Search Your Favourite Restaurants.

Name: Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar
Address: 28601 Chagrin Blvd,Ste 900, Woodmere, OH, 44122
Telephone: (216) 896-9020
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.88

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

28601 Chagrin Blvd,Ste 900, Woodmere, OH, 44122

(216) 896-9020
Store is closed

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar Menu

Appetizers

Cuban Braised Beef Ropa Vieja

Chorizo & Cheese Pupusa *

Spiced Coconut Milk Steamed Mussels *

Plantain Crusted Crab Croquetas

Brazilian Churrasco Trio
Soup & Salad

Ensalada Mixta

Cezar Salad

Spinach & Bacon Salad

Tropical Hearts Of Palm Salad

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Slow Cooked Chicken Tortilla Soup

Butternut Squash Soup
Market Salads

Caribbean Mango Chicken Salad

Grilled Salmon Spinach Salad

Spinach Shrimp & Grapefruit Salad

Cilantro Peanut Chicken Salad

Grilled Skirt Steak Chopped Salad
Latin Comfort Food

Rum Glazed Cuban Pork

Feijoada Stew

Grilled Chicken With Roasted Tomato Salsa

Slow Roasted Chicken

Jalapeno Spiced Lamb Stew
Fresh Seafood

Plantain & Pumpkin Seed Crusted Tilapia

Veracruz Seafood Stew *

Caribbean Market Fish

Mojo Marinated Atlantic Salmon

Jamaican Curried Shrimp
Sandwitches

El Cubano Sandwich

Tamarind Bbq Pulled Pork Sandwich

Chimichurri Chicken Sandwich

Churrasco Burger
Sides

Coconut-mango Rice

Haitian Brown Rice & Red Beans

Crispy Yucca Fries With Aji Pepper Aioli

Adobo Seasoned Fries

Sweet Potato Fries
Dessert

Sweet Potato Donuts

Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake

Coconut And Carmel Flan

Paladar Churros

Dulce De Leche Cheesecake

Cuban Bread Pudding

Sorbetto & Ice Cream

Healthy Meal suggestions for Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

Appetizers

Cuban Braised Beef Ropa Vieja [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chorizo & Cheese Pupusa * [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spiced Coconut Milk Steamed Mussels * [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plantain Crusted Crab Croquetas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Brazilian Churrasco Trio [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Soup & Salad

Ensalada Mixta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cezar Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach & Bacon Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tropical Hearts Of Palm Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cuban Black Bean Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Slow Cooked Chicken Tortilla Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Butternut Squash Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Market Salads

Caribbean Mango Chicken Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Salmon Spinach Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach Shrimp & Grapefruit Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cilantro Peanut Chicken Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Skirt Steak Chopped Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Latin Comfort Food

Rum Glazed Cuban Pork [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Feijoada Stew [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken With Roasted Tomato Salsa [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Slow Roasted Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jalapeno Spiced Lamb Stew [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Fresh Seafood

Plantain & Pumpkin Seed Crusted Tilapia [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veracruz Seafood Stew * [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caribbean Market Fish [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mojo Marinated Atlantic Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jamaican Curried Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sandwitches

El Cubano Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tamarind Bbq Pulled Pork Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chimichurri Chicken Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Churrasco Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sides

Coconut-mango Rice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Haitian Brown Rice & Red Beans [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Yucca Fries With Aji Pepper Aioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Adobo Seasoned Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sweet Potato Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Dessert

Sweet Potato Donuts [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pineapple Rum Upside Down Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Coconut And Carmel Flan [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Paladar Churros [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dulce De Leche Cheesecake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cuban Bread Pudding [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sorbetto & Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

Write An Anonymous Review

David G.

Great experience and fun for the entire family as we ate there the night after Valentines. Great drinks and food. We will be back for brunch!
(5)
Aaron S.

Great happy hour, great guacamole! Good tacos but there's so much more. I suggest trying either of the stews, or anything with the braised beef which is fantastic. Also - rum. Great runs you can't find anywhere else!
(4)
Marrissa M.

One of my new favorite happy hours. The food on the menu is very tasty and affordable. They do not skimp on the portion sizes. I highly recommend.
(4)
Mark L.

We came in 14 strong with a reservation, and they had our table ready on time and everything. Our server handled our big party respectably. Wait time for service and food wasn't long given how busy it was on a nice Saturday evening. I didn't know what to order because nothing jumped off the menu to me. That's when our waiter came to the rescue and recommended the "Ropa Vieja" appetizer (Cuban braised beef served over plantains and topped with red onion, jicama slaw, and spicy aji pepper sauce) and the Jamaican Curried Shrimp entrÃ©e (shrimp and chorizo with red beans, brown rice, and plantains in a coconut curry sauce). Both were wonderfully presented and tasting amazing as well. The ropa vieja was braised to perfection. A lot of restaurants prepare plantains poorly but Paladar does it right, at least in the ropa vieja. The red onions were not overpowering and meshed well with everything else. The dish was, dare I say, perfect? The Jamaican curried shrimp did not disappoint either. Way more shrimp than most restaurants will give you, and they were succulent and tasty. The curry sauce was on point as well. The price is kind of steep at this place for both the drinks and the food. I guess that's to be expected, but I had to dock a star for that. Also, all beer is bottled, no draft. People come here for the cocktails/liquor though, and those looked impressive and were reportedly strong. Overall, I did love the place and will definitely be back for more.
(4)
Megan T.

Yum! We started with the plantain crusted crab croquetas. While they were delicious, you only get four small ones which are hard to justify at $12. I had the rum glazed Cuban pork and my husband had the Cuban sandwich with the spinach and hearts of palm salad. Service was okay but not great. We both liked our dishes and we will likely return. Oh, and bonus -- it's just down the strip from a Menchies!
(4)
Jennifer R.

I loved everything about this place!! The ambiance and decor were so fun. The portion sizes were pretty large and the food was amazing - the best taco I have ever had. Our service was great too. There is absolutely nothing I would have changed about this experience. I have worked in a few places and Latin America and this just brought me back to those times. Absolutely loved it and cannot wait to go back! They had great happy hour specials posted if you sit at the bar - may have to try that next time!!
(5)
Ganesh N.

Main course was very good. I had pulled pork which is their specialty. Desert was a disappointment. Tress Leeches was very dense. But they did take off the item from my bill when they heard my complain. The waitress as well as the floor manager were excellent. They came by to check on the food. Nice decor. Good crowd. Good selection of rum. Parking is tough. This mall has many good restaurants as well as upscale stores. So be patient.
(4)
Ellie G.

I really wanted to like this place!! Menu looked right up my alley- I wanted to order it all!! We had a reservation but arrived a few minutes early and sat at the bar to have a drink while we waited.. And waited. We were there 5 min early and after 20 min decided to order a snack at the bar. It was good we did so we were able to leave before blowing a lot of money on what appeared to be mediocre food and terrible service. We ordered wine. Easy. Came quickly and we chatted with the bartender about the apps. He told us chefs choice was a mango/roasted garlic guacamole and we were excited to try it. Liked that it came with different types of chips but I have had so many plaintain chips in my life that I know stale/bad ones- these were bad! And missing salt! The guac was terrible- must have been mixed with mayo and other fillers to make it more 'moussy' rather than made with lots of avocados Mango equaled appx four fruity pieces that I could have sworn were pineapple. Roasted garlic non-existent. The consistency almost made me sick. But around that time I saw one of the bar servers stick their hand in their mouth to pick their teeth and then go back to 'prepping' mojito glasses. That was the last straw. We got up and paid for our disgusting guac and wine and promptly told the server to remove our reservation. I know it's bad to judge a restaurant on one dish- but come on! You can't make good guac- you are off my Latino list. Even chipotle has better guac!!! And it is way less expensive!
(2)
Allison S.

I came here for a business lunch. The service was speedy & friendly - perfect for a work weekday lunch. The staff was knowledgable about the menu. I had the appetizer on special, which was Duck Confit Tostones. The portion size was good enough for a person to have a filling lunch. The duck was perfectly cooked, moist and flavorful. The plantain tostones were crispy yet sturdy enough to hold the duck & toppings, but were kind of bland tasting. Slightly sweet but, I couldn't tell they were plantains. I still found them delicious and would go back for more. Also try the sweet potato donuts! They were delicious! Shaped more like a donut hole and with the density of a "cake" donut. They were very dense, moist, and yummy! The dip was some kind of coffee/caramel confection with the consistency of yogurt. I could eat it by the spoonfuls! If your shopping at Eaton and need a food fix, I'd definitely check this place out.
(4)
Lisa C.

Met up with a friend for lunch. Wanted a hamburger, but didn't want to go to B spot, so headed to Paladar instead. When here, you have to try the guacamole. We shared the traditional, but if you are with a large group, order the sampler of guac. Yum! The avocado is fresh. It's smooth with a nice kick of onion and tomato. It's served with assorted chips: tortilla, banana and taro? I ordered my hamburger made with avocado and fried onions. Side of sweet potato fries. Nice combo. The ketchup also had a nice kick...maybe mixed with some sort of hot sauce?! My friend tried the Tilapia, which was moist and fresh! Came with a side of green beans with a nice crunch. He finished his whole meal, which is always a good sign! This was not my first visit here. I have probably been here more then a handful of times and most if not every time, I enjoyed my meal. The price is debatable, but the portions are large. If the weather is nice, enjoy your meal out on their patio!
(4)
Linda W.

Have you ever anticipated an intriguingly named place only to be disappointed? Paladar was just such a place. "Rum Bar." Doesn't it sound dark, mysterious? Don't you envision an exotic tropical bar with stands of palm trees, cronies crowded around swapping stories of adventures long remembered? Wellllllll...not so much. It's actually glass-walled, gleaming, high ceilinged and quite short of anything exotic. Maybe they threw in the "Rum BAR" simply to rhyme with PalaDAR. We planned a brunch run for our first ever Paladar Rum Bar experience. Having perused the menu online and finding gluten-free items, I was excited to see they had pupusas. I knew that would be part of my order, for sure. What are they, you say? Delightful pillows of masa harina dough flattened into almost English muffin size discs and grilled on both sides until crisp outside, tender inside. Usually they're stuffed with cheese or meat or other fillings. Fantastic! And they have them at Paladar! Except, for some reason they deep fry them. In a fryer with gluten items. What?! Why? Pass. So what to order? Hmmmm. We started with the guac and chips of plaintains, yucca and malanga. Okay, good start. The chips especially were crisp and interesting. The guac was good, was nothing extraordinary. (Get extraordinary at Momocho!) For the my brunch entree I decided to order traditional Brazilian feijoada. I couldn't wait to try the roasted pork, spicy chorizo and black bean dish! How could you go wrong? But it was bland. Even the "spicy" chorizo wasn't what a good chorizo should be. And to think the waiter had bragged to us that the chorizo was one of the foods they got in that WASN'T FROZEN! Wow. My daughter ordered the Ropa Viejo. She was similarly underwhelmed. Maybe the frozen food issue is part of the problem, maybe they need better recipes. Actually, I think I know the real answer. We had both ordered the Paladar Bloody Mary which is described as "Ron Atlantico Reserva Rum, tomato juice, chipotle peppers, adobo seasoning, lime juice and cilantro salt. It's got a 'lil kick." At least that's what the brunch menu said. When it arrived, it looked fantastic. The cilantro salt rim was delightful. But, where was that kick? The drink was watery and there was no heat whatsoever. They may want to consider rewriting THAT description. A very sweet bartender came to the table and offered to remake the drinks explaining that they had to tone down the heat for the locals. There it is...that explains the food, too. Instead of being authentic, it's been dumbed down for cautious palates. And then there's that frozen food issue. Gah. Would I go back? Not on your life. Cleveland is blessed with numerous AUTHENTIC Latin restaurants. If you want Latin food, seek one out. In fact, I highly recommend Barroco in Lakewood where you can get AUTHENTIC Latin delights. I wasn't aware that Paladar is a chain until I noticed numerous locations across the country while writing this review. So maybe that's another part of the problem. If you're looking for bland, cafeteria quality "Latin" food...sure, hit up Paladar. Otherwise, don't bother. What a disappointment!
(1)
B D.

The food was fantastic service was great had an excellent time with our family and our server was very very friendly thank you so much for a great experience. Must try the bread pudding. !!!
(5)
Frog F.

