A new Taco Bamba is on the horizon. The local chain’s 14th location will open its doors in Fair Lakes April 5, bringing with it big flavors and a fun atmosphere.
The new location, at 12239 Fair Lakes Promenade Dr., opens its doors at 9 a.m., and the first 100 guests will receive a free coffee tumbler and a “golden ticket” for a chance to win prizes.
“We love to kind of go where it’s a little bit unexpected. And I feel like here’s another opportunity to do that,” says chef and founder Victor Albisu. “I don’t think there’s anything quite like us or doing quite what we do around that area, and I’m really looking forward to kind of digging my teeth into the community.”
This new space is 2,140 square feet with a full bar and a dog-friendly patio. It continues the red-and-black theme that’s common throughout the previous Taco Bamba locations, with a large mural of its avian mascot in “a monumental style inspired by Pre-Columbian art,” according to a news release.
“As we grow, we always do things a little bit differently. We always open stores that have a little bit of different artwork, different venues,” says Albisu. “We curate them for the community, and we just want that community to have its very own Bamba with its very own offerings.”
That mentality is reflected in the menu as well as the atmosphere. In addition to its menu staples like the Taco Bamba taco and the Spicy Shroom, you’ll find new specialty tacos that are exclusive to this location.
There’s the Moby’s Hog, with gyro-spiced pork, garlic yogurt, pico de gallo, and feta on a flour tortilla; The PF Chango, with sweet-and-sour chicken or cauliflower, green beans, pickled carrots, and spicy aioli; and the Can I See a Manager, with chipotle bourbon brisket burnt ends, “ugly slaw,” and sweet chili on a flour tortilla.
The space will have a full bar, serving up specialty cocktails with a mezcal-focused menu by beverage director Amin Seddiq. Try the Oaxacan Tea Garden, with mezcal, tequila, dry curacao, peach juice, black tea, and lemon juice. There’s also the In Dew Time, with mezcal, rum, midori, pineapple juice, serrano agave, and lime.
“Our efforts are always just making the best and coolest and most fun products that we can offer,” Albisu says. “That’s really been the key, is not following trends, but being the people who make the trends.”
Since the first location of Taco Bamba opened in 2013 in Pimmit Hills, the restaurant has become a staple in the DMV area and has even recently expanded outside of the region with locations in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. Upcoming locations are expected in Richmond and Springfield.
For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine’s Food newsletter.
Read More