Happened upon this place by accident. Glad I did. Great lunch. Shredded meat in delicious marinade. Rice and beans were very flavorful. Not plain like most places. I added vanilla flan. The best. A bit crowded at lunch but line moves fast. read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Quick stop after arrival to Tampa. Had the Cuban sandwich, it was a good sandwich but not a true Cuban. The setup is like a cafeteria, you order food, get a ticket, pay food and pick up food when called. The Cafe con leche was good. And so were the black rice and beans. Quick stop...moving on.... read more

The best breakfast sandwich you can have in tampa. Sandwich: $4 Cafe con Leche: $2.75 Out the door for less than $7 and whooo wheeeee... so good. I've introduced my co-workers to this place and they love it also. Been a long time since I've had lunch there, so I can't accurately rate it. What I do remember, though, is a large selection and it being pretty fresh. I'll update when I make it back for lunch. read more

So good. Great place for a quick and cheap bite. I get the pork and it's mouthwatering. Don't let the outside fool you. read more

I Love La Bamba- Prices Are Crazy Cheap- Everything On The Menu Are Delicious. Plenty Of Places To Sit- They Also Have Drive Thru (Cash Only) The Breaded Steak Is My Fav. Which I Call It In Because They Don't Have It Sitting Out. Spanish Meatballs Are Only On Wednesdays Are To Die For. Cafe Con Leche Is Just How I Remember My Grandma Making It. Overall I Love This Place! Try It Once And Trust Me You'll Be Back! read more

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I was in from out of town looking for something authentic and not franchised. Boy did I find it! Talk about shopping local, and off the beaten path! Local flavor food served with a smile by someone who appeared to really be glad for my business. This food is made with love and served with pride. I got a great lunch at a fair price. I will be back! read more

This place deserves 10 stars!! Visiting tampa my husband was looking for a good Spanish/Cuban restaurant. Something different from our usual Dallas texmex back home and this place did NOT disappoint! They close at 3pm we didnt get there til 230 and food was still nice and hot and SOOO GOOOD! The roja viejo was so flavorful and seasoned perfectly. We ate ourselves sick! So worth it. And only spent $15 for the two of us. Atmosphere felt like we were getting a good homecooked meal inside someone's home. Craving this place now from Texas read more

La Bamba - The Best Roja Viejo, yellow rice and black beans - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This was one of my favorite lunch spots when I lived in Tampa. I worked on Westshore Blvd right near the towers and La Bamba was a quick and easy choice. At lunch they do things cafeteria style and you go right down the line and pick your entree, sides, dessert, etc. My favorite items: 1) Cuban Sandwich - Authentic with incredibly fresh and light bread. Highly recommend! 2) Yellow Rice and Black Beans - SO simple and so good! 3) Roast Pork - Juicy and very filling. If you need a heavier meal, this is a good choice. 4) Ropa Vieja - If you've never tried this classic Cuban dish, this is an excellent place to try it. 5) Plantains -They do these fresh every day, so if you need a plantain fix, you're all set. Tip: I recommend getting there between 11:30-11:45 to avoid the lunch rush. There's also a drive thru window for take-out orders. read more

Best Cuban sandwich with a lot of meat and refectory toasted Cuban bread that's light and fluffy. Have it all the way with lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard and mayo. It is a cafeteria style, family owned restaurant that serves primarily Cuban homemade style cuisine for breakfast and lunch. Portions are large and inexpensive. Cafe con Leche is excellent and I can't have too much caffeine but it is that good. Really happy to see they survived the pandemic shut down. The ladies serving food and beverage are very nice and work hard. Please tip them. This is one of the few 5 stars I have given in my reviews. La Bamba is worth a visit. Enjoy. read more

Adorable little place the hotel and airport workers clearly eat at. Cuban was good but I had to say no to the lettuce tomato mayo. Plantains were great! Rice and beans so so. read more

This restaurant may not look like much and the cafeteria style my seem like a turn off to some- BUT the food is AMAZING. I got the pork, yuca (fried potato looking side, brown rice with beans. The rice was ok- typical. But the pork and yuca was to die for. I also got the cafe con leche- pretty good.. standard coffee and milk. My meal which was as $9.50- $3 for coffee and $6.50 for food- I was in and out in 10 minutes!!! Perfect! read more

La Bamba - Pork, cassava, and congri -- the pork was to die for. - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

It was okay... I was really in the mood for some Spanish food but this place didn't do it for me. I gave it a 3 cause the service was good and the place appeared cute, also because I went later in the afternoon and they had ran out of a lot of their food. So hoping next time if I go the ropa veja will be there and I'll get to try that. I got ground beef, which was a bit salty and the chicken parmesan which wasn't very impressive or different from anywhere else. read more

La Bamba - Ground beef with rice & beans. It was pretty good, a little salty but not bad. - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Our family came in for the first time this afternoon and we're in love. Five of us don't eat meat (but I don't ask questions about broth and such things). They treated us like family and served our DELICIOUS rice and black beans in a bowl-plate. We had (2 orders) plantains and my husband ordered a pressed Cuban sandwich. Husband went back for more plantains, black beans, and yellow rice. It was a excellent. Our family of six ate (no drinks) for $21. read more

Great food and quick service. I will visit Tampa again just to eat here, also excellent customer service.

