La Palapa

La Palapa in Chicago nails coastal Mexican comfort in one quick stop. I started with the ultra-crispy Empanadas de Camarón—golden shells packed with juicy shrimp—then dove into the star attraction, La Mariscada: a steaming bowl loaded with shrimp, mussels, tender octopus, and imitation crab in a perfectly balanced, mildly spicy broth. Portions are huge, flavors pop, and the friendly staff keeps the experience smooth. Round it all out with one of their tangy micheladas from the solid drink list. I left full, happy, and already planning my next visit. Highly recommended for authentic mariscos right here in the city.

So delicious 🤤 The seafood is very delicious, they have a good taste and the drinks are very good, friendly and fast service, of course we will be back

This my 2nd time at this restaurant & it was better than the 1st one! Our waitress was great! I wanted a drink with red bull, the menu didn't have 1 but she custom made my drink. The food was delicious. The bathroom is clean but I wish they had a handle to open the door with the feet instead of my hands. Enjoy the show by a very talented 14 year old singing. My sister & my self enjoyed this restaurant very much.

I visited La Palapa this past summer and had a very memorable and delicious dining experience alongside my father and sister. Upon arriving with my father, we were promptly seated and attended to while we waited for my sister. We were served salsa and chips along with a very tasty ceviche. Our server was very pleasant and continued checking on us while we waited for my sister to arrive. Once she did, we were quickly attended to once again and our orders were taken, which did not take long to arrive. Our father requested a specific song to be played and our server made that happen. All our dishes were magnificent. We all had such a wonderful time and will certainly be back! Highly recommend!

It was a while since I went took my brother and husband out for their bdays. Food was cold, server was cold too. She was all ho hum about what we wanted. The crab legs over priced and swimming in butter and Luke warm at best. My brothers plate same Luke warm and tilapia was not fresh. Over all bad experience won’t be back

Good Mexican food. I ordered the huachinango (fish) and was delicious.

If there was an option for less than a 1 star I would used that instead. I went there with my family and it has to be the worst service and most frustrating experience ever. The food was so over salted it was bitter, our server never checked on us. Not once. I guess she didn’t care since there would be a gratuity fee of 20 percent she decided to give us the worst service possible. We were there in Sunday and we will NEVER BE BACK. The worst seafood restaurant in Chicago. DO NOT GO THERE. I have no idea how they have a rating higher than one star. The only reason I went to this location was because my sister in law recommended it and picked it, needless to say her recommendations will never be taken seriously again. I can not stress it enough how awful everything was.

Been here quite a few times and every time we have enjoyed everything we ordered. The atmosphere is welcoming and friendly it's always been clean and smells great. During the weekend it's quite lovely having live shows. Service is incredible never have I ever been here and felt forgotten or like I'm just there.

Went today to celebrate my mom's birthday was amazing drinks were great! Ordered the langostinos a bit spicy but I do love spicy food definetly reccomend their short empanadas were the best

Absolutely the best mariscos in Chicago! Always pristine and very flavorful. Service is prompt and gracious. The outside patio and mariachi bands are great fun when the weather cooperates.

Great vibes, and they have live music. Eating outside was a whole experience, especially being right by the highway entrance with so many people walking around. What we ordered: Oysters: They were huge! Good, but I might try something else next time. The Mattress Breaker: This dish was massive. I liked the rice packed underneath. It soaked up all the delicious seafood flavors from on top. Ceviche tostada: Even though they give you the ceviche as a complimentary appetizer, we just had to order another one because it was so tasty We had a great first experience here, but we did notice that we were charged for water when the bill came. The waitress said it was a mistake. Even though we were a bit confused, we trust her and are glad we caught it.

