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    La Bamba

    3.4 (149 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    La Bamba Photos

    Business Info

    LA BAMBA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - La Bamba

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    Reviews With Photos

    Dinning room
    Lindsey F.

    My favorite shockoe bottom hidden gem. This is my favorite comfort Mexican food spot. It's pretty low key and there's never a wait. The owner regularly waits tables and so fun to interact with! The food is delicious and reasonably priced. They have the best fresh salsa in RVA. (little spicy) Stop by for 2 dollar tacos on Thursdays!

    Choripollo
    Crystal W.

    We are really happy La Bamba is still able open during COVID. Even prior to COVID, they had patio seating - one of the few places in the city. They moved their patio tables to front (parking lot instead of behind the building, maybe for visibility?) The margaritas are great, the chips and salsa ( big factor in how I judge a Mexican restaurant) are delicious and free flowing, and the menu is vast! Being from Texas this place competes well with local restaurants back home. Yum, yum! The service is friendly and the prices are great!! We're so happy to be able to still support this restaurant! Plus!! They have to go super delicious margaritas and they allow dogs on the patio.

    What a fun salsa carafe!
    Jeff Y.

    Para bailar la bamba...(sorry, couldn't resist :P). I'm going to Guatemala this summer with a campus student organization, and we decided to have a dinner meeting at La Bamba! Since we had such a large group (15 people), the restaurant combined four tables and seated us outdoors. It was a comfortable temperature outside, but during the first half of our meal, many of us were concerned about a potential thunderstorm. The clouds looked a little suspicious, and there was a 50% chance of rain; we even felt a few isolated raindrops while we were ordering. Fortunately, it never actually started raining and we made it through the night. In fact, it cooled down a little after the sun set, which was quite pleasant. Our group leader told the servers that we were going to Guatemala and asked them to refrain from speaking any English with us (although the restaurant is Mexican, the waitress was coincidentally Guatemalan). Thus, we had to order all of our food in Spanish. ¡Fue una buena oportunidad para practicar español! Unfortunately, we had to wait quite a while for everyone in our group to show up (15-20 minutes). We then waited a period of time before our orders were taken, and a considerable amount of time again before the food arrived (I arrived at 7PM but we didn't start eating until 8PM). Luckily, we were able to chat with each other and munch on chips and salsa to pass the time. I ordered the Morelos Special, which was beef (and bonus chicken apparently) con arroz, frijoles, y un tamal. The meal also came with two chicken taquitos and guacamole salad. When my plate arrived, I was originally disappointed with the portion size. There were no taquitos to be seen; instead, grilled chicken meat accompanied my beef. I started wondering why my meal did not match the menu description. However, it turned out that the rest of meal would come out on a separate plate (the two taquitos, salad topped with guacamole, and some sour cream). The food came out nice and hot (so hot that the waitress brought out our dishes using oven mitts). Flavors were excellent, and my meat was tender, well-marinated, and not too dry. The friend to the right of me ordered the fried fish dish, which came as an ENTIRE deep fried fish (head + tail included)! I think I will try that the next time I come! Possibly because of the heavy food and possibly because I had so many chips while waiting, I was VERY stuffed at the end of my meal. I had considered ordering horchata as a beverage, but decided to spend less money. Someone else did order horchata later though, and said it was pretty tasty! There wasn't anyone sitting inside the restaurant while we were there, but the restaurant's interior is actually pretty cool and colorful. The blow-up Corona bottles (balloons) and other drinks hanging on the wall were fun, and there are a number of candy dispensers near the cash register. [FYI: There was a small sign by the register advertising a 10% discount if you paid with cash. I didn't have that much cash on me though, so I can't verify this statement since I paid with card.] There is even a jukebox by the door! The atmosphere, especially with Spanish music playing in the background, was a lot of fun! Instead of splitting our bill so many ways, the waitress just asked each of us to pay separately at the bar. She also told us to come back tomorrow for the Cinco de Mayo fiesta! ;) I definitely plan on coming back here, since: a) it is within walking distance from home, and b) I want to try more items off of their really extensive menu!