A favorite amongst locals. The food is wonderful. Get there before the rush, cause parking is limited. Cuban sandwiches are made with authentic pulled pork. Full Cuban menu. Delicioso!! read more

I was craving a strong cuban or puerto rican coffee so i decided to search for a place nearby on Yelp. This cafeteria was inviting and has great prices and good service. The music was festive without being too loud or overpowering. I ordered the 12oz cafe con leche for $2.50 (it tasted great...not too soft and not too sweet). I ordered the egg sandwich (but w/o cheese or ham). I hadn't had pan de agua since i was at a panaderia back home in Guaynabo a few months ago. This brought me back home. My total was $5.50 at most... Great price for a filling breakfast. I would definitely return when i am in the area. read more

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One of the best lunch places in town...great food at reasonable prices along with great service. Multiple menu choices of Spanish and American dishes...portions are terrific...you won't go away hungry read more

La Bamba is definitely a local favorite. My workplace used to be right next door so it was always the spot for a morning cafe con leche, breakfast or lunch if I didn't have time to pack my own. Or, even on days I brought lunch but just craved their cuisine. People in the Westshore area, know and love this place! For breakfast, they have the best cafe con leche. I have tried so hard to make it myself and tried to have other coffee spots mimic the taste without coming close! The Cuban bread is a great pair with the cafe con leche. Just add some butter to it and dip it in your cafe con leche, seriously amazing! The bread just melts in your mouth! I've tried some of the egg combinations as well. Everything is good and within reasonable price range. This hidden gem is also known for their great lunch choices. I usually get chicken, rice and black beans and plantains. The chicken is sliced thin and cooked to perfection. It's so tender and seasoned to perfection! The yellow rice and black beans are also very flavorful as well as the plantains. I haven't tried much outside of the chicken but I imagine everything else is great too! The only negative is they close daily at 3:00. It would be great if there was a dinner menu but I guess the small window of business hours make them even more of a hot commodity in the area. There are always plenty of people in there when I go. The staff is super friendly and they move you through the service line very efficiently so you never spend much time waiting on anything. Overall, a great place to go for authentic Cuban food. read more

The food is pretty damn good. The girls who helped me navigate how to order looked awesome. The atmosphere is very comfortable and homey. Great spot, plus right next to the airport! read more

La Bamba - This was roughly $7-8. Well worth it ^_^ - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Well...I encountered this little jewel by complete accident. I was having a rough morning and I literally felt like I was going to fall asleep behind the wheel of my soccer mom van. I was on my way back from a meeting when I spotted this joint out of the corner of my eye and thought EUREEEKA!!! COFFEE!!! So I pulled in with my only intention being to buy a cup of café con leche but as soon as I walked in the aroma came over me. Everything was set up cafeteria style and typically I am not a fan of that because you never know when the food was made or if you are getting heated up left overs from the neglected plates of yesterday. However, I saw the steam rising from the dishes as if they were sending smoke signals to my tummy and taunting it as if to say EAT ME NOW! The lady behind the counter was very nice and went over everything for me and by the end of the menu choices they had to send for a clean up because the drool from my mouth was creating puddles beneath my feet. I opted for the picadillo and yellow rice and I thank you Yelpers in advance for not judging me for stuffing my face full of deliciousness even though it was only about 11 A.M. The food was so good that I almost forgot my original purpose of my visit which was the cafe con leche. I grabbed one to go and it was hot and delicious, so hot that I as I was attempting to get another sip of the goodness I accidentally spilled some on myself and it inadvertently tuned into boob coffee. I had a small red mark but I'm not gonna take the McDonald's lady route and make a big fuss of it because coffee is supposed to be piping hot, (DUH!) so I wore that boob coffee scar proudly that day! So, if you are looking for good food and hot coffee, this is your place! Check it out, you won't be disappointed, just watch your boobs and moobs! :-) read more

So good! Right on westshore this place has the best lunch for such a good price. The Cuban toast is to die for!

I used to like this place although food was a little salty but this morning changed my mind for good as I can't stand being ripped off. I was the first one through the door this morning @ 7AM and ordered a LARGE Cafe con leche. I was handed a pre-made MEDIUM and charged for the large @ 3.25 + tax. I won't be back. read more

I suggested this restaurant as a place to meet colleagues for lunch. It was definitely a good choice. The restaurant is a cafeteria-style set up, where you go to the beginning of the line select the items that you want and then pay at the end. I decided to have the one meat and two sides special, which included a big piece of chicken and I selected green beans and plantains as my sides. I was not disappointed with my choice. All the food was cooked to order and was very tasty. I believe if you want to order a Cuban sandwich or any other sandwich there's a different process but I did not have the opportunity to do that on this particular outing. The prices here are very reasonable. The restaurant seems clean, and the staff was accommodating. I don't know what authentic spanish food should taste like, but my guess is, this place nails it, or comes pretty darn close. read more

