Viva la Bamba
6101 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312
Viva la Bamba Menu
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Address :
6101 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA, 50312 - Phone (515) 255-8238
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Noise Level : Average
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Rebecca W.
We went for a really early supper on a Monday. Our service was spot on and very friendly. The hubby had a chicken and cheese quesadilla, the kiddo had the rolled quesadilla, and I had the carnitas. We also ordered a bowl of queso. The queso was the rock star of the group-we're all a bunch of cheese lovers so we get queso everywhere but this may be my new favorite-smooth, creamy, and with a bit of zip that made it stand out. We were fighting over the last little bits in the bowl. The carnitas were really good, the quesadillas got great reviews from the hubby and the kiddo. Overall really solid and we'd definitely go back.
(4)Patrick T.
Every time I go here I'm always singing ViVA LA BAMBA in the sound of VIVA LAS VEGAS by Elvis! I think the King of Rock would love this place! The chips and salsa are 2nd to none and they also bring out out bean dip to soak those chips in. I like mixing the salsa with the bean dip on each chip! I Can't Help Falling In Love with that combo! Now the meals are big too, I usually get a Veggie Burrito, or Veggie Fajitas, the taco salad is also pretty good! They just changed up the menu you a bit and it got a little pricier but the food packs a punch! They have a nice new patio as well, specials every day on food or drinks, lots of Mexican beers to choose from and the Margaritas are grand! The service is sometimes a little lack luster but never horrible! I bet I have been here 10 times and I keep coming back a few times a year, so It's got me hooked.
(4)Jason S.
Went for lunch. Interior is nice and clean. They have a patio but it was raining. Menu is adequate but not overwhelming. Chips and salsa are good plus they bring bean dip! Margaritas are strong. Taco salad and chile rellenos are excellent! Good options for vegetarians and staff is helpful and accommodating. This was my first visit but I will be back!
(4)Sylvia D.
The parking lot is always packed when going by this place in the evening and tonight I popped in for a late solo dinner at 9 pm. and was seated on the patio. Ordered a margarita which was delivered and set down across the table from me so not only could I not reach it, I had to stand up and stretch across the table to get it. Found the drink to be all bottled mix and alcohol and the mix was too strong. Someone immediately brought chips, salsa & bean dip which occupied me while waiting for my entree. I consumed the chips, dip, and salsa and had enough time to look at every photo, read the photo captions and read every article in the free "Inspire" magazine I picked up inside the door and was still waiting for my entree after that. I really wished for a napkin as you know how eating with your hands can be with salsa. At long last my entree arrived---seafood enchiladas which I ordered reminiscing about a restaurant called "Chi Chi's" in West Des Moines that had the best ever seafood enchiladas. My plate was occupied by an additional serving of the bean dip I'd just eaten, rice and rather skinny enchiladas. The food runner asked me if I needed a fork as eating utensils were as scarce on my table as napkins. Let's go for it and use a fork since rice is hard to eat with my hands, I said, and he rustled up the item wrapped in a napkin. The heat I had been wishing was in the salsa turned out to be in the enchiladas and completely overpowered the taste of the meagre amount of seafood in the enchiladas. Sigh...... Here's the other thing about the evening...and this was totally beyond the control of the restaurant.....there was one table of four on the patio. One of the women who looked both pregnant and a few sheets to the wind kept loudly asking one of the males at her table how to say a two word phrase of a sexual nature in spanish with the second word being "job". I wish he would have just told her, but he wouldn't and she continued loudly asking him multiple times throughout the entire time I was there. My time here seemed strange with the wierdest service I've probably ever had and having to listen to weird conversations close by. It was like being in an indie comedy that uses forced humor and just doesn't cut it.
(2)Niki J.
I usually write excellent reviews, but our visit to Viva La Bamba was not good. We sat on the patio on a beautiful day and it was very nice. However, the bad experience started with the open dumpster in the parking lot walking into the restaurant. I held my breathe walking up to the restaurant. Then, they were doing construction and had the lawn and sidewalk torn up, along with fresh concrete poured on the sidewalk. There were no cones, no tape, no people directing anyone so I thought I'd have to jump the fence to get into the restaurant. All of that aside the service was awful. The food was overpriced for the worst Mexican food I've ever had. I got chicken enchiladas and the tortillas were rubbery and the portion of rice and beans was very small. My friends ordered different flavors of margaritas and they were pure sugar, hardly any alcohol. The only saving grace was the decent chips and salsa and gorgeous patio. I won't be returning and was sorry to have this experience. I can tell they are in a transition and hope they iron out some of these kinks along the way.
(1)Ashley C.
Full disclosure: my husband and I have been here three times, but only ever ordered three things here: guacamole or queso dip and fajitas jalisco to share. The thing is, the service has been so consistently terrible that we have literally never received the apps we ordered. The first two times we went at lunch and had the same server both times so we sort of chalked it up to him being a bad server. But we went again last night for dinner and had a different server and STILL didn't get the appetizer. It's become a running joke now and we're completely dumbfounded about how this could happen three different times with different servers. It's very odd... We keep coming back, however because the fajitas jalisco are AMAZING. The chorizo totally makes the dish and I highly recommend it. Four stars because despite the terrible and confusing service, we are never disappointed in the entree.
