Stands out as my favorite mexican restaurant in Ames. I left for a year and all I was craving was…read moretheir queso. Above the rest in Ames. They have a small outside area and a bar. Not sure why by they do not serve alcohol at this time and are moving (yikes). But the food is still good. Service is very fast polite and professional.

WOW! It's both good and sad that I don't live in Ames, because if I did, I'd eat here ALL the time!…read moreOne of the Mexican restaurants we've ever been to! Salsa was fresh and chips were good and crispy. I got the steak tacos on corn tortillas and beans. All so great!

I've seen the truck a million times and finally made my way over cash in hand…read more Amongst the taco trucks in town they fall dead last, but they're still better than any of the "Mexican" brick and mortar restaurants in town.

A lucky circumstance led me to find La Bamba, hidden away off Sherman St in a tiny strip. I was…read moreheading for A-1 Locksmith to get some keys made and there was the food stand. It is not technically a truck, rather a trailer. It was lunch time and when I finished my locksmoth business I enjoyed three tacos de lengua. The tortillas were fried but left soft, exactly the way I like them. The lengua was cooked very tender and grilled a little to prepare it for the tacos. They were delicious. I liked both salsas. One was smooth, green avocado based and the other was red chile based. What a great place. I counted 17 different tortas on the menu.

Quick and friendly service, tasty food, good prices. I ate here solo recently and want to return…read morewith my husband

THAT is a damn good taco truck! Simple menu, friendly, awesome…read more We got two steak tacos and a steak burrito. Two mini steak tacos were simple and delicious. Meat is bore barbacoa meat but still delish. Onions, cilantro, corn tortillas. Yep, awesome. Burrito was huge and tasty. Ordered their grilled jalapeños and onions on the side. Comes with two sauces as well. Mexican Tamarind soda tastes a little like bubbly sweet tea. If you like to bike through Perry, I highly recommend stopping here. It's a little yellow truck north of Casey's on 1st St. A short two minute walk from the biking trail head.

El Azteca is a must when I'm back in Ames. The food is somewhat of a Tex-mex vibe and always hits…read morethe spot. They serve complimentary fresh tortilla chips with salsa - the salsa is mild and refreshing with a nice burst of cilantro. My typical picks for entree are any of the chicken meals - arroz con pollo, poncho's lemon lime chicken or chori-pollo. My dad likes the burritos - a common go to is the burrito California. My sister swears by the burrito ruleta and she gets it every time. This occasion I also got a raspberry margarita on the rocks which was scrumptious. Food is always fast and service is always friendly.

It was a dark and stormy night…read more... After a long Dad-related day, I wandered in (from the downpour) for a well-deserved Margarita, with mole chicken enchiladas on the side. The place wasn't very busy on this mid-week January evening, as I was seated quickly with the chips not far behind. The Margarita was refreshing and strong, the chips were fresh, and the enchilada came out hot and tasty. Service was friendly and fun, making my evening most pleasant.

Great authentic food and service! We ordered a burrito and split it since it is so big. Still very…read morefilling and the staff brought it in two separate dishes for us after splitting it.

Food: Everything we've ever ordered has been astounding! All of the food is fresh, hot, and full of…read moreflavor. Portion size is great as well! I love the bread options their store offers also. The quesabirrias tacos are a favorite go to! They also provide lime wedges, radish slices, roasted peppers, and roasted onion with the tacos. The fresh, crisp cilantro is the "cherry" on top lol. Service: Every time we go in there, we're greeted with a smile! All of the employees are really friendly, patient, and helpful. They do their best to explain something on the menu if you're not fluent in Spanish/don't know what something is or consists of. They're very quick and efficient. Ambiance: A quaint, quiet store/restaurant full of delicious options and amazing smells. It's kept clean and tidy with medium noise pollution: there's typically a TV playing in the dining area or music playing throughout the space. The seating is cozy; more for 2-4 people at a table/booth, as opposed to large parties.

