Not impressed, old, kinda dirty inside, waiter didn't seem to like his job, food was like taco time quality (no offense to taco time) rice was old and crusty, meh. . Dont recommend this place at all
(2)
Liz D.
This place served us ransid meat and they didn't do anything about it was my daughters food she is eight and they gave it to her never ever will they get my money the called us liars and said that we were making it up never did anybody say anything to us or take it off our bill not edible food service is crap own is a not running it good at all
(1)
Kayla T.
Hey we just stopped by after reading all the reviews. We had a great meal, great drinks and great service. No credence to the reviews I have read thus far. Give it a shot people!
(5)
J. D.
Edible food. Decent prices. Staff is ver' lax. Dark and dingy place was really upsetting.
(1)
John C.
Dad and I each ordered a Mirror Pond on tap, both were completely flat. The server checked with her bartender and informed us that it was not flat. Told us we were wrong. Two full glasses of flat beer sat on the end of our table the entire meal. Very rude. I won't be back. Decent mexican food for a place in Sandy. Not great by any stretch. Lots of vegetarian options.
(1)
Stephen H.
Prices are good for the value but if you value your cholesterol, you may want to opt for a big cheeseburger and fries elsewhere. Food was a bit on the greasy side.
(2)
Deb D.
Worst service ever! Took our daughter there for 21st B-Day room 15 minutes at which time we told waiter we were ready to order at least drinks when he said ok....then walked over to lean on back of booth and chat with the guest that were already done eating!!! Wtf??? Really??? There was 7 adults and due to such shitty service we decided to take our business else where!!! Never going back to that shit for service nightmare!!!!
(1)
Dave-Kirsten P.
We used to visit here once in a while for lunch, but the service has deteriorated drastically. Once it got to the point where we had to get our own silverware, refill our own water, get more napkins, etc. we quit going. They used to have very reasonable lunch specials. Be wary of the "specials" listed on the black dry erase board--have paid the price for those. The bar always seems to be busy, but I think it's because they have gambling, mainly.
(1)
Brandi B.
NOT impressed whatsoever with the food or service! On more than one occasion we have received slow, inaccurate service from the waitresses. They seemed to be more into talking and goofing around then waiting on customers and getting our food orders correct. I walked up to the counter to pay for our meals after waiting 20 mins for to-go boxes and our check, I noticed, while standing there that the kitchen is a filthy mess. The vents were covered in dust, the floors were nasty and covered in food and greese. The cook whiped the counter with a rag then wiped a plate with it. So disgusting!! Made me sick to my stomach knowing I just ate food made from that kitchen. I came in tonight for some beans and rice, what they gave me was stall chips with warm salsa and the beans had moldy cheese melted on top with chips on top of that covering up the mold...it about made me throw up in my mouth! I will never eat here again! Not to mention their margaritas taste like dish water! Unfortunately before I can post this, I have to give a star.. this place doesn't deserve half a star in my book! Two thumbs down LA Bamba!!
(1)
Nichole O.
My favorite salsa over any Mexican restaurant and really good burritos! Friendly and fast service.
(5)
Joe l.
The food is pretty good. The chips that came with the salsa were kind of stale. Better then many mexican places I've been to in Portland. The building interior is kind of old and not very clean looking. There is a large picture of some mexican lady with a unibrow that kind of creeps me out.
(3)
LaShawn P.
Service was a bit slow. Very nice staff!! Food was good and they made me new tamales which were delicious after I ordered banana leaf instead of corn.
(4)
Heather L.
Good food, strong drinks, loved it. (and I mean STRONG drinks, almost to the point of not enjoyable) Although, my husband's review: "I wouldn't say it's a place I LOVE, but I've always liked going there. The food is consistently good." The TVs leave a lot to be desired; there IS that unibrow picture(s); but overall, good, casual atmosphere. Nice and attentive servers, as well. I can't give you a reason for not rating it 5 stars except I'm a tough critic that is hard to please. I'll give a restaurant ONE CHANCE - this place got it right.
