During the Ten Years’ War, Cuban settlers won their independence from Spain by burying effigies of Spanish soldiers in mountains of rum-soaked beans and rice. Appreciate the power of culinary voodoo with today’s Groupon: $15 gets you $30 worth of food and drink at Babaloo’s Cuban Café in Ahwatukee.

Combining traditional Cuban fare with the tastiest morsels borne on the boards of modern Caribbean surfing chefs, Babaloo’s viands enrich members of the Homo genus with pungent nutrients and piquant nutrient sauces. The food menu furnishes delicious tapas such as corn fritters ($5), empanadas ($5), and gluten-free pineapple ceviche with shrimp and mahi ($9). Platos principales include jerk chicken ($12) with saffron- and chorizo-spiced rice, and grilled jicama a la parilla ($9) served with red beans and rice. The famous Cuban sandwich ($10) fills mouths with lechón asado, ham, swiss cheese, and pickles and minds with the knowledge of good and evil Cuban food fights. On the drink menu, Oronocco rum mixes with mint to form Babaloo’s signature mojito ($9), and beer frolics with cane sugar and lime juice to inspire a classic Babaloo Bul cooler ($4/glass, $7/pitcher). Also on the refreshment roster are wines, liqueurs, domestic and imported cervezas, and tequila-laced tears of the consistently misunderstood gusano rojo.

Established by chefs Mayra and Robert in 2008, Babaloo’s pridefully pleases tongue-depressor depressees with a methodical mess of gastric-acid-tempting goodies. Park your keister on a comfy chair, snatch a caipirinha from the bar, and imagine a tsunami of Caribbean saltwater inundating the restaurant with entirely metaphorical and hunger-sating waves.

Not valid with happy hour or any other offer.

Reviews

Babaloo’s grabs great press from AZCentral and Metromix. Eighty-three percent of Urbanspooners recommend it, and Yelpers and TripAdvisors give it four stars.

• Order some black beans and rice or mashed plantains with pork cracklings on the side, and make it an authentic experience with a mojito, sangria, rum or wine to pair the meal with. – Metromix
• We recently tried Babloos and it surpassed our wildest expectations. Between the four of us we sampled the Jerk Chicken, the Camarones en Salsa Verde, the Pollo Jengibre, and the Ropa Vieja and they were all amazing. – Nicki Myers, Urbanspoon
• We had the camarones for the appetizer - garlicky and yummy! My chicken, citrus salad was simple but very good. I love the atmosphere here - it's a friendly neighborhood restaurant with great live music. – macncheesephx, TripAdvisor