Babalu Tacos & Tapas – Birmingham

A few months ago when I found out that Babalu Tacos & Tapas was coming to Birmingham, I didn’t know what to expect. However, when I glimpsed at their menu, I was in Foodie Heaven! I experienced pure amazement as I read each item from Aperitivos to Desserts! My plan was to go the Sunday after Magic City Classic, but I’m happy that my HB and I decided to wait. The anticipation made the experience totally worth it!

Of course we had to start off with cocktails and appetizers! I went with the Baba-rita and my HB decided on the Praline Olé. Both drinks were recommended by the most awesome server on the planet, Massiel! I’m usually a frozen ‘rita girl, but the Baba-rita made me forget about the ice chips. As for my HB’s Praline Olé, it reminded me of a White Russian on a Holiday High! So yummy!

 

Then there’s the freshly made, Table-side Guac (served with house chips)! We knew the guacamole must have been a hit because the servers donned shirts with sayings like, “Party like a Guac Star”! We added bacon to ours (which was a first). I thought my guacamole was the best, but the mastermind behind the batch we had may have mine beat! Just a little! :) It was so nice of our Guacamole Engineer to come out to our table to see how we enjoyed it! We LOVED it, Sir!

 

I also wanted to try the Queso Blanco Dip, so what did I do? I ordered the Queso Blanco Dip! It came out on a sizzlin’ hot skillet and it was chEASILY delicious!

 

It gets even better! I was having a hard time deciding between the Pollo Tacos and the Baba Burger. The tacos: house smoked Joyce Farms chicken, mole sauce, smoked corn pico de gallo, cotija cheese, and goat cheese crema. How can you top that? The burger: Aspen Ridge Natural Angus Beef, roasted roma tomatoes, caramelized onions, white cheddar cheese, avocado, applewood smoked bacon, chipotle aioli on a sweet, sourdough bun. Oh my word! So I asked Massiel which one he would suggest. The Burger WON! I added House Cut Thin Fries. The Baba Burger = HEAVEN on a bun! Seriously…this burger belongs on the Travel Channel’s: Hamburger Paradise! It was my first time having avocado on my burger instead of mayo and it was absolutely…AH-MAZEEEE! You know it’s good when you can’t get out the “zing” because you were left speechless!

 

My HB ordered the Lamb Barbacoa Tacos (Rosen Farm all natural lamb shoulder, tzatziki sauce, cucumber-tomato salsa, and cotija). Although he loved his tacos, he wanted a burger too after tasting mine. He fell in love with the sweet, sourdough bun! It’s divine y’all!

 

I’m the Queen of takeout so I made sure I had room for dessert! We decided on the Dessert Sampler which featured:

Dulce de leche cheesecake–Kahlua Caramel, Mexican chocolate sauce, powdered sugar

Cinnamon Bread Pudding–Kahlua caramel sauce, Patron XO Café Chantilly Cream, powdered sugar, sliced strawberry

Cayenne Chocolate Truffles--Crushed pepitas, Chantilly cream, powdered sugar

I had a hard time picking a favorite, but there was something spectacular about the Cayenne Chocolate Truffles. The cayenne pepper was not overpowering and it intertwined well with the sweetness of the chocolate. The bite from the cayenne kept you wanting more. The sampler is perfect for two or for those who do not want to over-indulge. Sharing is caring!

This was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. The food, drinks, service, atmosphere–everything was amazing! Coming from the restaurant/service industry, you really appreciate great experiences like these. Babalu comes HIGHLY recommended and I look forward to dining there again soon. Thank you again, Babalu, for creating such a wonderful dining experience for us!