Cafe Carumba

When I venture out to eat trying new places is always a gamble to me. Luckly I’ve had the luck on my side
I was in search of a place near me for some corned beef hash other then my norm. I stumbled across this place and I am glad I did. I of cource ordered their corned beef and it was most definitely a treat!
Unlike most places, they serve theirs in big meat chunks. It was completly unexpected to me. Typically you think of corned beef hash of a mush kinda like what you’d get at US Egg or something. The meat had so much flavor and was extremely tender. After finishing what was on my plate I wanted more!
The portion wasn’t too big for the kind of appitate that I have. I’d still have to say that orange table wins the corn beef challenge in my opinion.

So Sad!
I went to Café Carumba for the 1^st time this weekend, and was VERY excited to sit and the bar to drink and eat until my hearts content.
But it didn’t happen because the owners of Café Carumba decided they didn’t need to pay rent. There was a nasty note on the door from the property manager, and most of the things in the restaurant were cleaned out.
My only hope is that these guys will get their act together (and their finances) and open a new one.
Oh well, I got drunk anyways.

Our server was Heath… he was quick, polite and never let our drinks dip below half full :)
Thanks Heath! You rock!
Jason, Brandon & Jen from sunday funday!

One of my favorite Breakfast places!
I have ordered the Eggs Benny, Florentine Omelet, The Migas, Huevos Rancheros and the Stuffed Bagel Sandwich… Everything i have had, i have enjoyed.
The atmosphere here though is so great. even if you are sitting inside-​they make you feel like your in a latin street alley. very cool.
I also recommend their Soy Chai Latte (Best in town!).
Enjoy!

Rosemary potatoes, FTW. I would go back just for a plate of those delicious potatoes.
…that’s a lie. I’d probably have a drink too.
Stopped in after grabbing some produce at OTFM on a Saturday morning. Lively crowd at 10:30 am. Comfortable bar, friendly service.
I had the chorizo and we didn’t like each other… so much that I missed a dinner date that night. :(
53.00 for a basic breakfast for two, 3 mimosas & one bloody mary.
Not cheap but not over the top either.

Swinging through here during a march through Old Scottsdale, it seemed like the perfect place to pick up a quick desert.
As for the desert itself, that was acceptible: a brownie with ice cream on top. Nothing too exotic, but I thought that the brownie itself would be worth three stars.
But lousy service drops this to two stars. It took a while to find a waiter and the one that I did was pretty bad. Despite there only being a few people here, it took a pretty long time for him to swing by for an order (15? 20 minutes?). When he did, in the middle of the order, he got distracted by one of his buddies who showed up and he wandered away. He actually only came back to deliver the bill; another server actually noticed his wandering and came by to apologize and take the order.
I’d consider giving one star, but the food is respectible. Thus the average of one star service and three star food quality makes two. Realize that I’m considering the service one star based on a single server; other patrons, hopefully, may have a better experience if they got someone else.

So you just had a crazy night out in Old Town and you have to go pick up your car in the morning, so you head over to Café Carumba to refuel from a long night of a few too many adult beverages.
Migas or Huevos Rancheros? Maybe the French Toast or the Stuffed Croissant? All are a delicious.
The biggest issue I have with Café Carumba, is that the party always seems to keep coming. You hit up a cup of coffee and then the mimosa festivals start to roll out from behind the bar. You are sitting on the patio, and nothing seems better than a few glasses of champagne while hanging telling stories with a few friends about the night prior.
Next thing you know, you are back at Café Carumba the next morning because Café Carumba turned into a few beers at Loco Patron on their patio, which turned into a few sake bombers on the patio at Stingray, and a few shots over at Saddle Ranch… I mean, this all could happen in theory…
I’m a big fan of Café Carumba. It’s a great morning addition to the old town circuit.

Driving around today we got the munchies. Was looking for Jacquelines Market place, but didn’t realize that it was renamed to Café Carumba about 5 years ago.
I fought with the idea of having breakfast, but since I all ready ate breakfast, I settled on the appetizers. There were four of us so we all ordered appetizers: Tres Hummus Plate, Nachos in a bowl with tri-​color chips, chicken quesadilla and chipotle southwest eggroll.
That hit the spot. The Nachos in a Bowl and Southwest Egg rolls were a hit and the quesdilla and hummus plate were okay.
The server was slow coming to our patio table, maybe it was because he or someone dropped a tray load of water glasses by the entrance to the patio… JOB OPENING. But, after that, he was very attentive.

Not for the mexican food, but for the margaritas and the good service… plus the birthday dessert they treated me!
We were like 14 persons and everybody was happy! The guy that took our orders was very nice and efficient. I had their ajo shrimp… mmm very similar to «camarones al mojo de ajo» and it was good. The happy hour offers really tasty margaritas and the place is nicely decorated. Good choice to celebrate my birthday!

