Rumba - Hampton Bays

Rumba
43 Canoe Place Road
Hampton Bays, NY 11946
(631)594-3544
Rating
Overall: 7/10
Food: 6/10
Service: 9/10
Decor: 6/10
Value: 5/10

Courtesy of Hamptons.com

Courtesy of Hamptons.com

We decided to go for a drive eastward and landed ourselves in Hampton Bays. My wife searched for a few lunch options and Rumba seemed like a great place to go and have a nice, relaxing view on the water. When we pulled into the rear parking lot (very small), there was a great view. It was exactly the type of place I wanted to go to. We walked down the pier before heading back to the restaurant, up the back stairs and through the restaurant. We were immediately greeted and seated in an enclosed outdoor area with views of the water. The other options were the indoor seating, or outdoor on the deck. Overall, the decor was minimal but simple. The room we were seated in seemed a bit old and the floor were was slightly uneven, but the view makes up for it. 


The menu has an assortment of starters, salads, tacos, sandwiches and caribbean entrees. I went with the tuna burger with fries and my wife ordered one steak taco and one pulled pork taco with a caesar salad. The tuna burger was o-k, not exactly what I expected, and the fries were nice and crispy. My wife loved the pulled pork taco with the crispy onion straws, but thought the steak taco seemed like it could have had a bit more steak, and seasoning. It was almost charred, lacked flavor and was only saved by the sour cream. Unfortunate, at the price point of this place. She did however enjoy the caesar salad.


We also ordered a piece of key lime pie for dessert, which was very good. You could tell that the whipped cream is homemade.


There was a large party seated next to us of about 20 people, but service did not really suffer. We were always taken care of and when we asked what it was that practically everyone in the restaurant was drinking, she let us know it was their version of a rum punch, served in a mason jar. I was intrigued so I ordered one for myself. It was stronger than I expected and tasted good but it had fresh squeezed juice. It would have been more enjoyable if the juice was put through a strainer first, as the pulp was a bit excessive.


This place is considered a rum bar, with tons of rum concoctions and varieties. We will most likely return if we are ever in the area again to try some of their specialty drinks as well as other foods on the menu. This is a place I will probably try again even though the prices were a bit high, but then again, what else would I expect of the Hamptons?