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    Palenque Kitchen

    4.1 (774 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    PALENQUE KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Trendy
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - Palenque Kitchen

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    Steak and shrimp fajitas $28
    Heather W.

    Stopped in here for date night and some futbol watching. Sat at the bar which has all the vibes, decor is absolutely beautiful and great people watching on a Saturday night. Has a weird entrance though, it's not the main doors it's like the side door and you gotta shimmy past a large table to get in. But beyond that, they have a great cocktail list, I recommend the watermelon cucumber one with the tajin rim, then we ordered the cdm ribeye tacos... they were to die for! And my husband had the shrimp and steak fajitas which was a ton of food, we end up taking half of his home. Servers were very nice and on top of it. Some tables ordered a patron sampler bottle thing, they had the flashing lights to go with it. Gave off club vibes. All young couples here and single ladies getting ready for the night out. Great spot, would recommend!

    Parking in front!
    Ligia M.

    We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Saturday morning. They open at 11 and a few hours later, the place was still very empty (about 3-4 parties present out of the whole restaurant). I was surprised, since the ambiance is stylish and chic and the drinks are amazing!! Parking in front is a plus, also! Food wise, unfortunately, my breakfast burrito was bland, and so were the rice and beans from my friend's tacos. Another friend who is not into spicy food said her tacos were very spicy (so be careful when you order). My burrito came with green salsa on the side and it still was missing some flavor. Next time I come I will order my friend's chilaquiles, which was very tasty and flavorful!! Drinks are made in house and are perfect. Our waiter was really nice and the food didn't take long to arrive. Great place to come for a date or a large celebration! Yes, they have brunch!

    Carne Asada
    Klarissa P.

    Found this place through instagram. Went there for lunch with a friend on a Saturday and it wasn't too crazy or loud. We got the margarita sampler and carne asada from the dinner menu. 10/10 would recommend! It was all so delicious. Service was fast and we got some great recommendations.

    Steak Tampiquena
    Patience M.

    Had our company dinner here and it went very well. I had the Pollo dish and it was so heavenly, super well seasoned and balanced. My husband had the steak and it was great as well and came out perfect temperature. Not pictured was the ceviche which was super bright and enjoyable. Service as great and our waiter was super patient with us being a large party. Will definitely be back soon!

    Michelle L.

    Ambiance feels more like a vibey-bar restauraunt than a restauraunt restauraunt. They play loud music which can make it hard to converse. Overall the food was just ok, but the drinks were solid! Great service though.

    Receipt
    HB Yogi L.

    Our visit was in March of 2026. The food was great the place was mostly empty yet were questioned for quite a while by the hostess about having a reservation. Ended up eating at the bar which was nice. For how slow it was we were surprised that the service was a still a bit slow. My husband ordered a Paloma and was charged $20! Receipt attached. While food was good I don't think we will be back. Too many other choices with better service and pricing.

    Lobster Enchiladas Puerto Nuevo and Caesar Salad
    Jessica V.

    Solid spot for date night! We went at 5:30 on a Sunday and it was absolutely dead. I bet it's more poppin for brunch and also later on weekend evenings? Chips and salsa were good, drinks were so tasty, and the enchiladas and Caesar salad were perfect. I do feel it was a bit pricey especially the drinks, but I'd recommend it for a fun night out if you want club-y vibes.

    Nishitha S.

    Food service and ambiance are all top notch! Music was vibey. I wish I lived closer so I could come here more often. Steak was melt in your mouth and buttery. Not too many great vegetarian options (see other pic) but great for everyone else! Cocktails were also delicious.

    Fred S.

    Palenque Kitchen by Mezcal is a standout in Costa Mesa we went on a Friday and it delivered exactly the high-energy vibe I wanted, DJ, packed crowd, and a fun atmosphere. Beautiful space that works for date night or a night out with friends, and even with the crowd, service was on point, shoutout to Josue. "The Patron Tree" is super fun and photogenic (mini margaritas). The branzino and the steak were seriously good. Overall, great music, great vibes, and a perfect spot for a night out.

    Pulpo
    Miriam L.

    Brought my mom here for an early Mother's Day celebration. The food was amazing and the service was great.

