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Palomino
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Mediterranean American (New), Mediterranean [Edit]
610 Bellevue Way NE(between S 104th Ave & 6th St)
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 455-7600
Announcement
Join us for brunch every weekend from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.!
Announced 2 days ago- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 6:30 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 6:30 am - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
268 reviews for Palomino
Review Highlights
"Definitely highly recommend it for happy hour."
(in 167 reviews)
"4 for select cocktails (try the cranberry mojito."
(in 23 reviews)
"the crab & artichoke dip - OMG, you HAVE to try it."
(in 20 reviews)
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268 reviews in English
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Review from April F.
Love love love this place! Best HH!
Note: They have HH in the bar area all day everyday! Woot woot! You can't beat that with a stick or a bat at that....ok ok...so this review is about their HH only (if you haven't already caught on), I have not indulged in their regular menu, because the HH is just too tempting!!!
The decor is nice, the lighting low & sexy and the seats comfy. Now to the good stuff...the drinks are cheap and tasty. The Cranberry Mojito is good but on the light side, the Pomegranate Margarita is delicious but my favorite is the Candied apple drop! Best of all they are all under $10!!! Their pizzas are cheap and good I especially like the Pepperoni! The fries with the Gorgonzola spread on top is unique and delis! But my favorite thing to eat here is the Grilled Mushroom Salad!! It's like Heaven in my mouth! Also their bread pudding is the only bread pudding that I have actually wanted seconds of!
If I had to say something bad about this place, I would say that the service is not that fast, but once the orders are put in the food/drinks come pretty darn fast, so I guess it makes up for lack luster waitress service.
This is a great place to meet with friends or have a casual date, Hell I would even like to come here solo and have a seat at the bar.
Bonus: They have two TVs in the bar area, though not big enough to enjoy a game but big enough to not miss it entirely!
Over all this place is winning. -
Review from Olivia H.
Updated - 1/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
This review is a little overdue, but I thought I would update since my last visit.
We decided to make reservations here for Thanksgiving dinner because we had a small party of 4 and thought it would be nice not to cook or deal with dishes. My last meal here was awesome, so I naturally thought it was a good idea.
The advertised meal sounded so yummy and gourmet and it was a bit of a let down. I'm guessing because the meal wasn't made to order and they had it all pre-made for the large amount of people that would be ordering the same dish of turkey, sausage stuffing and potatoes. I'm not sure what the other dishes were like because we all ordered the same thing.
Here are my notes. Turkey was okay, but more than half was dark meat, which was disappointing since I hate dark meat. The sausage was decent, but nothing too spectacular. I have had better. The potatoes were good, but it is hard to mess them up. There were veggies, but a very small portion for what I would have expected. I think we spent $26/plate for the turkey dinner and I think it was a ripoff. I have had the turkey dinner at Claim Jumpers and it was a lot better, larger portion, white meat only and wasn't as expensive.
We also got appetizers, wine and dessert, so our bill came to close to $200 bucks. We didn't complain and left a decent tip because is was Thanksgiving and I was trying to be grateful for what we had. But any other given day I would have complained.
So, I'm a bit conflicted now because I had an awesome experience and a not so awesome experience. I guess the next time will be the decider.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/21/2011
My husband and I came here on a date night. It's my goal to try all the restaurants in Bellevue and… Read more »
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Review from Kay N.
King, WA
1/8/2012
Dinner review.
I found the food to be just okay. I got the mushroom, goat cheese and cured ham flatbread pizza. It was good, but I found it to be a little on the salty side. Bf got the chicken marsala and he didn't like it. He felt the chicken was something they microwaved and put on the plate. He compared it to frozen dinner. ouch.
My favorite dish at Palomino is the Rigatoni Bolognese. Absolutely delicious.
Service here is great! Fast, friendly and attentive. I can tell they hire only experienced servers. -
Review from Kemper D.
Kirkland, WA
1/30/2012
I LOVE Palomino's Happy Hour. Great food, great prices! Happy hour is all times in the bar. I love the fact that now there is a line to get in, instead of waiting and fighting for tables (not fun).