Very salty to begin with also found a piece of bone in the chicken.... Lost my appetite after finding a robbery skin in my chicken tacos....won't recommend it at all
(1)
Adi S.

I feel that this place deserves slightly more than three stars, in the 3.5 range. Came here for dinner with friends on a week night. Overall, I have to say I really like the atmosphere of this place- elegant, yet just shy of upscale. The food was done well, yet left a little something to be desired. I had the guacamole sampler and the lamb tacos, which were a special. I am a big fan of lamb, and I have to say that the tacos were cooked right, were pleasantly garnished, and had a great sauce flavor- slightly spicy and slightly tangy. I feel as though there could have been more meat on the tacos and I was slightly disappointed with the guacamole, all three of which in the sampler ended up tasting rather the same. Great drinks and great dessert options. The goat cheese cheesecake and sweet potato donuts are absolutely delicious. Another plus was the very friendly service that we received.
(3)
Doug N.

Fish tacos are outstanding. Used to stop at Dukes every time I was on the West Coast to get my fill, now I can drive 15 minutes! Spicy Guac is very good with chips and the service is always good.
(5)
Kaitlin D.

Nothing bad to say! Wow! Well, except for the fact that it isn't closer to me. I came here for happy hour, so keep that in mind--I didn't eat an entree but I had my fair share of drinks and appetizers. The pumpkin seed guacamole probably changed my life. There wasn't much in the way of feta (I think that was the cheese included...) but the pumpkin seeds were a perfect addition. I think what would have made it even more remarkable would have been goat cheese (then I wouldn't have to go to Momocho for goat cheese guac AND I'd have a better experience!). The fish tacos were excellent! Since I split them with a friend, we each got one, which, after a couple of drinks, was not enough. I found myself wanting something like 12 of them. Of course that was the mojito(s) speaking...and the fact that my eyes are ALWAYS way larger than my stomach. I had the pomegranate ginger mojito and it really changed the way I look at mojitos. I could have had more than two, but like I said, the drive is a bit far for me to be getting too happy during happy hour. The interior is fantastic! I really love the way it looks in this place and the layout of it all. The colors and decor come straight from my dream home (or at least bedroom) and the placement of the bar is really cool. Well, cool until you're two drinks and a glass of water into your night and you have to get to the bathroom--then, the step off of the "stage" of a bar area is a little dangerous and the walk through the dining area makes you feel even more like you're on a stage (performing this time, of course). I almost felt like I should have done the rumba or something to entertain the folks enjoying their dinners, they were so fascinated with me. I don't think I was THAT bad...hmm. Our bartender was friendly and on his game, though he seemed overly excited for happy hour. Maybe because his bar was full of ladies sipping cocktails? Either way, he seemed to know what he was doing! I'm really looking forward to coming here again, whether for happy hour again or for a whole dinner experience!
(5)
Justin B.

Great restaurant. Their fish tacos are amazing. Great staff and service and the bar has some fantastic selections.
(5)
Bryant M.

When I get really excited about reviewing a place, my mind goes a million miles a minute and my thoughts get totally jumbled. And that's exactly how I'm feeling about Paladar. So let me try to get my shit together and write a decent review of one of the best dining experiences I've had in really long time... After an exhausting day touring Cleveland, we were famished and looking for a great meal. The trusty Yelp iPhone app pointed me to Paladar, and once again - you guys were totally on the money. This was hands-down the best Latin food I've had outside of Central and South America. The hype around this place is completely on-point. I think a list would be the easiest way to tell you all the things I loved about Paladar: ^ Reservations on Open Table - easy, peasy! ^ Service - Our server, Kristy, was warm, bubbly, attentive, and full of personality. She especially won me over when she found out cilantro (that vile weed!) was in my dish, and she immediately came over to me to help choose a substitution. ^ Food - Everybody at our table loved their meals, so I don't think you can go wrong with any choices. But I have to highly recommend: grits, papusa, plantains, and rum pulled pork w/ mango rice. (The Mister also loved his ceviche, but I can't attest to that - I don't eat seafood.) ^ Drinks - It seems like Paladar is always having some type of drink special, and I got my fill of deliciously-crafted caipirinhas...for $5 each! ^ Atmosphere - Paladar is upscale without trying, and the customers ranged from casual families to young people all dressed up - and everything in between. I can't say enough amazing things about Paladar, and I can't wait to go back. It's probably a good thing that I'm in Columbus over two hours away!
(5)
Scott S.

Paladar has a great selection for those with dietary restrictions (vegan, veg especially) - and not just the usual "we have salad". The sweet potato tacos are fantastic! The mojitos are great too (and vegan as well) :-)
(4)
Rachel S.

I've only been here once for lunch while I was in the neighborhood, but it was great. Loved the atmosphere and decorations. The beef tacos were delicious, as well as the shrimp guacamole (which was a special that day). My mom got the chicken empenadas, which were pretty bland, so I wouldn't recommend those. The peach basil and pomegranate ginger mojitos were to DIE for--they alone were enough reason to come back!
(4)
Karen M.

I never would never even try guacamole until I tried it here. I love it with the yucca chips and plantain chips and also the tortilla chips.
(4)
Anand S.

Great mojito and some very interesting chips. The chicken in my salad was a bitter, but other than that the food was good. Great ambience too.
(4)
Keith H.

Ate here last week with the work crew. Super hip, sexy, and trendy. Service was super duper for our 7+ group. Cool nifty diverse and and authentic menu. We had some killer apps, guacamole and ceviche. My meal was tasty and the rest of the group liked their food. Nice monitor and a great experience.
(5)
Ryan N.

Absolutely amazing food and service! A party of 7 came here for a "Welcome Home" dinner for my sister. Everything from the drinks (JalapeÃ±o Paloma was excellent), to the made to order guacamole sampler, to our entrees all exceeded our expectations. The waiting staff was professional and courteous, without seeming pushy or overwhelming. I'll definitely be making a second -- and a third -- trip back to Paladar
(5)
James D.

Paladar really hit the spot for me big time. I visited before and it was years so I needed to refresh to try to write a good review for you. I had avocado and tilapia ceviche and rum punch drinks. This was a perfect combination. Refreshing, delicious or whatever strong adjectives you may want to attach to my experience. I liked the bartender. He did not try to treat me like geriatric alcoholic because I wanted to indulge in few drinks alone and possibly strike up some conversation. I was all for it, I even was able to absorb some of their Latin American music with no frills. I favor Tropicalia personally but another topic altogether friends. Only one thing restrains me from offering the elusive five star review. I found myself next to an older man and woman having the most inane and gross conversations I have heard. The man was some executive person for Keybank. You can gather my sentiments for Keybank in my scathing review posted previously. This guy wagered talking points from his affairs with women who worked for him, HR investigations, and couple million dollars of salary over past several years all within my sensitive earshot. He generally carried on with the aplomb that could make anyone want to vomit nachos. What a creep. I am still recovering from customer service experience that I wrote about previously. I can't fault Paladar for serving these people who happened to be obese yet I left feeling depressed with my rum punch buzz.
(4)
Fox M.

I can't wait to go back! My family chose this place to celebrate my sister's birthday, and I was really impressed. Every time I am in the area I try to go back there. ***SERVICE/ATTITUDE = Good Staff: ***DRINKS = Amazing! ***FOOD = I want to eat my way down the menu!: I love the mixed corn, plantain and and yucca chips that are served with the fresh guacamole! The spicy guac is not very spicy but, but it is very fresh. I recommend the Jalapeno Lamb Stew. Very savory and not too spicy. The Hearts of Palm Salad is also good if you are going for something lighter. ***DECOR = Classy. Great date spot: Ok, so this place's one saving grace was the dÃ©cor. The interior has a very unique feel with a lucha libre X day of the dead theme. I really liked it. The bar was beautiful with a backlit wine rack and irregularly shaped hide light fixtures. One of the main art pieces involved several crosses carved into wood and some cut out and back lit. It was very interesting and visually appealing.
(5)
Beth D.

Delicious! We eat there all the time and often take people from work for happy hour. Food is consistently high quality and delicious. Service is always excellent. I particularly like the guacamole and the salads. My only complaint is that when we come with a big group they won't let us order happy hour items sitting at a table (we have to cram into the bar-- even if the restaurant is completely empty). Otherwise, always happy to be there!
(4)
Rob S.

First off, I do have to say that I did not pay for my meal/drinks/coffee/anything else here I had when I was inebriated. My office's holiday party was here, so they picked up the tab. First off, service -- really, really good, even though they had to deal with about a dozen people/hypochodriacs whose dietary restrictions go from "eat nothing with a soul" to "eat nothing with a shadow." Appetizers and entrees were delicious. They specialize in American-ized versions of Cuban favorites, and you gotta be crazy not to like anything from our fine Communist culinary artists to the south. I got the blackened fish tacos, which were the finest thing to hit my mouth during my entire holiday season, and that includes my mom's famous chicken gyros. I honestly wasn't paying attention to the prices, so this place might not be right for a twice-weekly jaunt, but if I want to treat myself, I will head back here.
(4)
Ameesh P.

A great place to find unique food in a sea of the usual American or Italian chain restaurants. The quality of food was top notch and tasty. So many of their menu items appealed to me and I look forward to future visits when I can try more of their creative dishes.
(4)
Nicolas L.

The best place in the city for food and atmosphere. Get the Guacamole and the fish tacos. Any mojito you get you will love.
(5)
Monika N.

We were in town for Easter and a couple of friends took us here for dinner. We unfortunately didn't have a reservation so we had to wait a bit - but only 35 minutes, which wasn't too bad on a Saturday evening. One of the best parts of our dinner was the service. Our server Andre made all the right suggestions, brought dishes out at the right time, was attentive but not overbearing - really was just perfect. We decided to start with the guacamole trio and a few drinks. The husbands tried the mojitos and the ladies wanted the red sangria. Andre suggested that we spring for a half carafe of sangria instead of separate glasses, which was cheaper than the 2 separate glasses and we got more. What a great suggestion! The guacamole was good - not the best I've had but good. I like my guacamole to have more cilantro and this had very little. The chips were really interesting - nothing like what I'm used to. I ordered the chorizo, potato and goat cheese tacos and substituted the quinoa instead of frijoles because I'm not much of a bean person. The tacos were amazing, although I would have liked more goat cheese and should have ordered 100% corn tortillas (the half corn-half flour just tasted like flour tortillas to me). The quinoa was equally amazing, although extremely salty. It's a good thing I like salty foods! At the end of the night our server was very persuasive about ordering their special dessert which was a plantain french toast. So we ordered one dessert with 4 forks. The french toast itself was good but not great, but the sauce we dipped/poured was to die for! In the end it was a delicious meal that was slightly overpriced, but a great night to enjoy dinner and a few drinks with close friends.
(4)
Katherine M.

My favorite part were the mojitos. It was Friday night so I tried 3 flavors! ;) vegan selection was reasonable! I really enjoyed the sweet potato tacos and hearts of palm salad, but I was more impressed by the mojitos. The ambience was very nice but felt a little too commercial upscale dining, whereas I prefer more unique, never-been before, but can still be accepted in my yoga pants.
(4)
Brian L.

Freakin awesome. Fresh, authentic, creative menu, great atmosphere and good pricing.... In addition to the rum bar. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Amar G.

Amazing happy hour! Mojitos are so fresh with mint, lemon, and sugar cane --- best I've had in the area. Try out the Cuban sandwich and eggplant dip
(4)
Paul H.

Ok, I have eaten here many times and it's always been good. Went there recently with my wife. I'll make it short, great food, terrible service. We were greeted by our server Marisol, she took our drink order and left us to ponder the menu. She returned quickly with our drinks and we proceeded to order our appetizer and entrÃ©e. our appetizer came out quickly and was brought to us by a runner, but by this time we needed more drinks but Marisol was no where to be found so we start eating our appetizer with no drinks and we are only about half way into it when another runner arrives with our entrees and puts them down on our tiny already overcrowded table. 15 minutes has gone by and still, no server. WTF Paladar?? Finally Marisol arrives and I let her know we are not happy, she half heartedly apologizes saying, "yeah, I guess the entrÃ©e came out too soon" Oh you think?? She then copped an attitude for the rest of the meal. Food was great though, but still, don't hire incompetent servers.
(2)
Jayram K.

