LEO/LHB: El Rumbon gives new meaning to 'road food'

[Robin Garr]

LEO's Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes

Fidel Castro is sliding into retirement, and anti-Cuba sentiment feels oh-so '60s nowadays. We still can't legally smoke Cuban cigars, but they're not so hard to score. And Cuban food is starting to look like the next big thing on the Louisville culinary scene.

Havana Rumba broke the ice, earning instant popularity when it opened in St. Matthews almost six years ago; the owners quickly doubled down with sibling Mojito and, more recently, a second location in Middletown. Cocos Lokos added another quality option on the Hurstbourne corridor last year, and Cuba Libre, new in Jeffersonville this summer, is drawing crowds.

Now, an amiable Cuban chef named Reinold Febles has added yet another tasty dimension with Cuban street food. Febles, who's worked in a number of kitchens around town, sets up his large, spic-and-span food trailer on auto-dealer parking lots around Oxmoor Center, serving Cuban food as well as some Mexican favorites (burritos, quesadillas) and Norteamericano fried chicken and hot dogs.

Bedeviled by a weird regulatory situation aimed at state fair and music festival food trailers, mobile food vendors may only be licensed for 15 days in a fixed location before they have to move on. With the generous assistance of several Oxmoor-area auto dealers, his trailer, El Rumbon, has been alternating between Oxmoor Mazda, 7913 Shelbyville Road, and Oxmoor Ford, 100 Oxmoor Lane, where he's currently situated and plans to stay through Sept. 4.

If you've got a hankering for freshly prepared and bounteous, but simple, Cuban fare, give Febles a yell on his cell - 210-9087. He'll gladly tell you where to find the trailer and, if you like, take your order in advance. Or just drive along Shelbyville Road near Oxmoor and look for the big maroon trailer. He's usually open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays.

Read the full review on LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/el-rumbon-c ... d%E2%80%99

and on LouisvilleHotBytes:
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/el-ru ... d%E2%80%99

El Rumbon Cuban Trailer
Oxmoor Ford or Oxmoor Mazda parking lot
210-9087
Robin Garr's rating: 85 points

Bedeviled by a weird regulatory situation aimed at state fair and music festival food trailers, mobile food vendors may only be licensed for 15 days in a fixed location before they have to move on

Wonder how the Gordita trailer has been in the Eastgate spot for so long, a few years at least?

Bedeviled by a weird regulatory situation aimed at state fair and music festival food trailers, mobile food vendors may only be licensed for 15 days in a fixed location before they have to move on

Wonder how the Gordita trailer has been in the Eastgate spot for so long, a few years at least?

I think it is because they are not there every day.

[Robin Garr]

Bedeviled by a weird regulatory situation aimed at state fair and music festival food trailers, mobile food vendors may only be licensed for 15 days in a fixed location before they have to move on

Wonder how the Gordita trailer has been in the Eastgate spot for so long, a few years at least?

I've wondered that too, but remembering the Le Gallo Rosso dustup, I've been reluctant to start a long thread about it here. Discretion and common sense are worth a lot, ya know?

I've also wondered if specific health inspectors in different parts of towns bring different attitudes to their work.

I've also wondered if specific health inspectors in different parts of towns bring different attitudes to their work.

Yes. For the most part. they are generally laid back and very good at their job. While others treat their job like being the meter maid or mall cop. No offense to meter maids or mall cops.

ditto what Kyle said. Some get to know you over the years and just trust you. Others give you the white glove once-over.