I routinely get burritos here on the way home from work. This weekend we decided to try their breakfast menu. Breakfast burrito can be ordered with or without potatoes and with or without of meat. I ordered the Chilaquiles with verde sauce, it can also be ordered with red sauce. Two scrambled eggs on top with cotija cheese served with rice and beans. I absolutely loved how finely scrambled the eggs were and how they were seasoned. These Chilaquiles were among some of the best I've had. The staff is always friendly and service is usually quick. read more

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Odd fish taco. Okay salsa. Too much lettuce and topping on tacos. Lady not too nice serving customers.

This used to be a regular take-out spot for us during the pandemic. We would regularly drive from Sebastopol for their Rafa's burritos. We would order one burrito for each family member and often had leftovers for at least a day or two. These burritos were always enormous and incredibly delicious. I met a friend for lunch here on a Sunday, my first time dining inside. The kind lady at the counter brought menus and a basket of chips, salsa and bean dip. The menu has a nice variety of dishes from breakfast items to salads, molcajetes, tortas, quesadillas, chimichangas, seafood, and other traditional entrees. I ordered my regular Rafa's burrito with whole black beans (hold the sour cream). This burrito comes with three kinds of meat (grilled chicken, carne asada, and carnitas). My friend ordered the shrimp tostada with a side of guacamole. I was excited to take a bite of my burrito but when I did, I noticed it didn't taste like what I remembered. It was dry and the cook may have forgotten to add the guacamole and cheese. In the past I had always requested they hold the sour cream so this order was no different. My friend enjoyed every bite of her shrimp tostada so I was happy she had a good first visit to this cozy Mexican restaurant. The ambiance is festive and pleasant, the interior is clean. They have their own parking lot and a few tables outside. The lady at the counter is very cordial and sweet. read more

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Come here because we work right across the street. Was super happy when we found out the serve pupusas. Service was good and fast and they have outside seating. read more

Lapalapa is still the BEST Mexican food around. Since finding this wonderful spot we eat there once or twice weekly. Not only is the food consistently great but everyone who works there is happy and friendly. It's obvious that they enjoy working there and working for the lovely owners. Mauricio and Sondra are so kind and always greeting you with big smiles. Always great food and great people! Thx for many years of great food and funny jokes I just wanted to update review after so many excellent meals read more

So glad I found this place today. I will definitely be coming back! The inside & outside is such a fun & vibrant vibe. It was very clean and organized. The employees were also very nice and friendly. They made the order fast and with care. The food was bomb.com -- the burritos are giant!!! Their prices are similar to other places, but the proportions are way bigger. We order a regular burrito & the Raffa's burrito. I could taste the quality of the meat and the blend of flavors. I appreciate that their super burritos all include pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. The price is so worth it and can easily be 2 meals. The order also came with tortilla chips and sauce. Will be coming back!!! Santa Rosa gem. read more

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I kind of feel sorry for them for the disorganization, so even though i was frustrated, giving them 3 stars. They made so many mistakes, from preparing other's Food orders placed after mine, being ready before mine, To having to remake my burrito two times! I don't think I'll be back. The flavors were very average. read more

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Food - their food is always tasty and flavorful Service - we frequent this restaurant weekly because of good, efficient service. (Along with great food) Ambiance - it was hopping because it was cinco de mayo but we were happy for them. Supporting local is the least we can do. Highly recommend read more

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I had an order that included a large guacamole, $4.99 per the menu. I was given a very large container and charged $12.50. Brought it back in only to have the woman at the register refuse to look at the menu I pulled up for her and chastise me. She rudely refunded my money and poured the guacamole that had been in my possession back into the large batch they had in the kitchen all within my view. Disgusting and possibly a health code violation. read more

