Taqueria La Bamba
Categories: Latin American, Mexican [Edit]
2058 Old Middlefield WayMountain View, CA 94043 (650) 965-2755
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
246 Reviews for Taqueria La Bamba
One of Taqueria La Bamba's Favorite Reviews
This is the only taqueria I mess with in the bay area. Being from Texas I think I'm a good judge on tacos and burritos and its authenticity. Just wrting this review makes me hungry. The resturant/cafe is really nice - not all fancy, but a suitable space to get your grub on. Please don't go to that nasty Taqueria right next door - painted white. I remember gettinga burrito there that tasted like soup - when the Old Mill was still showing movies for $3.00. This Taqueria is for the birds. But Taqueia La Bamba will have you leaving singing La La Bamba!!! Mucho Man
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I had carnitas and pollo asada tacos and BF had a carne asada regular burrito, we split cheese pupusas.
Mine was better than his.
I still think Tlaquepaque has the best carnitas, though.
quick, tasty cheap. Good Carnitas plate! don't tell anybody. i want to still be able to get in at lunch time. ;)
Review #75... Its important to me
You may not be aware of this, but Europe doesn't have decent Mexican food. Spanish food - yes, but good old Mexican... nope! Its sucks man.
My big plan when I retire is to return to Scotland and open up a Mexican themed hotel/restaurant called "The Dirty Sanchez". JeannetteZ will manage the housekeeping, I'll man the front desk and I'll kidnap the cooks from La Bamba to provide the grub. Easy. What a money spinner. I'll put corrugated steel on all the bedroom ceilings. We'll have a siesta at 5pm. Bimbo bread produce. Cheap Corona hour. You can tell I've planned this out, huh?
I was introduced to La Bamba some six years ago now by a very good Nicaraguan friend of mine called Ricardo. Fresh off the stairs from flight UA901... Seems like it was only yesterday I had my first Carnitas Burrito.
I've never had one better. Simple as that. My only regret is that now I compare everything to La Bamba and I'm sure that pisses people off. La Bamba should be paying me for spreading the word and being such a great ambassador !!!
Hint: You may pay me in tacos and burritos please Mrs La Bamba ...
================
Update:- 11pm, 8/19/2208
Thank you all for you interest in working with us at the famous Hotel Dirty Sanchez. Please send me your resumes if you are interested in one of the following positions...
1) Concierge
2) Bell Boy
3) Handy Man (must be experienced with feces)
Hotel Dirty Sanchez is an equal opportunity employer and we provide full medical and dental benefits.
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On occasion, inspiration strikes when I least expect it.
Sometimes, it's when I hear a song, read a great novel, or see the look of curiosity in the eyes of my niece.
On this particular evening, it was as I was staring at Kerri Walsh's ass during the olympic volleyball game.
All those perfect bodies, athletic prowess, competition, it was awe inspiring.
So, I left work a little early, packed up, made my way towards the gym...........
paused.....
......rounded the corner, and pulled up to Taqueria La Bamba for a super carnitas burrito.
Finishing the burrito was the thrill of victory and the agony of the ensuing food coma.
Damn I am a champion.
Would have gotten 5 stars if it wasn't for El Farolito in the mission a couple days ago.
Gold.
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I saw that this was the holy grail of burrito places on Jatbar, so decided to give it a try. It is easy to miss, I passed by it twice before finding it in a small mexican plaza (I shouldve known), but that just adds to the authenticity. I ordered the regular lengua burrito, and winked at the guy at the counter for some free chips (not sure if winking was necessary). Given my high expectations coming in, I was blown away. The cow tongue was juicy, soft and tender, not chewy and dry like some other mexican places I've been to. The rice was so so, but the salsa and their refried beans are very flavorful, and the portions were a lot bigger than I expected for that price. I came back to try the rest of the meats, their carne asada was nothing special, but their carnitas were to die for, and I'm not much of a chicken guy, but their grilled chicken was the best I've had.
