Beautiful place inside. The food 2/10. Service was okay. I wouldn't go back. There were no vibes

Love the dark and light decors. Waiter was super nice and our drinks weren't too bad. Waiter asked if we wanted to start off with chips and salsa (super good chips omg) but didn't let us know that it wasn't complimentary so I would recommend asking in any restaurant! Other than that, service was great and the food was not bad. (On the sweeter side possibly due to a Hispanic sweet sauce) I would want to come back at night to try other foods! read more

Palenque Kitchen - Waffles and French toast and drinks - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The food here was spectacular! Very flavorful and delicious. I got the enchiladas mazatlan and they were wonderful (and this is coming from someone who usually prefers green sauce enchiladas). Nice amount of shrimp inside and it comes with rice and beans. I will say the place is a bit pricey...it was $14 for a small order of Guacamole (not pictured). I definitely recommend the patron margarita tree! For $60 it included mango, guava, strawberry, and plain-all delicious but the strawberry, it was very sour. The inside reminds me of a high-end club or lounge with low lights and good music. Definitely nice for a date night. Will be going back to try the steak! read more

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Had brunch on a Saturday around 11:00 AM, the place is huge with it's indoor and outdoor seating. Love the decor - giving me that Tulum vibes. They take reservations but it wasn't pack during the time we went. I had Huevos Rancheros which was so tasty, i only realized the avocado was missing once i got home. The hubby had the Pambazo with pork belly, he said it was different but good. Staff was friendly and attentive, we'd love to come back and check it out at night too. I heard it's very lively! Parking might be difficult during busy hours but i think this place is worth checking out. read more

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Highly recommend this place. Great atmosphere. Good vibes. Food was yummy. Laz was great. Kept checking on us. Very friendly. Will be coming back. read more

This was our first time here and our server Laz was great! The Suavecito and Mayan Pitaya were both great drinks! We got the enchiladas to share and the portion was big! Would definitely be back again! Great service overall, amazing vibes.. highly recommend! read more

Very bad service the girl in the front said it would be a 20 minute wait mind you it was very empty. We waited for about 30-45 minutes . A couple walked in and they seated them as soon as they walked in. We felt ignored because prior to that we had asked how long more since it was so empty and there was a bunch of tables open. read more

I went to Palenque Kitchen recently with my boyfriend for a date night. The server was extremely friendly and brought us fresh tortilla chips with salsa. My favorite dishes were the ceviche and the carnitas (came out as a block instead of shredded meat). I like the tacos too but the hard shelled taco felt a bit too greasy for my personal taste. However, the price is a little bit steeper than I had hoped. I love the themed look of the restaurant as well. Overall, I had an amazing time and would go back again. read more

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10/10 recommend the Carajillo. The food is also so bomb! Def recommend the enchiladas Puerto Nuevo. read more

Palenque Kitchen - Carajillo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My sister and I came to try out the amazing food here and we had the lobster quesadilla which was truly amazing. The chips were also delicious and seasoned fresh. Garrett was one of the top-tier servers I have ever had took great care of me and my sister. His mixing skills were a pleasure to watch. The GM Daniel always checked on us and made sure we were OK which we found very pleasing and comfortable. They truly have top-tier service. read more

Palenque Kitchen - Lobster quesadilla - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Everything was amazing, honestly the best carnitas I've ever had. The only issue was the fact that we told them we were celebrating our anniversary and they sat us at a communal table... When there were a bunch of empty tables. They moved us to a 2 top after we asked but kind of sucks that we had to ask. read more

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Food was delicious- drinks were good and our server Laz was fun and had great suggestions. 10/10 recommend and if you can....request Laz as a server, you won't regret it! read more

Would have given this place a 5 stars but dropped down to 4 stars due to the attitude of our server Laz. The service was slow we waited about 30 minutes for first round of drinks and food came about 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes in. Waiting for food was not the end of the world as they may have been busy, tho it wasn't really packed. Back to the server, he would come and check in on us and ask us if we needed anything and the moment we started answering his back was already turned to us walking away. Such a bad attitude honestly, and it happened like 3 times. In hindsight, the taste of the food and the drinks were 10/10. The hype was worth it, prices were to be expected (for a nice restaurant in OC), but I just wish the service was better as we were excited to be there, celebrating a birthday. Service 5/10 Food-Drinks-Ambiance 10/10 read more

