Ronkonkoma's La Bamba Mexican Grill revamps

Ronkonkoma’s La Bamba Mexican Grill has revamped with a new chef and a fresh menu.

The Mexican eatery, owned by Diego Villatoro, served Tex-Mex style fare for four years, but recently Geoff Miranda, of Shirley’s Mexica Taqueria food truck, came on to pivot the eatery's menu to include authentic California-style Mexican dishes.

"Geoff brought me sample tacos, horchata and food that I tried, and it was delicious," Villatoro said in Spanish. "He’s very knowledgeable and he’s a good person and it’s good to work with him."

A must-try on the menu is the gluten-free pastel Mexica ($20). The dish resembles lasagna and is made with tortilla layered with elote (corn) chiles, cheese, pulled chicken and salsa, served with rice and beans. Other standouts include tacos dorados ($15), crispy chicken tacos with cream, cheese, onion, lettuce, salsa and guacamole.

Miranda said he will continue operating his Mexica food truck on late-night weekends for the public and at Stony Brook University Hospital during the week exclusively for staffers.

La Bamba is a bright and colorful space decorated with a large mural that includes birds, flowers and traces of Aztec-style art. There's room for about 50 people, with space for two dozen at the bar that was added six months ago, according to server Jennifer Villatoro, the owner's daughter. "It feels like we’re starting all over again," she said.

La Bamba, 600 Portion Rd., Lake Ronkonkoma, labambali.com, 631-676-7200, Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.