When you drive past it doesn't look like much on the outside. However, walking through the doors you get a nice welcoming and prompt service. For my surprise, they have pupusas! I am a lover of pupusas so once I saw it on the menu I went for it. I had 2 of queso and loroco. Price I feel it was very pricey, but like any other restaurant that sell pupusas, because of how the economy is I think is expected. The pupusa itself was really Delicious!. It came out fresh and warm from the kitchen. I do wish however, it had more cheese. (In my opinion it lacked cheese). I also ordered a Michelada and I also was delicious. Price on ot was fair in my opinion. As a first timer her at La Palapa I have to say, I enjoyed my experience! Can't wait to come back again read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - They have pupusas my peeps!!! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Wow! This place had done a total 180 !! I can now call this a hidden gem!! The food here now is delicious, fresh, high quality and generous portions! I believe a new family maybe running this business now? Both times we went there, there was only one server. Her service was friendly, attentive and good. read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Shredded chicken chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Great Torta Ahogada with diabla sauce. El pastor was marinated wonderfully, the diabla sauce missed its mark a little this round with an over abundance of Mexican oregano but otherwise fantastic. Great ambiance on Sunday with the football games going on the TVs and relatively empty just how I like it. Sometimes this place can be slammed. Excellent service as always, great homemade chips and salsa! read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - 1/2 Torta Ahogada El Pastor w/ side of lettuce - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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So, I told my husband about my experience the other day and he went on his own and got a burrito. He is VERY hard to please when it comes to burritos. He LOVED it! So with that being said I'm updating this to 4 stars and will be going back for something else to try. His only complaint was there was barely any chips in the bag. I said the same. read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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I thought that you couldn't really go wrong when ordering a super burrito... and boy was I wrong. Dry, no flavor, NO LOVE, the tortilla didn't even seemed to be heated up. It was a sad sad burrito. Sorry to cheat on you El Roy's! 13.00$ down the drain. read more

First time eating here. Great service: had super taco and carnitas tostada and they were delicious! Right around the corner from my house too YAY! read more

We LOVE this place. It's our favorite and go-to Mexican restaurant. They always get our order right, the food is so delicious, and they are so nice here. Plus the margaritas are great! What more can you ask for? I would recommend the enchiladas- their enchilada sauce is the best in town! read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Sadly I think this restaurant is a sign of the times. Overpriced and low quality. Gone are the days where local businesses take the extra step to make customers happy by providing superior service and products. I came in on a whim, probably my third time here. This will be my last time. It's the same thing over and over. Can we blame the company tho? Probably not. Inflation is stupid and how else are small business to survive? As pictured I paid $10.99 for a sad little chicken quesadilla. I almost feel bad for the poor chicken that gave its life to be thrown in the trash. I suggested you try another location because it's time for this one to go. read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Sad little chicken quesadilla. Note the salsa cup smothered in watery sour cream. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

¡Disfruten el sabór! We moved here recently and had a hankering for Mexican food. LaPalapa did not disappoint. Everything was well priced and the portions are righteous! My hubby had a burrito that needed its own time zone. The service was quick and friendly. We can't wait to go back! read more

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Super friendly folks! I ordered the Chile Rojo and it was one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my face! I am looking forward to going back again and again! read more

Mole Covered Burrito 100% recommend, flavor of mole is on the sweet side which was very enjoyable. Paired with an Iced Cold Mexican Coke read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Food was good, service was fast! Restaurant is cute, clean. Quesadilla- good tasting Pupusas- very flavorful read more

Buena comida servicio amable , El especial de cerveza que tienen los sábados , La taqueria es pequeña pero el servicio es bueno

Been to this place a few times and it's generally OK--but the last time I was disappointed. I ordered a combination with an enchilada and chile relleno...and when it arrived, it looked like the chile relleno was missing! In fact it was there, but covered with sauce, and had absolutely no fried batter coating which is standard for that dish. It was just a plain chile with cheese inside...pretty boring. I like to order that because it's unusual and not something I would make at home...this one I actually could have made because it was missing the most important element, in my opinion. It's a pretty basic place, and not too busy--but maybe the regular cook was off that night? The other thing that I've noticed--after I pay, they don't give me a copy of the credit card receipt, so one can either trust they'll charge the right amount, or take a picture of the original, which is what I did, and check it later. read more

Ordered octopus & shrimp cocktail to go & this is all that's in it. A few SMALL pieces of octopus & 4 pieces of shrimp & a big bowl of tomato juice with some diced up pico de gallo. Not to mention driving 20min there & another 20 min back home. VERY DISAPPOINTED read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Octopus, shrimp cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant we are in there at least once a week. The food is super good i always get the carne asada super burrito it is so amazing! The service is flawless the food is ready in less than 15 minutes. I call in and then i walk over there because my house is 10 minutes walking away! read more

This is our weekly go-to place for Friday night dinner in the JC neighborhood. Everything we order is delicious, friendly staff, and relaxed family friendly environment. Highly recommend! read more