Palenque Kitchen - Carne Asada - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I was able to check this place out for the first time this Sunday. I got there around 10 AM so it was near opening. The wait wasn't too long to be seated, which was the bonus of checking this place out. I was greeted by the friendly staff who quickly seated us to our table. To drink, I just had a Michelada. It was pretty good, but it is kind of difficult to mess this drink up. It was refreshing and great way to start my brunch. I decided to order the Chilaquiles with salsa Verde, I opted for the meatless option, but they do offer steak, soy chorizo, and I think one other option. The chips were nice and crunchy so you know that this dish was fresh. The salsa was also very good. The portion itself was a decent size, but not so big that you over indulge yourself. I definitely want to try out more of the brunch options. For a place that just opened, I'm definitely giving high reviews on this spot and it is a must try. read more

Palenque Kitchen - Michelada - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Service is fast, friendly, and very attentive. The food is also on point, delicious, and flavorful. Best to make reservations if you want seating indoors. However, their patio is covered and has heated lamps. Great place to hang out with friends and is accommodating to large parties. read more

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Great service, delicious food, amazing drinks. Had a great night with kids and wife, definitely coming back again. Music great vibe to spend a Friday night. Our server Laz was on point. read more

I've only had the chance to sit at the bar but have had the pleasure to be served by Alec. He's the best! Drinks and service are always on point. Make sure to ask him to make you an espresso martini- he's makes the best ones! read more

While I know I am running the risk of making this place hard to get into by driving more people to there, I want to make sure this place is still around. I had dinner there around 6pm Friday and it was no where near as full as it should have been....Palenque changed my entire attitude towards high end Mexican food. Javier's started it, and Palenque just cracked my whole world view on it...now onto the review... To start, I highly recommend trying their Agua Chile if you love lime. This dish was a great presentation and while the complexity of Cohens aqua chile was missing (for those of you who have had the luck of getting it when he decides to serve it), this one was a solid contender. Next, the guacamole was simply outstanding. Between the two appetizers we ordered, the guac would be the winner in that match up. Made with perfectly ripe avocados whose flavor matched how beautiful it was...it was creamy, flavorful, and had just the right amount of tanginess for my daughter...although I would have liked more lime myself...did I mention I like lime yet? As for me pointing out the creaminess, those that know me know I like my guac chunky...the fact I was blown away by a creamy guac is just unheard of. Again, for me I needed more line, but my daughter loved it. I think they added pepinos (they were big seeds, and I am not a professional food critic, so let's go with "pepinos"...if I misidentified, you can deduct from my pay of zero dollars for writing this review lol..) Moving on to the main course, the birria was a standout dish. The tender, slow-cooked meat was rich in flavor, and the accompanying consommé added an extra layer of depth to the dish. SO MUCH FLAVOR! My daughter who does not like heavy, flavorful meat dishes LOVED the birria...so take that as you will. The salmon was cooked to perfection, with a crispy skin and moist, flaky flesh. The dish was beautifully presented and accompanied by a medley of seasonal vegetables (the carrots were bomb), and the little chunks of pineapple were great as well. Not a big Al pastor guy, but this salmon was amazing! The polenta it was served on was great as well! Overall, I don't normally order salmon, my daughter ordered this, but it would even be a contender for my choice is was so well prepared! Drinks, I ordered the sampler margarita thing...didn't know how much is cost, and glad I didn't know before hand...it was a good intro to their drink menu and I honestly would have never tried the watermelon margarita (ever since the watermelon mimosa incident from Sol that we DO NOT TALK ABOUT EVER)...but dammit if that drink didn't make me allow watermelon back into my life...amazing all around. For dessert, the tres leches was a better of the two desserts we tried...and while we normally don't order dessert and if we do order dessert, it's only one to share...we were almost forced to order two desserts due to the quality and taste of the birria, salmon, and the appetizers....omg...tres leches cake is one of my favorite Mexican desserts, and this one did not disappoint. The palenque cake was decent, but the glaze was not as sweet as we needed that night...and while I know that sweetness is not the paradigm of that dessert, I am glad I ordered it because the cake was amazing. If you put the toasted palenque white cake in the extra leche from the tres leches, you will go to heaven and immediately demand the angels send you back to finish! For those of you who are going to whine about cost, just stop...this is not a cheap place at all...this place is pricey and it's worth every damn penny! I just had a meal at Eddie V's and the prices were comparable and so was the food...this place rates at around the same you would pay for any high end restaurant around this area...this being said, I legit told my daughter that even though this place was pricey, this is what you want when you spend this much...you want to be happy you spent that much...you want to not regret the spend. And for the dude who wrote a review about the the birria not being available when he went...dude, I would be pissed as well...and you really need to go back and try it! Lastly, service was top notch. I think even the manager came out to check on us. Everyone was pleasant and I saw the wait staff and food runners f do their job magnificently. They handled all the food we ordered...and we totally over ordered since my wife wasn't with us to temper my impulses...they handled it all super quick and their energy was amazing! Top points all around... For you younger generation who made it this far in my review...this place slaps! For the slightly older generation that have made it this far, this place is amazeballs! For my generation, this place is totally rad and you should take your kids/grandkids to it as soon as possible! read more

