Palapas Restaurant & Cantina

Wonderful restaurant with excellent food and views. We went on a Thursday around 5pm so we could sit outside and watch the sunset. Staff we very awesome and brought over a heater for us to have next to us. We ordered the tostadas one with skirt steak and one with red chicken. They were both delicious. The chips and salsa are always so goo!

The food is so yummy (especially the chips & salsa). The sunsets from the balcony next to a hurricane heat lamp are spectacular. And service is great too. We have many sweet family memories at this restaurant overlooking Seascape Resort.

We came today and waited about 35 minutes to get seated, no problem, we walked around the plaza until we were ready to get seated. We chose the Al fresco dining to enjoy the nice view. We were served ice water, chips & salsa. The glass of water had lipstick stain and that itself made me lose my appetite. The server who took our order was nice, but I was really thrown off by the dirty glass of water. The food took about 40 minutes and to be honest, nothing too special about it. I did get the crab enchiladas, it had a nice taste but after having to wait so long plus the subpar service and poor cleanliness, I don’t think we will be coming back to this restaurant.

Decent food with a great view. Say out on the deck with a view of the ocean. Drinks were custom and fun. Will be back again as it's near one of my favorite beaches to walk on.

This is a nice Mexican place. Good food Great service. The carne asada was great. We never eat the fried beans and here we ate them, so they were really good. They have tables outside so you can go with your dog. The chips and salsa are a good beginning too

We arrived for late lunch and ordered the lunch specials. I got the beef enchiladas. Really like the chips but found the salsa a tad disappointing. Otherwise good service and ambiance.

Absolutely LOVE Palapas, so sad to see it go! Had my engagement party here, endless family gatherings around the outdoor tables, so many beautiful nights out at the bar with friends, countless Pre-Thanksgiving celebrations at the turkey trot and one final farewell happy hour meal for Mothers Day. Palapas has the most incredible corn tortillas, rice and Mexican chocolate ice cream. Palapas you will be deeply missed, thank you for the decades of memories! Congrats on 34 years!

Been coming here with my parents since I was a kid , now my wife and I enjoy coming here for date nights, but it’s been probably ten years since Ive been here for lunch on a week day. Gotta say : amazing! The staff rocks as always, super nice and professional and within minutes of sitting on the patio, one of the ladies who works here brought my dog a bowl of water! Strong work. The food is great as always, you will never leave hungry. Their salsa is one of my favorites of all time. Yes we will be back many many many many more times for decades to come, keep up the good work!

I really like coming here. Great view, indoor or outdoor seating. I love the crab and shrimp nachos, the crab is in lumps and so good. Their chips are really tasty, but the first basket is complimentary, and the next you pay for. Sometimes the service is slow, or has (I'll call it) rookie mistakes - like bringing an open straw and holding it with a bare hand before giving to you.

So this was my first time here and I must say that I will definitely be back. My best friend and I sat outside where we can see the ocean, beautiful! Our server was so friendly and made a great recommendation. We had the Gulf Prawns Parilla and calamari, they were delicious. For cocktails, we had the Bloody Mary's. See ya again Palapas!

I was pleasantly surprised with this place! With how often we stay in Aptos, I'm surprised we've never been here, especially with the pizza place we frequent right next door. We came with a large party that had made a reservation. When arriving at our table, we noticed some special details like the coloring page, crayons, water in cup with a lid and large paper under seat that was obviously dedicated to our toddler. This was great! They right away brought out several bowls of chips and salsa which was tasty. Most of the table drank margaritas that looked great. I got the snapper fish tacos (perfect Good Friday choice), and they were delicious! Great size with good portion or rice and beans on the side. We understand they just came under new ownership and will be back to see what changes happen, but hope it doesn't change much!

Beautiful view, open deck. Good service. Delicious drinks, good menu choices. Easy parking, seating is upstairs, however, there is likely an elevator for those who can't manage stairs . I'm not sure that..