    Enjoying our Chips and Salsa while we wait to order.
    Kendall C.

    We had a great experience at La Bamba. We dined in during COVID and there was no one else in there. From what we can tell chips are included with a meal so we got one refill with two people and didn't pay extra. Food was very yummy. Rice is much better than a lot of run of the mill Mexican places. Since we were the only ones in there, the waiter was super friendly with us. Margaritas are also very good. The Texana is HUGE and has a very unique fruity flavor.

    Piña colada
    Ivet V.

    This place was a hole in the wall. It was recommended to me by a tour guide. I went and wasn't sure I was in the right place. The place is very small and intimate. I sat at the bar and looked at the menu, couldn't believe the prices on it, very reasonable and affordable. I ordered the chilaquiles which was not the worst dish I've ever had, it wasnt bad just different. I ate most all of the food not sure because it was good or because I was hungry. I also ordered a pìna colada, which was good probably better than the food. The drink actually was more expensive than my actual meal. Overall it was good because of the price not sure if I would to back unless I'm strapped for cash.

    Painter Smurf loved the #2 lunch Special.
    Topaz W.

    Not what I expected. #PainterSmurf is please with lunch today!!!! At La Bamba. Customer service was remarkable, greeted with a smile at the door and was seated quickly. The entire staff was very friendly and cheerful... and not judgemental (PLUS). I ordered the lunch special #2 taco, salad with guacamole dressing, fried chilly's and refried beans. And it was very tasty. And loved the free wi-fi as well. Their refried beans were not bland like sone Mexican restaurants, had a mild spicy heat and light savory flavor that I really appreciated. Come here and spend less than $10 on lunch and leave full, satisfied, and sleepy (due to the large portion) lol.

    #5
    Sarah K.

    AWESOME-Ville with a capital A. I'm a real stickler when it comes to a place being what it's supposed to be. (Makes sense? It does to me!) If it's supposed to be 5 star, I expect a table crumber to hit the table at some time during the experience...if it's a dive, I expect to have to hold my bathroom stall closed with my foot. Ya heard? This is a little Mexican joint in a college town with awesome specials and awesome food. Have I said it's awesome? I had the lunch special #4- a taco and an enchilada- they dropped off a basket of fresh salsa and WARM tortilla chips. Awesome. I ordered a side of guac salad (guacamole with sour cream? or was it mayo?) which I'm not sure I would do again- it was good, just didn't need it. If you're having a soft drink (and I am these days) get ready for a 40ozer. It's GIANT cup of awesome lemonade (or whatever you order.) Otherwise, there's an (you guessed it) AWESOME alcoholic drink special every day. I love this place. It's a small place- so don't try to bring a HUGE group here.

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    1 year ago

    Increasing cost on a dish by 2 dollars is a bs excuse because eggs are expensive. I'll take business elsewhere

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    3 years ago

    Auténtico comida. Los camareros están muy amable, y la comida es muy rico. Necesitas irte!

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    The Roosevelt - Fried catfish