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Wow where have I seriously been. The years that I've been driving past this place thinking "maybe I should try the advertised "best burrito" for consecutive years" had come to an end -- yesterday.
I park on the very edge of the front lot almost touching the sidewalk. I was afraid that someone would actually hit my car trying to get into the darn parking lot. This place is very popular. When I got to the entrance, there was a line ready to order and a line ready to pick up food. There was a cashier already taking orders from those that are standing in line -- he is very patient and very nice :D
I go ahead and order the food and wait for it. I wait about another 5 minutes or so to actually get my food and I walk out. Total order and pick up time = mas o menos 10 minutos man. I drive 20 minutes to get to work totally desperate to take a bite out of my carne asada regular burrito (I should've gotten the Super burrito because I ordered sour cream and guac on the side...grumble...next time!). Once I get to my office, I tear open the foil, slather on some guac, sour cream, and salsa that they give you and take a hearty bite -- it is actually a very satisfying bite! I don't know what it is...usually I could taste all the different ingredients to a burrito. Like *chew* oh yeah that's pepper on the beef *chew* there's the beans *chew* yup and cilantro, *chew* etc. But this was more of a good-mix burrito -- it's because the beef was deliciously marinated...mmm~ marinated beef.
I am definitely a fan of this place! I apologize for choosing Taco Bell over you, but I'm learning the art of quality over quantity. I'm going to go back and get the tacos and super burrito. The only downsides: Not much room to sit. If any of my friends see this yelp, I'd be happy to go with you :D
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I was the lucky recipient of a surprise burrito from La Bamba. My husband brought it home for me last night and I just ate half of it for lunch!
I *think* the meat inside is carnitas. Some of the pieces of meat were a little tough but they were still good.
The burrito is HUGE and has everything imaginable inside of it.
Likely, I won't be in Mt. View any time soon, but if I were I'd check this place out again.
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A coworker of mine invited me out to a burrito run today for work. We've been talking about getting lunch for weeks now. So his friend scooped us up and arrived at Taqueria La Bamba.
It's quite hidden in a residential area so I never knew this was in the neighborhood!
I ordered a regular burrito with al pastor and a regular orchata. It was the best burrito I've had in a long time! The al pastor meat had the right enough seasoning and was cooked nicely. The rice was as authentic as well. The salsa was scrumptious and spicy. I am a fan!
Seating is totally first come, first serve. We ended up eating at the counter then scored three free seats by the window. Sweet.
Thanks Luke for taking me here!
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I was recommended to check this place out from an acquaintance. This place is not all that. Sure the portions are big and the meat is tender, but it lacks taste. People keep telling me about these Mexican restaurants to eat in the Bay Area that re soooo good. I haven't seen one meets the standards of the ones from So Cal. I'll keep looking.
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Al pastor super was an edible fairly tasty burrito. Not enough meat for a $7 burrito, but still it was tasty, I'd go back to give them another try with the Carnitas. Probably they would make a good super veggie.
The pupusa (pork) was not very good at all, but I could see how some people would say it is okay for a fist foray into the land of pupusa's.
The horchata was taken from the fridge already portioned out, perhaps that was why it was so watery and tasteless.
Oh, and as already mentioned, the seating here is almost non-existant. It is no fun trying to beat people to a seat or face eating in the parking lot.
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Good flavor, fast service, gross meat. 2.5/5.
Rob & I hit this place as a part of the never-ending "where can we eat?" quest today. The reviews here are good, and the banners inside the place proudly proclaimed how awesome they were according to the Palo Alto Daily News.
I ordered the super burrito with carnitas and no sour cream. It was ready super-fast - less than two minutes. First bite was full of great flavor and promising taste. Second bite was into the nasty chunk of fat that they thought was carnitas. Disgusting. Quick audit of the rest of the burrito revealed that carnitas here (today) meant hog fat. I took the meat out and ate the remainder - that was really good.
So, maybe it was my fault for ordering carnitas, but what could have been an excellent burrito turned into a little lunch-plate surgery. Unlikely to return here.
