The Palms has some interesting things going for it although I do have some quibbles both in terms of as a restaurant and for dancing at. Pros: +Love the atmosphere. Definitely a retro vibe once you step in that resonated throughout the entire place. +Loved the band that was playing (they played twice - once around 10 and once around midnight). Salsa and cumbia the night I went and they were fun and a quality band. +They have a full bar and their margaritas are pretty big. Also, they have a private lot on the back. Cons: -Service was a bit all over. We were warned beforehand but even ordering early before the big party came, we waited nearly an hour and a half for our food as well as super infrequent checks on water or anything else. Be warned that if you do come on 'entertainment' nights and are eating/wanting a table, there is a minimum charge. -Be aware the dance floor is pretty small. Nothing flashy and having the bar on the limited dance floor makes it even tinier. -When the band wasn't playing, there was a DJ. We experienced mostly reggaeton, merengue, some salsa and very limited bachata. Expect more classic tunes than modern stuff as well (other than the reggaeton). -The food was a bit eh - at least with my plate being the steak as it was fairly dry. Much better was the shrimp. Notes: ~Would advise to make a reservation. This place does seem popular for parties of all sorts. We were lucky to get a table for four although YMMV. read more

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The palms is a nice place to have a good time locally. It's not extraordinary or too expensive but it's a place to swing by from time to time. read more

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Wow wow and more wow , this place is really nice , not only you start off with great parking , but I went on a Friday and and they had a great group , I think group was Caña brava , they played really good quality Latin music , remember I said Latin music , not Banda or Mexican music , we talking good cumbias , merengues, salsas , bachata . Food is decent and prices on food not that bad , still prices on cocktails is little pricy , that's why I didn't put 5 stars ... other than that I highly recommended this place read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - Great Friday live music - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

If it wasn't for our nice waitress I would give this place zero stars. What in the world happened to this establishment? Food use to be amazing! Now not only do they have limited options, but the options taste horrendous. The Rabo Ensendido appeared to be on a diet. All bones little meat which was tough. The Camarones a la Diabla, they taste like something from La Diabla sauce from Northgate. There was nothing authentic about their food. They should hire the old chef! Entertainment was all over the place. I felt like I was at a quinceañera. Dress code is no longer enforced. People looked like they just came from Costco. And what's with the overpriced drinks????? We were just in WEHO and paid $3 less for same premium vodka with MUCH BETTER AMBIANCE & there pours were much more generous! All in all we use to come and wanted to see what the new owner had in store. EPIC FAIL! Im all about support local Latino businesses. This place needs work. The plátanos maduros were good. read more

Omg!!! What service!!! Excellent!! I had a large birthday party celebration with 20/extra guest that did not RSVP (unfortunately) but this did not stop the entire staff to accommodate them with great tables/dinner service & drinks!! The food is excellent and the music fantastic 7pm-2pm non stop great service & music to dance!! Loved it!! Thank you very much Martha & Omar & staff stars from me!! read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

Came here for a cowboys club game and it was so packed no where to sit and no service whatsoever. The bar has a really weird set up your looking down at the bar tenders. Not much parking. And no one created us at the door nor the bar. read more

Anyone know if they'll be open for new year's and if they're taking reservations? Are they closed for refurbishment? read more

Wow they try to tell me this is a Cuban sandwich lmfao Hell NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must b new new owners *UC* this place!!!!!!!! AND IT CAME WITH FRENCH FRIES!!! n yellow American cheese WTF!!!! read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - Cuban Sandwich Yeah righ!!! - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

We came here last minute for my cousin's birthday dinner and the placed seemed to be set up for a few parties. At the time we arrived it was just us (table of 9) and another party which may have had 10 and only 1 waitress smh. The ceviche was pretty good and the michelada was tasty. The others in our party really loved their drinks as well, especially the lava colada. I ordered the Cielo, Mar y Tierra with a side of yuca and plantains. Needless to say I was very underwhelmed. The shrimp were good but the chicken was so hard and crispy on the edges that it damn near cut my mouth and it was flavorless. The carne asada was nicely cooked but it didnt have a ton of flavor. I mean to be honest it was a pretty good dish but I dont feel it was worth the $17 because Ive had much better for cheaper. The service was horrendous because they didnt get another server until close to when we wanted to leave and by that time the place was crowded with parties. It took almost 15 minutes to get a reflill of chips for the ceviche and about that long to get our check after we had to ask for it 3 different times. I can understand that with limited wait staff it can get overwhelming but there is no excuse to have only 1 server on a Saturday evening smdh. Last but not least, I checked in to Yelp and received 10% off our order of $50 or more. I tried to use it and she looked confused. Our bill was originally $272 and after she said she applied the 10% discount our new total was $270 now I know you dont have to be a mathematician to know that sh** doesnt add up to 10% so I had to recalculate the total and explain to her that she was wrong. SMH again! I doubt we will be going back again who knows, if you know me you know Im all for second chances at places that give me bad first impressions. Seemed promising especially with the dancefloor and cool music but that service was just no acceptable. read more

Amelia's and Susie's birthday bash was a blast, had 60 + guest, they accomadated us, my guest and the birthday girls were very impressed with the food and atmosphere. Thank you, Joel and Yadira for making us feel at home, this place is definately awesome. Will come back and have some more.. MASA DE PUERCO WAS THE BOMB!!!!! Felicidades, la música, que riiiiicaaaaa!! read more

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I'm not sure what happened here. I came in 2 times in the last 2 months. The food is still good, however the service was a disaster both times. Two staff members were arguing. And they were short on staff both times! Change of management? Maybe but not coming back. read more

The service was great, unfortunately the food was not. The moro was dry & flavorless. Although the highlight of my dish was the ropa vieja. We also had the Cuban sampler as an appetizer & it was just so-so. I'm guessing this is more of a drink & dancing kind of place as people started arriving as our dinner was coming to an end. read more

Was there for Friday salsa, $20 to get in, very good live band, as most of the Cuban bands, DJ ok, DJ's at times he was playing for himself, volume was loud and had bad quality of sound, terrible bartenders, specially the young guy, no manners, too bad the place is nice, I didn't try the food. read more

Great place to watch football Just too bad the food takes forever Eat b4 u get there ... I got free chicken wings...thx read more

I was here two weeks ago (late review!). I went on a Saturday and the place was completely full. There was a wonderful live band playing salsa and people were dancing. I love salsa dancing and had a wonderful time. Cover was $10 (not bad at all). The only downside was the food. I hate to say it, but it was terrible. However, the service was excellent and they had good drinks and wine. I wouldn't go there for dinner but I love the ambiance (Old Havana), the music, the people where all nice and friendly and I loved the music!!! Highly recommend for a good night of dancing with friends, family or that special someone. Family friendly place. read more

I love this place! The atmosphere is fantastic. More of an older crowd, but they wore me out on the dance floor!!!! I pass this place ALL THE TIME & didn't know they was what I was going to find inside! Bring some dancing shoes, recommend reserving a table, and get down!!!!:) read more

Just come for the music, the DJ was better than the band the Saturday night I was here. The food is far from Cuban flavored, eat before you come. I had the ropa viaja, after two tastings I had to stop as I could not stand the over powering taste of canned tomato sauce. My full plate was picked up within 10 minutes from served time, it appears that customer satisfaction is not critical for this place. What Cuban restaurant doesn't serve milanesa...Well this one does not serve milanesa This is not a place worth coming back to...Sorry. read more

Seriously, f*ck this place. I am convinced this is a front for money laundering. I don't know how this place is still in business, and how waitresses and bartenders are still employed here. I live closeby so I gave this place TWO chances and they f*cked it up royally twice. Beers aren't cold. Glasses are dirty. All the food is pulled out off a freezer or probably an expired can, heated, and served. GO SOMEPLACE ELSE THAT'S WORTH YOUR MONEY. read more

Tried using a yelp coupon and they told me i could not use the coupon.She said they were not going to accept it because they had not been informed by management. She said that they never heard of yelp.WOW! People working here are idiots! Sounds like fake advertisement to me ! Never again will we come back! read more

I came here for lunch with my coworker. At first glance it looked like a nice place to grab lunch. They had lunch specials for 6.95 that included the special for the day and a beverage, which I thought was a good deal. The food was mediocre but the service was horrid. We waited 30 minutes to get our check and had to just go up to them and have them run the bill. We did not want to have to wait for them again so we waited for them and paid at their register behind the swinging doors. I had the shrimp and rice dish (Wednesday special).. i'd probably give it two stars for food.. service no bueno. I say Pass on the place due to service. read more

Omar makes the best margaritas. David makes the best Palomas. And Chris makes the best Golden Pussy Shots!

This place is not so great. People please stay away from this place. The only positive thing about this place is the music and the nice ladies serving. They can only do so much with the amount of people inside. The soup tasted like it was opened from a can and straight into the microwave. The main entree tasted like a fast food place. Not a good fast food place I mean!. Happy Hour said 5-9pm tues-sun but they would not give me the 2 for 1 special when I was there on a Sat. at 8p exactly. Very disappointed in this place. Those stars are for the ladies serving and the music nothing else! read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - They did not honor the happy hour special! Booo! And yes, I did walked to the bar for the 2×1 special but..... - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

Went there for New Years and spent $100 per person! The service was terrible, couldn't even order drinks with the waitress. She would never stop by and ignore our requests. They all served the locals better than us, seems like preference to certain patrons over others (those who seemed to know the staff). They claimed to have two orchestras but only has one. There was only Cuban music all night, no variability, so I guess if you're not Cuban you're not welcomed! The food was very small portions and was not very good. Terrible experience and very sad I gave this business my money. I spent more than $300 for bad service bad food and a terrible New Year's Eve. Never coming to this place again. read more

Have lunch here at least once a month ! Love it it's so good ! Beers 2 bucks with a lunch specials only 6.99 literally walk out with good food with good beer for 10 bucks. It's filling and very good. Services is ok. read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - 7 bucks each lunch ! Best deal ever - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

I LOVE hanging out at The Palms! The staff is very professional and tend to all my needs when I'm there! When I arrive it's like arriving at family's house. Your greeted with hugs and kisses and my favorite waitress just knows to bring me my favorite drink even without asking for it! Joel, Eduardo, Yudy and Rene thank you for always being so welcoming and accommodating, you all are a wonderful team! Can't wait to go back... ohh yeah food and drinks are amazing! Sooooo I see that a person named Gaby H. Did a review pertaining to New Years! So, I was at The Palms for New Years with a party of like 10 ppl. The staff here was amazing, our drinks were never empty and our food was so good. Also, you paid $100 which included dinner! Try going to another establishment that will offer you great food and live entertainment on New Year's Eve for $100 bucks. There was definitely 2 bands as I was there all night, Clave Dura played first then the other band Charanga Cubana played! The music varies as both bands were playing salsa, cumbias and cha cha cha! When the dj played he played a mix of music bachata, reggaetón, salsa everything, SO NO YOU DONT NEED TO BE CUBAN TO COME HERE! I'm not Cuban and I love it here! I highly recommend this place to anyone wanting good food, drinks and just overall want to have a great time and dance to live music and the dj that's great! Thank you to the owners and management for always treating me and my people so good!! read more

First time here and we love the food and music..specially the masa de puerco and the cuban sampler.. read more

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SERVICE: My boyfriend Jonhatan and I came for a large table reservation to celebrate a family friend's birthday on a Saturday evening. The establishment was also reserved for a wedding while functioning as a bar and restaurant (and eventually a nightclub). The service was very slow: I do not think the restaurant was well staffed for the amount of people needing to be served. FOOD: Ropa Vieja was absolutely delicious, unfortunately I didn't order it. I ordered Rabo Encendido (oxtail) and the sauce was super yummy but not as great as the Ropa Vieja. My boyfriend Jonhatan ordered the Mahi Mahi and he thought it was over-cooked and dry. They forgot his veggies so he was having NONE of it. ATMOSPHERE: The establishment plays great Latin music, mainly salsa but also some bachata. At 10:00 pm the establishment features a live salsa band. They're bomb. Parking is great: there is a parking lot behind the establishment. Also cool: they don't allow alcohol on the dance floor; just dancing! read more

We called to ask if there was a cover charge. We were told no cover, so we drive 30 minutes for some salsa dancing. When we arrived, we were told to pay $30 to cover for the drink minimum. Sounds like a cover to me. Thanks for wasting an hour of my time. read more

My kind of spot. I love the energy. The warmth....the service. The music...omg the food....the drinks....and of course my company. I will definitely be back. read more

After 2 years that we are going occasionally to this place, and not been able to go for about 3 months, finally going on a Friday night, we experience a very different place. The friendly and welcoming faces of the regular owners where missed ,the Pork roast we order was very tasteless and greasy the empanadas very salty, Raspberry tea with no flavor, and on top of it my Gentlemen had to pay $15 to enter He had to consume those $15 in alcohol. WE ARE NOT ALCOHOL DRINKERS. No wonder that if the place had 100 people, 85 of them where WOMAN. How SAD having to work all week and going to enjoy your evening under those conditions.The new management is seems that is very greedy and they not going to be around for long. Regrets read more

Incredibly delicious Cuban food; and I'm a hard critic when it comes to my Cuban cooking! Food is moist, full of flavor! I love this place!!! read more

Friday night SALSA dancing: to start, EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE is very friendly, too friendly that they are hugging you and making you feel welcome. Mostly Cubans and Puertoricans that go. The waitresses are very nice too. I enjoy the live music and the dancing. Every time I go I always order their appetizer plater and STRAWBERRY LEMONADE(best ever)! For the appetizers, I recommend the WINGS (bomb) and the fried calamari! Good service. There was one waitress in particular that was very friendly, I can not remember her name but she was blonde and looked white, but spoke Spanish. Very nice. read more

The Palms Steak and Seafood - Mozzarella sticks, calamari rings and my favorite, hot wings. - Latin American Near Me - Downey, California

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Asome friday night whit mi girl you now perfect palce for a date I love this place the music and the food are asome read more

Super fun atmosphere!!! Food was delicious and our waiter Gabriel was just wonderful. If you love mojitos and live salsa band this is your go to place. Can't wait to go back !!! read more

I was there with a friend Thursday night. We only there for about 5-25 minutes. We went straight to the bar to order a beer and there was an open chair and I grab it and the bartender asked me to leave the chair alone because someone was sitting there. I apologized said sorry. I seen some other chairs to my right unoccupied and I grab one and sat and wanted to order a beer and the bartender asked me to put the chair back and I did put the chair back politely where it was. I asked the bartender, Do you want our business or not? And he straight told me, "No, I don't want your business I need you guys to leave. I told my friend let's go this people don't want us here. As we were leaving, there was band playing music and I almost tripped over an electric cord that was on the way which in a bar it's is totally unsafe in a professional establishment. And as we were walking out we were attacked ruthlessly by their security guards. They were holding me by my arms. I thought they were just gonna just escort me out, but another security guard started beating me while the others were holding me by my arms. I could not defend my self. If this was private party and we were not invited, they could easily just not let us in at all and stated this is a private party you must have an invitation. We were just simply customers that wanted to have a drink. They were beating, and choking me in a room afterwards in a room. And when they hold you against your will and lock you up in room to beat you up, it is called kidnapping and torture. I felt my life threaten in this place. They beat up my friend as well very badly. We were not even drunk. I have filed a police report. I will be consulting an attorney to file legal action against this place. I have been to too many high end places and never had any problems with anyone or any professional establishment, Perhaps is my mistake going to a local trash bar and have no idea of how they can stay in business disrespecting customers, beating up customers and kicking them out for no reason. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE!! PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! THIS PLACE IS NOT SAFE!!! read more

We went to this place because the new DJ was promoting it as a salsa venue, but it totally does not fit the description. This place is a small restaurant that had a small dance floor that was cramped with tons of old people, it reminded me of a retirement home. The music was old school salsa and everything in between and when the band got on stage it was depressing. The food tasted like it came out of a freezer and into a microwave, and the greens were wilted with salad dressing watered down. My husband almost got a beat down from an aggresive rent-a-cop who thought he owned the place because he bumped into him by accident. When we complained about the rogue rent-a-cop the management just shrugged us off and said its not a big deal. Do not go to this place people. There are tons of better places to go to. The staff are rude, the food is awful an overpriced and the music and ambiance is a miss. read more

The food is good authentic cuban cuisine. Good place for birthday gathering. Good salsa on the weekend.

We decided to give this place a try despite some of the low reviews. Big Mistake. The good: the portions are hefty, you get a good bang for your buck. The steaks are good. The scallops are good. That's where it ends. Everything else we had was bad. The service sucked. It took over an hour to place an order although it was empty. The crab legs were not fresh. They didn't have lobster on a Friday night and the desserts were a horrible, pre-frozen mess. I've never tasted flan that bad. The tiramasu was NOT tiramasu. The cheesecake was decent. The fried calamari was overcooked & the lobster dip was pretty much melted cheese & no traces of lobster. Later it became a dance spot. The music was decent & it started to get crowded. This leads me to believe that this place is probably great for drinks & dancing as many people weren't actually ordering food. It sucks too because we were really hoping to like this place & come back with friends. Go there for drinks and salsa not the food. read more

Very slow service....too many waitress abd waiters and we still had to wait a long time fir iur dessert. I will not be coming bavk...

the food is nasty, over priced and a bad cuban inmitation. drinks are nasty with no bartender on duty. bad mediocre service by waitresses that took 45 minutes to get a glass of water. the music and karaoke was ok with an attentive dj. read more