Expensive and the drinks are sub-standard. If you know anything about mojitos and like them - do not order them here. They are not freshly made and are not authentic mojitos. Food was average but way overpriced. The only positive about this restaurant is the ambiance (outdoor patio) and the service. Our server was excellent. I don't think I will be going back here.
(2)
Felice W.

Great food! Great drinks! Great atmosphere! Love the chips and guacamole and salsa! The appetizers and chips almost make a meal! Great happy hour prices on drinks and appetizers. Best happy hour around...upbeat, fun vibe in the bar area as well. And if you want the $5 appetizers to go, they'll serve them at your table then box them for take out. Awesome! I recently boxed up several guacamoles for book club.... For $10!!! It's one place you can get feijoada and although it doesn't taste real authentic to the Brazilina dish, it is really good...with a little bit of kick! I will go back again and again!
(4)
Rachel W.

I really hate to write this update, because I had such a good experience the first time, but my visit to Paladar on 2/16 was just terrible. I know it was the Saturday after Valentine's Day so the wait was going to be extraordinary. But my boyfriend wanted to eat here, so even though our buzzer for B Spot went off, we turned it back in and waited here because the Hostess told us we were "next." Well, apparently "next" means 12th to her, because there were seriously at least 8 tables sat before us. We waited another 30 minutes after she told us we were next. She even told my boyfriend again that we were next while I was in the bathroom and then sat 2 more tables. We were standing right there, it's not like we weren't going to notice. That girl needs to be fired. Just be honest with people. If you told me it was going to be a while, I wouldn't have been enraged. Altogether we waited more than 2 hours. Once we were finally sat, our waiter, Ben, was awesome. He was friendly and quick with everything. Our drinks and guacamole were good. We had the regular guacamole. I would recommend the spicy because the regular is bland. I guess that is because they make it fresh. Fresh is great, but it doesn't allow any of the flavors to soak into the avocado which is part of what makes guacamole great, in my opinion. Our main dishes arrived very quickly. Too quickly for my chicken to have been put on the grill after I ordered, so I have to assume our server stole someone else's food to make sure ours came out as fast as possible. If the food had been great this might have actually made up for the rest of the experience. However, the rice on my dish (cilantro) and the rice on my boyfriend's were both gross. The first time I ate here, the rice was one of the best parts of my dish; well-cooked and flavorful. This time, both types of rice were wet and not thoroughly cooked (almost crunchy). I can only assume that because they were so busy that they were running out of rice and quickly cooked more. Rather than cook it til it was done, they threw it together to serve it. It was not edible. My chicken was bland, though the salsa made it better. I did not have the heart to complain about my meal to my server because I know he was trying so hard, and there was really nothing he could have done or brought me to make it better. Ben brought us free dessert as well, which was very nice. It was some kind of sweet potato doughnut. I am not a big dessert person but my boyfriend liked it. Not sure if I will come back here just because of the way the food was cooked. I don't know how you could serve something cooked that poorly and have the balls to charge money for it. If you are so busy that you can't turn out quality food, then close for the night. Yeah, you'll make a couple extra grand tonight, and then those people will never come back to your establishment. If our server hadn't been so awesome I would not have paid for that meal, and I almost never complain at a restaurant.
(1)
Amrita C.

Paladar is a wonderful restaurant with a great atmosphere and delicious food. The server was friendly and knew quite a bit about the menu, and all of our food arrived quickly. My advice-end your meal with the sweet potato doughnuts. They were absolutely delicious, and came piping hot and freshly prepared. I highly recommend Paladar as a casual restaurant to spend a night. Just come hungry, the portions are huge!
(5)
Erin K.

This is my go-to restaurant. I love the decor. You like guac? They have a Guac of the Day and other flavors to choose from. The Chips that come with the guac are an array of bananas, tortillas and root veggies thinly sliced and fried to perfection. The dinners are what I come for. They have a great JalapeÃ±o Spiced Lamb Stew, that is spicy, tender and delicious. The Braised Beef Ropa Vieja is another favorite of mine. It comes with rice and black bean and sweet bananas, which balance the flavors nicely. Dessert is a must - sweet potato donuts with caramel dipping sauce. If you are drinking, they have the Caipirinha -Brazil's national cocktail: Cuca Fresca CachaÃ§a with muddled lime and sugar, served on the rocks. Its a strong drink and not for everyone but I love them.
(5)
Alison B.

I personally loved the place! When looking for a place to eat near where I was staying, the words "Latin" and "Rum" caught my eye and every other place I looked at on yelp, those words kept on flitting back into my mind. Those words did not disappoint me... *I had the mango, cilantro mojito because I'm in love with mojitos - didn't disappoint. *Had to try the guacamole because I'm an voracious avocado fiend -- didn't disappoint (which, they have a few special guacs as well, but I just got the original). *Then I went for the special, the rainbow trout on corn fritters with sauteed shrimp and corns and veggies on top. Wasn't disappointed ut I wasn't in heave. But, to be fair, I think it was because I had such a hard time deciding from the menu and there was a sandwich and a wrap that I was looking at as well - it had turkey and bacon and AVOCADO on it.... I really was yearning for that, but wasn't really wanting the "bread" factor so I wound up with the trout special. I think that sandwich/wrap choice was still in my head so my taste buds were not willing to be completely happy. Don't get me wrong, the trout was delicious, but when bacon and avocado is stuck in your head.... I'll have to try it next time. I will say that the menu is absolutely overwhelming as, if you tend to like Latin foods, everything looks absolutely delicious and its sheer torment. SO - bring a group and make sure to try a bunch of stuff and PLEASE post the things that were absolutely delicious so that you can pay it forward and help other people decide from this amazing menu. Oh - one more comment... Great service and really cute and classy atmosphere! Loved it!
(5)
Veronique D.

I have been to this place a number of times throughout the years. I've gone for dinner and happy hour. The guacamole and drinks (margaritas and mojitos) are pretty good. The servers are attentive. The entrees are just okay.
(4)
Scott E.

Fantastic food! Mango Mojito's, guacamole, blackened fish tacos and sweet potato donuts. All were incredible!
(5)
Anna J.

Had dinner here with some fam. Very nice atmosphere. Guacamole and chips very tasty! Had the stew it was ok but the rice was bland.
(3)
Tim F.

Stopped here after a meeting in the area, enjoyed the happy hour deals. I wouldn't consider this a full review, since I didn't have a genuine "meal"... $5 mojitoes (among other choices) and $5 apps. The mojito was excellent; crisp & refreshing. We shared 3 apps, chips and guac (regular), cuban sandwich, and blackened fish tacos. Guac was very good, but the chips were a real treat - corn, taro & plantain chips make for a great random mix of flavor & texture. The fish taco was delicious, a generous portion for $5. I'd maybe remove just a bit of the slaw & veggies so the filing ratio was a little heavier on the fish, but that's a nitpick. Really good cuban sandwich; makes me wonder why you don't see this on more menus. I'm looking forward to a return visit, but the happy hour bar deal was so good, it's almost hard to imagine coming here for a full dinner.
(4)
Leah T.

If you enjoy Latin food, this is probably the only place in Cleveland you can get it :-) I love the guacamole and sangria. It's not my favorite place in Beachwood, but definitely a good place to take friends for a fun meal. It would be cool if they could make the bar area bigger to allow for comfortable hanging out/eating there.
(4)
Cher M.

Our 2nd visit in less than 2 weeks. Tim is exceptional; his drink and food recommendations for me are spot on! Yesterday I asked him to 'surprise me' and he excelled We were even able to enjoy the patio, but then we are hardy Clevelanders.
(5)
Maria S.

In need of a decent restaurant for lunch that could accommodate my gluten allergy, I did a quick Yelp search and found Paladar Latin Kitchen. As an added bonus, it was less than a mile from my hotel and close to I-271. Paladar has a separate gluten free menu, and will provide it on request. Our stellar server, Andre, expertly steered us through the various menu offerings, and our table opted for the fish tacos and the ropa vieja. Both dishes were delicious, but the ropa vieja exceeded our expectations and was large enough to provide ample leftovers for another day. (They also offer an appetizer portion of the ropa vieja.) The restaurant is open and airy, with a beautiful bar area, and the cocktail list looked great. Maybe next time...
(4)
Ruchi S.

One of the best Mexican food I had in Cleveland.. Great ambience n great food.. I will definitely come again!!
(4)
Jenny L.

Paladar is one of my favorite places to go. Yes, it is very expensive but you also know that ahead of time if you look at the menu. Even though it's one of my top places to go, I'm only giving it they 4 stars instead of 5 because they need to make the drinks a little bigger for how much you pay. $10 drinks still come in the small scotch type glass even when you ask for a tall. I like to get big margaritas and they come in the same glass, no matter what type you order. That still doesn't sway my husband and I from loving this place! Latin food that's so good, (like the various types of chips, salsa and guac) amazing decor and ambiance, and the churros at the end of the meal (also now the sweet potato doughnuts) make any expense worth it! We come here 2-3 times a year and live about 30 minutes away.
(4)
Bryant C.

The tone of the visit was set when the waiter could only recommend the most expensive drinks on the menu. First he started by recommending the $18 Rum flights, then suggested, if the flights weren't for me, I should get the most expensive individual glass of Rum. Even if they happened to be the most awesome and flavorful drinks they had, his insistence put me off completely. I don't think he appreciated my whipping out the phone to look up reviews of the Rums, then finding that the best from their list, in fact, wasn't the most expensive (it was the Zaya Gran Reserve 12 y Trinidad). During entree ordering, he pushed salads and soups on us in addition to our entrees. This was fine by me, if it wasn't for the fact that the soup gave me instant runs and kept on the John through most of the entree. In their defense, my coworker didn't have problems with the same soup. I was visiting from out of town, so the yelp one star "Eek! Methinks not" accurately describes my inclination to go again ...
(1)
Jeff D.

sweet potato tacos are great. The menu is diverse with plenty of meat and non meat items that all can enjoy
(4)
Tamika W.

My family & I ate lunch here after the Cleveland Got Sole convention this weekend. It was fairly close to where we were. I really enjoyed this restaurant! My husband ordered an El Cubano sandwich, I ordered a Chimichurri Chicken sandwich & my daughter ordered a Cheese Quesadilla. Our sandwiches came with sweet potato fries which were amazing and I'm assuming that my daughter enjoyed her Quesadilla since I didn't hear a peep out of her! The highlight of this place was my Strawberry Mojito which was made perfectly. I would highly recommend this place for anyone who likes Latin flavor in the area.
(4)
Melissa A.

After avoiding Paladar for years because it's a place I associate with my entire high school meeting there for unofficial night before Thanksgiving reunions, I went for lunch last week and was super impressed. Who knew after all of that avoidance I had been missing out. Opps... I really enjoyed the mojitos. My friends and I sampled a few different kinds and the watermelon basil was my fave. It was slightly sweet and the basil lent a very fresh taste. Our table started out with the traditional guacamole, which was delicious and simple, however no different than a guac I would make at home. The homemade chip blend was really special and a whole lot more exciting than the guac. Highlights from my table included the blacked fish tacos (could have used some more spice), hearts of palm salad, and the skirt steak salad. I look forward to heading back for another go at the menu.
(4)
Robert B.

Another good meal at lunch today. The menu has been changed-for the better and the crowd noise at lunch is much more manageable. Service was wonderful. Every member of my group was pleased.
(4)
Susan P.

Enjoyed a special occasion dinner at Paladar outside. The waiter was very personable and made some good wine suggestions. The guacamole was fresh, and my salmon was cooked to perfection.
(4)
Jade K.

Paladar has a great thing going. They is so much atmosphere and ambiance. Every time I have been there it's been packed and service has been great. The last time I was there I was with two co-workers on a busy Saturday night. There were no tables available and it was about a 30 minute wait so we stood by the bar which was sardine packed! But, we were able to get to the bar and get drinks relatively quickly - that being said - the Mojitos are AMAZING. Between my coworker and I, I think we tried the entire mojito list. There was one with Basil - that was my favorite. After getting our drinks from the bar it was only a few minutes until someone got up from the tables in the bar area (which are self seating) so we grabbed one of those. I so wish I could remember our servers name - maybe david? - he was so funny and so awesome that I think all of us would go back just to see him! We ordered the guacamole, which didn't last very long on the table. It was FAB! We decided not to order anymore food and just kept drinking. It was a truly fantastic night highlighted by great atmosphere, great drinks, and great service. Thanks!
(4)
Jason S.

