BABALU - Overton Square — Restaurant in Memphis

Babalu has been a staple go-to restaurant for my friends and me over the years. In fact, for one group of friends, we would meet up once a year there over the Christmas break to catch-up. I've gone to the Midtown location numerous times and the East Memphis location a handful of times!

Pros: Really good guac! - Hands down, it's the best guacamole in the city! Those sun-dried tomatoes and sea salt cubes make a difference. The accompanying chips are thick, salty, crunchy, and good too!

Good service! - I've had some really good servers! Shoutout to Paul and Luckii!

Good Food! - There are some great dishes and sides. A few of my favorite sandwiches, burgers, and entrees are the blackened Redfish sandwich, the Redfish entree, the Baba Burger, the Roasted Redfish, and the Filet on a Stick (I had this a few days ago, and it was delicious)! Some of my favorite sides would be the sweet potato fries, the rosti potatoes, the Mexican corn, and the yellow beans and rice!

Good drinks - alcoholic and non-alcoholic! - The sangrias are great! I particularly like the red sangria more than the white sangria, but you can also try their seasonal sangrias, which I often do depending on what they are and what alcohol is added. I don't like tequila or vodka. Others have enjoyed the BABA-rita. A seasonal drink they once had that I thought was delicious was called "Landing on the Moon" I believe. I tried it at the East Memphis location. Last, my friend always gets the Berry Lemonade (non-alcoholic), and I tried the Hibiscus Ginger Sip (non-alcoholic), which was really good!

Cons: Warm, not HOT food! - I've can't recall my food ever being piping hot where the steam is coming from it when it comes out unless it was the shrimp & chorizo skillet. Often, I have to send my food back to be reheated or remade. I don't know if its sitting under the warmer for too long, but I would like it once it is first made. My friend said that she saw steam when we last went, but I didn't. The food got gradually hotter the more I dug into my food, but I think the plate should be fresh and hot through and through; that's a part of the dining experience. I didn't complain however, because our server told us ahead of time that the kitchen was slammed, and it seemed that she really did try to bring it out as soon as it was done.

No more videos! - Babalu has gone down in their character and appeal. They used to play videos of "I Love Lucy" on the walls at the Midtown location. Now, there isn't that same attention to detail. I don't know why it stopped, but it did take away from the experience.

Hidden Gratuity! - There is an automatic 20% gratuity charge after 9pm that I just found out about on Friday. If that is going to be the case, it should just be publicized at the front of the restaurant, so that patrons can decide what they wish to do. We weren't told about it until after we had given our cards. I don't feel that was right and takes away from the integrity of the server and the establishment. Just let people know up front what's going on please!

Ok, 'tis all!...

I'm a sampler by nature, so this restaurant is right up my alley. TAPAS FOR LIFE! You can get a bunch of small plates and they're pretty reasonably priced for what you get.

This review is long overdue.

When I first came to Babalu, I was super excited that a restaurant group would bring a Latin fusion flair to Overton Square, but I worried the restaurant was too big to maintain.

I'm so happy that the consistently great food and service continue to draw a full restaurant. Yay!

If you like any version of avocado or guacamole, even if you don't, ya gotta get the guacamole appetizer - it is out of this world! You can add or subtract ingredients and it's super filling. I almost think you can't go to Babalu without getting this once.

The chopped salad is divine! The way they mix all of their flavors just makes their dishes dance in your mouth. You don't even need to request salad dressing. It's mixed in.

I often get the brisket, which never lets me down. The meat just falls apart in your mouth and it's seasoned to perfection.

My go-to meal is the chicken tacos. You can get one, two, three tacos. The strange thing for me here is that I don't like smokey meat, but this is what I get every time I visit Babalu. The chicken is smoked, but they finely chop up onions, corn, salsa and a special sauce that come together so well.

Old "I Love Lucy" shows are projected onto a wall in the restaurant. You might recall Lucille Ball's husband, Ricky Ricardo, sang the popular Cuban song "Babalu" on their show, which became his signature song and gave the restaurant its name. The comedic segments play silently throughout your dining experience and add a nice touch to the backdrop.

I must commend the people who run the restaurant. They have the operation down pat. You get one of those buzzy things to alert you, when your table is ready.

The staff is super seasoned. Some of the best in town. You can tell management chooses discerningly. The staff moves fast and your food comes out as it's cooked as opposed to coming out to the whole table in courses.

There's a full bar, if you want a cocktail.

This restaurant has a great patio. On the patio to the front of the restaurant, you can people watch along Madison Avenue, and on the patio to the other side of the restaurant, you can lounge. There's even an area where bar stools outside face into the restaurant through a window.

Babalu is great for any occasion. The lounge patio can be a hip spot to mingle. The restaurant as a whole handles big groups with ease. Birthdays are great here. It's also great to grab a bite here with one pal.

I also recommend this restaurant as a great to-go lunch option. You order by phone and head to the bar for pickup. The bartenders are receptive and you can get in and out in minutes. Parking to pick up your to-go order can be an issue though.

This restaurant is definitely worth a try for any occasion, even if you have to drive in to midtown from the burbs.

In my best Ricky Ricardo voice "Ah,...

I have been to Babalu twice since moving to Memphis. Everyone talks about it so I assumed it would be great. The first time, I went for just a quick drink and small bites. My margarita was decent, nothing to write home about, and rather pricey for the size. I recently decided to give it another go, this time for Taco Tuesday, because I did not want to risk spending their normal prices if the food was going to be of the same standard it was previously. Sadly, $2 per taco was still too much for the bland food I was given. Started off with the table-side guac. It's pricey, a gimmick, but it was pretty good. A little salty for my taste, but you can have them add less salt since they make it right next to you. Also note, if you are an introvert and not into making small talk with a stranger as they mash your guac, maybe avoid this. Between the two of us, we ordered the steak, short rib, grilled shrimp, chicken, and pork tacos. All of the meats were bland, tasteless, tough, and just pathetic. We didn't even try to finish them. Taco bell has better tacos than this place and for a fraction of the price. And the cherry on top of this lackluster experience, the Mexican street corn. Anyone who has ever had street corn would look at the pile of chicken food they give you and laugh. First, street corn has mayo in it, cheese, and is heavily seasoned. Babalu Mexican Street Corn was grilled corn, probably from a can, with a dash of globby maybe not real cheese and some McCormmick taco seasoning. Again, didn't even finish it. If you enjoy Latin food, do not go here. You will be sadly disappointed. I know it is currently under new ownership given the bankruptcy of the previous owner, so my suggestion to the new owners to prevent the same fate, hire a new chef with actual Latin-cuisine experience, or at...