Not a bad place to stop in for a quick bite. Free chips and salsa were good. Our waitress was friendly. Food was pretty good. I got chicken burrito and my friend got tacos. Nice little setup inside with the bar. Will be back for lunch. read more

La Bamba - Bar area - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Charming companion and I were lucky enough to find this little place Sunday AM. We sat at the bar and had wonderful service from bartender Scarlett. Lovely atmosphere, kicking music and excellent food. Highly recommend you belly up to bar and ask for Scarlett read more

La Bamba - Seafood Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Though I went there in the evening of a holiday, there were only a few people in the restaurant. The place had colorful decors and seats which were nice. Service was quick. After ordering, food was served after about 10 minutes. Chori steak was tender but it was too salty for me. Probably this was due to the Mexican chorizo. Rice and beans were fine. Server was nice and refilled the chips which were served hot and crispy. Salsa was good. Overall, would give the restaurant a 3/5. read more

La Bamba - 10-oz chori steak - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

¡Me hablaron en español y soy gringo! The food was good and the service was great. The no sabos and whiny crackas complaining about this place need to touch grass and bite me. Go cry to the rva Reddit and go hug your mom, if she will hug you. read more

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! read more

La Bamba - Dinning room - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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

This was the absolute worst Mexican food I have eaten! Went in during lunch time and place a-to-go order for three soft chicken tacos. Service was crappy I was never acknowledged stood at the bar for a few minutes before I indicated that I would like to place an order. The chicken was tuff I could not bit into the taco and the salsa was too spicy for me to eat. NEVER AGAIN EVEN ON THE $1 TACO NIGHT! Wasted my $10.99 read more

La Bamba is definitely a divey Mexican restaurant in Shockoe Bottom. They are located on the corner of Franklin & 18th St. There is a small parking lot right beside the restaurant that says it is for patrons of La Bamba only, but it is blocked off sometimes, so the other parking option is street parking on the surrounding streets or there are a couple of paid lots nearby. This place is not very big, but you will find a decent amount of seating inside including booths on both sides and tables in the middle, with a small bar with some seating on the back right. The couple times I have been there with friends to eat, we have gone during earlier dinner hours (after work, about 5pm), so they haven't been super busy. The staff has always been super friendly and kind and very appreciative of our business. It appears to be a family run restaurant, as we always see the husband and wife in there each time making sure we are well taken care of. They have a pretty large menu with lots of options for everyone! The food was delicious, seasoned well and just the right temperature. Generous portions too! You will definitely not leave hungry! Only minor drawback was the last time we went to eat, it seemed like their AC wasn't working properly because it was pretty warm inside. Granted it was very hot outside as well, but we didn't stick around long after we finished eating because it seemed to be getting warmer with more cooking going on in the kitchen. If you're looking for a casual meal while in Shockoe Bottom, I would give this place a try! read more

My friends and I were craving Mexican late on a Sunday and saw La Bamba was open. So glad we found this place. Great service, great prices and amazing food. Highly recommend! read more

The CHIPS was hot out the grease! The chips and dip was the best I've ever had at any restaurant!! My waitress was very attentive and polite! read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! the owner up charges for everything! Literally anything you can think of. I called in an order for TWO TACOS and asked if the meat and the shell could be separate because I would be walking home and the lady taking my order said okay and gave me a total of $9 and some change.... Once I arrived, he told me that if I wanted them to be separate he would charge me $6 a taco (making my total about $14 for 2 tacos after tax) I told him no thank you and to just make them regular. 30 minutes later, I still had no tacos.... I went up to the owner and he said "I was confused, so I just didn't make them" even though I had been sitting there waiting. The lady who cashed me out told me my total was $7 for the 2 tacos. I wondered why I had been told $9 and first and then $7 after but I was so upset that I just left. I wouldn't advise anyone at all to eat here. The owner sucks. read more

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! read more

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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. read more

La Bamba - Choripollo - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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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. read more

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

Very average Mexican food, but the food here is pretty cheap. The people who work here are super nice. The inside is a bit dark, but it still has a nice atmosphere. The shrimp tacos were a la cart, but I still received rice and beans with it. My friend and I placed our order to-go, but we still received free chips and salsa, which was awesome! The food came out super fast! read more

I've been coming here for probably over 15 years & every time it has been excellent! The food is amazing, hot, & came out quickly & the staff has always been so friendly! They also have a small parking lot for maybe about 4 cars on the side of the building. I will DEFINITELY keep coming back. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE!!!! Went here with my boyfriend and friends around 8 o'clock at night . The food was good but the owner up charged us on every item we got because they got the order wrong (the waitress didn't speak English well) . When we confronted him about the menu and the HUGE bill he said the me he's we're old and they had upped there prices (no where on the menus did it say this... like not even a sharpie mark telling us). The guy didn't like us because his waitress messed everyone's order except for my boyfriend thank god my boyfriend covered the bill because we wouldn't be able to pay separately. Every menu was the same he literally up charged us. I'm reporting him to the better business bureau because this is outrageous I have never been scammed like this in my life. I have also never been to a restaurant in my life where the prices on the menu were different than the actual prices. Also how does he know what the prices are if they not menu because there at least 40 or 50 items on that menu. read more