Fun atmosphere! Very nice people working at the bar who seem to love their job (how many of us can say that!) -
Review from Allan g.
12/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love happy hour here, the food is pretty good and inexpensive enough to order a bunch of items to have a good time. The only problem is, it seems like everyone else knows about the happy hour too, so it's hard to find a spot during really busy times of the day (or even the weekend)
The crab and artichoke dip is delicious, tasted a lot better than expected, and the pizza's were so good that we ended up ordering another round of pizzas after eating two of them. (there was five of us)
The cross-cut fries were also worth mentioning, but don't expect something glorious. -
Review from Lee J.
Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2012
Not sure if it's still current, but when I lived in Bellevue, they had all day happy hour. We're talking $4 Guinness, $5 pizza, $6 clams and oysters, etc. The place is somewhat upscale, but they won't deny you seating if you're wearing shorts and t-shirt. Definitely a go to place for happy hour in Downtown Bellevue.
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Review from Zannah B.
Seattle, WA
1/23/2012
My mother and I have lunch together every other Friday. We often choose to eat at the Palomino because they had a really good steak and frites on the menu. We are regulars there for many months now.
I used to love their filet mignon- it melted in your mouth it was so good. The food was always so good which is why we always wanted to come back. Sadly this has changed.
Our last lunch may well be our final meal at this Palomino.
I first ordered the prime rib sandwhich- I assumed that this- being a better establishment -it would use fresh meat and the server raved about it be so great.
Yick! It was clearly day old (or longer perhaps?) meat, it was dry, hard, and covered with some sort of mayo. UGH! I sent that back to the kitchen and ordered what I usually order- the steak and frites.
The steak used to come out tasting like steak- this last time it came out with a thick, oil coating that ruined the flavor of the meat. We spoke to the chef who said that they were using a steak butter now versus a combination of olive oils. He seemed nonplussed that we as regulars found the taste to be so awful. To be honest I don't think he really cared.
This was hands down a miserable dining experience. The manager was very polite and nice and took the prime rib sandwhich off our bill. She also comped our appetizer which we in no way expected them to do.
I don't complain to get freebies- I do it when I experience something less than expected.
Our server Jan has always been really wonderful and treated us well. You can't blame the waitstaff for sub par food.
From a prior dining experience in the evening I also found issue with the shrinking bruschetta- it looks like a happy hour food- but not at happy hour prices.
I also mentioned the fact that the noise level in the restaurant is just awful. You have to shout at your date to be heard once the bar gets going.
Don't come here if you want a romantic dinner out because you will either be hoarse from shouting or sit in silence most of the meal. They need to spend a little money and put up a partition from the bar area- there used to be one- why was it removed?
While they do serve breakfast here- it is nothing better than what is served at a hotel. The waffles are the exact same thing you get at a hotel buffet. They do not offer any type of salsa with their eggs- only Tabasco or this icky aioli sauce that comes with their cold bread at the lunch and dinner shifts. The steak and eggs were good- unless they are using the steak butter on that as well now.
I am really saddened to see the food quality, as far as taste and portions be so diminished. I have enjoyed eating at the Palomino over the years with my husband and now with my mother for lunches. But frankly the experience is no longer something that I look forward too. I like a level of constancy in items on the menu. Perhaps they are more interested in catering to the bar scene and are letting the main portion of the dining room go. Perhaps they are cutting back on quality because of the slow economy?
Needless to say I will frequent the Palomino downtown when attending the theater but otherwise for the Bellevue location I think I will not be back again for some time. -
Review from Eli W.
11/26/2011
Two star.. nah one star.
This is the first time my family has decided to eat out for Thanksgiving (due to time constraints on everyone's account); and after the meal at Palomino, the last
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We came here for Thanksgiving and you'd think for the $27 Turkey Dinner you'd be getting a well portioned quality meal OR a large portion of mediocre turkey and gravy. I would have been good with either, however what we got was a small serving of super dry turkey and instant mashed potatoes, yes instant. Hungry Man does a turkey dinner better than Palomino.
