Taco Bamba Raleigh

So I just started a new job in town and it happens to be 2 minutes away from Taco Bamba. My boss took me there on my first day and wow! From the outdoor seating, to the salsa bar, to the creativity in tacos, it was such a cool experience.I had to get a carne asada taco, one of them had to be simple. It had steak, cilantro, and onion on a corn tortilla, nothing fancy needed. I was so impressed with the steak, the meat wasn't too small or too stringy. You could see it was actually cooked medium rare, not just to the point of being done. The Queen Bee with the spicy fried chicken, house slaw, hot honey, pickled onions, etc was an awesome blend of flavors. And I loved the Sweet Baby Jesus with Cheerwine bacon carnitas, pickled fresnos, crispy onions, crispy pork skins, etc etc. I don't know how they came up with these combinations, and yes, it's a lot of ingredients, but they are amazing tacos that you can't find at just any taqueria.The chips were fine too, just a little salt, thin cut and hot. They also have a small, but nice bar, I just hope they have Casamigo Reposado. I'll definitely be coming back, I want to try more!

Plenty of options for all! Gluten free, meat free, spicy, not spicy, taco, not taco, a variety of margaritas, etc!!!You order off the board, grab your salsas at the self-serve bar & find a seat. They call your number (mine was within 2 minutes of ordering), you pick it up, take your seat, and enjoy! The food was hot, tasty & reasonably priced. I will be back

This place must have a cult following because it was hopping at 6pm on a Thursday. While I got my order to go, it looked like there is a good amount of outdoor seating. I wanted to place a to go order with the bartender and he was backed up so it took at least 5 minutes for anyone to acknowledge me. Once I got a menu it was another 5 before I could give him my order....and then 5-8 minutes for them to bring me my order. Well, I got home to find they'd given me a beef torta instead of chicken. I still ate it and it was good, just not what I was expecting or had ordered. I'd give them another try on a quieter night and I want to try some of their drinks because they look delicious.

Decided to finally try the new taco place that I always pass. Ordered 2 tacos - the Taco Bamba and a grilled chicken. Both were delish! The Taco Bamba one was a little spicy so beware! The grilled chicken was simple but yummy! The fresh salsa bar was fun and the outdoor seating was super nice. There is also bar seating available. You order at the counter and they bring your tacos to the table. Friendly team and short wait!

Super confused by all the good reviews. From the horrible setup where you order right by the salsa bar/ fountain drinks to the abysmal tortilla chips, this experience was not for me. As for ambiance if you love flies, you are in luck. They will join you inside for your meal. The only bright spot was the queso but dipping the styrofoam old chips into it was not ideal. Both of my specialty tacos completely lacked in flavor. Not returning...

The atmosphere is clean and well-executed.We found the outdoor music too loud, especially for the residential neighbors just over the fence, I imagine - and an odd mix: some great summery music like The Police and ELO but salted with a jolting head-banging selection of Disturbed and obscure AC/DC worthy of a mosh pit. It was hard to ignore, along with the staff SHOUTING everyone's order number every five minutes - would be nice if they could just get some number tents.The calamari was tiny, chewy, and too salty; mainland Spaniards would not approve. The relish topping it, however, was inventive and somewhat saved it.The first bag of chips we were given were stale and we had to ask for a replacement. The tacos are small but filling. We tried the catfish, which we were assured was not cornmeal but flour battered - they were mistaken. The mushroom taco was overly spicy barbecue that my spouse had trouble finishing.We did see someone enjoying a delicious looking cob of elote, and wished we'd ordered it.The salsas are the stars, and were all quite good and fresh. Loved the little outdoor bar scene.It was over $40 for two people for lunch, which we felt was a bit steep.We appreciate the investment in Ridgewood, and it looked like people were enjoying their meals. We're probably more inclined to go to Cantina 18, but it was nice to try this out.

Cool place. Tasty eats. My favorites are the Baja fish taco and the lengua taco. I heard from a rude and condescending customer to the employee that the quesabirria was "surprisingly good. I'm actually surprised." Man he was a blow hard. Anyway, I'm a fan! Love the salsas too. The food can be on the salty side for some of the items but overall good. There's a bar too with interesting drinks and they almost always have sports playing on the tv behind the bar. There's outdoor seating as well.Free coffee is available all day too with any purchase.

Very happy with the food but the atmosphere could be improved. Music is uncomfortably loud, especially early in the morning. Also choice of music isn't appropriate if you have children. Lots of extremely loud F-bombs at 9am isn't really pleasant.

I was amazed by Taco Bamba.The menu is kind of large and it can be a lot to take in. An employee noticed us though and walked us through some of his favorite items. He even gave us a sample of some carnitas. It was so good that I knew I had to order a taco with that on it.Both of my tacos were excellent. The Queen Bee was bursting with flavor and the Carnitas on my second taco was also excellent. The food tasted like it was made with only high quality, fresh ingredients and the combinations of flavors that I had were unlike other taco places I've tried.The interior also has a charm to its fast casual vibe. It is one of the cleaner restaurants I've been in and there is even a full bar.I can't wait to go back here and try more menu items!

Looking for an upbeat after work spot. Or, perhaps you're headed downtown and need a place to meet up and share a quick bit? Enter Taco Bamba. While Taco Bamba isn't limited to just those occasions, I think it fits the bill perfectly. The menu can be a little overwhelming (we like options, so not a problem), but if you're indecisive, like me, it may behoove you to figure out what you'd like to order before you get there. While they do have a few paper menus, expect to view the menu located on the wall. The bartender noticed we were in struggle land and provided a couple of the paper menus. While we stuck to more of the safe Americanized options, this is a chain restaurant so don't expect super authentic tacos. Do expect a good product in a lively space with some good outdoor seating. Salsas we're solid. I liked the verde salsa the best to pair with the empanadas, queen bee taco, and nachos. I would probably prefer a different salsa to pair with something else. Definitely looking forward to trying other options in the future. Also, this place can get crowded, so if that matters to you keep that in mind. Fast Casual Mexican: 4.4