If you are anything like me, and I know I am, you will love this place! I have only been in for lunch, but am yet to find anything on the menu that isn't amazing! I love being able to go in there and eat great food and if my timing is right, watch champions league soccer on my lunch break. read more

Delicious! I had the mixto, a ham and bacon sandwich. Beyond what I expected. Everything was so amazing I had to go back the same day for seconds. The food is a 5 star, but the service is not good. Though it is a friendly atmosphere, they seem to only make one sandwich at a time. Call ahead if you can. read more

There Cuban sandwich and bevy of delicious old school drinks make this the perfect place to start or end your night. Grab a table or a bar stool, but don't leave before posing with the giant marlin. read more

Try the emoliente a refreshing herbal tea or the asado de res. incredible. Owner Antonio is also one of the best dancers on the west coast. Do yourself a favor - don't miss this gem while in Bham read more

Very tasty!! I had the Turkey/Pavo sandwich. (6.25) Comes with potatoes and special sauce. Pretty decent portions. read more

Great atmosphere, super great employees, and DELICIOUS sandwiches. I got the butifarra (hot) and it was great--nice kick to it too. I also got a postre...cranberry bread pudding: YUM. I'm coming back! read more

My wife and I had a fantastic lunch at Cafe Rumba. She had the #4 Turkey sandwich and I had the #3 Pork sandwich. This was our first taste of Peruvian food and we both just loved it. It was a special treat and such an unexpected gem in the heart of Bellingham. We will definitely be back if we are in the neighborhood. read more

Got the #4 traditional Peruvian sandwich. GF got the soup. Both were pretty good, I liked the spicy mayo on my potatoes and in my sandwich, and the bread was nicely toasted and soft. GF soup was tasty and filling, nice chunks of pork, plenty of herbs and spices, and a bunch of big kernel corn, fills you up. The price seemed right on, as they were 5.99 a sandwich through December, looked expensive otherwise. read more

Ordered the Pavo sandwich which was delicious. Spicy, sour and super fresh. Highly recommended!

Excellent food! Peruvian butifarra (pork sandwich) met my expectations. I keep coming back to this place whenever I'm visiting Bellingham. You should do the same! read more

What a delightful restaurant with amazing food. We left the place feeling very full and satisfied. For our kids, they offered to make off the menu grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn't anything fancy, toasted buns with cheese, but staff was super friendly and helpful. We would like to return again and try few other sandwiches. read more

best place in bellingham. truly! this little cafe is amazing. always happy to come back and support a wonderful business, especially when the food is this good... read more

All of the times I have been to this restaurant I have had terrible service, and the only reason I go back is because this is the only place to get good Peruvian food in Bellingham. Even if ordering to go at a not-busy time, expect to wait at least 30 minutes. read more

This place is f'n delicious. Everythings made from scratch, price is just right, and the owners are wonderful. I've tried everything but the veggie and they've all been amazing. Hot tip- get the pickled onion,cilantro,lime medley on your sandwhich(already comes on the pork)!! read more

Cafe Rumba may be my favorite sandwich in town. Relatively inexpensive. Be sure to try the chicha too!

I love this place! I especially love the fresh, on-site baked bread.

I've had great food here and the restaurant was clean and then I've had sub-par, slightly burnt food here and the restaurant was dirty. So it's variable. It seems like they don't have a very streamlined approach to their processes and really struggle when moderately busy. Not a good position to be in when operating in a community where restaurants go under frequently. read more

Ate at Cafe Rumba for the first time today, and we'll be back. WOW, if you are interested in a delicious, spicy, and interesting sandwich, this is the place to go. We had #2 (chicken), #4 (pork), and the special (tuna salad). Each sandwich came on an obviously freshly made, crusty but light roll, and each was generously packed. My special had melted cheese, avocado, lettuce, and the best tuna salad ever. Each sandwich also came with several slices of warm potatoes with a spicy, creamy sauce drizzled over the top. The prices were reasonable, the food plentiful, and the workers friendly and hard-working. Oh, and they also offered fun evening activities, from Spanish speaking conversation tables to music and salsa evenings. If I lived in Bellingham....I'd go! read more