Unfortunately, Palomino exemplifies the restaurants in downtown Bellevue, aesthetically pleasing food and restaurant venues, however definitely lacking in the quality of food e.g., Z'Tejas, Cheesecake Factory, etc.
There were servers running all around, however it was a chore to flag anyone down.
Also, they ran out of cranberry sauce at about 5:30pm and later came back saying "we have created a new batch," which was clearly canned cranberry sauce distinctly different from their made in-house sauce from before. Funny thing is, I liked the canned sauce more.
I understand that they have a happy hour that begins early and runs on until forever, that is what the one star is for.
I've been here for the happy hour and I have to say, the price is pretty good, however I have never been impressed with the food. low-end to mediocre is what comes to mind when I think about the food served during HH. -
Review from Lisa E.
Portland, OR
12/12/2011
We went here for breakfast on a Saturday with friends. The place was half empty and the service was very fast, so that was good.
The food was average. I got the veggie frittata which was unremarkable and it came with potatoes that were really good. All in all it was average for breakfast, nothing special.
I did see a Bloody Mary station to make your own, but did not partake. -
Review from Rossana Y.
Lynnwood, WA
1/2/2012
All day HH everyday at the bar?? Sounds like a pretty good deal. Although the HH selection is a little limited, I still give them credit to their crab and artichoke dip, pizzas and drink specials. This is probably the default place everyone goes to in Bellevue when there's nowhere else to eat, and I can see why some of my friends can get tired of eating here due to the limited selection on the HH menu. I do like how it's not too loud where you don't actually have to yell across the table to have a conversation. Overall, the food is mostly good/average and the service is decent, but don't expect anything too special.
Listed in: Happy hour in Seattle
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Review from Hailee G.
12/2/2011
I would ideally like to give this location of Palomino 5 stars for the regular restaurant, and 3 stars for happy hour.
In the main area of the restaurant, you can't go wrong with what you order!! The food is so delicious! Last time I was there I had the scallops and they were FANTASTIC! Also the chop salad is wonderful... and the service is always great.
The happy hour is nice too. Even when there's a line, they're very attentive and try to seat people as quickly as possible, The specialty cocktails they offer are all delicious too!
My issue with the Bellevue happy hour is the lack of variety. (Seattle Palomino offers much more happy hour variety). The only things to get during happy hour that don't have any pig product are: Potatoes Gorgonzola (so amazing, but so fried and fattening!), White Bean Dip (comes with yummy crackers and veggies, extremely garlicy), the Mushroom salad (also tasty but not super filling), and the tomato basil pizza (delicious as well). All of the non-pork items are yummy, they just get old when you come here as often as I do and watch your friends eating sausage pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, meatballs, etc.... hearty and filling dishes. Also, last time I was there the server seemed to be annoyed with us.... the only time my service at Palomino hasn't been excellent.
So If you want the best impression of Palomino that you can get, I suggest going to the downtown Seattle location. -
Review from Sarah K.
Seattle, WA
1/13/2012
Came here with a friend and sat at the bar to take advantage of their happy hour. We both chose to try the lavender cosmo and we both decided it was extremely delicious! We also both had a caesar salad that tasted like caesar salad. I've only been wowed by a caesar salad a couple of times in my life, but this one tasted just fine. We also split the roma tomato, basil, shaved garlic & mozzarella pizza (why don't they just call it a margherita pizza?) Anyways, that was pretty tasty too. I'll come back for sure.
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Review from Jacqueline T.
11/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This might just be my favorite Happy Hour place. More than just bite size HH food. All for $6 or less for each dish. They have a nice variety of flatbreads, and a handful of other appies (clams, garganzola waffe fries and more).
My favorites: Spicy Meatball flatbread, Garganzola waffle fries, and their mushroom and cheese salad :) Mmmm. Share between two to be up to your ears full, share with three and chug back a few drinks for a nice finish.
Best of all.. Happy Hour lasts all day. Really good comfort food :)
Have had dinner there a few times, but knowing how awesome the Happy Hour is, takes away the dinner's appreciation.
