This food is delicious. The waitress was great, and her recommendations were perfect. If I have a criticism, it was that this place can be pud. The walls are cinderblock and reflect sound. The music should be turned down. And let's not even talk about when the mariachi band started playing. Whew, was that loud, to the point that we took our granddaughter outside until the band stopped playing. But, the food was great, and that's why we were there... read more

I order langostinos the tray $35 Expensive and no flavor Bland Same like the complimentary ceviche dry Dry Dry This place is byob The garlic bread $2.99 That portion is big Music sucks too Regueton O well read more

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All of the charm is gone. And most of the customers. We had not been since the pandemic but knew La Palapa was renovating and enlarging the property. The outdoor space used to be friendly and fun and indoor space had been jam-packed and homey. All are gone. Indoors, it's one giant cold room and outdoor has lost something, especially customers. BYO is gone; perhaps that is why. Fortunately, the Langoustines are still there and are as spicy and delicious as ever. Go for them and don't get the expensive cocktails. They are not very good. Service is just OK. read more

Fake imitation crab meat . I Don't know anyone that wants to go to a marisco restaurant and have imitation crab meat . This is my second time going there and the did is mediocre. No longer BYOB read more

Fantastic gem of a restaurant in the neighborhood! It's been in that same location for as long as I can remember and for all the best reasons, great food, kind and efficient service, entertainment, and great vibes there. The Mattress Breaker seems to be a crowd pleaser with the combination of seafood cooked in a variety of spices and house sauce. It had the perfect kick. The Charolado shared a similar flavor to the mattress breaker, but the crab in these dishes were just imitation. For how much you are paying, imitation crab seems to be a bit stingy. The Ceviche is great! Pairs so well with the tostadas. There is a good amount of shrimp and fish, the limey tartness is fresh. The Paella was a little bit different than expectation. The La Palapa paella is a bit buttery and a bit on the salty side. The seafood here is the same as the one from the mattress breaker. The small size here is enough to feed four. All in all, this is a traditionally Mexican spot for all the locals, but my family and I didn't feel out of place or anything of that sort. Everyone here from the staff to the other customers were all nice people! read more

Came here with 10 friends and it was was delicious. BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage). Yes we brought beer and wine. I think they charge you for having your own. Our friends ordered for us. We had complimentary chips and dip. The green sauce was spicy and there was a side of ceviche. Definitely addicting as you wait for the entrees. Ordered mild shrimp (which was too spicy for me) but still delicious, seafood paella, shrimp ceviche, and fried fish. read more

The customer service is amazing, the waitress that helped us out when we went, had an amazing attitude and was very helpful with helping me choose my plate! The food was incredible as well, I ordered the Camarones La palapa, and they were delicious! They were dry seasoning type of spicy, but nevertheless still really good and really spicy. The environment was clean and fresh, the tables and seats were a good size for a normal person, and the decorations inside, made me feel like it was summer already. LOVED IT! read more

I would say do not judge a book by it's cover, so once you drive up, it is a challenge to find the front door (clue) look for the open sign. I ordered the Mataviejitas (The Lady Killer) which is a combination of shrimp, octopus and oysters is a spicy sauce. It was outstanding! My guest ordered Rompecolchon A La Plancha (cooked on the grill) which is a combination of seafood on a bed of rice. My guest enjoyed the meal. I definitely will be back when it gets warmer! read more

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This place is kinda hidden on Archer and Damen, looks small but very large inside, it's byob, their grilled calamari "spicy" calamari was not spicy but still good i loved the minced garlic in the dish, over great seafood and vibe with good music playing, there's a bell you can ring as you exist if you enjoyed the food which is a sweet idea because you can hear the bell ring almost every 10 minutes. Must try place read more

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Listen! This place was like crossing the border to get into Mexico because the best seafood was there! OMG, this was my first time eating there. I am from California so I know food authentic Hispanic dishes... but the dishes here were out of this world!!! Every bite was filled with Flavor, Spice, and Savory authenticity ! I will definitely be going back. So Amazing! Great Job Chefs! keep up the amazing work! and thank you to the Hostess! you all were wonderful! read more