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Typically, I am a sucker for any Mexican place, especially if it has Salvadorian specialties.
However, this time, I was not impressed.
Good:
* They have pupusas: and other Salvadorian staples. And they are good.
* Service is FAST, FAST, FAST: we got there around 12:30 (peak time for work lunch), and we got our food in less than 3 mins
* Food is tasty
* Family owned, makes you feel like at a road side taqueria in the south of Mexico (check out the facade painting... yeah baby).
Not so Good:
* Tacos are just ok: flavor is good, but nothing really great. Fresh, yes!
* The tamale was very gelatinous and was not pretty flavorless... and no, that's not supposed the texture... one can tell it has lots of lard.
I hear the burritos are good, but my friend did not "rave" about them, so all in all, a good place for a quick meal, not just one you want to go back to every week.
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The taqueria is large and clean with good service. Their chile colorado regular burrito is really good and juicy (the chunks of meat don't have too much fat either). Their chile verde sauce is rather tasty too. Though their super burritos are horrible. Maybe I just don't like guac/sour cream, but it's too big and low quality in my opinion. So is their salsa in the bottles that's hours old. It's a solid regular burrito, but the salsa doesn't do it for me here.
Everything at this place is a party in my mouth. I often go with my folks on the weekend and they will get pupusas and tamales, and I generally get a super-burrito with carnitas (crunchy, yet soft and fatty! SO GOOD!)
But -1 star for rising prices (they have little strips of paper they keep changing out.) It used to be way cheaper. Now it's like $6.75 for a super burrito.
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No messing around here. No menus, no dancing Chihuahuas, no mariachi band, its all about the food here. If you want to dine there, you'll have to grab a spot on the counters that are attached to the walls. No tables here.
I ordered a double dose of freshly home made tamales. One pork and one chicken. The tamale was large and soggy. It came out bathing in a pool of freshly made salsa. Apart from the sogginess, the meal was quite delicious. I also ordered a churro which tasted old. It had a rancid oily taste to it, like a day old donut.
Call me lame but I didn't really like this place all too much. But my husband on the otherhand LOVES THIS PLACE. Did I say "L-O-V-E, love"? That kind of love where you'd subject your colon to a side order of uranium and plutonium just to get your fix...that kind of love. So to each their own. If you are a die hard, hard core Comida Mixicana Autentica lover, then this would be the place for you.
Me on the other hand, I think I'll go find that Mariachi band that forgot to show up to play me a song during dinner.
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You know what... i used to love this place but these days i'm left feeling like there is no kick in the burritos... I think they need to add better salsa or something. Also please stop charging for the chips... we've been to cost co so we know that they cost next to nothing. (PS. I'm actually not sure if you are allowed to just ask for chips... i'm too scared to)
La Bamba = Sooo good.
I have been coming to this place for the last nine years, and I still keep coming back. They are one of the reasons why I decided to move to he Bay area.
I usually get the super burrito with carnitas with the rice on the side and a coke. The tacos are also good if you are looking for something less heavy. I only had the pupusas once, and it reminded me of a paratha.
I have had the nachos on occasion but it is usually too sinful to eat the whole thing by myself. What I like best is the carnitas. It is a perfect mix of crunchiness and tenderness. Not everyone likes carnitas cooked this way, but I loves it. I haven't found a place that makes it the same way...
Back in my prime I could eat a one entire burrito and a coke in one sitting, but I have slowed down in my old age.
True, you occasionally come across a mediocre burrito, but most of the times they seriously rule. Seriously.
Man, all this typing is making me hungry...
Pros: fast service, tender meat (carne asada)
Cons: bland
4.5 stars
(Give us the 1/2 star rating already!!)
Great portions, value (cheap!), quality and fast food are here. Another great place that offers Salvadorean food... so that's a bonus! Taco Bell advertises Carne Asada?!? Please!!
Come here for this and everything else.... ;-)
The only weird thing is the counter seating, but "it is what it is."
At least it's always clean.
