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La Bodeguita Del Medio

4.0 (2.2k reviews)
PriceyCuban, Bars, Sandwiches
Closed 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

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LA BODEGUITA DEL MEDIO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials
Good for groups

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Pork Empanadas
Kristine F.

Finally got to try La Bodeguita after bookmarking it years ago! Cozy place with a nice bar area. Pleasant service and good vibes. Eats: *Pork Empanadas *Croquetas *Maduros: sweet plantains *Side of Asparagus *Tierra y Mar: steak & coconut shrimp *Carribean Curry with shrimp *Cubano Sandwich Empanadas were so good! They had a twinge of sweetness which reminded me of Filipino empanadas. I liked the black beans and slaw they serve it with. Croquetas were nice and crisp. Maduros were sweet enough for dessert! The steak from the Tierra y Mar was phenomenal! Prepared so well and wasn't tough. The mashed potatoes were orange so maybe it had tomato base for color? Tasty. The jumbo coconut shrimp was succulent. Asparagus was huge. I've had Cubano sandwiches before and this one was presented excellently. I just thought something was missing from the flavor profile. My friend's Caribbean Curry wasn't spicy, which I was surprised about. Creamy coconut flavor was present. Hernan waited on us and we were never rushed. Great place to catch up with friends or have a quiet family dinner. Can't wait to try more items!

Havana bananas
Kim l.

Met up with friends for lunch at this spot. It's a bit dark inside. We arrived at noon and were promptly seated inside. We ordered: Croquettes: good crispy outside, creamy filling. Dip in the side sauce for extra flavor. Shrimp cheviche: ok, not very memorable Ropa veija: 3.5/5 not a big fan of this type and texture of meat but it had good flavor. Rice reminded me of paella. Pork empanada: surprisingly a bit sweet. It was probably the white sauce that was drizzled on it. Liked the crisp outside but filling could use more flavor. Havana Bananas: looked to be super sweet but it wasn't overly sweet. Bananas are a bit mushy so expect that. Overall tasty. Glad to have tried this place.

Kenneth C.

**Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars** As a first-timer to La Bodeguita del Medio, I was looking for that transportive experience you always hear about on California Ave, and they definitely delivered on the vibes and the flavors. It's a beautifully curated space--from the artwork and photos to the furniture, you feel culturally immersed in a Havana-inspired soulfulness from the moment you walk in. *The Service:* Huge shoutout to our waiter! Since it was our first visit, we really appreciated his patience. He walked us through the menu with genuine care and steered us toward the crowd favorites. He hit that perfect balance of being attentive without hovering. *The Food:* *Camarones: We started with the spicy sautéed shrimp on Cuban toast. The citrus sauce was vibrant, and the heat from the habanero had a great kick that didn't overwhelm the flavor. Highly recommend. *Arroz con Pollo: My friend's plate was massive. If you aren't "starving artist" hungry, this is easily shareable. Very traditional and satisfying. *Ropa Vieja: I went for the classic shredded skirt steak, which is essentially their version of a Cuban "surf and turf." The steak was cooked to perfection and tender, but the presentation was the winner--three large fried shrimp stacked right on top of the mashed sweet potatoes. Speaking of which, those sweet potatoes were incredibly soft and creamy--honestly, one of the highlights of the plate for me. *The Drinks:* I sampled three different cocktails, and the mixology here is clearly high-level, though I have one specific gripe. *Zacapa Manhattan & S.T. Old Fashioned:** Both were expertly balanced. I loved the subtle Cuban twists on these classics. However, the glassware was... odd. They were served in what looked like stemless port glasses. For drinks that belong in a heavy lowball or a proper martini glass, this felt like a miss. It honestly threw me off! Maybe it's a specific Cuban tradition I'm unaware of? ‍ *Café Cubano Martini:** This one came in the "correct" martini glass and was stellar. Creamy, rich espresso flavor--the perfect finish. *Bottom Line:* Is it pricey? Yes ($$$). But let's be real--those are just the standard Palo Alto "taxes" we pay these days. For the quality of the food and the excellent service, a 4.5 is well-deserved. I'll definitely be back, though I might bring my own rocks glass next time! ;)

Surf and Turf (skirt steak and shrimp and asparagus)
Jennifer U.