Love the Lincoln Square location, as its right next to my beloved Bellevue Square. Nice comfy, loungy bar seating area.
I always come out happy! Definitely a good happy hour or two ;) -
Review from Vicki S.
Bellevue, WA
1/15/2012
Dined in the bar area with my fiancee and enjoyed casual and attentive service from a friendly server. The specials were a huge hit with us, especially the caprese salad (best I have had anywhere). Quality without being over priced or stuffy is great for us.
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Review from Hanna L.
Edmonds, WA
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's pricey if you're not eating at the bar... But the food is good and The wine selection surprisingly limited. But one is not nearly as not picky when dining on happy hour fares, so make sure you come in for hh, and you and your wallet will not be a sour puss!
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Review from Brittany F.
Kirkland, WA
1/30/2012
I went here for Brunch with quite a few ladies and had a good time. We had a lot of picky eaters with us and menu was diverse enough that everyone was pleased. The food was a service was a little slow but it was busy. The waitress was polite and refilled our coffees as best she could...we were slugging them down (good coffee). She split our checks without any eye-rolling which often happens. Overall it was a good experience!
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Review from Tony L.
Seattle, WA
1/4/2012
Professional staff, gorgeous dining room, great atmosphere and amazingly talented cooks in the kitchen. Need I say more???
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Review from Jaime D.
Bellevue, WA
10/4/2011
Went here on a friday night during happy hour!
Parking: Great cause its in down town and no problem finding a spot in the garage and it was validated.
Interior: Great ambiance with nice decor. It wasnt busy so it didnt get noisy. The booth was sticky though.
Food: Was affordable, the burchetta was good, the pizza was rockin, and the drinks was delicious. The mushroom salad was also bomb. No complaints.
Definitely a nice little spot to head out to during happy hour. I love bellevue. -
Review from Katie O.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
All day happy hour everyday? Yes please!
The downsides? We were told that there was a 15 minute wait without being offered a chance to sit in the bar. My sister actually asked if we could sit in there, and the hostess flippantly told us we could if we wanted. Well, there was tons of seating and we found a booth. Score!
Our server was kinda weird, and didn't give my sister a straw until she asked for one (but gave me one).
We decided to try the tomato basil pizza and the pulled pork sliders. Those sliders were absolutely delicious, and the pizza was perfect.
If you're looking for a cheap dinner or snack in downtown Bellevue, this is a great place to go! -
Review from Mike S.
Renton, WA
12/28/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We have experienced Palomino in Seattle and always had a positive experience. This was our first experience at their Bellevue location and now will add Palomino to our East side list of our favorite establishments. I had their traditional turkey dinner and my partner had the prime rib. Both meals were excellent. Prime rib was tender and not overcooked and the turkey was still moist. In addition the Calamari was excellent and the portion was HUGE! Overall a positive experience
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Review from Sharon L.
Federal Way, WA
10/21/2011
Everyday happy hour is an awesome idea but that also means that it's always a crowded place. Either way, once you get seated, the service is pretty good and the food is okay!
I just recently had my birthday dinner here and everyone did a fantastic job! The server was wonderful and they provided extra room for a few guests had dropped by. It was a memorable night for sure! -
Review from Jerri R.
Palm Springs, CA
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Always a favorite when we visit the Seattle area during our annual tennis tournament. Everything we've ordered over our three year history has been delicious. I recommend sitting in the bar if you're a foodie who enjoys value pricing. Our pasta selections, salads, and pizzas have never failed to please.
The front hosts could be more service-minded... they stood in a group gossiping and ignoring most of the arriving guests. Our bartender more than made up for this disconnect with his quick attention, pleasant personality, and follow through on our items. -
Review from N J S.
Kirkland, WA
11/7/2011
This review is just for the Happy Hour...which is every day, ALL DAY...it's just too bad you have to sit and eat at the bar. Personally, I can't stand those high seated chairs. I just don't find it comfortable, but oh, well.
The restaurant has a nice atmosphere...it is a bit loud, so it tends to be difficult to have a conversation amongst your group.
