Terrible service. Overpriced. The Carnitas were great, but not good enough to disuade me from writing this review.

Don't go to La Bamba Mexican restaurant in Shockoe Bottom. I stopped in there last night to eat and tried to walk to the bathroom. it was thunderstorming outside and wanted to dry off. The bartender stopped as I walked towards the restroom me and I explained that I had to use the restroom. My friend walked in behind me and the bartender asked was he with me. I said yes and told my friend to wait for me at the bar to eat. The bartender asked again were we eating and I said yes, the guy rolled his eyes and acted like he didn't like that response. There was only an older couple in the restaurant eating at this time. I asked the bartender did he not want us to eat here and he didn't respond at all. After waiting for him to acknowledge my question or at least alleviate my concerns if I was mistaken he said nothing. I told him nevermind we don't need to spend our money where we aren't wanted. Businesses in shockoe bottom have a hard enough time as it is and there are too many options out here. read more

The most important thing to remember: La Bamba is what it is. And for what it is (your basic neighborhood Mexican restaurant ) it is quite good. Come here for a quiet spot to laugh with friends and enjoy good quality, late night cheap eats. I have overall been happy with the food I have ordered here and unlike other reviews I had no problems with the service. Our waitress was great. The one thing I was disappointed with was the margarita. It was very sweet, artificial coloring with no tequila taste. read more

Second time coming here and had awful service. Salsa was too hot. Food was good but very bad service. We then saw them cleaning tables with Windex. read more

La Bamba is reasonably priced and the food is good. My general order is chicken chimichangas, which are delicious. The tacos are good as well. You get your food pretty quickly after placing your order. Staff is nice and helpful in making selections. read more

There are times when I really wish that Yelp had two rating systems - one for food and one for service or experience. I've been going to La Bamba for years - it's the best Mexican restaurant downtown food-wise and I absolutely love the fajitas. They are about $15 which isn't bad for fajitas - a lot of places will run you $20+. Plus, if you get take-out/delivery the portions are huge which makes it a great deal. If this review was based on food alone I'd give it 4 stars easily, however a perfect world this is not. The problem with La Bamba is that the service is absolutely atrocious. The servers are inattentive, rude, they will walk away when you are in the middle of talking, and at times, they will bring you the wrong dish and blame it on you - this has happened multiple times. If you're looking for drinks, the margaritas are good but are a little light on the alcohol and they have absolutely no idea what a vodka soda is - seriously, they'll give you a Pepsi with vodka - so just stick with a beer and you'll be golden. read more

Went to La Bamba for lunch the other day. The place wasn't very busy and we were sat at a very colorful and comfortable booth. Service was attentive and we were quickly brought out some chips and salsa. Chips were crispy and not too greasy and the salsa was A-OK. I ordered the beef La Bamba burrito minus the cheese sauce, and the bf ordered the panfilio burrito with the cheese sauce on the side. I recommend doing that because the spicy, white nacho like cheese was deliciously addictive with chips, but I would have hated it on burrito. My burrito was huge and filled with steak, beans and rice. It was served with sour cream, lettuce, tomato and guacamole on the side. Had those extras been rolled in the burrito and had it all been handed to me wrapped tight in tinfoil I would have been in heaven. It wasn't, but it was still yummy, and definitely is the closest thing I've ordered to a big real California burrito in Richmond outside of Chipotle. Prices were also not that much more than Chipotle. I'm pretty sure I'll be back on dollar taco night when it gets warm enough to sit out on that outdoor patio with a Margarita. read more

from the very minute my boyfriend and me started stating he's been RAVING about how good the food is at la bamba, i didn't get my first chance to go their untill may of this year i loved the HUGE menu options but it can be a bit daunting from a first time eater, they certanly don't skimp on portions gezz they are HUGE, and i'm a heathy eater even i was stuffed , my only complaint is for the most part about the wait staff you have to"point" out to them what you want but they get the gist of what your saying, frankly i'm definally recomending it read more

Cute LITTLE place. Chips served warm with fresh salsa. They don't have a lot of beer choices but the Mexican beer (I forget the name) that we shared a picture of was okay. Prices were good. read more

A great vegaterian section on the menu. The food is fresh and flavorful. Service was spotty, slow, unresponsive at times. I give the food 4 stars and the service 2 stars. So 3 stars average. read more

