My coworker came back to work with a breakfast taco from here and it smelled AMAZINGLY good!!! She was nice enough to share a piece with me and it tasted as good as it smelled. Next day I got a breakfast taco. 1 Chorizo and 1 steak. My goodness. So greasy and delicious! Served on corn shells with potatoes, eggs, cheese and your choice of protein. Ive tasted their lunch tacos and they are good, but nowhere near as good as their breakfast tacos. Dangerous that I work a half block away. read more

La Bamba - Breakfast chorizo tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great breakfast tacos and one of the best horchatas I've ever had. I'll have to try one of the burritos I always hear good things about.

Good, affordable option in downtown Chicago with lovely staff! The burritos are a very good size, too!

When I worked downtown a few years ago, I loved this place. It was convenient to where I was at. The prices were reasonable, especially on the taco special days. The clerks were very nice. But I haven't been there recently, and after looking at the more recent menu with the more recent prices, there's no way I would pay those prices for that food. read more

Came around 12pm on a Thursday so the market this restaurant was at was super crowded. They had Burrito Thursday which meant burritos were only 8.99. Yay!!! I got the Al Pastor burrito and it was filling and tasted pretty yummy too but nothing mind blowing. It's a good place to buy Mexican food but some of the pricier items seem really expensive (6 dollars for a taco!). read more

Can't beat $2 tacos! Consistently decent & affordable. Always quick with your order. Ample seating, perfect place for carry-out or on-the-go. read more

La Bamba - Ground beef Taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been eating La Bamba since 1997. Been to many of their locations, but this one is interesting because rather than catering to the weekend late night college crowd, it serves weekday breakfast and lunch to business folk in The Loop. Only open Monday through Friday, and they close by 4pm. The burritos and tacos are as good as ever. And, of course, that hot sauce. It's so great, and no one else makes a sauce that tastes quite like it!! You'll find it in a little food court in the basement of an unassuming building in Madison. It always seems to be the worst kept secret because they're ALWAYS busy! So happy to relive a little bit of my college days and it's not simple nostalgia. The food is LEGIT!! read more

La Bamba - Super Steak Burrito!! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

La Bamba makes a great burrito. I've been going here for years. They also have good horchata. For a quick lunch, it's way better than any other place in the Loop. read more

Great taco joint in Chicago Loop. Would not have found this if it weren't for my Chicago coworker who took me here. Tacos were good, authentic Mexican tacos. Got one of each...chicken, steak, and picadillo. Picadillo was the best. Will get the burrito next time! read more

La Bamba - 3. Three Piece Tacos Combo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bought the chorizo and egg burrito and it was good, price is reasonable. Fast service. Friendly staff. Love it! Highly recommend.

A one and a half day trip to Chicago was made complete by the delicious breakfast I got at La Bamba! The service was quick and incredibly friendly, and the prices absolutely can't be beat. I love a hole in the wall spot, and this place is exactly that. Located in the basement of the Loop, it makes for a very cool tucked away breakfast or lunch spot. I got a chicken tamale and a chorizo breakfast burrito. I ate the tamale inside the food court, and took the breakfast burrito to go on a walk to the park. It was the perfect amount of time to let all the flavors meld together, and to let the burrito cool enough that it wouldn't burn my mouth. Both items were incredibly fresh and flavorful, with the chicken tamale being incredibly moist in the center. Can't forget the salsa, flavorful and hot enough to clear my sinuses and wake me up. A must if you're in Chicago! read more

La Bamba - Mini Breakfast Burrito - Chorizo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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They say the best restaurants are hidden gems and if this is true, La Bamba fits the description. Tucked away, on the lowest level, in a building on Madison you will find La Bamba in the cafeteria. They serve $1.50 beef tacos all day every day. They also have a taco Tuesday special. I went on a Wednesday for once and wanted to try something different. The burritos are as big as your head and the quesadillas are too. What you see is just HALF of my steak filled quesadilla. I too was surprised to find the other half resting peacefully underneath. It also came packed with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. I ate half for lunch and had the other half for dinner. The guac is also very good! read more

La Bamba - Steak quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is very authentic Mexican! All of the options are delicious! I highly recommend La Bamba restaurant for takeout if you're downtown in the loop! read more

Food was great. I had 3 different types of tacos they they all were top tier. I had chorizo, steak & pork. 10 out of 10, highly recommend