I was marveled by this place the first time I came here with my wife. However, today was just the worst. I have been here about 6 times now(because the food is mostly good) and after the second time it's just been worse and worse. I always try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt, especially growing restaurants because I have worked in the industry. Today was unaceptable. We ordered the usual oysters and had our beers. I then ordered the langostinos and a side of fish ceviche. The prawns were really wet, but not flavorful. It's the same sauce used for the shrimp, so your best bang for buck would be shrimp instead. The big problem was with the ceviche. This is coming from someone that makes ceviche at home very frequently.(in same style as restaurant) we had only seen our server once since taking our order. A manager passed by and asked if everything was okay. We told her that the ceviche was not sour, it was bitter and tasted like old times. This can only happen if the fish has been in like juice too long or if it was made with bad limes. The manager went to the back and said she told the kitchen. We were asked if we wanted something else and be charged for that as well, but frankly, this ruined our appetite. The manager proceeded to tell us perhaps our pallettes were wrong in what we perceived. We did not see our server for another 30 minutes. We had to ask a different server for our check. 15 min later she came by and said she had told our actual server a while back to get our check. Our ACTUAL server did not take the plate away till much later when we got our bill. Not a single person bothered to taste it to confirm the complaint. When we got our bill, we saw we were charged for the ceviche, and also a higher price than WHAT IS ON THE MENU. I was there for almost two hours and saw our server less than 5 times. In a restaurant that had at least 4 servers and only 16 tables. I really liked this place, the flavors and BYOB. After these past couple of times, I realize it is just overhyped. read more

La Palapa - The prices on the menu are not what you get charged. - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Place does not sell beer but it is byob, restrooms are really really small.. almost like residential restrooms. Food was average, not bad but nothing great. read more

La Palapa - Part of the outside patio, really confusing entrance - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The place is subpar, many of the items in there menu are no longer served but the food they do have is good, the drinks are good as well. The waitress was helpful in assisting us when ordering food going back and forth to ask the chef what food items he did have. I don't think I would be going back. read more

I have to give this establishment a 2-star review due to their horrible service. I decided to invite some friends to dinner at La Palapa Monday 16th of March. We were excited to eat Mariscos, and ever since we arrived restaurant seemed dirty and only one employee was working so took longer than expected to get our order in. Also, this place states it's BYOB, please do not fall for this. We decided to take 8 cans of own beverage, and we were charged $12 simply because we brought our own beer. When i asked the waiter why we were charged for this, he couldn't provide me a response and instead said that his boss said to charge us that. Honestly food is okay, not the best or tastiest. Prices are average, but im surprised the service was this bad. read more

La Palapa - Menu with our drinks of the night - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love their jalapenos salsa and fish ceviche!! It's my go-to happy spot for when I want to eat something fresh, citrusy and consistent quality. I also really like their Jamaica water. I've got other things on their menu and it doesn't do it for me, so the 5 stars is simply for the CEVICHE quality, ambiance, BYOB, and music!! read more

First time here and I loved it. The ambiance was great! I love the outdoor patio, which made me feel like I was in Mexico straight up ratchet ass pueblo vibes and I wouldn't have it any other way! From the rocks on the floor to the outdoor bathroom to the banda coming in requesting songs. Nostalgic AF. Service was great! Our server was so nice and very attentive. The rest of the staff had all hands on deck, as well. Random people would come and take our empty beers or plates from our table. Their shirts are cute to read too! It's BYOB and they provide an ice bucket for your drinks. Bc of this I'm a little buzzed as I write this review. All of the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves, all positive vibes! The food itself was good. It wasn't the best camarones sarandeados I've had, but it was good. Average price for mariscos in Chicago and surrounding areas. Avg prices with lots of food on your plate, best thing about Mexican seafood. I feel that you always get what you pay for as far as quantity. I will definitely be going back! read more

