I was excited to try a new Mexican place today! I was thinking, maybe there's a really good place in the loop that I've been overlooking for the last 4 years?? I was really hoping it would be good, (despite the 3-stars from yelpers). Â
I scanned the reviews and overlooked the negatives to focus on the positives, like:
so good!, steak was perfect!, and I've never been disappointed!. Well...
it wasn't!, it wasn't!, and................. I just was!
I almost didn't walk in because at 12.30p the place wasn't busy. At the corner of Madison and LaSalle that's a red flag. But, I figured maybe it's an off day and I'll give it a shot anyway.
I ordered 3 tacos, 2 steak and 1 beef. Â The beef was okay, just okay. The steak wasn't seasoned well and secondly, it tasted a little reheated... ouch, three strikes in one!!! You all know what I'm talking about. Maybe it was sitting in a warmer for a long time, I don't know, but I know reheated beef when I taste it. The rice and beans were good, nothing special. I liked the salsa, not sure why some say it's really hot though, it isn't, but it was good.
La bamba danced a little short. Sorry, I can't go back when La Cocina is lurking a couple blocks over.
I've been to La Bamba a few times now, and I've never been disappointed. Â The food is authentic, is of course made right when you order it, and the wait is always under five minutes even at lunch hour. Â Everything tastes fresh, the portions are very good, and the prices are reasonable.
I have had their taco combo and their burrito combo, and both left me fully satisfied. Â The seasoned pork is as good as any I've had, and the beef is lean and not at all greasy. Â You can count on getting a bit sleepy after a meal, but your stomach will be fine. Â I have yet to brave the burrito as big as your head, but considering the one in their combo is called a "mini-burrito" and I'm stuffed, I'm not sure I dare try.
One major warning: Their hot sauce is not for the faint of heart. Â The first time I came here was almost my last when I got that heat, so strong my tongue tried to escape my mouth! Â It's standard on everything, so be sure to ask them to hold it or you'll end up howling like Homer Simpson after he ate a Guatemalan insanity pepper.
La Bamba isn't the best Mexican food I've ever eaten, but it's definitely good quality. Â In fact I walked from the south loop to get there, and felt it was worth the trip.
Went there for lunch on a Friday. Â Had the steak burrito with everything on it. Â For a fast food burrito, it was very good. Â Hot sauce was excellent and the tortilla it was on is so much more flavorful than a Chipotle.
Check out their specials during the week, have 99 cent tacos on Tuesday and Thursday.
Would definitely go back again.
$0.99 Ground beef Tacos on Tuesday & Thursdays! Other than that, this place is mediocre. When you walk in, you'll see the open grill area and you just place your order with the cook (some guy wearing a backwards cap). He'll cook up your order right in front of you. The Tuesday & Thursday taco deal is probably the best bargain, but their burritos are pretty good too.
Review Source:Dinner time in the loop and the joint is nearly empty?
Doesn't make sense. The iconic burrito join fairly hums with business all day long in other neighborhoods. Perhaps the downtown crowd is intimidated by the promise of a "burrito as big as your head."
I - however - am not.
The puerca (pork) burrito was really good - not great.
The lemonade was muy fabuloso.
I think the downtown store is missing the neighborhood charm that plays into the other stores. Also, I was stone cold sober and things always look better after a few drinks.
La Bamba Saved my life!
So there I was, 10:30am on a Tues....hungover. Why? Idk, I'm stupid.
Luckily they have a 3 taco meal that I barely even asked for (they knew what I needed, so did I).
So delish! Steak was perfect, horicata(sp) so tasty!. mixed the rice and beans togehter and was ready for my afternoon coma. :)
Must stop by - they also have 99cent taco days. Yes, I just said auth tacos for 99cents. HOLLA!
My co-workers and I went to La Bamba on a Tuesday, when there was a $1 taco special. Being a vegetarian, I was leery but tried an avacado taco which was pretty tasty (not part of the $1 taco special). They'll make your taco pretty much any which way you ask them to, so it's a nice choice even though I don't eat meat. Here's a small breakdown of my pros and cons:
PROS
Great location
Quick service
Reasonable prices
CONS
No silverware station
No salt/pepper or spices station
No napkin station
Not enough trash recepticles
The totrilla, though crispy, is too crispy. Takes away from the good flavors of the tacos.
If you're going on a weekday at lunchtime, expect a long line.
I used to love La Bamba's back in school. Â It was basically the only burrito place down in Urbana/Champaign. Â And this is before the days of Chipotle and all the commercialization and chains, so I think it was just so much ahead of its times.
