03/19/09

Best Mohitos

by RoyPereira

"ropa vieha" (sp?) is great and authentic. great atmosphere and a cigar lounge to boot.

Really, really good (dam citysearch requires 100 character limit).

• Pros: great drinks, great food
• Cons: cant get busy

01/27/07

Cuban Cuisine?

by cari723

If you are looking for authentic Cuban cuisine, this is definitely NOT the place! This restaurant that prides itself on its history and association with Cuba really comes off as some Cuban/American fusion. I don't know if it's just indicative of Palo Alto, but I found the cuisine inauthentic and extremely pricey. I believe this may be the only restaurant in the world where "Arroz con Pollo" costs $16.00. Speaking of "Arroz con Pollo," their rendition of this dish left a great deal to be desired. I found the food very bland, the rice and plaintain were dry and hard. Oh, the most disgusting part was that my plate was served to me "lukewarm." I was so put out that, in lieu of dinner, I ended up ordering a $9.00 appetizer plate of 3 empanadas which were actually quite tasty. The plating of the food was beautiful; I just wish equal effort had been put into the preparation of the dish. The service was mediocre. If you want REAL, reasonably priced Cuban cuisine, go to the city--your stomach and wallet will be pleased.

01/03/07

Excellent food tho pricey

by fatcat568

We had gone as a group for a friend's birthday. Initially there were four of us, then two more added 20 minutes later, then two more 20 min after that. (We had informed them that there would be 8 total.) On a Tuesday night, we were seated promptedly as I would expect and a table for 8 was ready. Most of us ordered mojitos immediately and my husband and I personally thought they could have been sweeter. It was as if there was little or no sugar used to muddle the mint leaves; otherwise, drinkable. We all shared appetizers of crab cakes, fried potatoes and the spinach salad with goat cheese. All we delicious. My spicy pork with rice could have been a little spicier for my taste, but still great. My husband loved his tierra y mar. The birthday girl and husband were quickly informed that their snapper was out but they were glad to get mahi mahi in place of it and prepared the same way. Honestly we don't recall receiving bad service. Our main waitress was attentive and the water fillers came often. Decor was lively and warm. For 8 people the bill came to almost $3XX and we figured even for the two of us, it was about $90! Definitely something saved for special occasions like this. Would probably return again.

• Pros: Flavor, atmosphere
• Cons: Price

12/06/06

excellent food, atrocious service

by jft51

My family and I came here for my birthday recently. I've been here before, and remember the food being pretty tasty. We were seated rather promptly but then 15 minutes went by without any service, then 20 minutes, and finally 25 minutes. By that point we were fuming! This is a relatively small restaurant, and waiters/waitresses were passing right by us without even making eye contact. We finally flagged down the hostess and asked to speak with a manager. She went and found our waitress who apologized profusely as she had forgotten that our table was hers. We were offered free appetizers and drinks, but my one problem is this: Wouldn't one of the 6 -8 wait staff members notice that there were customers in the restaurant who hadn't been attended to? One would think someone would bother to find out who was covering our table. Overall, the food was fairly good, but the service really tainted our experience.

• Pros: great drinks
• Cons: poor service

10/30/06

Super Tastey!

by battlemaiden

Amazing, amazing food here! Also has a great ambiance and great drinks. Has some healty options, but I usuall get tempted by their rich options instead (superb appetizer empanadas and mojitos!)

• Pros: Food! Mojitos! Ambiance! Amazing Banana Dessert!
• Cons: Prices add up quickly.

09/24/06

Great Mojitos

by yumyum426

I just went there for my 3rd time. The hostess is always friendly. I couldn't make a reservation for my 6 friends on a friday night because they were booked. However, I was craving their food and so decided to try my luck. The hostess seated us in the dining area right away, with the condition that we had to limit our dining time to an hour and a half (since there was a party that had booked that table). We didn't mind because it was ample time. The service was fast, the food was great as always, and the mojitos were great!

08/04/06

Oyster shooters!

by jjsakura

After reading other reviews of this place, I have to agree that the service isn't always the speediest. With that in mind, I do think they have some good dishes like their Ajiaco which serves two and has lots of seafood as well as their empanadas. Something I learned for walk-ins. Keep your eye on the tables next to the long side of the bar. Those are first come, first serve. Otherwise expect a wait time of an hour and a half plus on weekends. For oyster lovers, I have to mention their oyster shooters with habanero rum. Make sure everyone at your table tries it.

05/29/06

great for small business meeting

by kristinleighcurry

As an out of town visitor, I find La Bodeguita a great place to entertain clients. It consistently has a great neighborhood feel and is never stuffy. There are many choices on the menu and eveything is great.

I always start with the santiago cooler and empinandas, which come with a savory slaw. For dinner my favorite choices are the paella, snapper or tierra y mar. I always have a side order of the boniato potatoes (TO DIE FOR...)

Although they are walk-in friendly, it's best to have a reservation for the dining room. The bar is a great casual place to meet for drinks and appetizers, dinner if you'd like.

The back room and patio are great for drinks and smoking, even though I don't smoke. My guests have always enjoyed themselves and the staff is always friendly and compitent. I highly recommend La Bodeguita for friends or business.

• Pros: food, staff
• Cons: crowded bar

03/19/06

Not good for a group

by marvind3

We tried to have a group gathering here several months ago, but the bar was much too crowded, we were pressured to buy entrees while seated at the table (we were having drinks and appetizers), and the service was poor. I've boycotted this place ever since.

• Cons: rude service, lack of bar space

01/23/06

A great place for Cuban food

by stance

Went there for dinner with my husband. We're both Cuban and found the food to be pretty authentic although a bit pricey. If you want to save a bunch of money (our tab was $80 for 2 drinks, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and 1 dessert), come over to my house and I'll feed you proper Cuban food! It has a very nice ambience and very good service.

• Pros: service, ambience, food
• Cons: price