La Palapa - Camarones sarandeados. Not the best I've had, but they were good. Mojarra across the table from me, which my date said was really good. - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been here about 5xs now. A great mom/pop run Mexican seafood restaurant that's pretty good if you're looking for a no frills kinda place. I like how laid back it is with outdoor seating that kinda gives you the vibe you're not on a busy street in Chicago. My fave is the dungeons crab; mattress breaker & mixed seafood ceviche. Although they now serve alcohol because the expansion is complete you can still BYOB for a small fee. My friend & always share & trust me the size is plentiful! On my most recent visit we shared ceviche & crabs & left full. Check it out I think you won't be disappointed read more

Nice space and great customer service but my food lacked flavor. Big portions but most of us felt something was missing or not the best with their dish. The only dish that had flavor and was the best dish was the chicken flautas. read more

Food was weak,service sucked,and the owner was sitting across from us,waitress was busy chatting at the bar with other waitresses

I have no idea why this place is so popular. We went there once and never will be back(considering we live walking distance that means a lot). Hot things were cold, cold things were hot. We actually needed to add salt to the dishes which we never ever do, with anything! It's pretty pricey too, seafood usually is but service and flavor/quality don't make this a worthy place to even visit. (And the set up goodness it's a damn eye sore!) Specially service, employees seem to be too preoccupied among themselves to really focus on the customer. Waitress did a mistake (prob because of that reason) and charged us literally double and it took pretty long to fix and she wasn't even sure if she fixed it. She was trying to be helpful and said to keep receipt if anything but still an inconvenience is an inconvenience considering we are not planning on returning. The staff seem to be composed of very young ppl, maybe that's why. The set up is so tacky too those cramped tables and chairs is like omg why is it always packed. It's also extremely loud, like I get some ppl enjoy that, but not everyone and it really ruins it for those who don't care for it. It's just part of the experience I guess. Parking seems to be hell too. You might have to leave your car by the park and that's never fun. We just walked it. I saw on fbook after the fact that someone posted a pic of what looked like a rat fetus on im not sure what dish , which the employees claim was a piece of octopus? We have walked through there in the night and have seen rats OUTSIDE /AROUND the establishment, but will not be returning to find out if they have made it inside . read more

La Palapa - Filete relleno - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We have been going to this place for the last seven years and always looked forward to the ceviche and fired red snapper. We recently listed for an early dinner before a White Sox game. Initially we noticed some changes to the interior of the restaurant and were hopeful that the food was just as good. Upon entering we noticed that they now sell alcohol. We have know this place to be byob without a service charge. We asked if we could still byob and the young lady at the front said that would be alright. We started by ordering the mixed ceviche which upon arriving was mostly onions and cucumber as for the fish it did not all taste fresh. One of the salsas we had come to enjoy with ted ceviche was also completely different and lacked flavor. We also looked for the Red Snapper on the menu which was now offered at "Market Price". Really this is not a premium item such as lobster. We left " heart broken" about one of our go to restaurants. Upon leaving we asked if there was a change of ownership. The employee said no but there was a new head chef. Needless to say, we will not be returning to La Palapa. read more

Amazing scene and the service was just as good as the food. Clarissa was very sweet and skilled as a server. read more

La Palapa - Been wanting to be here for a while. Try fish tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very good food! The portions are huge! Great ambiance, overall great service! Definitely coming back.

This spot is known for its great seafood, I'm not into much seafood but I did enjoy their carne asada burrito , their meals look delicious however customer service could be improved. There was long wait times from getting menus to taking orders and forgetting items that were requested. I did not come during a busy time therefore not sure what was taking so long in between the requests. Outdoor seating was pleasant and followed Covid guidelines. read more

I love the food here and the ambiance. The seafood has so much flavor and the portions are huge. They have recently redone many things from expanding the restaurant to new bathrooms. They even offer sparkler candles for their desserts when celebrating a birthday. They have parking outside of the restaurant and the lot next to the dollar tree lot. So there is always parking. read more