I was in Palapas tonight and a very drunk guy came in and tried to get served. He made a big scene and the manager offered to give him some water and chips and salsa on the patio, hoping to sober him up. He came around the back way and tried to get served in the bar. Paul was so kind to him and offered him chips and salsa and water, but no alcohol. He got really ugly and started yelling. Bonnie tried to calm him down and say just enjoy some chips and salsa and water out on the patio with your dogs. He was really angry wanted to be served, but they were able to get him out the door. I have never seen any incident like this before at the restaurant. They handled it really well! Bravo Bonnie and Paul! They were kind and patient with the man. This is why I love dining at Palapas! They truly care!

5/5 for the service! Friendly waiters and waitresses! Our server was so sweet and nice. 1/5 for the food sadly. The menu items are a bit pricey but it makes sense because it has a beach view and a nicely decorated interior. I ordered the snapper Veracruz and was pretty disappointed. One, the fish was rubbery.. it didn't taste like fish and after a couple bites I didn't want to eat anymore. Two, there was no taste, I felt like it lacked flavor or even salt! My husband ordered the fish tacos with the fried Baja fish. The fish was quite dry and the amount of salsa given was not enough for the fish tacos so it was just very dry and also lacked flavor.. I've had fish tacos at other spots where it's super juicy, fresh fish, and delicious flavors but this place just didn't hit the spot. They have a great location but food wise, too pricey and not worth it in my opinion.

Come for a mediocre drink, but don't eat here. Service is excellent, food is poor. Drinks are ok.

Very chill and local friendly vibes. Everyone knows everyone here and servicing is very mom and pop style. If I am being honest ... It's too pricey for what they serve you. I got 6 pieces of shrimp in my shrimp fajita plate, and the rest was all veggies and beans with side of homemade flour tortillas... I honestly expected more protein than 6 small shrimps that were split down the middle to make it look like you were getting more. The only thing we truly loved was the appetizer. Calamari was cooked well, and you actually got squid and not just crust. I could easily go to the farmers market and saute up some veggies and add my own shrimp and chicken. You are paying for location and area. That's it. Note: People spoke highly of the chips and salsa, but the salsa tasted like it was tomato sauce used for spaghetti sauce... right from a can. I'm all for small businesses however i felt underwhelmed and feel I was laying more overhead and inflation than I was food. Customers can see through the fillers as the service was minimal ... in the afternoons they redirect you to the cantina. 3 stars cause food was fast and Calamari was great but that's it. Protein balance is much needed.

The food is absolutely delicious! The staff is amazing and provide first-class service. The ambiance and views are unbeatable!! I love this place.

We picked Palapas because we wanted to enjoy nice lunch in the sun, and it did not disappoint. This place has a laid back vibe, and a very relaxing atmosphere. The drinks were a little slow to come out, but the sun was shining and we had plenty of chips and salsa to keep us occupied, so we didn't mind. The food was all pretty solid, but what impressed us the most were the vibes on the back deck. This is a great spot to go on a sunny day, and we will back.

Most certainly not authentic Mexican cuisine. Service was mediocre at best. The salsa and chips tasted nothing like traditional Mexican.

Ok here I go For you people leaving reviews on this place during COVID time You should take down your post And real nice trashing a place because Your so special you have no patience And you people out there complain about couldn't set where you wanted to with a group of 16 Maybe you should have hired a catering company instead Coming to a restaurant that is having a hard time with this covid crap Then your going to complain, maybe you should have been patient Food was awesome, service was on point Diego was super on it , calm polite And always checked on us All the flavors on anything we ate was really really good Remind you I have a Gordon Ramsey PALETTE Watching everyone last night working there ,, all I can say it great team work Remember team work makes the dream work For those out there trashing the place You really need to look in the mirror Maybe your the problem We will be back time and time again

We were fortunate enough to attend dinner the last night before closing their doors. We have been coming to Palapas for 30 years. We had a special celebration for my husband's 50th birthday 20 years ago. We moved from California to Arizona 4 years ago, but come back to Aptos for our ocean fix every year. We were so happy that we were able to spend one more wonderful time in Palapas. "You will be missed". We will look forward to our next trip to Aptos and plan on building new memories. Katie and Rich Kettmann

I like the salsa, ambience, location, seafood, and drinks, but the best thing Palapas has going for it is the amazing service and friendliness from customer favorites Paul and Josh!