I don't often say this but the service was lousy at best. The waiter was more worried about his cell and landline phone. The waiter answered the door and seated people with the phone up to his ear. My water glass was dirty but they did replace it. I had to ask for chips and salsa. We were the only people in the restaurant at the time there is no excuse for this awful service. However our food was good but if you want great Mexican at a value go to Mexico restaurant in Sandston their service and great food is 2nd to none or take your choice in Richmond there is great Mexican food throughout the city and outlying towns.. read more

this is the worse by far in richmond for mexican food! the ladies there do not understand english they constantly ruin my order, constantly charge different prices each day, same meal/order and when you confront them and bring proof they dont understand and literally hung up on me just explaining the issues. this place should not be open with bs service like this! truly wish people like this took their life's and jobs more serious because this is the results. read more

Cheap tex-mex, but you get what you pay for. Meat quality is fair (stick with the chicken), and most dishes are supersized with the "traditional" seasoned rice and refried beans. But don't expect anything revolutionary here, just the basics. Personally, I'd spend a few more $ and pick something a bit more exciting. read more

Wow! Ate lunch here today and enjoyed an awesome mole poblano burrito. Yum. And they had a lunchtime margarita special ($4), too. The prices were great, the food was great, the service was fast. This is definitely a bit on the "American Mexican" side of things compared to some of the authentic Mexican I had in California, but still really very good. I may go back in the next day or two. read more

I used to really enjoy this place. I went for the first time with my brother back in 2009, and many times again after that. The décor is something out of a Robert Rodriguez movie, it looks like a run down bar with dim lighting, but full of colors painted on the walls. The food is typical, and over the years it has gone downhill. I used to bring my friends here, but over time, the food quality and management have seemed to decline. The 64 oz. margarita is still great to share with friends, but other than that, I wouldn't make a special trip to eat here. If you are in the shockoe area and need a quick bite to eat, you can stop by, but don't expect any gourmet Mexican food. The tacos, and combination dinners are great. The tacos, with chicken, are well seasoned and spicy, but the side of rice and beans definitely needs a kick. Cheap eats, with good company, if that's what you are looking for on a quiet night, this could be a good meeting area. read more

I am so surprised that this restaurant isn't rated higher! I recently moved to Richmond and have been looking for a good Mexican restaurant since it's my favorite. I tried 3 others before trying La Bamba and am glad to say my search is over. I tried some of the more higher rated restaurants, and liked them, but they are just different. I guess I just like the taste of "Americanized" Mexican better if that's what people consider La Bamba to be. Because this is just the Mexican I've been looking for, not the other fancy unusual stuff. The cheese dip was THE BEST CHEESE DIP I'VE EVER HAD in Richmond or anywhere else for that matter!! The margarita was excellent - I liked it way better than the one at Margarita's Cantina across the street. I tried the fried chicken chimichangas and they were perfect. I'm excited to try other things next. The prices are a great value too. I am so lucky this is only a five minute walk from my apartment! I will definitely be back often. read more

This was my first time actually eating here. I had a beer once about 5 years ago, and I always said I would try their food someday. Well, the place was pretty quiet on a Saturday night, so me and my cousin decided to chow down. I guess since it was the day before Easter, there were very few people inside and out in the streets. We both had the 'Morelos Special'. It was very good, and nice and hot right from the grill. Or wherever they cooked it from. The lettuce and tomato were both fresh, something that seems to be a problem more and more these days at other restaurants. The meal was very filling meal for me; but I might have overdid it a bit. I like the atmosphere, but they might want to try to cater more to American crowds. Nothing but Futbol was on the televisions, when the NCAA battle between Kentucky and Wisconsin was on. There were multiple televisions, so at least one could have been on the game. But no worries, no fuss, I had a long catch up conversation with my cousin, who I have not seen in months. The thing that did annoy me was the lighting, at least as far as being able to read the menu. I did not get any of the passive or direct aggression from the waitstaff and owner, that some of the other review hear mentioned. read more

Cheese enchiladas with red sauce had a home-cooked taste. Salsa is so-so.

