Published October 31, 2025 | Updated June 4, 2026

Located near the Orpheum Theater, Cumbia is a popular Latin-inspired restaurant and cocktail lounge.

Founded by natives of Colombia, the restaurant is named after a dance that originated on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Cumbia began as a courtship ritual among enslaved Africans. Blended with Indigenous and European influences, including instruments like the gaita flute, drums, and maracas, as well as violins and guitars, it evolved into a musical genre and dance form celebrated across Latin America.

Owner Juan Sanchez had a background in architecture and construction. He relocated to Omaha, a city he’d only heard about from a friend, and got into general contracting. When he arrived, he had just $312 in his pocket and rode a 10-speed bicycle around town. That very bike is now suspended from a wall inside the restaurant, a reminder, he says, to stay humble and hopeful that anything is possible.

While Sanchez was already in Omaha, his wife, Andrea Macias, lived in California. The one-time economist and entrepreneur ended up working in project management while remotely managing restaurant they co-owned in Colombia which was similar to the one that they operate here.

They found the ideal spot for Cumbia in the heart of the theater district. They opened the restaurant in 2021 in the former Himalayan Java space at 329 S. 16th Street. Although Cumbia briefly closed in 2023, it reopened several months later.

The couple’s goal is to make guests feel as though they’ve been transported to another place. Upon entering, visitors are immersed in Latin culture within a laid-back, richly decorated space filled with plants and vines, warm wood interiors, handcrafted furniture, and inviting lighting.

Both the cocktails and food draw inspiration from their homeland and offer something unique to Omaha. The menu, developed in the couple’s home kitchen, features anticuchos de pollo, Peruvian ceviche, a Brazilian sandwich, picanha tacos, Cartagena shrimp cocktail, and cheese cubes.

The long-struggling 16th Street corridor, stretching from Dodge to Leavenworth, was once a thriving commercial district filled with stores, restaurants, and a theater. With the opening of some of the city’s best bars and restaurants, including Mercury, Green Room, and Cumbia, the area finally appears to be turning a corner after fits and starts over the years. The opening of the streetcar should continue its trajectory. At that point, credit will be owed to Cumbia and its neighbors for rolling the dice and helping reignite it.

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• Omaha World-Herald archives
• https://growomaha.com/cumbia-omaha-restaurant-review/
• About | Cumbia Omaha | Tapas Bar