Bambuco Colombian Grill

Found this place with Unilocal while driving thru Wilmington/​long beach. Had my mind on a bandeja paisa before entering. After going thru the half open door entered into a heat box. Not one customer at 12 noon on a Friday afternoon. I should have taken that as fair warning.
Looked at menu and saw $ 15 for a bandeja paisa. Ridiculous high prices. Decided on a breakfast with chicharron and arepa. Not enough food to feed a baby. And that was $ 8!
Anybody that knows Colombian food do not go.
Buyer beware.

This Colombian place is kinda hidden and is the type of place you have to know about or else you’d miss it. It has some good choices but it takes forever to get your food. There’s only one cook (the owners wife) so that could explain it but the wait makes me reconsider going back each time! Every time it’s been about a 45 min wait after placing the order. It all tastes fresh and once you get your food it’s very enjoyable but you gotta go expecting a long wait even when it’s almost empty. The owner is very welcoming and friendly. If you have time on your hands and are new to Colombian food, this is a very good choice. Food: 4 stars. Wait: 2 stars. I feel it unfair to rate it an overall 3 stars bc it truly has tasty food so I’m gonna go with the 4 stars.

The place is on a very isolated street at 6 pm. There were only 3 people in the restaurant. My daughter in law and I decided to leave. Didn’t feel comfortable. Didn’t want to be the only ones, after the other three left. We wanted a place to eat and chat for a while. Afraid, we were going to have to walk to our car by our self, later in the night. I say anything negative about the food. Did order anything. Sorry, Bambuco for this review. I am pretty sure, you do well… God Bless you and prosper your business…

Is the best Colombian food I had never eaten before I definitely like this place it was very fresh food

This was my first time trying Columbian food and it definitely didn’t disappoint! My boyfriend who is Columbian himself was recommended by a friend to eat here.
When you first walk in, it’s very small but homey representing columbian trinkets and flags hung up. Reminds me of a little Columbia inside very cute and cozy.
We were greeted by the owner and she had such great hospitality. We first started off with 2 juices:
Guayaba (guava jugo) juice freshly made that morning and Guanbana soursop almost like durian but doesn’t smell like it! Both were fruity, fresh, and delicious! Definitely a must try!
We ordered the Empanada’s: Pretty good! Tasted like a chicken w potato curry but fried and crispy on the outside. Not the best empanadas I’ve ever had but it was good.
Arepa de choclo (sweet corn cake with cheese) OMG this is a MUST!!! I could eat this all day! It taste like a Columbian corn bread with mozzarella cheese. Cooked perfectly and it’s very delicate. Flakey and soft on the outside, real fresh cheese and corn pieces on the inside. Yum!!! Love this!
For our entrée we ordered:
Soprebarriga en salsa criollo (flank steak with creole sauce) The steak is very tender, served with Yucca and rice. Only on the negative side: They were out of avocados for the dish that day. Wish the dish had more sauce.
Overall food is solid and I really enjoyed it!

I visited for the first time yesterday to try Colombian breakfast. I ordered the breakfast plate with arepa, scrambled eggs, fried plantains, and sausage. It was on point. The sausage was perfectly seasoned and the plantains added just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the savory. Everything is made in-​house which I appreciate a lot. This is quality, home-​cooked authentic Colombian food.
The restaurant owner/​chef is the sweetest woman. She is very personable and is truly passionate about her food. I had a great time talking with her.
Tip: Guava juice blended with milk and ice is a game changer!

The chorizo is okay, meat tasted a bit old. The areas were a bit odd tasting. The bandeja is on the smaller side, I go to Colombia (Both parents from medellin) yearly and this is a very far from a bandeja, and the meal was below my expectations. Service was nice, other than that this place gets a single star. If you were to go travel in Colombia and ate a real bandeja you would agree with my review.
IT’S ALSO PRICEY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT COMING, WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY AND YOU’LL FEEL SICK.
2 THUMBS DOWN.

Went in late last night close to closing time, very hospitable, very clean environment. Owner was sooooooo friendly suqqested a few dishes. Everything we ate was made with love and passion. The juice was some of the best we have ever had. This will definitely be a place we visit EVERYTIME we are in the long beach area. If you haven’t experienced this gem please put it on your to do list you will not be disappointed!

Espie couldn’t be more accommodating. The seats were comfortable, the food home made, the juices freshly squeezed. We had the tamarind juice and the mamey (?) juice. Just great. The empanadas were hot and crispy, the seafood wasn’t quite my fare but my friend really enjoyed it. I had a lunch special that included sausage, chicharron, an egg, rice and beans. All of it just great.
She suggested the (Columbian style) hamburger, the tomato juice, breadfruit, or blackberry juice on our next visit. Which I intend to be soon.
Great service, great food.

The food is good they give you OK serving but the prices are crazy they have hidden fees you see a price on the menu when is time to pay they charge you a huge a mound of tax, they charge you for cooking the food, for serving you the food and for you eating the food, sadly to say but is not worth the money. :/

It has a great service, and the food is very good, it is just like eating in Colombia.
I traveled all the way from eastvale just to eat some Colombian food, and it definitely worth it, I even bought 8 frozen arepas to take home. 5 stars totally.

