Rumbo 52 Cocina & Cantina — Restaurant in Frederick

It’s hard to write this review because Rumbo 52 has such incredible food and is unique to the area. Unfortunately, a past experience with their service left us frustrated and concerned, and it’s something I feel others should know about.

Rumbo 52 quickly became one of our favorite restaurants, and we were so excited to share it with friends and family. During a family celebration on May 5, 2024, the service wasn’t great, but what happened afterward was far worse.

We paid for our meal with a credit card and left a cash tip. Later, we discovered that our credit card had been charged more than we authorized. Assuming it was just a mistake, we contacted the restaurant to ask for a copy of the transaction so we could compare. We wanted to resolve the issue without jumping to conclusions.

However, we encountered roadblock after roadblock. When we called, we were told no manager was available—every day, for an entire week. We tried emailing but never received a response. Finally, we visited the restaurant in person during lunch hours, only to be told once again that no manager was there. At this point, it was clear we weren’t going to get any help.

After this frustrating experience, we looked at other reviews and noticed that we weren’t alone. Several other patrons have reported similar issues, including unauthorized charges and added gratuities. This pattern is extremely concerning and points to a deeper problem.

While we love the food and the unique experience Rumbo 52 offers, we can’t ignore the fact that this situation is theft. The lack of accountability and follow-through is unacceptable. Until these practices are addressed, we can’t recommend dining here, no matter how good the...

Highly recommend this spot. Great food, wonderful atmosphere and service was exceptional. This will become one of the spots we take our friends when they visit from out of town.

I do have a small random idea for this restaurant that I wanted to share. I think so many people would say that you need to differentiate yourself from the gas station and try to stand out. I think you could stand out in a different way by actually leaning into the fact your connected to the gas station. There are a few hidden speakeasy’s down in Denver, like retrograde (where you enter through a freezer door in an ice cream shop) and Williams and graham (where you enter through a bookshelf). There’s one I can’t think of the name where you enter through a dark scary alleyway and ring a doorbell. When I walked through the doors for dinner tonight I thought of how I was in a gas station setting one moment and then completely transformed to another world when I stepped through those doors. (Kudos to your designer). All this to say, wouldn’t it be cool if there was a vintage gas pump or something where you could type in a number and somehow that gives you access. Or maybe you go through the gas station through a secret fake fridge door. Even if it was only a speakeasy on certain nights during the week, you have such curated drinks and a vibe that fits so well, I’m sure people pour in. Especially with the rise of TikTok and other social medias where shock value and instagramability is becoming more important. It could be really special. Just a random Tuesday thought we pondered while we ate our amazing meal...

Our waitress Rosales was the RUDEST & most Ignorant waitress I’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of being served by. My husband asked what the spinach & zucchini enchiladas were like and she replied in a nasty tone “Do you know what zucchini is” and asked our next guest what they wanted without allowing my husband to state what he wanted to order. Our friend asked if he could have one fish taco and she said no we could only do three. I waited for 5-10 minutes after everyone got their food for my flimsy 2 tacos without so much as a simple sorry. When we went to pay we asked to split it three ways and she argued with us stating we could only pay as one tab and when I attempted to speak with her asking her a question she cut me off repeatedly and continued to give me attitude. She stated if we wanted to pay three ways we had to tell her before we got sat??? We have never been to a restaurant where this was a rule and there was literally 4 of us and my toddler, not like we had an extremely large group. When I asked her to pay with the card she told me to scan the receipt and pay I told her I wanted to pay with my card. She rolled her eyes and snatched the receipt and took our plates. I asked to speak with a manager and the first time she stated they she didnt know if they had one then said he’s not there. I am requesting a manager to reach out because this is simply not acceptable and we have been coming here for months with never having an issue. Disgusted by this horrible and...