Good location, good service, average food. Don't understand how a Mexican restaurant in this area can have average Mex food

Bad, bad and overpriced food and drinks. blame it on past Covid or new management but this place has been going down hill for the last 15+ years. one thing that has not gone down hill is the price of food and drinks bland food and watered down drinks I SURE Hope the new ownership does something better like adding flavor and spices without charging over the top lets see

Hi. My family loves palapas. Even after the new ownership, the chili verde is still great and so is the service. Not authentic Mexican food. But solid and consistent. But what I can get over is how the prices have gone up. I totally get that things and staff are more expensive now. But $23 bucks for a bean and cheese burrito!?!? It makes zero sense. My wife went there today with our 12 year old son. She had Chile verde, one margarita and he had the bean burrito plate (a bean burrito with a side of more beans and some rice). Out the door it was over $80. It is too bad. Was our favorite "I don't want to cook" place to go. But if they're going to charge those prices, the food is much better at other Aptos locations like Mentone. At least there I know I'm going someplace that is going to be pricey but that the quality of the food is going to be world class.

The food over the last year year and a half after the kitchen refresh is really really good, Salsas improved too. We're pretty regular here so we've seen the changes. Drinks are good as well. The staff, the younger employees, high schoolers etc, courtesy, helpfulness, and they go the extra mile a lot, it's recognized. Our waitress tonight was without question the best waitress we've ever had in 18 years, personable courteous staff just adds to the great food.

Great restaurant! The venue is in a great spot and with a nice view. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Our food was tasty and our server was very helpful. We sat on the patio with our dog and they even had a water bowl already there. We will revisit next time we are in the area.

Bonnie, the manager, was so incredibly accommodating as well as the rest of her staff. We had a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean while eating our yummy Carne asada taco salad! Some of the best refried beans I've ever had! So grateful we live near this place!

We love coming here for a drink and a nice meal. Today we rented out the balcony for a nice luncheon after a wedding rehearsal. Palapas staff went above and beyond for us! They made a personalized menu with the bride and groom's name on it, they had everything set up well in advance (and it all looked super cute) and the manager and her helpers were stellar as our servers. The food was great (and there was so much of it!) and everyone had a wonderful time. Ten out of ten would highly recommend for your event!

Palapas is a great spot for delicious Mexican food on the coast. The service is terrific. Everyone who works there is so kind, helpful, and welcoming. And of course, the margaritas are always a highlight! We have brought many friends and family members here, and they all love it and look forward to returning.

I love this place. Yummy everything and the view is amazing. I go as often as I can : quac is delicious! Fresh! Good portions!!!

We had two great experiences at Palapas, once dining in and once for take out. For takeout I ordered over the phone, super friendly staff. Food was ready quickly and in time. Everything was delicious, especially the mole chicken. I don't usually get shrimp dishes to go (no one likes cold shrimp!) but jardine la mer was excellent. Kids loved their huge burritos! Dining in was fun, lots of cute booths to sit in and our waiter Diego was friendly and helpful. Drinks were excellent, food was delicious and plentiful, and atmosphere was fun and family friendly. We would definitely dine here again. My only complaint was how quickly they tried to clear our table, taking things before we'd finished, made me feel like they wanted us to hurry up and leave!

Typical American Mexican food. Nothing to write home about. The chili verde was pretty good.

Food was marginal. The salad I got was large chunks of vegetables. The main course was ok but not great.

Food was fresh but mediocre in taste and imagination. The service was good. Ambience and decor are both nice although it felt a bit dated. The chips and salsa were good. We had tacos which were fine but the rice was bland and the refried beans had no flavor. Guacamole was great!

