Rumbi Island Grill: Fast, Casual and Tropical

September 8, 2009
Scott Mindeaux, Editor

There is a new restaurant coming to Mission Viejo! Rumbi Island Grill has taken over the old Mustard’s Cafe space on Alicia Parkway in Mission Viejo. Based out of Utah, they have about 2 dozen restaurants in Uta, Arizona and Colorado. Well this week they are prepping the old Mustard’s space and they are scheduled to open on Sept 21st.

So what is Rumbi’s you ask? It’s a little Hawaiian, with some Caribbean, Bali and Jamaican mixed in. It’s casual dining at fast food pricing. Their menu offers Salads, Entrees, Rice Bowls as well as Burgers and Sandwiches.

I met with the Scott McDonnell, general manager and he is excited to open. He showed me a menu and they have an interesting mix of food, a little bit of everything for everyone. They are scheduled to open their doors on September 21 with a soft opening a few days before. I look forward to trying such dishes as Luau Pork Plate, slow roasted pulled Kalua pork or the Voodoo Chicken Salad, jerk chicken breast, tomatoes, feta and greens in a sesame ginger vinaigrette. There is also the Bahama Mama’s Tortilla Soup and the Rumbi Fries, a mix of sweet and regular potato french fries.

The new space is much brighter than when Mustard’s was there. My friend Tim and I ate at Mustard’s before they closed and was noticing how dark the store was. It’s a nice space with tall ceilings and rafters. They have adorned the space with some lighter pints and island decor. I told Tim, back then, that the space would make for a great casual cooking school. Oh well, there goes that idea!