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    La Palapa

    3.9 (249 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Mexican

    La Palapa Photos

    LA PALAPA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - La Palapa

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    Seafood stuffed Banana peppers
    Dominique F.

    Amazing food! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Needs pool tables and karaoke!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Love all the fish dishes! Best mocajete in the desert and the Oysters La palapa are amazing. Best server is Raul!!

    Menu July 2024
    R J.

    Decent Mexican food. Service is reliable and friendly. Enchiladas and fajitas are excellent.

    Molcajete was outrageously good!

    Friendly from the get-go. We were sat right away. Salsa and chips were outstanding. They said it might be a little slow because of a big party, but it wasn't. Our server Jose was the best, as he seemed genuinely happy to help us. The food was delicious and portions were huge, especially the Molcajete! We are visiting the area, and wish we had such a great Mexican food place near us!

    Molcajete
    drew d.

    Wow! I've been coming here for years getting an off-menu seared octopus in olive oil which is amazing, but last night we ordered the molcajete... it blew us away! The best I've had... This is a locals joint with a great staff and owner. Highly recommend! (But skip the guacamole... waaaaay too much red onion)

    Shrimp cocktail
    Rebecca C.

    We came back to Joshua tree (the city) at 7.10pm on a Sunday. The saloon was 2 hours for the wait, crossroads was closed, and we are not going to repeat the mediocre experience at "pie for the people". So we felt lucky when La Palapa was open and took us in at 7.45pm right before it closed. I RECOMMEND: Free chips and salsa - solid. Ask for extra salsa. Lobster bisque - huge portion. Can definitely share if you want. Add a bit of salt, pepper, and lime juice to elevate the flavors. SKIP: shrimp cocktail - a bit too sour. Angel hair pasta - I followed the hostess' recommendation and regretted it. What am it doing ordering angel hair pasta at a Mexican place??? The portion is family size - can easily feed four people. It came out really oily, the sauce is too thin, and the ground beef is chewy in texture. I would recommend sticking to the Mexican items on the menu. I would probably have ordered a taco or tostada if I had to do it all over again.

    Whitney N.

    Service was really great, our waiter was so nice and really did a great job. He even made my margarita which was really good. We both got the chicken fajitas they were pretty good. I did think they were a little flavorless though and the peppers could have been cooked longer they were really hard. There was some sort of red sauce on the fajitas but it didn't taste like anything. Next time I would try something different. I really like a nice char on my fajitas and this didn't have that. I did however enjoy the pepper amount and that they used 3 different kinds of peppers the red, yellow, and green. Salsa was really good too chips could have been a little fresher. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself is really nice had a great parking lot. Really spacious inside with a bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall I would try here again I would just try something different. Service was really great and was quick if you want something on your lunch break they are really speedy.

    Fish tacos were excellent!
    Darci L.

    We stopped here for a quick bite on our way home from Joshua Tree. I went inside and ordered our food to go. They didn't seem too busy when I walked in but by the time I got my food and left it was pretty busy. I had the fish tacos. They were some of the best fish tacos I've ever had. Lots of fish, not too greasy, plenty of cabbage and tortillas were fresh. I waited a while for my food but the servers were very friendly and working hard as it was getting busy.

    Best Micheladas in town!!! Absolutely delicious!!!

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    2 years ago

    I don't think I've ever had better Molcajete anywhere else. I stop here any time I'm in town

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    3 years ago

    Go here for the Pasta Alfredo. During my Joshua Tree week long trip, I went here 3-4 times just for this dish!!!

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    Page 1 of 7

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    Ask the Community - La Palapa

    Do they allow dogs?

    We have a pet friendly patio. Inside service dogs only.

    Does La Palapa cater for events?

    Yes, they cater large and small events. They also can host large events in their ballroom / hall. Big enough for many people and a band.

    View All 3 Questions

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    Kasa Carniceria y Taqueria

    Kasa Carniceria y Taqueria

    4.5
    (280 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $

    This spot is definitely on our lunch list each time we're in the area! Freshly prepared food,…read morefluffy tortillas and yummy marinated meats. I ordered the three rolled tacos with rice and beans. Love the fresh guacamole, lettuce, tomato's & cotija cheese on top! The menu includes the following: tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, nachos, asada fries, combo plates, family pack (includes one pound meat, rice, beans, onion, cilantro, red or green salsa, flour or corn tortillas and liter of soda), catering (five or ten pounds of meat), breakfast plates and burritos. Meats to choose from: asada, pollo, alpastor, carnitas, deshebrada, lengua, tripa and buche. Nice, friendly, employees, great food, plenty of parking out front and in the back. Note; inside is a small seating area, however you can get it to go. Wish they were closer so I could visit more often!

    For our road trip to Joshua Tree National Park I was looking for nearby eateries and found Kasa…read moreTaco Shop.  Kasa Taco Shop is in an interesting location inside Kasa Market.  Some benefits: there is a ready supply of meat and an excellent drink selection.  I picked a Yuzu sparkling water.  It was bubbly and had a bold yuzu flavor.  Loved it. Tacos were $3 each and 2 were a light meal.  If I was very hungry I'd want 3.  Carne asada was tender and I liked the flavor which had a hint of sweetness along with the beef flavor.  Flour tortillas were soft and I liked the mild flour flavor. Server was nice and efficient.

