They permanently closed and posted the attached picture on their front door recently. Pretty tacky to blame the city and employees when the company has closed locations in other cities and filed for bankruptcy.
Alana Trowbridge
Good but a little slow... took an hour before we got our food and it was not busy. Guacamole is made fresh right by the table and is really good. Got the filet on a stick, asked for medium but it was well done. Waiter was really nice and sociable. Pomegranate margarita is phenomenal. I also really like the cucumber drink.
Brendon Urbano
Enjoyed the experience. Food was good but the portions were small. The hostess were very friendly. Maybe a southern thing. The other patrons were just as friendly. My group sat outside to enjoy the nice lighting. I think the drinks were the standout thing in the menu. I had a good time!
Gala Pixler Morrison
Tk , scottie , lakeisha and Faye were absolutely Fabulous!! Very attentive and catered to our every need!! They went above and beyond!! We had the Guacamole, Queso and Calimari....it was all on point!!
Amanda Osborne
Ate here for lunch and loved it , I had the smoked salmon dip , AMAZING and the bartender TK was very nice ?
MeganB240
It is rare that I write about a service issue. I have a brother that is a general manager of a restaurant and I am very sympathetic to the current restaurant climate and how covid has impacted ability to staff. So, I'll place that caveat there for the fact that I still feel the need to give this review. My husband and I have gone to Babalu several times over the years. It had been a regular date night spot for us. The service has gotten increasingly worse, in terms of being checked on. Last night, the restaurant was about 30-40% full. They asked us to wait 25 minutes. We were okay with this even though the restaurant was not at capacity. We waited and were called to sit. They sat us by a table with two bins of dirty plates and cups. We had noticed the bins when we were first on the wait list, but no one was right beside those tables and figured someone would get them. Nobody did, and there were flies circling all around them. We waited at our table 14 minutes for someone to come and ask us for drinks. Nobody did. We went back to the hostess with our card and she took it and turned right away to join her conversation with another employee. No care to have a conversation or ask us what was going on. We left and went to Aladdin and Aladdin was awesome.
Sue S.
Were do I start the Gm is a pill head. She's very unprofessional. This place is not like it use to be. I use to love going there. I went there one day and the Gm was very rude to me and my friends. Asked to see a manager and she was rude. I know her from my other job. So what I'm saying is true. She's a junky. And her assistant is too. Poor service
Liat Shalev
Food was VERY good, the reason for 4 and not five starts is the serving. We order guacamole(which was excellent) but the apron of the guy who made it was … and a smile or a word could add to the taste ?salmon was perfect, side of brushless sprouts was 2 sweet, no need to add sugar /sweater , grilled lettuce didn’t feel like the real thing… Shrimp and grits were yummy, price is decent, overall, stop here
Whitney K.
I absolutely love going here for the table side guacamole and the babarita! The service is always fast and friendly! Went in yesterday and joined some friends who were already seated. The waiter promptly noticed & took our drink and appetizer order. We ordered the baba burger (there's definitely a theme here) as a repeat order. The bun was delicious and sweet! My friend ordered the street corn side which also looked delicious! Another ordered the filet, and the sauce smelled wonderful! I'm definitely trying it on my next trip in!
Haili K.
Babalu has an amazing southern atmosphere. The shrimp and grits were decadent. The grits especially! The brussel sprouts are also a must have! My family also really enjoyed the guacamole live! The cocktails were tasty as well with $5 sangria on Thursdays. I recommend it for sure!
Good food and really great service at this attractive restaurant in the cool area of Fondren. Good range of drinks too.
Barbara Robins
Excellent menu selections. Guacamole superb! Amiable service and staff attentive
Tarah H.
Expect a wait! Tried the chips and salsa for an app and you could taste the freshness. So good. Ordered grilled teriyaki chicken on a bed of yellow rice. The chicken was amazing, the rice mixture was alright. Everything is fairly priced.
Doug K.
First off, the hostess was rude. I asked her how long the wait was and she said "till 8oclock" and I asked her for the time and she said "your phone ain't got a clock?" And quickly turned her head to talk to a waitress. Secondly, when I went to the bathroom, there was a drunk kid in the stall throwing up. There's no way he was older than 20. Thirdly, when it came time to pay for my check, the waitress stood there until I pulled out my wallet and put my card in the black book. When she came back, she told my family that, in fewer words, she needed us to leave because she wanted to flip her table one more time before the end of her shift. I don't see this place staying in business for very long.
forrestdavis5194
My pregnant wife and I had been here once before and the food was great and service was also very good. However, we went again yesterday and were seated immediately, the server came out took drink orders and got some of the guacamole going. After that it was 180 difference. She checked on us maybe 1 other time and after we ordered we waited over an hour and our food never came out. The manager came to our table and stated “their computer system went down” and that was why we didn’t have our food. Other tables outside in the servers section also didn’t have food but those inside were being served no problem. I could also see the station where all servers were putting their orders into the computer. After sitting for nearly an hour and half after ordering and seeing all others around us get their food, we got up and left. I’m not sure what we did to offend our server so much. 2-stars for the food the first time.
