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Palenque kitchen by Mezcal - Steakhouse in Riverside, California

Palenque kitchen by Mezcal

4.4 (1938 reviews)

3737 Main St #100, Riverside, CA 92501

Mexican restaurant
Banquet hall
Bar
Brunch restaurant
Catering food and drink supplier
Dance club
Event venue
Live music bar
Lounge

About Palenque kitchen by Mezcal - steak house in Riverside, California

Mexican small plates & entrees along with cocktails & DJ music in a colorful, art-adorned space.

Customer Review Summary

Palenque Kitchen by Mezcal is perceived as expensive for the quality and quantity of food offered. Many reviewers highlight issues with only having one restroom, leading to long waits. While some customers enjoyed cute atmosphere and great drinks, others found the cocktail pricing excessive. Service is frequently praised, with specific servers like Christian and Sally receiving commendations for attentiveness. The food generally garners positive reviews, with large portion sizes, though it’s noted that, at around $30 per plate, expectations for quality should be higher. It’s recommended for social occasions rather than quick family meals. Overall, a mixed experience with good food and service but high prices.

Key Features

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • Curbside pickup
  • No-contact delivery
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great wine list
  • Live music
  • Sports

Popular for

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Organic dishes
  • Private dining room
  • Quick bite
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Catering
  • Counter service
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Gender-neutral restroom
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • College students
  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists
  • Transgender safespace

Planning

  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Paid parking garage
  • Paid parking lot

Pets

  • Dogs allowed outside

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.4 out of 5
5
1413
4
205
3
107
2
60
1
153
Based on 1938 reviews

Dr. Mark Bravo

3 months ago

WAY WAY WAY TO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT YOU GET. There are a couple of downers for one parking. The most annoying part is the restroom conditions. THERE IS ONLY ONE!!! ALWAYS A WAIT!!!! The pricing on food and drinks are out of control. Our cocktails were made in the wrong glasses for type of cocktails sort of a whiny complaint but at $20 per drink u would expect better.

Emile Y.

2 months ago

First time here, the atmosphere is so cute. The watermelon pepino drink was delish! The presentation was excellent. And we loved our server Christian! Very attentive, and recommended our drinks that were excellent!

Nayeli Espinoza

1 month ago

First time visiting this restaurant and I would 100% recommend it to anyone looking to have a good time and have some Mexican food. Our server was amazing, I recommend asking for Sally, super sweet and made sure we had a great experience!

Yasmine Strawder

5 months ago

Love love the food so everything cooked perfectly my boyfriend got the enchiladas and I got the el jefe as a appetizer we got nachos and they were so good. We are extremely full though and thanks to our waiter Eddie he was on top of tonight. Make sure we were good and make sure that our food was good and kept a refill on our drinks.

L C

3 months ago

Palenque is a Mexican restaurant immediately found next to the Mezcal lounge. Although this is a restaurant, the Mezcal lounge vibe is in full effect with loud music, low lighting and cocktails. We all agreed the food was good, but at around $30 a plate on average, the food should be elevated and not typical of what you'd find at any decent Mexican restaurant. Again good food, but pricey. If you add drinks and/or cocktails and dessert, you can easily walk out of there with a hefty bill. It might not be the best place for a quick meal, or families with kids, but recommended if meeting friends or on a date. The staff were friendly and the place was clean.

Ana Cienega

1 month ago

I came to celebrate my birthday and had an amazing time. The drinks were amazing and the food was very delicious. Our server Eddie was very nice and was always making sure we were well attended.

Kari Ellie

1 month ago

Sally was so friendly and attentive. The food was so yummy, juicy and crispy! Will be back again ! Taquitos, Torta , fajitas and potatoes were all good.

Jun

4 months ago

they have happy hour until 6:30pm! $10 margaritas and discounted well drinks/appetizers, menu can be found on their website. surprisingly tasty food, expensive (relative to sd/la) but large portion sizes

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11 AM–1 AM
Monday 11 AM–9 PM
Saturday 11 AM–1 AM
Sunday 11 AM–9 PM
Thursday 5–10 PM
Tuesday 5–10 PM
Wednesday 5–10 PM

Price Range

$$