MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar

Meal and service was good, but the restaurant was empty...like it was just 2 of us having dinner. Which seems strange for a Friday night at 8:30.

MacArthur Park is a quiet, somewhat forgotten gem in the heart of Palo Alto. Probably more popular in its prime, but still full of charm. Ignore the old reviews. Despite holding an event on a Friday evening, the dining room was peaceful and uncrowded. Our server was kind, ensuring we had a good time and even made sure we enjoyed every last drop of wine. We started with the onion strings, fried fresh, generously portioned, and only $10 for two. A basket of crusty bread with butter came out on the house, also solid. For mains, the half chicken ($28) was incredibly juicy, bright with zesty flavor, and served with beautifully charred vegetables. I typically never order poultry (almost always dry every-time), but I was happy I did. The prawn salad was also a highlight. The shrimp came skewered, hot off the grill, and full of fresh, smoky flavor. Altogether, dinner for two came out to just $80, a rare value in the center of venture capital-run Palo Alto, where most meals these days feel overpriced. No complaints. Just a quality meal in a lovely setting with an even more lovely fiancee. A solid 10/10. MacArthur Park is worth your time.

Hadn’t been to the restaurant in over 30 years. We used to frequently dine there when we lived in the area. It was exceptional. I had the rosemary chicken and my husband had the ribs and chicken. My favorite turtle pie was as delicious as I remembered. Enrique our waiter was very knowledgeable and provided excellent customer service. We look forward to the next time when we are in Palo Alto and visit the restaurant.

Staff was great but unfortunately the food was nothing special. Meat was dry and not many variety that would be worth the $75 per person.

The food and service were excellent. The buffet choices were many and varied: one of us is a vegetarian and was pleased with the choices. It was a good value considering the quality of food choices.

We enjoyed having brunch for Father's Day at MacArthur Park. The venue is very nice and the food and service were great. Always a fun place to go.

Happy hour here was very pleasant with tasty bites. We enjoyed the ahi tuna tacos and the fish tacoes followed by mud pie. Great value for money

I have been coming here for years. The calamari seems to have changed over the years but is still fairly good. Service was excellent. Tyler made sure were had everything we needed and kept on checking on us if we needed anything else. The Manager, Mitzi is always so accomodating and friendly. I bring a work group group often for happy hour.

It has been years since I last visited MacArthur Park in Palo Alto. I was surprised that it was relatively uncrowded for an early Friday night. We had 6 PM reservations, but I wouldn't have needed them; we had our pick of tables. The historic atmosphere, open bar area, and outdoor seating made it an attractive place to dine. The food was excellent, and the service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. My wife and I ordered the two-person barbecue dinner, which was way more than we could eat, featuring ribs, chicken, and sausage links with a tasty barbecue sauce, accompanied by coleslaw and French fries. It also included a delicious tossed Caesar salad and mud pie for dessert. I would recommend it and plan to return next month when I am in the area again

Absolutely the best steak I’ve ever had—nothing else comes close. The service was excellent, and the staff couldn’t have been friendlier. Honestly, the negative reviews seem questionable; the wording is so similar it feels like they may have come from the same source. On top of that, the happy hour prices are unbelievably good. Cannot beat a $6 glass of amazing wine.

Great food and service!

We had a wonderful evening at MacArthur Park! It was our first time, and we were celebrating our anniversary. Food was wonderful, ambiance felt upscale yet casual, and Chef Faz came out and greeted us warmly. It was a lovely evening, we'll definitely be back!

Ellen’s service was outstanding, and the food was excellent.

Surprisinglyly uncrowded on a Saturday night. Great service, good bread, nice mocktails, delicious scallop appetizer, good entrees (one steak, one prawn and avocado salad)

The food was very good. The BBQ meal for two was a great value. Our server, Ellen, was outstanding. We enjoyed our visit to MacArthur Park.