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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Been here many times when I worked in Santa Clara - almost once a week for lunch with colleagues. The owners whenever they were there and saw our group would always visit our table.
Chips and salsa can be addictive!
Consistently served good food paired with good service. My fave are the chicken fajitas and the chicken fajita salad, though I've tried almost everything on the menu which isn't a beef item.
I'll be back when I am in the area.
Went to La Paloma last night for dinner. There is usually a wait so try to call ahead but last night we were lucky to be seated right away.
The service could have been better. Our server was very short when taking our orders. My friend and i are vegan and my mom was trying to make sure they understood by saying "they're both vegan. could you make sure there's no dairy in their dishes.." he was clearly not paying attention because he responded "oh you want the same thing?" as he wasn't even looking at us. To no surprise, my dish was served to me with a sauce that had milk in it. They took it back and had it fixed.
we ordered:
-Small Guacamole (it was pretty big.. enough for 3 people) - $5.95
-Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas (with green sauce so there was no dairy) - $11.25
-Bean, rice, guacamole burrito (without cheese) - $6.75
The food was really good! The guacamole was really good and large portions. My enchiladas were served with black beans and rice. I left feeling really full so that's always good. =)
The service could be better but their food is pretty good for its price.
They have "Recession Specials" on Monday & Wednesdays its $2 enchiladas and on Tuesday and Thursdays $2 tacos after 4pm to close.
I always come for their enchiladas, so if your looking for some pretty good enchiladas this is the place!
I've constantly driven by this place... but never dropped in till recently. Food is okay... good flavors and everything. But nothing spectacular. Personally, I think it's a little pricey for what you get. I had the fajitas and they were... just okay. The meat was very chewy... On the brighter side, portions were big and you get an endless supply of chips and salsa.
Decor is nice for a Mexican place. Clean and tidy. Nicer then if you went around the corner to your local taqueria. But your corner taqueria is gonna be much cheaper with food that is just as good... if not better. (just not as clean and tidy)
3.5 stars - La Paloma was pretty good despite the homogeneous make-up of the clientele. It's a comfy bright decently spacious restaurant with cheesy bright colors, "rustic chairs", and booths.
I liked the service - the wait staff was attentive and quick to bring and offer seconds of tortilla chips and salsa. Chips weren't as light as Chevy's but we still ate them up.
For dinner, I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas Mariscos ($14.95). 2 tasty enchiladas stuffed with crab and shrimp, served hot in suiza sauce which I guess is a white creamy sauce. Came with refried beans, rice and a little cup of cold sour cream (which was a little odd). Overall though, really liked the enchiladas.
My buddy had the Steak Fajitas ($14.50) which came out on a sizzling plate. The steak did not look tender was actually was tender, and on top of that, well seasoned. It was the bell peppers and grilled onions though that lacked flavor. It absolutely had no salt or pepper. They needed help.
So what made this dinner worth it was that we had a buy 1 get 1 deal. So total bill was under $20. It definitely made the meal even more enjoyable.
I only come here for lunch as it's close to my work place and you can get your food rather quickly. Their services are also excellent!
The food on the other hand is only so-so.
This was THE first Mexican restaurant I visited when I moved here in 2006. I go back every few months. The food is served hot and fresh and the chips and slasa are one of my favorites. I love the musical entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The lighting is a bit dark for my taste so it gives the dining area a rather dingy appearance. Wait staff is excellent and prices are reasonable.
I remember being here many years ago, and remember a different layout and much darker. Course I could be wrong, anyways we walk this afternoon, for a quick dinner with friends. No wait, but it was a sunday around 5pm, so not a surprise. We sat down and ordered some nachos, enchiladas, tacos and some drinks. I think the waiter forgot our guacamole for appetizer, but in the end it was just enough food so it might been a good thing that he forgot or did not hear me. Service was quick, and my chelada was good also. The food was typical fair for mexican, lots of cheese, guacamole, and beans. I think this a favorite of all the residents in the area. I like the food but I sometimes need a little more exotic food. I will be back if ever asked again, I say give it a try.