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. read more

La Bamba - Painter Smurf loved the #2 lunch Special. - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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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. read more

La Bamba - #5 - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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. read more

La Bamba - Piña colada - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Really liked this tiny Mexican joint. Relaxed atmosphere, fast service, and tasty food. The salsa they served was great - definitely has a good flavor and consistency. The service was attentive - it's definitely a no-frills restaurant, but the food definitely stands out. All dishes at the table looked great - my chicken mole was delicious. They've got one of the best mole sauces for sure. Need a margarita the size of your head? Of course you do. They've got 'em. Great job on making some seriously tasty, authentic Mexican food! read more

I'm really disappointed in my last experience and felt the need to warn other people. This used to be one of my favorite spots in town because few people know about it and it is super cheap. I got an order of fried chimichangas from them and was disgusted when I looked down after a few bites. There was a bug nestled in my sauce. It took so much for me to stay calm, but I called them immediately. They gave me a refund and offered to make me another one after saying there is no way that could have happened. The person I spoke to was really defensive and mildly apologetic. This used to be a favorite spot of mine, but I can't bring myself to go back. Cleanliness is so important at a restaurant. read more

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I have been here a few times, the guys at work like to come here sometimes. I have never been a huge fan. The one reason why they like it is for lunch it is cheap! You can get a combo for around 6 bucks. The other nice thing is they have a nice patio outside. However, the food is very bland. I ordered the lunch beef fajitas. The meet was so dry and so bland. I feel like fajitas are a safe bet at a Mexican place and they usually come out sizzling in a little skillet, (not here). Also the service was horrible. It took forever to refill our waters and I almost walked up front to see where our food was. Finally when we went to the front counter to pay the guy taking our money seemed very distracted. I feel like the service and food here is really lazy. read more

This place is just OKAY. I usually come here for lunch, and they have plenty of lunch options for super cheap. Honestly, I think the prices for their lunch menu keeps me coming back. For lunch, I tend to order the Los Amigos #15, which consists of two eggs with Mexican sauce and rice, refried beans, and tortilla. It's simple, cheap and comes with a lot, in my opinion. Chips and salsa are also good, and may possibly be my favorite thing here. There is street parking and is never really a problem during lunch times. I don't know about the other times. Sitting was never a problem for me, and service is super friendly. read more

On the wall PAINTED , there's an add that says $1 tacos every Thursday. Went there today to order a dozen $1 tacos. Was told they dont do that anymore. I told the waitress that their wall ad is FALSE advertisement. She said "oh". False Advertising is against the law. This ad led me to walk down this closed street it's a false advertisment and should be taken down if false.. read more

Don't be fooled by the exterior or neighborhood, this was the classic, hole-in-the-wall, authentic Mexican restaurants! We were the only ones there so we got great service. The waitress was very honest about what she liked and didn't like. Very friendly and low-key. BEST SALSA i have ever had, they kept bringing out hot chips and their salsa, we couldn't get enough. It's made in-home and I wanted them to box up a gallon since we were visiting from CT. Also, BEST GUACAMOLE. So buttery and smooth, I loved it. Great white queso. The menu is massive, lots of options, and great prices. The lunch is such a great value. My husband got the fajitas and they threw in shrimp for free. Next time I'm in Richmond, I'm making it a point to come here!! read more

Came to this place for the first time with some friends recently. I'm always up for Mexican, so I was excited. The place is down in Shockoe Bottom and it's on a corner with not much of a parking lot, but you can street park too. Inside was typical decor for a Mexican restaurant. The staff was friendly as well. We all ordered our food (5 of us). Took a little bit of time for the food to come out even though they didn't have many tables. Food was decent, nothing mind blowing but good. I'd say this place probably gets busy later maybe, we were there around 8pm on a Friday night. All in all, not bad but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. read more

La Bamba - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Ordered delivery on a Sunday night and it arrived quickly via EatStreet. It isn't gourmet Mexican food but everything was satisfying and exactly what you want when you want something yummy and cheesy. Definitely better than some other Mexican food I have had. Overall: worth it read more

Its true what they say- Never judge a book by its cover! :) I went with my family to La Bamba after craving Mexican food. It was absolutely amazing! The taste was exquisute and the quantity generous. Totally worth visting again! read more

Delicious food and kind staff. I forgot our servers name but she was a sweet lady and we got to practice our Spanish with her. We will definitely go back when we're craving yummy Mexican food. read more

