Even a workday lunch hour feels festive at La Bamba, the bright new Mexican restaurant that recently opened downtown.
An offshoot of the Central West End’s El Burro Loco, the atmosphere’s just as vibrant as its sister restaurant. There are artfully placed sombreros, colorful mosaic tile, and a life-size resin mariachi who greets you at the door.
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But this isn’t Mexico as Disney might imagine it. Latin music thumps from a speaker, mixing with the roar of an enormous fan and the hiss of sizzling pans. Working behind lollipop-colored stacks of dinnerware, a chef who goes by the nickname Pollo ladles rice and refried beans from steaming metal vats.
Fernando Mendieta, who was the general manager at El Burro Loco, heads up La Bamba with partner Jaime Hernandez. Rosy Villalobos, one of three managers who transferred from El Burro Loco, where she worked as a server since it opened in 2015, says she’s excited about the new operation. The dining room spans a lofty space that’s large enough to accommodate 160 people, with more seating on the patio. (A license for the patio’s still in the works, though it was anticipated to open any day.)
The downtown menu is slightly different than the CWE restaurant, with twists on such items as fish tacos (with breaded, rather than grilled, fish) and chilaquiles. Still, you can expect the same generous portions of Mexican and Tex-Mex fare.
Then there are the drinks. Like the CWE location, there are more than 350 tequilas available and 100-plus margarita options. Frozen versions include such flavors as tamarind, sour sop, jalapeño, hibiscus, and prickly pear.
At lunchtime on a recent weekday, three friends enjoyed strawberry margaritas and a “Beergarita,” made by upturning a Corona into a 34-ounce frozen margarita.
“We love working downtown because of places like this,” said Joyce Brown.
Her friend Carmen Summer agreed: “This place is so much fun!”
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