I just moved to San Jose and this is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to so far. It has a nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and great food! The chips (are warm!) and salsa (nice and spicy) are great too!
I went tonight to have dinner and watch the Monday Night Football, the food is good, however the service sucks. The quantity is not good, and it is not worth paying for the price. It was not a busy night and i ordered chile relleno and iced tea. The server keeps talking to his girlfriend and he did not bother refilling my iced tea. I have to approach another waitress to refill my iced tea. That really sucks especially the server ignores the customer and just keep on talking to his girlfriend. I have to asked for my bill and asked him where am i suppose to pay. he took my card and walk into the other room to ring my card. If i knew i will just go to the cashier directly and pay for it. It was so inconvenient.
The server who used to serve me was not in the restaurant that time.
Next time, i will not ask for this waiter and if he approach me, i'll ask for another server.
good food and service from this restaurant and is not pricey..
Solid 4 stars. We came here for lunch and drinks and had great service. I ordered the Coktel de Camerons and it was very good. The sauce wasn't runny or watery like most places and the spice level was just right.
The best thing about our time here was the Cadillac margarita's. Perfect combo of sweet and pucker..and strong. We had two each and were feeling pretty darn good when we left.
Sadly disappointed. Came here as a little girl when visiting from New York and somehow remembered this place to be great. Had lunch here last weekend and no, it's not so great anymore.
Two stars:
* Chips (served warm and toasty)
* Salsa (chunky and tasty)
My mom had the Chile' Relleno, which wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I had the Enchiladas Del Mar which consisted of dry, shredded crab stuffed in corn tortillas that were topped with the same sauce used on the Rellenos. This time the memory is clear; not worth an encore.
I wish there were more places like this. Excellent food, great service and nice atmosphere. I have to go back in the evening to try some drinks next time.
I only had lunch here, but the joint was packed. Got the Margarita Camarones with corn tortillas, and couldn't have been happier. Sometimes I order dumb shit that sounds good ... get it, and regret I had an imagination. Not this time. These little jobs were cooked to perfection in a nice, not-too limey/sweet sauce and had some of the best refried beans I have had to date.
The service was slow but my boyfriend swears it's usually not that bad. When the food did finally arrive I was surprised to see the slop on my plate. Typically, I could careless how my food looked but this was thrown on with everything doused with red sauce and cheese. I ordered a combo platter with chile relleno and a shredded beef enchilada. Thankfully, it tasted fine although the rice and beans were dry. I have a sneaking suspicion that most items are pre-made and they just through it all on a plate and pop in in a microwave. I think it's a little pricey for what they're serving compared to other sit-down Mex spots.
I've lived in Santa Clara for two or so years now and have always been intrigued by La Paloma. Its vibrant yellow building calls me every time I pass it, which is quite often since I live just down the street. We had the opportunity to FINALLY do so this past weekend.
The food was pretty good. It was pretty standard. Nothing to crave but, if you were to crave Mexican food, La Paloma would definitely suffice. I had the chance to try their frozen margarita and their daquiri.. both were delicious.
The people that worked here were very pleasant. The service we received, however, was not. I don't know if it was because we dined at a very busy dinner hour but the server took forever to take our order, check up on us and clear plates from our very cramped table. Minus the slow service, which got a bit irritating at times, the people/atmosphere, drinks and food were good.
Chips, chips and more chips. That is what I thought I knew about La Paloma until I tried their buffet.
I do not think I have been to a Mexican buffet before, so this was a first. I do not know where to begin. Everything was so tasty and great. I ate a good two plates packed with food and was considering more, but I was so full that I could hardly move.
I have to say that the little mini Chili rellenas were incredible. They were cooked perfectly with a nice tender chili and a really flavor full sauce. I think I ate about four of them. The cheese enchiladas... mmmm.
