La Bamba Restaurant

After moving to Portland from San Francisco, it took a long time to find a place with REALLY good Mexican food, but La Bamba did the trick! Everything from the simple combination plates to the fancy specials is delicious, VERY generously portioned, and the prices are EXTREMELY reasonable! Whenever we go out for dinner, La Bamba is always one of our short list choices and has been for several years. Good food, very friendly staff, an amazing tequila selection, low prices... What more can I say????? more

Powell location: If I could give it MINUS five stars I would. I decided to grab dinner there one night a couple months ago because it was close to my place and I hadn't been before. At that time the reviews were so-so. Sorry it has taken me so long to get this one out because I know more people have suffered due to my laziness! The skinny: I ordered an enchilada and a chile relleno. The food was ugly, poorly prepared, and STALE. Know how chicken tastes after it sits uncovered in the refrigerator for days? Yeah, that bad. Dry and tainted. The chile relleno was soaked with oil and tasted rancid. The beans tasted old, as well, and the rice was dry and looked leftover. It was so bad that I spit each bite back out into my napkin and was afraid to eat any of it. I told the server to take my plate away and told him exactly how it tasted. They didn't charge me for the meal but I left money anyway even though I shouldn't have. They obviously just don't care what kind of crap they feed their customers. Please, for the love of food, DO NOT GO THERE. more

I ordered a taco salad. It was served on a plate with about 1/2 inch of liquid -the bottom of the tortilla bowl was soaking in this liquid - looked like they had added water to the beans or the lettuce was incredibly wet. Anyway the liquid in the plate caused the tortilla bowl to fall apart. The lettuce look wilted and the very small serving of cheese on the top looked like it had been sitting out all day. The guacamole was turning brown. I refused to eat it. Also we ordered crispy tacos, but they brought an enchilada dinner instead. We had to wait while they refired our order. Not recommended under any circumstance. more

I returned from a vacation in Mexico smitten with Cochinita Pibil, pork in a mild but complex red pepper sauce. This is not a dish that is easy to find in Portland but La Bamba does a terrific version and I was hooked. I had never heard of Pipian sauce, which is based on ground roasted pumpkin seeds and green chilis and is delicious--a new Mexican flavor for me. Pipian is said to be similar to what the Aztecs were eating before the Spanish arrived, and the menu has numerous dishes using this sauce, from vegetarian tamales to seafood. All are highly recommended. Their Margaritas actually have Tequila in them and no nasty prepared mix flavors. Service is friendly and the atmosphere casual. A great spot. more

If you love excellent Mexican food this is The place in Portland. On the special selections pages you'll find dishes you've probably never heard of. They are fabulous! I ordered Tlatonile every time for the first 8 or so dinners I ate there. The sauce is made from a variety of peppers that are toasted, then blended with ground sesame seeds and other spices. Truly out of this world flavors. To make it even better, the prices are very reasonable. You get a huge entree and a strong margarita for about $15. more

This is a great hidden gem in SE. And seems like those who love Mexican have found it (parking is tight)! The restaurant has found a great niche serving superb authentic seafood dishes. The Veracruzana Tilapia was fabulous. So was the shrimp with mushroom and garlic sauce. The libations were not watered down either. The Diego Rivera prints on the wall gives a nice homey Mexican feel that is not pretentious. With friendly service and a kids meals at 3.99, this place cant be beat! more

Best Mexican that we've ever had! The tastes are different from any standard Mexican, it's certainly head and shoulders above the Original Taco House. Pros: The food Cons: Wish there could be outdoor seating more

wonderful and inventive dishes, flavorful and unique. looks boring from the exterior but head inside and you will not be sorry. try the cochinita pibil or any of their moles, also their pollo a la crema is to die for! Pros: THE FOOD Cons: not as pretty as it could be but w/ food like this who cares more