Yummmmmy, excellent food! I had a veggie option and my boyfriend had the chicken. Both were really tasty. Love tho place, stay open later will you? read more

What a neat little spot!!! We wanted to try this place after reading many great reviews on Yelp. This place definitely isn't anything fancy, but don't let that steer you away because the food was amazing and the staff was friendly. I had the Pavo sandwich with turkey and it was served with a side of potatoes in a spicy sauce. So good!!! This is our new favorite lunch spot when visiting Bellingham! read more

Cafe Rumba - The Pavo sandwich with papas! - Peruvian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Maybe the best sandwiches I've ever had. Had the #8 (pollo) and one of the specials. Also the Purple Corn Juice. Great vibe. Totally affordable. read more

Delicious. Absolutely delicious. My only complaint is that it was busy when we went and there was only one girl making sandwiches, but I saw at least three other girls milling about. Wait times wouldn't be so long, if more people were trained to make the food! But alas, I'll be back sooner than later. Cravings... read more

Overall, one of my favorite places to eat in Bellingham. Great food at a great price. My main problem is the waiting time. Doesn't seem busy but you'll still have to wait quite a bit. I've only had a bad sandwich from here once. read more

Really can't say much more than others. Did get there right at opening (11am) and only one other customer. Sat outside, which was nice. The food is very good. The sauce on the potatoes, as others have stated, is spicy but delicious. I had the Butifarra Royal (because I love a fried egg on any sandwich) and it was wonderful! Very messy so make sure you get a handful of napkins. Other folks that arrived after me were eating with a knife and fork but I am old school when it comes to sandwiches. Service was great...both the owner and the lady at the counter were friendly. They do have a restroom to wash your hands, because as I said, very messy (but in a good way). read more

The best sandwiches! The potatoes and sauce are to die for and have the perfect amount of spice! So cheap and the punch card makes it worth it!! read more

This place is not your average sandwich shop. I had the Monday special, a vegetarian sandwich made with yam, mozzarella and avocado then smothered with a delicious slightly spicy sauce all on a toasted bun. It was messy, but delicious! My son had the pork sandwich, which was just as tasty. The only drawback is the restaurant uses small tissue napkins, which is odd because the sandwiches are messy so you use a ton of napkins! If you're in the area, it's worth a stop for something out of the ordinary. read more

One bit of their potatoes and criolla sauce and I was back in Peru. Well balanced food and HUGE flavorful sandwiches. Love the relaxed colorful ambiance and the dulce de leche cookies are my new favorite snack read more

Amazing sandwiches! The bread is the perfect balance of crusty on outside and soft on the inside. The sauces are creamy and flavorful. The atmosphere is relaxed. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We will be going back often. read more

I love Cafe Rumba! This is the best place to go if you want a new and delicious sandwich experience. I have never had a bad experience here. The owners are super friendly and will learn your name. The cafe itself is very colorful with beautiful artwork and lively music. Their sandwiches are amazing! The bread is freshly made, the meats are fantastic, the veggies are always so crisp, and the sauces are amazing! All of these elements put together make for some dangerously delicious sandwiches. Each sandwich comes with a side of papas a la huancaina (boiled potatoes, basically) with a super yummy, spicy puree sauce on the top. Needless to say, I could eat a meal of just papas. They are too good! Also, try the inca kola! You will be hooked. All in all, Cafe Rumba is quite possibly my favorite place to eat in Bellingham! read more

Tried Cafe Rumba for my first time today! After hearing oh so many rumors about how they have the best sandwiches in town, I simply had to stop by during my lunch break. It definitely exceeded my expectations. The Buttifara was heavenly. The roasted potatoes on the side (with a creamy/savory sauce) was such a refreshing change from the usual fried sides you'd find. The desserts looked top-notch; I'll definitely be back in soon. Plus that salsa music they have playing is so catchy (Salsa dancing nights on Saturdays!) read more

