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Taco Bamba, a Virginia-Based Taco Chain in Several Area Locations


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Victor Albisu's Taco Bamba opened yesterday in Falls Church/Tysons.

It was a rough opening day. When the wife and I arrived at about 7PM the air conditioning was not working and their expediter was doing double duty dealing with the AC techs.  We tried six tacos between us, Lengua, Tripas, Suadera and Pastor. All of the fillings were excellent, especially the tripe. The Pastor was not made on a rotating spit and suffered for not being quite crispy enough on the exterior. The flavorings on all the other meats were excellent, better than anything I have had in DC. The house made salsas that were served with the tacos were also excellent. We did not try the tamales, but if they are as good as the ones sold in his mother's store next door, then they are very good.

The biggest disappointment were the tortillas. They were flour instead of corn and were not house made. My wife, the Arizonan,  seeing the packaged soft tacos opted for the crispy tacos which were made from masa and they worked better than the soft flour ones. For me, the result was like having great pastrami on wonder bread. I hope they get a better supplier for the tortillas. I also prefer to dress my own tacos with, depending on the type of taco, cabbage, raddish, cilantro, onion or peppers. The tacos came pre-dressed though they did have small cups of diced raddish available.

With opening night jitters, we ended up missing part of our order, but that is par for the course for any opening night.

I am going to work my way down the menu and give them a chance to work out the kinks. As a former Miami resident, I am looking forward to trying their Torta Cubana and I hope they take a shot at another MIami favorite I miss Lechon (whole roasted pig). All things considered, I am very happy Victor Albisu has saved me a trip to Maryland to get a taco

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Very excited to try Taco Bamba, and will likely be doing so this weekend. That said, it leads me to a question, not specifically targeted at Taco Bamba: (Don...feel free to move if you don't think this belongs here)

Why don't more taquerias in our area put more thought into the tortillas? Using packaged tortillas is OK, but that's it. It's just "OK". Even if the fillings are incredible, the tortillas are merely "OK." It would be nice to have delicious tacos that were delicious all the way through, including the tortilla.

Many of us here on the East Coast have never had fresh, handmade tortillas from fresh masa. Sure, we've had stale-tasting maseca tortillas, but not ones made from fresh masa. It seems to me that if a taqueria went out of their way to make fresh masa tortillas, and emphasized this point with the press ("the only taqueria in the area with fresh, handmade masa tortillas"), they would be all the more successful. And they would put out a better product.

Is it simply too costly, in terms of actual monetary costs and labor costs? Does it take too much time and effort? We do have a company in Maryland that produces fresh masa on a daily basis; why don't more local businesses patronize them? The only one I'm aware of is Oyamel, and that is a bit too high-end to be a regular, casual (albeit high-quality) taqueria.

Just something I've been curious about.

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Their website said traditional tacos are $3 each, 3 for $8 and 4 for $9. I was a little annoyed when I was initially charged $12 for 4 tacos. The manager said the website is wrong, but he gave me $3 back without arguing. So I'm not sure how much 4 tacos would cost in the future.

I don't live far from Taco Bamba but I had no idea where it is so I googled it. From the map, its location could be in the shopping center with Whole Foods. It's actually in a small shopping center behind the Whole Foods shopping center.

There are a couple of counters with stools but dine-in space is very limited, and they don't serve alcohol. Frankly, the food wasn't good enough to warrant me going back. The meats (I had asada, barbacoa, lengua, and suadero) were generally dry and under seasoned (the suadero was the only one that had enough salt). The meat was plentiful though, either that or my stomach shrunk. I did not finish all 4 tacos (even after discarding a layer of tortilla after eating the first taco).

For a taste of authentic tacos around this area, I rather go to Ricos Tacos Moya II in Fairfax, where I can get table service, order an ice cold cerveza, have $2.25 tacos and a bowl of menudo. While Ricos Tacos Moya may not be better than Taco Bamba, I can say that Alegria and Fuego are better, but also more expensive.

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I went back to Taco Bamba this weekend and found it much improved from the opening night problems. It was almost empty on Sat afternoon, which may have also helped. This time when I ordered, I asked if I could have a masa tortilla. The woman taking the order said yes, I could have either masa or flour tortillas, but I think the default is flour.