It's OK. Looks more appealing from the outside than it is on the inside. Pros: Plenty of options to choose from. Lots of seasonings offered. Cons: Food doesn't seem fresh. Fries were too salty. Karaoke speaker volume is not balanced out well, excessive highs. Pro tip: If you want to see the worst Photoshop ever, it's in the bathroom. I've been wanting to eat here for a while now. Every time I go by this place, the large, gimmicky shark is hard to miss and all the guests dining makes me crave seafood. Hostess service was friendly and our server had a welcoming personality. The food arrived in a timely fashion and we were all ready to dig in. The paella had plenty of variety but the quality of the seafood did not seem fresh or worth coming back for. Granted, Chicago is a city that prides itself on encased meats and not fresh seafood. Yet, plenty of better seafood options are to be found across the city. We also ordered a burrito which seemed average in taste and quality and fries that were too salty. This place can probably be a lot of fun with an all-adult party of friends, ceviche, and beers. But if you're looking for a great seafood experience, best to try other venues. Sorry.

The food was delicious and fresh. We got the Rompecolchon, Camarones on rice. Spicy but not too spicy. Service was good and super fun ambiance! Highly recommend

Mexican restaurant in McKinley Park that specializes in seafood dishes. I've gotten it to go and dined in. Dining in is the better experience. It's got a big space, with lots of tables, and on Saturday nights, when I went, there was a mariachi band playing. A fun atmosphere for sure. I got the squid (pulpo) dish, very tasty, and when I got it to go, I'd gotten the prawns dinner, good, but a lot of shell. Regardless though, you get a lot of food. Since it's mainly seafood, as you can imagine the prices aren't cheap, but they're not SUPER high, and you get your money's worth. A few parking spots along the side, but you can just do street parking down the block if those fill up. I'd definitely recommend if you live in Bridgeport, or any nearby area, if you're a fan of seafood and looking for a little nicer Mexican dining experience.

I've always been curious about this place, and gone past it a million times. There's plenty of street parking nearby. The place is incredibly spacious inside, and there wasn't a wait for a table even on a Saturday night, but there were plenty of folks there. We loved the live mariachi band that was playing, though it was quite loud which made conversation hard. The music was fantastic though, so I really can't complain. I wasn't familiar with the names of a lot of things on the menu, and the descriptions weren't always helpful, so we just kind of guessed and picked a couple options based on what sounded exciting. Shortly after sitting down, the waitress brought over chips and a salsa and a ceviche - they were both fantastic and got me so excited for the dinner we were about to have! I also ordered a limón agua fresca which was delicious - and massive! For our dinner, we ordered a prawn dish and an octopus dish. While both had great flavor, the octopus was a bit chewier than I prefer and tasted a little overcooked - my husband really enjoyed it. There was some kind of red chili or pepper with a sort of plasticy texture all over the octopus that both of us couldn't figure out. The prawns were fantastic though a bit messy since the head was still on. I also wished that there was some sort of side or vegetable to balance out the dishes - perhaps we couldn't find it in the menu, but I think it would have been nice to have a bit of brightness to help the seafood really pop. We ended up eating most but not all of the octopus and the waitress kept asking if we didn't like it after we finished. We said that it was nice and we were full, and didn't love that she kept pushing on that. I'm game to try anything once, and I'm glad I came here, but it wasn't my personal favorite.

Tried it for the first time with some friends. Ordered the mariscada for the three of us. It was more than enough food for all three of us and comes with a side of rice. The dish exceeded our expectations, the octopus was so tender and the seasoning was so good, just enough spice to get that warm feeling. If you add the sauce on top of the rice too, bomb. It also went great with the garlic bread. Service was a little slow for the amount of ppl they had working and the amount of ppl in the restaurant, we had to keep flagging the server. The restaurant itself had ample seating and we were seated inside but they have a side with garage like doors that were open and we were right next to so we were able to eat inside but still enjoy the great weather.

I told my honey bun I had a taste for Red Snapper and after a quick google search this is where he brought me. The restaurant was extremely spacious and all of the staff was extremely friendly. We were brought salsa and ceviche as an appetizer. Both had a nice flavor. They gave a large drink selection. I ordered horchata. It was more thin in texture than I'd like but again the flavor was great. I ordered the snapper as my meal and was shocked by the serving size. I ordered the diabla sauce on the side and enjoyed the fish and the sauce. Def will be back again.