    Photos
    Kasa Carniceria y Taqueria
    Carna Asada torta
    Carna Asada torta
    Entrance

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    Entrance
    El Guero Mexican Grill

    El Guero Mexican Grill

    4.2
    (237 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    I came here for the first time today with my husband and daughter. Mind you, she is only 10 months…read moreold, and I have no clue why she chose violence today--but she did! We decided to sit down for lunch, and they had some pretty good deals going on for their specialty enchiladas: only $9.99 for two enchiladas with beans and rice. Hell yeah, dude! You even get to choose red or green sauce and shredded beef or chicken. It was absolutely delicious. My daughter and I shared an enchilada off of the children's menu. I've gotta say, our waitress was pretty freaking cool. She was super understanding of the fact that my child was frustrated because she was hungry, and she was very patient with us--which I appreciate, especially having anxiety in public. The cute little shop has plenty of seating, including kid-friendly options like high chairs and boosters. It's very clean and smells amazing! The food was out fast, hot, and delicious. The staff was friendly, courteous, and kind. Even the customers, who seemed to be regulars, were very understanding of the fact that my 10-month-old "chose violence" today. Thank you for hosting our lunch and being an amazing part of Yucca Valley! Guys, if you need a fast Mexican spot, this is definitely it. Enchiladas on point, rice on point, and the beans taste like you went straight across the border and got them from someone's abuela. (I think that's how you spell it--don't mind my white ass!) --waffles2319

    We have had great food at El Guero Mexican Grill. We love their burritos including the wet style…read morewith red sauce with chicken (our favorite). We also love the dry outside burritos with some of El Guero 's salsa (red or green). The staff is very nice here. We like to take our food to go from here also.

    Photos
    El Guero Mexican Grill
    El Guero Mexican Grill
    Chilaquiles with carne asada

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    Chilaquiles with carne asada
    La Casita Azul

    La Casita Azul

    3.5
    (356 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Our Airbnb host recommended this place as their favorite Mexican place in the area and we thought…read morethe place was just fine. We ordered the super burrito, the chorizo breakfast plate, and the combination plate with the chile relleno and the guacamole taco. Overall, the food was just fine. However, our refried beans were burnt tasting, which wasn't great. The guacamole also had an excess amount of limes in it but the corn shell was fried and had a good taste to it. The chile relleno was generous in size, which is probably why they limit you to one per combination plate. But overall, we thought the food was pretty good, especially the chips and salsa, which was fresh. There is plenty of parking and this place has a diner-like feel to it with plenty of seating. But overall, the food was just fine and the service was a little bit on the slower side.

    Come in with the right expectations and this place makes a lot more sense. This is very much…read morewhite-people Mexican food, and once I adjusted my mindset, I actually had a good time. I went during happy hour and that definitely helped. Cheap drinks and cheap food made everything more enjoyable. Is it great Mexican food? No. Is it good for what it is once you accept it? Yes. Service: Chill and straightforward Food/Drinks: Affordable happy hour food and drinks, better when expectations are set correctly Ambiance: Casual and relaxed, good for hanging out 7/10 Not authentic, but fun and solid once you know what you're walking into

    Photos
    Dinning area
    Dinning area
    Chips and salsa
    Chips and salsa
    View outside window

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    View outside window
    The Tiny Pony

    The Tiny Pony

    4.2
    (588 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Locally owned & operated

    Best homemade chips I ever had. The outside is unassuming…read moreright off the highway. Inside though, you'll never tire of looking around. Every wall is covered with unique interesting art- mostly animal theme. It's cooler than a dive bar and with quality food. My friend and I tried the pickle martini I read about in other reviews. Glad I tried it, but probably won't again. Espresso martini was delicious. Wild Boar Sloppy Joe was definitely worth the mess. Service was friendly and courteous. The platypus in the bathroom cracked me up. Highly recommend.

    There is plenty of parking in the strip mall here. The ambiance is very divey but also a super fun…read morelocals bar. Do yourself a favor and make SURE to visit the bathrooms! There is a dog friendly patio so we sat out back with our pups and ordered them puppy patties. Service was ok; since we were in the patio and it was a holiday they were super busy so it was understandable that we had to wait quite awhile for things (drinks, check, etc). But they servers all worked together and were nice. They grat parties of 5 an automatic 20%, but it's on the menu so be be mindful of that. The food was not bad. They had a special BBQ menu for the 4th, but didn't have the jalpeno cornbread so we went another direction. We ordered a $5 mimosa and the pretzel bites with BOMB queso and split the smashburger. All were awesome. My friends ordered the chicken sandwich and absolutely RAVED about how good it was!! Overall, this place is awesome and we can't wait to go back and sit at the very lively bar and watch some sports!

    Photos
    We make smash burgers and sauces in our scratch kitchen every day until late.
    We make smash burgers and sauces in our scratch kitchen every day until late.
    The Tiny Pony
    Our backyard is pup-friendly!

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    Our backyard is pup-friendly!

    La Palapa - seafood - Updated July 2026

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