It didn’t even take longer than 3 minutes into our meal before everyone was thanking me for recommending Café Carumba as our lunch venue on Friday. How could I recommend anything else though? It was close to the office, I hadn’t been there before, and well, they serve breakfast til 2pm EVERY DAY. There was absolutely nothing disappointing about this experience.
A large group of us gathered there on Friday and when I arrived we had received a room in the back all to ourselves with a long table. It was absolutely perfect. Our server was a true gem. We had waters on our table when we arrived and he put up with our wishy washyness when it came to our orders. I started off with a mimosa that, despite being pulpy, which I typically don’t care for, was absolutely enchanting. It came in a wine glass instead of a champagne glass. More is better :)
As it came time to order I couldn’t move past the breakfast menu and thought I had settled on the perfect treat. Then I was told by the server there was an underground breakfast menu that included five different types of eggs benedict. Yes you heard me correctly. I did say five. There was the traditional one, one with avocado, one with portabello, one with crab cakes instead of an english muffin, which a coworker got, and the steak one that I decided to try.
When our food first started to arrive we were told it was being brought out as its done so it stays hot. We began to worry that we would be eating without everyone but that worry lasted maybe 45 seconds as instantly the rest of the food was brought out. Silence followed for at least the first 10 minutes aside from messages of thanks and grunts of happiness.
The potatoes are as heavenly as everyone says. you need to have them. I also recommend the eggs benedict with steak instead of canadian bacon. I typically down my breakfast (ask anyone) but I couldn’t finish my last eggs benedict. I did manage to have two mimosas though. Yum.
At the end of the meal, the sever brought me out a foil rose which I’ve attached and still have. Why can’t all men be as sweet?
In the end the food is phenomenal, the mimosas are exquisite and larger than the ones elsewhere, service is prompt and extremely friendly. I will be back again.

This is a review on Café Caruma’s Happy Hour.
5 $ appetizers!!! YUM.
We had some really great things… but the number one thing I need to recommend (I would really be a jerk if I didn’t) are the sweet potato fries. I’ve had sweet potato fries before… but these not only came with ketchup, but a side of warm maple syrup. The mixture of the fry and syrup was something sweet, delicious and dreamy. It was like, a mini-​French Toast… without being soggy.
Other highlights… 2 $ domestic, 3 $ premium draft beers. And I think this is a summer special, but 5 $ full size Patron margaritas! Woo woo!

I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather and decided to go to Café Carumba for a lunch celebration since I am feeling like myself again. I really enjoyed the the food here, just like I remembered the night of the OYE. In fact we let the waiter know that we were back because of the Unilocal event, and he said «you Unilocalers are really fun», and he enjoyed reading the funny reviews. I went with appetizers, mini chimi’s & hummus and Mr H. went with authentic tasting green chili that was served in a mini cast iron which seemed to keep it hot and served with tortillas. We both enjoyed it.
fyi.the server mentioned that Sundays they have mimosa’s and bloody Marys and a good brunch.

If you go to Café Carumba try the charuscurra (sp) sticks. And the rocky point pizza. And the spicy jalepeno sausage slider things. And the mini chimis. And the… well try whatever you can but unless you are with a big group for an event you may not that far through the offerings.
I attended an event at Café Carumba and I was impressed with the food and the service. I would keep them in mind for corporate gatherings or even a small meeting (they have a private room for such things).
The staff at the bar was great as were the servers.

I’m picky about Mexican food.
I enjoyed the food here. A lot.
So much so, that I would like to come back, daily.
But I’m not rich, so I won’t
However!
Here is what I loved when I ate here:
1. Rocky Point Pizza– cheese and shrimp and mango sauce… SO GOOD!!!
2. Spicy jalapeño sausage slider things. Really spicy. For realz. But they have this delicious spicy mayo on them… OMG. To die for.
3. Mini chimis. Succulent meat and cheese wrapped in a cute pocket and deep fried. Need I say anything else.
So yes. I’m a big fan.

I’ve been here a few times for brunch and I’ve found it’s kind of hard to go wrong. There is never a wait, you can pick if you want to sit inside or out, and there is usually a pretty fun crowd at all the tables.
I’ve tried the breakfast burrito which is my favorite, it’s hearty without being too gooey or stuffed. It’s definitely a big meal, so expect to walk away full and ready for a nap. I’ve also tried the Doctor’s Ordered eggs dish (which surprisingly flavorful for something that is considered healthy) and the Huevos Rancheros (which is good but too heavy for me).
A few tips about this place:
* Get a side of the potatoes, even if it doesn’t come with your meal. They are SO good!
* As always, I like to start my brunch off with an appetizer of a pancake (because I’m a fatkid) but theirs is not listed on the menu… just ask for it if you want one or an entire order.
* This is going to sound weird, but they have great toast. The bread they use is thick cut and delicious… plus they have good jam options at the table.
* The service is kind of hit or miss. I’ve had great waiters (he made me a tinfoil rose) and totally crappy ones (took our order, had someone else deliver the food, and then didn’t come to check on us at all… as in we had to get up and go ask other servers for help), just giving you a heads up.