In the mid to late 90s, La Bamba was the staple late night (or really any time) spot in Urbana-Champaign if you wanted burritos the size of your head. The line was always out the door after the bars closed and always short on seating. So what does that mean for this location? Well while it's in the Loop, and buried in the basement of a non-descript building, the flavor is EXACTLY as I remember it, instantly bringing back the memories from decades before. I got the chorizo burrito, regular size, everything on it. It was more than enough to satisfy my lunch time hunger. The included homemade, red, hot sauce was as spicy and flavorful as ever, and I emptied out the container and will probably ask for more next time. Pro-tip: The mini size is just enough for anyone and comes in at under $7. Also, water is free and definitely needed if you're going to indulge. Highly recommend and will be back! read more

La Bamba - Made fresh. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I found this place on the maps and decided to try it. It can be hard to find and you have to go down stairs to get to it, the stairs are kind of small and it can be hard to get up or down. It is almost like a food court. The tables at the food court are very wobbly and the restrooms are decent. I ordered a horchata and a cheese quesadilla. The horchata was kind of watery but decent. On the quesadilla I was asked if I wanted everything with it and I said yes, I figured everything would be on the side but they added it to the quesadilla so it was more like a weird burrito? I think one of those would be able to feed two people easily. I chose not to take the extra home though because I don't like soggy lettuce (which happens after you warm it up) read more

La Bamba - Cheese Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hands down the best dive taco burrito joint in the Loop. Everything here is good and prepared fresh. They're open for breakfast and much more awake then I am. You can order and sit down and eat in the dining area or take it to go. Most orders are done 4-5 minutes and they don't disappoint. The lady working the register is always friendly and courteous and I've never had them make a mistake on my order. My go to breakfast into lunch order is a chorizo breakfast burrito, refried beans and chips. This combo will keep me full until I get home. read more

Yeah, ok so what others have said is true. I'm in Chicago visiting and am exhausted of pizza and heavy Italian food. Now, let's start by saying I live in an area of California well known for authentic Mexican food and have a high standard for burritos. This place delivered in spades. The meat was flavorful and cooked to perfection, with none of the gristly bits you'll find in most cheap places. The burrito followed through on its promise to be bigger than my head. I only finished half. Beans were tasty, their hot sauce is a perfect, thick, rich blend of heat and flavor. Not just chunks of onion and tomato, not just "look how much it hurts" posturing. All flavor, amplified by medium-hot spice. Service was fast, price was reasonable on the cheap end of the spectrum, and the fact that it's downstairs in the basement of an office building means it's a comfortable temperature. I've paid way more for way worse. Check it out sometime. read more

I think the only draw back for this place is is hidden in the basement of not so famous building within the food court. I wanted to try this place just because the name sounded fun and hey who knows it actually turned out to be good. I've ordered a regular size chicken burrito(they have mini and super sized ones). I guess a mini should have been enough from a meal portion sand point. Regular is bit heavy for me. It really tasted good, the chicken inside itself is marinated that it's spicy enough for me that left my mouth burning after I finished up the whole thing. You will also get a side of sauce which I think is habanero, tops up the spice if you are in for more heat. Burrito is juicy, which I have not seen anything so far that is this juicy so be prepared and get some extra napkins and make sure u don't spill it all over yourself . read more

Tasty taco takeout in a food court. Great hot sauce. Cheese between fresh corn tortillas. Good flavor. read more

La Bamba - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This La Bamba recently took over the Dunkin Donuts in the bottom basement/food court next to Pho Apple. And thank you for doing so. The food here isn't necessarily phenomenal but the value for the breakfast tacos are too good to give it anything less than a four stars. For a little bit more than a buck you get an incredibly overly filled tortilla. Like the taco was filled to the point where it didn't resemble a taco but more like a breakfast brick. A delicious brick stuffed with eggs, potatoes, eggs and your choice of meat. The potatoes were interesting. I'm not sure what kind of seasoning is put on them, but they come out orange. I don't care. They could be green potatoes and I'd still eat them. The chorizo was good, but I actually liked the steak better. I can only imagine how big their burritos can be. I just imagine they just slap a tortilla on a live pig and give it to you. The hot sauce was decent too. Definitely a dangerous addition to add into my breakfast rotation. read more

La Bamba - Breakfast items are such a good deal - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great little Mexican place in a really strange, bare bones "food court" tucked into the basement of an old office building. I had the burrito which was very tasty. They have 3 sizes and the smallest one was enough for lunch. If I worked in the area I'd be here at least once a week. read more

