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Palenque - Orange County, Costa Mesa, CA

Palenque - Orange County

4.0
4
122 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Great for happy hour
Palenque Kitchen, delivers traditional Regional Mexican Cuisine with a modern twist, featuring our Executive Chef Gabriela Gomez with huge influence on the region of Oaxaca. At Palenque we have a full bar with emphasis on all deriving from the Agave, we have one of the largest Mezcal and Tequila selections in Orange County. Our cocktail program focuses on modern cocktails with fresh pressed juices, heavy on Tequila and Mezcal as well of your traditional cocktail icons, wine and beer.
Palenque is the perfect celebration, special occasion and just your amazing taco place for a more casual visit.
We offer dinner, weekend brunch and special and group events.
Salud and enjoy with us at Palenque!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sat, Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (949) 402-9951
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Gabriela Gomez
  • Private party facilities
    Palenque Kitchen offers buy out of the location & we can split our location in four separate rooms all depending on the size of your group or event, we have on site event coordinator, customized menus to cover your every need, parking on site & valet parking available. Please contact directly at 562 685 2008 or visit @ www.palenquekitchen.com
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Cross street
    on the pedestrian mall close to newport blvd. and 17th street
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • NYE 2024

    $59.00 per person

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    NYE Experience Palenque

What 122 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Palenque in Orange County boasts a lively atmosphere with a "fantastic DJ" during brunch, ideal for fun gatherings. While some diners rave about the "delicious food" and "excellent service," others note inconsistency in wait times and food quality. The ambiance receives high praise, making it a popular spot for celebrations.

122 Reviews
  1. Grace

    VIP

    Dallas

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We came across this restaurant because it was the only that had available for 3 at 5:30 on Saturday!! I did not know dinner on Saturday was so popular at 5pm!! The restaurant is super cute, great decor. We were seated immediately and were sat next to a party of 25. They were the only others in the restaurant and I did ask if we had the same server as we were on a time crunch. We didn’t, but i had to ask for a waitress after waiting about 5-10 mins. We put our apps and meals in just in case the kitchen was slow due to the large party. Food came out in a reasonable timeframe but once it came out we had to hunt for our waitress. We never got water refills or condiments needed until we were done with our meals. For our sever to have only 2 tables she was very slow and not attentive. Once we finished our meals and ordered desserts no ones cleared our table of the food plates. I had to ask 3 x to clear the table before our desserts came out. Once I paid our bill, literally as I was signing a busboy final came out to clear the desserts! Ridiculous!! Food was good but not worth the bad service.

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  2. Emerson

    Orange County

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 26, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Very disappointing service, way over priced for what you get, giving wannabe la Vida

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  3. Paris

    Orange County

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 19, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Took us 45’ to get our food when it was not really busy. We were about to leave of waiting.

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  4. heike

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 12, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was slow food was just ok. Drinks were awful and took forever.

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I took my fiancé here for her birthday and we did not regret the choice. From the moment we stepped foot in the restaurant we took notice of the ambiance. The service was great and very attentive. The margaritas were great in selection and taste. The food was great and fresh. The place was lively with music. Definitely recommend it for a date night or time with friends and family!

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  6. Rachelle

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Thanks to the GM Daniel for making our experience wonderful! We had a big party of 12 and came for brunch on Sunday to enjoy the DJ. The food was delicious, excellent service and patron tower was a hit. Will be back and already made reservations for another party.

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  7. Chris

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    G the bartender was very knowledgeable and friendly. Knew everything about the food they served and drinks she made. I would definitely go back again.

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  8. Stephen

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chicken enchiladas are amazing here. Similar to Red Sage in DC circa 1997. French toast very sweet / good. Molette also pretty good.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on August 30, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    I had the lobster quesadilla and it barely had any cheese or lobster in it. It was filled with mostly grilled vegetables and they even put salad leaves on top of it as a “garnish”. The only reason I came here was to try this exact dish and it was not worth the price or trip at all. The tacos de papas were bland and the only thing saving it was the green salsa. Also, the tres leches looks nothing like what is displayed on their website. Also, I much prefer that waiters write down orders rather than trying to memorize it. Our waiter got my order wrong but it was corrected before the kitchen made it, thankfully. He entered the order as “lobster enchilada” and when he stopped by the table a few minutes later to see if we needed anything else, he repeated our order back to us and I said, “no, the lobster quesadilla” and he scrambled to the kitchen to change the order. Just use a notepad, sir, it’s better for everyone involved. Our waiter also didn’t check us in for our Open Table reservation and he said (twice!!!) that he would check us in. However, he never did which resulted in a “tsk tsk, you missed your reservation” email from Open Table when I got home, but I called the restaurant and someone else checked us in properly. Overall, I do not recommend this place.

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  10. Sara

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 24, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A friend suggested this restaurant a few months ago, and when I was looking for a restaurant to celebrate my birthday, I immediately thought of Palenque - and I’m glad I chose them. The ambiance was so good, the service was excellent, and the food was delicious. Our server was very patient with us and helped us all choose a great meal & drink. They truly helped me have a fun night with my friends and create good memories.

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FAQs

Palenque - Orange County offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 402-9951.

Palenque - Orange County is rated 4 stars by 122 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Palenque - Orange County

1749 Newport Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92627-3005

Additional information

  • Cross street
    on the pedestrian mall close to newport blvd. and 17th street
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sat, Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Gabriela Gomez
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (949) 402-9951
  • Private party facilities
    Palenque Kitchen offers buy out of the location & we can split our location in four separate rooms all depending on the size of your group or event, we have on site event coordinator, customized menus to cover your every need, parking on site & valet parking available. Please contact directly at 562 685 2008 or visit @ www.palenquekitchen.com
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