Well, so just for old times sake I went to try out this branch in downtown. Â I had a veggie burrito there... overall it just just OK. Â Like I said before, there are SO many options out there now and I feel the La Bamba's burrito is exactly how they used to make it back in the day. Â Nowadays, you have fresher ingredients, unique/flavorful ingredients, things have really gotten better. Â I went to Taco Fresco the other day (just around the corner from where I work) and their burrito was great. Â I need to write up that review.
It's been years since I've had La Bamba, and the first time I've had it 1)-Sober, and 2)-in the Loop.
I went to Illinois State University, so this visit was a homage to my college years. I held a special place in my stomach for these burritos, so I felt that upon my last visit home, I just had to stop in. However, I was not shitfaced drunk and it was the middle of the day, but decided to go in anyways.
I'm glad I chose the "mini" burrito. These things are FAR from mini. Â If you're a petite sized person like myself, a mini will serve you just right. Â My poor chicken burrito did not even stay together. I ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife. Â However, one thing has not changed and that is their amazing salsa. Yummy and a tiny bit of a kick. If they sold it in bottles I would quickly buy a few to take back home with me.
Over the years my taste buds have changed and sad to say I'll probably have to pass on this place again. I live in Denver where I'm pretty spoiled with burritos and mexican food in general. Chicago has lovely places too, but one thing I think Denver does better are burritos.
If I find myself plastered, in the loop, mid-day, I'll probably stop in again.
La Bamba has no misconceptions about what it is, which is greasy, cheap, delicious Mexican food; an excellent choice for a loop lunch.
Avoid the Tortilla chips, they soak up too much grease to maintain a desirable level of quality. Opt instead for the burritos/tacos (with a side of rice if you're feeling fancy). Their tacos consist of two small flour tortillas joined together with melted cheese seared on the grill. Genius!
Generous fillings (I recommend the beef) over-stuff each taco and the burritos come in several sizes ranging from large to enormous, depending on your colon's level of bravery that day. Rounding out each is a side of salsa that makes this place really stand out. It might be too spicy for some, but it's got a lot of flavor that really complements the rest of the ingredients. If you're a fan of heat with your meat, be sure to ask for extra (it's freeee).
If you've gotten sick of giving Chipotle your money, check this place out. You might just never go back.
I am a fan of their steak quesadillas; usually this kind of item is tempting but a bad deal, but these ones have beans in them (I never saw the like in California), and as such are filling and tasty. In fact, I haven't tried anything else). I also like their spicy salsa (a quesadilla of course is hopeless without something tasty to dip it in) and their horchata (required due to the aforementioned spiciness!).
You shouldn't go crazy and get it twice in one work week, like I once did, and you should (of course) try to have your lunch early to avoid the lines, but overall it beats out most of the stuff you can eat in that area. I'm not so sure about the value, though; I think Chipotle is a bit cheaper! (I'm sure I earned some enmity for that statement).
Actually checked out La Bamba with Mike S. after his glowing recommendation! Â The place is great, hole-in-the-wall but with huge selection on the menu! Â Looked like there were quite a few regulars that show up, as the guys behind us chat up the Cashier lady stating "this is the FIRST PLACE I wanted to grab lunch after traveling on the roads for 2months!" Â Now THAT's dedication!
With precaution from the Yelpers, I knew I could only, realistically, order a "Mini Burrito" and ensure I won't suffer overload food coma. Â Had the "puerco" pork meat, burrito came with a side of refried beans and mexican rice. Tried the horchata, but it was waay to sweet and I couldn't taste the cinnamon at all =( booo
Great deal for downtown lunches, and the cozyness of the place surely make up for its horchata!
La Bamba is probably one of the better lunch deals in the city both for quality and quantity. With the demise of the Bacci Pizza on Washington and Wells, this is even more true.
The Burritos are pretty monstrous, and will leave you in a food coma for a good portion of the afternoon, so if you're in one of those rare Loop jobs that deals with heavy machinery or quick reaction times, I would avoid this place because it will leave you fat and happy.
The vegetables are fresher than anything I've seen Taco Bell or Qdoba trot out, which is a shame because I love those places so. La Bamba gives you the option of a bunch of meals, but I've only ever had the burritos, either by themselves or as part of the mini burrito meal which comes on a plate with beans and rice. Despite its name, the mini burrito is no pipsqueak. The burrito is bigger than a Pepsi can, and crammed full of lettuce, beans, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and your choice of pork, chorizo, chicken, or steak. There may be more or mixes but I cannot remember. The regular size burritos seem like theyre the size of a football, especially when you're halfway done and have a long way to go still.