Visted twice in the past few weeks. First visit was for happy hour, and I tried three items at $ 5 each: the house margarita, the churrasco (steak skewers) cooked medium-​rare, and a Tex-​Mex take on eggrolls. LOVED the margarita… one of the best I’ve ever had! Really liked the eggrolls (pork, carrots, black beans). Can’t say the same for the skewers, though, as they weren’t cooked enough– chewy texture and still pretty bloody, actually. Yes, I ordered them cooked medium-​rare, but I’ve ordered steak burgers at the same temperature before at a few other places and all came out very edible. These weren’t. If I were to order them again, and I probably won’t, I’d go for medium to medium-​well.
On the second visit, I had their cheeseburger, cooked medium-​rare, with smoked gouda (wow!), sweet potato fries as the accompanying side, and (subbed) chipotle mayo. I found the buns used very, very tasty– loved the grilled texture. Last, but certainly not least, the sweet potato fries were superb! These were light, non-​greasy, no cinnamon-​sugar coating, and easy on the salt. I loved it both ways– at times plain, and other times dipped in the chipotle mayo. Should I ever have a craving for SPF, I’m heading to Café Carumba!
Very friendly service and clean women’s restroom. I’ll definitely be back!

So Saturday morning I decide to take the trek over to Scottsdale Old Town Farmers Market. Started the morning off with a drive across Glendale/​Lincoln, first time I had taken that route in daylight. It was a perfect morning with temps in the 70s.
I do not function well with out food/​coffee early in the morning and I took this trip as an excuse to try out another restaurant. I arrived well before opening so I wandered around and got my bearings, arriving at the door promptly at 7AM. I was the first customer in the door, entering from Indian School, and the place was deserted so I wandered around a bit when somebody came out. I asked if I could eat on the patio and once she figured out which patio was ready I was told to pick a seat. This sort of sounds like poor service but it really wasn’t, every body was rushing around setting stuff up and total time elapsed was like 3 minutes. I gather Scottsdale doesn’t wake up early, even as I left at almost 8 there were still very few customers.
My server offered up drinks and handed me a menu and in the couple of minutes it took my orange juice to arrive I had made my choice. Maybe too quick on my part, the menus only get reprinted a couple of times a year and there are items not listed which when I heard them recited to another table sounded enticing. I had corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, sliced tomatos and and English muffin. The eggs were nice and hot and not overcooked. The corned beef hash may be the best I have had in Arizona. My server checked up on me fairly often.
The restaurant is divided up with an indoor seating area/​bar, two outside seating areas divided by the entrance to the parking lot and a meeting room, which I did not see inside, but you could sort of guess where it was by subtracting what you could see from the overall size of the place. I would pick outside almost any time.
I would not hesitate to return here. Both the food and the service were excellent.

I had a girlfriend visiting this weekend, and we had lunch here yesterday. I hesitated based on my first visit, but I did want to give Café Carumba a second chance.
It was really slow to get our drink order taken, but the restaurant was pretty busy. Since I was with my bud, I didn’t mind. Our server was super friendly when he got to us as well. We split the club sandwich and sweet potato fries. The sandwich was really tasty and the fries tasted like little french toast sticks when dipping in the maple sauce.
I was set to raise my rating to four stars when it sort of fell apart. Our server did check on us once shortly after bringing our meal, but that was the end. We finished our meals and were long out of beverages, but never saw him again. After about 15 minutes, another server noticed our table and graciously took our plates. He offered to have our check sent over as well which he did. Our bill arrived, we left the credit card out, and it was picked up. But another 10 minutes or so pass and our original server comes by and asks if we’re ready to have him pick up the payment! What? We explain he already took it to cash us out. Finally, he comes back with the credit card receipt for our signature. Busy or not, this was not a pleasant way to end our meal. I have noticed on occasion that tables for two sometimes receiver poorer service (smaller bill = smaller tip). Perhaps that is the case here.
I’ll stick with my original 3 stars. While I may come back again sometime, it’s not at the top of my list.

Great food, fantastic service! I love Café Carumba! I went for lunch on the 4^th of July with my mom, and it was marvelous! I had perfect service here. I have to say, gay men are the best! I have never had better waiters than when I have a gay man wait on me. Props to gay men everywhere. Can you teach the straights how it’s done please?
Oh yeah the food was wonderful too. I had some sort of club sandwich, and mom had the Cubano. She did the salad with hers, and I did the sweet potato fries. Everything was great! My vodka lemonades were $ 7 each which seemed a little high, sorry I’m cheap, but everything else was copacetic.
It was like the lunches mom and I used to have at Café Casino when I was little… fun and fantastic.

Met my friend for lunch here the other day. Neither of us ever heard of it, but since we were in the area, we thought to check it out.
We sat outside, something that I never do. The furniture was extremely dirty (we sat on some patio furniture), but that really is my only complaint. Food was really good… I have been in the mood for grilled cheese lately and theirs was wonderful. (Bacon, tomato, avacado) My friend is a vegetarian and really could get the veggie wrap for a sandwich. She enjoyed it but the sandwich was huge!
It was a great place to hang out and catch up… :)