I've only had the flatbread with artichoke/crab dip, clams and calamari. The food isn't spectacular, but it all had a good flavor. The drinks that the bartender made tasted great. Not too strong and definitely not weak...and paying happy hour prices is a plus. True, you only have a few selections on what to eat and drink, but how much can one eat?
Definitely a good place to come back. It's too bad they close at midnight on the weekends especially since when I got there the other night at 11:30pm, they had already locked the doors and I was STARVING! -
Review from Kimmi C.
Lynnwood, WA
9/11/2011
I like coming here for happy hour drinks and food. Happy hour is all day, which is great! Since happy hour is only offered at the bar area, it used to be more crowded (so you'd either have to wait or leave), but it's calmed down since more restaurants opened in the area.
I can't judge the dinner menu. Service can be slow depending on how busy they are, but I still enjoy going there for happy hour. -
Review from Kayla s.
8/8/2011
Want a place with a LEGIT happy hour in BELLEVUE? Well look no further. I don't know what it is but the little $5 pepperoni pizza is AMAZING! I also like the veggie one with just mozzerella and tomato basil. But the soul reason I would go there is for their Raspberry Mojito. I could easily suck 3 of those babies down in 5 mins flat.
This is where me and my girls always go hands down. The only bad thing is that it is just in the bar and tables are come first come first served so get there early cuz unlike the Seattle location, this one is smaller.Listed in: Dine or Ditch?
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Review from Krista N.
7/19/2011
Honestly, I feel this place deserves a higher rating.
Why? BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL DAY EVERYDAY HAPPY HOUR!
Enough said. I've never eaten here at non happy hour prices so, I can't vouch for the quality/price ratio there BUT I have eaten during happy hour and I've never had a bad experience. It's first-come, first-serve in the bar area but like most things good things in life you have fight for your spot. haha
Me and friends usually get beers because they are cheaper and frankly their cocktails are on the too sweet side. Yes they are cheap cocktails but no one likes to get diabetes while drinking one cocktail.
What I've/We've shared to eat:
CRAB AND ARTICHOKE DIP! Delicious. It probably isn't the best for you but hh is to be enjoyed.
Wild mushroom salad. It was good but sometimes mushrooms freak me out. It's not the mushrooms, it's me. ;)
A variety of their $6 flat-bread pizzas. They have all been delicious.
Once again did I say 24/7 hh? -
Review from Kimm M.
Redmond, WA
7/19/2011
What make this place stand out from the other bars in Bellevue: happy hour all day, EVERYDAY in the bar! I love the cranberry moijitos and mushroom salad on the HH menu. I dislike the bleu cheese fries...a bit too rich for my taste.
I never been here for dinner, just in the bar. It is more of a "classier" place versus earls/joeys/muncbar. I usually meet girlfriends here for a nice gossiping session.
Overall, pretty mellow and laid-back scene and decently HH! -
Review from Erik A.
Oak Harbor, WA
6/27/2011
Happy hour here changed my life.
So we bought a car, a car that maybe had a few problems (it was used), a few problems that lucky for me were still covered under warranty.
Sadly, the closest place we could get warranty work on this car was all the way down in Bellevue (not to brag). So we take the whip down there, still reeking of "new to us" car smell, with all of it's rattles, creaks, and looming future payments for our early morning appointment.
A good husband always schedules an "early appointment" two hours from his home while knowing his wife is a Night Badger(owl).
We get to the dealership, they tell us it will take a while and then offer to deposit us at the mall (bell square). Being the starry eyed country hicks that we are, we nod in slack jawed amazement, so many people in one place.... wwwwwooooooowwwww
Thirty minutes later i remember why i live on an Island, and after a fast trek through the Bellevue Art Gallery (or museum, whatever, this is not abotu that) we are hungry.
By this time i had been on my feet for WAAAAAY too long for a guy who is effectively on vacation for half his life. I need rest, succor, and a dimly lit room, preferably with an overabundance of bamboo.
SO there we were, fending off free bible books from the unwashed, nearly, NEARLY on our last legs. Neither of our semi-smart phones have chirped in the very least to notify that our car is done, and deep down inside i am bitching for a fruity drink.