Amazing! If the menu says "foodie bucket list" - order it! Shrimp and grits on the weekend brunch menu - taste explosion!
(5)
Nick A.

There is a reason I drive all the way from Westlake to get to Paladar. It is worth the drive!! This latin kitchen is by far on the top of my list in the city! I love the cuban braised tacos, there are 3 in the grouping and just enough to be full. Finish that off with a couple of margaritas. ( I like the strawberry margarita). And the night ends with being completely satisfied with Paladar. We had a new waitress here the last time we were here and she was great, she didn't admit to knowing everything, which we appreciated. If you are in Woodmere, you have to go here!
(5)
Donna C.

Happy hour, even on the weekend...awesome fish tacos, and cuban sandwich. the drinks are great too. I'll be back
(4)
John N.

This was my first time here. I saw the rum list and had to check it out. The 4-7 happy hour menu is awesome. Had the fish tacos and guacamole with chips and veggies. It was simply amazing. $5 mojitos with no mixes, real ingredients you can't go wrong.
(5)
Funglin W.

I'm having a hard time giving this place a rating. The food is good, but it's not worth the price I'm paying for it. Because of that, I never really feel the need to come here although many of my friends love this place. With that said, i wanted to give it a high grade because of their mojito. Paladar makes the BEST mojito in town!
(3)
Heather J.

Needing a girls night that would include beverages, food, movie & some great fun some friends & I made reservations for this past Friday. Work ran a little late and we were a little starving with quite thirst for something... Paladar's daily 4-7 happy hour saved us. As a matter of fact the bartenders tempted us away from taking our table when called and we spent all our time at the bar. $5 mojitos...the pomegranate-ginger were delish Chicken empanadas, beef short rib tacos, blackened tilapia tacos, yucca frites...and the most heavenly s'mores churros! A good time was had..and the movie 'Bridesmaids' was all that much funnier due to our food/drink coma. Definitely saved on my list of favorites when I visit this area. And the staff gave some of the best service in all of Cleveland.
(4)
Marcella B.

I love Paladar! I've tried many things on their menu & have not been disappointed by any of them. They also, of course, have delicious drinks as this is what they seem to be known for. They have 3 types of guac and 3 types of salsas, and you can roder all 3 in a sampler appetizer which is nice, especially if you are new to the place and are not sure what to try. They do happy hour pricing but PLEASE NOTE that this only applies if you are sitting AT the bar. Thsi was not brought to my attention and one night when I dined during happy hour, I was nto given the happy hour pricing because I was at a table. The bar is not very big so I imagine that you have to be there as soon as happy hour starts to get in on the action.
(4)
Mark C.

The service was terrible in the annoying ways. For instance it took close to 30 minutes for us to get our drinks and guacamole with chips. Contrary to the posts the gauc was fine but nothing special and the plantine chips were also good but they were cold. By the time they arrived we were all so hungry it didn't matter. Two of us ordered Capriahana which were terrible. The small glasses were only three-quarters filled and the drinks tasted like someone had dumped in a half cup of white sugar. Our entrees were ok but very greasy and heavy - even the vegitarian meals felt incredably heavy. The menu actually had cool stuff on it but the execution was miserable. Lastly, we never got any water unless we ask for it. One of the folks at our table didn't drink so we were constantly stopping an employee for water. The prices were ok. Overall, I'd say if you want a kind of upscale Olive Garden - a not very good chain restaurant with a Latin and Brazilian theme.
(1)
Mitchell D.

The only reason I'm giving this place 3 stars is because the food is great... When it's hot. Don't sit in the bar area because you'll get bad service and your food will come out luke-warm. I sent my food back 2 times. All they did was put it under the warmer. The manager lady was VERY nice and apologetic. It's just unfortunate that time service is lousy but the food is great.
(3)
Kris P.

I like Paladar. I like it. The caiprihana is something I'll order every time with my dinner as not many other spots in Cleveland area know how to make one, even though they are simply simple. Whatever they do to the pork and beef when its roasted, braised and falls apart as you pick it up. Genius. Flavors are very much South American with a bit of Asian here and there. I highly recommend the Ropa Viejo, a Brazilian Stew on the lunch entrees menu, guacamole apps are fresh and excellent, and the fish tacos are so fricken delicious. Now too bad they got rid of the Mini Mahi Taco app. That was really tasty. It was a bit briny and limey and tasted oh so good. One of my office's favorite places to come for large lunches. They treat us like kings and queens. Service is almost always impeccable. Go there. You probably won't be disappointed.
(4)
Michael L.

Fabulous Atmosphere, wonderful food. Our server was genuine snd took marvelous care of us. We went there for tapas and drinks, I had one of their mojitos with vodka instead of rum and it was simply divine. Totally recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice place to grabs drinks and light food. I will be back to explore more of their menu!!
(4)
Vanessa L.

Just okay. Has selections for gluten free diners but the chips aren't completely gluten free. It's so easy to make gluten free corn chips - so a disappointment. The salsas were not good - more bland than anything. Just okay
(3)
Ted M.

Great happy hour menu, very good vibe and atmosphere, a good choice for a first (or any) date. Very good mojitos. All food I have ordered here has been quite good, which is also to say that none has been truly exceptional. A solid four stars.
(4)
Hokie F.

Good guac and chips. Sat at a high bar table smack against a giant column so my view was limited. Short rib empanadas were a good idea but a little too doughy for my liking. Gazpacho was too garlicky. Service was inattentive at best. When they brought backthe special guac with heirloom tomatoes after first bringing me the plain version, waiter tried to explain that many of the tomatoes were green and couldn't be seen easily... Really? Standard mojito was good. Sugar cane swizzle was a nice and sweet chewy touch.
(3)
J F W.

Sweet Potato Donuts. Enough said... These things were like little balls of joy in my mouth. That sounded nastier than I intended. Let's just go with awesome shall we? I also didn't intend to start the review with dessert but they were so good I pretty much forgot everything else. I had the pork soft tacos for dinner and they were fantastic as well. I paired them with a mojito, margarita, and bourbon on the rocks. Don't judge me. The margarita was a little sweet for my taste but I'll give them a pass on that considering how great everything else was. I would definitely suggest a trip to this latin kitchen...
(5)
Veronica P.

Excellent Latin food, flavorful and great service. Best fresh tasting guacamole I have ever had in a restaurant. Great prices at happy hour 4-7, and $5 mojitos. They are made fresh with real fruit!
(5)
Carol T.

My daughter and I went for dinner and drinks on a Friday evening. The bar was packed, it was Happy Hour, so we opted for a fairly empty dining room. After we were seated we waited almost 10 minutes before we were brought our water. We tried to order drinks, but the server who had brought our water told us she was not our waitress. We waited almost 10 more minutes before we walked out. While we were waiting we watched 3 to 4 servers talking among themselves, checking their phones, and apparently blatantly ignoring us. There is more to a dining experience than the food....and I hope the food which we will NEVER taste is better than the service
(1)
Joyce H.

I went here with a friend to eat and the decor is beautiful. We loved the atmosphere! It looks very modern/chic with lots of colors. Seems like it would be a fun place to go on the weekends for drinks. When we went though, the patrons were more on the suburban, older end. We did go on a Sunday evening, but it makes me wonder if the same crowd comes in on the weekends too. On the whole, the food seemed average. I really enjoyed the appetizer, which was the pulled beef on plantains. The flavor was good (for me, I could always use more spice) and the beef was tender. The rum pulled pork was generally good - very tender, and I liked some of the flavoring, but the pineapple/rice tasted very so-so. (It was a little rice-a-roni...yikes.) I had a spiced rum that enhanced some of the flavors. Overall, I think the food could use more spice, but hey, it's located in an area with Midwestern palettes.
(3)
Tim S.

Drinks were great. I had the Rum Glazed Pork, which was great. The coconut mango rice tasted nothing like coconut nor mango it tasted like water, way over cooked. The pork made up in flavor that the rice lacked. I'd go back and try again to see if it can get better
(3)
Donna W.

Excellent restaurant! We love the different flavored Mojitos. Last night I had the mussels for my dinner with the house salad and my hubby had the salmon with spatzal. I don't like salmon as its just too fishy for me but I do try it every time he orders it and I have to say it was not fishy at all. I would actually order it from here. The guac with chips is also a must! Delish!
(4)
Sean P.

I have to say that this food was good (a little too hyped from the other reviews but good). Went with co workers on a Wednesday night and it was already busy! So get to location early if have reservations. Also finding a parking spot is a little difficult so showing up a little early will help. The food again was great and the service was nice and prompt. Would come back here but as other restaurants in the area will have to try others also.
(4)
Erin R.

This place has a fun atmosphere. The service is not consistent - sometimes it is fabulous, and sometimes it is really horrible. The food is decent, but not as good as I'd expect it to be. The mohitos were fabulous though!
(3)
Kate M.

Ceviche and black bean soup are super good! Service is great, too!
(4)
Rico b.

Ate here 11/5/11. Food was better than I expected; had the slow roasted mojo pork and the spinach & bacon salad. Good sized portions on the entree and salad. Pork was flavorful, spinach very fresh. Mojitos were great, and our server was efficient and knowledgeable. Only disappointment was the appetizer, which was a daily special - marinated skirt steak skewers. While tasty, it was only 3 skewers and each skewer only had 2 bite size pieces of steak, for $13.
(4)
Jarrod N.

Okay, I am not by an means an expert on latin foods or Latin Culture. In fact, I am as white bread as you can get. I love spicy foods, and enjoy many different flavors, but I had never had latin food before. So, this may be infact latin fusion, I don't know and frankly, I don't care either. What I can say is YUM. This food was delicious and I ment to write a review earlier (three months ago) but I guess I have still been fantisizing about my meal every sense. Here I am, my wife, my father-in-law and I, on a very rainy day (Cleveland, go figure). We made reservations for 6:30 ( I think), which was definitley a good hour to go, if you want to be seated reasonably close to the time of your reservation and be able to have good conversation. As the night moved on the place became louder and louder with more customers clammering and raising their voice to be heard. The decore for me is hard to explain, I would not call it latin or even latin influence, but it was modern, and cool (or if you want hip) the seats were comfortable and there was plenty of space so that you did not have to crow around the tables fearing that you would be bummped my the wait staff or the table next to you. We started out with drinks both my wife and my father-in-law ordered, the mojiots (one orginial and the other pineapple) while I ordered a single barrel rum. Here, again, I am no expert, but I truely savored the warmth and flavor of my drink, I would order it again if I could just remember which one it was. I tried each of the mojitos and they were - predicable; not in a bad way, it's just that I knew what they would taste like before I even took a sip. Next, we had ordered the chips with the spicy gaucamole and salsa there were not enough chips and the the poritions of gaucamole and dipping sauce were small for the price (which was probably my only complaint). The chips were a mixture of Plantain, Yucca, Malanga & Tortilla. Can you say delicious? They were good and I would order it again and again. Then, the main event...my wife ordered (If I remember correctly) the rum smoked mahi mahi tiny tacos, my father-in-law orderd the same, I think. I was however, a little bit more adventurous, I ordered the roasted half chicken mole. The wait was a little long for my liking, but that was just because I was excited to be trying something new. The food came, the presentaion was very well done and my first thought was to photograph it, however, my hunger got the better of me and I choose not to play with my food and just eat it. That was the best choice as it turns out. The flavors were unique and the sweet and the spicy bleneded beautiflully together which just made me take each bite one slowly and one carefully. I was truly please by my reward for being so adventurous. I have had lots of food in my life time, but I have to say this was one of the most memorable meals, not just because of the company or the location, but the total flavor experience. I did take a very short break from my own meal just to induldge in a taste of the tacos. Here again, I was pleasantly surprises, one becuase I really don't care for fish anything and two becuase the overall flavor was so different too me. After a meal like that I did not want the fun to end so we ordered the dessert. *GRIN* I still remember my dessert. We ordered the Churros and cheese cake. Of course we ordered coffee to wash everything down. Of these two desserts I loved the churros. There were four or five sticks fried dough tossed in cinnamon & sugar which were accompanied by two dipping sauces dark mexican chocolate & marshmallow. I did not NEED the sauce, but I enjoyed them just the same. As for the cheesecake it was flavorful, dense and bit too moist for my liking. I am a lover of the classic cheesecake which in my opinion is not too dense and dry. So dry that your mouth makes the same kind of smacking sounds as when you eat peanutbutter all by itself. That being said,I would not turn it away, it was still a good choice. Bottom line - from start to finish a very well executed meal, very flavorful and overall pleasing to the senses. I would do it again and again, if I had that kind of money. Paladar is not cheap, so save your money and come when you can truly have the freedoom of ordering whatever you want without worring about your wallet. (If you have the means, then please adopt my wife and me, so that we can enjoy more meals here and place like it, thanks). The ambiance was wonderful ( I especially with the wall that changes colors), the service was good, although a smidge slow, but that may have been due to the crowd that this place draws in. No doubt in my mind, I would recommend this to everyone and anyone willing to listen. I hope this place does well for years and I hope they continue to update the menu options so I can try more stuff. This place deserves high ratings as long as it remains the way I expeirenced it. Go! Now! this place is a dimond in the rough.
(5)
Joe G.