Quality throughout. Great traditional Peruvian sauces with both meat and vegetarian sanguich options like the Peruano. Chicha is great but don't forget the mil ojas manjar filled desert. Super good. read more

My wife and I stumbled upon this cafe for lunch yesterday and left full, happy and amazed. Today we returned with two friends to share this wonderful food experience together. We think these really are the best sandwiches in Bellingham and beyond. The food and service inspired me to write my first Yelp review. Thank you Cafe Rumba for bringing delectable Peruvian cuisine to Bellingham and making life in the Pacific Northwest that much more unforgettable. read more

This place could be pretty good if they only tried. I've been here 3 times. One of those times was decent, but the others were disappointing to say the least. The first time I got a pork sando and it was good for the $, so I figured I'd go back and try something else. The second time I got there almost an hour after opening time (11 am) and there was a sign on the door saying they wouldn't open until 12:45. I ended in the neighborhood later that afternoon anyway, so I stopped and got a turkey sandwich. It was weak, flavorless and limp. I decided to go again to see if it was a fluke, but when I got there in the middle of lunchtime they informed me that they were OUT OF BREAD! And the owner went to get more and he would be back IN AN HOUR. This is a sandwich place, and they were caught off-guard by the bread? Did the guy have to go to Seattle to get bread? On top of that the lady at the counter was rude about the whole lack of bread thing, so I won't be going back. Poorly managed and flaky. read more

I'll be back for sure. I was looking for something different and Yelp steered me in the right direction. The interior is a little divey, but I got mine to go anyway. I got the Butifarra Especiale (house-roasted pork, bacon, turkey, romaine lettuce, spicy gravy, salsa criolla, aji amarillo) and it was MESSY goodness. You'll need a lot of napkins for these saucy sandwiches. This is real meat folks -- not deli slices. Tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I could eat about 5 more helpings of the potatoes that come on the side with the spicy, cream sauce -- so so good. I've never noticed this place before and likely wouldn't have gone in even if I had. Yay, for YELP and opening my eyes to this new favorite. My only regret is not getting a little dessert since I didn't notice them until after I paid. Oh well, already planning on going back later this week. read more

This lunch was awesome. I had the Peruano sandwich. This is there vegetarian option. The sandwich was so flavorful and plentiful. I was only able to eat 1/2 the sandwich and had the other half for dinner. I highly recommend this place. read more

Very nice and quiet little restaurant with really great food and beer and wine.they are very great about my vegan diet.

The sandwiches are fat, like I am now. But no regrets, the flavor journey was worth it. Cafe Rumba provides a refreshing opportunity to consume spicy food with unique flavors. Each sandwich is huge, and could easily be two meals. The Butifarra Royale is great. Sometimes they have fresh juices that are delicious. It has a fun atmosphere too. They host dancing some evenings. read more

Was ready to tear them a new one in this review, but the food was actually very good. Salad dressing was a tad sweet, but sandwich was great, not a thing my husband would remove from it (notorious for asking for something without the pickles or the sauce, etc.). However, the service was awful. Can't you step it up a notch, especially at lunch time? 25 minutes from order time to delivery and there was one order prepared in all of that time before mine? I heard from co-workers that it's just a slooooowwwww place. Not everybody has limitless time during the lunch hour or less. read more

This place has really authentic peruvian sandwiches, and lots of delicious gourmet sauces. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the food and the variety of fresh ingredients, and the diversity of the menu. So kudos there. Perhaps a bit on the expensive side, but only a bit. Great service, and very quick. If you don't like spicy, make sure you know to tell them! read more

Honestly, I'm not a sandwich person. At least, not until I was introduced to this place. I had never had Peruvian food before and was a little cautious... but went with a group of friends and am so glad that I did! These are quite literally, the best sandwiches of my life. They've got a little something for everybody, the #5 is my favorite! It's a chill, familial environment with good music and great service. I was able to chat with the owner, Antonio. He was incredibly friendly and hospitable... seriously, don't pass this place up! read more