SO GOOD. A pretty homey place run by a couple of people in the kitchen. Food is great. We can a couple of the breakfast dishes. Atmosphere is pretty dead though. Otherwise, we were very happy.

STAY AWAY!!! Horrible food! Under seasoned, very slow service and very over priced for the quality of the food ! I am Colombian and it’s the worst food I have ever eaten in my life!
La peor comida Colombiana que me he comido en California, ni siquiera no la pudimos comer… Comenzado porque se demoraron 40 mins por unas empanadas, se las sirvieron a la mesa de atrás, y la señora dijo que no eran de ellas, entonces no las devolvieron a nosotros… Lo cual es ilegal en cualquier estado! El jugo de maracuya no sabía a nada, un poco de agua un montón de hielo, una pizca de maracuya. La empanadas súper desabridas y el ají. No era ají… Un poco de poco de gallo y un montón de agua.
Mi novio y yo salimos enfermos. El pidió ajiaco y yo sancocho de res. El ajiaco no era más que un poco de caldo de cubo, no sabía a nada, no alcaparras o crema y no aguacate!!! El Sancocho totalmente desabrido, caldo de de cubo un poco de agua una pedacito de yuca, un pedazo de plátano verde y un pedazo de carne… Y sabía a viejo. No se le recomiendo a nadie!!! Por lo menos las sopas, empanadas y jugos!
La escusa de la dueña es que acá no se consiguen los ingredientes, bueno yo vivi en ALASKA por 7 años y conseguí todos los ingredientes increíble que no se consigan en California que esta llenó de latinos

Decided to go for some Colombian food for lunch today and ended up at Bambuco Colombian Grill. For a while now I have wanted to try this little homestyle Colombian eatery located in a predominately commercial neighborhood of west Long Beach. Not knowing my way around Colombian food I decided to go a diverse cross section that included of Paella, Empanadas, and a glass of their Soursop juice made with milk. It was a lot of food.
The empanada, hot off the deep fryer, was great; a tasty perfection of dough, potatoes and ground beef. The Paella was good but a bit on the smallish side for the $ 14.95 price. It was definitely a unique style of Paella. It reminded me of almost like seafood fried rice, a bit less moist than most Paella with a strong flavor of seafood that almost overpowered the dish. Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed the dish; it just wasn’t what I am used to. The Soursop juice was excellent, a foamy creamy rich tall glass of juice with just the right sweetness, just right for a hot afternoon.
The service was friendly and very attentive, my only gripe is when I asked for water they brought me bottle water instead of a glass of water. I felt they should have asked if I wanted to buy a bottle instead of assuming they would make the sale. The restaurant is quaint and homey with a counter for selling Colombian products. It does lack air conditioning so I suggest sitting next to the window close to the fan.
Next time? Fried fish lunch special or their breakfast.

Went back there with my mom and had an incredible lunch! Great food and ambiance — reminds me of a restaurant in Medellin.

I tried this place as I was excited to this being the first Colombian restaurant in Long Beach, at least that I’ve heard of. 4 Stars because the service was impeccable upon entrance. You are greeted with a smile and even a hand shake. I had a lovely conversation with Espe about my upcoming trip to Colombia. The Guanabana Milk drink was great. Although, I only tried the Yucca and bunuelo I was able to foresee the quality and taste of their menu.
Lack of star… Because of the location. I would love to become a regular at Bambuco, however the location is just not the place I want to be in. For me the location would make me think twice before going. Santa Fe and Anaheim, not the most desirable location to go for lunch.
Once in the door, all is good.

Very solid food. All of the naysayers are really being unfair.
Worth a trip if you haven’t had columbian food.
I liked the giant plate of pork belly, home made sausage, beans, rice and egg.

Ivy’s back Unilocalers ;)…brand new year, brand new places! Anywho… on with the reviews, shall we?
A wonderful friend of mine initially introduced me to his native Colombian cuisine by having me try some of his homemade empanadas. I became addicted to this treat and was going into a withdrawal until another friend and I stumbled upon this unique spot.
Low key, and kinda in the boonies of the Port of Long Beach, we were greeted by friendly service and kickass food.
I ordered the Patacon Vegetariano plate, while my friend ordered the Arroz con Pollo. And of course, we ordered a large side of empanadas with some aji on the side: P Everything came within a reasonable amount of time and steaming fresh from the kitchen. Absolutely delicious.
The service was outstanding and our waitress was super cool :) We got to discuss a little of the Colombian culture and some other things to try out when I visit Cartagena later this year.
All food ordered was well worth the cost and all under $ 25 (including tip) I will definitely be back for more empanadas :)

Talk about a home in the wall, literally. This place is not easy to find unless you are looking for it. Key off of the colors and you find it. The waitress is very nice. Their empanadas are amazing, only rivaled by their fresh juices. I will come back again just to try some of their other dishes.
I was confused by the granulated Cola in the display case. I will have to buy it just to find out.

Food is good but losing stars due to prices. Empanadas are good and there are plenty of traditional plates. Try the drinks, amazing.