I work just down the street and this is a favorite amongst my entire office. It's inexpensive and large proportions. They have different daily specials, when they have it, get the baked chicken! So good! A few of my co-workers take turns going there almost every day to get the coffee! read more

My favorite local small spot hit a snag today. They have lots of people working here and seem to only keep things running smoothly if they are not busy. This area caters to mostly weekday workers, so usually that means a tight time schedule. Today it was busy inside as well as the puck up window. They seemed a bit frazzled, but I placed my order anyway. Bacon, egg & cheese on Cuban bread is always a great sandwich here. I had wanted to dine-in since I had 45 minutes before work started. People came and went and I noticed many people placing orders ahead of me getting their food way before me. Finally they noticed me sitting there and whispered to each other and just started my sandwich then. 25 minutes had gone by. I probably should have said something sooner, but you'd think they would be used to breakfast crowd. I had to take it to go and when I unwrapped it, it wasn't as good as usual. Two thin tiny pieces of bacon got lost on the sandwich and overall it was really not worth the wait. Be warned to plan extra time if you go and peak times. And the parking can be pretty bad too if they are busy. Maybe I will try them again in a few months. read more

This is one of the hidden jewels of Tampa. It's a breakfast/lunch spot tucked in the heart of Westshore's business district. You can giant portions of really good Latin food. They have a great Cuban sandwich. Also, I can believe how cheap the food is! read more

Authentic Cuban food absolutely delicious. A little expensive though compared to most cuban restaurants.

Came here with a coupon and am quite impressed. The atmosphere is simple and set up cafeteria style. The food was very good and based on the constant flow of patrons I would say this is a community favorite. The serving size is ample and the prices are quite reasonable. The wife and I had the Ropa Vieja beef black beans and rice and plantains. I will be back. read more

It was cafeteria style, and the food was meh. I was looking forward to introducing my kids to some authentic Cuban food in Tampa, but this missed the mark. My plantain loving kid spit out one of the plantains! The media noche was ok. The ropa vieja was pretty good, and the picadillo was bland. We will head to Ybor City next time. read more

Food was ok, and service was quick. This is a cafeteria style restaurant, and you need to know what you want. Very small place, and not much different than eating at home. Food was not out of this world but was ok. Prices are very cheap. So, if you want quick, cheap and a lot of food, this is a good place. Not a place that would be on my "you must go" to this place while in Tampa. read more

I adore this hole in the wall spot. The staff is friendly and the portions are large. Lunch is extremely affordable and I usually have leftovers. They have the usual entrees (picadillo, roasted chicken, soups) and then have daily entrees (chicken parm, seafood, etc.) Also definitely recommend their breakfast cubans and cafe con leches. The parking situation isn't great, but you can always sneak a spot at a nearby business if you're quick. read more

I love La Bamba. Fantastic Spanish/Cuban food. The prices are more than reasonable. It certainly isn't high-end dining but it is what it is. I only wish they were open past 3 PM. read more

One of my "go to" lunch spots. I always get the Cuban with black beans and onions. The value is amazing and taste is as well! Only downside is the parking situation is not ideal. read more

Convenient for lunch in the Westshore area. Black beans, chicken and yellow rice, and Cuban bread are staples. Quick and easy. Pork is a little fatty. read more

Being from Tampa, I've had my fair share of Cuban Sandwiches and La Bamba's Cuban is very high up there. I give it 5 stars solely based on my one time visit there but they deserve all 5. The service is quick and the Cuban was pressed to perfection. Sorry I didn't provide any photos. The Cuban smelled too good and I was way to hungry to snap a single shot. I'm excited to go back and try their "cafeteria" style lunch. The chicken looked fresh and the beans and rice authentic. read more

Palomilla was as expected. Steak had mojo criollo seasoning. Filled with lettuce tomatoes. Missing only the string fries. Must stop.

Found this little place near my work, on the recommendations of coworkers. The food was exceptional and friendly people. I had ropa vieja and black beans with yellow rice. Everything tasted amazing, the portions are huge, and it's was like $7 and change for the entree. Do yourself a favor and go stuff your belly. read more

La Bamba - Ropa Vieja w/ black beans and rice. - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Its been a while but I'm back in Tampa at La Bamba. California, you do some things great, but not Cuban not Cuban food. No Cuban food without the bread. La Bamba is the real deal. read more

An out-of-the-way place with fantastic local cuban sabor!. This place is well known to the locals. This is the definition of no frills from the restaurant's edifice to the plastic ware. I didn't take pictures of the food here rather, of the long lines you will find on any day of the week...(I heard it is longer on the weekend). Very inexpensive and large portions - a must try. read more

La Bamba - Afternoon rush - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This is my go to place for lunch. The food is consistently good and low cost. The staff is extremely friendly and it's always a pleasant experience enjoying the delicious Cuban food ! A hidden gem in Tampa. read more