Babalu Tacos & Tapas

Our server Elizabeth was the sweetest. She greeted us right away with drink and menu options, as this being our first visit. Although I am not a margarita fan, because I don’t usually like the sweetness and acidity of pre made sweet and sours or triple sec, I took her suggestion and ordered the «baba-​Rita». I was super happy with this cocktail. The house made sweet and sour made this drink sweet without being over bearing or too acidic. The fresh squeezed juices were definitely noted. My bf order an old fashioned, which was tasty but not a signature drink. We ordered the red fish entrée, half order of the chopped salad, one beef and one chicken taco. The salad was good, lots of toppings to keep the favors going. The tacos were on the house made blue corn tortillas, which are amazing! I loved the beef way more than the chicken taco! It had a ton of flavor. And the best part was the red fish plate. It was the best thing I’ve had from a restaurant for a while! I was only able to gather 4 bites before my bf ate it all! We will be coming back simply for the red fish alone. (But also maybe some drinks)

The atmosphere is great! Light and airy and even a patio. There is seating for groups and individuals. Plenty of space to feel comfortable. It’s also very clean.
The service has me conflicted, which is the biggest reason for 4 stars. Elizabeth, my server was great in that you can tell she really like bed the food and stands behind the fresh and impeccable quality of it. She made recommendations when she found out it was my first time and described the food incredibly. The only draw back, it took an uncomfortable amount of time for her to come back and check on me for more order and to pick up my check when I was ready to pay, like 8 minutes. I did the «refill» test. This is when I get my drink close to empty and see if I have to wait long by or ask for a refill. I’d give her a B. I didn’t have to ask, but I did wait a little while. I do like how they leave a bottle of water on the table to get your own refills. They were busy which may explain her delay.
Additionally I expect a manager to support his staff and the customers. A guy in a button down dress shirt (assumed the manager) passed my table several times and didn’t offer to get me a refill, grab plates off my table, take my check or even ask how my experience was. I expect a certain level of environmental awareness (always being aware of everything going on and taking care of it). Don’t get me wrong, service was above average, but fixing the timing and having environmental awareness would’ve made this a 5 star review.
I had the ceviche as an appetizer. It was super fresh and chilled, like it should be. Fresh tuna, avocado, and pico made for a light refreshing appetizer to start my meal. The chips were crunchy and stayed that way even as I dipped them in the ceviche; obviously made in house.
For my entrée I had the tacos. I tried the pork belly, duck, and grilled shrimp. The sauce on the shrimp one was creamy and really brought out the grilled flavor of the shrimp. The duck was a little dry and the sauce a little sweet for me, but dressed with fresh slaw it was also really good. The pork belly I had the highest expectations for. With a bit of a peanut butter flavor the pork belly was succulent. The blue corn tortillas were made fresh in house and withstood the juiciness of my tacos without falling apart. Overall the food was made really good and fresh and was delicious. My recommendation, get the shrimp or fish tacos, they’ll have the most diverse flavors.
For dessert my waitress recommended the bread pudding with Chantilly cream and I think a caramel sauce drizzle with strawberries. Although the strawberries were difficult to eat with the stem still on and on top of the cream, it was a great bread pudding presented in a unique way.
I highly recommend giving this place a try. It’s great to go with friends or family and share a variety of items on the menu for a varied tasting. I plan on returning and trying the table side guacamole and the popular Baba burger.

Worth going out of the way when traveling through Jackson. My husband said one of the best burgers he’s had, my tacos were great, guac def good. Service was excellent although we got ours To Go (I called when 20 minutes out cause we needed to keep moving) but once we got in the car and handed the food out, I was afraid chips might not be GF, so I called while still in parking and the girl jumped on offering to bring me out blue corn tortillas for the guac! Super sweet.
The atmosphere was great, fresh, welcoming, and clean. Would love one of these in Atlanta!

Babalu is a great place to grab food in Jackson. I came here based on a recommendation from a friend who lives in Jackson, and am so glad I did. The restaurant has a very nice open layout, and is located in what I thought was a very interesting part of the city. The food was great! I highly recommend the guacamole with veggies and the shrimp and grits. Also, the tacos are served on delicious homemade cornmeal tortillas!

Our first night in Jackson a large group of us headed for dinner. We were warmly greeted by the hostess and seated quickly at a large table near the bar.
I started off with the seasonal margarita which was a peach moonshine marg and it was delicious! For an appetizer I split the Yellowfin Tuna Ceviche and it was tasty as well!
For my meal I ordered the tacos de pato (duck), carne de cerado (pork belly) and carne la vaca (beef). The duck tacos were easily my favorite, but all were tasty! The beef taco had a spicy kick to it and the pork belly was tender.
Our waitress Tabitha was everything you would want in a waitress! I’d highly recommend Babalu if you’re looking for some tasty tacos!

When we walked in, we saw I Love Lucy playing on the wall. Loved it. We were seated immediately by a friendly smile. We ordered the guacamole, delish and made fresh at the table. Ordered enpanadas, tacos: red fish, carnitas, and duck. They were all very delicious as well. The Sprite and Coke were completely bland, no flavor and not bubbly.
The server, Keri was very nice and gave us helpful tips for the tapas-​meal. We had to give it a 4 because of the price and drinks. It was a quite expensive meal. Yes, I would recommend and go again but beware of the prices, too steep for me for tacos.

