Original Article Aug 8, 2024. Updated Oct 25, 2024.
There’s a restaurant coming to Benton that will have you singing a familiar song. It took some digging for me to find who is moving into the location at 20770 Interstate 30. For reference, it’s behind Academy Sports, next door to T-Mobile, and most recently was a Pizza Inn. For a moment, for me, it was a mystery. All I had to go on was a notice in the window that someone applied for a mixed-drink alcohol permit.
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I won’t take you through all the steps, but I did eventually find the answer. Edgar Castorena is behind La Bamba Restaurant and Cantina. It’s family-owned and independent – not a chain. Castorena owns a restaurant in Searcy called El Nopal Tapatio Restaurant. He said he wants to bring flavors from that restaurant to Saline County.
La Bamba’s Grand Opening will be Wednesday, October 30th at 20070 I-30 N, Suite 150 in Benton. See the menu at https://labambabenton.com
“La Bamba will have a mix of authentic and Tex-Mex Mexican dishes along with full bar service,” said Castorena. “It will be filled with art of different Mexican traditions as you enjoy a delicious meal.”
Since I already had the song stuck in my head, I had to ask about the name La Bamba. I’m pretty sure it’s a type of dance, so I wondered about the significance of the name in relation to a restaurant.
Castorena explained, “It’s fun! It’s artsy! I am a believer that anything that interacts with any of the 5 senses is art. From the delicious food and drinks, music playing, murals on the walls, I expect Saline County to leave with a bit of my culture.”
There will be lunch and dinner. There will be a bar. He said to expect a special La Bamba drink menu as well as classic drink choices. There will also be daily specials & happy hour.
Watch for La Bamba to open this Fall – possibly as early as September, but we all know that can change because there are so many moving parts to opening a restaurant. Keep an eye out, and we’ll update here.
