Boonton, NJ - my relationship with La Bamba began with abandonment issues, when I inadvertently left my to-go bag on a counter while busy taking photos for my Yelp review. Wah wah! It wasn't until hours later when, stomach growling, I traipsed over to the fridge excited for the remnants of my enchiladas de mole, that I realized to my dismay that my comida had desaparecida. I've made up for this absent-minded first experience since, and La Bamba Grill 2 now ranks among my top 3 favorite casual Mexican restaurants in this region. My dining companions and I have variously enjoyed tacos, tostadas, pozole, churrasco, and other dishes. The chicken quesadilla, something I normally only order for the kid and am disappointed by 9 times out of 10 in most restaurants, gets my adult endorsement and also passes the ultimate test: toddler approval. As you can see from my photos, it's stuffed with cheese and chicken (we opted for grilled chicken but you can get the marinated shredded version which is a little spicy). I've trauma-bonded with the aforementioned mole enchiladas, which again, is full of chicken, in a very good and well-flavored mole sauce that's better then most other moles I've had in the area. The platters are huge, with generous amounts of everything. The interior is colorfully and cheerfully decorated with Mexican-themed artwork and adornments, with cozy booths as well as a diner counter. That's because it used to be a classic diner (Boonton Diner), installed in a converted vintage train car! And if the thought of street parallel parking makes you break out in hives, you'll be glad to know this is one of few restaurants on Main St. that has a parking lot. 5 stars. Would forget my takeout order here again! read more

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I liked it better here when it was called Leyendas, but it's still decent-to-yummy whenever I stop by. One of my go-tos is the chicken quesadilla, which has a perfect tortilla - crisp on the outside, but gluten-y on the inside - along with stretchy, gooey cheese, which could stand to be more salted. Recently I went with the steak tacos, which had OK flavor, but which I wish were juicier. The chopped onions bring a lot for texture and freshness. I'm such a sucker for their thick, freshly fried tortilla chips. When parking on Boonton's Main Street is full up, La Bamba is easy to recommend because it has its own parking lot! At my last visit, at 1p on a Saturday, takeout orders were flowing, but only two tables inside were occupied. read more

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Excellent food and service. I've had a lot of Mexican food all over the state and this is one of the best. I went on a Tuesday early afternoon, late lunch time. I ordered the tacos al pastor. They came out pretty quickly and were very delicious. The tortilla itself was great , the pork and pineapple very well seasoned. Excellent service and beautiful decor. Would highly recommend and I am looking forward to stopping by again next time I am in Boonton. read more

Went on Sunday for dinner at around 6pm and it was pretty quiet, we were seated right away and greeted in spanish which to me is always a good sign when trying a hispanic place. The chips were good and thick, the salsa wasn't as spicy as I would've liked but it had a good taste to it. I ordered the birria tacos with consome - $16.5 is an incredible price for the amount of food I got! The meat was nice and tender and the consome was flavorful, I do like to add spicy to my food and unfortunately they don't have "salsa de arbol" and the salsa roja wasn't spicy enough for me which was a downside. The tortillas were flour which is also not my preference but still the tacos overall were good. I will definitely be coming back! read more

La Bamba Grill - Tacos de Birria - Mexican Near Me - Boonton, New Jersey

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We found this newly opened Mexican restaurant in boonton n thought we'd try it on a very hot weekday. Wasn't in the mood to cook as it was too hot. Nice restaurant w friendly staff n nice ambience. In the heart of boonton on main st. Had the fried calamari, spicy shrimp p w rice, mixed fajita w beef, shrimp p n chicken and the fried fish. The spicy shrimp w rice was v yummy . It cans w fries n salad. Generous amount of shrimp. The mixed fajita tasted good too. And the fried fish was really good.crispy n came w rice n black beans Thank you for a great dinner on a very hot day. read more

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What a find in Boonton! Our new go-to Mexican restaurant. Welcoming and friendly staff, beautiful decor, wonderful ambience, and very clean. Now for the food. We ordered the Taco Birria, Beef Tacos, Carne Asada and flan for dessert. The entrees and dessert were generous and delicious! We will definitely be back! read more

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Best tacos in town! Hubby and I order from here maybe once a month. I usually get tacos (I've tried their steak, beef, chicken and shrimp tacos) and they're sooo good. Fresh ingredients, fresh tortillas and authentic. My husband has gotten a few of their plates and has loved them. Their guac is also delicious! So fresh and the perfect balance of lime and salt. read more