Can't believe I forgot to mention this the first time, but the Tiny Tacos, the appetizer, is an excellent choice if you like fish tacos. They have a very nice smokey flavor and while they have shrunk in size considerably since Paladar first opened I would still highly recommend them.
(5)
Amanda K.

This place was fabulous! I had the roasted pork that was magnificent w/ mango rice. It was basically rice with little chunks of mango. Odd combo but tasted great there wasn't a real strong mango taste to it just enough. Friend had the chicken and it came with plantains with a bit of spice to it. The lamb stew was good, it wasn't really gamey like most lamb is and it had a familiar but different taste, I couldn't put my finger on it. The service was great, our server was so polite she never wanted to interrupt us in our conversations. Bussers were really polite too. The interior design is lovely they have a wall that changes color from time to time, it is a wonderful atmosphere I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that likes to eat something different or needs a change of pace of what they been eating. It was a good change of pace from eating steak, fish, and American/Asian foods. I loved it!
(5)
Mike P.

Awful...Drinks were weak...server average...food not all that tasty...go to Taza or Pacific East in the same plaza instead... I do not know why people love it here so much. Trying again Wednesday...I am told I ordered the wrong thing...
(1)
Brandon L.

Nothing more I can write up that hasn't been said - just will add another 4 start review as this place was great! Been here a few times now as well so I'm comfortable saying its 4 Star.
(4)
Brian D.

Times have changed. My wife and I used to visit Paladar all the time, but then we moved out of Cleveland about a year ago. We were back in town to visit family and were very excited to have lunch there while back in town. Big disappointment. I have really missed the Ropa Vieja but what I had today was not nearly as good as about a year ago. It used to have so much flavor, but today it was pretty bland and uninteresting. It also looks like their guacamole station is just for show now because the guac we ordered came from the kitchen and was brown on top, so it had clearly been sitting (we had a late lunch, so who knowns how long ago they made it). Plus, it was ok, chipotle does have better though, and it is green there though probably not fresh. The plantains were still delicious and the tacos were pretty good, but not what they used to be. Lastly, we had not been there in a while but we had an old punch card for a free lunch. Since we left they stopped using punch cards but the waiter let us use it anyway, we thought. But first he brought the check without taking it off, then he brought it back with only the guac taken off, no explanation. We looked through all the literature they include with the bill and figured out that now they don't give you a free lunch for being a regular, with a punched card, only a small order of guacamole. Oh well, we moved, but we definitely aren't going to rush back. If you haven't been in a while listen to this post and the other posts on yelp that agree that things aren't as good as they used to be, and the customer service is a little spotty.
(2)
Jason C.

Underwhelmed. It was...good...but...I felt like I was eating at an expensive version of Chipotle. Only dined here once--but I tried everyone's food (4 dishes, we all shared). I will definitely return...at some point...however there are many places in my restaurant queue to visit first.
(3)
Benjamin P.

Enjoyed a great Father's Day brunch. The food was a good mix of authentic Latin food with some American-fusion takes. The mix of plantain, malanga, yuca chips and guacamoles was a highlight.
(4)
Kimberly S.

Few recommendations I must add to the list: 1) Guac - either the special of the day, or their HOT one - with the root vegetable and plantain chips - amazing! 2) Blackened Tilapia Tacos - YUM! 3) Butternut Squash Soup - perfect thing to help you warm up on a cold day!
(4)
J. H.

Went for appetizers and drinks at the bar (which we have done before, too). Bartenders were attentive and personable. Had some happy hour drinks and appetizers. Guacamole and chips were solid as usual, and tried the chorizo and cheese pupusa for the first time - very nice. Paladar will normally set you back a few bucks, but the happy hour specials helped to keep the bill reasonable.
(4)
Kavi D.

I hit up happy hour here with some buddies during a weeknight, so keep in mind my review is based on the happy hour experience and is not reflective of the restaurant as a whole. During happy hour I ordered mushroom and queso empanadas as well as a black-bean flat bred. The empanadas were absolutely delicious. They were crisp and stuffed with nice seasoned mushrooms and topped with delicious queso that packed a little zing. Pretty much perfect. The flatbread also tasted good. It was actually more like a Mexican pizza in that it was a gently baked thick tortilla topped with blackbeans, tomatoes and garnished with cilantro. I felt as if they put a little too much cilantro, but otherwise, it tasted pretty solid. The service was a bit on the slow side, but I'd attribute this to the fact that the bar was packed. Everyone in my party felt as if the selection and pricing for happy hour was among the best we've seen in Cleveland area restaurants. Overall we had a great experience and would like to try this place for either lunch or dinner.
(4)
merlin c.

More fusion than Mexican, outstanding nevertheless!!!! The cheese appetizer was to die for, we had 2!!!! Huge portions and great food!!
(4)
Shayna R.

I'm really torn about my rating for Paladar. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but when I came for lunch in about May, my experience wasn't the greatest. The food was nowhere near as good as it had been in all my visits before, starting with gummy calamari and cold tacos. However, my most recent happy hour visit was great, so hopefully that afternoon was just a fluke. I'm a huge fan of Paladar's happy hour - delicious mojitos and perfect little appetizers for a good price! I typically order the pomegranate-ginger mojito, but I recently tried the mango mojito and it was just as good.
(4)
Jessica I.

As far as I'm concerned, this part of town is a culinary wasteland replete with boring chains. So, when planning a work dinner for a party of 10, largely from out of town, this seemed to be the least of the evils. Yeah, it's a chain, but it doesn't pop up like weeds in every town on earth. The boss was buying, so I had to be respectful of his budget, too. I was assigned to pick out appetizers since I have a reputation as a food snob (go figure). We demolished the guacamole trio, the salsa trio, shrimp corn cakes, chicken empanadas, and calamari. All of those were solid. Entrees ranged from the giant pork chop to my vegetarian sweet potato soft tacos. The only hiccup was that the pork chops were a little pink in the middle, and those two people sent theirs back for a re-fire. Perhaps just a miscommunication, as the server did tell us that those were done medium with a pink center. My rice and beans were pretty standard, but I loved my sweet potato tacos. They were full of perfectly done veggies and a zesty crema. Service was really great, especially for a table of 10. Bottom line, I look like a rock star for picking out a place my coworkers were still talking about the next day, and this crotchety West Side food snob might even go back.
(4)
Brandee P.

Rum Glazed Pork Cubano: ridiculously amazing. Its not something I would probably order on my own but a friend did, I tried it and now I'm sold. Everything on the plate just works so well together. I really have liked everything I've tried on my visits and I love their chips that come with the guacamole. IF they have the lemon basil guacamole try it, I'm a traditional girl and I love lime over lemon but wow. Service is good but can sometimes be a little slow. I went last week and there were seven of us, the one to my right had extraordinary service and the one to my left was constantly waiting on something. Our server was just inconsistent however they have all seemed to be very professional and highly trained. I'm low maintenance so for me the service was average, maybe slightly above.
(4)
Adriana B.

We had such a great experience! Some of the food was just average, other items were spectacular and makes me want to go back and try more. Service was excellent! We ordered and shared the following item (they may not be the exact name on the menu): Table side guacamole- Guac was average but the yucca chips served with it, make it different and worth ordering. Hearts of Palm Salad- We ordered the dressing on the side. However, the salad is so delicious neither one of us wanted it, even though it was equally as yummy. Colombian Seafood Stew- LOVED IT! Truly flavorful. Again, we had the item split and we each had a good size serving. Carne Asada Churrasco- The steak was grilled medium (as requested) and the chimicurri sauce was to be expected. The item was good, but not spectacular. It also came with pinto beans, but I didn't try any because I don't like the texture of beans like that. However, the hubs really enjoyed them. Dulce de Leche cheesecake- I'd take a pass on this. The cheesecake was dry, rather than the luscious deliciousness it should be. When the manager asked us how we liked the meal, we were honest--It was great, but the cheesecake disappointed. He didn't have to, but was kind enough to remove it from the bill. We will most definitely be coming back to try more. Our server was gracious, attentive and not overbearing. One of the better restaurants I've tried in Cleveland.
(4)
Carmela M.

Great food, great drinks, excellent service!!!!! Would come back in a heartbeat!
(4)
Betsy S.

Came here for pre-dinner drinks and apps with my mom, my best friend from high school, and her mom for our annual-ish Thanksgiving time get together. I ordered a caiparainha (yes i know it's spelled wrong), and there were rum drinks, margaritas, and a porter scattered around the table. And we got guac and salsa. Our waitress was attentive at first then once she realized we weren't ordering entrees and more drinks, sorta abandoned us for the table of party girls next to us. That's okay. We were headed to Bravo afterward anyway. The guac was all right - not anything special - but the plaintain chips were delish, Would I return? Doubtful, seeing as I'm home rarely and there are many other restaurants to try. But I'm glad I gave it a shot - my drink wasn't too sweet, per request, and the guac tasted like what I make at home. But with a bigger price tag.
(3)
Tobi G.

Excellent Latin Food. The choices are many. We come from S. Florida where we have an abundance of Latin Restaurants and this one was very good . The service was outstanding. The weather was gorgeous and and people could enjoy sitting outside on the patio. You should have a reservation, Go and enjoy!
(4)
Karen W.

Good mojitos, and lots of different types of rum to choose from. I had my first caipirinha here, and it was strong, and a little tart. I had Leblon cachaca in it since it was supposed to be better than the cachaca 51, and though it was good, I think I like the refreshing minty taste of the mojitos better. The happy hour here is a good deal- from 3-7 pm $5 mojitos and margaritas, and discounted appetizers. I only tried one of the appetizers, the crab and mango cakes, and they were delicious. For dinner, I tried some of the cuban pork and had the slow smoked chicken. Both tasted great, lots of flavor and cooked till tender. The corn cake that came with the meal was very salty and lukewarm though. I tried some horchata at dinner as well, and I really have to say this is the worst horchata I've ever had, and the most expensive. $4 for VERY watery, tasteless, milky colored liquid. So would I go here again? Sure, for happy hour and for the great rum drinks.
(3)
Ferdinand H.

I'm not entirely certain how to classify this place; it's really somewhere between a gastro-pub and a restaurant. There's quite a mingling scene, and rather pretty decor, but perhaps my experience is coloured by seat vultures. There has definitely been a decline in courtesy in the US, and this night really highlighted it, when the server directed my brother and I to seats that were immediately snatched by an older couple that had been there far later than we. Now, had they made eye contact, I would have been happy to cede the seat to them. I mean, they are older, and hopefully having a good date together... My brother and I could easily stand. However, when the server apologized loudly for the seat snatching, these two blithely continued to enjoy their "good find" without acknowledging their breach of etiquette. Most distasteful. That said, they have an extensive rum list, and rather decent fare. I can't vouch for authenticity, in that I haven't eaten enough Mexicana cuisine to have a strong idea as to what they should taste like. That said, I've been to a lot of Tapas places around the nation, and mexican food in completely latin run and patronized restaurants... My sense is that the flavours are good, but off the mark. Still, I enjoyed my short rib taquitos and carnitas tacos. My brother seemed to like his meal. I'd go back, but not aggressively.
(3)
Larry J.