They permanently closed and posted the attached picture on their front door recently. Pretty tacky to blame the city and employees when the company has closed locations in other cities and filed for bankruptcy.
Good but a little slow... took an hour before we got our food and it was not busy. Guacamole is made fresh right by the table and is really good. Got the filet on a stick, asked for medium but it was well done. Waiter was really nice and sociable. Pomegranate margarita is phenomenal. I also really like the cucumber drink.
Enjoyed the experience. Food was good but the portions were small. The hostess were very friendly. Maybe a southern thing. The other patrons were just as friendly. My group sat outside to enjoy the nice lighting. I think the drinks were the standout thing in the menu. I had a good time!
Tk , scottie , lakeisha and Faye were absolutely Fabulous!! Very attentive and catered to our every need!! They went above and beyond!! We had the Guacamole, Queso and Calimari....it was all on point!!
Ate here for lunch and loved it , I had the smoked salmon dip , AMAZING and the bartender TK was very nice ?
It is rare that I write about a service issue. I have a brother that is a general manager of a restaurant and I am very sympathetic to the current restaurant climate and how covid has impacted ability to staff. So, I'll place that caveat there for the fact that I still feel the need to give this review. My husband and I have gone to Babalu several times over the years. It had been a regular date night spot for us. The service has gotten increasingly worse, in terms of being checked on. Last night, the restaurant was about 30-40% full. They asked us to wait 25 minutes. We were okay with this even though the restaurant was not at capacity. We waited and were called to sit. They sat us by a table with two bins of dirty plates and cups. We had noticed the bins when we were first on the wait list, but no one was right beside those tables and figured someone would get them. Nobody did, and there were flies circling all around them. We waited at our table 14 minutes for someone to come and ask us for drinks. Nobody did. We went back to the hostess with our card and she took it and turned right away to join her conversation with another employee. No care to have a conversation or ask us what was going on. We left and went to Aladdin and Aladdin was awesome.
Were do I start the Gm is a pill head. She's very unprofessional. This place is not like it use to be. I use to love going there. I went there one day and the Gm was very rude to me and my friends. Asked to see a manager and she was rude. I know her from my other job. So what I'm saying is true. She's a junky. And her assistant is too. Poor service
Food was VERY good, the reason for 4 and not five starts is the serving. We order guacamole(which was excellent) but the apron of the guy who made it was … and a smile or a word could add to the taste ?salmon was perfect, side of brushless sprouts was 2 sweet, no need to add sugar /sweater , grilled lettuce didn’t feel like the real thing… Shrimp and grits were yummy, price is decent, overall, stop here
I absolutely love going here for the table side guacamole and the babarita! The service is always fast and friendly! Went in yesterday and joined some friends who were already seated. The waiter promptly noticed & took our drink and appetizer order. We ordered the baba burger (there's definitely a theme here) as a repeat order. The bun was delicious and sweet! My friend ordered the street corn side which also looked delicious! Another ordered the filet, and the sauce smelled wonderful! I'm definitely trying it on my next trip in!
Babalu has an amazing southern atmosphere. The shrimp and grits were decadent. The grits especially! The brussel sprouts are also a must have! My family also really enjoyed the guacamole live! The cocktails were tasty as well with $5 sangria on Thursdays. I recommend it for sure!
Restaurantji Recommends
Good food and really great service at this attractive restaurant in the cool area of Fondren. Good range of drinks too.
Excellent menu selections. Guacamole superb! Amiable service and staff attentive
Expect a wait! Tried the chips and salsa for an app and you could taste the freshness. So good. Ordered grilled teriyaki chicken on a bed of yellow rice. The chicken was amazing, the rice mixture was alright. Everything is fairly priced.
First off, the hostess was rude. I asked her how long the wait was and she said "till 8oclock" and I asked her for the time and she said "your phone ain't got a clock?" And quickly turned her head to talk to a waitress. Secondly, when I went to the bathroom, there was a drunk kid in the stall throwing up. There's no way he was older than 20. Thirdly, when it came time to pay for my check, the waitress stood there until I pulled out my wallet and put my card in the black book. When she came back, she told my family that, in fewer words, she needed us to leave because she wanted to flip her table one more time before the end of her shift. I don't see this place staying in business for very long.
My pregnant wife and I had been here once before and the food was great and service was also very good. However, we went again yesterday and were seated immediately, the server came out took drink orders and got some of the guacamole going. After that it was 180 difference. She checked on us maybe 1 other time and after we ordered we waited over an hour and our food never came out. The manager came to our table and stated “their computer system went down” and that was why we didn’t have our food. Other tables outside in the servers section also didn’t have food but those inside were being served no problem. I could also see the station where all servers were putting their orders into the computer. After sitting for nearly an hour and half after ordering and seeing all others around us get their food, we got up and left. I’m not sure what we did to offend our server so much. 2-stars for the food the first time.