La Bodeguita del Medio

Just had lunch at that place on California Avenue in Palo Alto. It was buzzing - definitely busy! We snagged a table pretty quickly. The portions were generous, especially for the price. I got the Ropa Vieja and it was really good, super flavorful. Parking was a breeze on the street. Maybe they could offer a little more variety in the drinks menu, but overall a solid spot.

We tried the chicharrones de pollo and fried shrimp from their happy hour menu. The shrimp were juicy-maybe a bit on the oily side-but still delicious, and the chicken was super crispy and perfectly seasoned. We also had the Tierra y Mar, which came in a generous portion and was packed with flavor. The skirt steak was tender, juicy, and full of beefy goodness. The coconut shrimp were excellent-not overly sweet, just naturally so-and the asparagus was cooked perfectly. The whole place, including

First time here. Amazing have something to eat and then go to the cigar room for a smoke and cocktails. Crab cakes appetizer with the corn was delicious. The grilled skirt steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus with coconut shrimp was so good. The steak was so tender which is difficult to cook for it to be that tender. Salad also had the roasted corn. The bread with the dip was perfection. Our drinks Hemingway and manhattan with bourbon made perfectly. Cigars the best.

Cool restaurant. I got the Arroz con Pollo, It was good + filled me up. Appetizer was a special - Chicken Empanadas, which were great. The mocktail was right up my alley, Honey Bee Hibiscus. Service was excellent, I'll be back soon.

The appetizers were really good but both entrees were average. We did not like the Arroz con pollo, it was just mushy and didn't enjoy the taste of the chicken. The plantains that came with it was delicious. We left the chicken as is and just ate the rice with plantains. The drinks are great and service is nice too. Food is 4 stars, except for the chicken dish which is 2 stars.