Rumbo Al Sur: Latin Flavor in Glenview
One of my favorite places for food and drinks is a restaurant just one block from me in the Glenview neighborhood. Rumbo Al Sur means “heading south” and brings the vibrant flavors of Latin America to Oakland. I remember the anticipation I had when Rumbo opened its doors in my neighborhood almost two years ago. At the time, I had reason to be excited because the guy responsible for this new restaurant was Jack Knowles. Jack also owns A Cote, another one of my favorite restaurants in Oakland.
Rumbo brings hip and cool to Glenview. The space is beautiful, the music is fun, food is exciting, and the bartenders are awesome. I may just have to call Rumbo my watering hole as the bar is my favorite spot to have food and drinks. I have spent many evenings there starting early with happy hour. Rumbo carries a large array of tequilas and the bartenders make delicious margaritas as well as other cocktails. The bartenders are all friendly and knowledgeable, but I have to point out that Ali is my favorite!
The menu has evolved since it first opened its doors, but there are a few staples that have remained. One of my favorite dishes is the baby back ribs. These fall off the bone smoked ribs have a tamarind guava glaze that is a little sweet, tangy, and spicy. When in doubt this is my “go to” dish as it never disappoints.
The salads at Rumbo constantly change according to what is in season so this gives me faith that I will enjoy it. It usually involves fruit, greens, seeds, cheese, and a light vinaigrette. Here are a couple of examples.
Ceviche is not always on their menu, but Rumbo does it well and adds another level of sophistication by including root vegetable chips. They make incredibly tasty homemade sweet potato, taro, and lotus root chips.
Tuesday’s can get a bit crowded because they offer Taco Tuesdays. You have a choice of four tacos and usually involves a seafood, a vegetarian, a white meat, and a beef. I personally don’t discriminate.
Some of the heartier plates seems to rotate on and off the menu more often. I have enjoyed their enchiladas with rice and beans. Their rice is always fluffy and delicious.
Another rotator is the flat iron steak. Cooked well and complimented with rice and beans, it is a solid dish that I have enjoyed in the past.
The desserts are excellent as well. The dessert menu usually has the regular items of churros, ice cream sundae, and flan which I enjoy, but my favorite is the margarita pie. They use a Cointreau cream, pretzel crust, & tequila-lime caramel and I love the mix of sweet and tart.
The desserts have also evolved. Being a fan of Rumbo on Facebook keeps me updated on what is new with their menu including some recent posts about their desserts. One item that intrigued me was the frozen strawberry soufflé which was amazing.
A more recent post was about a peach and plum galette and I am crossing my fingers that it will still be available the next time I am there! (Hint! Hint!)