Rumba Cafe, Naples, Florida

Something has changed at the Rumba Cafe. Nancy and I always eat at the Rumba Cafe when we go to Marco Island. (Search “rumba” for [previous reviews.) It’s on the way from the airport — the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers — to Marco Island, and it’s usually our first meal in Florida. It has the best Cuban food in southwestern Florida — easily the best I’ve had outside of Miami-Dade.

The Rumba Cafe is a pleasant but unassuming place in a small strip mall on the east side of Naples. You can sit inside or outside — we sat outside under COVID conditions, enjoying the Florida sunshine. Service was prompt and as friendly as can be when the server is wearing a mask. (You only see the smile in the eyes, alas).

I usually get the lechon asado plate — the Cuban pork — but his time, I ordered a Cuban sandwich with a side of black beans and rice. (Tip: The Rumba Cafe has a great hot sauce. Definitely ask for some for the beans.) I’ve had the Cuban sandwich before, and I loved it, as per here. And this time it again was great. The pork is real Cuban pork, properly marinated, and the sandwich achieves extra balance by flanking rather than simply topping the pork with ham and cheese. It’s a work of art.

But the change I mentioned: I was convinced that the sandwich was a lot bigger than last time – a lot more meat. That wasn’t exactly a problem, except that the sandwich and the beans together were more than I expected, and certainly more than I needed to eat. A follow-up piece of their great tres leches cake was out of the question. I persevered, however, until all was gone. To be honest, it wasn’t so much perseverance as that both sandwich and beans tasted so good I just could not stop.

Jorge, the manager, came by and I asked him about the meatier sandwich, He assured me that the sandwich had not changed at all. Looking back, I realize that last time I had skipped the side order of beans. I guess there’s an off chance that the order of beans made the difference. You can order a half sandwich, if you want to save room for dessert. Maybe next time I’ll just get a half sandwich, or skip the beans and rice. Ha ha ha ha! That was a good one.

Nancy ordered the flounder.

After a few bites, Nancy decided that it wasn’t exactly what she wanted, and pushed it aside. She insisted to me that there was nothing wrong with it: Nancy simply wished she instead had ordered the Bistec de Pollo, a butterflied chicken breast pounded and marinated in mojo sauce and topped with grilled onions.

I tasted the flounder. It was quite good — fresh and flavorful. It had been lightly breaded and pan fried, and it came accompanied by a delicious cilantro garlic sauce. I would order it … if I didn’t love their pork so much. It had not, however, been marinated in mojo and topped with grilled onions, and therefore didn’t suit. And Nancy, unlike me, doesn’t (a) like to inconvenience people or place on them the burden of her mistakes, or (b) eat things that she doesn’t feel like eating. I’m all in with (a), but (b) … I just wasn’t up to finishing the flounder on top of my sandwich and beans. So there it sat, unfinished.

The anguish with which Jorge saw this was heart rending. He pleaded with us to let him substitute the bistec de pollo or whatever else Nancy might want, gratis, and simply wouldn’t let us leave without at least a complimentary flan.

Delicious. Smooth as silk , with sweet coconut on the side and a lovely caramel topping. It was just the thing for Nancy, the ultimate custard connoisseur.

When or if you get to Naples, be sure to stop by the Rumba Cafe. The food is sensational, and the people are as friendly and gracious as can be. Cuban food is one of the glories of Florida, and you can’t come close to matching theirs on the Florida West Coast.

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