Wash it down with an ice cold limonada and you are set. Your typical lunch will probably run you about 7 bucks, and if you can get to the Pedway, you can make it all the way to La Bamba with minimal outside time, great in the winter!. Take the Pedway to City Hall, then exit the south doors across Washington to the entrance for Del Monico and just follow the hallway through to the next buliding, following the sweet trail of deliciousness.
Like the iconic "Cheeseborger, cheeseborger" at Billy Goat, La Bamba has it's own cry of "NESSIN DA LINE" to lure you closer and closer to Mexican goodness. Â
I had a hankering for some tacos so I popped in for a couple steak tacos. Â But wait! Â Beef tacos are .99 cents on Tuesday and Thursday, and today is Thursday! Â So I changed my order to two beef tacos and one steak, because I'm a sucker for steak. Â
They were good. Â The tortillas got a bit hard and crispy by the time I got them back to my office, but still, they were yummy. Â The hot sauce is delicious! Â
I plan to go back when I'm a little more hungry and get a burrito as big as my head.
99¢ Taco Tuesdays! Yay!
Erm ... or not.
This special DOES NOT include vegetarian tacos.
So .... veggie tacos COST MORE than ground beef tacos? Beans cost less than meat.
However, if they can afford to have 99¢ ground beef tacos, but not veggie tacos, that tells me about the meat they're using.
Hmmmm....
We actually had one of these in Peoria, IL, where I went to school so I am certainly biased. Â The place was dead all day until about 3 am when the line was out the door. Â It wasn't uncommon to hear of people eating there a couple times a week although would "never go there sober". Â
Well unfortunately the Chicago loop location is not open late enough for me to be drunk enough to accidentally stumble in. Â I ventured in one time for lunch and was not exactly shocked when this overpriced, slightly fresher taco bell, was mostly flavorless. Â Okay if your hammered drunk in a college town.
Just go to Chipotle for similar but better crap or better yet La Cocina for some real mexican in the loop.
Only come here because its near work. And on tuesday and thursday they have $1 beef tacos. So for 3-4 bucks I can have lunch, sweet. The hot sauce is pretty good. The beef filling is ok but the fresh tortillas, veggies, and the double shell with melted cheese between it is a nice touch indeed. This is an a-ok spot for budget tacos, and it's definitely a better option than shit-potle that's for sure.
Review Source:Since most of the downtown options are really Fexican (pick one: Chipotle, Burrito Beach, Qdoba...), I am grateful to work around the corner from this decent place.
The tortas are huge. Â I say yummy to the ice cold horchata. Â Thank goodness for 99 cent ground beef taco Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Thanks for the great and cheap lunches and many more to come.
I was in and out of La Bamba in about 60 seconds. Seriously; it was THAT fast.
However, after eating my burrito, I wonder, "perhaps they should have taken longer?" Yeah, it's big. Not as big as my head but that's another conversation. I got the regular size beef burrito; no tomatoes. Although dense it was not that large. There is a larger size I did not order but I don't think it would have been as large as my head either.
The service was incredibly quick, accurate, and friendly. Like I said, I was literally in there for about 60 seconds. Can't beat that!! The restaurant was clean, orderly, and empty. Empty during lunch hour in the Loop is something I'm not used to seeing.
The food wasn't bad but it definitely lacked something special that would set it apart from the chains like Q'doba or Chipotle. La Bamba has a decent burrito as an acceptable price served incredibly quick.
As far as la-la-la-la-la La Bamba goes; I've had la-la-la-la-la-la better.
I usually try to avoid places like La Bamba for lunch. Â Too much grease = guaranteed food coma. Â However, La Bamba makes the cut for a couple reasons:
1) $0.99 beef tacos on Tuesday. Â Satisfy your hunger on the cheap, as long as you can tolerate the long lines and wait.
2) This may only appeal to certain folks out there but La Bamba participates mileage dining programs for airlines (Mileage Plus Dining for United Airlines, AAdvantage Dining for American Airlines, etc). Â Great way to take advantage of certain bonuses or just to maintain your VIP status for all you mileage whores out there.
The food at La Bamba is decent, if unspectacular. Â My favorite item to get is their torta with pork: grilled bread with spicy pork makes for a great combination. Â Service is efficient and the prices are reasonable. Â I won't say it's best Mexican food in the Loop but it's definitely worth a visit if only to take advantage of the two perks I listed above.
