Let’s get ready to….RUMBA!

Over the holidays, my friend Brady reintroduced me to the deliciousness that is Rumba on Capitol Hill! I’ve had a blast discovering new cocktails to love every time I visit, and delicious food to boot. Read on to learn about this fun restaurant and then check out the giveaway link at the bottom to enter to win a $50 gift card.

Stepping into Rumba is akin to going on a mini-vacation…without having to leave Seattle. The turquoise accented decor is filled with just the right amount of trinkets and artwork to make you feel like you’ve stepped out of Seattle and into a classy Caribbean joint.

The drinks are top notch, with house made syrups and fresh squeezed juices. Not sure what direction to go in first? Talk to your bartender or waiter. General Manager Kate Perry, Bar Manager Jim Romdall, and the Rumba staff are incredibly knowledgeable about their menu and can direct you to something you’ll be sure to like. Also, I’ve had awesome experiences with staff every time I’ve visited. Always a sign that a restaurant is doing it right!

As for drinks, I personally was a big fan of the “Nui Nui” with Jamaican rum, allspice dram, cinnamon and vanilla syrups, lime, and orange bitters. Their drink menu is so large: I have a lot of cocktails still to discover. I had no idea that rum was such a varied spirit. Rumba serves up over 400 sugar cane spirits to suit any taste. Don’t just call this place a tiki bar. They are so much more than that! (Check out their Instagram feed for SO many fab photos of their drinks)

Want to really delve deep and discover the variety of rums this place has to offer? Ask for a free Rum Map and start your adventure of tasting 60 different rums and “drink your way around the Caribbean.” When you complete the map, you’ll become an official member of their Rum Society (you get your name on a plaque on the wall, a Rumba DTO coin and access to the Rum of the Month). No cost to participate, just the cost of the rum. Every month, Jim and Kate source hard-to-find rare rums and offer a bottle each month at half-off for rum mappers or at-cost for rum map champions.

Oh, and the food! The dish that has me coming back for more are their Portobello Mushroom Tacos with roasted corn salsa and their Tilapia Tacos with mango salsa—only $2 each at happy hour or $3.5 each /3 for $10 during dinner hours). I’m also a huge fan of the Caribbean Jerk Chicken Salad.  They serve their guacamole with plantain chips, which is a nice twist. Oh, and the Yuca fries. It’s easy to want one of everything on the menu. Happy hour is daily from 4-6pm. Who’s in?

(UPDATE: Giveaway has ended. Congrats Stephanie F for the win!) Want to win a $50 gift certificate to visit Rumba? Yes, of course you do.