I had not been here in years. I love what they've done to the place. It is definitely way more spacious than before. We came for my dad's birthday & he loved it. They had live music playing since we went on the weekend. We did not have reservations and we were seated quickly.

I don't know what's in the langostinos and ronpecolchon sauce, but it was amazing! And the ceviche and salsa were really fresh. Lots of patio space and great for groups!

I'm glad I was able to finally make it to La Palapa the other night. We went around 8 on a Saturday night and were seated right away but the restaurant was pretty busy. We tried their prawns and octopus - the prawns were delicious but the octopus was a little overcooked. We enjoyed our drinks but service was a little slow so we decided to forgo a second drink. I'd love to try it when the patio is opened in the summer

The food is good. But they charge extra fee for paying with a card. If you want to just pay for what you ordered and tip, you need to pay with cash. If you don't have cash with you, you have to pay extra fee. Among all the restaurants that I have been to, it is the only one that charges extra fee if you pay with a card. No one told me that they charge extra fee when I made the payment. I found it on the bill after I got home. I called twice and the waitress said the manager hadn't come to work yet. She said she will tell the manager to call me back after he came. But I never got any call from them.

I came in with kind of low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised by the food here. I have never been to a seafood mexican restaurant and this place really delivered. We started with the complimentary ceviche and tostadas. They also came with salsa. We got multiple food items including the crab legs and the Langostinos. These were both cooked in a mildly spicy sauce. They were really, really fresh and the flavors were great! It was peppery and garlicky. I got the tilapa in mexicana style which was pretty good. I had never had this dish before. It was kind of like a fresh salsa on top of the fish, with cilantro, peppers, and onions cooked in buttery sauce. The sides were good too, with the rice being a interesting texture and going well with all the other parts of the fish. The seafood rice was good too. I normally do not like seafood rice but this managed to have a lot of flavor without getting too "fishy". I think it is because of the variety of different seafoods in the rice, and the different texture of the rice (different than asian style seafood rice). So how come this gets a 4 and not a 5? Well, the service was a little inattentive. Even though they have paper towels at each table, we quickly ran out of places to put the crab leg shells. I wish they were able to clear the table quicker. They also did not really come to check back with us. I feel like this restaurant could work a lot better as a self-serve.

Shame on me. Because I figured they would improve. But. Food is still ok. Took forever! Service was sooo slow!! And prices are still pretty high compared to other restaurants. Definitely not again....

Best seafood place in chicago. Now that the location is bigger, its easier to get seated. Love the live music on the weekends recommend the Charolada, with a slight kick of spice but great taste. Also the huachinango is always good.

Langoustine and go home. That's all you need to know! Alex started this w/ a small Weber Grill in a parking lot. It grew and grew. The American dream. Great summer place to dine alfresco. Langoustine it! Trust me. A spicy seafood delight.

Can I say the best Mariscos near downtown, really fresh service is awesome place came a loooooong way

That place need to be packed all summer. The lobster was fresh. The charolada Was spicy good. The ceviche was got some heat to it

The customer service is amazing, the waitress that helped us out when we went, had an amazing attitude and was very helpful with helping me choose my plate! The food was incredible as well, I ordered the Camarones La palapa, and they were delicious! They were dry seasoning type of spicy, but nevertheless still really good and really spicy. The environment was clean and fresh, the tables and seats were a good size for a normal person, and the decorations inside, made me feel like it was summer already. LOVED IT!

My family and I spent my grandmothers birthday here and we were well serviced by this man named (I think Sergio) but I just want to say thank you to the staff for making my family's dinner really fun. It was such a nice vibe I loved the ambiance of the restaurant and eating outside was so fun. I felt like I was in Florida! Like vacation Florida! Haha but thank you Gabbie for helping our table the food was really good definitely worth the price and service that was provided for us! Definitely will come back again. And thank you to the staff for giving us a cake and giving us a free shot for my grandmas birthday it was really nice.