Had another great dinner last night at Paladar. The food is always good and there are items on the menu that you just don't see at other places. I had the Fejuada (sp) stew and it was really good. It isn't cheap but it isn't way out of line either. The service can be a little spotty (strictly depending on who you get) but otherwise this is always an enjoyable night out. One thing - they need to explain to their servers the difference between Habanero and Chipotle.
(4)
Shawday B.

Great ambiance, good food, wonderful sangria! =)
(4)
J W.

We were heading to Mitchel's Fish Market for dinner at the Eton Collection and we saw this place full of people. We changed courses and sat outside for some magaritas and mojitos. It was Cinco de Mayo! Our waiter was awesome. Jed was his name. He recommended the mini tacos for some appetizers, so we tried one of each kind of meat, pork, chicken, beef and fish. Fish was the best. Loved the fact that they didn't use the traditional corn taco shells. They used Taro root! The usual basket of chips had taro root, yucca and plantains on top of the corn chips. I had the slow cooked chicken for dinner and it was good and there was a lot of it. I think I barely finished half the plate as it came with plantains and some corn cake. Atmosphere was good. Looks like a happening place for singles. Sitting outside wasn't so great because of the wind. It kept blowing the water from the water fountain on us. Everything was great except for some bad advice from the busboy. We had a flight at the Cleveland airport later that night and we asked the busboy how long it took to get to the airport from the restaurant. He said 10 minutes. We trusted him and didn't check google maps on the phone. Turns out, we are 30 minutes from the airport. So I drove all fast and furious to the airport, while my coworker checked us in online using a blackberry and had the boarding passes emailed to us. That plus no wait at the security line, we made it with 5 minutes to spare.
(4)
Amanda L.

Food is decent here, recommend the tacos, which are tasty. Ambiance and staff are nice. As usual, you'll encounter some clueless patrons as with any place in Eton Collection. Parking is a nightmare. Place is pricey for what you get, especially drinks. If you want to try this place, do so at happy hour. Also, their salads are not very good, and their steak is not very high quality; it's "chewy". Staff was attentive, hostess was good, bartenders were awesome, waiter was good. Their sangria was not very impressive; I don't think they make it properly. It tasted like red wine poured over fruit, with fruit floating on the top. I don't think they marinate it overnight. It did not possess a fruity flavor in the least. My old roommate, who was from Mexico, would make red wine sangria, and this could be why I don't like it; because I am used to this recipe. Guacamole is good with the chips they serve. Too loud for a date; too trendy for my taste. Not a place to go to talk during happy hour. They crank the music and you feel like you're in a pseudo-club. I only come here if others want to try it. What I have noticed is this: they usually don't want to come back once they've experienced this place.
(3)
B R.

Score. Tacos crisped on the inside, soft on the outside. Salmon and chicken entrees good, good with unique tastes. Chips made from plantains and four other foods I can't remember - nice. Fresh modern, smartly designed interior. This place works.
(4)
Laurie U.

I've eaten here a few times and decided to grab takeout for dinner as it is too hot to cook. I ordered two Cubano sandwiches that were to come with fries, two side salads and an order of guacamole. I asked the waiter twice if everything was in the order and was assured it was. I saw four containers plus a smaller one with the guacamole so felt confident I had a complete order. So imagine how irritated I was when I drive all the home and find they never put the fries in with the sandwiches. Normally I would never write a review to complain, but for the $11.95 for a sandwich and fries, you kind of expect better service than you get at a fast food restaurant. The sandwich was just ok, I've had better when I've dined there. I also ordered the large guacamole and got a very skimpy bag of the chips that come with it. I guess this will be my last take out order! What's really ironic is I was way under charged when I was rung out at the bar and pointed it out because I'm honest. I should have taken my food and run!
(2)
Joanna P.

HI Scott, I greatly appreciate that Paladar and you make the effort and care about the quality of your patrons experience. I am sure that sometimes things just end up less idea then anticipated and I will make sure that I come back to Paladar since it used to be my go to place. I am excited to try some of your new vegan options as well. I applaud you for having a very comprehensive and easy to read menu that includes vegan, veg and GF options. Definitely a step in the right direction. Thank you again for writing back.
(4)
Dominic T.

Went to Paladar with my wife on a Saturday night on recommendation from a friend. 45 min wait (to be expected, especially when we came after leaving B-Spot's 1.5hr wait). Guac ($5) was good, but not great (Momocho was better), but decent app when we were starving. We shared 3 appetizers instead of entrees. I'd pass on the Chicken Emenadas (ca. $10) as they lacked kick, but really enjoyed the Mussels (ca. $12), a 1/2 lb portion in a spicy broth served with corn bread. The Braised Short Rib Mini Tacos were great as well ($10), a generous portion of tender, savory meat served with a sweet asian slaw (fresh and crisp) and several mini tortillas. (My only beef there was that we could have used more tortillas since there was so much meat). While we skipped drinks, we did splurge on dessert, but should have chosen something other than the Churros. We paid about $40 or so with tax for the two of us. Overall the service was great, atmosphere was nice, food was good and portions were great for the price. The entrees we saw at tables near us seemed really well put together and very large for the price. Next time we may split an entree ($15-20) and get drinks, and it would be even less expensive. We've been hearing great things about their Happy Hour too, which is a great deal - $5 select appetizers and $5 drinks (bar only, every day 4-7p). We're excited to return!
(4)
Corey H.

A bit pricey, but nice ambiance and good Latin food
(4)
Chris R.

Great place to go for a late night snack. Great deals on food in the bar. A bit noisy, but the food is worth it.
(4)
Simon I.

Tucked away in the Eaton place on east side of Cleveland, Paladar kitchen & rum bar is a sophisticated Caribbean food heaven. Every dish starting with appetizers to entree to dessert are true celebrations of the taste. Paladar definitely has a weak spot for plantains - fries thin cut as chips for dipping in guacamole, to caramelized accompaniment with entree to sweet fried with dessert. Their currently special appetizer - Prosciutto wrapped beef skewers with spicy peanut sauce leave you craving more almost wishing it could be made into an entree. The meat is tender and burst with jerk flavor that's just right. Their 3 different flavored Civiche (Shrimp, Tuna, or Salmon) are sweet & tangy explosion of diced fish, Plantains, Pickled Red Onions, Basil & Pineapple, & citrus flavor that is a flavor explosion in with every bite. Even a simple sounding entree like 'SLOW SMOKED CHICKEN' keeps you wanting more even if you feel stuffed. This particular dish is tender shredded slow cooked chicken tossed in a "Guajillo Marinade atop Columbian Arepas and Sweet Plantains finished with our Spicy Aji Pepper Sauce". This is a genius amalgamation of Caribbean flavors The 'Rum bar' part of the name of Paladar truly holds up given the extensive light & dark rum. My most favorite is their 'Dark & Stormy' a combination of dark rum with ginger beer. They have mojito & margaritas with various flavors. Although most flavors are well the classic flavor is the best. I did find the pomegranite-ginger flavored mojito to be a terrible mix of flavor and their mint leaves are not mashed like a true mojito deserves. Paladar is not a cheap place, however their $9 - $17 price range, in my opinion is worth the creative and tasteful cuisine they serve up. Paladar truly razzles and dazzles you with their latin influenced flavors, the wait staff deliver mixed service - some are very attentive and know their game, some seem to not know how to serve at a sophisticated place like this. They are always accommodating, so just ask for a server change if you happen to get one who does not suit you. Oh don't forget to check out the secret about Paladar in the announcement section of their business listing here on Yelp.
(4)
Radu N.

Very disappointing cuban sandwich. For $15, I'd expect the sandwich to have more than a few strands of pulled pork. Instead, I got a glorified ham and cheese sandwich. Atmosphere was good. and mojitos were good. Portions were very large for lunch, which I also found unnecessary.
(2)
isabelle l.

Very bland food. No seasonings on anything. The beef tacos were putrid we had to send them back. The mango coconut rice had no flavor to it. The only tasty thing on the menu were the fish tacos. also we had the rudest most uninterested waitress. Return, Me thinks not!
(2)
Daniel S.

Nice atmosphere. Tried the salsa trio. Several good jar salsas have more to offer. Chips were less than average yet veg chips good. We had the sweet potato taco. Was decent but nothing I would tell friends about. Service was nice but understaffed so be prepared for overwhelmed server.
(2)
Javier G.

Both times I have been here the food has been terrible or mediocre at best. It seems like the only thing good at Paladar is the drinks. The basket of chips is the best part about the whole meal, however, most of the chips in the basket are overfried or stale. Plantain chips gets extremely hard when they are too thick/overcooked in the fryer. The yuca chips are good, but once again, most of them in our basket were stale. Finally, the corn chips at the bottom of the basket are worse than any brand I have purchased at the supermarket (very stale, almost rubbery, and tasteless). They probably leave their already served baskets on a counter for way too long. The fire-roasted salsa - tastes like red italian sauce that belongs over pasta rather than on chips. It is sweet, slightly smoky, and lacks any cilantro flavor. I had to drench it in hot sauce to make it edible with chips. The guacamole - as everyone else has said, tastes like homemade, not restaurant quality. The ceviches - I don't expect to each good ceviche anywhere in Cleveland, but this one is so far out of the basics that it feels like I'm eating canned fruit on top of random fancy seafood. There is no pungent lime taste, which is the base for all ceviches. The selection of seafood in ceviches should never be fancy fish, like salmon, etc. It should always be a simple white or common crustacean. A strong fishy taste is needed to balance the strong taste of lime in a basic ceviche. Paladar's fancy ceviches taste like a cup of dole fruit - the seafood in them is nearly tasteless, and the critical lime flavor is replaced by pineapple or some other sweet fruit. The desserts - The churros are not something that you should order. Carts in american streets have been churros than the ones served in Paladar. I think next time someone invites me to come along, I will have to politely decline or convince them to go somewhere else. At least the service is nothing to complain about.
(1)
Ifeoma W.

ZOMG! I love this place! Walking in there made me feel like the high-powered fashionable career gal I always dreamed of being...except I was pushing a stroller with my husband. LOL. Although the place was full of slick, beautiful, 20-something year olds just off from work and having their appletinis and cosmos, the server didn't bat an eye at our (equally fashionable and slick Brita red) stroller. I had the lamb soup and it was absolutely scrumptious! The term "soup" is misleading, it really was much thicker, more like a stew and the lamb was cooked all tender and melted like butter in my mouth. Om nom nom nom! My husband had the cuban sandwich and he found it also very good. I love their chips too, and the dip it came with was tasty! We didn't get the guac (watching that waist-line) so I can't rate it but I saw them making it fresh in the kitchen in these little mortar and pestles and I think this means it must be really good! I had a guanabana drink and that was really yummy too! Made me reminiscence of our time in Costa Rica. Someday Cuba, we shall meet! In short, I think this would be a great place for a girl's (or boys) night out. The one star off is because it was VERY noisy in the restaurant so I could barely have a quiet conversation with the hubby. But if you are with your group of girls, then this would be perfect; especially since you know y'all are gonna get real loud after that second mojito! ) P.S.: And what a great location! Right in the mall with the Trader Joe's, etc.
(4)
Caresse s.