Palenque Kitchen - The bad ass birria! I need a bit more lime, but dammit this was a bad ass birria! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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"Happy Hour" is only at the bar top even though they have Happy Hour Menus at the tables. The prices they charged are different than what was on the menu. Very shady. read more

I was looking for a new spot to try out tonight, and I found this. It was one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Alejandro was our server and he was prompt and had great suggestions, very knowledgeable of the menu. We got Mojotes as a starter. It was a super creamy sweet potato croquette. The texture between crunchy and soft was perfect!! Very tasty black bean sauce too. I got the Tlayuda. The pork was not too fatty, very crispy. The tortilla was thick enough to not become soggy during the meal. The flavors were delicious. It was also easy to cut up and eat without it being too tall, sounds silly but I'm sure you know what I mean. My boyfriend got the Carne asada. The meat was very tender, almost creamy when paired with a very pleasing red sauce. We were both trying each others foods. Alejandro also suggested a really good wine--but I forget what it was. Sorry. It was very busy inside the restaurant, but the service was friendly and fast (without being so fast that you get suspicious that it's not fresh) Altogether it was an amazing date night! I think I fell in love!! read more

Palenque Kitchen - Tlayuda - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went out for my best friends birthday and had an amazing experience thanks to Laz, very attentive and kind making the whole time here great. Would definitely come here again and recommend his services. read more

Laz hooked it up! Great food and drinks, and any place that welcomes my pup on the patio is on my go-to list. P.S. They can make any cocktail a mocktail for my straight edge crew out there. read more

The atmosphere, decor and music were awesome! The food and drinks didn't disappoint either with friendly severs! Great spot in Costa Mesa! read more

Palenque Kitchen - Mimosa Board - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Daniel & Ali were great! The service was impeccable. Drinks were served right away. We came here to celebrate an engagement and they made the experience extra special without having to ask. Great music, they played a variety of genres. read more

NEVER NEVER NEVER. This place is a SCAM. I stupidly made a reservation for 6 through opentable and within 4 minutes discovered my party had to cancel. Per opentable, I had to call the restaurant. I NEVER have had this issue through opentable. So obviously Palenque sets it up this way. Why? Oh, because THEY DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. So you can't cancel. I called within 10 minutes of making a reservation to cancel. No answer. Hours say they are open for the next 8 hours. I call again an hour later. NO ANSWER. I just call again. Guess what! According to Josh, the manager, I now will be charged $120 just to cancel - $20/per person!!! I literally tried canceling within MINUTES of making this stupid reservation. Not only will I never eat here, I will get my money back and Palenque will regret the $120 they temporarily get from me. read more

Great service! Presentation of food is really good. Nice atmosphere. Met Daniel, the GM and super nice.