    Enchiladas Mazatlan
    Sebastian P.

    I visited here on a rainy night and it was an intimate and visually appealing restaurant. Even though there were barely any people inside (though my guess is because it was a Tuesday night and it was raining), the music and visuals made me feel excited to eat here. My enchiladas with the shrimp was cooked to perfection and the beans and rice were also good but nothing outstanding. They serve chips and salsa and honestly those were some of the best I've had at a Mexican restaurant. I think my friend got some Al Pastor dish and he really liked it too. I think it is on the pricier side for what is served but the service was friendly; I would definitely come back here.

    Cheese Enchiladas
    Tara Y.

    Palenque is such a beautiful spot. The ambiance is stunning and you can tell they put a lot of thought into the design. As soon as we sat down they greeted us with water and chips and salsa. The chips are homemade and really good. I ordered the cheese enchiladas and overall everything tasted great. My only small caveat was that I wish the dish came out hotter temperature wise. One other minor thing was when we were waiting for the check the music got very loud and I couldn't hear the person sitting right next to me. I am not sure if it was accidentally turned up. That said, overall it was a good experience and I would definitely come back.

    Don't ask for salsa this is all you get a tiny bit and you will be charged for
    Al V.

    Food was AWFUL!! We started with the Cesar salad came with dark blue tortilla chips. The salad was the only meal we enjoyed. We ordered shrimp Diablo which comes with beans and rice. APPARENTLY tortillas are separate. We also ordered the chile relleno no rice no veggies no sides at all. Let me tell you about the beans, they were disgusting,. First of all they don't look like beans at all, the texture is like fluffy mash potatoes so gross. Tortillas are separate Oh! and they are paper store bought tortillas. What ever they do to the beans is not only gross but disgusting and a disgrace to beans. For being à la cart it's so not worth it at all. This place is by far crazy overpriced and way overrated. Another thing if you request salsa yes you will be charged for it, and the amount that they bring is insulting. Service was mediocre they never came around to refill our waters, I'm sure we probably would have been charged extra for that too. Ambiance is very loud and dark so if you happen to have hair in your food or bugs you wouldn't be able to see. All in all I give this place a 2 out if 10 I WOULD NEVER GO BACK NOR WOULD I EVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. Not worth it at all.

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    2 years ago

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    Natasha P.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    5 stars honestly really good food! Worth it brought my sister for her bday bringing her back next year!

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    Natasha P.

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    2 years ago

    Great Quick Service - had carnitas, delicious - great drinks and awesome ambiance ! Will return for dinner or happy hour !

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    Natasha P.

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    3 years ago

    Good isn't good in my opinion. More of a club not restaurant. Customer service and ambiance is great though!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    High prices. Food quality ehh. Margarita is gross. service slow especially for not even being busy. Try Del next door.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great ambiance .Loved the 1942 Tequila...Made my birthday celebration special. The pulpo was delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Food, service and ambiance was great! We had so much fun for my birthday dinner. Our server was on top of everythong

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food and music was great . I would recommend anyone to this place. Service was on point too.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Awesomeness!!!!! Food and environment!!!! Delish food awesome vibe!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Page 16 of 20

    Palenque Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Palenque Kitchen

    Nat, I have been trying to get a reservation for 20 people this Friday. I've been calling and I've left a VM. I haven't had any response. A gentleman answered on one occasion and said I need to email but I called back no answer. Help?

    Apologies for the inconvenience! Please try emailing us at info@palenquekitchen.com and someone from our team will reach back out to you as soon as we can. Thank you!

    Do they have bottomless mimosas for brunch?

    Hi Haikela! The bottomless mimosa promo is available during brunch hours on Saturday and Sunday, available with the purchase of an entree, with a maximum time of 1.5 hrs. Thank you

    Do you offer brunch on Saturday as well?

    Hi Gina! Yes, our Brunch hours are 11 AM - 2:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays

    Is there a dance floor?

    I've been there several times and never saw one, but why not just get up and boogie?

    Are minors allowed during dinner times?

    Yes

    Does the restaurant turn into a club afterwards?

    Yes

    Can you bring your dog in the outdoor seating?

    Yes

    Is there weekend brunch?

