Café Bomba — Restaurant in Asheville

I'm simply at a loss when I read the reviews of this place. So many positive reviews about flavor and ambiance, neither of which would appear in my visit with my wife. The food wasn't bad, per se, it was a rough approximation of whatever we ordered.

What really baffled my wife and I was the theme, though. Was it Castilian? No, much of the menu was French- including, humorously, the Spanish dishes. Ah, so the French music and language makes it French, then? No, virtually all of the food was Latin American. As I understand, others have mentioned "techno" in the afternoons or evenings, which is just plain funny. This probably won't bother some people, but it left us confused.

A few notes of constructive criticism:

-The Google listing lists this as a cheap cafe. This was some of the most expensive Spanish food in the area. I'd solidly say this is two to three "dollar signs" on a Google listing. Perhaps this is post-COVID pricing, but the listing should reflect this change.

-Those portion sizes are out of control. I'm a pretty big guy, over six foot and over two hundred pounds. There is NO reason any restaurant should pile that much food on a plate. I ate and ate, and eventually simply gave up and accepted that we'd be wasting food.

-The food was okay, but far from the best in the area. Not much to say about this and it could have just been the food we ordered.

-As a result of the high price point, my wife and I expected the waitstaff to be considerably more professional and attentive than what we got. The restaurant was quite loud, but all of the volume came from the kitchen and waitstaff talking amongst each other. The conversations were rowdy, and made us feel like we just paid double what we should to be in a diner.

-The reviews of this cafe make me believe they aren't doing poorly. good for you, by the way! Nonetheless, I feel that if you reduced your portion sizes by as much as 50% and reduced your prices to be more in line with the area (probably about 20%), you'd find more returning customers and less one-time tourists. This also would allow extra grace for the waitstaff, whose service was not inline with the price.

We love seeing local businesses doing well and hope that you continue to refine your product! Here's to many more years!

Edit Added a star because the business responded to my review....

Today's restaurant is Cafe Bomba

Located in Asheville, NC.

The pictures shown in order are:

-Bomba Benedict A hearty dish, the crab cakes are well-integrated into the dish, the accompanying salad and fruit provide a nice balance of flavors. However, I was disappointed to find that the eggs were fried, as I typically associate Benedicts with poached eggs. Odd choice of a name.

-Nutella crêpe A colorful and flavorful dish. The crêpe is soft and fluffy, and the Nutella is spread evenly throughout. The crêpe is also accompanied by eggs, porchetta, and fruit, which is nice if you're looking for a full meal.

-Horchata A very refreshing drink, very much what I was hoping to get. You can taste the freshness and the care when it was made. No artificial flavoring can be tasted, which is very pleasing.

-What do we think of Cafe Bomba?-

Cafe Bomba is a small and charming cafe located in the heart of downtown Asheville. The cafe has a European feel, with its clean decor and pleasing aesthetic. The service is friendly and efficient, and the food is delicious.

The cafe is next door to the Kimpton Hotel which in my opinion is the best hotel in downtown Asheville. It's very convenient to have such a lovely cafe next to a hotel.

I enjoyed my meal at cafe bomba, and did not wait that much for a table on a Sunday. I would suggest asking for the eggs and fruit to be served on a separate plate. If you don't like your crepe to be smeared in egg yolk.

I always appreciate the fresh fruit side for a nice breakfast. I also understand that less dishes take less room and it's efficient in such a compact kitchen.

Another thing to mention is that the menu at Cafe Bomba can be a bit confusing. The names of some of the dishes are not very clear. For example, the "bananas foster French toast" is described as having house chorizo, soft scrambled eggs, and cinnamon sugar.

I would recommend reading the menu carefully to make sure you know what you are ordering.

Thank you cafe bomba, I will come back and explore the rest of the menu. Come and check out this increíble French-Mexican café, truly a unique place in Asheville.

Rating: III out of V (VV's)

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This is a meal I can absolutely brag about. I had the Banana Foster French toast and I was SHOCKED at how well these items were paired on the plate. The French Toast was incredibly sweet, paired with a spiced bacon with the perfect amount of heat. Starting out I went straight for the toast, it got a little sweet for my taste so I decided to mix it up and that's when the magic happened. The pairing was awesome. The staff was pleasant and interacted well with each other. The place is SMALL so watching the staff move around each other and communicate was actually quite pleasant. The only "complaint" I have is that we were seated by the door, which was cooooold on my neck AND the menu was posted on the window so about 5 times during my meal I had people approach the window and stare at the menu awkwardly close to our seat. Simply solved by a stand on the sidewalk or posting the menu on the door. Honestly, none of it was a big deal, just an observation. The MEAL, was great. My wife is the pickiest coffee drinker on the planet, and she described it as a "fun little coffee drink" and she smiled the whole time...