Came here with 10 friends and it was was delicious. BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage). Yes we brought beer and wine. I think they charge you for having your own. Our friends ordered for us. We had complimentary chips and dip. The green sauce was spicy and there was a side of ceviche. Definitely addicting as you wait for the entrees. Ordered mild shrimp (which was too spicy for me) but still delicious, seafood paella, shrimp ceviche, and fried fish.

I'll preface this by saying I'm not against paying more for great food and service. Both were, unfortunately, sub-par. We were a party of 3 adults and 3 kids. They charged us for waters and barely checked in on us. The food was average, not amazing and definitely not worth the money. They also automatically charged a tip, which I think is baloney. We tip based on service (and my hubby was being generous here). I wasn't impressed at all.

All of the charm is gone. And most of the customers. We had not been since the pandemic but knew La Palapa was renovating and enlarging the property. The outdoor space used to be friendly and fun and indoor space had been jam-packed and homey. All are gone. Indoors, it's one giant cold room and outdoor has lost something, especially customers. BYO is gone; perhaps that is why. Fortunately, the Langoustines are still there and are as spicy and delicious as ever. Go for them and don't get the expensive cocktails. They are not very good. Service is just OK.

Can't go wrong with an order of the langostinas and seafood paella. Both are packed with flavor. The paella has so much seafood, you are sure to get some in every bite. Langostinas sauce is addicting!! Proton: mix both together and it's fire. This once whole in the wall continues to gain popularity - one time we waited for over 2 hours for a spot, but it's worth! Also BYOB!

I've never been to Mexico, (I know right...) But if I ever do go and find myself at a joint along the beach in some little out of the way seaside town I'd expect it would somewhat resemble La Palapa. From the palm leave thatched roof" to the surf board, sombriero's patio seating (which I understand has thatched roof umbrellas and palm trees in season, to the authentic guitar and accordion minstrels and finally the families and local Mexican workers and patrons that fill this place at all hours, La Palapa is an inexpensive visit to our southern neighbor. Family style seafood, shrimp, ceviche is their thing, but they have some beef and chicken options too. Generous portions. I believe it's BYOB as folks were hauling in cases of beer. It was packed with non stop folks coming and waiting at 3:00 pm so I suspect it can get crazy there during meal time. May have to go back soon!

Listen! This place was like crossing the border to get into Mexico because the best seafood was there! OMG, this was my first time eating there. I am from California so I know food authentic Hispanic dishes... but the dishes here were out of this world!!! Every bite was filled with Flavor, Spice, and Savory authenticity ! I will definitely be going back. So Amazing! Great Job Chefs! keep up the amazing work! and thank you to the Hostess! you all were wonderful!

I'm updating my review, like I had said before, the food was really good I had given it 1 star because it made me sick. Yesterday I cooked Carne asada and made some tacos. Turn out that the onion it made me sick too. Usually I have no problem digesting onion. So, I might give place another chance.

Yes - food does take about an hour after you order to be served. I knew that going in so, I am not docking any stars for long wait. All of the servers are very kind and helpful. Now onto the food - which was very delicious and fresh. My party of 5 shared dungeness crab, mussels, fried snapper, large order of langostinos, and calamari. I highly recommend the langostinos, fried snapper (with garlic), and dungeness crab. My issue with the calamari was that the sauce was way too salty and I need plain rice to eat it. All of the seafood is very fresh and well made -- that is, not over cooked. We also ordered lemonade as drinks, but it was way too sweet -- stick with water. Gratuity of 15% is added to the bill for tables with more than 4 people. Bill came out to $40.10/head for a seafood feast. Well worth it and will be back for more! Tip: La Palapa is also BYOB with corkage of $4 per person at the table.