    Yes we do have it

    Are kids allowed during the day?

    Yes of course

    View All 14 Questions

    Pioneer

    Pioneer

    4.6
    (207 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    Takes reservations
    Romantic vibe

    Gem in a very odd place! Came here on a random Saturday night with some good vibes. The place is…read morevery small and basically is full by 8PM. There is another section hidden behind a door or some sort that opens up a bit later into the night. People come here to chat and drink, so the turnover rate is slow. It's located inside a restaurant and conspicuously placed thru a random door in the hallway, so you might be confused when you get there. As for the drinks, I didn't actually drink myself that night but my friends ordered at least 10 drinks (some of them 3 by themselves), and they all said the drinks were pretty good. I mean, the drinks just kept coming. If you like to yap and drink, this would be the place.

    A speakeasy at night, hidden within a diner during the day. So far, I've been to this speakeasy 3…read moretimes (different years). The vibes are still intimate and drinks are still strong which is AWESOME. I noticed they expanded the space a bit toward the back recently to offer a little more seating. I usually recommend a max party of 4 but cool to see they could now accommodate a group of 9 in the back room without issue. They take reservations in advance and walk-ins may go on a wait list. It's great so that each patron/party has a comfortable, undisturbed experience. It's not a crowded, loud, or messy type of bar. Love that they initially provide us with water before we order. Old Fashioned was fragrant and smooth. Orange peel scent was pleasantly present throughout the drink - they used a spray instead of zest - impressive! My partner prefers his whiskey with stronger flavor than the default Makers Mark though he might ask for a different whiskey next time. *RATED 8/10 Fuzzy Navel was sweet and flavorful just as I like it. Major points for the foam being vegan-friendly as is. The foam texture is fun and very peach forward. Would order again. *RATED 10/10 Cheong Soda (price unlisted on the menu) was a nice finishing, non-alcoholic drink to sober us up. The Cheong (Korean fruit preserve) is apparently different sometimes - this time, it was blueberry. First time taking my boyfriend here and he LOVED the experience. We'll be back!

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    Mesa

    Mesa

    3.7
    (1.9k reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Boutique

    A dependable cross between a lounge/nightclub, bar and restaurant that's classy without charging a…read morecover. Quality cocktails and food such as Neapolitan-style pizza, albeit a limited beer selection. On weekends and on Thursday nights it turns into a club after 10pm or so, which is fun until or unless it gets so crowded there isn't much room to maneuver around, as a consequence of most of the space being dedicated to VIP seating and there not being much of a dance floor. The music typically tends towards hip hop with some reggaeton sprinkled in. The bathrooms are the real star of the show; call it VIPee. There's about 10 individual unisex bathrooms with their own doors, rather than a girl's and guy's group setup. It's managed by a vigilant attendant guiding you to the next available vacancy. And no, they don't let you bring anyone in with you--or so I've heard.

    When dinner turns into a club. This place is a vibe. Definitely brought me back to my younger…read moreclubbin' days, haha! Wanted a GNO with my aunt and cousin to celebrate a retirement and a birthday, so we made a 7pm reservation, and were sat immediately upon arriving. We were informed that we would have 90 minutes at our booth and then we could relocate to the bar if we wanted to stay. The booths turn into bottle service tables when the place turns into a club. Since we were ordering food and drinks throughout our time there, the super friendly staff informed us that we could stay in our booth the entire night if we wanted to. Btw, shout out to Lauren, Bree and Becky for exceptional service. The drinks were strong and tasty. The food was pretty good. I'd come back for the calamari, brussels, margherita flatbread and bread pudding. My aunt surprised my cousin by ordering the lit up birthday sign and sparklers when the birthday bread pudding was brought out. Fun! We may or may not have spent some time on the dance floor, a.k.a. area in front of the DJ booth, ha! Not the old ladies at the club! NGL, it was nice to dance off our calories. Overall, Mesa was a good time and we'd definitely come back for dinner, drinks and maybe some dancing, again.

    Photos
    Lychee Martini
    Lychee Martini
    Craft Cocktails at Mesa
    Craft Cocktails at Mesa
    MESA DJ

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    MESA DJ

    Palenque Kitchen - cocktailbars - Updated July 2026

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