What surprised me the most were the meats for the tacos. I used an american hard shell taco, although they also have other tortilla options as well, and filled it with the seasoned beef, Carnitas, corn, cheese and guacamole. It was delicious. The meat is sweet and spicy at the same time. The waiters were really cool and attentive and the price was decent since I know I would pay a lot more for a fraction of what I ate at any other restaurant.
I am definitely going back here. Oh, he owners also run the front desk most of the time and they are really nice people.
The only fallback is the tiny parking lot. I lucked out and got the last space left when I got there. This is also a good sign, because they are almost constantly busy, so the food is constantly fresh.
The worst Mexican food I ever ate in my life!!! I had all kinds of Mexican for 26 years and this is the worst I ever had!!! I ordered the Flautas Suizas... eek yuk!! they forgot the monterey jack cheese and i asked the waiter about it and he was completely clueless about it! the chicken in the flautas had a very unfresh aroma & taste. i only took 2 bites, and stopped eating, then filled myself up with tortilla chips & salsa.
On this occasion, the place had recently been painted and was heavy with paint fumes -- not very appetizing.
I had Chile Verde -- pretty good but otherwise fairly pedestrian mexican restaurant. They have a lunch buffet that looks ok. The service is good -- pleasant and attentive.
La Paloma has been around for what seems like forever, my family used to bring me here when I was just a wee little one. I hadn't been here in a long time, so when we were on the El Camino and decided to have Mexican for lunch heading over to La Paloma was a no brainer. Inside little has changed over the years, lighting is still dim, but the booths are oh so comfy. The food is not outrageously good, but it is decent and portions are huge for the price you pay. I wish I had remembered how much food they give you, I probably would have shared a combo plate rather than ordering my own. My dad ordered the chicken fajita burrito which won raves from him, my shredded beef enchilada was tasty, and the tostada yummy, but the chile relleno was a bit bland. I noticed a sign on the table that they have a recession special $2 enchiladas on Mondays and Wednesdays and $2 tacos on Tuesdays and Thursdays, not bad if you're looking for a cheap eat.
This place seems to be a hit or miss amongst the fellow yelpers, But Ive had nothing but great visits since I started coming here.
The servers are always friendly and sit us promptly when we stop by during our lunch (usually a Saturday). They serve warm chips and fresh yummy salsa. I usually just order the tacos de carne asada and ask for a corn tortilla since they come in flour. And I'm never disappointed. Ive never had the pleasure of ordering a cocktail since Ive always came in on my lunch break.
Today I opted for the tostada salad made with shredded beef. It was pretty good and it filled the belly. My classmate ordered the chimichanga and it looked and smelled delicious(which she confirmed with her mmmm's)! I will order on my next visit.
The place has a warm comfortable feel to it, which is another reason I like coming to La Paloma.
Ok I read the reviews on this place this morning from work because I was craving mexican... I decided that with the mixed reviews, this place couldn't be all that bad... I was wrong. There wasn't any one item that shined here, in fact when I left my stomach felt full, but I felt completely unsatisfied. (I tried a little of everything that was reviewed here)
Buffet Items:
Chicken Fajitas - bland but not bad
Taco meat - completely unoriginal and reminded me of taco bell
Carnitas - Actually pretty good although a little dry
Ribs - Not bad, really meaty but not very flavorful
Chile Rellanos - O.k. but nothing to write home about (the sauce was decent though)
Taco Shells/Tortillas - The taco shells weren't homemade, and the tortillas were soggy and a bit pasty.
Rice - Pretty much like left-over spanish rice thrown into a blender and left at room temperature. (very coarse and barely looked like rice)
Cheesecake - I don't mind pre-made/packaged cheesecake, but serving it at room temperature is just plain gross.
Toppings:
Guacamole - Normally I wouldn't critique a garnish, but this was absolutly disgusting... Super smooth green cream would have been a better description. (Clearly there was nothing homemade about it)
Sour Cream - Poor quality and too pasty
Shredded cheese - pre-packaged and worse than the bag of Kraft cheese you buy at the store.
