La Bamba Mexican Restaurant

Best chorizo burrito I've ever had. That's the only thing I order here. Well, sometimes I get a Jarittos to drink too.

Service was very slow. The staff spoke little English. I found myself repeating everything multiple times. The cook preparing my food was wiping the grill down with a dirty dish towel. I wondered if this was a board of health issue.  Were there chemicals on the towel that could seep into my food?  Who knows? Overall, the place was dingy and in bad need of updating. The receipt had a section for making a tip. I didn't understand why a fast food chain with no waiter would recommend a 'tip' on their receipt.

The first and only time I had been to a La Bamba's was on a road trip to Madison, WI over 15 years ago.  "Burritos as big as your head!" said the sign like a Siren's call beckoning me in after a long night along State St.  I sort of remember having the chorizo burrito.  It was big.  Not sure if it was as big as my head, though.  

Fast forward 15+ years later.  The gf and I were looking for a quick afternoon bite to eat on Christmas Eve.  We spied La Bamba up ahead and decided to give it a try.  Stepping inside, the La Bamba is clean, subdued (other than the mariachi music being over the sound system), and very Spartan.  It's completely unlike a Chipotle, Moe's, Qdoba, or Taco Bell...and that's not a bad thing as the La Bamba, unsurprisingly, gave off the impression that it provides a much more authentic Mexican food experience than its competitors.  You can find traditional, more exotic ingredients such as tripe, beef tongue, chorizo, and roasted pork.  I went with the Torta with Roasted Pork (Al Pastor).  The meaty, Mexican sandwich was topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado slices.  It was tasty.  The gf ordered a Steak Burrito, but received one with chicken.  In comparison, her burrito was somewhat bland and definitely less successful than my torta.  We split an order of Chips & Salsa.  The chips were a disappointment.  They were crispy, but heavy with an off (although not bad) taste and served with a small cup of salsa.  We didn't finish them.

La Bamba executed as well as could be expected from a hazy 15-year-old memory.  It was a bit spotty.