Our fave Mexican restaurant in town. Homemade tortillas , fresh ingredients, great ambience and fine service. Love their fish tacos, ceviche, margaritas, etc. We’ve been going here for decades. Plus you get to stroll along the Pacific Garden Mall with the entertaining people show - both before and after dinner!
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The server disappeared for about 10 mins in the beginning which was okay I guess. The most money I have ever spent on a burrito that just has rice beans and chicken. No quac, sour cream, lettuce, cheese, cilantro or anything. A taco truck would be twice as good for 1/2 the price. The ambiance was nice I suppose.
Been here many times never disappoints amazing service great food! I had the steak fajitas and my partner had a taco and enchilada.
Amazing Mexican food!Tried their Jose platter! Awesome!Tried their Carne Asada Ranchera! Awesome! And their chimichanga! Awesome! I always come here after my beach trip for lunch. Awesome ambience in the cantina. Prefer a table at the cantina. As the other side is much darker. The staff are VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL! I love their warm and fresh Tortilla chips! And the salsa! Free flowing! God I had so many bowls every time. ❤️
I remember when El Palomar was the happenin place, the bee’s knees, the destination for the best Mexican food in town. With that high vaulted ceiling it was a cross between a restaurant and a Spanish cathedral. There was buzz. The place rocked.But here comes the hard part… although first I’ll say, the Camarones lit me up like a Christmas tree! They were great! And there were plenty, as if the were having a damn dance party on my plate. That being said,The rice and beans were bland and the worst offense, the second bowl of chips had a few bigger chips and the rest of the basket were crumbs. I mean what am I supposed to do with these any way? Honestly it’s kind of insulting. The waitress knows what she’s giving you is substandard. I felt like I was being punished for going though the first bowl before the mid meal mopping up phase.Ok, I get it, maybe they were running out of the nice chips, but she could have said something, or even replaced the bowl when the good stuff came out. Did they think I wouldn’t notice?Over all, the place has fallen prey to the famous location curse, a phenomenon first documented in 1920 at Marsha Mam’s beautiful emporium and eatery. They too were the favored spot, the in place to be, but they got complacent. They counted on their fame, the desirability of the location, and the reputation of their humble, but extraordinary chef (no one had ever been an executive chef back then… they would have have laughed at the hubris). Well, it’s the same here. They have customer loyalty and history, and they have atmosphere up the wazoo, but what they don’t have is passion for the product anymore. They are just dialing it in, and it shows. I’d give them three stars, but the Camarones were really good, it’s like a diamond in a cheap ring, the rest of the meal detracts from the final effect.
My son, daughter and I had dinner at the El Palomar this evening. I had the Chicken Tortilla Soup which is absolutely delicious. The best I’ve had in the area and a larger portion size. My kids had the burrito meal and also loved it. Our waitress took our orderly quickly and was very kind. Our food also arrived soon after we ordered. We felt well taken care of by all the staff. We will be back soon and would highly recommend to all! Also, it’s such a beautiful building and atmosphere.
All of the staff were very attentive to us. Their food was some of the best I've ever had. The chips, dinner plates (seafood tostada, seafood cocktail, vegetable tostada, vegetable chimichanga), and flan were super satisfying!
This was hands-down the best Mexican food we’ve been had. The seafood and fish were so fresh and delicious. The staff was well-.trained and super friendly.
Great food, delicious chips & salsa, amazing margarita. The atmosphere is really nice.
Awesome Mexican Food! We were at a benefit concert where they brought in food from this restaurant. We had the chicken fajitas, chile verde with rice, beans, and flour tortillas. Great food, I will definitely refer friends to El Palomar.