Rumba-licious: Decent Food and Great Bar in Nashville, Tennessee

Rumba in Nashville is precisely the type of restaurant I try to avoid. It’s super trendy with valet parking and an ultra-modern interior. Usually the other patrons in places like that are pretentious and make me roll my eyes a lot. This time was no different. Some of the conversations that go on at bars need to be recorded. It’s a place to be seen, not necessarily a place to get a bite. In my never-ending quest to earn airline miles, I happened upon this place. It is across from Centennial Park, near the Vanderbilt campus.

It’s one of those places that has gone beyond just waiters dressed in all black to waiters dressed in all black who look like rockstars with lots of tattoos and stuff. They had the standard ‘too cool’ Nashville attitude name dropping all of the big celebrities who have eaten there. And apparently Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson live right down the street. I asked if Kid and Pam’s whole block is quarantined or just their house. That is one dirty couple.

I ate some $10.00 tiny veggie pizza. It wasn’t anything special and wasn’t worth the $10.00. By the way, World, pizza should be eaten by hand. Unless the toppings are actually falling off or the pizza is Chicago style, I find it annoying to eat it otherwise.

But the bartender was on it with great service and the guys I talked to seemed really nice. The bartender reminded me of the bad guy on Back to the Beach with Frankie and Annette. All in all, I guess I would go back to Rumba but more for the drinks than the food. The guys did recommend the Mercy Lounge as a great non-county bar to go to. I didn’t make it this time, but they were SUPER cool people so I’ll plan to try in the future.

P.S. For those of us who live on credit cards, take some cash for the valet parking.

Where? 3009 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee