We hiked all day on a nearby trail and walked in to La Bamba for an early and well-deserved dinner. La Bamba did not disappoint! We were welcomed in, our service was excellent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was clean and had plenty of seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had the skinny margaritas which, for us, they added blended strawberries to--delicious. With the drinks, we enjoyed the veggie burritos ("for the not so hungry") with rice and beans. Still a large portion, our hungry hikers went home with leftovers. We loved every bite. read more

Slow service and mediocre food are the hallmarks of this place. 15 minutes from the point I put my card on the table to when we got the bill. read more

The staff, the food, the ambiance...everything is 5-star! They are family run and family friendly; a real gem!

La Bamba was our dinner stop while driving through Truckee. It was friendly, fast, and delish! We all ate everything on our plates. Everyone was so welcoming, made us feel like familia! Muchas gracias! We will be back! You should definitely come here if you are craving authentic Mexican food and margaritas. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The cozy vibes are legit, with a real furniture and wood to burn inside the dining area![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Don't miss out! read more

La Bamba - Combination plate of shredded beef taco, cheese enchilada and chili rellano, rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

This place has AURA! The food is truly made fresh and not frozen. I am 100% eating homemade authentic Mexican food. This is a family owned business with generations of family recipes. Every time I eat here the food is AMAZING! The service is wonderful and the owner Christian makes sure you are having a good time; they are always treating us like family. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place has awesome ambience and makes me want to be there every day!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This is the best Mexican food I've ever had! I ordered the Chimichanga La Bomba, which was done perfectly. The crispy outside yet still tender is the perfect chimichanga you could ever order. I've been to other places where the chimichanga is just too crispy or crunchy, but this place makes the BEST and most PERFECT chimichanga I have ever had in my life! I will always come back to this place and eat the best Mexican food in the world! read more

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We were a little nervous based on reviews but this place is legit. Super friendly staff, lively bar. We were a group of 7 and they accommodated us right away. The chips are perfect, just not enough of them. Same for the guacamole. It's a tiny dish and comes with 4 chips in it, but it's perfect. After debating what a chimichanga was, we all settled in our orders, pretty standard items. Everyone loved their dishes. I went for a chicken and beef enchilada with ranchero sauce. Loved it. Served with the standard refried beans and rice and a cute watermelon slice. Others got tacos, the chimichanga, and a three item combo and all were raved about. We also ordered margaritas which were fine. They were made with the bright green mix rather than fresh juice but tasty nonetheless. Super happy with our meal and will keep La Bamba on our list for next visit to Truckee. read more

Sadly our last 2 experiences with La Bamba haven't been what we were used to. Service was meh. Not the cheerful and attentive staff we had been a customer to. Food was subpar. I'm really disappointed and I'm not sure what the change is. read more

Absolute worst dining experience of my life. The food was bad, but we truly do give that a pass in Truckee.. It's the service that dropped our jaws. Way too many details to share, but the highlight was someone swinging by to check on us, and me, completely deadpan and calm, saying, "I have to say, this is the hands-down worst dining experience of our lives," and having them respond with a plastered-on smile and an, "OK, well, thanks for coming in!" Since I didn't order a burrito, and they insisted I did, and the only option they offered was to "guess we can take it back into the kitchen and slice it open to take the insides out and stick it on a tortilla for you," attached is a photo of my $15 meal. read more

La Bamba - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

BEST Taco Tuesday in TOWN! LOVE this place for TT! [[HIGHLIGHT]]GREAT atmosphere, GREAT food, Great local people[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Great taco Tuesday deals and good drinks. You get what you pay for and support local family run business. One of my two go to places for Mexican food in Truckee. read more

The rice is not vegetarian. It has chicken powder in it. They should not be claiming their vegetarian items to be vegetarian. The food is good, but can they please not lie on the menu. It's fairly easy to just substitute with white rice. Since lots of sauce or salsa are already added to the dishes, it shouldn't make any difference to the flavor. read more

The family owned business has consistently great food, warm ambiance and friendly people. Very good service.

