La Palapa Grill & Cantina
Ellicott City, MD 21043-4768
Phone: (410) 465-0070
- Price:
- $
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-2am
Editorial Review for La Palapa Grill & Cantina – by Alice Ockleshaw
The Scene
Set amid rolling hills and bubbling creeks, La Palapa feels more like a quaint Southwestern lodge than a typical Mexican eatery. Inside, a central fireplace, warm yellow walls and copper decor add to the rustic apres-ski feel--although instead of hot chocolate, customers get warm drinking flavored margaritas and sangria. A popular separate bar has several pool tables and a tiki-style stage for DJs and live music.
The Food
Standard Mexican fare is given a hearty boost via diverse preparations. The enormous pork burrito is simmered in a tangy green tomatillo sauce; the classic quesadilla gets a seafood double whammy with both fresh crab and shrimp. The sticky sauce overwhelms the meat in the chicken mole entree, but generally, everything from super-spicy chile con queso to American fare like a hamburger satisfies contrasting tastes.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
What to DrinkCan't decide between La Palapa's signature margarita and its homemade sangria? Try the Swirl margarita, a strong and sweet blend of both flavors.
Save MoneyCheck out La Palapa's web site for weekly bar and restaurants specials, including "kids-eat-free Mondays" and a complimentary happy-hour buffet on Friday nights.
When to GoIn the summer, enjoy the night air and live music on the restaurant's large outdoor patio.
User Reviews for La Palapa Grill & Cantina
04/25/2007 Posted by dublj
This review is for La Palapa Too in Laurel. Soups were good, particularly the chili. The food is good, but a bit overpriced. The "specials" are particularly overpriced - I had the chicken mole - which was mostly an overbearing sauce over a rather sparse amount of chicken. Furthermore, the chicken was a bit fatty and not trimmed well. My wife's beef dish contained similar pieces of beef that were unnecessarily fatty. All the Mexican food standards (burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc.) are here and are above average, however refried beans and rice sides are rather bland. Salsa is not memorable - I have had better out of a bottle. A major problem I had with this restaurant is they turned down my use of a coupon that they issued. I followed the instructions and met all requirements as printed, but its use was denied by the manager because only about half of my $50+ bill was for food. Management said that the coupon should state that the coupon was only for a food purchase, but it did not. This was embarrassing to me and to the server, who explained that there have been recent problems and complaints from other diners over this same coupon. After several emails, they have since offered to honor the coupon, so I give them credit for coming through in the end.
Pros: Mariachi band was nice...soup is good
Cons: Bland food, customer service, lacking high prices
03/23/2007 Posted by tv_tv
Food was below average, prices were unreasonable, service was so so, location is decent, ambience is ok, all in all not worth the trip. save your money and go somewhere else. Atleast you'll be happy you went out. FOod was so bad that they had to take it back twice. Once it wasn't cooked and I showed them non-cooked bloody chicken and the other time I saw hair in the food....ewww I had to leave after that....I still get nightmares from that night. The band on fri night is a joke, music was such a dump. Outside seating would be good only if chairs were not cheap..all plastic like the $2 ones from walmart. I've never had such a bad experience and I eat out almost every other day. You can check my other reviews.
Pros: Location
Cons: Service, food, prices all are BAD
Users Like You Also Viewed
Sky Lounge Tango & Tapas
1041 Marshall St
Baltimore, MD 21230-4005
Blue Agave Restaurante y Tequileria
1032 Light St
Baltimore, MD 21230