I thought La Bamba was great. We went around 1:30am on Saturday and the staff was super friendly and welcoming. We ordered shrimp and chicken fajitas and everything was fresh and flavorful. Many Mexican restaurants I go to lack flavoring as far as the meats go, and granted I have not tried their tacos or anything else yet but the fajitas were great. Also ordered drinks which were right on point. Will definitely add this to my list of fav restaurants! read more

I stopped in for a margarita with two friends. I have eaten and had drinks here before and always thought the food and drinks were mediocre but nonetheless wanted a margarita near Church Hill. The oldest male (owner) server waited on us and was very sassy and borderline rude. He stated he "loved to please his customers" but forgot the water I ordered and instead a different server brought us everything else after we placed our drink order. After one drink each, we paid separately at the register. My two friends paid first and gave him a 20% on a less than twenty dollar tab (after all, we each had one margarita and he barely waited on us at all). They paid and left and as I waited for him to print my receipt I watched as he sarcastically made a face at the tip they left had him. Considering the service sucked, I couldn't believe his sense of entitlement. I stiffed him. Next time I'll be sure to make margs at home or go anywhere else. read more

Yummy. Used to live just down the block and would frequent this place at least once if not twice a week. Great service, friendly and clean environment, and very good "hit the right spot" kind of food. Great place! read more

Food is ok. Service is fine as long as it's not a large party. Manager apparently dislikes people since he always has an attitude when serving. Each time I've been he's had a bad attitude. I'm not planning to go back. read more

My go-to Mexican restaurant; I prefer Casa Grande, but its way out in the west end, and I'm downtown alot. The place is clean, the staff is friendly, and the food is good; you even get fairly large portions for the price. They just miss a few little things really; things like warming not really cooking the onions for their pollo encebollado, but no deal breakers and I'll certainly be back. Often. read more

Best Authentic Mexican food in Richmond. The $1 tacos are amazing on Thursdays. We are regulars there. Staff is super friendly and nice. The other dinner items are amazing too. I have tired just about everything. The shrimp and cheese quesadilla being my favorite. The drinks are good and the outdoor setting is really nice. Will be back again :) read more

I really enjoyed the food. It's very casual. Service was great. Food was great, fast, fun, friendly at great prices! I'll be back!

Great place. Great staff. Quick and attentive service. The outdoor patio area is a must on nice days!

Best dollar tacos in Richmond! Strong margaritas, cozy booths, and the friendliest staff make this place a favorite!

A friend and I went to La Bamba's after a festival and sat outside on the patio which was nice. There was no one in the restaurant when we first came in- we got greeted and sat promptly. The service took a littler longer than expected since there was no other tables in/outside. We ordered our food (after a little wait for the server to come back) ans quickly got our food. The food was ok. Nothing fancy or even better then any other mexican restaurants. I order the chimichanga (fried) and it came out slightly soggy, my friend ordered taco's and he said that they were "alright". Now the big thing I have a problem with is that I am pretty sure that when we were paying at the register that he over charged us. Our total combined meal was $20. and some change. At the register we split our meals and I ended up paying $10.53 and my friend paid $11.78. He charged us an extra 2$ from somewhere. I don't like to be over charged, I'm sure no one does. If you chose this place please pay attention to your prices and what you are being charged for. Don't get jipped like we did. I highly doubt that I will be returning to the establishment. There are mexican restaurants galore in Richmond. read more

I have been to La Bamba a few times, and while it's not the best food (not a huge fan of their margs) and it can be a bit over-priced I still like the location... so every now and then I stop in. However, last night was the last time that I will ever eat here again. A friend and I both had groupons that we expected to use, so both ordered extra food in order to meet the specifications of that groupon. When we got to the register, it took them 30 minutes to figure out the groupon and the manager finally came over and told us that we could only use one per table - even though we were paying separatley. As soon as the manager came over things went downhill fast. He was extremely rude and when I attempted to explain how we wanted to split the bill and apply the groupon he would hush me and wouldn't let me talk. He attempted to charge me again for food after I had already paid and signed the reciept and also tried to charge the same item several times on both my tab and my friends. Finally, frustrated I just agreed to pay whatever he printed out and he had the audacity to ask me for MORE TIP. I found the whole situation to be completely unprofessional and didn't appreciate him making me feel talked down to and uncomfortable. It's not worth tolerating mediocre food when the management is so difficult to interact with - spend your money elsewhere. read more