I ordered a lengua and a tripas taco. The tripas was cooked to order and the line cook asked me if I wanted them crispy as she put the order of pre-blanched tripe into the deep fryer. Both tacos were filled to overflowing with meat and both were dressed with just a bit of cilantro.  Both were very good.

My earlier comments stand in terms of tortillas. This place would be wonderful, instead of just very good,  if they had house made tortillas. I would also prefer a wider selection of traditional things to dress my tacos with. The salsas remain superb. I will return and see if they progress from very good to wonderful.

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Very excited to try Taco Bamba, and will likely be doing so this weekend.  That said, it leads me to a question, not specifically targeted at Taco Bamba:  (Don...feel free to move if you don't think this belongs here)

Why don't more taquerias in our area put more thought into the tortillas?  Using packaged tortillas is OK, but that's it.  It's just "OK".  Even if the fillings are incredible, the tortillas are merely "OK."  It would be nice to have delicious tacos that were delicious all the way through, including the tortilla.

Many of us here on the East Coast have never had fresh, handmade tortillas from fresh masa. Sure, we've had stale-tasting maseca tortillas, but not ones made from fresh masa. It seems to me that if a taqueria went out of their way to make fresh masa tortillas, and emphasized this point with the press ("the only taqueria in the area with fresh, handmade masa tortillas"), they would be all the more successful.  And they would put out a better product.

Is it simply too costly, in terms of actual monetary costs and labor costs?  Does it take too much time and effort?  We do have a company in Maryland that produces fresh masa on a daily basis; why don't more local businesses patronize them?  The only one I'm aware of is Oyamel, and that is a bit too high-end to be a regular, casual (albeit high-quality) taqueria.

Just something I've been curious about.

You didn't include the fact that fresh masa from Moctec is not expensive. But, they don't deliver, AFAIK. Fresh masa only lasts a couple of days in the refrigerator before it starts to get sour. So someone would have to drive to Landover, MD several times a week. For a taco stand in Falls church, that might just be too much to ask.

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You didn't include the fact that fresh masa from Moctec is not expensive. But, they don't deliver, AFAIK. Fresh masa only lasts a couple of days in the refrigerator before it starts to get sour. So someone would have to drive to Landover, MD several times a week. For a taco stand in Falls church, that might just be too much to ask.

Actually, now that you mention it....I called over there 2 or 3 weeks ago to double check their hours, and the woman I spoke with did say that they could deliver. I mentioned I was in Virginia and that did not seem to be an issue.

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We had the Chorizo taco, Stewed Chicken taco, Carnitas sope, Black Pearl taco, and guac and chips. Everything was amazing. The highlights of this spectacular meal were the chorizo taco and the Carnitas sope. The chorizo is cut up into little bit-sizes and generously doled out onto the (not-house-made) totillas. The sope is a meal unto itself, including a large portion of pork, beans, and other toppings. This place is definitely worth putting in the regular rotation.

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Finally made it here. My opinion: best tacos in DC. We had sweetbreads, skirt steak and chorizo, lengua (beef and pork), spicy mushroom tacos and a fluffy pork tamal. All were excellent. Grilled avocado guacamole lacked flavor--no garlic, not enough onion or lime, and very cold--the container taken out of the refrigerator and handed to us. And for me the big missing element here is beans. None on the menu. We are definitely going back soon. We want to try sopes next time. Hooray!

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Finally made it here. My opinion: best tacos in DC. We had sweetbreads, skirt steak and chorizo, lengua (beef and pork), spicy mushroom tacos and a fluffy pork tamal. All were excellent. Grilled avocado guacamole lacked flavor--no garlic, not enough onion or lime, and very cold--the container taken out of the refrigerator and handed to us. And for me the big missing element here is beans. None on the menu. We are definitely going back soon. We want to try sopes next time. Hooray!

We were so impressed that we went back today with K. I had a sope with puerco al pastor. The meat and pineapple were tasty, but it was more like a tostada than a sope--the base was a double tortilla griddled until it was crisp. Hard actually, not crispy-crunchy like a fried tostada shell, and it was difficult to cut. A sope should be a masa boat, cooked but with the masa still soft inside.

