This seems like a hidden gem tucked away in an unassuming strip mall. Enter Palenque, with its super bright chairs and tables, friendly staff, and yummy food. Not to mention great drinks. The menu is pretty large, and this is some delicious Tex-Mex/Mexican food. I ordered the fajitas and had extra to take home for the next day as leftovers. The margaritas are pretty big and the price is quite reasonable. They also have non-alcoholic Corona and non-alcoholic margaritas, so there are options for everyone. We had a group of 8 meet here recently for book club and we all had a range of great drinks - alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The chips and salsa are on point. I would come here way more often if they had an a la carte street tacos option with the cilantro and onion. There's an asada tacos meal (with the rice/beans and all that) which I am hoping to try sometime soon. A great little local spot that I definitely recommend! read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Chips/salsa - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

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Reasonable prices, chile relleno was very good, food out quick and hot, friendly. Nothing fancy, clean, will be back!

We were looking for a place to take our granddaughter out for dinner while we were babysitting and decided to try Palenque. We were not disappointed!!! My granddaughter loved the decor! It's very colorful and fun!! They brought us chips and salsa as soon as we were seated! The chips were warm and the salsa was delicious! They have a large menu with so many options, it was hard to choose! I got a combo or enchiladas and a taco, my husband got the beef street tacos and my granddaughter got the kids meal with a cheese quesadilla. The portions were large and the food was excellent!! Everything about our experience was great! I can't wait to come back, the next time we're in town. Two thumbs up!! I just wish I had taken a picture!! read more

We live in Delafield so we only get to visit Palenque's occasionally but every time the food is excellent, as good as or a bit better than our go-to place in Waukesha. Palenque does shrimp particularly well. I'm always up for a trip there. read more

Dropped by for a quick dinner on Saturday night. Location has easy access and plenty of parking. Seating area was spacious and nicely decorated. Started with large bowl of warm chips and salsa. We ordered Taco Salads. Wifey had veggie chicken stir fry version in a crispy bowl. I had the chicken/beef version which had plenty of protein and was topped with tomato slices. Our friend had the number seven which had a burrito and chimichanga covered with a red sauce. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Servings were modest, but had very good flavor. From a value perspective I would rate them better than average. We will return in the near future. read more

Holy hell, you can get great Mexican food in McFarland! My favorites are the sizzling hot steak fajitas and the quesadilla Mazatlan with chicken...so cheesy. Chips are good, but be sure to ask for the spicy salsa the employees eat if you don't want tomato-water. The place is Mexican-American style, so spicy is something you'll have to ask for. Service is quick and attentive. Bring cash for the cash discount. I'd eat in if possible, the dishes don't keep as well for takeout. Only improvement would be better margs with fresh lime and an authentic menu to order from, but I'm really being picky here and a Corona goes great with my quesadilla. read more

Food isn't authentic. Staff are nice, but I'm there for the food. We went because reviews said it was good, I was deceived.

The only downside about moving to the Midwest was losing all of my favorite Mexican food restaurants. After trying out many different places in WI I've finally found the one! Palenque offers a wide variety of items on their menu with great prices and service is always quick. I've ordered pretty much every type of dish from the menu at one point or another and some of my favorites are the fajitas (steak), enchiladas Cancun, burrito Mexicano, chicken tortilla soup, and the grilled fish tacos. Also, if you like flan make sure you get it here. One of the best I've ever had! read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Caramel Flan - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

Needed a quick lunch and found this place. It was quick. From ordering to getting the food, it was under 10 mins. I had the juantitos enchiladas, three wrapped tortillas with spicy shredded chicken. Well, it wasn't that spicy. I'm more used to enchiladas with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and rice on the side with sour cream and some red or green sauce on them. This version had a thick slice of tomato instead. I decided to drive up there tomato myself. There wasn't any red or green sauce but the store cream make the sides moist. Overall it was good. I feel it can be tastier but the be price is right so that's why I have it 4 starts. Plus their decor rocks! read more

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Salsa is great mild and hot Steak Fajitas Horchata is great taste like Real Horchata very Friendly staffs Hostess very attentive read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Steak fajitas Burrito Alpastor Horchatas - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

Moving from CA I've been on the hunt for great Mexican food. I haven't been impressed with any places yet. However, everyone needs to try this place it's so good! read more

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Great local restaurant for Mexican food. The margaritas are huge! A medium will be too much to drink in one sitting. Steaks are juicy and flavorful whether in fajitas or with fries. I love the carnitas plate or the shrimp. Service of friendly. read more

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We stopped in at random for a Sunday lunch. The staff was very friendly and took good care of us. The food wasn't spectacular, but it was good and served quickly. The chips were just out of a bag. The carnitas had a nice crisp on them, but they weren't really seasoned at all (just browned pulled pork) and didn't have any onions or citrus with them. The restaurant itself, including the restrooms, show clear signs of heavy use and not a great deal of maintenance (very much a greasy spoon atmosphere. read more

Staff has been very friendly. They remember us even though we only stop here once every 2-3 months. Authentic Mexican food and good portions. Atmosphere is the only negative (strip mall restaurant). We have family from other parts of the state and they want to go here when in town. read more

Great food and service. Their fajitas and burritos are excellent. My kids love their food as well.

Our go to local Mexican restaurant. Food is good and they remember us on follow up visits.

We love Palenque. Nothing we have ordered has ever been bad. We used to order more frequent and the one guy knew who I was as soon as I started my order. read more

Yummy Mexican food. Love the white queso dip and burritos. Family friendly and easy to pick up takeout.

Ordered out this time. I got the three taco meal and my husband got the fajitas. The taste of everything was great. With the tacos the shells were completely soft by the time we got it home just a few minutes away. I was glad we had chips so I just made it into nachos. I could have used way more lettuce on my tacos as well there was barely any. Everything tasted very good even with those couple of issues. Husband enjoyed his shrimp fajitas. Shrimp was cooked very well and the flavors were great he said. read more

Palenque is easy to miss, but you should make a point to seek it out if you enjoy Tex-Mex favorites. Located in a strip mall on 51 in McFarland, it'll be on your right if you're heading away from Madison. The exterior of the strip mall isn't anything to rave about, but once you set foot in Palenque your spirit will lift with all the bright colors. The chairs and tables are (presumably hand-)painted and depict a range of scenes including cacti, parrots, and architecture. My go-to for a new place is a chicken chimichanga. I was very happy with my choice. The chimichanga was large and filled with flavorful chicken. It was also covered in a healthy dose of queso, taking it to the next level. The beans served on the side still had some texture to them and the rice soaked up the excess queso, making a delightful treat of its own. The chimi is also served with a good pile of lettuce, pico, sour cream, and guacamole on the side. Prices were affordable and service friendly. I have a couple other places closer to my home that are my go-tos for Mexican food, but I definitely need to work Palenque into the mix. read more

Whoa people! This may be the best kept secret of McFarland, WI. I almost don't want you to know about it, even when it's bad for me, I can't keep this good of a secret (Protip: don't tell me important secrets, they are not safe with me). This gem is hiding in plain sight, on the side of the dance floor, just waiting for you to come ask for a dance. And oh what a delicious dance it is! I am on a spirit quest to find the best chilaquiles, and their's rates very high. The seasoned chicken was a revelation and oh the cheese! So much delicious delicious cheese! Next time, I think I will up my game and order my favorite (at the moment) chilaquiles with some over easy eggs. A runny yolk just upgrades everything. Their carne asada is probably the best in Madison, this is no lie, I know my carne asada. To top it all off, the service is great and they have unlimited chips with really good salsa. I don't know if life gets better than unlimited free chips and that's just the start. Palenque knows no bounds! read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Mexican chilaquiles, yum! - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

It's affordable, tasty, and often smothered in queso. I can't say no to that. You might not think of going out to McFarland vs. downtown Madison, but it compares very favourably to your standard Mexican restaurant. As a filling, I'd recommend the chicken over the ground beef (a little dry). Of course, this isn't an issue (like most things in life) if you cover everything in queso. read more

Good food with plentiful portions and fast friendly service. Our local go to Mexican restaurant.

Good food. Good service. The nachos are delicious. The best Mexican food we've had since moving to Wisconsin.

Amazing! Prices are great! Food is wonderful! I get carry out a lot do yo the pandemic. I really love this place. Very fast too! When I'm hungry and want dinner in ten mins this is the place to get take out! Very nice staff. read more

The Mexican food is good. The service is very good. The prices are reasonable. My only complaint is that it could be a little bit cleaner.

My husband and I recently moved back to the Madison area from from San Diego, CA, and it's been a struggle finding decent Mexican food nearby. I will look no further! We just got takeout from Palenque tonight and it was exceptional! Fast and friendly service, and truly the tastiest, freshest Mexican food I think I've ever had in the Madison area (and I grew up here!). We both got vegetarian combo meals that were an amazing amount of food and quality for the price. We will definitely be back. read more

A nice lunch or dinner spot. Friendly to families and single diners, anyone really... Fast service, super pleasant folks, good food. The locals choice ! read more

Very family friendly place. Good food and authentic Mexican. Would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys good food and open atmosphere.. read more

Great local Mexican fare in McFarland. Large menu with lots of options something for everyone. Straightforward and good margaritas. Lots of fun and colorful furniture makes for a fun atmosphere. I had the chicken tortilla soup and a side of queso and chips. My husband ordered a chicken burrito and my Mom had fajitas, Dad ordered beef tacos with onions and cilantro! Everyone was pleased and portions are fair to generous. We look forward to trying this place again! read more

Food and service is always amazing. We go once a month! Food comes out quickly and we typically have the same server who is always attentive to detail. The ambiance is attractive and bright! read more

This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in the area! Everything is so tasty. Salsa is homemade, always included with unlimited refills, and of course amazing!! We've been here several times and will continue to be regulars. I haven't had an entree that I didn't like. It's hard for me to list everything that I've had and probably easier to list what I haven't, so that should speak volumes alone. Staff is so friendly and always recognizes us. Bathrooms are clean. Prices are very reasonable. I always love the diversity I see when I walk in the door. Please come here and support this lovely little restaurant! read more

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Love this place! Been there many times and have never been disappointed. Staff is friendly and very attentive. You're barely seated and out they come with chips and salsa. The servings are large and the prices are low, especially for lunch. read more

I'm thrilled for this McFarland addition. Efficient, polite service, the environment is a good sort of tacky, very clean. I received my warm chips and salsa immediately and my food quite quickly. Most importantly, you will end up with a steaming plate LOADED with food. They don't skimp on the good ingredients one bit, they're not just filling you up on bread or lettuce. Prices are in line with the quality and portions. There's no good reason to dislike this joint. I recommend the spinach quesadilla. read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Spinach quesadilla, tostada, tostaguac - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

We tried Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill last Friday evening. It's in a little strip mall right on Highway 151 and doesn't look like much from the outside. Once inside, it's pretty festive. Carved, brightly painted, wooden chairs and tables fill the area and there are colorful adornments on the wall. We were greeted by a cheerful host, seated and given menus and shortly afterwards our server arrived to brings chips and salsa and take drink orders. The menu is fairly standard Tex-Mex with a few combination platters and various entree options. The prices were quite reasonable especially considering the portion sizes. The salsa was fresh, mild, and very tasty. When we ran out of chips, the waiter was quick too ask if we wanted more. They also had several hot sauces at the table which I always enjoy. We had the Carne Asada and an enchilada platter. The beans and rice both had great texture. The meat was perfectly cooked. The enchiladas were mildly spicy with good flavor. Atmosphere, service, and tasty food. This is a solid choice for Mexican food in the area. read more

I can really do some damage here! I love ordering off of the a la carte menu because I have a hard time deciding, even from the combo platters! The service is great, and I love the food! As a fitness professional all, I appreciate how the meat like the crane asada is not greasy. There are choices to indulge or eat relatively cleanly if desired! Definitely reasonably priced as well! Keep up the great work! read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

Thought I needed to check this place out by all the positive reviews, you Yelpers steered me right again! Everybody in my party said that they would do it again, been to Mexico recently and have rated a few other Mexican restaurants,this one has nice portions of flavorful food at a reasonable price. With.nice service and a colorful look. We'll be back!! read more

Palenque Mexican Bar & Grill - Chimichanga Acapulco! - Mexican Near Me - McFarland, Wisconsin

The staff here are so nice I've never had bad service. The food is exceptional. I love the steak fajitas and the arroz con carne. Horchata is *chefs kiss* and I love all the art read more

The food at both the Beaver Dam and the McFarland locations has always been good. Service is good as well.

Pretty good food. I've never had a problem with the service or quality of food. They give large servings so I've always been happy with the amount of food I've gotten. Typical mexican restaurant. Similar to the other ones in the Madison area. There's usually a good amount of people in the restaurant but the service is always timely and have been extremely nice every-time I've eaten here. read more