Stopped by Palenque for the first time. Sitting at the bar we were greeted by Iban. He was super nice and offered to make us a refreshing drink for taco Tuesday. I asked him to surprise us and man did he knock it out of the park. If you like a lil kick try the cucumber jalapeño margarita. It was the end of the night so I tried the churros con chocolate. Such a great treat. If you haven't been here before definitely stop in for a drink and some food. If you can find Iban. He was awesome, friendly, and always checking in to see if we needed anything. The ambience was amazing as well. read more

Palenque Kitchen - Churro con chocolate and margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Updated review: Food was good and ambiance was great. Our server Laz messed up around 4 of our drinks and then also charged us for drinks we didn't have. We were a large group and didn't look closely at the bill until the next day. I would suggest you look closely at what your charged for. read more

It was my first time dinning at this restaurant and food and service was amazing. Server Laz T. was very attentive and friendly he made this experience even better. Everything he recommended was delicious. Will definitely come back! read more

I chose this restaurant for my birthday dinner on New Year's Eve, thinking it would be a memorable way to celebrate both occasions. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. We had a reservation for three people at 9 PM, but when we arrived, there was a delay, and we waited outside for about 15 minutes. When we were finally taken to a table, it had only two seats, despite our reservation clearly being for three. The server apologized but couldn't fix the issue immediately, so we waited at the bar for another 30 minutes. My fiancée, who is pregnant, was starving and uncomfortable, which made the situation even worse. The general manager seemed completely overwhelmed, running around without offering any real solutions. His attempt to smooth things over with complimentary shots was not only unhelpful but also tone-deaf, given the circumstances. By the time we were finally seated--around 10 PM--it felt like the night was already ruined. The seating itself was another disaster. We were placed near a massive group of people who were standing and dancing, effectively turning our area into part of the dance floor. This wasn't just annoying--it made enjoying our meal impossible. The restaurant had a designated dance area by the DJ, but the staff did nothing to enforce it, leaving dining guests like us to deal with the chaos. The music was another disappointment. The flyer advertised reggaeton and hip-hop all night, but what we got was exclusively Middle Eastern music. While I have nothing against that genre, it was entirely out of place for a restaurant claiming to serve authentic Mexican cuisine. When we asked the DJ if the music would change, he refused, dismissing our concerns. As for the food, it was far from the quality we were expecting. The guacamole was the only thing that stood out as decent. The rest of the dishes, including stale red rice and overcooked enchiladas, were barely edible. It also seemed like accommodating dietary restrictions required jumping through hoops, as the server needed to consult the manager for even minor requests. What was supposed to be a special night celebrating my birthday and New Year's Eve turned into an unforgettable disaster. This place is nothing like what it advertises, and their glowing Yelp reviews are clearly incentivized by freebies, not actual quality or service. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food or a reliable dining experience, avoid this place at all costs. Had to post this on my end as well because we still can't get over how bad this experience was from beginning to end. read more

We had an early dinner on a Sunday night and got seated immediately. The service and food were good. The music was a bit loud at first but my ears are more sensitive. I had the enchilada puerto Nuevo (lobster enchilada) which was yummy but cheesey, so I couldn't quite taste the lobster. My son had the beef birria barbacoa and he loved it - very filling. read more

Palenque Kitchen - Enchilada puerto Nuevo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Great place for drinks and dates. I like the dim lighting. It was slow when I went on a Tuesday but service was great read more

Palenque Kitchen - The onda civic - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

