When you think of authentic Mexican food and a chain comes to mind you are most DEFINITELY not eating well. I mean I get it right, some of the chains seem to have appeal but real authenticfood should always and forever be celebrated and that’s where Las Bugambilias comes in. Let’s also note that Las Bugambilias is family owned and that makes a difference when a restaurant takes pride in how and what they serve. Las Bugambilias food was nothing short of amazing and I was blown away. Let me tell you why your “Mexican” chain could never…..
This gem is located on South Street and has a very special place in my heart. So what’s my review? You know by now I grade on service, food, atmosphere, and real life accommodations. The real reasons are clear, if I go to a media review I have to step back push to view it as a consumer, however this wasn’t a media review and I attended under my own guidance.
Greeting
I was greeted with a full, bright smile. Pure interaction from the very beginning. Not the type where people look at you, acknowledge you for a split second or ignore you altogether. Smiles and small talk. I didn’t identify myself at all. I like to hold out for as long as I can to see what type of vibes I get and the vibes were truly amazing and home like. I eventually identified myself and all was well as it had started. Let me also preface I had originally had a 1:30pm reservation but my husband got injured and I had to push it back to 6. Las Bugambilias was extremely accommodating. Whether they were busy or not it didn’t come off in the phone call. We all know how those go when someone rushes you off the line. That eased my own anxiety as I had to turn my blog life off to be a wife. I was able with ease come in and the service was EXTREMELY well.
Service
Norma was the sweetest server. She knows her stuff and without asking, she was on it. My cup never went low. When I needed an extra table to be able to get my shots and just to accommodate my order, she brought it over to me. Everyone serviced by her was smiling and well attended and it was pretty full since it was dinner time. She just gets it. She smiled every time she came in contact with patrons the entire night. You can tell that’s her real demeanor because I might have given a smile a few times but she has a general upbeat personality.
Food
The food which should be a great appeal to those who love Mexican food was so outstanding. I took my picky twin sister. She loves Mexican food but she can still be semi-picky but not only did she eat all of her food, she definitely ordered more. I had never seen her do that before. The food was hot. I don’t know what sorcery stove they are working with but you will NEVER be able to complain about some hot food. Not the type that is burning you but the type where you appreciate it eating right. There’s only ONE other restaurant that has gotten my food that hot before. The taste of the food is great. Everything is made to order and fresh. Norma made sure she described the severity of some of the sauces. This is great since I like spicy food but I wasn’t trying to be choking spicy either. She helped me order the right amount of spice so I could enjoy it! See the quality for yourself:
Sopa de Vegetal
Enfrijoladas
Drinks
I had the Sour Cherry Margarita. I am never going to any Mexican restaurant and not ordering a margarita. It’s not going to happen. At Las Bugambilias they have 8 flavored margaritas including the traditional one. They have a wide selection of other liquor, wine and beer. The bar is well stocked and you can select your tequila brand etc. I personally loved the Sour Cherry. It wasn’t over sweet. Some flavored drinks have so much sugar content that it takes away from it but not this one. They don’t assume you want sugar or salt they kindly ask. I have been at some other places and they just make the decision for you.
Regret
The ONLY thing I regretted was not getting dessert but I was honestly too full to eat. I’ll make that a must have the next time I go!
Atmosphere
It’s a family owned restaurant and they have open seating. You are seated but if there is something open they do allow you to sit where you want to sit. They have smaller tables but they can be combined to make room for bigger parties too. This is still intimate to sit and have a great date night or grab a drink at the bar after work with co-workers. I honestly think you could bring a group of friends and with the margaritas have an entire great time. Keep in mind they have food for all. They had vegetarians, pescetarians alike too. The menu is quite something to behold.
Accommodations
There were about 2 families with kids who mimicked my kids’age and some that were younger. They are definitely used to having kids in the restaurant from the way they interacted with them. My kids except my oldest two are Mexican food eater so I could definitely see me bringing them back. My youngest and niece would have to sit this one out. They don’t have a kids menu but the way my kids are set up they are moving past that even at 8 and 10. They do however accommodate kids so don’t let me not make it sound like they don’t. The staff was completely hands on with the families who had kids. The kids loved it especially when dessert came!!!