I love this place. Casual, great food, friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating. I often come for lunch on busy work days. read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Tl;dr Great food, great service, ignore the warantless poor reviews. I don't understand why the reviews are not stellar here, it's kind of misleading. I hope people actually read the reviews to hear how great the food is. We mostly do takeout as it is one of our neighborhood taquerias and sometimes you just want to eat at home. The food is great (I typically get the Chimichanga and my family gets tacos and quesadillas) and when we do go for a sit down, we enjoy thr bean dip and salsa. The service has always been pleasant. I read some of the poor reviews and I get the sense that the reviewer has never worked in the food industry or is incapable of understanding that one incidence of something like a spot on a plate doesn't warrant a poor review. I rarely write negative reviews and would only do so after multiple poor experiences or if I encountered something REALLY bad. Anyway, check it out. read more

2.5 - torn between a 2 and a 3. Three means "I liked it" , except I didn't really like this place. I'm not sure what went wrong. Just wasn't impressed. It's hard when were blessed with the taco trucks on Sebastopol Rd. After spending a morning shining markers at the local cemetery to honor fallen veterans, I worked up an appetite and saw La Palapa. I walked in and she said, " anywhere you like ". The issue with that was, I counted 9 dirty tables and 4 occupied. There was legitimally no where to sit as I stood there for several minutes. First immediate turn off. Almost tempted to grab the rag myself, someone came over and made a place. When the chips came out there was sign of hope as the chips were really tasty n thick. Unfortunately the salsa was a -2 on the mild scale and taste like water. No flavor ! The give you a side of beans which is a nice touch. I ordered a taco and Chile Relleno combo. My plate was overwhelmed with a lake of beans hiding the 2 star rice which also was dry and lacked flavor. Maybe I should of put some salt on it ? The Pastor taco taco was trece fried dry and crunchy. Again not impressed. The Chile Rellno was decent and may of been the highlight. My ice tea was strong. When my bill came, I was charged for a $8.50 taco salad and a $2.99 ice tea. It was $12.47. Not charged for my $10.50 combo? I handed them a $20 and then she gave me $12.47 in change ? Which was the amount of the bill ? I left confused and not impressed. read more

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So 35 years in Santa Rosa I've drove past this place finally go to check it out for the first time thought I'd give it a chance sitting outside in the parking lot and they close 50 minutes early because I guess they close at 9:00 but they close early when it's slow huh?? I guess it'll be 35 more years before I try this place too many good restraunts to try to waste with this lazy dump. 1 star is to many read more

Love La Palapa! Best guacamole in town and fantastic bean dip as well. I really love the flying saucer, which is very similar to a taco salad. But you really can't go wrong here. I have been a fan for over 10 years and have never been disappointed. read more

I came to this place cause it was a four star and my husband and I were traveling through and wanted some authentic Mexican food. The service was superb and made you feel right and home and was as welcoming as could be! The chicken in my chimichanga was tough and food was pretty un-flavorful! read more

La Palapa rocks. Incredibly nice folks making tasty Mexican food. We love sitting out on the patio (nothing fancy) in sunny Santa Rosa. Fresh ingredients, casual atmosphere, pleasant service and affordable prices. Favorite Santa Rosa taqueria! read more