They do have beans, but you have to ask for them. They were refried pintos and they were DELICIOUS.

K had a birria taco, which is braised lamb. Very tasty, a bit gamy, recommended for those who like their lamb to taste like lamb.

The sweetbread taco is something unique (I've never seen it before). And very special. The first night we were there, Sunday before six p.m., we got one of the last two servings before they ran out. Tonight, around six p.m. we ordered three of them and they seemed to have an adequate supply. Word to the wise--if you roll in late in the evening, they may have sold out of sweetbreads. BUT, if you are a fan of sweetbreads, you really need to try this.

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Zora, best in DC, or best in DC Metro Area?

Daniel, I was being a bit hyperbolic. I should have said "best tacos I have eaten in the DC area." I haven't eaten at every new taco place. YMMV. Having recently spent ten days in L.A., where great Mexican food is readily available (not just tacos, either--there is a lot more to Mexican cuisine than you'd guess by the available options in our area), I was bowled away by Bamba's variety of meats, complexity, quality and value. That place would be packed, if it was in L.A.
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Daniel, I was being a bit hyperbolic. I should have said "best tacos I have eaten in the DC area." I haven't eaten at every new taco place. YMMV. Having recently spent ten days in L.A., where great Mexican food is readily available (not just tacos, either--there is a lot more to Mexican cuisine than you'd guess by the available options in our area), I was bowled away by Bamba's variety of meats, complexity, quality and value. That place would be packed, if it was in L.A.

What Zora said.

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 That place would be packed, if it was in L.A.

We may have to give this place time. It's still very new, and it's tucked away where no one will happen upon it by accident. I agree it's easily the best tacos I've had in the DC area, nothing else is really even close.

I've tried: tongue (least favorite, but still pretty good), barbacoa, spicy shrimp, spicy shrooms and sweetbreads. My two favorites are the barbacoa and sweetbreads.

Also, I found the staff to be very friendly and wiling to talk about the food and the business. I think they'd be quite accommodating to any reasonable requests.

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Went to Taco Bamba today after getting my salmon share pickup from Cold Country Salmon.  I would say the tacos are decent.  Looking upthread, the default for sure is now corn tortillas as opposed to flour.  They were indeed from a bag however.

The fillings were mostly good I got pastor, chorizo, and carnitas.  I still have not found pastor worth a darn yet in the area.  Carnitas were good, chorizo a little too course for my taste but were fine.  I would definitely have them in my rotation if I lived in Arlington still, but I definitely would not drive any longer distance for them.

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I went in yesterday and enjoyed the daily special: blood sausage, the meat crumbly and crispy, topped with a mixture of corn, poblanos and mayonnaise or "aioli" as they described it. Another reason to like Taco Bamba--they are simultaneously traditional, with many of the fillings, and pushing the boundaries, with unusual meats and salsas. I also had a tamale verde, which was perfectly steamed, tender and flavorful. This is the best tamale I have found around here, other than the ones I make myself.

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I went there again today.  I think it was my forth visit, the last one being about a month ago. I am an offal hound, so I just love the meat choices. In fact, I love offal so much there are a number of more traditional fillings I have not tried there yet as I keep getting drawn back to the lengua and tripas. Today, I went with birria (lamb) and carnitas. Both were very good. The ordering and the line have improved. The salsas remain terrific. My original criticism also remains valid: fillings and salsas this good cry out for better tortillas.  Per the tortilla thread on this board, it is a challenge getting house made or high quality, commercial bakery made corn tortillas in an area without a critical mass of Mexicans, but I hope Albisu comes up with a creative solution the way Sandoval or Fuego have

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I went there again today.  I think it was my forth visit, the last one being about a month ago. I am an offal hound, so I just love the meat choices. In fact, I love offal so much there are a number of more traditional fillings I have not tried there yet as I keep getting drawn back to the lengua and tripas. Today, I went with birria (lamb) and carnitas. Both were very good. The ordering and the line have improved. The salsas remain terrific. My original criticism also remains valid: fillings and salsas this good cry out for better tortillas.  Per the tortilla thread on this board, it is a challenge getting house made or high quality, commercial bakery made corn tortillas in an area without a critical mass of Mexicans, but I hope Albisu comes up with a creative solution the way Sandoval or Fuego have

Moctec in Landover, MD is the source of the very authentic masa used at Zaytinya and Fuego. Moctec also makes tortillas and chips with their masa. the closest place I've found that sells Moctec tortillas and chips is the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Co-op.