I definitely recommend their breakfast tacos OMG so freaking good. I usually just order their taco salads but everything is good even the customer service. read more

I love their quesadillas and their salsa. The fact that the rice is vegetarian is a huge plus for me because you never find that in Mexican restaurants. I'm so grateful that they reopened. There is something in this food that sooo addicting, maybe the quality and reliability every single time. Ohh and try the tamales! read more

La Bamba - HUGE quesadilla with lettuce tomato and cheese - totally addicting! Affordable for the Loop too. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What can I say about these guys.. Hmm, been going here for 19 years and have yet to be disappointed. The food is just delicious, and the staff, well they r fabulous.. 19 years later and nothing has changed they are still as delicious and awseome as the 1st day I started going there.. Stop in and see for yourself.. you won't be disappointed.. read more

This is one of Chicago's hidden gems located in the basement of a nondescript office building. The $1.99 ground beef tacos are so delicious, they make my mouth water just thinking about them. I couldn't figure out how they got the tortillas to taste so darn good until I realized they melt a slice of chihuahua cheese between the tortillas. They are very generous with the meat and their salsa is so good. They cater to the office worker lunch crowd and can get you in and out very quickly. Kudos to the lovely lady at the register. read more

Huge, great tasting burritos at a fair price for downtown AND they work as a terrific laxative. Update: I'm nauseous too. read more

La Bamba - Chicken burrito/Dulcolax substitute. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I did not have the experience of going inside, but I ordered tacos with chicken. The chicken had a very weird texture, possibly because it was super dry. The texture was almost like eating beans, which is SUPER disappointing and disgusting. read more

I'm going to be honest the food taste HORRIBLE the steak meat tastes like rubber and the chicken is like they took a chicken breast and through it on a shell. I'm so upset I spent $18 then my lunch break is only 30 minutes so I couldn't go anywhere else it was a waste I through it in the garbage!!! They have good lemonade though that's it!!! read more

ASked for steak, was given beef by mistake and it leaked through the bag which got all over the place

Pretty authentic for the Loop. The bread for the torta is super fresh and soft, plus it's overflowing with meat so grab a fork. Horchata is decent but I always cut it with a little water for my taste. They have green salsa but the red one is soo good. Enjoy! read more

La Bamba - Steak Torta - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great, quick lunch option in the loop. The steak mini burrito is plenty of food for lunch, and comes with a tasty hot salsa. The chips are pretty good too, but I don't get them all the time because the mini burrito is usually plenty of food. If you order ahead with Yelp, you don't need to wait in line. The food court this place is located in is pretty bare bones, but if you're not looking for a fancy place, it'll do just fine. Price for the mini burrito is great too. read more

Hard to find "authentic" Mexican restaurants in downtown, besides La Cocina. Hidden gem in downtown. Food is great. Wish they served tamales for breakfast instead of after 11 am. read more

Best option for a burrito in the downtown area. The basement foodcourt is a little hard to find but well worth the effort. read more

Solid fast food mexican joint in loop. I get steak burritos regularly, but breakfast tacos are fire too. I love that I can order via yelp and arrive with food waiting for me to avoid lines. Remember, this is fast food, so temper your hipster expectations. read more

La Bamba has the most authentic Mexican fast food in the loop area. The burritos and breakfast tacos are delicious. The food is reasonably priced. The locale is in a basement and can be hard. Noon is super busy. I like to order ahead of time through the yelp app, I usually go 10 minutes after I order and my food is ready. read more

What would there possibly be to complain about. A delicious burrito the size of my head ready in minutes to refuel during my work day? No, no complaints here! I got the half pork, half beef burrito, and loved it. It was not only delicious but surprisingly easy to eat if you slowly peel off the tinfoil. I would highly recommend stopping in during your next lunch break! read more

Very friendly staff. Clean place, the full kitchen is right plain sight. The steak is tasty and flavorful. The hot sauce is on another level, full of flavor not just heat. Oh and yes to the breakfast tacos!!! read more

Very good authentic food. This is a lunch-time regular and it is always fresh. Suggested for anyone who likes Mexican food.

Surprised this place does not have more reviews. Hidden in a basement of a building I was not expecting much just wanted a quick bite to eat that was close to my hotel. However, I could not be any wrong. Food was spot on (3 tacos w/ steak/pork, rice and beans), extremely delicious and very filling. Authentic Mexican food at its finest will definitely be back. read more