As you walk down East Beaufort Street in Normal, you pass a bright red, light-up sign that reads La Bamba.
With only two windows out front and few people visible inside, it doesn’t look like much at first glance.
A sign on the door suddenly catches your attention. It reads: Sushi Bar open.
La Bamba started as a Mexican restaurant known for advertising “burritos as big as your head.” They can be seen in the giant mural painted on the wall when you first walk inside. But, Mexican cuisine is not what La Bamba has come to be known for.
The sushi bar within is what catches the eyes and captures the taste buds of many in the Bloomington-Normal area.
The sushi menu features over 100 different roll combinations, including cooked, raw and vegetarian options. Several price-per-roll deals entice the “broke college students” of Bloomington-Normal, including three rolls for $12.99 and two rolls for $9.99.
“When my friend from Senegal told me about a Mexican restaurant that served the best cheap sushi in town, I told him there was no way it was that good. Boy was I wrong,” first-year Dan Overstreet said.
Other features that make La Bamba convenient for college students are the hours and days the restaurant is open. The sushi bar was previously only open Tuesday through Sunday, but it has recently expanded to include Mondays. Sunday through Wednesday, it’s open until 1:00 a.m., and Friday and Saturday until 2:00 a.m., making it the perfect late-night hangout spot..
With so many options on the menu, you can never get bored. You can stick to your favorites, but trying the many different roll combinations can add some excitement.
La Bamba also defies the odds because there is always somewhere to sit. No matter the day or time, you can always find a table anywhere in the restaurant.
La Bamba isn’t what you’d initially expect from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but the food and service speak for themselves.