We had a team offsite dinner here with about 18 people. Originally I had emailed inquiring about the back patio, but the rental fee was too high for our budget. Lara from La Bodeguita was super accommodating and offered the front "Cuban Corral" for us for not additional charge. There were heaters and even a blanket for each chair. The food and drinks were really reasonably priced, and the happy hour is long (12-6pm) with decent offerings including $5 beers and $8 Moscow mules. There's some snacks too. We ordered various appetizers including the croquets, black bean balls (which were surprisingly tasty), empanadas, chicharrones which were actually chicken and shrimp. Everything was yummy, but I would skip the empanadas next time. For entree, I got the surf and turf. The shrimps were big and meaty. I would recommend La Bodeguita for your next team event!

Palmitos Salad
Yikai L.

Saw some mixed reviews here but still decided to give it a try (some of the negative reviews were pretty old). We came in a group of 4 adults and 2 toddlers. We went with the paella, cubano sandwich, and palmitos salad. - Paella: 4.5/5. I personally preferred the rice to be more moist (kinda in between Spanish and Portuguese style) and this place nailed it. The shrimp was tender (our kids loved the shrimp), and mussels were big and meaty. It came in a decent portion. The price tag was a bit higher than some other restaurants' offerings but not outrageous. - Cubano sandwich: 5/5. Pleasantly surprised with the portion for under $20. The bread was crunchy and the meat and cheese go pretty well together. - Palmitos salad: 4.5/5. A rather rare combination of ingredients but worked pretty well. I liked the vinegar flavor. Portion is a bit small for its price. Service was awesome no complaints there. Reservation was also easy on the phone. Theres a parking lot a block away. Would revisit with friends. Note: theres a 5% surcharge for dine-in.

Dalan C.

Came here for my niece's birthday and this was spectacular. The bbq pork ribs with guava sauce was amazing 10/10! Perfectly cooked and the sauce was unbelievable, so good we ordered a second pound. Another favorite was the Arroz con Pollo 9/10, magnificently braise with fantastic flavor. The best side we had were the Croquetas 8/10; crispy and bursting with deliciousness. Camarones con Mojo, plantains and Yuma fries were all hit too.

Tierra y Mar
Dhevan M.

Delicious and authentic cuban food. All the appetizers were tasty and the entree was mouth watering. Service was phenomenal. Dark and fancy vibes for sure, great for a celebration. Mocktails were a little too sweet though.

Chris C.

Came here almost on a whim. It's been on my list for a minute and I've been craving Cuban food after a decent experience earlier this month. We had the chicharron (I think) and the ribs. Both were good. I wish the pork had a bit more salt, and that the ribs were a bit less dry. In terms of flavors, it was mostly there. The plantains and other side dishes were pretty good. The staff were attentive and good. We were seated closer to the front of the restaurant and it didn't really feel like it. I really enjoyed the layout of the place. Good spot for a date night. Definitely consider sharing a few things and sample!

Sangria and Mojito
Janni Linea B.

There aren't many Cuban restaurants in the Bay Area, so I'm glad we found one nearby. Everything we ordered was delicious! We had mussels, crab cakes, and the Tierra y Mar (10/10). The skirt steak was cooked perfectly, very tender meat. For drinks, we tried the sangria and mojito, both of which were great. They also serve bread with Cuban oil (free). I ended up buying a bottle of oil to enjoy with my bread at home, it has a nice, subtle spicy kick. We sat at the bar since the regular seats were full, but we didn't mind. It's more convenient for grabbing extra drinks lol. It does get pretty packed, so I recommend making a reservation or coming early.

Fried Yuca, Caribbean Curry, Cubano Sandwich
Sebastian P.

I haven't had Cuban food in a very long time and eating at this place brought back all of those good memories. I can't believe it took me so long to finally eat here because my friend and I were so impressed with the quality of the food. We started with some fried appetizers that had this lovely cheesy flavor and the pork was cooked so well. Then we shared some plates and we were very impressed with the Cubano, Yuca Fries and curry!! The service was great and I'm a sucker for a dimly lit restaurant so it's a perfect vibe for a nice dinner. I got a Dark N Stormy as well for my first time and it tasted lovely. The desserts would probably be the weakest of the food items. They key lime tart and banana dessert was superb but the chocolate cake was dense and was just hard to digest for lack of better words. The bread pudding was also kind of dense and was missing that softness. For that I give my whole experience a 4.5 stars but I rounded up because the folks there were nice and overall, I'd definitely come back. Would love to just see some improvements in the desserts!

Menu page 1
Gerald L.