    The Roosevelt

    4.3(666 reviews)
    0.6 miChurch Hill
    $$$

    This was my sister's & my first visit to The Roosevelt & let me just start by saying this will…read moredefinitely not be my last time dining at this masterpiece of a restaurant. Each & every dish was a culinary creative canvas that enticed, tantalized & totally enthralled our palates. For my cocktail I ordered The Seersucker, which was made with my favorite bourbon Four Roses. The drink was velvety smooth & a soothing complement to my food. As our appetizers we ordered Cornbread, the BBQ Spiced Chicken Wings & the Chicken Fried Pig Ears. Everything was absolutely delightful. The pig ears were an especially nice surprise as they were melt in your mouth tender & full of flavor. There was a horseradish sauce accompanying the pig ears & the sauce was creamy & not overpowering with horseradish flavor[i don't even usually like horseradish but this dish truly gave me a new experience of that flavor]. I would definitely order the pig ears again. The Cornbread was cute & tasted like cornbread I grew up in the Country eating. I could eat a whole skillet of the cornbread. The chicken wings were tender & nicely seasoned. I really enjoyed the white BBQ that was drizzled over them. As our Entrees, we ordered 2 Catfish & 1 Flounder Catch of the Day. Both dishes were delicious. The fish was not overly seasoned, as I so often encountered with seafood dishes, both dishes allowed the diner to actually taste the depth & simplicity of the fish. Both dishes are also items I would order again. Our server was courteous, attentive & knowledgeable concerning menu item choices. When it was time for us to leave, as I think we stayed way past the dining allotment time, the hostess was very respectful in explaining to our table there was a reservation behind us. I appreciate that type of honesty & treatment in a dining facility. As mentioned so many times previously I will be returning to The Roosevelt. They have definitely made a fan out of me.

    The Roosevelt in Richmond has the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to slow down and settle in…read morefor a while. The lighting is soft, the decor leans into classic old southern, and the whole space feels warm and lived in without trying too hard. The bar is also genuinely pretty and worth a look even if you're just passing through to your table. The service was friendly and inviting without being overbearing. We started with some incredible cocktails before diving into a round of small plates, and honestly the small plates alone could have made for a great meal. The cornbread was delicious, slightly sweet and exactly what you want to kick things off. The fried green tomatoes were a standout and not prepared the way you might expect. Instead of the typical flat slices, they were chopped into smaller pieces and coated in what seemed like a light, puffy beer batter or something like that. The real star of that dish was the Old Bay hollandaise served alongside it, which was incredible. We also had the BBQ spiced chicken wings, which were deeply flavorful without leaning too hard on heat, and the Alabama white sauce they came with was outstanding. For entrees we went with the fried catfish and the ramp stuffed chicken, both of which were excellent. Neither dish disappointed, and both felt thoughtful and well executed. We finished with the Cheerwine cake, which ended up being the biggest surprise of the night. The cake itself had a dense, almost Jiffy cornbread flavor to it, and the icing tasted like a cream cheese base with a subtle but distinct Cheerwine flavor running through it. It sounds like an odd combination on paper but it worked really well. The Roosevelt is the kind of place that earns a return visit, and I'm already looking forward to working through more of their menu.

    Photos
    The Roosevelt - The restaurant's namesake!

    The restaurant's namesake!

    The Roosevelt - Cheerwine cake

    Cheerwine cake

    The Roosevelt - Ramp stuffed chicken

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    Ramp stuffed chicken

    Grandstaff & Stein

    Grandstaff & Stein

    4.1(345 reviews)
    0.2 miShockoe Bottom
    $$

    A must stop in the downtown Richmond area!…read more It's truly a speakeasy with the door posing as a bookshelf. To get in, you must know the password or tell the host a joke that makes him laugh. We were escorted in and quickly noticed that this was more than a speakeasy-it was a full restaurant. We stopped in for drinks, but it was nice to have tapas. I got the popcorn with the Tequilla lime butter, which was the perfect balance of salt. I had a mezcal drink which was perfect! I'm such a fan of mezcal and am excited when I see it on the menu. Our waitress was a delight-super attentive and also a bartender so she was able to answer all of our drink questions. It was very spacious with outdoor seating. Definitely a 10/10 experience. I would definitely go again!

    My son just graduated from AIT school and wanted a good steak…read more We made reservations here since they had several options for reasonably priced steaks. He loved his steak and the sides. It was cooked perfectly. I had the shrimp andouille. It was delicious. We were greeted cheerfully at the door. The wait staff was very good. The restaurant had moderate noise since there was a large party celebrating a birthday. But I was impressed that there were obvious regulars at the bar. The biggest impression they made was calling me after I left a personal item on the seat next to me. While it wasn't something of large value, the fact that they found my number from the reservation and called meant so much to me. Highly recommend