(4)
Jason M.
This is without any doubt the nastiest, dirtiest, most disgusting restaurant I have ever eaten at. The food was so bad I couldn't eat anything besides the rice and beans and I only choked that down because I was starving from mt biking all day on Mt hood. The cadillac margarita tasted like dish soap which is surprising because it doesn't look like the type of place you would find soap in any form. Do not go here, you have been warned. I'm not exaggerating one bit- you are seriously taking your life in your hands to eat here.
(1)
Carlos C.
This fucking restrurant sucks!!!! The employees and the owner have no repect for their customers. The food is so nasty, and has no tast. I wouldn't recommoned this place to no one.. Shut this shit hole now!!!!
(1)
Arielle B.
Ok...a lot of people aren't into this place. I really don't mind it...if I'm in the mood for some typical Americanized Mexican food. Overly cheesy and drenched in sauce...nothing very authentic at all. I've been here a handful of times...just ordered my food, ate, paid my bill and left. I brought my sister and niece here...they both had tummy troubles after eating. I've never experienced that from this place. They don't want to go back...but I did a couple more times. Not again. Never really thought of writing a review because in Sandy - this is probably the best place to get Mexican. I still need to try the Brothers BBQ place though...This last time, my husband and I went for dinner. He noticed that the fiesta platter had a different price on the bar menu than it did on the regular menu. Weird. This observation prompted me to really look at our receipt when we got it...YEP - We were charged totally different prices on our ticket than what was listed in the menu... Such a crappy way to run a business. I'm sure the majority of people never notice - but this mad me angry. The food is cheap...sure...but don't advertise one price then charge me another. It's dishonest and unprofessional. My husband wanted to say something as the owner was there and he was the one who actually brought out our food...but I just wanted to leave. It's his place...he knows what he's doing. I was appalled. Spend some money and update your menus!
(1)
Ali R.
If La Bamba this was rated for DRINKS I would give FOUR STARS. I highly recommend the margaritas all it takes is two so make sure you aren't the DD. The food however is not fresh, not authentic and not very good. I have not tried the whole menu but what I have had is mostly ,frozen not seasoned well and covered up in cheese or sauce. If you are looking for awesome drinks this is the place. If you are looking for awesome Mexican this is not where you will find it.
(2)
Lucy H.
Being new to Sandy we were looking for a great Mexican restaurant....this is definitely not one of them. My husband and I arrived when they first opened and being one of 2 tables, our service was decent. That quickly changed when a few more tables filled up. Our waitress was pulled in too many directions. We ordered fajitas which were okay...they came drenched in this red sauce that was oily and watch out if you're wearing white....the red sauce was so hot it was "popping" off the plate. We ran out of tortillas to finish our fajitas and flagged her down for more....she said it would cost extra (which was fine but I have never been charged for more tortillas in a mexican restaurant) and they never showed up. She dropped off our bill and obviously forgot about us ordering more tortillas. Good thing they weren't added to the bill. We definitely won't be back.
(2)
Keorb Z.
Never again!!! These people are RUDE! Carlo has NO business being in customer service what-so-ever! Not only does he treat his customers like crap, I witnessed him berating an employee within earshot of customers. Why is this place still here? This is a prime location for a GOOD restaurant! Time to La Bamba on outta here!
(1)
Chris N.
A little on the expensive side, but there are quite a number of delicious sounding entrees. The food was pretty good, but the service was terrible (my only big issue with this place). I just had water (which they gave me a very tiny cup), then they have a pitcher up at the counter. So I had to walk across the restaurant 5 times just to refill my water. When we wanted to pay and leave, there was no cashier.... We waited 10 min. and didn't see a single employee. If I was the type to "dine-n-dash", this place would have made it ridiculously easy. But we just dropped the cash by the register (good thing we had exact change). Though the Chicken burrito's are completely STUFFED with chicken! I have never seen a burrito stuffed that full with meat. Granted there's not really anything else IN the burrito besides chicken, it's a good and bad thing. Kind of bland, since every bite is like just taking a bite of chicken, but on the contrary-well, it's a lot of chicken. If they were to spice up their menu and add a little flare to their entrees, I think this place would be delicious.
