Fats Duvall’s Rhum Cafe – A Caribbean Escape in NYC

Hi friends, welcome back! Remember the good old days when my posts would make you extra hungry – well those days are coming back 🙂 (So PSA: don’t read while hungry 😉 ) NYC feels almost back to normal and Jon and I have been having a blast trying new restaurants and exploring different areas of the city again! A little before the wedding, Fats Duvall’s Rhum Café reached out to me on Instagram and invited me to check out their new restaurant in SoHo. I couldn’t say no after scouring their mouth watering Instagram!

Fat’s Duvall’s opened in April 2021 and features homemade Latin-Caribbean food and fun Rhum drinks. The menu features shareable tapas and isn’t something that would typically be on my radar. As you’ll see, I’m slowly expanding my food horizon and loving it!

This was our first time eating out in NYC since last July and Jon and I had a blast! Fats Duvall’s has such a lively atmosphere and feels like you’ve just stepped into a restaurant in the Caribbean. All of the employees were so friendly and helpful and contributed to our great experience! We dined around 6pm on a Saturday which might be the equivalent of 4:30 anywhere else ha, but by the time we left the tables started filling up. We prefer going earlier for the better lighting and I feel more comfortable taking pictures.

Jon and I started with some of their most popular drinks, The Pink Flamingo for me and Put the Lime in the Coconut for Jon. Both of these drinks were quite strong, but in a good way, not in an overpowering alcohol taste. They also offer rum flights that seem like a great time if you love rum!

The Pink Flamingo had the perfect amount of fruity flavor without being too much, and it was sneakily strong. It included rum, watermelon, guava, grapefruit, and lime juice. I also loved the fun flamingo cup! The Put the Lime in the Coconut had a smooth and creamy flavor with the perfect mix of coconut and rum.

Fats Duvall’s serves smaller, shareable plates but it seems they are constantly adding to the menu and making tweaks. Jon and I loved sharing everything so we could try out the different dishes. We wish restaurants would put an even number of items on each plate so it’s easier to share. The food tasted exceptional and each dish had a unique flavor and spice to it.

Fluke Crudo Tostadas – tasted very fresh and delicious! The hint of lime and seasoning was perfect with the ceviche

Pernil Sliders – the pulled pork tasted so tender mixed with the sweetness of the roll and kick of spiciness – perfection!

Empanadas – we tried both the beef & olive and the jerk chicken and both were amazing! They came with a unique dipping sauce that complemented the empanadas. The crust was the perfect amount of crispiness and flakiness and tasted so fresh, I loved it! I could’ve eaten ten of them… I wish they made entrée sized empanadas, they were so tasty!

Banana Bread Pudding – this came in the cutest cast iron and tasted delicious drizzled in a coconut rum sauce and with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream!

Beignets – perfect way to end our meal – we picked the dulce de leche sauce and it featured the perfect amount of sweetness without being too much. So yummy!

Fats Duvall’s Rhum Café is a such a cool place with incredible Latin-Caribbean inspired food! The drinks are so fun and all of the food we tried tasted amazing!! Surprisingly to us, Jon and I felt very full after this meal! It’s also located near Trader Joe’s so you could do your grocery shopping after dinner like we did. Fats Duvall’s rolled out a happy hour special with $10 drinks and $12 empanadas from 4-6 weekdays and all day Sunday. Happy hour would be a great way to try out the restaurant with friends. Jon and I had a great experience and I’d recommend checking it out if you are looking for Latin-Caribbean inspired food, especially empanadas!

Thanks for reading! What looked the yummiest to you?