In writing this review, I learned that "la bamba" is not actually Spanish. Just thought I'd open with that. La Bamba replaces a place I loved - Las Leyendas, who still has a few other locations, but nothing in walking distance. I had high hopes for La Bamba, but also high expectations, so we shall walk into the details like I walked into the restaurant: * Atmosphere is little changed. The table surfaces have been refreshed from previous, no holes or cracks. New fancy decor, but the old decor was fancy as well. A nice fun place in a diner car. And the menu is HUGE like a diner's. So I highly recommend reading it before you go. * Service remains friendly, though I had to signal to get their attention any time I wanted it. It would be nice if they stopped by every so often or kept an eye on the only diner in the restaurant (by the end). There were a couple of very quick fly-bys as soon as my food came out, and that was it. But chips/salsa were immediate, horchata was immediate, dinner came out quickly. * Food... Chips are homemade, so you get great stuff off the bat. The mole has a cocoa kick to it, but every time I get chicken mole I think of my favorite place that used to be in Bloomfield - so rich! so sad it's gone! - and that's an unfair comparison. You do not get a lot of portion here, but my appetite isn't what it once was so that's okay. The chicken parts were small but delectable, and filled out the three small (again, not a lot) tortillas. The beans have good flavor to them, little bit of cheese on top (not as much as I'm used to, but more than zero), and the rice was a little flavored but not too rich. Also, I asked for the food spicy, and I think they were hesitant to really provide spice. The small orange salsa with the chips was the spiciest part of the meal, and even the regular red salsa has a kick to it, but not quite enough in the sauce. Out of the fridge: Horchata not as good as Leyendas was. Not as big, not as thick, just not the same. Again, maybe an unfair comparison because I have my favorites I can no longer get. Tres leches cake was good but not as drenched as I like it. Verdict: I like that a Mexican place replaced the departed one. There are enough nice elements for me to round up to 4 stars, but I'm not sure La Bamba will be in my regular rotation. read more

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We came by a few weeks ago- The food and service were okay, but it was pretty pricy when we ordered a bunch of apps and two entrees for what we had. Plus, it was very plain. When one of us asked for a side condiment, they also charged us an extra $. We asked why and got a ridiculous story. We most likely will not be visiting again. In addition, it wasn't quiet, with all their family members blasting their devices without earphones. read more

We love this place! Some of the best Mexican around. Love the tostadas with shredded chicken and birria. Full of flavor and tastes fresh. Did not love the salmon or mixed vegetables but still interested in trying other entrees. Beautiful murals everywhere, photos of famous actors, stylish pottery, and the bathrooms are clean. Atmosphere is festive, friendly and helpful. read more

Food was super fast, the food was great and definitely generous with the portions. Bright environment inside, full of culture. Surprised to see it was empty, definitely deserves more recognition read more

Come here just about once a week! The fajitas here are outstanding as well as the service. No matter what we've had here, it's all been above and beyond!!! read more

Authentic Mexican with a little Tex Mex mixed in here and there. I ordered the Polo con Mole which was excellent. The meal consisted of a chicken leg and thigh in mole sauce served with refried beans and yellow rice. The chicken was tender and the mole sauce was on point and well balanced. The sauce was redder than other mole's. Very flavorful with the perfect amount of spice and mild heat. My wife ordered the Polo Enchiladas in green sauce which were very good as well. The restaurant is located where the old Boonton Diner used to be. Festively decorated, comfortable and inviting. It seems to be a family business. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. We look forward to our next visit. read more

Taking a break from our frequent long drive along route 287, and our first time in downtown Boonton, and we're very glad that La Bamba caught our eye. Starting with the delicious salsa and freshly fried chips, we kept it simple, and both had mixed tacos. They were very flavorful and generous. The waitress was wonderful, and the owner stopped by to make sure everything was good -- which it definitely was. We will be stopping there on many of our trips. read more

Food was alright staff was very kind and the ambience was great overall there are some things I would change about the menu but it was a fun experience read more

Great service, quality food . We have never been disappointed with anything we ordered. Love that our server took the time to make recommendations read more

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the best mexican food ,,, birria tacos , enchiladas de mole, tortas , quesadillas and more.. read more

This place! Everyone is so nice and the food is so good. My Birria tacos were delicious, and the nachos appetizer was so tasty. It had all the best toppings without overwhelming the chips. Perfect. Also, the interior is gorgeous, servers are friendly. So happy to have La Bamba in Boonton. read more

this place was extremely delicious! the molcajete is my favorite and I will definitely be going back to it! 5 star place!

We enjoyed our dishes: both of us ordered the enchiladas with green sauce (salsa verde) with a guacamole appetizer. Both dishes were delicious and tasted like authentic Mexican food...not tex mex which was a happy discovery. Service was perfect, and we felt that they genuinely cared about the food and that we actually enjoyed it. We would definitely go back to seek other items on the menu. Btw, they also have a parking lot directly in front. read more

We were referred to this place by a friend at our local YMCA; she recommended that we try the "tacos de birria." Has to be the best set of tacos I've had thus far, absolutely delicious, and the chips and dips that came right before it were enjoyable as well. The employees are very sweet, too, one of them had quite an engaging conversation with my mother. Fantastic place overall. From what I could see, it's underrated, too. I am surprised the place wasn't packed when we went. It's brilliant! And of course, the music has you tapping your feet. Excellent place. read more

The Tacos Birria was La Bamba! Service was amazing, the food is impressive and ambiance is so upbeat. Waitstaff is so nice. Bring a playlist of your favorite Mexican songs read more

La Bamba Grill - Mexican Near Me - Boonton, New Jersey

Absolutely delicious. Good delivery time and prices. Very happy w this place. Will be returning