This food is delicious. The waitress was great, and her recommendations were perfect. If I have a criticism, it was that this place can be pud. The walls are cinderblock and reflect sound. The music should be turned down. And let's not even talk about when the mariachi band started playing. Whew, was that loud, to the point that we took our granddaughter outside until the band stopped playing. But, the food was great, and that's why we were there...

Nice space and great customer service but my food lacked flavor. Big portions but most of us felt something was missing or not the best with their dish. The only dish that had flavor and was the best dish was the chicken flautas.

Food was weak,service sucked,and the owner was sitting across from us,waitress was busy chatting at the bar with other waitresses

Fake imitation crab meat . I Don't know anyone that wants to go to a marisco restaurant and have imitation crab meat . This is my second time going there and the did is mediocre. No longer BYOB

Delicioso - really good amd authentic I would highly Recommend it - i will definitely cone back

I would say do not judge a book by it's cover, so once you drive up, it is a challenge to find the front door (clue) look for the open sign. I ordered the Mataviejitas (The Lady Killer) which is a combination of shrimp, octopus and oysters is a spicy sauce. It was outstanding! My guest ordered Rompecolchon A La Plancha (cooked on the grill) which is a combination of seafood on a bed of rice. My guest enjoyed the meal. I definitely will be back when it gets warmer!

Outside seating, food was hot and excellent. Staff could be more attentive. Good atmosphere and friendly staff.

The place is subpar, many of the items in there menu are no longer served but the food they do have is good, the drinks are good as well. The waitress was helpful in assisting us when ordering food going back and forth to ask the chef what food items he did have. I don't think I would be going back.

*this is a review on management; no complaints on the food* we have been religiously going to this restaurant for over 10 years. we have never had a problem with the service or food...UNTIL yesterday. We accidentally left my credit card at the restaurant. We only realized that because we got a fraud alert from my credit card. we logged into our online banking and discovered countless of charges in the area and online. We immediately locked my card to prevent further use and reported the charges as fraud. We contact Palapa and informed that that we left the credit card after signing and that we highly suspect that the waitress (who is fairly new) stole the card and used it immediately. The manager was LIVID, but hold on, not with the waitress, but with US. As a business owner ourselves, we thought it would be in the business' best interest to know if an employee was suspected of stealing credit cards that it would be taken seriously. An honest individual would try to get a hold of the customer and if not, would call the credit card company to report the card as lost... We usually use cash when we go because you get charged an extra fee, but this time, we decided to use our credit card and were taken advantage of. The food is great and usually the service is great, but we are very very disappointed with our experience yesterday and how it was handled. We have reported all charges as fraud including the ones where Palapa charged 2 extra times; once in the same amount and once in a different amount. VERY DISAPPOINTED. If you're going, we would highly recommend paying in Cash... other than that, the food is great as usual, but after 10 + years as a loyal customer, we have a slight bitter taste in our mouth.

Before heading home, we stopped for a lovely lunch, and I was glad to have had plenty. Great cuisine and outstanding customer service. We ordered a few orders of calamari, mussels, crab legs, and mojarra. The sauces were incredibly flavorful and well-seasoned! Everything that we had was AMAZING! The cuisine and service at this restaurant are excellent.

Only in Chicago and only at la Palapa can you enjoy fresh, fairly priced raw oysters while the semis rumble by on Damen. If you're lucky, a couple of musicians will pour out of a pick-up truck and sing a few canciónes rancheras. The crowd is mostly hard-working locals with a smattering of bemused nerds who wandered over from IIT. Folks talk quietly among themselves while paying proper respect to the food.