    Photos
    Grandstaff & Stein - Hidden bookshelf door

    Hidden bookshelf door

    Grandstaff & Stein - Baked Brie

    Baked Brie

    Grandstaff & Stein - Mules

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    Mules

    Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille - PH Quesadilla

    Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille

    3.9(146 reviews)
    0.4 miChurch Hill
    $$

    As always, the parking here was easy, even though it has street parking. We arrived on a Thursday…read morenight, around 8 o'clock, and it was already starting to pick up. The bar was getting full, but there were still a few tables left to choose from. This is a dive, similar to Poe's Pub, so if that's not your scene, don't come here. That said, we really like the character of this place, even if it smells a little funky upstairs. It adds to the character and charm, or at least, that's what we tell ourselves. The same bartender as usual (still don't know his name) helped us. They do have a sour beer. It's not as fruity as I like, though, still passable. (Seriously, Patrick Henry's, y'all need to order some from Texas and Oklahoma sours for the real deal; Martin House Brewing Co. in Ft Worth does them so right). Anyway, we ordered the goat cheese bread appetizer (warm apple butter, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds = immense pleasure). For entrees, I grabbed the Hot Chicken Pizza (hot sauce and pickles!), and my partner went for the chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries. There was so much food that we had leftovers, as usual. They heated up well in the air fryer and were nearly as good. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS PLACE. I will admit, it does look slightly seedy, but the food here is magnificent. The pizza was thin, crispy, and full of delicious flavor. I swear, the chefs here know what they are doing with their menu. It's simple, yet elegant. The appetizers are simple, yet they easily compete with The Brooklyn and Pinky's apps, for example, which are more affordable and in a more relaxed environment. Do yourself a favor and get the goat cheese. It sings. The customers here are chill and interesting, and the bartender is calm and cool; he never seems out of sorts, even when the bar is full with a line out the door. I wholeheartedly recommend Patrick Henry's. We have been here twice now, and the service and food have been excellent both times (Sept 2025, May 2026).

    Great tasting crackers like thin crust. Pickles had a nice crisp bite to them. Definitely…read morerecommended.

    Photos
    Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille - Bar area

    Bar area

    Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille - Pizza--gf

    Pizza--gf

    Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille - Pulled Pork Wonton (and Frankie)

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    Pulled Pork Wonton (and Frankie)

    Kahlo’s Taqueria and Bar

    Kahlo’s Taqueria and Bar

    4.1(162 reviews)
    0.6 miChurch Hill
    $$

    Wonderful customer service and a great place to dine! The owner as well as the staff is nothing…read morebut polite and accommodating. I would highly recommend the food is amazing!

    It had been quite some time since I ate at Kahlo's, however, my dining experience on this visit was…read morejust as memorable and delightful as my very first visit. The atmosphere was very boisterous, as it was a Saturday night. It took a few minutes for my husband & I to be seated but once we were our server was very courteous, attentive & helpful with menu item choices. Our food arrived expeditiously & each item we ordered from the cocktails to the appetizer to the entree were absolutely delicious. I was especially pleased with the Whole Fried Fish I ordered. It was crispy on the outside with very tender, flaky meat on the inside. I also just loved the presentation. This was my first time actually getting a whole fried fish with the head intact & I have to say it was an experience in & of itself. I would definitely order this entree again. Also you got a small side salad & beans & rice with this entree for a really great price so YES I would definitely order this again. I would definitely recommend dining at Kahlo's if you enjoy neighborhood family owned restaurants that provide great food, service & atmosphere at a very affordable price. I look forward to returning to Kahlo's in the near future.

    Photos
    Kahlo’s Taqueria and Bar - Bar view + chips & salsa, Cheese Dip, Mango & Strawberry Fresa

    Bar view + chips & salsa, Cheese Dip, Mango & Strawberry Fresa

    Kahlo’s Taqueria and Bar - Taco time!!!!

    Taco time!!!!

    Kahlo’s Taqueria and Bar - "Texas" Margarita

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    "Texas" Margarita

    La Bamba - mexican - Updated May 2026

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