All-in-all the food was rather bland and just barely warm (and I got there a few minutes before noon). The service was good though, everyone was very friendly and the place had a nice feel to it, but I really think the food and drink prices are what brings them down.
One thing that really irked me was the fact that an ICE TEA was $2.50 - that's just plain rediculous.
I probably won't go there again... Not that is was that bad, but c'mon, it's mexican food and there are plenty of sit down places that make better. (even some of the local roach coaches do a better job)
EDIT: The more I think about it, the buffet reminded me of an array of leftover day-old mexican food.
Had a mixed experience here...
When we walked in, we saw a michelada drink special --- this is the first ever Mexican restaurant to have actually advertised this / put it on it's menu - I was thrilled. I was even happier when they made it perfectly! Wow!
Their chips and salsa were decent, though the chips had a slightly oily finish. The food was a mixed bag, they had a thinly grilled steak special which was real good, and their beef tamale was quite interesting. However their chicken (in the enchilada) was quite weird, tasting like watered up meat. Also had a top shelf margerita which tasted mostly of the liqueur they had put in it.
The service was decent and friendly, but all in all with the mixed bag on food and drink I have to give it a 3 star overall. I am definitely going back for a michelada and will probably try some of their other offerings as well.
I should preface this review by saying that I am not a bonafide Mexican cuisine aficionado. In fact, I can usually barely do salsa without a margarita to wash it down! :-)
That being said, this restaurant is a staple for my husband and I. We probably eat here at least 1-2x a month and it never fails to satisfy. The staff is very friendly and the food is uber-prompt. The chips are all-you-can-eat (yum!) and they gladly bring different salsa's if you want them. I have never actually eaten anything here but the Tortilla Shell Salad and the Chimichanga's (double yum!), but my husband tries all sorts of stuff and loves everything. Great place for great grub!
From the outside I thought "Shit, there's a lot of people...It MUST be LEGIT mexican food!" :D
I was wrong :(
Pros
1. The food is edible
2. The waiters are nice
3. The seats were comfy
Cons
1. Some chips were oily, some were a bit stale. It looked like a mix of old and new chips.
2. The refried beans were BURNT!
3. The rice was very dry and almost coarse
4. The Mole Enchilada was very bland with no flavor
5. The Tortilla used for the Enchilada was also coarse
6. The chicken inside the enchilada wasn't so great either
Overall, this place was all bad. It's almost as if they took a chain restaurant like Chevys and downgraded all the ingredients. The decor was lame and the atmosphere felt very dirty. Sure, they might be going for that "old mexico" feel but still...it's falls very very very short. After my meal I didn't even want to take it home. It was THAT bad...but I did since it MIGHT serve as a good mid-night snack. (But doesn't EVERYTHING at midnight taste good?)
Like everyone else, I had to yelp it before I tried it, and after trying it, I'm surprised it's only 3.5 stars.
Granted the parking is sort of limited and it's level with the sidewalk so I was tempted to just drive off of the sidewalk onto the street, hah.
I came here with a friend of mine for lunch and our waitress was extremely nice and friendly. There were so many options it took us awhile to choose. I ordered the Chipotle Carnitas Enchiladas and it was gooood. The plate didn't look like it was going to be overfilling, but oh man, I could only finish half of that thing. Warning, the plates are really hot when you first get them. The mexican rice was pretty good, I've had better, but hey, it was tasty. I enjoyed the chips and salsa beforehand, those were yummy.
Overall I would definitely come back here another time.
I don't understand why this place is so popular. I've had better mexican food. First off, they don't have Horchata, which is a bad sign. Then ...let's just say I didn't see that many people of color in there. LOL Second bad sign. Food was ok, but it there was nothing that really stood out to me that would make me want to go back.
Growing up in Santa Clara, CA La Paloma is the place to find yummy mexican food. My favs are the Chicken Fajitas, Mini Chicken Flautas, Cheese Enchiladas(no onions!) and Chili Colorado. I also luv the all you can eat lunch buffet they have M-F.
