Sabor y Rumba

(Posted a negative review for the another place here before - apologies for that!) Sabor y Rumba is a small eatery inside a building - they have a small sign on the street that says "Comida criolla" - when you see it just go in and walk through a corridor till you come to a small courtyard with shops around it. This restaurant is run by a charming young lady, who will make you feel like a guest in her own home. We went on a day that was supposed to be a holiday but, luckily for us, she was open. We ordered a couple of dishes, received them soon and started. Very tasty and full of flavor. A few minutes later, the owner brought out a bowl of some pasta that she had cooked for herself, just to give us a taste. That was so sweet of her. As for the atmosphere, the courtyard is a charming place, surrounded with plants and filled with umbrellas and tables. Being a holiday there weren't many people around but I can see it as a bustling place on a regular day. The cost was under $20 for the two of us and the food was definitely worth it. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, please do visit.

The food was amazing the service was amazing the server was highly attentive it was outside dining it is Puerto Rico it was hot it was humid but the food made up for it

Superb place. Recommended full. Server is awesome and atmosphere is relax with nice music. Ate the churrasco with manppsteao and frankly I wanted more. Because it tasted Devine. My wife ordered a mofongo with shrimp and salsa criolla. Oh my she was amazed. Also for my kids even tho menu didn't have it they custome make plate for them. That's A+ for me. Photo is like to sleep after such a good food

Wow! The food here is surprisingly amazing. Never had a mofongo I liked until today. The tostones were amazing, the service was sublime, the chorizo in wine was delicious. I won't come to Ponce again without stopping in here. You can't go wrong with any food pick. The drinks are cold and strong, the service was attentive yet relaxed and friendly, didn't hover. Really didn't expect it in this little courtyard. Stopped in for a drink and stayed for hours.

They have the best piña colada and you need to try Mofongo with chicken and hot sauce

Straight off the bat the food is authentic and tasty. Plenty of food and friendly staff. I give it 5 stars on the food. The other part of the review goes towards the owner of the building: they could thrive if they painted the inside of this building. I would do bright colors and big murals, warm light and lots of tropical plants. I give 2 stars on the atmosphere because it lacks a lot.

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of food here. Was just looking for a quick bite on our way through Ponce and found this. The calamari was reallllly good, sweet chili sauce with it. The mahi mahi, shrimp mofongo, and mofongo with skirt steak all came out quickly and were delicious! Definitely recommend.

Went to Ponce early May and stumbled upon this place and so glad we did. Our server was so delightful and attentive and the food + drinks were amazing. Thank you for making our visit just a little better!

A small stop to Ponce on the way to Johnny's Boat. We needed a good lunch so here we are having a quick bite. The place was so cute and calming for the rush. It's a small courtyard bistro with old world charm and good food.

Mojo isleno& churrasco (skirt steak). Very tasty. Wait staff very nice and patient as we did not speak fluent Spanish

Trip Advisor lists this location as top 10 places in the area with average 4.5 stars. Don't be fooled by their ads online. After the Don Q Rum tour, we were hungry. There weren't many places open around 3 PM. Sabor y Rumba was open for another hour until 4 PM. They were out of all mofongo and other items on the menu. I order a chicken dish with beans and rice. Hoping for the best. It was open, and the service was quick. The chicken temberallero dish was interesting. It was stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes. The beans didn't have much flavor though. The food was ok. Overall, I was a bit disappointed since the review was so high. I'll never trust a restaurant review on Trip Advisor ever again. This was the first time I'd seen one and thought I'd check into it. I looked at Yelp and there were plenty of other restaurants in the area to choose from. We may have caught them at the end of their shift. The beans may have not been fresh. The service was quick but the food was just ok.

Service was great and food was well presented and fresh. Salad dressing had a strange too much ginger taste but wasn't terrible. Love the ambiance... enclosed open air plaza. Ceviche was meh and so was the churrasco cut.

We came just for a drink but the food looked amazing. The mojito was very refreshing and the price wasn't bad. The seating is outdoor in a courtyard but with coverage from the sun. Service was a little slow, but they were out of ice and had to go get more so otherwise it would have been fine.

Great service. Ok food. Stopped here on our drive for a quick lunch. Food took about 20 mins to arrive while we ordered some fresh lime mojitos. Mofongo with chicken - rating 3/5 - it was an ok dish, we asked for some hot sauce to add some flavor to eat it Al dorado - rice dish with Mahi mahi - rating 3/5 - The rice that was served was nice and flavorful with some mixed veggies but the fish was a 1 star. It was chewy, not seasoned and I struggled to finish it Even though there were language problems the staff helped us and was attentive.