Ahora que la crisis es muy alta, los precios suben, las raciones o porciones estan ala mitad de lo que servian y se me hace una falta de respeto hacia los cliente. Acabo de ir bo por mi cuenta! aclaro mi esposo ordeno 2 ordenes de empanadas y una de camarones cucaracha estilo Nayarit $31 Y la porcion de camarones solo 12 por una cantidad exorbitante. Y oara colmo un dressin por cada orden de 4 empanadas, tuve que comprar 4 aparte. Asi no se puede. Se que lo mexicano es mas caro pero el dueno deveria revisar precios y porciones. una clienta menos read more

*this is a review on management; no complaints on the food* we have been religiously going to this restaurant for over 10 years. we have never had a problem with the service or food...UNTIL yesterday. We accidentally left my credit card at the restaurant. We only realized that because we got a fraud alert from my credit card. we logged into our online banking and discovered countless of charges in the area and online. We immediately locked my card to prevent further use and reported the charges as fraud. We contact Palapa and informed that that we left the credit card after signing and that we highly suspect that the waitress (who is fairly new) stole the card and used it immediately. The manager was LIVID, but hold on, not with the waitress, but with US. As a business owner ourselves, we thought it would be in the business' best interest to know if an employee was suspected of stealing credit cards that it would be taken seriously. An honest individual would try to get a hold of the customer and if not, would call the credit card company to report the card as lost... We usually use cash when we go because you get charged an extra fee, but this time, we decided to use our credit card and were taken advantage of. The food is great and usually the service is great, but we are very very disappointed with our experience yesterday and how it was handled. We have reported all charges as fraud including the ones where Palapa charged 2 extra times; once in the same amount and once in a different amount. VERY DISAPPOINTED. If you're going, we would highly recommend paying in Cash... other than that, the food is great as usual, but after 10 + years as a loyal customer, we have a slight bitter taste in our mouth. read more

My seafood heaven !!!! This sweet little casual place reminds me a of a beach front cafe in Puerto Rico (without the beach). We were welcome with the nicest service and best & the freshest seafood I have had out side of Sri Lanka !!!! Bring your wine/beer and get ready for a feast from the sea that you would never forget for very little money. Great place for a casual dinner with someone you know.. I am going back :-) ps, be prepared to get down and dirty with the shrimp, in some dishes they are not peeled, but worth all the work... read more

This place was the perfect stop the day after a long night. We showed up around 1 in the afternoon and were seated immediately. Our server noticed the condition we were in and offered us a michelada right away. We ordered the shrimp ceviche and the guacamole. Both were very good. The only thing I would say is that our server seemed to be overloaded with tables even though we saw several servers for the restaurant. Either way, we will definitely be back especially when the weather is warmer! read more

La Palapa - Michelada and our very own Victoria - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's been quite a while since I've come here and I feel bad with this review but it has to be done. So I decided to take my mom here because she wanted seafood. She order a Sopa de siete mares (7 seafood soup) because she thought it would be a nice change. Well let me start from the time we walked in. We were seated next to the mariachi guys who hang out and for $15 a song they sing and play a gig from their Arsenal. Okay, I let the waitress know that my mom is a senior and I don't think it would be a good idea to sit us right on the side of the mariachis because I know from experience it can get loud. But she said "oh don't worry, they haven't had any request for two hours you'll be fine." UMMMMM.... Mom ordered the 7 mares soup and I got the large shrimp cocktail with oysters. Well moms soup was salty beyond. I was surprised as they usually don't salt it up so much. But she ate the seafood and the stock, well it was left. Now my shrimp cocktail was also a bit salty (surprisingly) and the oysters were so not fresh. They had a real funny taste and inlet the waitress know and she said that was because they are fresh. Ummmm no, I've had fresh and this wasn't one of those times. I ate the shrimp but the oysters were not consumed so much due to the taste. All in all, I've decreased my view on Palapas and that's tough encase for the most part I do enjoy them, but this visit was certainly not the best. I should of done the BYOB to mask the taste this time around. read more