Love Palapas. Best Mexican Seafood food in Northern California. Bonnie the General Manager always makes Cindy and I feel at home. Josh at the bar made my special drink, Skinny Margarita Cadillac which I call, Josh's Special. Daisy our server was nice, friendly and efficient. Our food was delicious and service was perfect. It was nice visiting with Haley and catching up. Palapas is always fun and we look forward to seeing Bonnie again very soon.

The 5 stars is for our server Jeannette. She was awesome! She works the bar area and we were seated in the bar patios For COVID, there is outside dining with fewer tables. All employees are wearing masks. It was a hot Sunday lunch time. We got seated in the bar patio as the restaurant patio was full. Jeannette had a great attitude and you could feel her smile through her mask. She was super friendly, helpful and checked on us often. Ask to sit in her section if you can I had the ensalada del mar, however since I am plant based I asked for the shrimp and crab on the side. The dressing was delicious. My husband had the Tierra y Mar and it was good, except there was a lot of sauce on the meat and shrimp. I wish they would have had a plant based choice, as every dish had meat or fish. I had to pay $25 for my salad and would not have wanted the fish, but since I was paying my husband ate it. Otherwise it would have been a very expensive salad. Thank you again Jeannette

I had heard about Palapas for many years but never had a chance to visit until this year. I wanted to like it more than I did. Came a bit early to have a pre-dinner drink in the bar. Holy sonic boom, Batman. The bar is loud AF. On the plus side, the drinks are strong -- maybe too strong. Watch out if you're driving! The chips were solid but the salsa was so-so; I prefer mine chunkier. The entrees were mixed. We enjoyed the Enchiladas De Camarones; decent amount of flavorful shrimp. But the Tostada Pollo Especiales was bland and seemed like it had been scorched under the broiler. The highlight was dessert. The chocolate kahlua cappuccino moose pie is locally made and outstanding. Given its richness, it was plenty big for two of us. I suppose I would go back to Palapas but I'm not in a hurry to do it.

What a wonderful evening we had for a celebratory dinner! The service was perfect and the food excellent! It was only made better by the beautiful view and good pour from the bar! Thank you!

So.... I went to Palapas yesterday for lunch. It was delicious! I've been going there for years & was so overjoyed that the food was better than ever. I had the chili releno & my husband had the skirt steak and shrimp. We sat outside in the drizzle but it was still great With all the restaurants having trouble these days, I'm so happy that Palapas is pretty reliable.

My family and I were on vacation in Seascape and we decided to get takeout from Palapas because it was close. It was a busy Friday evening and I had a little wait to get our food. The inside of the restaurant is really very nice. We got the basics for our daughters who are 6 & 8 (cheese quesadillas, bean and cheese burrito and nachos with beans and cheese). My wife got the Seafood Salad and I got the Chicken Enchiladas. The refried beans were bland and lacking flavor and overall the food was just ok. When we vacationed here back in October we got takeout from Manuel's and that was really very good. If you want a beautiful environment with gorgeous views, Palapas is the place. But if you want some great food I would recommend Manuel's.

We had hear such great things and were not disappointed! Great food, the staff was so friendly and professional. We tried some of our staple choices and wow! We highly recommend if you are looking for a great Mexican place in seaside.

great greeting, great view and atmosphere....service was spot on....but those prices! 2 tiny tacos for nearly $20? a bit much

The waitress was excellent. I have been coming here for 30 years and have stomach issues , I always order the bland chicken taco with no problems. I am always with a good crowd ordering main meals and plenty of cocktails. I was charged extra for a chicken taco for " chicken" !! The manager was extremely rude,even with a bill of. $350!! I have live in this community my whole life and enjoyed this restaurant, I will never return!!

Palapas is a neighborhood gem! They put on the best Cinco de mayo party last night! The food was wonderful the service was stellar! The new manager Ron is the best host and so friendly, he did a wonderful job with the new menu and craft cocktails. It's better than it's ever been! The band was a blast and would love to see more live music. 5 stars all around!!