We went for a day visit to Ponce. The star attraction for us was a mixology' class at Don Q, which I highly recommend. After getting our drink on we went in search of lunch. Sabor y Rumba is an outdoor restaurant. The tables are in a courtyard which, despite the heat, were very cool and breezy. They have lunch specials. 2 of us ordered lunch specials and 3 ordered monfongo. The timing of the delivery resulted in the two lunch special eaters finishing their food before the rest of us were served. They should've held back the lunch special delivery until the monfongo was done. The food was good. Everything was well seasoned. The lunch special serving was a little on the smaller side and those two wish they had ordered the monfongo. Although one of the servings came without the sauce and salad. We spoke with our server and it was quickly brought out. Overall a very pleasant meal in a nice location close to the main plaza.

My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed Sabor y Rumba! We dined in Wednesday evening, and there was one other customer enjoying beers. The female working there was so patient and kind. We highly recommend the churrasasco Al grill and mofongos rellenos cerdo! I had the cerdo as leftover the next day, and it was just as tasty! Beautiful little atmosphere. Kind staff, clean establishment.

Visited twice in a week full of enthusiasm for a good meal; both times they were closing early because they had no customers = not good!

I was there on 6/26/2023 at 3pm just arrived from the airport they couldn't attend us, because they closed at 4pm a lady told us that Saturday they will have music life, for us to return, we got there at 1230pm Saturday 7/1/2023 and they were closed.

Amazing vibe. Drinks are delicious and the service WOW A+. The food was amazing, fresh, hot and so delicious! The seating is in an outdoor courtyard with live tropical music and tons of fans blowing to keep you cool! Not sure if there are any restrooms

Had a great dinner at Sabor y Rumba. We somewhat surprised them with a big group and they did a great job of taking care of everyone with what looked to be limited staff. Food was delicious and highly recommend!

BLUF: Coordinate with them for highly successful special/private events!!! Five stars all the way! Long version: We had a very high profile (three star military General and numerous other Generals on down) dinner that needed to be held in Ponce. The problem was none of us were from Puerto Rico or spoke Spanish so I was doing an all-out hunt for appropriate locations via Yelp!. My hunt became more complicated when it was shared that the guests of honor wanted something casual with local flavors. Oh. No. After reading every review of every restaurant in or around Ponce that may fit the bill this restaurant came out on top. I called and asked if I could make reservations for a large party and was given the number for Chef Josue. After some back and forth voicemail we finally chatted and he said "no problem!" Our date was on a night the restaurant closed early but he committed to stay open late for us. We arrived early to set up and Chef had no problems with us moving tables and umbrellas around to suit our party. All their courtyard lights were on, the music filled the venue, it was very festive! When our host needed to speak they turned down the sound, basically they did everything we requested that evening to make the event successful. All that would be naught if the food wasn't good. The food wasn't good - it was amazing. It took a little while as everything was cooked per order but no one complained as they were having a great time mingling in the beautiful open courtyard. At the end of the evening the honored guests shared it was one of the most enjoyable business dinner experiences they've ever had. It was all due to Chef Josue and his team for being flexible and making it all happen. THANK YOU!!!

This is a hidden gem in the city center of Ponce. The food is great and not too expensive and the are really fast. Every time I come to Ponce I frequent this spot with local dishes often.

Great food for a quick bite in Ponce! The mojito was very refreshing and good! The pork and chicken bites were incredibly juicy and Yum. I also really liked the Ceviche with mofongo too. The ambience is very relaxed and seems like it's in a courtyard in a building complex. The servers are extremely friendly, however your food takes a while to get out.

A hidden gem! Waitress was very friendly. She was extremely attentive. Food was delicious. Drinks were great.

Great Puerto Rican food and drinks!! Very authentic and great service. The atmosphere has a nice local feel with music and some shops. Had to order another rice because it was so good.

Really good food and quick service! I enjoyed my meal of fish and garlic Parmesan potatoes and (of course) a Corona. The place wasn't super busy and they played good music. I recommend!

They serve a limited menu Monday though Thursday- mostly just for local yokels getting lunch during the day. At first we were a little disappointed as I was looking forward to some mofongo but the food was delicious! My husband and I got: 1. Chicken with rice and beans and French fries 2. Mahi mahi with root vegetable mash and a side salad Everything was delicious! So fresh and cooked to perfection! The root vegetable mash was so good! Luis was the server/cashier and he was amazing. We sat in the courtyard for a bit and just talked with him joking around. If we were in Ponce another day we would go again!

Best place to eat and enjoy yourself in Ponce. My girls and I went there three times because we couldn't get enough of Josue's cooking. Josue is an amazing host and this is definitely the spot to visit when in Ponce. Thank you for making our weekend getaway amazing Josue!