[Updated this review to include more detail]   I've been to Palenque twice and had a fun, memorable experience both times. We walked out wanting to talk about everything. Not everything was perfect, but the restaurant still deserves 5 stars because I had a good time despite not everything being perfect.   Must orders: Pulpo, zarandeado (grilled branzino), carne asada.   Other dishes: Ceviche, poblano caesar, carne de puerco iberico y chile   The positives:   GENERAL: Everything is jam-packed with flavor, they season aggressively (which I like), and their sauce work is really nice. Some of the combinations and pairings are not what I'd expect with Mexican cuisine, but they work for me for some reason. Also, portions are generous for the price.   PULPO: 5/5. I always order octopus when I see it on a menu. This is the best I've ever had. The texture of the octopus is amazing -- super tender interior with a really crispy exterior, almost like shattering fried chicken. The octopus was probably braised until tender, then deep fried or something. The brussels sprouts are sweet, tart, and saturated with deep flavor. The pickled chilies are great against the rich octopus and sweet sprouts. The macadamia nuts were unexpected but really nice -- very buttery and earthy. This was our favorite dish.   ZARANDEADO (branzino): 4.5/5. The branzino comes charred in the best way, which is balanced out by a beautiful chilaca aioli, and bright salad. I borrowed a tortilla that came with a different dish and used it to make a taco and it was pretty great.   CARNE ASADA: 4.5/5. I don't always know what to expect when ordering carne asada. You can go to 10 restaurants that serve it and get 10 different dishes. This one is memorable and a standout. It's a beautifully plush flatiron steak with tons of crispy potatoes, charred shishito / scallion, and this awesome morita aioli and luxurious onion soubise.   I ordered the steak medium rare both times. The first time, the steak was perfectly med-rare but the potatoes were slightly underdone in the middle. The second time, the steak was good but closer to medium, and the potatoes were a bit more cooked. I think they could be cooked longer before frying to be more pillowy, though. When I make potatoes like this, I cook them until they're nearly falling apart, then fry.   The not-so-positives:   THE VIBES: Just an opinion: Before I ever went to Palenque, I almost dismissed it because their online presence / social media presents themselves as more of a club at first glance. The first pinned post on IG is a tequila tower, and the interior is very nightclub-y. I've been to places that seem like this and those places put most of their energy toward the party vibe and drinks, and are less serious about the food. However, Palenque IS serious about their food -- great bold ideas, solid execution, etc, but it really didn't seem that way at first. if you dig a bit deeper and look for it, you can get an idea of their food quality, but it's not super apparent on first glance.   CEVICHE: 3/5. This wasn't bad whatsoever, it just wasn't that interesting. Reminded me of the ceviche tostada from the LA truck, Mariscos Jalisco, but that one's less than $4 when I used to go there often. I was looking for way more intensity and acidity (a good place for this is Roseline). I got this on my first visit and originally wanted to order the ceviche de atun but it wasn't available that night.   POBLANO CAESAR: 3/5. I love caesar salads. It was a pretty straightforward Caesar salad to me. Not much to write home about. An example of a take on Caesar that I love is Jon & Vinny's gem lettuce salad. It's amped up and over the top.   CARNE DE PUERO IBERICO Y CHILE: 2.5/5. I was not expecting it to come out with so much broth. It was basically a deep bowl of soup with pork and salad floating in it. It all tasted good, but it didn't make as much sense to me as the other dishes. When pork is served in a broth like that, I expect it to be more of a braisey, melty cut, like shoulder or neck. This one was more steak-like in texture. Cutting into a pork steak while it's bobbing up and down in liquid is kind of tricky. The first piece of pork was very well done and a bit dry, but the second piece was really tender and nicely cooked.   The beans were absolutely delicious, but unevenly cooked. A few of them were chalky and underdone, and some were creamy and perfect. The cheese was melty and wonderful.   The salad was a similar mixed green salad that came with the branzino, but it was placed on top and sunk into the broth. I've never seen this before and it was kind of strange to have a cold salad mixed into hot broth.   I think this dish could be much better if it were plated differently with the broth in a small bowl on the side. With all that said, I still want to come back again and again. I want them to be super busy and successful because they're doing great things. read more

We would always see this spot driving by and when we found out it opened we had to try it! Came here for my dads birthday dinner last night and we were so disappointed with the service. We started off with ordering drinks and they took so long to come out we had to continue to ask about our friends. I asked my waitress about the wine selection and she had no idea about any of the wines. Keep in mind it was around 5 pm so it was fairly empty. We started off with their guac and ceviche. I highly do recommend their gauc. We all ordered different entrees and our waitress forgot to put my moms order in so she got her food after we were basically done eating. The carnitas, vegan enchiladas and fish I highly recommend! Their tortillas taste fresh and soft. The food was good once it came out! I had to ask for the manager and speak to him about what happened. I was a little disappointed because they didn't even bring anything out to celebrate my dads birthday but that's okay. I think we will give it time to come back after they have been open for longer than 2 weeks read more