Enter the palomino.
This place was called something equally forgettable last year when we swung by, who knows.
I blindly ran to a booth and sat down, daring the server to pull me from my chair. A chair that was slowly, amoeba-like sucking me in to it's digestive tract. Maybe, MAYBE the most comfortable chair in the world, and this is from a guy who does A LOT of chair sitting. I went from near standing to a quasi-prone seating position over the course of 5 minutes or so as the chair in a comfortably glacial pace gave me just what daddy wanted.
Come to find out we came in at ground zero of happy hour.
Money.
I freely, proudly, and shamelessly ordered something called a "cranberry mojito" i then sucked it down to the very last sugary drop and demanded another. I also had a tasty little thin crust pizza show up, with all kinds of lovely bits strewn around it. I wolfed the pizza down, and even managed to reclaim the piece i gave to my wife after she turned her nose at it (there is a joke here, but i want to not sleep on the couch tonight). The drinks: great My little happy hour pizza: effing groovy.
Once i got the battery to my phone back /glare i noticed that indeed the car was fixed and we would have to make our way back. Were it not for that minor detail, i would still be there right now, drinking cranberry mojitos with my head held high. -
Review from Dorothy C.
Redmond, WA
10/3/2011
I guess there's not much to say but I just wanted to reassure everyone that Yes, this place is still great. VERY busy though (but we had 8 people so I guess it was harder for us to grab two tables and pull them together). Service was a little slow but that's also because they were really busy and we had people arriving in a span on 30 minutes.
I don't like alcohol (I know..) but the virgin Cranberry Mojito is So good. I'm not a fan of anything minty-except gum or chapstick, or any fruit/mint combination but my taste buds had a liking for this drink :)
Food is good, pizzas are really good.
Definitely visit if you haven't, continue to do so if you have.
Enjoy! -
Review from Donna H.
Kirkland, WA
12/7/2011
Typical noisy Bellevue joint, one criticism though - waitstaff, if you HAVE to smoke on your break, please brush your teeth before you come back and serve me :)
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Review from Liz H.
Woodinville, WA
12/5/2011
Earl's always full? Walk less than a block down to Palomino! There's no waiting for seating at the bar if you can get there before 6:30 and tables generally free up pretty quickly. The crowd is more laid back and after-work friendly whereas you have to dress like you're going out for the night at other places in Bellevue.
They have a good selection of HH drinks and some delish food to nibble. Great place to stop by after work. -
Review from Krissy -.
Seattle, WA
7/25/2011 9 photos
-Friendly service
-Food is awesome
-Price is reasonable. Didn't try the happy hour yet.
The tiramisu was the best part. It's REALLY good. The BEST ever!! lol. -
Review from C B.
Newberg, OR
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great ambiance out on the patio.
However, the announcement -- still on Yelp as of today -- about the restaurant's happy hour on the patio is wrong. It used to be from 3 until close; now it is only until 6. This didn't help is as we showed up after 9 on the patio. But otherwise a fabulous time.
Would give this four stars if the advertisement and actuality corresponded. -
Review from Arianne R.
Bellingham, WA
6/14/2011
Forget everything else, it's really just about the happy hour here.
Well, the happy hour and the incredibly adorable server who we were lucky enough to have at our table this afternoon-- I wish that I could remember her name, but I'm notoriously bad in that area. All I remember is blond, adorable, and the fact that she asked me for ID when I ordered my Cranberry Mojito (which instantly made me a fan).
I think that I'll show the Mojito a bit of love here, as the food really wasn't anything that I'm looking to repeat. Sort of the 'meh' of mid-1990's fare served (unironically) in a space reminiscent of your local Crate & Barrel. Honestly, it felt as though bamboo was being stockpiled for armageddon in this place. The one thing that was awesome (although a tad bit awkward-- especially after a goodly amount of the aforementioned Mojito) was the super-plush lounge chairs. After basically falling into one, it took quite a bit to remove myself from it-- if pressed, I could probably remain comfortably in that thing through armageddon and the ensuing bamboo riots.