Been here a half dozen times and this is my first review. In the past, I've gotten the paella, but we didn't want to wait that long this trip plus not everyone at the table wanted paella. So we enjoyed two delicious dishes. The first is called ROPA VIEJA, aka the 'CUBAN CLASSIC'. It's braised then shredded skirt steak, stewed with chilis, peppers & tomatoes, platanos maduros, yellow rice, sofrito. It is so good you always want more when your plate is finished. The second is called ARROZ con POLLO. It's a traditional, cuban style, braised chicken, spiced yellow rice, platanos maduros. Ambiance is nice. Good drinks. Nice location on California street in Palo Alto to walk around a bit before or after your meal.

Ropa vieja
Frank L.

Pretty solid. There ain't a lot of Cuban restaurants much less decent ones in the area so def wanted to swing by and give this spot a try. Generally everything was good. I don't remember anything really standing out except the ropa vieja. That was my fav dish of the night. Also the national cocktail was really good. The guava ribs were also interesting. Overall while I prob wouldn't make a detour specifically, if I was in the area and specifically wanted Cuban food I def wouldn't mind coming back to try their other dishes

Large portion of black bean soup
Carmen R.

On a recent trip back to the Bay area, me and some girlfriends had a lovely dinner at La Bodeguita del Medio. We've been here before, located on the classic Street of California Ave with other lovely local restaurants nearby. La Bodeguita has an amazing extensive menu of Latin American delights in classics. Highlights for us were the classic paella and various salads that we ordered to share. One of our friends is gluten free, they have limited options for that... So just be aware that if have some severe food allergies... Due to the way that their fryer works across contamination is likely. But despite that everything that we had was absolutely delicious. Portions were generous and the flavors were exceptional. Definitely a restaurant to order things to share and try. Highly recommend making a reservation... We were a large party but by the time we're leaving to every table was basically full and a waiting line outside the door. Come check them out!

#1 Bindle of BBQ Ribs

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6 months ago

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7 months ago

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3 months ago

Consistently serves delicious food. We left very satisfied and look forward to our next visit.

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1 year ago

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1 month ago

Good food, decent price, good location and frendly servers. They used inkind app which is nice

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1 year ago

A perfectly standard spot. Nothing to write home about, but a nice spot to grab a cocktail. The bartenders were very friendly and helpful.

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La Bodeguita Del Medio Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - La Bodeguita Del Medio

Do they do a vegetarian paella?

Does the dog friendly seats have heating lamps?

Sí. Están aquí

Would this restaurant be ok to take well behaved kids to? Or not appropriate for children?

Yes it's fine to bring well-behaved kids to La Bodeguita Del Medio. However, they don't have high chairs or booster seats. On their web site, they advise the following:… 

When is happy hour? What about on weekends?

There's no happy hour at La Bodeguita Del Medio. On their web site, they have this amusing comment:… 

Is this place good for vegetarians?

Definitely not. Although they have 2-4 vegetarian options in the menu.

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Bar Underdog

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4.3
(52 reviews)
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I think it's kind of funny that there is such a discourse amongst other reviews about whether or…read morenot this place is a speakeasy. As a speakeasy enthusiast myself I definitely agree to the fact that it is "hidden" but also it does kinda give corporate vibes a little bit - maybe we can say they "gentrified" the speakeasy experience which is honestly so funny for Palo Alto. But anyways I don't think a classification should stop you from visiting it. The food is actually surprisingly really good. We came with a pescatarian and honestly while the offerings for snacks were a bit slim, every option was really good. I feel like this was the first time where I understood the price even the the quantity is no where close to be desired. One shrimp is like $6 and I was like whoah. Service is definitely more laid back and it's overall just like a more chill atmosphere. I'm fortunate to work nearby so I'll definitely visit this place a few times after work to blow off some steam... And the drinks! Yes they are good! They are also quite strong! Would come back again but also if you're conscious of budget then I'm not sure if you'll find the same value proposition.

Note: I believe the menu has changed since my last visit…read more Stopped by Bar Underdog for a quick drink and was recommended their take on a martini from the "Traditional" section. It came out quickly, crisp, and as cold as it gets. I also tried a shrimp dish from the "Steamed" section, and it was delicious. Their chicken was also larger than I expected, making it a good bang for your buck, especially if you plan on grabbing a few drinks. Excited to come back and try more of their cocktails!

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Hidden Tap & Barrel

Hidden Tap & Barrel

3.9
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This place is a hidden gem in downtown Palo Alto. (don't be confused that the door says Curry…read morePizza) I went here with friends for the first time last week and enjoyed it so much! The drinks/cocktails are great with an extensive selection in addition to their willingness to make things not on the menu as long as they have the ingredients. We only had "bar food" (french fries, onion rings, and my friends had wings) but the menu looked really interesting. Next time I will go back for some pizza or other things on the menu. The most unexpected part of the evening happened when they brought out a "cake" made of brownies and candle in it! My friend sneakily told them it was my birthday. The brownie cake was delicious and enough for many more than the 3 of us. Such a great place and I will be back soon!