My hubby and I really enjoyed our early evening New Years Eve dinner on their heated patio. Our server, Ruth, was FANTASTIC! I got the Baba Burger and I highly recommend it. My husband got the short rib over grits. He enjoyed it but after a bite of my Baba burger, he wished he had ordered the burger. We also had dessert all of it was DELISH and we are stuffed! An evening well spent.

While visiting for a week I was told to give this spot a try. Definitely worth the visit, and lucky me, I happened to show up on taco today.
All the tacos were great, and I’m pretty picky coming from Los Angeles. We had the fried oyster, the fried shrimp, the pork belly, and the catfish which was the special taco of the day. Extremely tasty.
The staff was extremely friendly, the outdoor patio was very comfortable and the food was excellent. I’m only here for a few more days, but I’ll probably be making another visit before I leave.

Another great choice after perusing the reviews on Unilocal.
My family and I were in Jackson, MI on a Sunday night. This little gem popped up as close by. Read the reviews. You had me at guacamole :)
Simply amazing.
Wonderful wit staff. Nice décor.
Menu has plenty of options. My girls are allergic to seafood and we still had plenty to choose from.
We went for the hand made guacamole to start with. It was made right at your table by one of the staff and tasted wonderful. Tip — spare a $ 1 and add bacon — boom!
We also had a variety of tacos — all of which were yummy and fresh.
The fillet on a stick was also delicious, as was the fries.
Overall a great experience.
Great place to share plates with others in your group if you wish.
Gwynne was our hostess with the mostess.

I feel a little sacrilegious typing it out, but Babalu, the «tacos and tapas» place, has the best hamburger I’ve tried in the Jackson area.
Let’s assume you aren’t a burger kinda person though. Get the guacamole for sure. Then move down to the small plates section and just go ahead and get anything you want. I’ve had most of the items and haven’t tried any of them that I didn’t think were great.
The atmosphere itself is also pretty great, if you’re the sort of person that needs more than just good food. The whole place has a fun vibe that I really enjoy.

Came for a Sunday brunch and quite impressed by the quality of food and also great service, not to mention the vibrant atmosphere. Guac is like a must-​to-​have and it’s indeed fresh and flavorful. Daily salad was a little bit disappointing to me, although it’s fresh but I don’t really like the overall flavor. As for main dish, we shared a duck taco, omg, I was blown away! Then we each got a small plate, slow roasted rib and shrimp of a twisted Cajun style. Both are good, the only complaint was that grits was tooo salty. I had to drink two glasses of water after the meal.

Things I love about Babalu — the atmosphere, drinks (don’t miss Margarita Monday — $ 5 barbarita on the rocks & skinny please!), and their food. Food favorites include their one of a kind guac, babalu chop salad (get the half and add a steak stick), and steak stick plate. food. I would be remiss if I didn’t praise the glory that is Taco Tuesday -$ 2 per gourmet taco. I love the grilled shrimp as well as the pork belly. If you’re being bad — don’t miss the fried chicken taco.
Things I don’t love about Babalu — their hit or miss service. I have unintentionally been to two hour lunches as a result of slow slow service (group size –4,5)…but there are definitely times I’ll risk it for Taco Tuesday.

Ruth, thank you…
My family and I cam from Los Angeles, California and she made sure to make us feel at home. The food was absolutely amazing. A must try when in Jackson!:)

I have to say, I was a little dubious about eating at a hipster-​ish taqueria with a Cuban-​inspired name in the middle of Mississippi, but once again (to paraphrase Rasheed Wallace) Unilocal don’t lie.
We started off trying some of their Southern fusion dishes, and both were quite excellent. I wasn’t aware that black eyed peas would make a tasty base for hummus, but now I know. The delta tamales were quite good as well. Like any good taqueria, Babalu also has a very good selection of margaritas. I tried the tamarind margarita and it was really good, and I liked the spicy touch on the salted rim as well.
Getting to the heart of the matter, the tacos here are very well done. The duck tacos here are probably one of the best tacos I’ve ever tasted. I also really loved the carnitas tacos and the redfish was okay, but the next time I head back here, it’s going to take a lot for me to try something other than the duck taco.
The restaurant itself is bright and airy and the service was very friendly and attentive. This is a definite «must try» if you’re visiting Jackson and looking for an alternative to Southern food.