I hope you give it a try, when your in Santa Clara!
Have a GR8 day!
Standard mexican food. With a very decent lunch buffet 23.00 for 2. Chips and salsa are good. This place is far from the best but also far from the worst. I usually just go for luch every now and again. Very filling and they have slices of great pie.
Buffet buffet buffet.
That's what it's all about when you're hungry.
Until I discovered this place, I didn't know there was such a thing as all-you-can-eat Mexican except for happy hour at Pedro's, and that was pretty dinky.
Today, I was thinking about skipping lunch or just grabbing something light downstairs at the coffee shop, but Michael C. shot me a quick text about La Paloma, and off we went.
The place is fairly large, but doesn't look it since rooms are sectioned off. Seating maybe a hundred, but really hard to tell. This place looks ideal for private parties as the restaurant could easily cordon off a section.
We went for the buffet and a drink (which ran about $14 a person including tip), and the pickings were pretty good. They had spicy ground beef and carnitas for making tacos, with both soft and hard shells, some quesadillas, stuff for fajitas (veggies and meat), as well as all the toppings you might expect (cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc.)
While the food was okay, I didn't think it was worth $14 all told. Maybe $10 or $11 all told would have sat better considering the food we ate and the relatively limited amount we had.
But if you're into variety in a Mexican buffet, this place is hard to beat.
Mexican buffet, never knew it existed but I was excited to try. A friend took me here and not his regular joint, bad move...because he said the other place was a lot better and a lot more selection. Not sure the price as my friend treated but I think it was under $10/person.
Very dark and standard mexican restaurant decor. The buffet is small but it has the essentials. The line starts with salad and salsa like items, one soup, 2 styles of tortillas (flour and corn) wrapped in foil, carnitas, rice, cheese enchilada, chile relleno (this was terrible, the pepper was stuffed inside bread and fried so one of this will fill you up if you decide you like it and can actually finish it)...don't remember what else because I didn't eat them. The best part of the buffet was the guacamole, I had them by the spoonful! There was a dessert table with what appear to be flan, cheesecake, chocolate cake/mousse.
This is my first Mexican buffet so don't have much to compare it to...for the dollar, I guess it's not such a bad deal.
I've been here several times in the past for lunch, and always had the buffet.
This last time, went with Tetsu N. who was jonesing for some Mexican food, and I suggested La Paloma.
What is it with Mexican restaurants and very brightly painted buildings? Chalateco in Santa Clara was also very easy to spot because of its bright exterior.
So one thing I noticed about Mexican buffets, such as at Maria Elena's, is that they remind me of Indian buffets. Tortillas instead of naan, chile verde instead of curry, carnitas instead of tandoori, refried beans instead of daal, and I guess they both have rice...
In any case, the food wasn't bad, and the service was good as well. It's a good lunch spot, but haven't thought about visiting for dinner yet.
Stopped in La Paloma with my husband to get a break from the DMV line and found a jewel of a restaurant. Excellent service and yummy house margaritas. Hubby had a huge steak fajita burrito (it seemed over a foot long) and I tried one of their lunch daily specials, chicken and spinach chimichanga with rice and beans. Again, huge, fresh portions with great, satisfying taste. Can't wait to go back!
A very solid, old school Mexican restaurant, the way I like 'em. It gets five stars for the lunch buffet. Mexican buffet is a very cool thing, indeed.
I've been coming here with my family ever since I was a little kid...literally over 20 years. The only thing I remember getting here from my childhood were these spicy chicken wing appetizers--so good. Unfortunately, I don't like much else here. The carnitas were dry and bland, and the chile verde I had was also bland. I guess I should stay away from the pork dishes here. I feel like they don't really serve authentic Mexican food and they're sorta expensive, but maybe I've just been spoiled by the Mexican fare in Sacramento.