Burritos as big as your head? Â If only I could fall asleep at work.
I finally made it to La Bamba. Â Finally because I've endured 10+ years of hype from former University of Illinois students that can't believe I haven't tried this place.
One of my tacos was the pork taco and it was pretty good. Â It had a nice meaty flavor and was the real standout from everything I ordered. Â I wish I could personally thank the guy at the checkout counter for steering me in that direction. Â He was very friendly and informative. Â The steak taco tasted less like steak and more like the toppings it came with. Â A sure sign that this cut of meat can use a lot more flavor. Â The rice is very bland. Â It won't be winning the flavor award anytime soon and is not worth ordering unless it comes as a free side to your lunch. Â Even then you probably won't finish it. Â The chips and salsa were cheap so I gave those a try. Â The salsa was a blended tomato mixture that again left a lot to be desired. Â It didn't even have much heat and needed more garlic and peppers.
This tex-mex place seems to have a very loyal following. Â Maybe I ordered the wrong items. Â Or maybe I just prefer Taco Fresco to this place and Chipotle. Â Either way I might make it back for lunch eventually to try another item off the menu.
I eat at La Bamba maybe a 2-3 times a month. Â The food here is okay when compared to the non-authentic Mexican restaurants of Chipotle, Taco Fresco, etc. Â I usually order either the carne asada tacos or burrito, which their large burrito is huge, both are good. Â I've recently tried their chicken salad which was more like a deconstructed chicken burrito, so not sure how healthy it can be.
Overall, good food, okay service, okay prices...for downtown.
Oh man, I love burritos, and I love a fast food burrito late at night, especially if I'm drunk. Â That's situation I was in when I was first introduced to Bamba's. Â I was in love. Â The burritos are excellent and as big as your head. Â It's not often that I find drunk food that I am willing to eat sober, but Bamba's is an exception. Â I actually enjoy it. Â My fave is the nachos. Â They have melty chihuahua cheese on them for crying out loud! Â The service at this specific Bamba's is always quick no matter how crowded they get. Â I like it.
Review Source:I love Chipotle... now let me qualify this a bit... I hate chains... all chains. my hatred for chains grows along with the growth of the brand. Had I been around to eat in the first Olive Garden or Outback Steakhouse I would have probably loved them... alas I was not.... now I simply abstain.
So my love for Chipotle makes me a hypocrite; no?
Well not anymore. Now I have La Bamba! With their quirky signs "burritos as big as your head" and their great hot sauce.
Same product, smaller name.
I've been here twice for lunch with coworkers and both times I felt like I was going to vomit afterwards. The food is bland, the chicken is stringy, and they put lettuce in the burritos.
The Bamba gets 2 stars for the hot sauce that's reminiscent of Taco Bell fire sauce and the horchata. Â
If you're looking to party on a burrito, check out the 1000-1100 block of N Ashland. If you're looking to feel extra uneasy after returning from lunch, go here.
As it stands this is the closest to my beloved Austin, tex-mex as I can get.
I had the burrito which was tasty. Â Much better than Chipotle hands down. Â I don't remember being overly impressed with the rice or beans. Â They were standard fare. Â I won't be getting the burrito, again.
It's not that it was bad or anything, it's just that the super nachos were just way better! Â I kept nibbling at the hubby's nachos because they were quite tasty.
I left so full after that lunch, but gosh it was great.
One of my fave lunch places in the loop! Â I'd eat La Bamba's burritos everyday, if I didn't care about how much *fat* in it! :P Â I always have mine with sour cream and jalapeno. Never really order (or see) their 'bigger than your head' burritos. Â I've ordered the mini and regular (which, not that much different in size) - and it satisfy me plenty! I wish the sour cream comes with the burrito without any additional charge, though.
They have 99 cents ground beef tacos every Tuesday - and guarantee, the line always long starting 11.30ish!
Yeah, I'll say it: I think this is the best burrito place in the city.
As a person who has experienced many college towns in the tri-state area, I can say that they all contain a La Bamba's. Â And it's always delicious. Â I have a couple of friends who only think Bamba's is good when you're drunk and I will admit - it's good drunk food. Â However, after having eaten it sober, I can verify that it is delicious at all times. Â
They have typical Mexican burrito place fare: burritos, tacos, nachos, horchata, etc. but I think the best part is the white cheese they put on the nachos. Â I think it's made from Chihuahua cheese and it makes everything it touches taste excellent. Â
The restaurant itself is also pretty nice: clean, well maintained and enough seating for all of the lunchtime patrons. Â Not anything super special or anything, but it gets the job done. Â All of the employees are always super nice, too.
