I love this place! It's Spanish comfort food. I can vouch for the picadillo and roast pork. Fast service. I love it when the food is piping hot. For lunch time, you walk through the line and tell them what you want. You can get two different meats (just smaller portions of each) if you ask. Lunch comes with two side items. (Rice, beans, plantains, green beans, mashed potatoes, etc.). They switch the rice up but they always have 3 of them: yellow, white, rice and beans cooked together. Their lunch specials change daily but they ALWAYS seem to have roast pork (very tender and flavor packed!) picadillo (seasoned ground beef) and roast chicken. Lunch portion makes two meals for me. Cafe con leche here is good and affordable! I love this place because they are fast, affordable, big portions and big flavor. Breakfast special is my breakfast AND lunch. Choose sausage or bacon and what type of eggs you want. Parking is kind of bad during peak times but I have parked in the hotel or the office bldg parking lots right next door if I am just picking up food. This place is right off of Westshore near International mall Even during peak times, I have always been able to find a table to sit at. They close at 3 and closed on weekends. read more

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Fresh food. Lots of options. Bilingual staff. Eat in or take out. Cheap prices for huge meals! read more

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Good breakfast spot for coffee and cuban toast! I came here alot when working in the area and was always able to obtain fast service. They accept Applepay which is a plus. What sets them apart is their cuban bread......It's just soooooo soft, warm, fluffy and good. In no other place can you truly experience cuban bread this fresh consistently.....but they do this exceptionally well. 4 stars because their customer service is just okay. This is a family run place and depending on who is at the counter or what mood they are in, you may not receive the warmest welcome. But their consistency with their menu is spot on. read more

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La Bamba Restaurant on Laurel Street in Tampa is a great place to go for delicious Cuban food for breakfast and lunch. I really like the location and atmosphere here where you can relax and enjoy a good meal. The staff here is very friendly and willing to help you have the best meal possible. read more

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Cuban sandwich is legit! I have been going there for years and have getting the same items.

If you work in the Westshore Business District and eat out often for lunch, it's easy to get sucked in to visiting the same, over-priced chains for lunch. La Bamba is just the opposite of one of these chains and one of the restaurants I recommend the most to out of town guests at our office. The food is cheap, hot, delicious and served in giant portions (two people can share one meal). There's normally a line out the door around 12:15pm (always a good sign the food will be good) the line moves fast as the restaurant itself is cafeteria-style. You grab a tray, order your meat, and choose your two sides. It's always a internal debate when choosing my combination for the day but La Bamba makes it easier by letting you choose two half portions of meat for the same price as a whole portion of one meat. Some of my favorites are the roast pork, picadillo and the rope veijo. The plantains are AWESOME but if you order them, that means you have to choose from rice OR beans. I usually just pay the extra $1+ and order plaints with rice and beans. Overall, great place for a quick, cheap lunch that will leave you with leftovers for dinner or your lunch the next day. read more

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Reduced inventories in restaurants are nothing new in the tenth month of the pandemic. Let's avoid arguments over the length of time that we have collectively been exposed to COVID 19 and talk about what this restaurant does well. First of all they listen and prepare the eggs exactly as ordered. The Cuban bread was perfect in every way. With a limited menu I can say that the quality of the dishes was authentic and very satisfying. It is very reasonably priced. read more

This place is excellent. I tried La Bamba on a recommendation from a friend that works in Tampa. I have had a large majority of Tampa Bays Cuban sandwich locations. This one is right up there with the best of them. Rice and beans were flavorful and the prices were amazing. Got 4 sandwiches and a side of rice and beans for 25 bucks. Do yourself a favor, come for the Cuban but try the Breaded steak sandwich as well. It's crazy good! read more

La Bamba is ok, the food here is traditional Cuban food along with a few breakfast options. Having gone to Miami numerous times where Cuban food is King, La Bamba is not too far off. Not the best I've ever had, but still solid. The food options are decent, the cafe con leche and cortaditos are pretty good (though you might wanna add the sugar to your liking, mine was way too sweet). The ambiance is cafeteria style. Can get boring after a while, feels plain without any views. The place could use a little more flavor. The background music is on point though. Merengue, Salsa, Bachata. They put out the lunch menu after 10am which I found strange. Who wants to eat lunch that early? I wanted some eggs at 10:30am but they had just stopped serving breakfast. There were a couple Ladies just leaving to go to McDonalds for this very reason. Three stars, nothing more. read more

La Bamba - Ham/Cheese - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Don't let anything but your taste buds lead you here -- and once you arrive, let those taste buds lead you into a dance of delights. Beyond casual in approach (think cafeteria style with a kickass kitchen staff)...beyond reproach in proving they know how to craft a quality home-cooked delight. Bring a big appetite or a friend to share the plateful. We opted to do an early lunch with the two-up split of meats (pulled pork and ropa vieja), yellow rice (called arroz Maria, I believe), and tasty fried plantains. For our plane ride home late that afternoon, we ordered two sandwiches (the classic Cuban and the highly recommended breaded steak). Cuban sandwich was good hours later, but the breaded steak probably was much better hot from the kitchen. Overall, take time to stand in line with the knowing locals who frequent La Bamba...and you'll wish it could be your own office luncheon spot. read more

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Tampa Classic! This is my favorite place to grab a great lunch during work. Parking lot is tight, but I always manage to find a spot. It gets busy, but they seep the line moving well. My go to is a Cuban, all the way and a side of plantains. Add a drink and tip and that's lunch for $10! Staff is friendly and fellow patrons always seem pleased. I've done eatin, take out and call ahead. If you call ahead they have a drive up window, which is great! I love supporting small local businesses! Check this place out if you work in the area, staying at a nearby hotel or need to kill time before a flight! read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Really good and authentic Cuban food! Cheap too. Can't beat a Cuban sandwich for under $5! Place is nothing fancy but seems clean and is convenient to the hotels. read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

La Bamba is a local favorite. It's so convenient for me because it's less than a minute away from my workplace. It has saved me numerous times when I didn't have a whole lot of time to take for lunch. I go there on the days that they serve Ropa Vieja. Everyone who works in this area (between Frontage and Westshore) knows about Ropa Vieja Wednesday. I think they've extended it to Thursday as well. They don't serve it every day so you may want to call ahead if it's not one of these days. It seriously is the best Ropa Vieja I've had since leaving Miami. It's the real deal! It's so tender, saucy, and loaded with large strips of peppers and onions. I used to get a platter of it along with fried sweet plantains and rice with gandules. I'm now hooked on the Ropa Vieja sandwich with cheese. It's a little messy, but it's like having a Cuban version of a "Sloppy Joe" on Cuban bread. This hidden gem is also a great breakfast spot. You can't go wrong with any of their breakfast sandwiches and a café con leche. My only complaint is that I can't stop by there on the way home to pick up something for dinner. It's only open for breakfast and lunch. They close daily at 3:00. It's just super convenient because it's only a couple of blocks away from my work place. It does get very busy during the peak hours of the day. Just go a little early for breakfast or lunch. What's great is that the staff is always very efficient in getting the orders out quickly, and getting the tables cleaned up for the next group of people. It's just a great place to go for an authentic Latin meal at a good price. read more

La Bamba - Ropa Vieja Sandwich - Delicious & totally satisfying! - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Wow, awesome, friendly and inexpensive. I got a Cubano it was huge and had great flavor. The breakfast croissant sandwich was also very buttery and flaky with great flavor. Definitely a great stop before or after coming from the airport. I would have taken photos but I ate it all. Next time. read more

Craving a Cuban breakfast sandwich and cafe con leche today. Stopped in here with my boyfriend. They didn't have breakfast sandwiches at 11:20. The vibe is really bad is here. The women are not friendly and stare rudely. My cafe con leche was okay.. a little watery. Not sure I'd come back because of the negative feeling we had while eating. read more

If you are seeking authentic Cuban cuisine, this place is it! The restaurant, itself, is a type of divey cafeteria. This is because all workers from the financial district know about his gen and come on lunch! Cubans are excellent and oh so cheap! I absolutely love their lentil soup (when available). They are open for breakfast and I try to get in around 11 to avoid the massive lunch rush! read more

I just happen to love love love Cuban/Latin American/Spanish food...surely the result of years spent in a relationship with a first generation Cuban who's father was an exceptional cook. As a result, I often troll Cuban/Latin American restaurants like La Teresita, Papis and Le Seguda in search of my favorite dishes or a good cafe con leche (with sugar please!). La Bamba is the place I find myself coming back to most often. Uber-casual with basic wood tables and chairs, it has zero atmosphere and yet it is crowded with people enjoying the food. You'll find the daily offerings written on a white board just inside the front door. You can place sandwich orders at the front of its cafeteria-style serving line or proceed down the counter to spend about two seconds inspecting the day's options before someone is asking to take your order. Chose from specials like boliche or chicken stew, or go with an every day option like ropa vieja or roast pork. The incredibly low-priced plates come with two sides like white or yellow rice (I was trained to go with white), black beans, yuca or maduros (fried sweet plaintains).. even green beans and mashed potatoes. I have sampled the pork (solid), picadillo (a little dry but good flavor) and boliche (rich and flavorful) but my favorite is the baked chicken. The chicken is moist, the skin nicely seasoned and even crispy at times and if you are lucky, you will get a few of the sliced onions that cooked with the chicken... wow I consider La Bamba the equivalent of a Cuban diner... the food isn't fancy and it is definitely not gourmet. It is comfort food.. at a very good price. The dishes are all in the $7 price range. I would be remiss if I did not mention breakfast. I have a terrible weakness for buttery cuban toast (pan cubano) and cafe con leche. La Bamba makes a good cafe con leche without charging a premium price for it. I would prefer the toast linger in the presser just a little longer but there are so many orders to fill, La Bamba tends to rush the toasting process. There is also an eggs- bacon or ham- potatoes-cuban toast breakfast that costs all of $4.25. I like La Bamba... its food, the kind people who work there and the way it fills an order in just a couple of minutes. (By the way, Le Seguda is the hands down winner when it comes to cuban toast and cafe con leche... more on that in another review). read more

Chicken falls off the bone as if it was never stuck to it. That says everything about the food. The reason for 4 stars is the ambience is not great. Will I visit again : YES !!!!!!! read more

Have only had catering from here, so can't comment on the restaurant itself. Because I live on the other side of the bridges in Pinellas County, I seriously wish they would open a restaurant on my side of the bay - but they are worth the drive to Tampa! The food is not fancy, but seriously authentic and absolutely delicious! We have gads of seafood restaurants in Pinellas County, but none really representing the Spanish/cuban cultural delights that La Bamba offers. Excellent, excellent, excellent!!! Go hungry, leave entirely satisfied! read more

Best Cuban in Tampa! I have found no one who beats La Bamba's pulled/roast pork. Also love the fresh chopped onion on top of the beans. Delicious! The place is nothing to speak of and I wish they were open for dinner and on UberEATS, but that's just for my convenience. Food = 5 stars read more

Had lunch here yesterday and came back today for cafe con leche. And Cuban toast. Mom. Lunch yesterday was really good. Way too much food. I got a plate with rice, shredded pork and green beans. $6.50. Wow. The line was out the door. It was worth the wait Staff is friendly and the line moves quick Authentic read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Tampa offers so many different Cuban food options, and La Bamba is one of the must stop places. It has been at this same location for years. Great Cuban breakfast options from 7:00AM and the lunch goes until 3:00PM. Barbara and her team always deliver friendly and courteous service. And the location in the Westshore district couldn't be more convenient. read more

This place is always packed and there is a reason why. You get a lot of food for the price. I have tried their yellow rice, their meat, and tops virus. All are very good! They serve it cafeteria style so you don't have to wait forever when you have a short lunch break. You may want to have this food for a few servings. Since it is so big. Me on the other hand, I won't stop. I'll eat until it's all gone, and be the fullest I can be! read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The BEST Cuban coffee in Tampa. Period. Starbuck's got nothing on these guys. If you are a coffee junky, order a double espresso. I swear that the spoon almost stays put upright when you stick it in the cup held by the pure caffeine goodness in that tiny little shot glass. Be warned though - it will land in your stomach like a bomb, so definitely not for the faint of heart (or stomach). La Bamba is a lunch joint open from 7am to 3pm weekdays. Its been open for at least 15 years that I know of personally, probably a lot longer. They have a cafeteria line style menu with the traditional Cuban staples, such as white and yellow rice, black beans, plantains, roasted pork, ground beef, etc. Sometimes they have specials with breaded steak covered in mozzarella and tomato sauce, or fish. And their sandwiches are delicious. Their Cuban sandwich is good (not the best in Tampa, but not bad). My personal favorite is the breaded steak sandwich. Yes, you read that right. They take a steak, they put breading on it, fry it, and put it between two pieces of fresh Cuban bread. Add cheese, grilled onions, and press it on their toaster, and you have sandwich Nirvana. Breakfast has their world famous (my world at least) Cuban cheese toast. Order it with extra cheese and order a cafe con leche with sugar. Dunk the toast in the coffee. Rinse, chew, and repeat. Weight Watchers cries at the sight of this overdose of cheese and sugar. And don't get me started on the bacon, egg, and cheese Cuban sandwich. Yum. The place is nice and clean although not a chain restaurant by any means. It gets packed for lunch and I take clients and out of town guests for a taste of the local Tampa flavor. In over 15 years not one has walked out of there disappointed. Now that I've lost 90 pounds I'm adding La Bamba back to my regular rotation. Not too regular lest I put all those pounds back. But a breaded steak Cuban sandwich once in a while is good for the soul. read more

Why 4 stars? Because I felt like my caffeine wish finally came true. --- --- --- On those days when sleep is REALLY lacking, I've always said that I wish I could hook up an IV of caffeine straight to my blood stream. After drinking the double espresso from La Bamba, I understand why the FDA has not approved caffeine IV's. Sam Q warned me in his review that it was not a drink for the faint of heart...I thought I could handle it though. It completely rocked my world. I had no idea what to do with myself. I was beyond "wired." I feel like I could hear the Earth rotating. My liver itched. I manually calculated how many days I'd been alive. I need to make a return trip to La Bamba for food, because if they can do coffee this well, they probably make a damn good Cuban. read more

For $3.50 this is probably the best breakfast deal in Tampa. I would have loved to try their cafe con leche, but I didn't think that much caffeine would be good for my growing baby. I ordered the egg ham and cheese on Cuban bread. The eggs were REAL, the ham was a little crispy from being on the flat grill, and the cheese was Swiss-my fav. I have probably driven past this place a dozen times and have never noticed it before. When in the area, I've got a new cheap breakfast place. read more

La Bamba - Ham egg and cheese on Cuban bread - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ordered a Cuban sandwich and ended up with serious food poisoning. Also confirmed that a coworker, who ate the same sandwich on the same day, also got food poisoning. Will not be returning. read more

Thanks to my fellow Yelpers I have discovered the best Cuban sandwich in this part of Tampa. I work 5 minutes from this little Cuban gem and never knew it was here, hidden off Westshore Blvd. Looking like a converted bank on the outside and not much too look at inside either, don't go for the atmosphere. Walking in the service is cafeteria style. Menu boards posted advertising both breakfast and lunch options. I was there for lunch although the Cuban toast and coffee sounded yummy. In true cafeteria style I grabbed a tray and placed my order: Cuban sandwich all the way with a side order of plantains. Moving down the cafeteria line I could see pork, chicken, plantains, black beans and yellow rice, etc. on the hot line. The smells were amazing! At the end of the cafeteria line I ordered a sweet tea and flan then grabbed a table with my friend. The sandwich came out shortly after sitting down. Although it is cafeteria style they make each Cuban sandwich to order. The Cuban sandwich was stuffed with fresh shredded pork, cold cuts, lettuce, pickles, mayo and mustard. No pre-made sandwich here, the bread was fresh and crusty, crispy lettuce and pickles, but the pork really made this sandwich a sensation! The pork was tender, juicy and flavorful. Between bites of my sandwich I sampled the plantains. They were sweet, fried a deep caramel color and not greasy. The flan was a bit of a let down, it was a very bland custard. It could be that with the Cuban sandwich and plantains I was too stuffed for dessert but I love flan so had to try it. The biggest disappointment is this place is only open Monday through Friday until 3pm. I would love to swing by on my way to the mall on the weekend, or get to go for dinner after work. I guess it will just have to be my work week lunch spot from now on. read more