I was very impressed with this restaurant. The service was impeccable and attentive. As soon as we entered the establishment, we were greeted with smiles and promptly escorted to our table. Our server, Kayla, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable not just about the menu and specials, but also about the city. I felt like we had our own Jackson tour guide!
We started our meal with table side #guacamole. It was fresh and delicious! I loved the chips that came with the guac. They tasted house made. I noticed the menu was mostly gluten free and had many options for vegetarians and vegans! I decided to get the house salad with a filet of salmon. The dressing (lime vinaigrette) was incredibly tasty. I selected the half portion since I ate an appetizer. I highly recommend getting the house made lemonade.
Overall, a wonderful dining experience. The prices were reasonable. The food was delicious. And the service was some of the best I have had in a long time. I hope to be able to return for dinner during my stay in Jackson so that I can taste some of those enticing drinks and entrees! #glutenfree #vegan #vegetarian #margarita #texmex

This very popular spot offers a combination of Mexican inspired dishes and small tapas plates. As noted elsewhere, the table-​side guacamole is extremely good, and I really liked the homemade tortilla strips served with it.
Ceviche is actually diced tuna with citrus and avocado. Shrimp and grits we classically prepared.
Service was very friendly and our server was obviously very proud of the quality of her restaurant.

Babalu’s is a really cool and unique tapas restaurant! It’s a great place to try a new flavor and hang out with friends. The interior is beautiful, and the patio is a great place to enjoy a cool summer evening.
Here you can eat the very best guacamole in town! It’s even made fresh at your table.
The service is spectacular! About two years ago, my fiancé at the time and I ate here with family to celebrate our engagement. I’m not sure how our waiter found out, but unexpectedly he brought us a giant sparkler that lit up the table and a free dessert as a congrats! It was so nice of him!
Whether you want a date night or a night out with friends be sure to try Babalu’s!

The parking lot of Duling Hall was full. «Oh, shoot! We’ll never get a seat» crossed my mind. We got our pager, and sat down on the patio furniture outside. Within ten minutes, we were seated. Our waitress, Gwynne, explained how Babalu worked (bringing food out as it was prepared, portions, etc…) and she did a great job of always refilling our drinks, because some of those tacos are spicy! The atmosphere was great and though it was crowded, it wasn’t loud. As far as the food goes, the tamales small plate was great. My husband got the Baba Burger and he claims it is the best burger he’s had in Jackson. I got three tacos, one with beef, chicken, and steak. The beef taco was absolutely amazing. The other two weren’t bad, but they also weren’t just fantastic. Overall, it was a great experience and I’ll be going back!

When friends come through town, I always try and make it a point to take them to Babalu. For lunch or dinner, it’s such an excellent option and definitely some of the best food in town.
As far as atmosphere, it’s an incredibly cool place. The restaurant is spacious, with both a large dining area as well as a huge bar as well. They’ve also got a killer patio, that’s sheltered so you can dine out there even when it’s raining. The patio area boasts a few comfy sofas in addition to high-​top tables. Indoors, a projector plays episodes of «I Love Lucy» on a giant wall you see as soon as you walk in. Get it? Because Babalu was the name of Ricky’s band on the show?
The food here is really, really fantastic. If you’re with a group, always splurge for the guacamole. They make it table-​side and it’s super delicious. As far as entrees, I typically go for the tacos as you can mix and match. You can’t really go wrong with their tacos, I promise. If you’re not feeling tacos, definitely go for the BabaBurger. It’s, without a doubt, one of the best burgers in town. The chopped salad is another excellent option if you want something lighter, and it comes in two sizes!
The cocktails here are excellent. The Baba-​rita is delicious. They also always have a seasonal margarita and I have never been let down. The drinks are definitely strong, so watch yourself. They’ve got a great beer selection too. In warmer months (so, like, most of the time) their sangria is an excellent option. My friends and I love to split some guacamole and a couple pitchers of sangria on the patio.
The servers are usually super friendly and knowledgable. The food comes out as it’s ready, so you won’t necessarily get your food at the same time as everyone else at the table so be prepared for that.
Overall, Babalu is one of the best dining experiences in town for sure. Go check it out!

I could really eat tacos every single day.
I arrived a Babalu alone for lunch — and ready to fuel up after a long morning. I took my seat, and looked over the menu. And I waited. And waited a little more. Then finally the server spotted me and came over — it was already about 10 minutes in and she hadn’t even stopped in to say hello, grab a drink order. I’ll assume she was on break and just getting back in… this was really the only hiccup at Babalu — the rest was great!
Started with the Lump Crab Pico De Gallo
Lump crab, jicama, ginger, tomato, citrus, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, house chips 8.50
—This thing photographed amazingly ahha — it needed SOMETHING, not sure if it was salt, maybe a little more kick? Something was missing from it — but regardless it was tasty and refreshing!
I then went with the 3 Taco Sampler.
REDFISH
Cornmeal fried redfish, roasted garlic-​basil aioli, piquillo pepper relish, micro cilantro
CARNE DE CERDO
Compart Family Farms smoked pork belly, chipotle-​citrus BBQ sauce, roasted peanut slaw, cotija cheese
CAMARONES
Grilled or fried gulf shrimp, cilantro slaw, radish, comeback
All three were equally good! This was my very first time every having redfish — it was delicious! The shrimp and pork belly were just as good.
The restaurant was super clean — and super busy. You can tell this place is always packed for lunch. I love that the theme of it is I Love Lucy — they have ILL playing on a projector. Also, I really love the outside patio — great spot for a date night/​nice lunch when it’s fresh out.
I’ll deff be stopping in here again on a future trip to Jackson!