(4)Chad R.
I've dined at this restaurant about a dozen times over about 3 years. They recently upscaled their menu a bit and added a patio. I think it's always been a solid place. The service is friendly. The food doesn't come out as fast as at some Mexican restaurants, but fast sometimes means that everything was already prepared. The house margaritas are good and do have alcohol in them, unlike some places that it's mostly sugar. I'm tempted to give this place 4 stars, because there's very few reviews and I think their average is way off, but I believe it's a solid 3 stars, which is good. I've only given a 5 star like 3 or 4 times. The place is always fairly busy, so I think that tells you something.
(3)Ernest S.
First visit and I don't understand the negatives comments about the service, because our's was fast and polite. Maybe the place is under different management? Anyway, saw a friend whom I had not seen in years and she recommended the chili rellenos. She lives even further away from this restaurant than I. I did not take her advice. I ordered the very piquant chili verde, at 11 bucks a plate with frijoles refritos and rice a bargain. My next door neighbor did order the chili rellenos and found them excellent. The other gent of our party ordered the taco plate and pronounced it muy bien for portions and price.
(4)Cindy L.
The service was good - fast, but it was at an off meal time (3:30). The food itself was fine - not the best, but not the worst. I got their 7.99 chicken fajita special - not as hearty or as large portion as some other places in town, but the flavors were all there. I didn't love their salsa and the refried beans was lacking seasoning. I don't know if I would go out of my way to return here, but I think their daily specials are a great deal.
(3)Ted P.
Best Mexican food I've had in Des Moines. Good service clean. A nice new outdoor seating area. Had a very good strawberry blended margarita. Had a beef chimichanga and is was filled with homemade shredded beef that was moist and flavorful and tender. Great chips. I would recommend this restaurant. Enjoy.
(5)Dave M.
This is a Waterbury/Ingersoll Park family stop, so being a resident, I had to try it, so its off the bucket list and frankly it will not be on a future list. My family and I went on a Saturday early evening (6 pm - if that is considered early). The place was not busy, but I suspect it was because of the Memorial Day weekend travel. Service was fine in the beginning, but it drives me crazy when they bring meals out for some of our table, not all at the same time. My wife ordered the steak and it was easily 5 minutes longer before her food came out. The meals were average at best. The fajitas (steak, chicken and shrimp) light on the meat and heavy on green peppers; I would prefer more onions and meat. My wife's steak was lacking to say the least. My family and I left this place uninspired to come back. There are plenty of other Mexican restaurants in Des Moines that I would recommend; check out my other reviews. Visit them first.
(2)Joy D.
We used to frequent this place years ago and we're very happy with the restaurant. However, the atmosphere, service and prices will now keep us from coming back! We came here twice recently, hoping after the initial not so great experience that it was a fluke. Unfortunately, this is the new Viva La Bamba. Service is extremely slow. We had to ask several times for the margaritas we ordered, the chips refill and the guacamole. Our first recent visit we sat on the patio and everything was very slow. Our second time the garbage bin in the parking lot certainly did not help with our appetites, and the service was terrible! We went for lunch and all four of us ordered from the "discount" menu. Only two of us had something other than water to drink, and our bill was just over $45. Not acceptable for a Mexican lunch!
(1)Jennifer W.
Super service, great chips and salsa, they made me a burrito not on the menu and it was great. Would definitely go again.
(4)K J.
When we first moved to the area we really liked this place. It has since gone down hill and we wont go back. The food isn't that great, mainly greasy with a lack of flavor. Last time we were there you could clearly see spit in our drinks. I wouldn't go back to this place if it were free. Adding a balcony wont fix the problem with their food either. Eat at your own risk!
(1)Mary S.
Lunch here is excellent. My co-workers and I dine here regularly because of the consistent quality and cost/value of the generous portion and the good, fast service.
(4)Jill D.
The food at La Bamba was really good when they first opened, but has rapidly gone downhill. Same with the service. Prices have increased. Our most recent visit had overpriced, mediocre food with crappy service. We won't be back.
(2)Kris D.
If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. We received a coupon for a special here where you buy 1 meal you get the other free. I've been to the Urbandale location, and although thought the service was bad the food was decent. So we figured we'd give this place a try. Service: the place was dead, and there were two servers loudly chit-chatting and signing at the front of the restaurant throughout our meal. At one point one of them was speaking loudly over the phone. Although we don't speak much Spanish, we knew enough to know he was speaking about a woman in very vulgar terms. Not cool. And while we were forced to listen to this one way phone conversation, we were dying of thirst because no one bothered to refill our drinks, no matter how hard we tried to flag someone down. Food: I'm just glad we didn't get sick later. Seriously. It was that disgusting.
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