop for so many reasons. 1) good food for appropriate prices 2) 6.50 sandwich Thursdays?! 3) agua de pina!? 4) Alfajores?! They have great waitstaff and a loyalty program card. It's a little dive-y but you can tell they want to share their culture by all the signs for dance night, etc. We actually loved this place so much on the way to Whistler that we stopped on the way back down to Seattle. 2 stops! That means something people! The first time, my boyfriend got the pulled pork sandwich and I got the turkey. The turkey was good but super spicy. I think I cried a bit but I couldn't stop eating it! Sandwiches come with Papas con aji which is this spicy, garlic, and mayo based sauce on some simple slices of boiled potato. delicious but not too much as the usual sides of fries can be. On the second trip, we split a pulled pork again. This sandwich is amazing! I don't know what they put into it but its saucy and delicious! There are apple slices, onions...some sort of coleslaw?...and the best pulled pork. So yummy and I am missing it hard right now. They've got beer and veggie options too and I'm bummed I couldn't come back to try them all...next time! Highly recommended. We wanted something local and filling for us to stop on our road trip and this place fit the bill so nicely. I can't say enough great things about this place. read more

This place was poppin during lunch today! I was starving and had walked by this place too many times to pass it up once again today. First impression? Really hard workin employees! Second? Need some table sanitization but that'd be hard as they only had two employees and a full house plus a line! Third? My order was wrong but it could've been confused because of my changing it to a to go at the last minute. Pros? Lots of options Nummy sauces! I love sauce! Bread isn't too overwhelming Meat is REAL yay (not your traditional deli meat) The employees were super hard working, which is what got me from 3 to 4 stars Good packaging for to go orders Their Chicha drink was delish! Cons? Well, I ordered the country ham with yams (Butifarra) but got turkey with crunchies (Pavo) ... It was still good but didn't quite get my craving but since I changed my order to to go at last minute and they were super busy, I feel like it's understandable Bread was a bit over warmed which meant it was a bit too crisp for my gum comfort read more

Fantastic food amazing staff what a gem hope people here in Bellingham appreciate it I'm going to miss it when I head back to San Diego read more

Cafe Rumba - The two amazing ladies running this unique tasty tasty Peruvian treasure eatery....the polo Verano sandwich rocks! - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Great sandwiches, and soup. The bread is amazing. But the sauce....the sauce on the potato slices. Sooooo good. Bought some for home. Peruvian spices, tender savory meats, fabulous accoutrements make these a must go to a couple times a month for us! read more

I love their sandwiches! And when I came back for a surprise add-on to my order, they were accommodating and quick! We love the pork and chicken. Grab the alfajores if they have any. read more

The food here is delicious and the sauce is actually a little spicy, which you don't find too often in Bellingham! However even without the sauce, the potatoes were cooked to perfection every time and the sandwiches were too good. read more

Since my first visit I've been back multiple times. This is officially my favorite sandwich shop in Bellingham. Honestly, they do everything right. I've had three different sandwiches now and witnessed friends eating a couple other ones... all of them look and taste amazing. Go there, or be square. Enjoy eating! read more

Cafe Rumba - This was a pork special with an egg on top. - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I arrived at Cafe Rumba around 3:30, with zero expectations but an appetite for surprise. It's almost as if the staff read my mind and prepared something extra delicious. I ordered a pulled beef sandwich of some sort that absolutely blew my mind. After a thorough list of suggestions from the kind waitress, I made my decision on a whim, unable to truly decide upon anything on the display of delicious items. The beef was tender, the sauce was pungent and the bread was astounding. A collision of perfect flavors to create a symphony of sandwich and gastrological might. If you want an experience of a lifetime, go to Cafe Rumba. read more

Went here for lunch today. Place was warm and friendly, nice atmosphere for such a small space. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and an Inca Kola. The sandwich was DELICIOUS. Very spicy, good variety of textures, full of flavor. I will definitely be back to try more things from the menu. read more

Cafe Rumba - Butifarra! I want to try everything on the menu, but this one will be hard to resist. SO GOOD. - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

the sandwiches were very good however... they placed an ad in one of the local weekly newspaper that all sandwiches were $7 during the month of December. when I arrived I was told that they changed their mind but would give $1 off per sandwich. I then ordered two sandwiches and a drink, the total seemed too high and I asked if she included the discounts and she said yes. I did the math later and there is no way she included the discounts. I am not happy they they advertised a deal, then backed out and then trick me out of any discount all all. I asked for a receipt but she distracted me with the frequent buyer card and never gave me the receipt. close to $30 for two sandwiches and a drink was not right. it is hard for me to trust these people. read more