La Bodeguita del Medio

I chose this restaurant for my birthday dinner. They gave amazing service. Delicious food and drinks. In particular - I LOVED the crab cakes! And they brought out a sweet dessert for my birthday.

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 the bathrooms, was impeccably clean. Great experience overall!

The food was great! The server was attentive and kept refilling our drinks. We got the ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, banana chips, and yucca frita to share. The food came out pretty quick. All the food was delicious and I'd recommend it all. I just wish they had kid portions. We wanted dessert but were too full. The atmosphere is nice and welcoming. There is 2 hour parking in the back.

Been here a half dozen times and this is my first review. In the past, I’ve gotten the paella, but we didn’t want to wait that long this trip plus not everyone at the table wanted paella. So we enjoyed two delicious dishes. The first is called ROPA VIEJA, aka the 'CUBAN CLASSIC'. It’s braised then shredded skirt steak, stewed with chilis, peppers & tomatoes, platanos maduros, yellow rice, sofrito. It is so good you always want more when your plate is finished. The second is called ARROZ con POLLO. It’s a traditional, cuban style, braised chicken, spiced yellow rice, platanos maduros. Ambiance is nice. Good drinks. Nice location on California street in Palo Alto to walk around a bit before or after your meal.

Went in at 2pm on a Friday. No problems parking at a free street parking. We were immediately seated as soon as we arrived. Food was lovely. Ordered Camarones Pequeños (small fried breaded shrimp) as an appetizer, Ropa Vieja (braised shredded beef w/ fried plantains & rice) and a Cubano Sandwich (ham, roast pork, cheese on a crispy baguette) Service was solid, server checked in often and gave contextual info on the orders. Atmosphere was nice, had a nice dive bar feel music-wise. Therevs an indoor and outdoor section. And a place for people that want to smoke.

I really enjoy coming here and this time was no different. Everything was solid. Came in for team dinner and it was a great meal. Only disappointment was that some of the vegetarian options couldn’t be made vegan despite being listed as such but overall everyone enjoyed the food.

Highly recommend the happy hour here! You could have a very filling and delicious dinner under $40 by ordering a few apps and a drink. The bar staff were very nice and knew a lot about rum, and also gave informative recommendations about the cocktails.

We had my mother-in-law's 90th birthday party with 25 people and it couldn't have gone better! Lara was beyond amazing and took care of everything, including things we hadn't considered. Everyone (in all ages) had a fab time. Perfect place for a group festivities, and we can't wait to go back!!!