La Bamba Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Ruston

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Me and my partner went here today and were greeted by a nice server who seemed pleasant and treated us rather politely. We ordered guacamole and queso cheese dip along with chips as an appetizer and I just want to say, I'm sorely disappointed. The queso tastes like it was pulled straight from a can and had a tiny bit of shredded cheese added, the guacamole tasted absolutely bland, and the salsa they brought us with the chips tasted like canned tomato sauce with a little bit of "heat" added to it from maybe some pepper flakes. After some time we got our entrees and oh my god. My partner ordered a beef chimichanga and it was okay however there was absolutely nothing exceptional about it whatsoever. I on the other hand, ordered carnitas with some tortillas. The meat itself was mostly fat and super greasy with very little flavour, and the toppings were the same situation as the dips. We both got refried beans and "mexican" rice along with our entrees and they were absolutely horrid. The beans were obviously burnt in the pan in which they were in to the point to where they tasted like nothing but scorch and caused the cheese on top to also taste like nothing but scorch and the rice tasted like they took some white rice they just cooked and added a tiny bit of red food dye as well as the tiniest bit imaginable of spices to give it flavour. If I ever had to recommend this place I wouldn't. While I appreciate the service from the server, I found the food absolutely appalling and will never be...

Guac was good. Salsa was okay, with a hint of spiciness. Substituted rice for fries (which Id nevrr heard of)

Pollo Poblano has extremely thin chicken slices. The sauce is good, but it overwhelmes the dlavor of the chicken as there seems to be way too much sauce.

There was diced pineapples on the side. That was a first for me and, while I like pineapples, Im not sure the citrus-y acidity partners well with the poblano sauce.

The fries were surprisngly good, but the waitress didn't bring ketchup with her and there was none at the table. When I finally did ask for ketchup, she brought three packets of the sauce. Not a bottle, but packets - like a cheap fast food option.

The tea - hald and half - was fresh and sweetened perfectly.

One thing I did note was that very few of the restuaruant employees appeared to have any Latin heritage at all. For example, the host was a blonde kid who spoke so low I couldnt barely hear him. My waitress was pleasant.

The decor was ... trying. Not 'trying' as in exhausting, but 'trying' as in making the attempt, but not being super successful. The walls were some sort of burnt orange stucco with lime green alcoves around the booths. If they were going for a Mexican garden style theme, they needed to have dim the lights and bit and change the tile to something more earthy. But, thats my opinion.

All-in-all, it wasn't a bad experience, but it definitely didn't meet the "wow" factor I was hoping for. If Im ever theough this are again, I'd try...

This place is owned and operated by people who do not care about the health and welfare of the employees, nor the customers. They do not adhere to the 50% capacity requirement that has been put in place by the state of Louisiana, due to the risks of Covid-19. My daughter, who was a server there until a few days ago, is now being harassed, berated, and accused of lying by the managers regarding her decision to quit working there. Another server, whom my daughter had direct contact with, tested positive for Covid. THE STAFF WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS. When my daughter did find out about this, she asked for time to quarantine, and to have time to get tested for Covid before returning to work. The manager said this would not be allowed, and that my daughter would have to return to work THE NEXT DAY, or she would be taken off the schedule. So, she quit. Out of concern for our family's health, and for the health of any customers who would be in the restaurant, and for her own health, she just wanted to do the right thing. The owners and managers of this establishment are despicable, and La Bamba is NOT A SAFE...