We were really early for a brunch meet up. So, we decided to find a place for a snack and some…read moredrinks. This place seemed like the one to go to and glad we made that call. It's a bit small but we got some seats at the bar. The wall art was beautiful. They had TVs to watch sports. Then had a good amount of brews to choose from but of course we were there for the hard stuff. We decided to order just a salad. We had a spicy chicken salad and it was really good. Really good portion too. We also had a couple martinis and cognac neat. The bartender/server was very personable and very knowledgeable about liquor. Especially tequila. A nice spot to hang. Would stop by again if in the area.

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Hidden Tap & Barrel
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Horsefeather

Horsefeather

4.1
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Uniqueness: Modern/American brunch spot with a few Korean inspired dishes as well…read more Wait Time: [x][x][x][x][x] Food Quality: [x][x][x][x][x] Service: [x][x][x][x][x] Setting: [x][x][x][x][x] Cost: [x][x][x][x][ ] Recommendation? Definitely worth getting the umami fries as they were seasoned to perfection. A perfect starting side! Horsefeather is a perfect brunch spot to stop by and try in this Old Town and Country Palo Alto plaza. I have never heard of this chain nor in their other locations before and was definitely satisfied afterwards with their great dishes and their aesthetically modern decorated interior. The dishes here are American so you'd get what you typically get for breakfast from scrambles to French Toast, and we ordered the French Toast, the Chicken and Waffles, and a Salad during our visit here. All of what was ordered was perfect and beautifully plated upon arrival and out of all that was ordered, I have to say the chicken and waffles with their matcha butter & syrup was their standout dish. I have never seen matcha infused with butter but it was perfect and complimented the waffle just right. The chicken was fried and juicy inside and the waffle in general was toasted with just the right amount of crisp on the outside and soft interior. French Toast was a definite close contender too, where the toast was still gooey soft as expected and served with syrup & cream on the side. Salad was good but nothing too extraordinary about it. The staff here were all very nice and on a busy lunch day, I was surprised & pretty sure just lucky was able to get a table in less than 10 min on a Sunday. For weekend brunch, Horsefeather is a perfect spot to visit & enjoy the pre-afternoon before enjoying Palo Alto. I would highly recommend checking this place out and will definitely be back for more.

Overall, we had a good experience. The food was delicious, and the service was attentive, although…read morethere were a few too many check-ins from different staff members throughout the meal. Our favorites were the kimchi deviled eggs, the miso linguini pasta, and the yuzu dessert. One thing I did notice was the seating arrangement. I had seen another Yelp review mentioning that they were seated right next to another party despite the restaurant being mostly empty, and we had a similar experience. Even with plenty of open tables, we were seated directly beside another group, making it easy to hear each other's conversations. It wasn't a huge issue, but a little more spacing would have made the dining experience feel more comfortable. Overall, the food and service were great.

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Dining area
Dining area
Umami Fries
Umami Fries
Deviled Eggs

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The Wine Room

The Wine Room

3.8
(630 reviews)
1.6 mi
$$

I suppose I should have taken the name more literally. This is truly, a large room with some…read morecouches. Its dimly lit and sort of caverous. I bet its very cozy during the winter. Didnt get around to trying the food but had two glasses of wine and was a little underwhelmed by the selections. Given they ONLY serve wine, I thought they might have flights in addition to glasses. But I didnt see any flights. While the service was fine, I did sort catch them lounging around in on the couches on their phones while on shift. I get its slow but its just not a good look. The location is right at the end of a street so there are constantly cars making u turns and coming in and out of parking. So sitting outside isnt terribly ambient. IDK, it was truly a fine experience but I have no desire to go back.

The Wine Room was a nice stop in the evening for a nightcap, with some bites from their menu and a…read morenice wine list. We stopped by before turning in, ordering the Fromage du Jour (a selection of domestic and imported cheeses), a Charcuterie plate (with thinly-sliced cured meats, pate de chevreuil, stoneground mustard, cornichon, and purple cabbage kraut), and the Marinated Olives. There is eating both in- and outside, but I recommend in dining al fresco to people watch. The place is small, but it gets busier, as it does open later in the day (4 PM to midnight)! Staff and the bar staff were friendly. +wine and cheeses +friendly staff +dine al fresco

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The same pic, except *portrait*
The same pic, except *portrait*
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La Bodeguita Del Medio - cuban - Updated July 2026

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