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I've been a few times - good spot but not outstanding. I agree with the comments about the tortillas - they're fine but not great. I think their specialty tacos, specifically the black pearl and the sweetbreads, are generally better than their traditional tacos.

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I work out in Tyson's on occasion so have been more than a handful of times.  Must say that other than Jesus's taco truck on 14th these are the best tacos I've had in the DMV.  On par with what I used to get in the Willamette Valley and LA? Nope.  But that doesn't mean they're not tasty and a helluva lot better than everything else I've tried - which, full disclosure, isn't exhaustive  Food quality and execution is consistent. Overpriced? Sure, but what isn't out here.  Agree with Eatdceat that the specialty tacos are generally more interesting than the traditional, but the lengua and carnitas are well done.

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Some news on the FC branch of Crisp & Juicy courtesy of the Falls Church News-Press:

Crisp & Juicy is relocating its Broad Street restaurant to 7500 Leesburg Pike in the Tysons Station Shopping Center. As reported last week by the News-Press, the current Crisp & Juicy site at 913 W. Broad Street will become an Einstein Bros. Bagels in March.

The only problem I see with this is that it will be within walking distance from my domicile. I need to take out a restraining order against myself.

 

Who needs another place in that stretch of Falls Church, when Taco Bamba is there? I was there the week before last and had KILLER pozole, made with Peruvian dried nixtamalized corn (the big kernels), red chile, and was garnished with freshly fried chicarron. Wow. The tamales and refried beans are always delicious, and the tacos are great. The one disappointment is that they have discontinued the sweetbread tacos, which were our favorite.

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Who needs another place in that stretch of Falls Church, when Taco Bamba is there? I was there the week before last and had KILLER pozole, made with Peruvian dried nixtamalized corn (the big kernels), red chile, and was garnished with freshly fried chicarron. Wow. The tamales and refried beans are always delicious, and the tacos are great. The one disappointment is that they have discontinued the sweetbread tacos, which were our favorite.

I need to go there with you.

Answer me something I've wondered (and may have even asked before): is the Peruvian dried nixtamalized corn (not that you're a "foodie" or anything) the same thing as hominy?

The days that I come across a word I've never seen before are becoming rare - you broke the streak today.

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Don, the latest issue of lucky peach has a lengthly article all about the process, along with how fresh masa is made and therefore amazing tortillas. Also, in Peru the large corn is called choclo, and they slow fry it from dry till it sort of pops but is still very crunchy then it's salted and called cancha.

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Who needs another place in that stretch of Falls Church, when Taco Bamba is there? I was there the week before last and had KILLER pozole, made with Peruvian dried nixtamalized corn (the big kernels), red chile, and was garnished with freshly fried chicarron. Wow.

Best pozole I've ever eaten.

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I went last Thursday.  Highlight was the carnitas taco.  That was worth the trip.  The chorizo was a little dry but had promise.  Lengua was ok.  My main complaint is the tortillas.  Just don't think they are that great.  They appear to be out of a bag purchased from the latin market next door.

Guacamole and Horchata were quite good as well.  Going to have to try the pozole next time

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I enjoyed my trip there and I need to go back soon! I had

Taco Bamba "” Skirt Steak, Chorizo, Grilled Guacamole, Chicharrones

 
Bomba- cotija filled metaballs
 
Al Pastor.
 
All were uniformly great. I really liked the housemade salsas. Next time I'm trying their lengua and Chorizo. Also want to try their tortas!
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My last trip there I tried the pozole. I agree, it is wonderful. 

Pozole is, I suspect, often cooked in homes. This version reminds me of something some abuerta would slow cook on a Sunday afternoon which is the highest compliment I can pay it. It's also why I've never had a better pozole - I've only had restaurant versions. The one I had at Gringos y Mariachis, for example, while pleasant and worth ordering, is not even in the same realm as this one - theirs is pleasant; this one is profound. The best ones I've had in Little Mexico have been somewhere in between.