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Friendly comfortable restaurant we tried for the first time and we have lived here for years.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Loved the salsa and chips. Service was excellent. Hubby had pork with green sauce and it was very good. I had the chicken fajitas and it was different from what I had elsewhere. No sizzling plate and it just came on a plate in a heavy sauce so wouldn't get again. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute inside and will try again as we like to go to small business owned places in Truckee.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Hadn't been here in awhile-I had enchiladas and my friend had chicken flautas and chile relleno. Made fresh! Service super friendly, lots of chips and salsa, drinks great! read more

We showed up early before the rush rolled in and got one of the few tables outside. There is a fair amount of indoor seating and a bar. They have a great selection of affordable beers and other drinks. They also have a daily happy hour at the bar. The chips were pretty basic and the salsa for me was not good but the other three at the table out voted me on this one. The meatball soup is a must try. The mole special is a half a chicken and tasty indeed. Yes, a half chicken, I'm not kidding. The beef tacos were tender, the chimichanga was delicious and the tamales were flavorful. Everything was great. The folks waiting on us fall into the amazing category, friendly, efficient and all around good people. The parking lot is limited so plan accordingly. Great place! read more

La Bamba - Holy half a chicken mole! Fantastic! - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

Terrible customer service. My family and I ordered and the server somehow lost the order. We waited for over an hour and the servers wouldn't even check in on us. Customers came in 30 minutes after we did and finished before we even got our food. I'm never coming here again! read more

The food is good but a little cold, The service was so slow, [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience is right.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

One on my favorite places in Truckee. Love it! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The food and service is great and it's a fun place to eat![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Great taco Tuesday spot with big $2 crunchy tacos. They even have a margarita punch card! read more

La Bamba - Tacos and avocado sauce - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

We sat in the bar at a table. It was great, for most of the time we were there, we were the only ones there. They also have a full dining room and outdoor seating. I had the taco salad. It was delicious. Filled with grilled chicken chunks. We would highly recommend this place to you. It offers every thing you will want. read more

La Bamba - Clean and neat - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

I am baffled by some of these reviews This is the Best Mexican Restaurant in Truckee ( blows the two in town away) and has been in the family since the 70's and continues. I am a margarita critic and the Cadillac is a 10. The mole sauce is right out of Mexico with the Mexican chocolate. The enchiladas are delicious Be cause it's not downtown Truckee it doesn't get the same traffic but I can tell you it's the best Mexican for miles and for sure on the north shore of Tahoe!! read more

Service was super quick and friendly :) we got chicken floutas, the chile relleno, and tinga tostada's, all super good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They made us feel like locals, good spot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have a wood stove in the dining room that gets warm if you're cold.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Great family owned restaurant. Food is delicious and drinks are well prepared. Love this place.

Let me start by saying that despite a three star review la bamba is my favorite Truckee mexican place. Highlights: taco Tuesdays! $1.50 tacos and drink specials....sit at the bar, and order the excellent fish or shrimp tacos. The wait may be variable, along with the service (thus the stars). But the salsa is fresh and the tacos too. Next highlight: the chicken mole is fabulous, and plenty for leftovers. Comes with the usual rice beans and tortillas, none of which are standout excellent but all perfectly acceptable. The con: about 1/3 of the time it's sold out or not available. Next highlight: the Camaron diablo also great - good shrimp, tasty hot diablo. Other entrees are very much American mex, which are good but not my favorite style. Order carefully and you'll get a good meal. Service spotty, overloaded bartender bring down my rating. read more

There's a reason it's packed! The best Cadillac Margarita! Chile Relleno, nachos, fish tacos! Loved it all. And this staff! Family owned and invested making customers happy. read more

We've been dining at La Bamba since we bought our Tahoe Donner home in 2008. Service and food have always been OK to good. With the new ownership (next generation of the family that started the biz) both the service and food have improved to good all the time. Our last visit (mid April) both were GREAT! And so much better than the other Mexican restaurants in town. So why not a 5 star review? 1-Need to keep that mid April experience going. 2-We used the Yelp site today to see if we could make a reservation at La Bamba this coming weekend and clicked the associated link Yelp included and nearly got a malware infection (didn't fall for the "WARNING CALL APPLE AT XXX" pop up message). See the attached photo for the bad link. Not sure whose issue this is but wanted to get the word out. read more

La Bamba - Dangerous link - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

I've been coming here since I was a little kid! The staff is always friendly and the food is always good! My favorite thing to order is the chile relleno - even ordering it off the "not so hungry" menu is still very filling. If you're ordering a side salad, the avocado dressing is a must. If you're just coming in for a snack and a margarita, you've got every kind of margarita available to you under the sun. And definitely go for the big size guacamole - three of us usually go through two of those! read more

La Bamba - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

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Don't be fooled by the number of cars in the parking lot. A Latina friend and I stopped here after a day of hiking. Usually any food after hiking tastes good, but not this place. The food was terrible. We ordered a quesadilla, an enchilada, a tostada, a fish taco, and Horchata. The cheese in the quesadilla and the enchilada was like rubber. I don't know what kind of cheese is used, but I felt we could make bouncy balls out of it. The fish didn't taste like fish. The Horchata, we were told, comes out of a carton, and seemed to be watered down. All in all a disappointment and we left most of the food uneaten. The service was phenomenal. Our server was friendly, accommodating, and gracious. read more

