La Bamba – Burritos as Big as Your Head
8320 North Michigan Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Website
La Bamba started in 1987 on the University of Illinois campus to cater to the late night crowd looking for a burrito fix. They are mostly in college towns, but they have a few locations in big cities for when you need your fix from your college days. There are twenty locations in the Midwest. Funny part is that on their website, they say they are not a franchise, but then again there is a tab for “Franchise Info.” Hmmm…either way, let’s talk about the food.
What I Got: Steak Burrito, about $6.
Burrito size is comparable to Chipotle/Qdoba. It probably is as big as my head, well, at least my face. This burrito option has lettuce, cheese, refried beans and hot sauce. The tortilla was slightly grilled to give it warmth and to make it pliable. It was very different than the steamed gummy tortillas that you would get at Chipotle or Qdoba.
As far as that taste, I was pretty unimpressed. The hot sauce was not all that hot or even flavorful. I would give the steak a 5/10 as far as quality and taste. It could’ve used a little salt or something. The burrito was packed with iceberg lettuce which made the burrito crunchier and dryer than I would’ve cared for.
Would I Buy It Again? No. I highly doubt that they have updated anything about their menu in the last 23 years and it shows. I can’t say I know anyone that goes to La Bamba without a few cocktails in their system and I think I figured out why. It wasn’t repulsive. I mean, I ate the entire burrito, but based on the local competition in the area (El Taco Torro and El Pastorcito), La Bamba struggles to find their niche.
-WIBIA
I remember eating at La Bamba in Lafayette, IN a few times years ago. It was decent for late night grub, but nothing special at all.
Regarding the pictures: There’s no reason that lettuce should ever make up that much of the burrito filling!
In college, I ate La Bamba more times than I care to remember and I don’t know how I did it (it wasn’t because I was drunk because I ate it while sober too). This place is one of the most disgusting food places I have ever been to in my entire life. I’m getting the shakes just thinking about it.
I’m all alone here. Kind of like La Bamba’s mini bean & avocado burrito and their sauces. I’ve eaten this sober (shock, i know).
Wow! That was a lot lettuce. The best way to have cured the dryness would have been to apply some salsa after each widdled down layer. In other words, cover the open end with salsa, take a few bites, and repeat. I always do that when I eat at Moe’s.
yes, I cannot count how many college nights I rolled into La Bamba’s at 3AM. There are many college times I would like to relive but this is one tradition I have no problem letting go of. I’ll stick with Qdoba.
All I know is, I was livid when I found it wasn’t in the same place at IU at 2 AM.
That is usually my move as well, but they didn’t have any sauce out for the taking. Pretty bogus.
I agree, no reason for that lettuce. They call that a “wrap” in these parts.
With so many authentic Mexican places around, La Bamba (and places like it) shouldn’t even be in business, IMHO
I love our La Bamba here in Columbus (I reviewed it at http://www.columbusfoodie.com/2006/11/13/burrito-fix-at-la-bamba/ ), and found it took some trial and error to find a combination that I like. Great value for the size of the burrito, though – and I crave it from time to time.
Part of the trick to making it less dry is having them put some hot sauce and avocado and other “wet” ingredients in it before they grill it.
We used to have one in Appleton, WI. It moved a time or two and then just disappeared completely. I ate their once or twice, but other than size, the burritos were nothing special.
This was of course before we had any Chipotles, Qdobas or Pancheros.
You live in Appleton? A large part of my family (not me, but my brothers and father) is from Appleton. Wow, small world.
I live in Oshkosh, but I used to work in Appleton and I have family who live there. They get all the good (and bad) restaurants that Oshkosh doesn’t.
In a related note, I’ve been contemplating starting up a blog akin to this one, focusing on the Fox Cities of Wisconsin.
When was at college in the mid ’90′s, La Bamba’s was great. However, recent changes in the quality of the food and the mistakes in the orders I’ve placed have forced me to reevaluate that opinion. The last order I made, at the La Bamba’s in Greenwood, they got BOTH burrito’s wrong. Looks like Qdoba is the place for me going forward. So long La Bamba’s…..