Simply extraordinary. My wife, sister in law, brother and I shared about five different dishes. My wife, a ceviche expert , loved it. The other dishes were just as good. The night we went, it was just the cook and a waitress, who was about 6 months pregnant, but you couldn't tell_ energetic, cheerful and happy doing her job. Needless to say her tip blew by 20%. As much as I travel, this is not a dinner that will blend with the rest. It was that good.

Very good food and great atmosphere. It was a hot and humid day as we just flew in to PR. Just 2 blocks from the center of Ponce and the music was great. They even have a stage where people can perform too. No complaints here and I will be returning again!

We stumbled across Sabor y Rumba as we were walking around Ponce one evening. The setting is an outdoor setting & beautiful when the weather is nice. I was there with a large group and we were separated to different tables which was ok with our group. We ordered our food & drinks and it unfortunately took some time to get our food & oddly our drinks as well. But once we got our food we were very happy with it. I had the mufongo with pork & chorizo it was so yummy & did not look like your typical mufongo or at least what I've seen. The flavor was perfect. I loved it & it was worth the wait. I would recommend this restaurant. One tip though I would not recommend that you wear short shorts or skirt or you will have an indentation on your legs of the wire mesh on their chairs.

Fabulous find! It's essentially a little courtyard, which was perfect for letting my toddler move around a bit (which actually wasn't necessary because the wait was so short). Drinks and food were amazing. Tostones and calamari were probably the best we've ever had. Staff was wonderfully helpful. (And it appears they host a kids' drawing class? I love places that are truly part of the community!)

Tried this restaurant while on a quick trip to PR. We ordered a few items from the menu: Guava chorizos con pan de ajo were so tasty we ordered them again; and 2 orders of churrascos (Skirt steak). The menu is not extensive and found prices reasonable - when compare to other local restaurants. Service was excellent.

Cheap prices but tasted like cheap food especially their salad and flavorless white rice. I would not recommend.

Excellent service, food and atmosphere. The mero ceviche was delicious. Best I have had in a long time. Bien provecho. Pet friendly place. My dog loved it too..

Here we are in Puerto Rico, excited to ck this little gem out. Menu & reviews look great. Sat down & ordered drinks. Hubs orders his piña colada & I do the usual, my medalla. Waitress come back & tell us, she can't make his piña, ran out of coconut cream... really??? Early evening, 2nd table seated & you ran out? Sorry, poor planning. Not feeling it. Trying to support small business, but you have to do your part!!!

Really pleasant outdoor/indoor atmosphere - open air inner courtyard. Comidas típicas de Peurto Rico. Main dishes were large enough to share, all of our food was freshly prepared and delicious. Looks like an order-at-the-counter kind of place when you walk in but has waiter service. Prices were very reasonable. An easy place to choose if you're looking for something local and uncomplicated close to the main square.

Sabor y Rumba is a hidden gem. The restaurant has a patio-like set up with beautiful paintings creating the perfect ambient. Our server JOMARIE was very friendly and made our experience there even more pleasant. We ordered two of the appetizers, Mofongos Hermanos which comes with four small Mofongos (highly recommend) and an order of mariquitas al mojito which are crispy plantains with this lemon sauce and mayo-ketchup on the side (it was decent but could have had maybe a little more lemon and toppings in my opinion). We were full off of that however their entire menu looks delicious. We finished it off with two coffees to go. Being Colombian I'm big on coffee and the flavor was rich... strong but not overwhelming. One of the best I have ever had.

After a full day at the beach, anything would have tasted great, but I was pretty glad to end up at Sabor y Rumba. I forget exactly what it may have been called, but try the chocolate cake. I don't know if they make it there or get it somewhere else, but that was by far the best part. Gets 4 stars only because I had the mofongo which was good, but not great. (It may be I just don't particularly care for mofongo...) My friend had the best beans and rice of her life though.

Perfecto! Thank you for the great food and service! Eleven of us and every dish was great. Mash great

Super friendly staff food fresh and flavorful hence the name "SABOR" it was amazing. We have a group with allergies they accommodated our every need and made it super easy to order even made recommendations. If I lived here is be here all of the time!

OMG.. what a hidden gem. Went with a large group and was told they only had a limited menu. However, the chef said he would allow us to order off the main menu to accommodate us.. I am extremely happy he did! The food was amazing. Fresh, well seasoned and even the presentation was amazing. For a small hidden spot I was truly impressed.. probably the best churrasco I have ever had.. waitress was extremely friendly and helpful... mofongo was top shelf, as were the empanadas and rice and beans. Cannot say enough good things about this place. Will definitely be going there again...you will not be disappointed!!

Only-outdoor seating in the dingy concrete courtyard of a parking garage. Took about an hour and a half to get our food, which was... good enough. Bathrooms were filthy without toilet paper or soap. Felt like being stuck in purgatory.