Parking for your car and your bum may be in limited supply, so be prepared to walk. Especially at lunch. But the fact that they're open
late is cool!
Cool that I'm the 100th review for Taqueria La Bamba... as part of my
"why the hell haven't I written my review yet" tour.
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I ended up eating at La Bamba Taqueria today, just a day after reading some really stellar Yelp reviews. I walked into the restaurant with high expectations and found that while this restaurant is better than several taquerias in the Bay Area, it still isn't even close to even the most basic taco shop back home.
I recently moved from San Diego and can be difficult to please when it comes to Mexican food. There were some real pluses to this place and some things that left me unimpressed.
I thought it was awesome that the vegetarian burrito included: rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and fresh salsa. I can not tell you how gross I think it is to order a veggie burrito to find that there is a giant clump of broccoli or something inside. Thank you La Bamba for not putting weird vegetables in your veggie burritos.
The portions were respectable, and there was a nice little salsa bar with carrots and jalapenos. The carrots on their own were not very spicy, but with jalapenos they were almost like back in San Diego.
The burrito itself was okay. It was a little heavy on sour cream and a little light on rice and beans. The salsa and hot sauce were not very spicy. This is my biggest complaint. The food is okay, it just doesn't have any kick.
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I had gone to the one on Castro a tone of times and wanted to try this one. I ordered three nachos out of 3 orders they got 2 wrong. I also called in the order 15 min prior and when I got there they hadn't even made it yet.. The nachos chips were stale and the cheese was clumpy.....the other one on Castro is definitely better. I would not be going back here anytime soon.
A good place for a delicious Mexican meal that's quick. It doesn't taste as hearty and zesty as a place like Rincon Sabroso or Mi Pueblo, but they've got solid eats and is very popular!
I had the carne asada plate when I came here with a friend for lunch last week. The plate was huge, filling, and great for lunch. The plate came with three large slices of carne asada, shredded lettuce, refried beans (you can choose pinto), rice, and salsa. It also comes with corn tortillas, sour cream, and guacamole, but I didn't eat the last three since I normally don't anyway. The rice was hot and fluffy, the refried beans gooey and smooth, the meat well seasoned and not tough, and the lettuce was fresh and crisp (no weird reddish brown old lettuce that some places have).
My only gripe is that this place doesn't have much seating, and since it's a lunch time favorite, you have to go at 11:30 to secure any kind of seating. Or go late. But I'm starving!
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Beef burrito here is legendary and cheap! The burrito is a 5 star experience if you take it home. But eating there is pretty harrowing due to the lack of cleanliness and most of the other items on the menu are not near as good - thus 3 stars
Yum yum yum! This place has really good food. It's cheap and fresh and oh so delicious. The portions are huge too. I had a burrito with carne asada. The meat was good, but what I really liked was the salsa, it had really good flavor and good heat to it. Love that. I didn't try anything else there b/c I heard this was the place for burritos. I was a bit disappointed that the Coca Cola wasn't from Mexico, that's what I look forward to when I go to Rincon Sabrosa down the road, but that's ok, my belly was full anyway.
Taqueria la bamba should be renamed Taqueria THE BOMBA. har har......anyways it may seem as if I'm being a little liberal with my 5 star reviews, but La Bamba deserves 6!!! This is seriously THE best burrito I've had in my life. And this includes other burrito joints around San Jose, the joints in SF Mission district like Pancho Villa and La Cumbre, and the various places down in SD. I discovered La Bamba 3 days ago. I've been having a super burrito here 3 days running....and I don't see an end anytime soon.
Hands down, best carnitas burrito in the bay.
I've been going to La Bamba since I was born, back when it was just bean and cheese burritos. Now I'm ordering an actual burrito with meat and salsa and the whole ten yards, and I must say, I have never in my career of eating Mexican food come across a better taqueria. The food is quickly prepared, but not frozen or anything like at a fast food place. So little waiting is involved, and then you get a good big meal, and you just want to eat more because the salsa and everything is just so addictive. I drive 45 minutes to get my hands on a burrito, so I defiantly recommend you go get one. It's not a fancy restaurant or anything, but I would not mind having a date there. The food is superior.