Food was delivered 35 minutes past initial wait time delivery on eatstreet. Food was cold and having traveled throughout the U.S. and Mexico this was by far the worst Mexican or Latin food I've ever had. The burrito was beyond bland, chicken was cooked to the point of being powder and the Chile Rellano was basically a consistency of cream cheese and potatoes. Will never recommend this place to anyone. Also the sauce everything was in tasted more like Ragu than any authentic sauce. Wow, recommend Taco Bell before eating here! read more

I have been coming to this place since I moved to the neighborhood in May 2021, I go at least once a month! It is hands down some of the best Mexican food I have had. The mole menu has a ton of hidden gems! Everything I have tried this far has blown my mind. Their house salsa is addictive- a great balance of heat and acidity. Since they are open until 2am and can cater to the late night crowd, I recommend going around 5:30-6:00pm for a more laidback experience. read more

This was the first time I visited LaBamba, I was a little concerned as I pulled up to pick up my take out (did not get to eat in ). However the inside was colorful and beautiful small but very charming!! The person at the register was very nice. The food was delicious, it reminded me of truly authentic Mexican (don't get me wrong Plaza Azteca and Nacho Mamas are good but not authentic). The prices were really good as well. This will be my go to place for Mexican food in the future. Will try and eat in next time to check out the quality of their margaritas!! read more

I'm from Texas and VERY picky about Mexican food. But I think La Bamba may be one of the best kept secrets in the Shockoe/Churchill area! The prices were amazing, and the food was even better! The atmosphere was very authentic and the staff was very friendly. Parking available. Don't let the humble exterior fool you! read more

I've been searching for good Mexican food near me and I have to say this is the closest Mexican Restaurant to me and it is very authentic! They have great prices and they have awesome specials almost every night of the week! I went on dollar taco day and it was LIT. I got six soft tacos (oink oink), half chicken, half beef and they were awesome! Both meats were seasoned very well and tasted very authentic. The tacos were also pretty big. I also got a margarita which was okay but it wasn't the best margarita I've ever had. I wanted a frozen one but for some reason they couldn't make frozen ones. Overall I was pretty pleased with my experience here and I will definitely be going back for some more tacos!! This place wasn't super busy when I went but I felt like it definitely should have been so hopefully more people will go try it! read more

Awesome Mexican food!!!! My ultimate go to spot! I'm a huge fan of Mexican food! My quick fix when I don't feel like cooking. Great family oriented staff that gives great service. I will become a regular. I had the shrimp and chicken fajita that came to me sizzling!!! Love it!!! read more

First off, I am totally psyched that there is yelp in random cities in Virginia--I feel connected to the food and social world again. Second, I LOVE La Bamba. It's got an awesome name. Doesn't it just conjure up images from "La Bamba" by Los Lobos? The staff are super friendly with you and humor you while you order and make small talk in Spanish. But of course I don't come here regularly for the name alone. I am here for the great food and extra-grande margaritas. Lunch is an especially good value. Chips and salsa are fresh. The spinach burrito is rico. The Margaritas are as large as your head. Believe me, you'll only need one. Secret tip: Thursdays is $1 taco day. read more

I love this place; not for what it is, but what it's not. La Bamba is sort of the typical Tex-Mex/Americanized Mexican food that you usually find this far away from the Mexican border. I usually come for the fakey stuff, but according to some of the other reviewers, it sounds like there are some legit offerings on the menu. However, that's not why I love La Bamba. Here's why: Chips and salsa: Hot, fresh chips with salsa that I love. It's the runny kind of salsa, with cilantro and peppers. Nothing too complex, just familiar and delicious. I could eat chips and salsa here all night long.. and I have before. Dollar taco night: Thursday nights are dollar taco night! I love the bean tacos here. The refried beans are mushy and probably made with lard, with a mess of shredded cheese on top. This is no light fare! If I'm feeling extra indulgent, I'll order rice and beans on the side. I have an unnatural love for the beans here. The bean tacos are also great hangover cures. Chile rellano: I've never had an authentic stuffed pepper before, but I enjoy the version at La Bamba. Made with what I believe is poblano pepper, stuffed with a cheesy/potato-y filling, it's the right stuff. Steak fajitas: Who doesn't like this tex-mex entree? Strips of meat and veggies on a sizzling platter? Awesome. It makes everybody else at the table envious as they sit in front of their boring enchiladas. (Btw, I find the enchiladas here to be overly salty and bland) read more

I'm realizing more and more that 9 times out of 10 I can't trust the average US citizen's taste in "mexican" food. People are too used to Taco Bell, I think. I can't believe this place has a 4 star average. First of all, there's nothing authentic about La Bamba. Second of all, there's nothing delicious about La Bamba. I would bet money that nothing there is house-made. The beans, sauce, the salsa, and "cheese" (it's that runny stuff that tastes like plastic), all taste like they came out of a can or jar. If you've ever had real Mexican, don't step foot in this place, not even if you're desperate. I noticed that they make giant frozen margaritas, maybe that's their redeeming quality? But the enchiladas, tacos, and chiles rellenos are all sickening. read more