I've had it with this restaurant's predatory practices. I confess that I've put up with the behavior of the owners for longer than I might have because my partner enjoyed its colorful surroundings, though the food is mediocre at best. No more! I was there once again about a week ago only to encounter the same pettiness I came to associate with the place. I asked for an artificial sweetener commonly found at the table of most restaurants. When the check came, i noted that there was an additional charge for a "special order item." The amount (30 cents) was small, yet there is a principle involved. When I mentioned that I would have appreciated being informed of the charge in advance, the hostess, whom I suspect is also part of management, took offense. I was standing at the cash register at the time and she actually followed me to my table to continue her triad with a verbally aggressive demeanor. When I stated that I was merely stating my opinion and didn't wish to enter into a discussion, she persisted. Once again, I was compelled to inform her that I didn't appreciate her demeanor or her aggressive comments, which finally caused her to cease her unkind remarks. On a previous occasion, I asked for several lime slices for my ice water. There was a charge of (approximately) 80 cents added. When I inquired, the very same server was aggressive and defensive, overstating the case, that she "actually charged less than it would have cost me to purchase the same in a grocery store." I beg to differ. Unless the price of limes has recently increased drastically, it's highly doubtful that the equivalent of one lime would have been so expensive. When I mentioned that time that she might have informed me, she didn't engage further. After that, I limited my request to one lime slice, not because I wouldn't have enjoyed more, rather because I didn't wish to "impose my preferences" on the restaurant, which would clearly have imposed a surcharge onto its already inflated prices, and I reserved comment in deference to my dining partner, who enjoyed the questionable "ambiance" of the place. On yet a third occasion, I was given an entire chimichaunga plate, consisting of rice and beans, rather than the item I actually ordered, a chimichaunga ala cart. When I inquired about the difference in price compared to what I ordered, I encountered the very same aggressive behavior I had previously endured. I let it go, preferring to keep my peace and not provoke another unpleasant exchange, once again in deference to my dining partner's comfort. In each instance, it wasn't the cost of the surcharge with which I took issue. It was the lack of transparency that appears to be a constant in this restaurant, and the disrespect that follows when one inquires about its practices. If I had been disrespectful of the server, I might have expected some sort of "push back," however that was not part of my delivery. I was respectful and assertive, not aggressive in my delivery. Surely, anyone serving the public should expect to encounter instances of questions being posed by customers and be capable of responding respectfully. It appears that this establishment understands that it has crossed the boundary from what restaurant patrons might expect to a level of opportunism that they understand to be unusual, thus there is a degree of defensiveness displayed that is both uncommon and uncomfortable. One shouldn't have to fear the server when dining at a restaurant. This place routinely engages in behavior to which no one should be subjected. One shouldn't feel the need to avoid a simple request for an item routinely provided by most restaurateurs at no charge, not should one feel uncomfortable upon asking a question about any charge, especially when it is unexpected. I understand that its their prerogative to charge extra for anything a diner does not find readily made available on the table for that patron's use, however it's doubtful that most of us would expect to be charged more upon asking for an artificial sweetener, something that is usually provided as a matter of routine in most restaurants, considered to be the equivalent of sugar. To do so is, in my opinion, petty and predatory. We won't be returning to this poorly managed, stingy and sad excuse for a Mexican restaurant with no understanding of the meaning of the word "hospitality." If they find their costs exceeding their revenue, then they need to be honest with their patrons and raise their prices, though the cost of their food is already on the high end of what one might expect for such a minimalist dining experience. There is a level of disrespect for the intelligence of its customers that exceed our tolerance and, frankly,the norms of the restaurant trade. Lastly, no one should be treated to an triad of disrespect for simply raising a question. Patronize this disgusting restaurant at your own risk. read more

I've both had takeout and eaten in here several times. Each meal has been tasty, and enjoyable. It's been easy and pleasant to order either in person or over the phone. My food has been ready in a very reasonable time. I enjoyable their warm bean dip with chips. My last order was a wet veggie burrito and, honestly, it was one of the best I've had and will order again. read more

Cheese had mold on it that were put on the beans. Brought up the the waitress and she spoken to the cook and the cook stated that is not true because they freshly grated the cheese. I even showed the waitress the cheese and she said it looked like it. I come to this place multiple days per week and for them to not take mold on cheese seriously is messed up. If you come over to this place check the cheese for mold. I also was polite enough to pull the waitress aside and away from people to show her the cheese that had mold on it and I asked her what does that look like to you and she said mold. I am not happy about the way this situation was handled especially because I talked this place up so much to have these issue not being taken of is not okay. read more

I personally believe this is the best Mexican food restaurant in Santa Rosa. Located in what appears to be an old A&W root beer franchise, the servers are very friendly and responsive. They usually have a beer special every day. Their crispy super tacos are out of this world. read more

I'm reading a lot of reviews about the burritos...but my first impression with this place was another wannabe Mexican restaurant in Santa Rosa. i Don't get it...but I don't get Santa Rosa either. I had two carne asada tacos. No cheese? Was I supposed to ask for it? The meat was dry, salty and old tasting. The hard shells were boring, packaged ones. This is supposed to be authentic? The salsa was good! ... meh, I'll keep looking.... read more

I went to this place today, they prepared my burrito to go but I wanted to dine in so I asked for a plate and utensils. A staff handed me a dirty plate! The staff that took my order happened to be eating at the other table so I showed her the plate. I told her that the lady in the kitchen handed me a dirty plate; her response, "oh, okay!" If they can't wash their plates well, I don't even want to know how they handle the food! Not coming back to this place. I would not recommended this place to anybody! read more

La Palapa Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Ordered a torta and the bread was old and musty! Extremely disgusting and disappointing with the food here. This food is definitely not authentic Mexican food, don't waste your time and money here. Tragic to see a business not put in proper care to their kitchen. read more