the table staff has been pleasant and the food reliable. I have had great difficulty getting my service dog in here and had it not been for an amazing hostess, Irene, I wouldn't have left a review because I wouldn't have been allowed to eat here! I've been 4 times and got hassled about the dog the first 3. bright, busy restaurant in a popular area, the food is Mexican esque, table guac is a big hit. drink specials. read more

Love it! Best margaritas in town! Great atmosphere too! John and Tucker are great!!!

The food was great and the server Tristan was Superior! The ambiance was inviting it's a great place for lunch meetings!

Great service. Tristan was amazing! Very friendly. Will definitely be back. Awesome service

Oh my! Where has this place been my whole life. Wow! Food is ridiculously delicious. Service was great. Alenna was wonderful. read more

Babalu - Steak on a Stick - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I love Babalu. My friends stopped here to grab something to eat on the way to the Grizzle's game. They had devoured everything besides a lamb slider I had the pleasure of tasting and it was amazing. I remember tasting goat cheese and being caught of guard because it just rounded out the entire bite. It was good. I ordered the Calamari because I had able to taste a bit of a friends plate and knew I wanted my own. The sauce was great. Kind of a Thai sweet chili. The calamari was fried perfectly just the right amount of crunch. To rinse that down I had a Proud Mary Jane. I didn't have time to take a pic as I was told I needed to crush the cube in order for the CBD to distribute. So I destroyed that little cube.. The drink was extremely refreshing. I enjoyed. Our server was amazing although I can't remember her name. read more

Babalu - Calamari - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Food was great. I tried the grilled red snapper on top of roasted potatoes (as recommended by our waitress). Good choice. Tableside guac (with bacon added) was so delicious. Blueberry margarita was tasty too. Ambiance is a bit sterile. I miss the "I Love Lucy" loops on the tv screens (I know...long since gone away). Great service though. read more

Visiting Memphis and came here with my sister and daughter. Everything was delicious. We had short rib grilled cheese, rösti potatoes, Babalou's chopped salad and roasted brussel sprouts, Cuban torta and juke joint juice. Completely forgot to take pics but you won't be disappointed. The service was phenomenal...our server wasn't pushy and offered suggestions. The ambiance is very laid back and chill. There is a gratuity added to all bills after 9 during the week so keep that in mind when you visit. read more

This was our first time and we'll be back. The restaurant is located in a super cute area with restaurants, shops, candy stores, etc. The restaurant itself is clean, kind of cool and inviting. We like that. They had a great selection of apps, meals and drinks. I had the Torta Cubano which was very good. The fries were delicious. My son had the burger which was spot on. My buddy had lamb sliders. I tried one and while I personally don't care for lamb it was well cooked and the bun was Awesome. My wife and her friend had salads. They were good...for salads! Bring in the meat is my personal opinion. The reasons for 4 stars and not five are: First, the waiter was super friendly but slow. Don't be in a rush. Second, my wife order the full salad and our friend the half salad. They were the same size and four bucks different in price. Oh...the birthday candle was awesome! We'll be back. Hope to see you there! read more

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Babalu is always a go to spot to meet up with friends or bring visiting family to. The atmosphere is a perfect mix of feeling casual and fun while still providing top tier meals and professional service. The patio also has heaters which is nice in winter! The baba burger might honestly be one of my favorite burgers in Memphis. I honestly find it hard to branch out because it is so good every time. Table side Guac is a must with optional add ins. They also have a rotating soup of the day and enchilada of the day. The menu does introduce new items pretty often. I recently tried the short rib egg rolls and they were melt in your mouth good. I suspect this might be a temporary item so grab it while you can! read more

Babalu - Baba burger and fries - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Sooo I've been here before years ago, but decided to visit again for brunch with my girlfriends this past weekend. It's such a nice vibe and the customer service was great. Because of Mrs. Rona, you have to wear a mask unless you are actively eating/drinking and diners may only be seated for 90 minutes. No biggie. I think we're all getting used to this by now. The food!! First we ordered guacamole to share, which was prepared fresh at the table for us. I like that you can customize the ingredients. Sooooo good! Such good flavor. From the brunch menu, I ordered a grapefruit mimosa, the monte cristo and the avocado toast. Everything was bursting with flavor. I honestly enjoyed everything I ate and I left full as a tick. I will DEFINITELY be back for brunch soon! read more

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First time dining out in Memphis, loved this place. We got 4 different tacos + the queso dip, and rosty potatoes - all great! Service was so friendly, and everything came out 100% correct. Also loved the ginger hibiscus mocktail! Will be back next time we are in town! read more

Babalu - Baked Queso - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Enjoyed the outdoor patio/bar. The bartenders are super friendly and drinks are great. This quaint area has a lot of gems to check out. read more

Babalu - Must Try! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

10/10. Lizzie aka MJ service was amazing. We had the short rib entree, short rib taco, guac, Mexican corn and Brussels were great! The Brussels if you like/ can handle a little heat was by far my favorite. Also their chips with the guac are super hearty and yummy! I'm from Texas so raving about guac and chips must be its pretty spectacular! Definitely less fried/barbecued option. read more

Super cute spot in a great part of town. Service was fantastic, server was wonderful. Everyone seemed upbeat and happy to be there. Ambiance was fun and exciting. Food was incredible - highly recommend the table side guac. Great spot to eat before catching a show at the nearby theatre. read more

Stopped by Babalu and checked out their new menu items. My favorite was the short rib rolls! I love spicy sauce to add some extra flavor! 10/10 recommend! read more

Babalu - Short Rib Rolls - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

If you enjoy vacationing on 30A in Fl be sure to check out the bottom of the menu. Babalu's fish is same supplier as all that good food on 30A. Thanks DJ for pointing that out and for great service! read more

Babalu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Stopped by for drinks and guacamole. Pretty chill environment. I would go back to try the food. The customer service was good.

My husband and 3 year old son came here for two burgers, salmon and fresh guac. We love the atmosphere and the service was prompt! I love how they make the guac at your table with fresh guacamole and ingredients. We will definitely come back and recommend to others read more

This place is really good. Has a great vibe and a parking garage in the back. The burger was perfect but the potatoes a little salty. It was the Mexican cheese that did it. Still tasty though. read more

Babalu - Burger and a side of potatoes - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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My wife and I love to come here for the steak eggrolls - Beef short rib rolls - and cocktails. I love the Grind City 'Rita, she likes the white wine sangria - not too sweet. read more

Babalu - Grind City Rita - I added mint from the sangria though. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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We came to Babalu as part of my buddy's bachelor party in Memphis. This was the best meal/eating experience that we had while visiting Memphis. Babalu is part of the "yuppie" scene in the city. The atmosphere is modern and upper scale. Service was great. All servers were friendly and attentive. Food was as good as advertised. We had guac rolls and table side guac. I had the Baba Burger. I am no burger snob or burger expert, this sandwich was just delicious. The bun was phenomenal, avocado, a well cooked burger all made me want more. read more

Babalu - Baba Burger - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Very disappointed with my second visit only because of what I got of course. My first visit I'm sure is still on the page very great. This one only because of the Cuban Sandwhich. I've had my very first Cuban a few weeks ago in Miami an I didn't know Memphis had anywhere to get one. This was no where near close to what I had in Florida The bread was very crunchy here the ham was just folded inside like a sub not shredded an the pickles an mustard was on one side not through. An the pork belly. Which was new to see was burnt. The calamari was great the first time I came but this second time it definitely was more bread then calamari. An the babalu drink tasted like a smoothie I left in my car with vodka added. read more

Babalu - Sad Cuban Sandwhich - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Loved grabbing some margs + tacos on the Babalu patio tonight! The table side guac truly never disappoints & the $6 Baba Rita is way too good a deal to pass up! Definitely hit up this tried and true Memphis classic next time you're craving fresh Mexican food in midtown. read more

Babalu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Food and service was great. You shout try it once. The ambience was very warm and inviting to all.

Great attentiveness by Paul. I've seen him here for a long time. He definitely aims to please. He made sure to check on the table and asked if everything was ok. Initially, my Crab Benedict was cold. He made sure to get it handled. My food came back much warmer. The flavors were great. I also have a mimosa with pineapple and a seasonal Bellini. My alcohol tolerance must be low because I had a nice little buzz from the two drinks. :) Anyway, a great spot for anytime whether dining alone, on a date, or with friends. It's a nice casual dining experience. read more

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Excellent customer service! Food & drinks were great! Had outdoor seating for a beautiful day before heading to the airport. read more

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I'm not really sure the name on what I had seafood pasta either way it was delicious I should've ask could the dish be spicy my husband had salmon an fries we had wings also don't know where that Picture went to we always get the wings you mean delicious cook to perfection I had a blast .... there kinda pricey but the quality of the food and service I'll pay for it no problem read more

Babalu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Only came for a cocktail. So I can't talk about the food. But the drink was delicious. The reason for the missing star is for the service. They are clearly understaffed. Our server was nice and friendly, but way overworked. There was also like 20 empty tables and a 30 min wait because they are understaffed (on a weekend). read more

We took our family out to dinner at Babalu tonight and felt so very unwelcome when we walked into the restaurant. It was 4:30pm and there were no customers at any of the tables. The bar had 8-10 people. The seating hostess, (who may have also been the shift manager) was curt and super aloof. We felt like our business was inconveniencing her. Seriously??We almost, and probably should have left. Our server, Grace was our "saving grace." Okay food... tableside guac was a favorite, burgers really good, salad good, as were my crab cakes. Margaritas good too. We ended up spending $420 and the seating hostess earned zero of that. Baba-two-stars. read more