(3)
David W.
La Bamba in Sandy, Oregon is located in a place that would be an excellent location for a Mexican restaurant. Now if they could tear this dump down, find a new owner and build one that would be great. Unfortunately this place limps along dying a slow death. A prime candidate for the show "Bar Rescue". All the adults in our party got sick after eating here on Sunday, January 5th. I had the chicken fajitas, which should be renamed sliced pepper fajitas because the chicken portion was nearly invisible. On the plus side they can deep fry frozen French fries and do make a decent grilled cheese sandwich.
(1)
Nichole M.
Slow service and BLAND food! I will never go again. I have no idea how this place stays in business.
(1)
CRAIG N.
Best Mexican food in the area! Hands down very authentic! Would recommend it to anyone. Love the burrito Michoacan!
(4)
Dustin K.
Worst meal ever!!! Bad food! Cook was swatting at flys above his head with a rag in the kitchen while "cooking"! Pretty much every dish went into the microwave before it went out. I've been here once before and it wasn't great but its not like I was expecting great Mexican food when I walked in. This time I feel like I have to warn other people from this experience. I ordered the chili Colorado that I often get at other restaurants. They describe it on the menu as being similar to BBQ. I felt this was weird because that dish doesn't ever taste like BBQ. I decided to order it anyway and it essentially tasted like yesterday's old fatty steak cut into little chunks and mixed into a sweet, greasy sauce. It was horrible. So much for large chunks of beef slow cooked in a spicy red sauce. I literally ate a token amount because I didn't want to be rude all the while feeling like i may get sick. It was smokey in the dining area when we arrived which they resolved by opening the doors and creating a cold breeze throughout the area. The only decent thing about the place was the waitress. She was good. We'll except that she didn't tell us to get the eff out and save our money!
(1)
Margee L.
La Bamba is one of the best restaurants in Sandy. That being said, there aren't that many good restaurants in Sandy. The food here is decent, not the best I've ever had, but tasty enough. What brings most people here, though, are the drinks! If you want a reasonably priced alcoholic beverage, that tastes pretty darn good too, this is your restaurant! My advice is, though, don't drink more than two of ANYTHING you order here, unless you are close enough to stumble home. One of their drinks is enough to put anyone well over the legal limit to drive. Just warnin you! As far as the service, well, it's a crap shoot. Some of the waiters/waitresses are nice and even chatty, but most of the time I find we have to flag someone down for more of anything we want. And one of the girls that brings chips/salsa and water to your table looks like she's irritated to even be there. 3 stars given only for the quality and price of the drinks. If you're looking for fabulous mexican food, look elsewhere.
(3)
Michael H.
My husband and I recently moved her from CA and missed the great Mexican food. Stopped by La Bamba and were very disappointed. The margaritas were terrible, the service was lousy, the salsa tasted like catsup with a few onions in it, the chips were cold, and my taco was one big soggy mess. They didn't bother to drain the shredded beef, you get the idea. There was plenty on the plate and the rest of it was ok, but not worth going back again for.
(1)
Levi L.
Mexican food has to be REALLY good for me to recommend a place....and this place not. It was sub-par and nowhere near recommendable. Taco Del Mar is even better than this place...1 star for free chips and salsa.
(1)
Duane K.
second time around the same greasy food had a combo plate and the grease just pooled on the plate also the server came by and just dropped the menus off and just walked away didnt say a word . some one else came over a few minutes later and took drink order.... and they were not that busy
(1)
MIKE J.
The food is average and the chimichunga is stuffed with all white meat chicken chips and salsa are average but the problem i have is the service it sucks. I am not joking no water or pop refills with out asking and if you want your check you need to ask for it every time . So if you don't mind poopy service and not in a hurry the food is not bad.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
paul s.