I had wanted to try this place for the longest. I was there on Tuesday with a friend. It was a gloomy, rainy day and me being like cold blooded animal depend on the sun to be happy. Driving by, I tell my friend that we should stop and eat there. I was hoping that the beach atmosphere with the umbrellas and the beach like restaurant would do the trick. We get and the parking lot is a little odd, with only a few spaces. We were lucky to find parking right in front of the restaurant. We get in and are greeted immediately. Find a table and check out the menu. I was hoping they would have piña rellena but they didn't so. We ordered empandas de camaron as app. I had the filete relleno and my friend ordered the langostinos. I have been to many Mexican sea food restaurants and some go really crazy with the seasoning. It is seafood, and the seasoning is to complement the natural flavor of the main ingredient, not to kill it and overpower it to the point that you don't even taste the sea food. We get the empanadas and they were so good. Crispy on the outside and so flavorful and moist on the inside. They come with a chipotle mayo that was too sweet for my taste. But they also have some killer habanero salsa on the table that went perfectly with the empananas. Did I mention that they give you complementary ceviche?? They do and it was good. After a little bit they came with the entrees. I was a little worried that my food was going to be over-seasoned. Oh great surprise that food was perfect. I could palate the distinctive flavors of the fish, shrimp and crab. All very rich in flavor with tomatoes, cilanto and onion, mouth watering. All accompanied by salad (Mexican restaurants have a funny concept of salad: lettuce, tomato and onion, LOL), fries and rice. The rice was the best of the 3 sides. I had a chance to try the langostinos and they were perfectly seasoned and flavorful. I can't wait to go back on a hot day, bring some beers and imagine that I'm on a Mexican beach. The service is nice and attentive Price wise, it is not cheap, but no sea food place is so.. La Palapa. good food, good service and BYOB read more

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Wasn't too impressed. We decided to come try it out and we opted for the mattress breaker since I've heard quite a bit about it. I definitely felt the dish was buttery and had a kick too it. My guy didn't care for the dish. We didn't even finish the dish. I felt it was quite pricey since it cost us $30 (tax + tip included) for just that one dish. I know it's seafood, but the dish wasn't that big. Also, didn't care for the waitress just lingering around when we were paying. read more

La Palapa - Mattress Breaker - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes I think this place is amazing if you order the right stuff plus live music and sitting outside under the palapa umbrellas. It transports you to another place out of this country. The staff was super nice, it almost felt we where with family. We order the small charolada. It has a lot of flavor and a little of everything. You have to have their ceviche on a tostada with a drop of Valentina hot sauce. It was just perfect. We also had empanadas de camaron. They tasted like they just had made them, so fresh and tasty. My son loved them! Oh since we brought wine for the adults, we ordered orchata for my son. I had to try it and it was the best orchata I've had. Desert was so good too. Definitely recommend if you want to try something very adventurous and different. read more

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Close to the corners of Archer and Damen, this little gem is serving up some good seafood delights. We sat outside, under the grass hut's, everyone who eats in, get's a little dish of ceviche and green spicy salsa with fried corn tortilla. We ordered fish taco's and it was pretty good. When you bring a six pack of beer, they will supply you a bucket of ice to chill the beers. The only thing that I didn't like was the service. We sat there for a long time waiting for our check, but overall I liked the food. Pro's: -BYOB -cheap Con's: -Service read more

Went there for lunch today and food was pretty good, not going to say outstanding. Service was good too, nice lady came to check on us and food was brought in good timing. The only complain WE had was the woman's restroom. Wife and mom almost lost their appetite when they came back to sit. Allegedly restrooms were disgusting and as they walk past the kitchen you can see that it is very dirty in plain sight. read more

La Palapa - Music trio singing our favorite songs - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here last week, beginning of December it was really cold! I don't think they have their heater on. Their shrimp ceviche tostada was really rubbery and fishy smelling. I liked the soup they serve complimentary with your meal, although, I would have liked it with something in it, it was just water soup, but it had good flavor. their rompecolchon dish was not good, the seafood was really chewy and the rice underneath it is really dry and overcooked and very expensive on top of that. the staff was really friendly and nice that is why they are getting 3 stars. read more