Was great to move back to chicago and learn that this old pastime was walking distance from my pad (rut roh). Â I work nights and often can't sneak a break till 2am which makes this place perfect choice now and then.
Chicken and steak combo is killer yum....
3+ stars if yer sober
5 stars if yer loaded
hence, solid 4 stars for sure!
Besides Lalo's downtown, this is my only other spot for decent Mexican food for lunch in the loop. While their burritos and tacos are really tasty, the entrees are way too expensive, and I'm not sure why. Three tacos, rice and beans for 9 bucks??? WOW!!! That steak better be some Grade-A shiz!
A+++++++ for the horchata, and free refills! I love horchata...I usually drink too much and get sick off of it...but who cares!
YUMM!
I know this is a chain and I generally hate chain restaurants, but this is the loop - you take what you can get.
The loop is so devoid of cheap and/or edible food, that I often stop in here and grab a mini-vegetarian burrito on the rare occasions when I'm forced to be downtown at lunch time and I'm not taking a client out to lunch somewhere decent and expensing it.
I can't speak for the rest of the menu and perhaps I'm just hypnotized by the large chunks of avocado in the veggie burrito or the very good salsa verde, but for cheap lunch in the loop, not a bad choice. Â It beats the hell out of Cosi, but then, what doesn't?
I want to like La Bamba, I really do. Â The food is cheap, and the service is quick. Â The burritos really are, as the sign says, "as big as your head." Â Probably even bigger, unless you have one of those giant watermelon heads. Â Freak.
The thing is, though, the food is terrible. Â And I don't just mean low-quality-overspiced-but-still-decent like most cheap, quick burrito joints, I mean, with capital letters for effect, The Meat Here Is Bland and Oily and All the Toppings Taste Artificial bad. Â It's like what robots would make if they were trying to recreate burritos, but didn't have tastebuds. Â Grey, bland beef cooked on a griddle, tossed on a tortilla with some mediocre toppings and what looked like Kraft White American singles.
On top of that, both times I've eaten here (like in that Morrissey song, I'll try anything twice), I've felt sick the rest of the day. Â Not food poisoning sick, mind you, just sick to the point where my stomach wanted to get the burrito out of it, but wouldn't let me vomit.
But hey, the burritos are huge. Â So if you're one of those people who thinks that a 64 oz. cup of bathwater would be awesome, because it's SO BIG and SO CHEAP, this place is all you. Â I'll stick with something that doesn't make me want to stab myself in the face with a knife-gun.
Convenient location for people working in the loop that have a craving for mexican. Â The service is very quick and friendly. Â I HIGHLY recommend the breakfast tacos, particularly chorizo and egg. Â Be careful when ordering the sour cream with the tacos, it should only be 20 cents or so not 50 cents.
I'm a big fan of burritos and nachos but for some reason not at this place. Â They are not horrible but I just think they are ok here and prefer Taco Burrito King or La Pasadita.
Why am I the only one mentioning these burritos are big? Â These burritos are HUGE. Â I ordered the regular and MY GOD! this was huge. Â I unwrapped it in the lunchroom at work and swiftly gathered a crowd revelers; we all agreed if this is regular the super must be as big as your head!
 The Vegetarian  burrito was DELICIOUS!  The tortilla tasted good and fresh, it had huge, cold chunks of avocado that tasted great with the warm beans and rice. The lettuce and onions were fresh and crisp, and the tomato tasted ripe. Â
  I asked for sour cream and cheese, and the whole thing was delicious.  I think it was under $6 and that was a big pile of food.  Served up so fast I checked it just to make sure they did not accidentally insist someone else's order was mine.  I was very happy with my lunch AND the other half I had for dinner
Burrito's are very BIG. Â In fact, they have three sizes to choose from. Â The normal size is more than enough for a normal person. Â I could never finish it on my own.
Regular, Mini and Super.
The burrito's can be messy, oil from the meat, juicy from the tomatoes used. Â If you like sour cream, ask that its added from the start. Its extra 55 cents, but worth the flavor.
Tacos are $1.82, don't bother. Â Its so miniscule, its not worth it. Â Not kidding, they are the tiniest taco's I've ever seen.
Its never ever busy, just stop by. Â You can also call/fax your orders.
BRING YOUR OWN HOT SAUCE, their's blows. With the right hot sauce, your burrito can be great.
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