But I digress...
Mojito. Lots of fresh mint-- which made me ridiculously happy. The glasses were tall and reminded me of Bellini glasses at Milestones (minus the plastic animals, of course-- but how cool would THAT have been?) Unfortunately, the last time that I saw glasses of that description were during the days of my wild youth, which roughly places them in the late 1990's. They were not so much fun to wrestle with as I remember-- although that may have had more to do with my relative blood alcohol level rather than my advancing years.
The only annoying thing was some impromptu kid-noise. Luckily they were mostly muffled by the bamboo forest, and so it wasn't overly irritating. -
Review from Brittany L.
Lynnwood, WA
5/9/2011
I ended up here on a belated-birthday happy hour with two friends after we were turned off by the ice-cold hostess at Pearl. My instant impression was how friendly the people were when we first walked in and assisted us in finding a place in the bar even when that probably isn't their job. A+ for the welcome crew!
I have been back many times since. I am a fan of their casual atmosphere (for Bellevue) and all-day happy hour, pomegranate margarita and pizzas/flatbreads. Almost every time I've been at Palomino it has been a pleasant and fun experience (minus the one time we got an extremely awkward, and for the most part, non-existent waitress who came to take our food order 30 minutes after our drinks arrived).
There are almost too many good options in Bellevue to dine or drink at, but this place is always a go-to spot to hit up first. -
Review from Esther S.
Redmond, WA
5/26/2011
My husband and I went there last night because I got a free entree for my birthday from them in the mail. We started off with the crab cakes (awesome!!!) and some house made bread. Loved the bread with the Bruschetta to go on top! The prices were really reasonable. I got the Chicken Parmesan (Free) and it was delicious. Hubs got the Peperoni Pizza. It was really good as well. Thin crust but very flavorful and only $12. The waiter also brought us a complimentary dessert for my birthday. Some kind of chocolate Tiramisu that was wonderful! We ate every last bite. I think we left paying $36 (w/tip) for an appetizer, 2 entrees and dessert.
Not bad at all! Will definitely go back. -
Review from James T.
Mercer Island, WA
7/2/2011
All day happy hour in the bar is amazing, and their food is pretty good too. Pizza's ($6) have a paper thin crust but they're big and the toppings are good.
Wasn't sure if was just a fluke but I noticed that you don't need to order an alcoholic drink to get happy hour pricing on food. YMMV though. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Lynnwood, WA
5/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Happy hour all day... must I say more? 6 dollar pizzas, 8 dollar flat breads, appetizer specials, drink specials... I'm a fan.
It's probably the go-to Bellevue spot... every time I'm here the bar is jam packed full of people, but we manage to find a spot every time. Definitely can't find the prissy elitists one would find around the corner... ahem! -
Review from Katie V.
Medina, WA
9/26/2011
I have been here many times, and my thoughts are that this is a great spot to come to for drinks and happy hour. Sit in the bar! The bartenders are attentive, friendly, and offer great service. I would never recommend this place for dinner. Every time I sit in the restaurant I am disappointed by the food and the service. And I always see upset customers. I was there one evening last week and we sat on the patio (which is a great spot on a sunny day, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. The couple at the table next to us had to wait a VERY VERY long time to get their check. Then the couple at the table behind us ordered a steak and a seafood salad. Their waiter forgot to give them a steak knife, and that seemed to be a difficult task, and then the seafood salad had no seafood on it. So they ended up sending all their food back. I feel like this is par for the course when you eat dinner at Palomino. Be prepared for overly salted food and a loooong wait.
Go to the bar, grab a seat, and try some happy hour small plates and have some wine... you can't go wrong there. -
Review from Shane H.
Gig Harbor, WA
10/17/2011
This is my favorite place to get a bite in Bellevue. I work for myself so I can have a late lunch or early dinner. I don't have to fight the crowds. There service has always been excellent.. I especially love the mushroom salad. Where else can you get such a treat. The place is very busy after five, but there is a good reason. The food is fabulous.