I'm teetering between 4 and 5 stars for two reasons: our service was just okay and the guacamole isn't good. Being that it's a Latin American restaurant, I kind of feel like you have to get guacamole (a very simple dish I might add) right. The server was a nice young lady, just a tad bit slow. We ordered rice and beans, sautéed veggies, brussel sprouts, sweet potato fries, guacamole, and Street corn. As mentioned, the guacamole wasn't good. Needed more salt and lime. Kind of annoying since they do this whole production of making the guac at the table. The rest of the food was pretty good. Fresh and served piping hot! There is a covered patio on the back. The main dining area was a little crowded and noisy. The patio is a happy medium. I'll definitely be back to try some drinks, but I won't be getting the guacamole. read more

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Highly recommend Babalu! The menu offered many gluten-free friendly options and the chef came to our table to talk about our dining concerns. Extremely friendly hostess, waiter and chef. Food was prepared as ordered, served creatively, and tasted extremely fresh. It was awesome to have so many allergy friendly food choices!! read more

Me and my party of 5 walked in at approximately 5pm on a Sunday. There were only a few tables of people seated. Not busy at all. We walk in and the hostess takes our name and proceeds to go quiet. Another waitress went to set our table infront of us. There was a visible disagreement between the waitresses in putting us where they wanted. Almost like she didn't want to take care of us. The hostess with the blue hair even said "taking a long time to get seated huh". So we are 10 minutes in and completely ignored and finally told "we are cleaning up the space". The space was 100% clean no dirty tables. We finally get seated. 10 more minutes go by, and our waitress finally comes by, didnt even introduce herself and verbalizes "5 waters ok". One of the individuals in our party said she wanted a Diet Coke. The waitress gave her a snide look and walked away. We got our drinks and were told she'd come back for our order. She proceeds to walk past our table 5-6 times over the course of 15 more minutes with no order or eye contact. She's a thin blonde waitress. Whoever she was, she's disrespectful and clearly wanted us to leave. Other tables were having disrepancies with her. Yet other tables with different waiters/waitresses were getting their drinks and appetizers even though they were seated after us After waiting almost 40 minutes no order, we gracefully payed for the 1 Diet Coke she graced us with and left. Whoever she is, she needs to learn a singular ounce of respect for people. She definitely did not learn the golden rule in school. Shame. I really have enjoyed this place in the past. Bad people like this are what ruin culture. read more

The husband and I just have this thing about tacos.. it basically can be summed up to anytime is a good time for tacos. We were hiding from the Memphis heat under AC in our Airbnb thinking we'd order delivery..but then we saw undeliverable tacos in proximity.. and it was worth it to put pants on and brave the cruel cruel world. The little street this place is on is quite different from the rest of Memphis we experienced. It is lined with lots of cute shops, restaurants, and coffee spots all decorated with bistro lighting and lots of outdoor dining spaces. We were seated right away on the outdoor patio with said bistro lights all atwinkle and promptly ordered some drinks. Their freshly made watermelon cooler was awesome. We also enjoyed some tableside guacamole before digging into main courses. The menu had gluten free designations which made it one of the easiest meals I ordered in Memphis. We ordered several little delicious tapas including some killer street tacos I'm still craving, brussel sprouts, the lamb skewers and some incredible elote which they had down as Mexican street corn. The husband also liked the crab croquettes he ordered. Everything was great and portions and prices were good. We enjoyed our friendly server, the atmosphere, and those addictive tacos. Next time we're in Memphis it will definitely be on our list again. read more

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The service at Babalu today was great. Tristan did a great job making the guacamole for me. I even mentioned how I was going to take some of it home and he brought me some lime juice to go to help it stay fresh. Fantastic service all around read more

This restaurant is the one place I make sure to go to when I am in Memphis. The food is amazing and their Guacamole is the best I have ever tasted, EVER! Not only is the food amazing, the service has always been top notch and everyone that works there always has a smile on their face. I am always happy when I leave there. I really wish we had a Babalu's in Murfreesboro. Laura -Murfreesboro TN read more

Great service. Our host was not the most attentive, but she was ok considering how busy it was this day. The food was great. We tried the guacamole dip, shrimp tacos, and Mexican corn. The atmosphere was great. We had outside dining. Restrooms are clean as well. read more

Babalu - Shrimp & Steak taco - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This place is a staple. I absolutely love the brunch burrito and the suggestion by the bartender to add bacon was a pro-tip. Everyone is so friendly, kind, and service oriented. 3.50 mimosas on the weekend til 3. Better get there quick because the place gets packed fast!! read more

Great food, and outstanding customer service. This is one of the rare restaurants where every single employee is warm, friendly, and eager to provide outstanding customer service. The food is delicious, with the ingredients obviously carefully-chosen and fresh. They are also happy to accommodate vegans, with both tacos and a house-made black bean burger! read more

Babalu - Tableside guacamole! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Delicious baked queso app, burgers and salads and the short rib egg rolls are the best thing I've ever had. It's affordable too.