Wow, what a restaurant ! This is more like a fusion style type of restaurant then a traditional Mexican food style. The location, the taste and the dining experience is just amazing. Not to mention the view is out of this world. 1) Service: Great hostess, greeting with a smile. bus boy were attentive and quick service. The Server was knowledgeable about the menu and was very nice and professional..... one star. 2) Quality if the food was amazing. Even thou is not your traditional Mexican food but it was well prepare, the presentation of the food was superb , the food was hot and tasty..... one star.... 3) Decor: The decoration was more like a tropical then a typical Mexican restaurant decor... nice clean and well presented. The lighting was bright and the view with big window was awesome. One star.... 4) Price: everything is great but the price is not matching the food ... average per person is estimate $27 to $45. Depend what you order. 1/2 star.... 5) Food: as for quality, it's no comparison. As for menu selection with the price that go with it... it's little none even match.... 1/2 star... Over all was a good experience and you all should go try it and see how you like it... this is an awesome place to go for date, family get together or just having a great meal with great company.... Mahalo

Best Mexican t in Santa Cruz county Best views Best staff This is a favorite place of mine and it NEVER disappoints. The food is fresh and delicious. The views are of the ocean The staff is absolutely the best Anywhere! This is one of the best restaurants I've been to all across the US

Our go to spot in Aptos. They have great drinks, awesome staff and deck seating with an ocean view. We usually sit at the bar and love the service by Paul and Josh. We have been impressed by the calamari, guacamole and seafood salad. The upbeat energy from the entire staff makes the experience.

If there is one thing to understand about this place is you go to sit on the front deck for the view. Not the food, not the service, not the margaritas. The food is not terrible but nothing special. If you don't sit on the front patio it is not worth going. You may stop reading here if you like. You have the gist. Paid them a visit on new year's day. We called and asked if they had room for 7 on the patio and if we needed to make a reservation. "No, just head over you will be fine." Okay, see you in 15. We arrive and the patio is full. "Do you have an idea of the wait?" "No, it could be a while." Okay, can we put our name down for 7 on the patio? (Our name was never written on anything) We waited for over 40 minutes and a family leaves. Ah, good. That will be our table. In the meantime... We witness the hostess botches two to-go orders. Gives the wrong change to a lady and turns away many more parties by telling them "I don't know what the wait may be." She was costing the business money. The owner would not be happy if he witnessed what was going on. Back to the story. The empty table is now set. After several minutes the hostess is not seating us. I tell my wife "let's just go sit there." Right as we get up to do that another party of 5 walks in. She looks at the patio, sees the table, grabs menus and seats them in the empty table outside. Are you kidding me?!?!? Ugh, we were over over it but did not leave without letting her know we were told a reservation was not needed waited 40-50 min and then got our table poached. We were polite but really annoyed. COVID...short staffed...yeah, yeah. Completely understand. This was not related to any of those things. This was pure incompetence and a lack of training. The poor hostess was nice but had no support or training. There was no communication between the hostess, manager and servers. We were not the only ones who noticed. So, we walked over to Sanderlings at Seascape. We saw another couple there we recognized from Palapas. I said "were you just at Palapas?" The guy just started laughing. What a "shit show" he says. We had a wonderful lunch with a great server. The view is just as good too. Please understand I am not trying to be a jerk. I want the owner to read this and realize they have some work to do to improve and not lose customers. I want to go back. But, it may be quite a while.

Our realtor suggested Palapas. We were looking forward to a margarita and some comfort Mexican food. When we arrived we were offered inside or outside dining. Following the greeter out to the deck we were delighted with the atmosphere. Spotlessly clean, sunny deck with tables spaced well apart. Chips and salsa arrived within moments along with water glasses and a bottle of water for refills. The salsa tasted homemade and had enough kick. Chips were crispy fresh with a good flavor. We studied the menu then waited for a server. We waited and waited and waited. We finally asked for a server. He arrived and politely took our food and beverage orders. We began another wait. After at least ten minutes, we once again flagged down a server who walked by. Explaining that we'd like to enjoy our drinks before our food arrived, he assured us he would see to it. Another five minutes passed before they arrived. Less than halfway through our drinks, our food orders arrived. My partner had the vegetable fajitas. He gave them a passing grade but told me that he wouldn't order them again. I ordered the vegetarian burrito. I can say that the side items, rice, and refried beans were tasty, but the burrito (at $16) fell far short. The filling consisted of pinto beans, pico de gallo, and a few bits of raw cabbage. The menu listed the basic burrito with options for vegetarian, shrimp, chicken, etc. Umm, wasn't this vegetarian option supposed to include a couple of vegetables? The sunny deck was lovely, but I have never before experienced such outrageously slow service. The margarita was okay but would have been enjoyed much more if it had been served quickly after we were seated. Neither entree was worth the price and I've had a far superior vegetable burrito at Chipotle. Since we're new to the area we'd hoped to find a new favorite mexican restaurant. We're still looking.