Pretty good food ok prices. They can get pretty packed not a big fan on how close they sit you to other people. I had the steak fajitas they were ok and my daughter had the taquitos she enjoyed them. Salad no good to watery and soup was just ok. read more

Great place. Been going there 31 years. Best Margaritas anywhere. Staff are like family. Brett read more

We have been going here for several years so we know what to expect. As always we were greeted at the door warmly. The inside is no frills with some simple Mexican decorations. The tables are covered in glass over bright colored cloth - let's them keep them clean easier. Sat down and server promptly brought the menu and chips and salsa. The chips are good, the salsa is more like chopped up tomatoes and just OK. I tried something different and ordered camarones a La Diabla. I was expecting it to be like I get at other places - shrimp sautéed in a spicy Chipotle red sauce. No - small shrimp tail on seasoned but not really spicy and no sauce despite what menu said. The rice and whole beans were tasty as always. Next time I'll stick to my regular items. read more

Took a buddy to La Bamba for the first time and it was a great experience! The skinny marg is made with fresh lime and your choice of tequila. So good! The chicken tamale was huge and the beef enchilada was solid. The service was excellent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Super homey on the inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We will be back. read more

The dining area is huge and the portion sizes are very good. ordered the Chile Relleno plate with whole beans (since I'm vegetarian). The food wasn't the best I've had, it was mostly lacking flavor. We did ask for hot sauce and they brought a cup of habanero which was really good. We tried out the flan, it was very dense but tasty. The service was super slow but they did have a busy night. It took a long time to get our order as well. read more

La Bamba - Chile Relleno plate - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

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Good food and super nice and attentive staff...they were very nice to our dog and were quick to refill chips, salsa, water, and soda Muchos gracias! read more

Food was extremely mediocre. The margaritas we got were pretty gross. Interior decor.. not a pleasant one. Speakers weren't working and there's no music. The kitchen and wait staff was arguing the entire time. Loudly. At least 6 had individual arguments that were loud and could be overheard by all of us sitting at the table. This is highly unprofessional. I don't even know what to say lol read more

This restaurant is highly underrated. We had such a delicious meal here! Authentic and delicious and really great service. The guacamole is so yummy. I had the chili relleno / chicken enchilada and it was perfect. The rice was so tasty! Very family friendly. Would highly recommend it! read more

Stopped off here with my fiancé, we had an amazing day at the lake. Bartender with the BIG neck tats was rude as heck. Hit on my wife-to-be in front of me and tried to add drinks to my tab (extra money). I was extremely cool to him the whole time. We will never go back to that restaurant. I was looking for a place to host a b-day party, I'm glad that we found out before booking. My wife laughed at him on the way home. read more

Was in Truckee picking up some lotto tickets (didn't win, sad face) and we thought we would have dinner while we were there... Mexican is always a favorite so I yelped and this place popped up with decent reviews. We were immediately greeted by this sweet older lady who had us sit where we wanted. Right away we were brought water and chips and salsa. I liked the chips and salsa, but the chips needed more salt. Our server came up quickly and took our order. He wasn't friendly at all, never smiled. That is just a mood killer. Hubby ordered the shredded beef enchiladas with a side of tortilla soup and I got the carne asada steak with soup as well. Soup: was ok. It was very salty and had a very tangy taste to it. That was all you could taste. Enchiladas: these were pretty yummy. I had a couple bite of the hubbys food. Carne asada: disappointing. The steak had no flavor. It just tasted like an unseasoned steak off the grill. There were no grilled onions as advertised on the menu and I didn't see any marinade like you would normally see, no cilantro or anything. It was just dry. Drinks were always full, I appreciate that... but the food, especially the steak, was just eh. I really wanted the grilled onions, so that was a huge bummer. read more

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This is the best mexican restaurant in truckee!! Food and drinks are quick and delicious every time! Service is amazing consistently checking in and going above and beyond every step of the way! Would recommend you visit 10/10! read more

Birthday dinner last night. Waitress ok, but keep us waiting on the bill. Was told the kitchen would not wrap half my dinner to go because it's an extra step and they can't be bothered. Went with the option the waitress suggested. My chicken enchiladas had no chicken and my wife's shrimp enchiladas had no shrimp. Total bummer especially when you want to support locals businesses. Probably won't have dinner here again. read more