Well, this place is slightly better than Los Altos, the last restaurant to inhabit the building…read more I've been told it's an entirely new business and not affiliated with the old restaurant Los Altos. The owner of this business was one of the cooks at La Fuente. There are lunch specials that are cheap and fair. They have large CYRIDE ads, but still have the Los Altos art on the walls. The servers are kind, but aren't strong English speakers so be patient if you go. I had lunch special nachos and it was a large portion, but it could've been better seasoned. It's fair for a quick and cheap lunch.

Under a new name, not sure if management is the same. No alcohol allowed yet but the food was…read morepretty decent. Waitress came over once to check on us, they were not busy. Will check them out again in a few weeks to see how it's going.

I "discovered" La Michoacana while driving to the Story City Market one evening for some groceries…read more I regretted that I already had a pizza but came back for lunch a couple of times. First I enjoyed a couple of lengua and a cabeza taco with cilantro. These were excellent, juicy and flavorful. On another visit they were mysteriously not open. Then the third time, I had three chicken tacos which were fine. I will stick to my favorites, the lengua and cabeza. I will support any place that serves these. The lady warned me that the red salsa is hot and she was right. But it is very good as is the green. This is not Norwegian food!

Ate here for the first time today and I'm angry at myself that it took me so long to make it over!…read moreOh, I definitely have to make up for lost time. This is the best place in town to get Mexican, hands down. I'm North Mexican; Texas born and bred and only left a few years ago. Normally I head down to Des Moines when I need a legit Mexican food fix, but now I can save on gas because Mexico is RIGHT HERE in Ames! Ames has a few brick and mortar Mexican restaurants; Abelardos (fast food greasy and fried everything), El Azteca (Americanized and not remotely Mexican), Los Altos (not only Americanized and not remotely Mexican, but plain and nasty), Mr. Burrito (fair but could be higher quality), and Carlos Quesadillas (pretty legit and yummy). However, the taco trucks in town are where it's at. They get to focus on the food and not spending money on incessant marketing. Carlos Quesadillas has a truck and both the truck and restaurant are pretty good, Rico's Tacos rocks, and Torteria La Bamba is better than the fast food chains and most brick and mortar restaurants, but it's bottom of the list compared to the other taco trucks. Tacos La Michoacana is a little taco stand outside of a pawn shop selling a small menu of Mexican items. It's made to order, there are two nice benches, plastic utensils and plates, and fresh homemade salsa on the table. There's a mama in there cooking and two adolescents taking orders. The food came out within a reasonable time; hot, fresh, flavorful, and just like auntie's kitchen. If you look through the order window it looks just like an auntie's kitchen in there; big metal pots on the stove and everything. The other places might win local awards (judged by Iowa palates), but the reality is that none of them can compare to Tacos La Michoacana. They aren't flashy, it's simply fantastic food that fills you up for only five dollars. Cash only, folks. And don't waste their time with your broken and offensive attempts at Spanish; they speak English fluently. The reality is that nowhere else in town can hold a candle, but so far I've only seen Latinx people eating there. They are not here to service people that want greasy chicken covered in nacho cheese.

a restaurant run by one guy who is the chef/server/cashier etc. The food is Very Good and the…read moreportion sizes are solid. When I walked in he said the soup they had today was lentil soup. Very flavorful with a good variety of vegetables in there. Guava juice was in a large cup, and this wasn't one of those situations where the cup is 80% ice. Chicken arepas are great. Keep in mind that all this is made by One Guy and food may take a bit to come out depending on how many people are in your group.

It is, for sure, just one dude holding down this whole joint all by himself: cook, waiter,…read morebartender, all. Very basic dining room for sure, but it's really all about the food. The food is good and authentic. Took a friend who knows Colombian food well and this guy is doing it just like they do down there. I've never had arepas so good. We had the reinas pepiadas: really really tasty. I could see how some people are a little alienated by him, but also remember that he's there alone. You can go a little off the rails at places that have more people on staff to manage those kinds of patrons. When you walk in, you know that you can't push beyond what's offered and make special requests. This place is one of the more interesting places to eat around here; let's appreciate his/its strengths and not dwell on what this place isn't.