This place is underrated for sure! The view is amazing, outdoor seating that's very socially distant and the Food! The food! We got the quesadilla and added the chicken and pineapples. I wasn't sure about paying $21 for a quesadilla (!) but you know what.. it was tasty- kind of like al pastor but with chicken. It wasn't worth $21 but for the relaxed evening and margaritas it was a good experience. We also ordered the Tierra y Mar and it was a highlight. Margaritas were strong and tasty. This place felt COVID safe however, I think it's a little overboard you need to take a facial scan with an app and have your picture taken. In the modern day of cyber security- this leaves me with unnecessary uncertainty just to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Friendly staff, good food, would go back if I were in the area.

Much better than I expected! I had visited this spot a few years ago and it was a sub par experience. However, my wife and I recently visited on the recommendation of a friend and we were thoroughly impressed. It was a tad chaotic when we first walked in as it seemed as if servers and the hostess weren't communicating about seating but after a few minutes it all got squared away. We had a reservation and arrived about 15 minutes early so waiting for us was not an issue. Once seated, our server Bonnie was amazing. Very friendly and helpful with the menu. She took the time to answer questions about the menu and recommend some of of the more popular drinks and plates. We ordered the guacamole (fresh and great tasting) to start. For entrees, I ordered the seafood combo fajitas (effing delicious) and my wife got the fish tacos (also amazing). Honestly, the portions were a good amount and we both had trouble finishing our plates. All in all, a great spot with gorgeous views away from. The tourist heavy parts of the area. We have told quite a few friends about it and will definitely visit in the future.

Excellent treat for my hubby's birthday party in September!! We had fantastic drinks, Horderves and ALL 6 meals were delicious!! The service was outstanding too! Our waitress was very accommodating! Beautiful table and ocean view!! We're planning another party in January for my birthday!

Hadn't been there in years, so wasn't sure if it'd still be as good as I remember. It was great! All three of us liked our drinks (margaritas & gin drink) & the food was yummy as ever! The wait staff was very attentive (made sure we had plenty of chips/salsa, water, & drink refills) & friendly!

Came last night for my birthday with my family, 8 total (3 of us were young kids). My first time, but my family has been going for years I believe our waitress's name was Hailey/Hayley- not 100% certain...but what I was certain was that she is the best. Even the next evening, we are still commenting how amazing she was, so personable, so accommodating and took our crazy family in stride. Definitely going to be a repeat customer. Thank you again for such a lovely evening.

This place is one of our favorite little Mexican restaurants, mainly bc of the view- not necessarily the food. But the food is good as well. We were seated quickly, not super busy for a Saturday afternoon, probably bc it was the first perfect weathered Saturday in months! We received drinks, chips and salsa within 5 minutes of being seated. Friendly service, food comes out in a timely manner, and drinks are refilled quickly as well. My mother in law ordered the chili relleno, I ordered the special, which was a tostada with blackened mahi mahi and grilled shrimp in a rich tomato sauce and my husband ordered the cheese enchiladas. All was delicious. If you sit outside you can request an umbrella as it's pretty sunny.

Please update your operational hours that you are closing at 8pm on Sundays. No food review we where told at 7.56 pm today Sunday 9/11 that they are closing at 8 pm . The website clearly says 9 pm. Instead we went to Bittersweet Bistro Best food ever .