Really good place go with a few friends for dinner! Nice drink selection (with and without alcohol). They have a separate gluten free menu and are very accomidating. However, they need to get a separate frier for chips!!! Then everyone can enjoy them. Plantain, corn and something else.. Yucca? However, they provided me with fresh cucumber and jicama slices for dipping:) The guacamole is nice and fresh... Specify the heat you want in it. Try out the braised pork appetizer! The heart of palm salad is both savory with avocado, black beans and sweet with mango! The tacos are really good- we tried the fish and carnitas. The pickled red onions, bell peppers and pineapple is unique - and delicious with the fish. The pork has a smokey red sauce and a soft goat cheese... Really good. 3 tacos per order- double wrapped in corn tortillas. They are not soggy by the time you get around to eat them. Each topped with it's own slice of lime. With a generous amount of black beans and rice. Another party with us got the steak and it was cooked perfectly to order! RARE! It came with a sweet potato hash. The cheesecake was reported to be good. I personally had the coconut creme flan. Yum! Not to sweet, creamy perfection.... Both regular and decaf espresso - per request with a nice selection of latin inspired drinks. Cafe con letche etc. The cappuccino was very good. Give this place a try... They also have a nice looking happy hour between 4-7p. And a frequent flier card... If your that kind a person.
(4)
Corinne D.

great place for drinks and apps as well as happy hour! there decor is cool and trendy too. I have tried almost all their appetizers, but there chicken empanadas, and calamari are great. I have yet to find an entree there that i love tho. There drinks tho are very good, margaritas by the flavor as well as mojitos and other fruity concoctions are there by the dozens. Definitely a place to try for a fun night out!
(4)
Marc T.

I recently had dinner here with a coworker and her husband. It was pretty busy, but not overly noisy. The decor was fairly trendy and not particularly "Latin," but nice enough. We had the traditional guacamole, which was very good. I really liked the combination of different chips they provide. Next time I visit hopefully it will be with a larger group allowing me to order and try other types of guacamole and appetizers. I had the Brazilian stew for my entree. It was great. It was a little spicy, but not overpowering. I wish I had more right now. The prices aren't cheap, but certainly are fair for what Paladar serves. I'll definitely go back when in the area.
(4)
Barbara B.

Visiting a good friend in Solon and we zipped over for girls Friday night. Super happy! Sat in bar area- had great wine and a tasty meal. I would definitely recommend this place for a good social spot to grab some good food in a cool atmosphere BTW- salmon is excellent. And Guacamole is pretty yummy!
(4)
Lax C.

OKay so if you don't have reservations don't worry. It was a friday night and we waited about 15 minutes for a table for four. The bar area was definitely busy, but also doable in about 15 mins. I had the pomegranate-ginger mojito.. DELISH! the ginger is very subtle and its not too sweet. The fresh sugarcane is a great touch! We ordered the trio guacamole.., black bean and goat cheese, spicy and regular. I wasn;t a big fan of the former, it was tooo sweet. But the latter too were very good and I loved the chips they were served with. Next I had the chicken empanadas. They were okay. I've definitely had better. Didnt have dessert but did have a second mojito! I would def come back, as there were so many other entres that looked good on the menu! all in a great atmosphere, with very good drinks, great guac and average entres.
(4)
Jamie G.

The deal at Paladar is simple, great atmosphere, clean and contemporary. The drinks are strong although not refined. The "chips" are a delicious mix of thin sliced plantains and yucca slices (malanga, tortilla, Plantain, Yucca) . My first issue stems from the first time I ate at Paladar, the waiter told me the Black Bean soup was Vegetarian, it is not. As a Vegetarian, it is not cool to slip Ham into my food. If I am going to eat meat it is my decision. This kind of pissed me off, but still I blamed the waiter, although an easy solution is put it on the menu. Why give this restaurant 3 stars? Because it is absolute Bullsh1t that they claim to have FRESH Guacamole "Made To Order," that they serve with brown edges and scooped with an ice-cream scooper out of a vat of Guacamole. Puke!!! You are NOT allowed to make the Guacamole every 3 hours and call it Fresh Guacamole. You have a Guacamole Bar, well make it to order. Until you fix the Guacamole process, it is impossible to give you more than 3 stars. Take pride in your Guac. Period. ***I am giving Paladar another shot, mainly because I have heard thru the grapevine that the problems have been heard and are being addressed. Just knowing someone is listening is worth one star.
(4)
Hannah D.

I'm still a newbie to Paladar (only have been there a couple times) but absolutely adored it. Food was delicious, service super friendly and we had a great time. I have all positive things to say. I ordered the glazed pork cubano on this visit based on previous Yelp recommendations (oh imagine that). It was very good and I'm glad I tried something new since I seem to have the bad habit of finding something I like and ordering it EVERY time. With the guacamole appetizer and side of fried plantains I was more than full by the end of the meal and couldn't finish everything. I had a mojito and that was delicious as well. I need to plan another trip to try some of the different rums on their menu. Definitely recommend. I went with my family and everyone enjoyed their dinner. YUM.
(5)
Todd K.

Stumbled across this restaurant while on biz trip to Cleveland. Down the street from my hotel. Went at 5:30 with my work colleague for happy hour--and was not disappointed! $5.00 for all types of appetizers and latan drinks--what a bargain! Had the spicy guac with house made chips which were plantain and yucca, plus one other I could not ID but was very good, along with a few normal corn chips. Had the yucca fries with three dipping sauces and the blackened fish tacos--all were 5.00 each!
(5)
Jeanette B.

Paladar is a favorite place for work dinners at Progressive when we have out of town guests, partly because of the location, but mostly because the food is diverse and fantastic! There were about 15 of us on Wednesday evening, but they did a decent job of keeping drinks filled. The waiter was very friendly, although possibly a bit frazzled, and even gave us what he called a "tour of the menu." He pointed out all the customer favorites and described the dishes in more detail than the menu. His description changed my choice and that of two others to the "Rum Pork Glazed Cubano." He was right too. The pork was perfectly cooked and served over a fantastic coconut mango rice with black beans on the side. We also all shared multiple guacamole's and salsa as appetizers. The "tortilla" assortment that comes with these is awesome. I highly recommend the banana chips -- YUM! I actually liked the salsa more than than the guac, but I was spoiled on wonderful guac on our trips to Tucson, so it's hard to compare..... This place leans toward the pricey side, but they do have happy hour specials and sandwiches if you don't want to spend a ton of dough. I also recall from a previous visit that their Mojitos are a must-have if you are in the mood for a drink!
(4)
Justin L.

Paladar is one of my new go-tos in Cleveland. I've been 3-4 times, now, and each experience has been 4-star. Really great, but just short of perfect. Nothing in particular to keep it from 5-star territory, it's just not THAT good. The atmosphere is great - "clean and contemporary" as Jamie said, but certainly not overly trendy. A place you feel good to be inside. Service has always been top notch. The servers seem to know the menu well, and even if they're faking it, they seem to have favorites they're passionate about. I've yet to have a bad recommendation. I've had the 8-hour short rib on corn grits, the skirt steak, and one of the chicken dishes (and bites of plenty of others from generous friends). Everything is very tasty. Some of the food is predictable and somewhat unimaginative. But, the spices that are used are so flavorful, that the food is predictably GOOD. I'm not complaining about the food... you're just not going to say, "I never would have imagined these flavors together." The short rib on corn grits may be my favorite... it is just incredibly rich and comforting. But the skirt steak is right up there - it has a sharper flavor that is well-complemented by the delicious beans. On this dish, the rice falls flat but is a good filler. The mojitos and margaritas are both very good. I'm usually a "spring for the premium version" kind of guy, but there's no need unless you're trying to impress someone or your palate is just that sophisticated. Both drinks are refreshing and delicious in "base model" form. All in all, Paladar is an easy choice for entertaining friends, or just a fun date night out. I'd love to see some turnover on the menu and for the executive chef to challenge his patrons to enjoy some more inventive flavor combinations, but I'm nit picking. It's always an above-average, very enjoyable experience.
(4)
Quinton F.

The sangria gets a lot of love here, but if you're inclined I would also try the rum punch. I really enjoy the ambiance here as well as the service. It's a nice "go-to" spot if you're from the area.
(4)
Scotty Z.

The perfect, swanky joint at which to be seen keeping up with the Joneses. Paladar surrounds and embraces you from the moment you enter, as the host stand is a few feet back from the door -- requiring one to "enter the scene" even before they truly enter the scene. The place is busy, but in an "alive" sort of way. The bar seems like a cool, comfortable place to chat and mingle, though I wouldn't really know. While crowd surfing and jumping and raising my hand to get a bartender's attention were routine in college, this place screams "adult"; if I have to leave the hoodie at home, they can too. Not sure how to rectify this -- but considering the space isn't all that tiny, I'd like to see an expanded bar area. As there was no room in the bar area, we migrated to the restaurant -- clean, upscale, lively. The lighting was bright, but pleasant and strategically designed, contributing to the overall lively vibe. High ceilings enabled a great deal of this lighting design, while also contributing to the spacious feel of the restaurant floor. Our group only had drinks and an appetizer or two. I had a Cuban Manhatten -- excellent, but overpriced...at upwards of $11. The food was tasty -- high quality, but again, slightly overpriced, IMHO. All in all, this place is definitely worth a try. I'll even probably go back for a meal, at which point I may bump up to four stars. If you find something on the menu you love, more power to you! When I go out, however, I'm mostly concerned only with the quality of what's on my plate and/or in my glass. My overall impression was that too much of the atmosphere's aesthetics comprise a significant portion of the check. If you're into "being seen" however, this familiar, albeit veiled line item shouldn't discourage you in the least.
(3)
Sam S.

Expensive, loud, and bad service. 2 of the 4 entrees at my table came out wrong. It took 15 more minutes to get the correct food. Service was inattentive. Food runner had no idea about the special dietary needs at my table (we had stressed them to the server). No communication seemingly between front and back of house. Ugly decor. Loud music (made my head pound). You could not pay me to go back to Paladar.
(1)
Meredith C.

Paladar is okay. Good drinks and decent food but it's rather overpriced given that everything really is just okay. The service has always been mediocre. The happy hour is decent but it's only available in the bar, which is seriously unfortunate since during happy hour it's tough to get a seat there given the limited seating. Despite the downsides it is very conveniently located and has a nice environment and lovely patio. The place is always packed but I wouldn't recommend seeking Paladar out. If you're on Chagrin Blvd. and need a place to grab a drink check it out, but don't expect to be wowed.
(3)
Chris W.

I love the food here and the drinks although a little pricey are very good. I have dined here probably 10 to12 times. I do this for my wife as the only thing consistent about the service is its terrible. If they offer a second drink you receive it when your meal is finished every time. They don't check to see if everything is acceptable or if I need something, like another drink or a little water. Great food bad service
(3)
Charles M.

Paladar has all the elements I enjoy in a restaurant: good food, good drinks, good service and swanky decor. My partner and I went with another couple late last Saturday night and had a great time. We started with a round of drinks and a couple of shared appetizers. My pomegranate caipiroska (think caipirinha with vodka instead of cachaÃ§a) was perfectly balanced and refreshing. The chorizo and chihuahua cheese papusa (say that five time fast) and Cuban black bean soup had excellent flavor. With the waiter's assurance, I also tried the Havana Side Car martini made with rum instead of cognac. Very, very nice - it went down really smooth. For dinner, I ordered the "Ocho Hora" Braised Short Rib and my partner had the Braised Beef "Ropa Vieja". The short rib was fall-off-the-bone tender and accompanied with yummy sides. The braised beef was incredibly satisfying and came with traditional Latin sides like black beans and plantains. Mmm... I didn't personally try my friends' slow-smoked chicken or salmon, but they both vouch for their dishes. The space at Paladar is very cool. The bar area is well-lit and playful with ample seating for those after work, before dinner cocktails. The main dining area is very comfortable with a combo of chairs and banquettes overlooked by a color-shifting wall. Another seating area is lit by a sparkling galaxy of Moravian star latterns. It's an eccletic, upbeat space that feels special and accents the vibe from the crowd. I look forward to visiting Paladar again on our next trip to Cleveland.
(5)
Michael M.

Very cool Latin atmosphere. Service was great as our table wasn't ready righ away and they quickly offered us some complimentary Chips and Guac which was excellent. Our drinks were very good along with foo that was spicy, but not overbearing. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice date night spot. Very crowded, but not overly loud.
(4)
Denise Y.

Great food and i've never had a problem with service. I went on a whim for a girl's night out and the following week we brought our boyfriends for them to try out the restaurant since we liked it so much. If you like guacamole, get either the spicy (not that spicy) or the chef's special. The regular I found to be a little bland. Everything i've ordered off the regular menu has been great. Lately i've been going for latin bbq sunday nights with a set entree (rotates every week between three dishes) and a choice of sides, which equals up to a lot of food. I've been back three times for it if that tells you anything how good it is.
(4)
Mehrunnisa K.

