Hm. I really wanted to like this place more than I did. I came on a Saturday night (2/4/17) for drinks & tacos with a friend. I happened to arrive earlier than she, and I saw that the valet sign was out. I let the valet guys know that I wanted to just drive through and I was able to park myself in the lot. Here's a tip: I noticed that between 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., the lot gets packed so don't even bother coming in if you don't want to valet.
When I walked in, I was delighted by the bright, airy, and retro vibe of the place. The hostess was very friendly. They ask for your name (for the table) and if you're celebrating anything, so be sure to share! While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I was asked if I wanted a beverage (I declined). I really appreciated the offer though. Once seated, we were first greeted by the manager (I assume) who asked if it was our first time there and then explained the concept of the restaurant. They make everything in-house: from the sweet & sour drink mix to the blue corn tortillas. We then met our two waiters, one was in training, and placed our drink orders: the baba-rita.
The baba-rita was delicious but so cruelly small. Almost $10 for a drink that can be downed in practically five sips. I'm on the petite side aka an extreme lightweight when it comes to alcohol and that drink barely made a dent. Babalu, I beg of you, use bigger glasses for the cocktails. Sometimes restaurants can get too hung up on the stylistic details which seems like the case here.
We then placed an order for the ceviche. The chips are thicker, almost like a toasted pita chip, and the ceviche is tuna based. I really liked the ceviche, it just needed a dash of salt and maybe a little less onion.
Tacos: I took the advice of fellow yelpers and ordered the fried shrimp and chose the carnitas. Fried shrimp taco was indeed the superior taco but the carnitas was still good. The tacos are very small but I liked the blue corn tortilla.
I also ordered a side of black beans and rice. Keep in mind, Babalu's rice and beans are not like a typical Mexican restaurant. It came with peppers and onions; also needed a little bit of seasoning.
Dessert: we went with the apple cinnamon empanadas with ice cream. The empanada had a thick doughy covering, the filling was all right but nothing memorable. Ice cream drizzled with caramel was a nice touch.
Overall, the service was excellent and just may be the best thing the restaurant has to offer. I plan to come back, most likely during off-peak hours, so I can try the other tacos.