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10/10- Amazing food & service! Laz was super attentive and guided us in the right direction for all of our food and drink choices! Ambiance was also top knotch. Great date night spot! Will definitely be back soon! read more

The food is delicious, had the pozole verde and loved it! The manager was super sweet and checked in on us. Also tried the guacamole and patron tree and yummmm.... read more

Palenque Kitchen - Posole Pozole Verde - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Pros - Ambiance and food are great. the steak was made to perfection. chips and salsa were good. the place is beautiful and not too loud where you can't have a conversation. good music too. Cons - service and drinks. Service was very bad. we waited too long to get a server and get our drinks that we ended up going to the bar. They also took a long time getting our order. we went through 2 baskets of chips and salsa. Server was not so attentive until the end (i wonder why). too bad we were forced to give 20% tip because we were a big party but the service was not worthy of 20% for sure. now the drinks at the bar were not good. order a mexican candy shot and got something else. we asked him again if that's the mexican candy shot and bartender confirmed that was. shot was white and didn't taste like it. how can it be a "mexican restaurant" and not know what a mexican candy shot looks like? i also got another mixed drink and the cup was filled half way and was nasty. overall, i wouldn't come back because of the bad experience with service and drinks. read more

This is an up and coming restaurant. The food was mediocre. The Veggie Enchiladas should be taken off the menu. There was a lot to be desired about that dish. Daniel, the owner was nice and personable. read more

Our server Garrett and the GM Daniel were just as great as the food. Super friendly and had great recommendations for food. Daniel absolutely kept checking on my sister and I. We ordered the watermelon Red Bull margarita, the PUERTO NUEVO LOBSTER QUESADILLA and the CAMARONES A LA DIABLA which was delicious! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for great food and spectacular service! read more

Palenque Kitchen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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So, I called to reserve a spot for my friend's birthday celebration for a Saturday night for a group of 15 people. I was specific when asking questions about where we would be able to hang out since it's a restaurant/lounge. The girl told me over the phone we can be outside by the DJ and 15 people would be fine, no problem. I asked if more people can come and she said YES. I later got a text stating I needed to put down my credit card to reserve our spot. I hesitated, but I did it anyway after speaking to the manager. A few hours before our reservation I get a call from the manager asking me how many people would be showing up and that they should all be there on time or else I would get charged $25 per person who doesn't show up. He also said that they were going to be extremely busy that night and their restaurant was going to be packed so make sure my guests arrive because he's having to turn away guests for our large group. When we got there....place was empty! There were maybe a few people there but not like he described at all! We were the only big party of people there and the place was dead & boring, and the vibe was dry & DISSAPOINTING! Even the bar was empty...nobody was sitting there, which is indicative of the atmosphere. Literally the place was dead. My entire group of almost 20 people were like..."I thought this place was gonna be lit & fun, but it's empty & boring." There was a DJ but nowhere to dance, and nobody was dancing. I think this place is all hype! And the manager was rude. Do NOT waste your time coming here if you're looking for a fun vibe. Our bill came out to almost $1000 and they did not want to break up our bill even though we asked them to ahead of time. They can only split it 3 ways which was a total disaster trying to figure out everyone's total individually! We wasted at least 30 minutes trying to figure it out. They said they told me this over the phone when I made the reservations....but they DID NOT, I would've remembered that. Bottom line...my entire party said they would never go back there again and that the manager was rude. He was not very likable at all! The waiters & food were good, but that was it. If you're looking for a good nite out on the town with your friends...this place is definitely NOT IT. Don't even bother. They sure hyped up this place telling me I would not be disappointed but we all were. That's too bad. After leaving there, we all went down the street to another humble location for drinks & dancing.. we had better fun there. read more