I order a burrito with carnitas beans rice cheese cilantro y salsa de tomatillo. Then when I get the burrito I ask for the salsa de tomatillo bottle because I like it extra spicy. But if you don't like things really spicy don't ask for the bottle. I recommend this burrito a hundred percent.
My friend took me to Taqueria La Bamba on my last visit to the area when I expressed that I missed Mexican food...or at least, stuff from a good taqueria.
Yum.
Taqueria La Bamba's menu is short, and certainly doesn't match that of some other taquerias, but the food that I got was pretty, well, the bomb.
I skipped out on the burrito, which is usually my measure of a taqueria's worth, and went with the enchilada zuiza, apparently an El Salvadoran dish instead. I was greeted with a large tortilla, wrapped loosely around grilled steak, with some sort of salsa and other things tossed inside. I don't know how to describe it, other than awesome.
Now, the unfortunate thing about Taqueria La Bamba is the lack of tables. Instead, diners are relegated to eating along counters on the wall or at the window, with only a small smattering of chairs. Something about the county not allowing them to have tables due to a lack of parking. So...a word of warning - either be prepared to take your food to go, eat it standing, or wait for a seat.
But considering that I'm moving out that way in due time, Taqueria La Bamba will probably become one of my regular go-to places.
Aye, carumba. Que lastima :-(. I had such high hopes for this place, given all the raves, and I was sorely disappointed... especially since I took my never-eaten-a-burrito-before Aussie friend here today!
I already knew that parking and seating was limited, so I won't count that against this place. Rather, here are the things that bummed me out:
- No choice of sizes (e.g., mini/baby burrito).
- No choice of salsas (I wasn't asked "hot or mild?" like at most taquerias I've been to).
- No salsa bar! How can you have a taqueria without any visible salsa options?!
- No chips. I'm used to getting free chips with my burritos (or better yet, chips with pico de gallo!)
- Tacos were a bit too greasy.
- Burrito was more cheesy than salsa'y :(.
- No seafood options (e.g., prawn burrito)
- No frescas? (e.g., watermelon, strawberry...)
But there were a few good things:
- Service was pretty fast.
- Cashier was friendly.
- They take credit cards.
- The carnitas was tasty... cooked just right! El pastor was pretty good, too.
- Tortillas are grilled, not steamed. Big thumbs up!
* * *
Still, I really miss La Corneta from Glen Park :-(
Oh yeah... thats what I'm talking about!
Para bailar la Bamba!
Been here before but didn't want to write a review until I had my memory refreshed.
Pupusas were yummy! Had the pork/bean/cheese. I wish they had tapatio b/c I am a spice freak.
Taco al Pastor- Perfection.
Corona lite- well..I think I'm giving beer another chance! AND this is coming from "little miss wine snob"!
I've tried the tamales but not sure if I l-o-v-e them. I am not used to my tamales drenched in sauce..but none the less, I did like them. Can't wait to come back again!
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It's not La Bamba's fault that its two doors down from La Costena, my favorite burrito place in the world. In its is own right La Bamba is good, but if I find myself down by Middlefield Road with a craving for some tasty Mexican food, why would I not go with my tried and true favorite?
Objectively speaking, La Bamba is solid. I recommend trying their quesadilla. Also important to note is that I think La Bamba serves tongue (and maybe brain?) while Costena does not.
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050108 update
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Happiness can truly be found in a taco. Specifically, in a La Bamba Taco. I had the carne asada, and pollo asada taco today. I loved the pollo! it was juicy, saucy, and exactly what a pollo asado taco should taste like. Also had a tamarindo. Truly cheap eats! I still have lots of love for the little burrito in the corner. Only downer with the original location is the missing tables. Where have they gone? My pals and I went today and noticed none. The gentleman behind the counter noticed 3 gals standing and decided to bring us a table. Really, they need more tables...but the food is still GREEEAT! Welcome to MAYO!