This place served delicious food- the ceviche was amazing, as were the beans and rice. The service was also great! There was a bit of a language barrier but the waitress took her time to make sure she knew what we wanted. The courtyard is super cute and creates a great atmosphere for a nice meal and a couple of mojitos:)

I specifically am not sure what was ordered due to asking for their recommendation. I received a chicken meal which was absolutely delicious! Definitely would return & go by their recommendations!!

We stopped for lunch and found the location calming after the hustle and bustle of the plaza. The outdoor seating area lays beneath huge shades which helped to keep it cool. I was pleased to find that my vegetarian/vegan requirements could easily be filled. I was happily served a plate of rice and beans, steamed vegetables, salad, and tostones. My non-veg partner enjoyed his carne-whatever (I don't remember). The food came on plastic plates, but was very tasty and was ready quickly. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and would recommend Sabor Y Rumba to anyone who wants a quick, but relaxing lunch.

Absolutely delicious. It was a wonderful experience. It is located in the courtyard of a business building so it is a unique environment. They have a nice selection of Puerto Rican and Caribbean cuisine. I started off with the octopus salad which came with fried plantain chips. Both the salad and the chips were excellent. I then had the chicken and sausage mofongo for the main course and it was equally as good. I also had two mojitos and they are some of the best mojitos I have ever had. In addition to that the drink were cheap at $5 each. Most other places I have had drinks they are $8-$10 each. Was a great experience and I will be back for sure.

Absolutely the best food we've had yet in PR. I had the skirt steak with grapefruit something-or-other: SO delicious. I've never had a better seasoned steak. One of us had the churasco mofongo (also with skirt steak) and declared it to be so very good that we may drive back from Bayamon just to have it again. And the third person in our party had a burger and fries: both delicious. Drinks were great too: coffee was tasty and just right; mojito was heavily loaded with fresh mint. So so good. Highly recommend.

Came here on a Thursday night in December. The neighborhood was very quiet, and the original place we wanted to go to was closed so we yelped this spot. It's got outdoor seating with patio-like tables and chairs and pretty loud music. I ended up searching the songs bc I really liked them. The chef introduced himself and asked us what we were looking to eat. He was helpful & very nice. I told him we were going to order food to go. We ordered the ceviche, grilled chicken breast, and parmesan fries. My favorite was the ceviche with plantain chips. I couldn't stop eating either! The ceviche came in a container with lots of juice. Very lemony and so delicious. I also enjoyed the flavor of the chicken breast with the veggies it came with. These were pretty light dishes to eat which I loved. Hate that bloated feeling. I ended up removing some of the yuca (not sure if it was yuca) in the chicken breast bc I'm not generally a fan of it but I didn't mind a bit of it in the chicken. I Didn't have room for the fries but my boyfriend did and said they were good. Only thing I wish is that they gave us ketchup for the fries but luckily we had some at the hotel. The price was great as well. These with a drink came to about $36. I would like to visit again during the day and try their steak.

Great food and atmosphere! Especially enjoyed the carne frita and ceviche and the mojitos were on point.

Fantastic food and great service. Be careful about a salsa band rehearsal in the restaurant -- you won't be able to talk to your friends or family! We came on a Monday night -- maybe that's when their rehearsals are.

Good appetizers but weak entree selection and quality. Churrasco was something like $24, about twice as much as other restaurants, and the meat was so tough that we had to send it back. The waiter reminded us that the chef had cooked it as requested, we reminded him that cooking can't fix a bad cut of meat. Service was sub-par. The whole thing was managed like a tourist trap but most of the target customer base is local. I would only return for appetizers, maybe.

OKAY.... So this is probably the best steak I've ever had. Sheesh!! EXCELLENT seasoning and the chef was suchhhhhhh a sweetheart. Cool set up as well...in a plaza space of a building. And good prices. VERY good. Thumbs up.

Delicious home cooked meal gourmet style. Beautiful presentation and even better taste! We had such an amazing experience.

I only came by this place because some friends of mine "knew" the owner. It has no visibility and considering its a block off the main plaza it has a lot of competition. Nothing special here. The drinks are overpricedand really lacking in the booze department. I had a rum & coke with lime which tasted more like coke & lime with a splash of rum. They had just opened so I plan on giving them a second chance when they get settled in, and maybe a more favorable review. For now, though, the place is nothing special and does a poor job competing with the other pubs around the main plaza area. Also, since the place is inside a dark alleyway I recommend to go in groups.

Nice place for a family to eat or just to grab a bite to eat while in Ponce. I had the Octopus cocktail and it came with homemade plantain chips which was delightful. The waitresses were very friendly and attentive. I thought the prices were very reasonable for the generous portions we received. All in all I would come back while I'm on the island.

Offers a small mixed offering which changes daily. Great place for lunch! Good food, good portions at a good price.