I wrote a review but it looks like it got erased! Doesn't matter... I went back again after a 2 yr break and my meal tonight tasted much better. I had the Grilled Salmon Tostada and it delivered in visuals, less calories, great taste, and portion. Salmon on top of black beans and a crispy tortilla, with lettuce and mango salsa. The side of tartar sauce was gross and thankfully was separate.
I remember having a burrito the last time and not being so impressed. People swear that this place is authentic to Mexican food. I wouldn't know, but it has an old neighborhood-y feel that I like. The parking lot is always crowded. My only complaint would be to add less ice to their margaritas!
I've been using La Paloma for catering for the past four years to feed the car dealerships on stevens creek and always had world class service. People at the dealers love their food and the staff is very friendly and professional. I would high recommend using them. Rudy and his wife are always so friendly and treat me like family. I go there and eat on my own and the food is outstanding. I love their chips and salsa. Yes! I'm a whetto, but I know good mexican food.
The first time I eat here I ordered the Chile Colorado. The BOMB!!!!!!
I could not WAIT to go back!!!!
Our server was a lady (can't remember her name) who was very nice.
Last Friday night I went back and HATED everything.
The Salsa tasted like metal.
The music was like Dentist office music. PUT A NEW BATTERY IN THAT GUY!
Carlos the server didn't give us eye contact and dropped our drinks and walked away(Busser took our drink order). Didn't tell us he would be back or ask us if we were ready to order. Just walked away like nothing. The rest of his service lacked any Experience.
Next time we saw him was when the busser was picking up the plates.
My wife's Shrimp Enchilada was so Oniony that all you could taste was Onion. Mind boggling. Did I mention it was FULL of onion?
My Baja Tacos had so much cabbage in it I barely find any fish. The black beans were like soup. I added broken chips and rice and used my spoon to eat them.
The ONLY thing that was good, were the Chips
I was Disappointed.
I would go back and get the Chile.
"TOGO"
This is really a 3.5er from me.
There's plenty of seating and service will vary depending on who your waiter is.
I've had dinner there twice but today I went in for lunch.
They have a good deal for the $9 lunch buffet (you can also order a-la-carte if you prefer). The buffet was actually pretty good: simple salads, cheese enchiladas, chile relleno, BBQ Beef ribs, Carnitas, chicken fajitas, taco meat (spiced ground beef), rice, beans, veggies... then for dessert freshly sliced fruit, flans, assorted pies (choc. silk & cheesecake), brownies and churros.
It was a good value and the wait staff went around refilling soft drinks without having to be asked.
Given the options for Mexican food in the area... this place is really quite good.
wahahah, why so many bad reviews? I thought this was a really good place. But no matter, my opinion is that this is a great restaurant!
I've only had their dinner menu, never lunch cause the lunch buffet is like from 11am-3pm or something and I've never made it there in time. T.T (weeps)
There is only one dish that I choose and that's the cheese enchilada plate combo. I order my cheese enchilada plate combo and a glass of lemonade, then I pig out to embarrass my partner. Their plate is filled with a lot of food.
The environment is pretty good--not the greatest, but good enough to feel at ease eating there. I remember I've had this really super, super, super, super sweet waitress lady a couple of times. She made my dine-in experience a big plus.
I believe they had a live performer playing music and singing on some nights. I suppose it's supposed to add to the charm of dining here? I dunno
Oh boy, I had La Paloma this evening. Friends had invited me and had previously ordered the chimichanga for me (I kinda cried about it, asking them why). I was hesitant to come in b/c of previous experience but I thought I would give it a second chance.
When I received my plate... my chimichanga looked very generic.
The guacamole tasted store bought. The sour cream was tasteless. Omg, the chicken was disgusting. And the cheese was store bought (not even melted). Half way through my food, I felt like throwing up. The food was disgusting.
I will definitely NOT be returning to La Paloma.
White-washed mexican food.
Blah.
No thank you.
My poor chimichanga was so tasteless. And my husbands…
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