------------------------OG------------------------ ------
I have introduced many friends to La Bamba in honor of the burrito, pupusas, and the little donkey in the corner. I am a lady of El Salvador and tend to think the pupusas are not the best, however, for beginners trying to explore salvie cuisine-this is spot 101 for you. They are quick because they make them ahead of time..and then just warm them up for you. If you want to dare to explore, go to Amelia's, Sabor Salvadoreno. Either way, I love the regular burrito with carne asada. I also love the tamarindo or horchata. A little sketchy when you walk in, but the food is great. I work close by, so I try to treat myself once a month...if I go more frequently...I will be a burrito!
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I think their al pastor tacos are good, not great. Hot sauce could be hotter and more flavorful. Meat could have be more crisp.
Pupusas here are good, although I'm no expert. Although tasty, they don't sit right in my tummy (in general).
I love their tamales - so soft and moist and flavorful.
This place is choice. The burritos are hella good and probably about as good as you can possibly make them. Watch how the roll the burrito, they have this slick technique where they roll the inside layer halfway sort of and then roll the outside. I know what you're thinking, "Big deal, anyone can roll a friggin' burrito", let me tell you, those things are SOLID afterwards, I mean they really stay together and don't crumble in your hands, and as a person who eats lots of burritos, thats pretty dang important. GJ guys, keep up the good work.
Only piece of advice, plan on take out... seating is scarce and you're pretty much sitting at a counter.
Parking here SUCKS and there are no tables to actually eat at.... but the burritos are damn good.
I had the simmered chicken burrito yesterday. They forgot that I said no guacamole, but it was still good so I didn't mind. It's nothing fancy. It's more of a take out place.
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Not bad food, the tamales and tacos are good, the price is average. The place does not provide much variety and no choices for salsa. The parking sucks during lunch, because it gets crowded. The joint next door (La Costena) has better burritos than La Bamba. The decor is sparse and sitting is limited. Not a bad place to get a quick lunch meal.
I've been searching high and low for a decent burrito ever since I moved to Mountain View. Thank goodness that I finally came across Taqueria La Bamba. An El Salvadorean workmate recommended the place to me and now that I'm hooked I'll drive out of my way to pick up this tasty burrito treat.
Like any good restaurant, all ingredients are consistently fresh, tasty, and carefully prepared. Don't give me no flavorless beans or clumpy rice, or overwhelm it all with cheese! Each element of the burrito is great on it's own, which is how it really should be. When you assemble great things together, you won't be disappointed.
During my last visit, I noticed (ok I'm not that price sensitive) that they actually adjust their prices to the market, which is a good sign for two reasons: one, they are savvy business people and two, they buy fresh stuff.
Highly recommended. And I don't dole out very many 5 stars - check out my other reviews.
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I originally headed to this complex to get a burrito from La Costena. I found parking next to La Bamba, and decided to venture in out of curiosity. It was 4pm, and the place was empty. I was ecstatic to find Lengua as a meat option on the menu (La Costena does not have Lengua), and traitorously ordered an extra spicy Super Lengua Burrito (no rice, no cheese).
The burrito was huge and in all, was really good. Unfortunately, I think they forgot I wanted it spicy. Either that, or their version of 'extra spicy' is non existent. I impatiently unwrapped one end to take a bite in the car, and watery burrito innards gushed over my fingers and face. I'm sure I would have found the liquidity to be delicious had I had napkins, but in that moment it was a total mess.
I told my friend shortly after about my infidelity from La Costena, and he told me La Bamba is famous for their pupusas (although they have awards boasting the supposed 'best burrito in Mountain View')? I think I'm going to stick with La Costena for my burritos. However, I will definitely come back to La Bamba to check out their pupusas and/or other Lengua dishes.
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their burritos are the best, and i've become quite addicted to their steak quesadilla. we've been frequenting the new one on castro & have been super happy with their expanded menu there. good prices, huge portions...it's seriously that good.
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