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Don--the next time you go, order:

a taco bamba

a spicy 'shroom taco

a pork tamal with green sauce

an order of refried beans without rice

get one each of their containers of salsa (three levels of heat, all good), radishes, and lime--use them on your tacos.

pozole, again. If you can manage it.

order a horchata to drink.

Then you will know what I'm talking about when I say that I can't praise this place highly enough. It's really, really good Mexican food. And I am very hard to impress, as you and Todd Kliman well know.

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On the one hand, it's a bummer that they took the sweetbreads off the menu, I really liked them. But, on the other hand, I like the fact that they have made made some changes to the menu since they opened; it keeps things interesting.

In addition to getting better tortillas - yes, I know I keep harping on that - I wish they would add menudo and put the birria back on the menu or change it up for cabrito

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As a native of southern California, I am always interested in good Mexican food. And, after Zora's glowing reports about this place I had to give it a try. We drove out from DC yesterday morning and arrived around 11:45. I wish we lived within carryout distance because seating is scarce and this is not the kind of food you want to eat in your car. At 11:45 it was already pretty busy and, after waiting some time we were finally able to secure one seat -- MrB ate standing up. We were located right next to the door and it was really cold. I had left my jacket in the car and I had to retrieve it because it was that cold. It took quite some time to receive our order which we didn't mind because quality food takes its time.

I trust Zora's advice about Mexican food, so, as a first visit, I decided to order mostly the things she had recommended to Don upthread. MrB added a chili hot dog (exact name of the dish escapes me and it's not on the online menu). I am not a fan of flour tortillas and I wish I had read through this thread before going so I would have known to request corn tortillas. Next time! What we ordered:

Taco Bamba: Skirt Steak, Chorizo, Grilled Guacamole, Chicharrones:  MrB ate this and loved it

Spicy "˜Shroom Taco: Chipotle Portabella, Grilled Corn, Cotija, Pepitas: I loved it! Pepitas added a nice crunch.

Pork Tamal with Green Sauce: To be honest, I've never been a fan of tamales, finding that the ratio of filling to masa leans too heavily to the masa side. I found this to be true of this tamal as well. The pork filling was good, but there was just too little of it relative to the masa. On the plus side, this masa was very light compared with many. Still, it didn't win me over.

Refried Beans: when I ordered this I was told there was a choice of pinto or black beans; I chose pinto. At first I was told there were not pintos, then that changed and the order went through. Hmmm. I'm not sure what happened here, but this dish was a major disappointment. It appeared more like a bean dip covered with cheese sprinkles. And, it was cold and flavorless. After one bite each we pushed it aside.

Pozole Rojo: Dish of the day! Pozole is one of my favorite dishes and this one was great. Just as Don described it above: just like someone's grandma made this with love. If we had been going directly home after lunch I would have ordered a couple of large containers to carry out. Instead, I just received my order of hominy from Rancho Gordo and I'm inspired to make pozole this week.

Bamba Chili Hot Dog: I didn't get a bite of this, but MrB says it was the best hot dog he's had since the one he ate at Gillian Clark's much-missed General Store in Silver Spring.

We really enjoyed our experience at Taco Bamba and we're looking forward to returning to try more items on the menu. I do have a couple of suggestions for improvement: having been to Tortacos in Gaithersburg a few times, I feel that their offerings for taco toppings are far superior to those available at Taco Bamba. And, the little plastic cups of radish and lime slices are hidden inside metal containers in a corner with no signage and if you didn't know to look for them, you might not find them -- this place needs an open toppings bar with more offerings. Cilantro, anyone? The salsas are fine, especially the salsa verde, but again, not immediately obvious to the first-timer and not as good as those at Tortacos.

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For those who may not know, Taco Bamba also serves breakfast.  They open every morning at 8:30 and the 6 items on the breakfast menu are available all day long.  After running an errand in Falls Church, we arrived there this morning shortly after 9:00 and were delighted to find that, unlike on our previous visit, every seat in the place was available.  We ordered 3 of the items off the breakfast menu:

Sope Chorizo: served with black beans, salsa verde, fried egg and crema.  MrB ate this without my assistance and he liked it a lot. But then, he loves anything with chorizo.

