La Buena Vida - Durham

Reviews

• TG

  TanYa Gwathmey

  1 day ago
  3.0
  I wanted to like this place because I love the decor, which was uniquely decorated, and the service was good. I was welcomed from the door, and my waitress was great. The problem is the food just wasn't good. I ordered a lunch special that came with tacos (only 2, when 3 seems to be the norm) and a side of rice. I was OK with only two tacos because they really had no taste. The rice was so bland even though it looked like it had flavors and vegetables added. I had to ask for some additional sauces, just to be able give the food some flavor. Even the salsa they gave as an appetizer had no flavor. I understand that it may not have a lot of heat so that it can fit a large audience but there should still be flavor from onions, roasted tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. I was just really disappointed by the food and don't think I would return unless the menu was totally revamped with new recipes.
• EB

  Eric Gordon (Ben)

  4 days ago
  3.0
  It was a cool space. The service was fast, but probably because it was empty. Unfortunately the food was not good- the grilled salmon too dry, the chicken soup too salty, and the grilled chicken tacos weirdly sweet. The side dish of guacamole was probably the best, but mediocre.
• SG

  Scott Gatherum

  4 days ago
  5.0
  I had an excellent steak fajita. The skinny Margarita was delicious and very dry. The service was exceptional. The music was lively. If you are looking for a quiet, low-key place to eat, this might not be it. High energy environment, this is it! The staff even brought out desserts with sparklers on them. For people who have birthdays. I will be going back.
• VP

  ViranPooja Patel

  4 days ago
  1.0
  We took our daughter here to celebrate her 9th birthday because she specifically asked to celebrate at a Mexican restaurant. After reading the reviews, we thought this would be the perfect place for her special dinner. We made sure to notify the restaurant in advance by phone and also noted her birthday on our reservation. When we arrived, we reminded our server, and he told us he would “try” to do something but that they were simply too busy to sing Happy Birthday. We completely understand that restaurants get busy. We weren't expecting anything elaborate or special—just a simple Happy Birthday for our daughter. Unfortunately, nothing was done. What made the situation particularly heartbreaking was that later in the evening, the restaurant sang Happy Birthday to several other tables. Our 9-year-old sat there watching other people being celebrated on their birthdays, knowing that she had been told they were “too busy” for hers. She was absolutely devastated. As a parent, it was incredibly difficult to watch. A simple Happy Birthday takes less than a minute, and when a restaurant has been notified in advance that a child is celebrating her birthday, we would hope there would be a little more consideration. We chose this restaurant specifically because we wanted to make her birthday special, and unfortunately, this experience ended up being one of disappointment for her. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously, because small gestures can mean a lot to a child.
• LH

  Lachandra Howell

  Aug 4, 2026
  3.0
  Okay, so this spot isn't as great as the original Raleigh one. I get that it's not as popular, and we still had fun. But I was with a big group, and I know restaurants often add gratuity for groups, but I wasn't planning on spending a ton. I just wanted a drink and some street tacos. I don't drink alcohol anymore, so I got a mocktail, which was good. But seriously, $14 for something without liquor? I had a spicy pineapple one, basically pineapple juice with jalapeños, and it was definitely not worth $14. The ribeye street tacos were good, I've had them at the other place, but I ended up spending almost forty bucks. That makes me not want to tip extra, even though the service was good. It just wasn't worth the money.

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