I've been here about 5xs now. A great mom/pop run Mexican seafood restaurant that's pretty good if you're looking for a no frills kinda place. I like how laid back it is with outdoor seating that kinda gives you the vibe you're not on a busy street in Chicago. My fave is the dungeons crab; mattress breaker & mixed seafood ceviche. Although they now serve alcohol because the expansion is complete you can still BYOB for a small fee. My friend & always share & trust me the size is plentiful! On my most recent visit we shared ceviche & crabs & left full. Check it out I think you won't be disappointed

This place is kinda hidden on Archer and Damen, looks small but very large inside, it's byob, their grilled calamari "spicy" calamari was not spicy but still good i loved the minced garlic in the dish, over great seafood and vibe with good music playing, there's a bell you can ring as you exist if you enjoyed the food which is a sweet idea because you can hear the bell ring almost every 10 minutes. Must try place

We have been going to this place for the last seven years and always looked forward to the ceviche and fired red snapper. We recently listed for an early dinner before a White Sox game. Initially we noticed some changes to the interior of the restaurant and were hopeful that the food was just as good. Upon entering we noticed that they now sell alcohol. We have know this place to be byob without a service charge. We asked if we could still byob and the young lady at the front said that would be alright. We started by ordering the mixed ceviche which upon arriving was mostly onions and cucumber as for the fish it did not all taste fresh. One of the salsas we had come to enjoy with ted ceviche was also completely different and lacked flavor. We also looked for the Red Snapper on the menu which was now offered at "Market Price". Really this is not a premium item such as lobster. We left " heart broken" about one of our go to restaurants. Upon leaving we asked if there was a change of ownership. The employee said no but there was a new head chef. Needless to say, we will not be returning to La Palapa.

Ahora que la crisis es muy alta, los precios suben, las raciones o porciones estan ala mitad de lo que servian y se me hace una falta de respeto hacia los cliente. Acabo de ir bo por mi cuenta! aclaro mi esposo ordeno 2 ordenes de empanadas y una de camarones cucaracha estilo Nayarit $31 Y la porcion de camarones solo 12 por una cantidad exorbitante. Y oara colmo un dressin por cada orden de 4 empanadas, tuve que comprar 4 aparte. Asi no se puede. Se que lo mexicano es mas caro pero el dueno deveria revisar precios y porciones. una clienta menos

Very good food! The portions are huge! Great ambiance, overall great service! Definitely coming back.

I order langostinos the tray $35 Expensive and no flavor Bland Same like the complimentary ceviche dry Dry Dry This place is byob The garlic bread $2.99 That portion is big Music sucks too Regueton O well

Beautiful view and helpful staff but dinner took almost three hours and the energy of our group dwindled by the end of the meal. The highlights were the bread basket, the shrimp and crab taquitos, and the short rib. Great place for a special celebration but I wish we had told them to speed up the food rounds.

Fantastic gem of a restaurant in the neighborhood! It's been in that same location for as long as I can remember and for all the best reasons, great food, kind and efficient service, entertainment, and great vibes there. The Mattress Breaker seems to be a crowd pleaser with the combination of seafood cooked in a variety of spices and house sauce. It had the perfect kick. The Charolado shared a similar flavor to the mattress breaker, but the crab in these dishes were just imitation. For how much you are paying, imitation crab seems to be a bit stingy. The Ceviche is great! Pairs so well with the tostadas. There is a good amount of shrimp and fish, the limey tartness is fresh. The Paella was a little bit different than expectation. The La Palapa paella is a bit buttery and a bit on the salty side. The seafood here is the same as the one from the mattress breaker. The small size here is enough to feed four. All in all, this is a traditionally Mexican spot for all the locals, but my family and I didn't feel out of place or anything of that sort. Everyone here from the staff to the other customers were all nice people!

I came to eat here yesterday and the food was not good at all. I hate leaving a bad review, but I feel that everyone should know that the food has completely changed! I used to come here all the time and the food was delicious, now it seems like they deep fry the langostinos! Which isn't how they should be cooked. They were so dry and small!!! We had ordered a "large" plate of langostinos and it was in the most smallest plate, they charge us 50! Now, the camarones a la palapa aren't the same either.... I can keep going. My advice to this owner is if you're going to charge so much, have good quality food. I won't be going back.