What is an arepa, you ask? You haven’t truly lived.
An arepa is a traditional Colombian-style grilled sweet corn cake made with fresh corn and mozzarella cheese, and can be served with various accompaniments such as cheese, rice, meats, veggies and various other toppings and sauces. The arepas at Rubamba are possibly the best. They’re crispy on the outside and sweet and cheesy on the inside. Topped with perfectly seasoned pulled pork, marinated grilled chicken or any other delicious topping and paired with sweet plantains and Mexican rice, eating one is a godly experience.
Take a bite out of this heavenly dish and your facial expression will look a little like this:
Photo courtesy of Youtube
Rubamba is a one-of-a-kind Latin Gourmet restaurant located a mere block away from Old Campus. It is truly a hidden gem in New Haven and deserves more attention than it actually gets. The only downside is that the small, local restaurant can’t always fit large groups. However, it’s the perfect location and ambiance for a date-night or a night-out with your suitemates.
Not only is the food absolutely delicious, but the presentation is also social media worthy, and your Instagram game will be incredibly strong after you upload something like this:
Photo courtesy of Rubamba
Not feeling their arepas? Try their fish tacos, empanadas, tortas or pretty much anything else on their menu. Rubamba features the staples of Latin American cuisine from Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, so you won’t be disappointed if you’re out looking for a delicious meal.
Rubamba also offers free chips and salsa (and continuous refills) for dine in customers so all colleges students with $5 left in their bank accounts can rejoice.
Photo courtesy of Make-a-Meme
Rubamba has an offshoot food cart called Ay Arepa so you can grab one of their fabulous arepas while shopping on Broadway or getting to class in Hall of Graduate Studies.
RUBAMBA! Even the name is exciting to say. So, go! Try an arepa! And you’ll finally be able to die (and obviously live) in peace.
Location: 25 High Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs 11am to 9:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 10pm, Sun 12pm to 8:30pm
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