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This place is one of my favorites.. Not entirely for the food but also the ambience. It's byob and apparently that stands for beer or bottles as in liquor bottles. My go to dish is the camarones a la palapa with a side of avocado. If you like spice and shrimp that's your ticket. The dish is big enough to share with another person. Micheladas are so yummy. Not everyone knows how to make the mix but again byob. They provide an ice bucket to keep your drinks cold. It's a good place to people watch .. I mean if your into that sort of thing .. Once the music starts playing by different musicians that play for a price , you'll see some people drinking more. Enough said about that .. Really good food , just make sure you don't get an outside table when it's scorching hot out. It won't be much fun. read more

La Palapa - Gone! - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We have tried to do take out here twice and both times were a bust. Once we tried calling them to place an order and couldn't get through (hung up twice) and another time we jumped on FB and followed the link to their Door Dash link. We ordered, showed up, and no food. Four people came out to 'help' but finally the last person said we didn't have an order and I had to wait 20 minutes for food after already waiting in line for 15 minutes to get an answer. Glad it was a busy Saturday so they obviously are a spot - but such a disappointment to us as neighbors of the place. read more

I heard mixed reviews about this place, so I decided to judge it for myself. It's located on a busy intersection of Archer and Damen, so parking was an issue. There are a couple of street parking and what looks like a homemade parking lot on top of gravel (a little ghetto if you ask me). The place looked like a dump with its ocean type decor and sticky hispanic themed tables. You have the option to sit outside or stay inside. This place gets busy sometimes, but the night my friends and I passed by it seemed ok. We seated immediately and our waitress came by with menus. She brought over some water and complimentary toastadas and crackers to dip in salsa and/or ceviche. For appetizers, we decided to get some more ceviche with shrimp and fish. It was garnished with avocado which complimented the dish well. This dish was so tasty!! The shrimp and the fish taste fresh, not at all rubbery. For the entrees: - Filete Relleno: Tilapia filet baked with shrimp, octopus, imitation crab, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese. It was served with fries, rice, and a side salad. This dish was delicious. The tilapia was so smooth that it just melted in my mouth. - Carne Asada: My friend ordered this medium rare, but when it came out it looked to be well done. She looked at it with disappointment, but decided to just eat it because she was hungry. To her surprise, the texture was tender and it was full of flavor. - Charolada de Mariscos: Seafood combo served over rice. Great flavor if you are a spicy lover like I am. - Platillo de Langostinos: Fried shrimp in spicy sauce. It was accompanied with rice, lettuce, and fries. The shrimp was cut in half so it was easier for us to take it out of the shell (such a great concept, how come chinese restaurants never thought of this for salt and pepper shrimp??) I was a little disappointed with this dish. The waitress claimed it was one of their most popular dishes, but it was a little overcooked and had a rubbery texture. I did enjoy the seasonings of the different spices though. Overall, this place's exterior is a little run down but the unique taste of their food makes up for it. If you have a feeling for mexican food and don't want the ordinary tacos or burritos, then definitely give this place a try. Their friendly service and tasty food will not disappoint you. read more

La Palapa - Fish and shrimp ceviche - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm giving La Palapa a 4 star because they have great service and simply good food. Yes, some of the tables are a bit wobbly, oh and I know its a bit pricey, but this one waitress there is so nice. She can't speaker very much English, but we've been there twice and had her as our server. The second time we came was recently with my groupon. This time instead of the bigger dishes, we got fish and chicken tacos, and the paella. The tacos are great! fish tacos has a nice thin batter dressed with a red sauce. Chicken tacos were interesting. The shredded chicken was mix/cooked with tomato's. It was good though. And get this, we ordered a large horchata and when the waitress came to give it, it was probably 4/6th full. We didn't say anything about it, but she quickly, tried explaining to us that they were making a new batch and didn't want to us to wait for it. So she gave us what was left, but when the new batch was done, she came back with a smaller cup of horchata to make up for the rest! What nice service I tell ya :D I'll be coming back for sure even without my groupon. read more

La Palapa - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois