Palenque Kitchen Costa Mesa

Was really disappointed with the service here recently. Food was good, albeit expensive

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 2

Had our company Christmas party there and it was a great time. Everyone raging how great the food was. Definitely coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I was actually there for a private event with Rove Brand and a gentleman named Marino/Moreno was outstanding. He made sure I was filled with water and hors d’oeuvres throughout the night and the hospitality was amazing. Thank you so much!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If I could give 0 stars, I would.

This was our first time visiting this place. We planned to celebrate a birthday with my family, but we had a terrible experience. We waited an hour for our food, and even after we finished eating, we stayed at the bar getting some drinks. No one ever mentioned that they had a reservation for our table. Suddenly, they told us we had to leave or move because they “needed to clean.” That is unacceptable for a so-called luxury restaurant—basically kicking us out as fast as possible. We spent over $700, and they clearly do not care about customer service.

Then the bartenders tried to charge us for drinks we never even ordered. They insisted we had been served them—which is a complete lie. The manager did give us some free drinks because of the situation, but the bartender still came back rude, trying to charge us for something we did not get. It’s not about the money—it’s about the fact that we shouldn’t pay for something we never received. They have cameras; they could check!

The waitress with the short, shaved hairstyle (I forgot her name) also didn’t seem to know what she was doing. They kept accusing us of things that weren’t true.

Later on, all they kept saying was “sorry, it was a confusion,” but it happened three times in the same day. That’s ridiculous. We’ve visited many better places and have never had these kinds of issues. This was our first time here and clearly they have no control or organization. Even getting a simple cup of water took forever. Extremely disappointing.

This place completely ruined my mother’s birthday. Disgusting experience.

Nicely designed restaurant with delicious treats and beers. Good service also.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Honestly, I was surprised that for a Sunday morning/afternoon it was quite empty. I was seated right away and there were only 2 other parties in the restaurant. It was fairly clean all around. I ordered a mango mocktail but was disappointed to see that they were using a syrup. Instead got a lemonade. For appetizer, I ordered the queso fundido. 4/5. It was pretty small for 4 people. They also gave us chips but they forgot the salsa for them. For my plate, I ordered the enchiladas matzalan. 10/10. The rice and beans were my favorite. All the food we ordered came out in a decent amount of time. The only reason why I put 2/5 overall was because our waiter rarely checked up on us. We had to literally call the server every single time or look for them.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 2

Christian was the best server I’ve ever had. He was attentive, always made sure our drinks were full, and took care of us even before we had to ask.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

I want to start by saying that the food was good — everything from the appetizers to the dessert was enjoyable. However, my rating is mostly based on the service, which was disappointing, especially given that our bill was around $900 with gratuity included.

Our server, Miguel, took quite a while to come by and take our order. Once we did order, it took an unusually long time for our drinks to arrive. What made this more frustrating was that we were the only party in the restaurant, aside from a couple sitting at the bar. I can only imagine how much longer it would have taken if there had been more guests.

Another point that stood out was the reservation process — I had to provide a credit card to reserve a table, which seemed unnecessary given that it was a Tuesday evening and the restaurant was nearly empty.

Throughout the evening, we had to call out several times to get our server’s attention, which really detracted from what should have been a pleasant dining experience.

Overall, while the food was enjoyable, the service did not match the price point or the expectations for a restaurant of this caliber. I truly hope management addresses this issue so that future guests can enjoy the full experience the restaurant aims to provide.

This experience was on 10/21/25 at 7:00pm

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Octopus, Pulpo, Mar Y Tierra

This was, without question, the worst experience I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Our food took over an hour to arrive, and not once did a manager come over to apologize or even check in. We had to flag someone down just to find out that our server had walked out mid-shift — and apparently no one thought it necessary to reassign our table or let us know.

To make matters worse, we were there for a friend’s birthday, and not a single person acknowledged it — no greeting, no gesture, nothing. It felt like we were completely invisible.

When we finally brought up how poor the experience had been, they offered no apology and no compensation whatsoever. Just blank stares and excuses.

This place showed zero professionalism, zero accountability, and zero customer service. 100% will not be returning, and I strongly suggest others avoid it if you care about your time, your money, or your occasion

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

So good!! Really enjoyed the queda birrias

Absolutely great service with our waiter being very attentive. The food was great and the ambiance was just perfect for our date night. We even had the GM personally boxed our leftover food without us even asking. Definitely returning soon.

Food was good. Server has a cold, indifferent attitude.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Food and drinks were delicious. Service was quick and friendly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The service was horrible. Only 2 people for the entire evening. Our waiter was the bartender, basic items like chips and salsa took about 15 mins to come out. The food it self was overpriced and horrible. Appears they used old oil or masa. Something was off about the food. Will not be returning.

This place is more tacky clubby vibes than romantic restaurant. Food is a bit overpriced for trying to be like a Javier's. Wished they were a bit more generous with the sauces. Food had good amount of salt (which I like) but dry and could use more sauce. Service could be better. They had forgotten my tortillas which I didn't need the carbs but just shows you are not going to get high class service at this place.