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I was craving a Cuban sandwich, so on a coworker's recommendation I tried La Bamba out. It's a little cafeteria-type place, where you get your food & take it by tray to the register, then have a seat & dig in. I had the half cuban & cup of soup (opting for the black bean soup, one of today's 4 or so 'specials') for $4.00. They only take credit cards for orders $5 or more, & I didn't have cash, but they let me use my card anyway (I tipped to make it $5 for their flexibility & friendliness). The cuban was pressed, so the bread was crunchy, warm, & delicious. The meat was cold in the very center -- which is actually exactly how I like my cubans (I know, I'm crazy). & the soup was hot (nothing worse than cold soup, which I've had at some restaurants) & reeeeeally tasty. I'll definitely be back again -- next time with cash & company in tow. read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I came here with my family while in Tampa for a convention. I was expecting a superior dining experience given the star rating but was disappointed. It was a cafeteria serving style where you see the food in serving bins. I ordered the beef with red beans and rice , with plantains and so did another family member. Mom ordered the baked chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. We all agreed the food was too heavily salted. The tables needed cleaning and the line to the cashier was unnecessarily long with many patrons waiting to pay their bill for quite some time. read more

Next to the Hampton Inn, this little Spanish-American greasy spoon is truly a hidden gem and well worth the trip. The hotel really did not offer a great breakfast option, I I stopped in today and was not disappointed. Java... quiet strong, flavorful, oily, and rich. Cuban music piped... I wanted to dance. Cubano Breakfast Sandwich... eggs, cheese, sausage, with salt and pepper and a dash of Salsa Picante... oh so good... and about 10 inches long. All for $5.80... how can you go wrong?! Plenty of parking and a wonderful staff. A very nice breakfast option and I'd give them a sold 4.5 stars! read more

Great food price, service, menu options and the taste is great. Very clean inside too. We're going back for breakfast tomorrow. If I worked nearby this would be my go to. read more

La Bamba - Bacon egg and cheese Cuban with 2 Cafe con leches for only 9.50. Great service, price anf food. - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

When you see local office workers coming to a place for lunch, it's either really great or it's really bad and they go out of location convenience. Lucky for me, the place was really great! I'm not used to the cafeteria style, but rolled with it. The food was delicious! I wish I could have tried more things. I had the Ropa Vieja for lunch and it was a winner topped off with some cafe con leche. I wanted flan, but they were all out! If you're looking for a great meal, definitely give this place a try. read more

Good Cuban food, fast. If you can get over the scary and cramped parking lot, this is a great place to get a fast lunch. La Bamba serves cafeteria style, so if you're wiling to eat what they are serving, you can have your food, pay and be seated within 5 minutes. There's a little longer wait if you want a sandwich or something else made to order. The food is solid. I had the roast pork, which was well seasoned and very tender. There was a decent amount of fat, so probably a quarter of the meat served was inedible (to me). I also had the moro, which was fine, and the plantains, and those were awesome. My lunch was only $6.50, and a large soda is $1 more. I cannot imagine a more affordable meal in the Westshore area. read more

My go to spot for Spanish food, everything from the roast pork to the Cuban sandwhich is very good. I highly recommend to anyone

Found my new favorite spot to enjoy an absolutely flavorful and savory Spanish meal in Tampa. The owner was a sweetheart and pleasure to speak with. The portions left me full but with just enough room for a delicious serving of flan paired with a café con leche. Thank you Ms. Barbara for the hospitality and memorable dining experience. I look forward to tasting the pork on my next visit though may be difficult for me not to indulge in another helping of ropa vieja. read more

6 stars? Classic hole in the wall with a great low key atmosphere and a Cuban sandwich that holds its own against the best I've ever had. I stumbled into la Bambi almost on accident and can't wait to come back! read more

This place has the nicest and friendly staff! I'm surprise you don't have to wait in a line around the block. Thanks to Hampton inn for telling me about the place. The will have me eating there everyday when in town! read more

Happened upon this place by accident. Glad I did. Great lunch. Shredded meat in delicious marinade. Rice and beans were very flavorful. Not plain like most places. I added vanilla flan. The best. A bit crowded at lunch but line moves fast. read more

La Bamba - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Quick stop after arrival to Tampa. Had the Cuban sandwich, it was a good sandwich but not a true Cuban. The setup is like a cafeteria, you order food, get a ticket, pay food and pick up food when called. The Cafe con leche was good. And so were the black rice and beans. Quick stop...moving on.... read more