Not impressed, old, kinda dirty inside, waiter didn't seem to like his job, food was like taco time quality (no offense to taco time) rice was old and crusty, meh. . Dont recommend this place at all
(2)Liz D.
This place served us ransid meat and they didn't do anything about it was my daughters food she is eight and they gave it to her never ever will they get my money the called us liars and said that we were making it up never did anybody say anything to us or take it off our bill not edible food service is crap own is a not running it good at all
(1)Kayla T.
Hey we just stopped by after reading all the reviews. We had a great meal, great drinks and great service. No credence to the reviews I have read thus far. Give it a shot people!
(5)J. D.
Edible food. Decent prices. Staff is ver' lax. Dark and dingy place was really upsetting.
(1)John C.
Dad and I each ordered a Mirror Pond on tap, both were completely flat. The server checked with her bartender and informed us that it was not flat. Told us we were wrong. Two full glasses of flat beer sat on the end of our table the entire meal. Very rude. I won't be back. Decent mexican food for a place in Sandy. Not great by any stretch. Lots of vegetarian options.
(1)Stephen H.
Prices are good for the value but if you value your cholesterol, you may want to opt for a big cheeseburger and fries elsewhere. Food was a bit on the greasy side.
(2)Deb D.
Worst service ever! Took our daughter there for 21st B-Day room 15 minutes at which time we told waiter we were ready to order at least drinks when he said ok....then walked over to lean on back of booth and chat with the guest that were already done eating!!! Wtf??? Really??? There was 7 adults and due to such shitty service we decided to take our business else where!!! Never going back to that shit for service nightmare!!!!
(1)Dave-Kirsten P.
We used to visit here once in a while for lunch, but the service has deteriorated drastically. Once it got to the point where we had to get our own silverware, refill our own water, get more napkins, etc. we quit going. They used to have very reasonable lunch specials. Be wary of the "specials" listed on the black dry erase board--have paid the price for those. The bar always seems to be busy, but I think it's because they have gambling, mainly.
(1)Brandi B.
NOT impressed whatsoever with the food or service! On more than one occasion we have received slow, inaccurate service from the waitresses. They seemed to be more into talking and goofing around then waiting on customers and getting our food orders correct. I walked up to the counter to pay for our meals after waiting 20 mins for to-go boxes and our check, I noticed, while standing there that the kitchen is a filthy mess. The vents were covered in dust, the floors were nasty and covered in food and greese. The cook whiped the counter with a rag then wiped a plate with it. So disgusting!! Made me sick to my stomach knowing I just ate food made from that kitchen. I came in tonight for some beans and rice, what they gave me was stall chips with warm salsa and the beans had moldy cheese melted on top with chips on top of that covering up the mold...it about made me throw up in my mouth! I will never eat here again! Not to mention their margaritas taste like dish water! Unfortunately before I can post this, I have to give a star.. this place doesn't deserve half a star in my book! Two thumbs down LA Bamba!!
(1)Nichole O.
My favorite salsa over any Mexican restaurant and really good burritos! Friendly and fast service.
(5)Joe l.
The food is pretty good. The chips that came with the salsa were kind of stale. Better then many mexican places I've been to in Portland. The building interior is kind of old and not very clean looking. There is a large picture of some mexican lady with a unibrow that kind of creeps me out.
(3)LaShawn P.
Service was a bit slow. Very nice staff!! Food was good and they made me new tamales which were delicious after I ordered banana leaf instead of corn.
(4)Heather L.
Good food, strong drinks, loved it. (and I mean STRONG drinks, almost to the point of not enjoyable) Although, my husband's review: "I wouldn't say it's a place I LOVE, but I've always liked going there. The food is consistently good." The TVs leave a lot to be desired; there IS that unibrow picture(s); but overall, good, casual atmosphere. Nice and attentive servers, as well. I can't give you a reason for not rating it 5 stars except I'm a tough critic that is hard to please. I'll give a restaurant ONE CHANCE - this place got it right.