Chilaquiles: crispy tortillas, black beans, crema, avocado.  We split this and we both agreed that it was ok, but we wouldn't order it again.

Enchiladas: I really liked these.  The crispy tortillas were very light and the dish was quite spicy.  It was topped with a fried egg and accompanied by Mexican-style rice and black beans.  The rice was good, if nothing exceptional.  The black beans I didn't care for.  This was a black bean puree and it just lacked any real flavor for me.

The other items on the breakfast menu are: Huevos Rancheros, Breakfast Tacos filled with breaded chicken, and Torta Choriqueso with guacamole, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo.

While we were there, a handful of other customers came in and all ordered carryout.  I inquired as to when they start serving the main menu each day and Fez (sp?) told me that it's somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00.  He also said that they were expecting it to be a very busy day after the mention of their Camaron Diabla Taco in the WaPo's article on '40 Dishes Every Washingtonian Must Eat in 2014.'

We left with a large carryout container of their wonderful Rojo Pozole. Really looking forward to that.

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I finally got to Taco Bamba tonight. It was a Downton Abbey double bill at my friends house so I got it to go. I had the Taco Carnitas, and the El Gringo. My viewing companion had a Pork Tamale w/Salsa Verde, and the Taco Tinga (stewed chicken). I also bought a bag of Chicarrones.

My friend said her Taco Tinga was very good, but for some reason her first bite of her tamale left her with the impression that it was incendiary, so I traded her my El Gringo (since I live closer to TB and can get more anytime). I didn't get the impression that it was all that hot. It was nicely steamed. I'm not sure where the Salsa Verde went, and next time I'll get the salsa in the cooler to go with. All in all we really like it, and all that food and tip cost around 20 bucks.

The Carnitas were good, but I wished they were moister. I heard the El Gringo was good. I'll be going back for sure.

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My friend said her Taco Tinga was very good, but for some reason her first bite of her tamale left her with the impression that it was incendiary, so I traded her my El Gringo (since I live closer to TB and can get more anytime). I didn't get the impression that it was all that hot. It was nicely steamed.

When something like this happens to me, it's often a single pepper located in an unfortunate, random place.

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I've been to Taco Bamba a few times recently, and had a chance to taste around on the menu. It's hard not to keep ordering favorites, though. In case it hasn't been clear from my previous posts, I love this place. And I am very hard to please, when it comes to Mexican food. There were a few misses: tinga put my tongue to sleep. won't make that mistake again. Birria was a bit too fatty for me, but J. loved it. Even preferred it to his perennial favorite carnitas. Al Arabe was a mistake: grilled chicken in a flatbread with tzatziki. Huh? the chicken was tasty--I ate it with a fork and pitched the flatbread. When I go to Taco Bamba I want corn torillas, period. You can't go wrong with barbacoa, in my book. It's just flat out delicious. And I like the taco bamba a lot--grilled skirt steak always works well in a taco. Lengua is sometimes fabulous and other times just very good. Al pastor is another favorite. I've had the spicy 'shroom a couple of times, and if there are any vegetarians in your world, that is the taco they should get. It's really good. Tamales are excellent. I usually get the verde but I've had the rojo a couple of times recently and liked it very much. the rojo is billed as "spicy" but it really isn't. And we always get just beans no rice. Their beans are fantastic. And the posole is wonderful.

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My bookclub met today and the hostess this go-round lives just a couple of blocks from Pupatella -- the good and bad news is that she's a wonderful cook, and by the time the meeting wrapped up, we were still too stuffed from lunch to consider getting pizza.  But driving toward home down 66 I thought "I've never had the pozole from Taco Bamba" and knew that would hang out in the slow cooker just fine until dinnertime.  So, that's what we did, and I agree with all above that it's just wonderful.  So rich and deep with flavor and deceptively simple.  My sister works just a few blocks away; she may be tasked with take-out runs on a regular basis now to bring that posole home for dinner.

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And the posole is wonderful.