(4)Jason M.
This is without any doubt the nastiest, dirtiest, most disgusting restaurant I have ever eaten at. The food was so bad I couldn't eat anything besides the rice and beans and I only choked that down because I was starving from mt biking all day on Mt hood. The cadillac margarita tasted like dish soap which is surprising because it doesn't look like the type of place you would find soap in any form. Do not go here, you have been warned. I'm not exaggerating one bit- you are seriously taking your life in your hands to eat here.
(1)Carlos C.
This fucking restrurant sucks!!!! The employees and the owner have no repect for their customers. The food is so nasty, and has no tast. I wouldn't recommoned this place to no one.. Shut this shit hole now!!!!
(1)Arielle B.
Ok...a lot of people aren't into this place. I really don't mind it...if I'm in the mood for some typical Americanized Mexican food. Overly cheesy and drenched in sauce...nothing very authentic at all. I've been here a handful of times...just ordered my food, ate, paid my bill and left. I brought my sister and niece here...they both had tummy troubles after eating. I've never experienced that from this place. They don't want to go back...but I did a couple more times. Not again. Never really thought of writing a review because in Sandy - this is probably the best place to get Mexican. I still need to try the Brothers BBQ place though...This last time, my husband and I went for dinner. He noticed that the fiesta platter had a different price on the bar menu than it did on the regular menu. Weird. This observation prompted me to really look at our receipt when we got it...YEP - We were charged totally different prices on our ticket than what was listed in the menu... Such a crappy way to run a business. I'm sure the majority of people never notice - but this mad me angry. The food is cheap...sure...but don't advertise one price then charge me another. It's dishonest and unprofessional. My husband wanted to say something as the owner was there and he was the one who actually brought out our food...but I just wanted to leave. It's his place...he knows what he's doing. I was appalled. Spend some money and update your menus!
(1)Ali R.
If La Bamba this was rated for DRINKS I would give FOUR STARS. I highly recommend the margaritas all it takes is two so make sure you aren't the DD. The food however is not fresh, not authentic and not very good. I have not tried the whole menu but what I have had is mostly ,frozen not seasoned well and covered up in cheese or sauce. If you are looking for awesome drinks this is the place. If you are looking for awesome Mexican this is not where you will find it.
(2)Lucy H.
Being new to Sandy we were looking for a great Mexican restaurant....this is definitely not one of them. My husband and I arrived when they first opened and being one of 2 tables, our service was decent. That quickly changed when a few more tables filled up. Our waitress was pulled in too many directions. We ordered fajitas which were okay...they came drenched in this red sauce that was oily and watch out if you're wearing white....the red sauce was so hot it was "popping" off the plate. We ran out of tortillas to finish our fajitas and flagged her down for more....she said it would cost extra (which was fine but I have never been charged for more tortillas in a mexican restaurant) and they never showed up. She dropped off our bill and obviously forgot about us ordering more tortillas. Good thing they weren't added to the bill. We definitely won't be back.
(2)Keorb Z.
Never again!!! These people are RUDE! Carlo has NO business being in customer service what-so-ever! Not only does he treat his customers like crap, I witnessed him berating an employee within earshot of customers. Why is this place still here? This is a prime location for a GOOD restaurant! Time to La Bamba on outta here!
(1)Chris N.
A little on the expensive side, but there are quite a number of delicious sounding entrees. The food was pretty good, but the service was terrible (my only big issue with this place). I just had water (which they gave me a very tiny cup), then they have a pitcher up at the counter. So I had to walk across the restaurant 5 times just to refill my water. When we wanted to pay and leave, there was no cashier.... We waited 10 min. and didn't see a single employee. If I was the type to "dine-n-dash", this place would have made it ridiculously easy. But we just dropped the cash by the register (good thing we had exact change). Though the Chicken burrito's are completely STUFFED with chicken! I have never seen a burrito stuffed that full with meat. Granted there's not really anything else IN the burrito besides chicken, it's a good and bad thing. Kind of bland, since every bite is like just taking a bite of chicken, but on the contrary-well, it's a lot of chicken. If they were to spice up their menu and add a little flare to their entrees, I think this place would be delicious.