Still the best I've ever had by an incalculable margin. I'm not a big fan of fried pork rinds, but when you dump then into Taco Bamba's hot posole, and shove them down to the bottom, they become magical.

Thank you to Taco Bamba for being open today - I'll be surviving the snowstorm on posole and guacamole.

Grilled avocado guacamole lacked flavor--no garlic, not enough onion or lime, and very cold--the container taken out of the refrigerator and handed to us. 

I agree it lacks flavor, but it's high in quality, and I dump a little tub of medium-hot sauce (the darker red one) on top, and they have limes for squeezing, too.

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I bought the large size of the posole last Friday night to share with a friend. The place was busy, and they had about five people behind the counter. Despite the busy atmosphere,  I received my food pretty quickly (I had ordered four tacos as well). I was lucky to find a parking space, and a couple of people had violated the social contract been creative about making up their own parking spots, which is always annoying. The Posole was wonderful!

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Surprised no one's posted this, but Taco Bamba will be opening two new sit-down versions in Vienna and Springfield (I think). I believe the Vienna location will be in one of the storefronts where McGruder's was and will be 2000 square feet. Both new places will have alcohol - beers and cocktails - but not be "cocktail driven", meaning they'll be oldies but goodies, I think. There was mention of margaritas, polomas, etc. They're sticking with commercial tortillas.

I posted this in ABC Canteen's thread a little while ago, but I finally ate at Taco Bamba for the first time a few weeks ago and think that ABC Canteen's tortillas and tamales are better. I'm looking forward to going through more of Taco Bamba's menu, though, when the Vienna outpost opens.

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I was on 66 on the way back from court and starving so I took a detour to Taco Bamba for some tacos.  It was pretty busy today at 11:40, but I think the nice weather has people out and about.  I got the Tim Ma special crab taco, the taco bamba taco and bibbia (spicy goat).  The Tim Ma special was really good, crab, cabbage and sauce, it had a really good flavor balance, I could have eaten the ingredients on a plate as an appetizer, but they also were good as a taco.  I also really liked the goat, there is a lot of meat in their basic tacos.  I was less thrilled with the taco bamba, I was hoping for more of a charred avocado taste, and it had a heat that I didn't taste till afterwards, and if I can't taste the heat while eating it, I don't feel like I need to feel the after effects. It was fine, the others just had a lot better flavor.   All in all though I felt these were really good, the tortillas were great.  I would like to try other meats.

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On 10/1/2015 at 4:51 PM, DrXmus said:

I posted this in ABC Canteen's thread a little while ago, but I finally ate at Taco Bamba for the first time a few weeks ago and think that ABC Canteen's tortillas and tamales are better. I'm looking forward to going through more of Taco Bamba's menu, though, when the Vienna outpost opens.

Both the tortillas and tamales are indeed better at ABC Canteen.

The one thing that Taco Bamba does better is Pozole (incidentally, I had a Pozole Verde there for the first time the other week, and it was just as good as their Pozole Rojo).

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Went last Friday evening. The goat birria was phenomenal. The carnitas were a bit salty. The chicarron was too chewy. I liked the pozole verde, very cilantro-y, so not for everyone. The elote was, well, it was elote so it was great. When I tried it in DF, it came in a cup, but realized it has a different name when it's in a cup - "Esquite".  I don't eat beef, so I miss out on a lot of the tacos. And, I always think about ordering the shrimp, but never do it. It has a really good vibe, lots of high school kids, families, and hipster doofuses. Wish it were closer to me. 

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2 hours ago, Simul Parikh said:

 And, I always think about ordering the shrimp, but never do it. It has a really good vibe, lots of high school kids, families, and hipster doofuses. Wish it were closer to me. 

Thanks for the reminder.  Been there once.  Very very good.  Exceptionally good.  

But could you provide a picture or a screen shot of a hipster doofus???  I'd like to see what one looks like.   Per my TV recall, Kramer from Seinfeld was originally described as a hipster doofus.  That would be the 90's.  But this is a semi serious question.   After all I see that a description of hipsters and their history is of academic interest  with reference to hipsters originating in the beat generation.  (that is history)

We all need an academic piece on hipster doofuses, or doofi, doofusi, or at least a proper description of multiple doofus.  :P

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