(3)David W.
La Bamba in Sandy, Oregon is located in a place that would be an excellent location for a Mexican restaurant. Now if they could tear this dump down, find a new owner and build one that would be great. Unfortunately this place limps along dying a slow death. A prime candidate for the show "Bar Rescue". All the adults in our party got sick after eating here on Sunday, January 5th. I had the chicken fajitas, which should be renamed sliced pepper fajitas because the chicken portion was nearly invisible. On the plus side they can deep fry frozen French fries and do make a decent grilled cheese sandwich.
(1)Nichole M.
Slow service and BLAND food! I will never go again. I have no idea how this place stays in business.
(1)CRAIG N.
Best Mexican food in the area! Hands down very authentic! Would recommend it to anyone. Love the burrito Michoacan!
(4)Dustin K.
Worst meal ever!!! Bad food! Cook was swatting at flys above his head with a rag in the kitchen while "cooking"! Pretty much every dish went into the microwave before it went out. I've been here once before and it wasn't great but its not like I was expecting great Mexican food when I walked in. This time I feel like I have to warn other people from this experience. I ordered the chili Colorado that I often get at other restaurants. They describe it on the menu as being similar to BBQ. I felt this was weird because that dish doesn't ever taste like BBQ. I decided to order it anyway and it essentially tasted like yesterday's old fatty steak cut into little chunks and mixed into a sweet, greasy sauce. It was horrible. So much for large chunks of beef slow cooked in a spicy red sauce. I literally ate a token amount because I didn't want to be rude all the while feeling like i may get sick. It was smokey in the dining area when we arrived which they resolved by opening the doors and creating a cold breeze throughout the area. The only decent thing about the place was the waitress. She was good. We'll except that she didn't tell us to get the eff out and save our money!
(1)Margee L.
La Bamba is one of the best restaurants in Sandy. That being said, there aren't that many good restaurants in Sandy. The food here is decent, not the best I've ever had, but tasty enough. What brings most people here, though, are the drinks! If you want a reasonably priced alcoholic beverage, that tastes pretty darn good too, this is your restaurant! My advice is, though, don't drink more than two of ANYTHING you order here, unless you are close enough to stumble home. One of their drinks is enough to put anyone well over the legal limit to drive. Just warnin you! As far as the service, well, it's a crap shoot. Some of the waiters/waitresses are nice and even chatty, but most of the time I find we have to flag someone down for more of anything we want. And one of the girls that brings chips/salsa and water to your table looks like she's irritated to even be there. 3 stars given only for the quality and price of the drinks. If you're looking for fabulous mexican food, look elsewhere.
(3)Michael H.
My husband and I recently moved her from CA and missed the great Mexican food. Stopped by La Bamba and were very disappointed. The margaritas were terrible, the service was lousy, the salsa tasted like catsup with a few onions in it, the chips were cold, and my taco was one big soggy mess. They didn't bother to drain the shredded beef, you get the idea. There was plenty on the plate and the rest of it was ok, but not worth going back again for.
(1)Levi L.
Mexican food has to be REALLY good for me to recommend a place....and this place not. It was sub-par and nowhere near recommendable. Taco Del Mar is even better than this place...1 star for free chips and salsa.
(1)Duane K.
second time around the same greasy food had a combo plate and the grease just pooled on the plate also the server came by and just dropped the menus off and just walked away didnt say a word . some one else came over a few minutes later and took drink order.... and they were not that busy
(1)MIKE J.
The food is average and the chimichunga is stuffed with all white meat chicken chips and salsa are average but the problem i have is the service it sucks. I am not joking no water or pop refills with out asking and if you want your check you need to ask for it every time . So if you don't mind poopy service and not in a hurry the food is not bad.
(2)