This place is FANTASTIC! Definitely 5 stars- the ambiance is great! Real packed which is proof that it is a great place. I had the plantain crusted tilapia with mushroom grits and garlic roasted spinach on the side. My date had the chicken breast with salsa (amazing) on the side. Desert was the BEST part- do not miss out on the tres chocolate layered cake! Great Great place-service was great!
(5)
Robyn T.

Great location at Eton Collection with a beautiful patio, open dining room and friendly staff. My Mom had been raving about this place and it lived up to the high expectations I had set. There is an extensive (and fun) drink menu. My horchata run drink was sweet and I easily could have had two. Appetizers are meant to be shared and there are a plethora of great Cuban inspired options. The quacamole was good (not the best I've had but good -- plus they had options to make it spicer or with some more exotic add-ins), mahi mahi tacos were an excellent choice (the fish was almost a pate mix and anything that is mini seems that much better) and the ceviche did not disappoint. Entree portions were huge and though I easily could have opted to take mine home I insisted on finishing it all there. Our waiter recommended the cubano (I thought it was going to be a traditional sandwich but it was a cubano deconstructed). There was a mound of subtly sweet pork, rice with bits of mango and black beans. Other highlights at our table included the chile rellenos (quite possibly the largest chile I'd seen) and the plantains. Overall this was a very good dining experience and I'd definitely enjoy coming back to soak up the lively bar scene, enjoy a ladies lunch or a relaxed dinner on the patio.
(4)
jennifer b.

Yes. If you like meat and latin flavors, without spending a ton of cash, yet getting an ENORMOUS plate of food, this is the place to eat. Went with a large group and all of our dishes were meaty to the max, and all of us struggled to finish. But! we did, because it was cold out, and this is some great comfort food. I started with a ceviche, which was great with the plantain chips. For my meal I had the lamb stew which actually had a decent amount of lamb in it. Also got what I believe was the house margarita and oh my did that go down fast. One friend had the steak that came with the yuca fries. While the steak was gone quickly, I was allowed to try a yuca fry and I've now got to find out where the @#$% I can get a yuca and make fries myself! The most popular dish at the table was the pork cubano and I can see why -- the meat fell apart in your mouth (that doesn't look right now that I've typed it out. In fact it looks creepy. But it's true! It was delicious!) Oh, and if you're into rum, the drink menu looked good. But as I said above, so were the margaritas... I'm more of a tequila girl myself. ;)
(4)
Jim V.

Paladar's daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm rocks! Wish they were in Tremont!
(5)
lizette r.

went to paladar for the first time with two friends last night. FANTASTIC mojitos! we got the guacamole for the table and it wasn't the best i'd ever had but the mixed tortilla, plantain and yuca chips were great and made up for it. one friend ordered the salmon and it was pretty tasty. another friend ordered the short ribs and though they were good they weren't all that exciting. mine was by far the best - the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. delicious!! cooked perfectly. it came with pinto beans and rice which were pretty good but the steak was killer. i thought it was a pretty cool place too. really, really good drinks. a great place for three girlfriends after a shopping trip.
(4)
Terri B.

Met Thanksgiving visitors at Paladar last evening. While we were originally just talking happy hour, one look at the menu and we grabbed a table in the dining room. Glad we did. Service was excellent and we weren't rushed at all. Even as the contemporary and well designed room grew more crowded. My fish soft tacos were very good. Nice pieces of fried fish complimented by zesty slaw of some sort. A squeeze of fresh lime and I was set. Rice and black beans were so-so. A bit of fresh cilantro would have helped. One of the diners raved about the skirt steak and it was voted dish of the table. Scallops got thumbs up. Only thing rated avg was the pulled pork. Two diners said it was "ok" but "lacked flavor". We'll return when the patio's open....
(3)
Mike W.

Great beans and rice. Mojitos were a good mix of flavors, just weak and pricey for my taste. My service in the bar was mixed with a confirmation of what I ordered had to seek additional help. I guess I was just another plate and ticket instead of a customer. I might go back for a happy hour, but probably not for dinner.
(3)
Sam P.

Had the Spicy guacamole, queso fundido, Al Pastor pork tacos and a special, Black Seal Rum Chicken entree. Like the two stars connote, "Meh, I've had better." That phrase is spot on for Paladar. The guacamole was ok, but is not worth the price. The fundido was good, (I don't think I've had a fundido I didn't like) but the chorizo in the fundido didn't taste like chorizo, more like a spicey chicken sausage. Again, it wasn't bad, but, if you are looking for authenticity, not so much. The pork taco was ok but lacked any distinctive flavor of Al Pastor. My wife's chicken special was just ok as well. We were really hoping/expecting to be wowed and were not. While Paladar was ok, $13-15 for for our entrees was too much and we don't plan on returning. We are on a desperate hunt for a wow! meal in the Cleveland area and Paladar had been recommended. Coming from the New York city area, we will soon give up our quest.
(2)
Joseph D.

Took my girlfriend to Paladar for her birthday. The atmosphere is odd and seems completely inappropriate for a Latin restaurant. We had decent service, good food and great drinks. It was a little pricey but the food was a nice change of pace from most of the restaurants in Cleveland. We definitely plan to return.
(4)
Mary S.

Demond, our waiter, was in Demand on the patio at Paladar last night, so service was slow but since the weather was great, it wasn't as much of an issue. At the table were: Dark & Stormy, a man drink that could put hair on a girl's chest; and a Banana Colada - both excellent. The chips could have been more plentiful, and a spoon in each of the three salsas would have been helpful. Nitpicking. Soft tacos in both the pulled pork and fish variety were amazing, as was the tortilla soup. The Cezar salad had blah dressing, but the lettuce was fresh. Definitely a popular choice in The Cleve and a nice change.
(4)
Kyle S.

Great ambiance, huge room so you should find a table easily on a friday nite but reservations would be a good idea for a large party. Service was great both times i've been. One waiter was funny and knowledgeable which made the large menu easier to tame. I ate the grilled mahi mahi the first time there with calamari app and both were very good with zesty seasonings and a nice amount of heat. second time around i got the blackened tilapia (or Tipalia as my friend mark calls it :) fish tacos that were very good although i am not a huge fan of tilapia, Mango coconut rice is buttery and nice and the cezar salad was a very good rendition with manchego cheese and a buttery roll turned into a giant crouton of sorts. Scallops were good, heard the pork chop with passionfruit was awesome but also heard from my guests that the skirt steak was thin ( i think its supposed to be ) and the short ribs were fatty (did not try either of these ). The guacomole was pretty good and they have a nice drink list too. Definately take a date or a group from work its the right choice when you are looking for something unique and flavorful.
(4)
Alicia M.

After having a less than stellar entree on my previous visit, I decided to go with the requisite guacamole as an appetizer and the Caribbean Mango Chicken salad as my entree and both were quite delicious! I'm a huge fan of anything jerk (except people of course!) and I enjoyed their seasoning, the vinaigrette was fresh and flavorful too. I enjoyed one of their mixed drinks, the Dragonberry Daiquiri which was super tasty. And there was no way I was leaving without the famous churros as dessert and they were nothing less than exceptional!
(4)
Michael C.

Good food at good prices, nice crowd at night
(4)
Jackie S.

Good For: - Happy hour with friends for mojitos, guacamole & chips outside on the patio or inside. The only issue is that if you want the special you have to sit in the bar area, which can get a bit crowded. - Lively dinner Bad For: - Quiet dinner, this place can get a little noisy and not a lot of privacy/space.
(5)
JL O.

Just OK ... Chips & blue-cheese guacamole we're very good...fish tacos were also good ... Pork tacos were not so good. The pork was mushy and bland...rice & black beans were also bland. Service was OK, but water never got refilled. Server who delivered food could have been a robot given his limited interaction w/ customers. Not really anything that would draw us back to this restaurant, especially given the number of very good restaurants in this and nearby areas.
(2)
Mark M.

Very good food that is well prepared and well described on menu. Service was excellent, moved right along even though we were a party of 12. Only disappointment was no beer taps. But highly recommended.
(4)
Dawn P.

Great service with your original server. Great food and portion size. Vegetarian friendly.
(5)
Stephanie S.

If I could, I'd give 3.5 stars. The staff is attentive, and the restaurant is certainly beautiful to look at. The guacamole of the day/season had mangoes and shallots in it and was delicious, as were the amazing chips made from dried (and fried?) fruit. The basic guac is also very tasty. The shrimp ceviche isn't bad although the portion is pretty small. My first disappointment came when I asked about the horchata-tini and was told by the server that not only was there no horchata that evening but it's bad anyway. Why have this $9 drink on the menu if it's not readily available and the servers are bad-mouthing it? The Muddle Strawberry caipirinha I settled on was way strong and refreshing. The Vegetable Relleno "Picadillo Style" completely failed to impress. The chile is filled with quinoa and beans, neither of which have a ton of flavor on their own, so I was counting on Paladar to come up with an interesting way to season the dish. But it just tasted like plain quinoa and beans, so it was quite bland. The Slow Smoked Chicken is decent, with a spicy mustardy sauce and served atop sweet plantains. Tons and tons of plantains. And some arepas which were bland and a bit tough. Come for the atmosphere, drinks, and appetizers. The entrees seem a bit hit or miss.
(3)
Chris W.

Two of my friends are getting married this weekend in Cleveland and they picked Paladar as the site of their rehearsal dinner. I was really surprised to see some of the other reviews b/c everything was spectacular! To accommodate the 45 guest, Paladar set up a pre-fixe menu starting with a chips with housemade guacamole and a mista salad. The guac was really fresh tasting and the variety of chips were a welcomed change from the standard Tostitos offerings of other restaurants. There was one chip that had flecks of chocolate baked into it - absolutely delicious! The salad was really light and quite refreshing. Guests were able to choose either the Slow Roasted Pork "Cubano", the Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco, and the Slow Smoked Chicken as their main dish. Rather than be limited to only one dish, two friends and I split the three offerings and we weren't disappointed. My favorite by far was the Cubano, which was rum glazed, tender and melted in your mouth. The meat was paired with some slightly spiced black beans and a delicious coconut mango rice dish. I was also really pleased that the flavors of my meal mixed really well with the mojito I ordered - maybe a little too much mint leaves in the drink, but that is honestly the only thing I could think of that was less than ideal. Then, to cap off the meal, we had a choice between the Chocolate Cake or the Coconut and Caramel Flan. Not much a fan of Flan, I opted for the cake. I do love chocolate, but tend to avoid cakes b/c outside of specialty dessert places, I haven't found a cake that wasn't too dry or too heavy. However, if this was available anywhere else, I would order it in a heartbeat because it was just the right blend of moistness without being too heavy. The servers were also really attentive to our tables and kept the drinks flowing. Granted, it was a giant party, so they had to have a lot of people to attend to us, but still, I was impressed. Don't be fooled by this place being in a strip mall. If you find yourself in the Cleveland area, definitely check out this place. You will be pleasantly surprised.
(4)
Lily B.

One of my favorites in the area. The food, atmosphere, and service are all great. The menu has something for everyone, and everything is delicious. Definitely try the pulled pork on mango-coconut rice, and the smoked butternut squash soup (if it's on the menu).
(5)
john e.

Simply outstanding. Food, drink, simply everything. I am in a different city/state every week. Makes me wish I was in town more than just the week. I could definitely make this a habit. Even a second home. Ask for Andrei - he'll walk you thru the menu and the rums. Ask for the Ron Zacapa rum and you'll never leave. Multiple thumbs up!
(5)
Jeff E.

It doesn't matter what you eat, but as for me, it's usually the skirt steak or the rum-infused pork. The Caipirinha's are damn good here too and as far as I'm concerned, go eat in the bar so you can people watch that much better. Ask for Mike. The food is awesome and the prices are more than fair for the quality. It's a regular for me when I visit Cleveland. Wow!
(5)
Jordan K.

Never had a bad meal here. Never had anything less than a very good meal here. Paladar is, dare I say, a great restaurant with delicious mojitos, gaucamole, and other nuevo latino fare. Try the ceviches, ropa vieja (braised beef served on top of fried plantains...holy shit!) and the tuna. Stay for the great coffee and desserts. Come back and try new things, it'll most likely be great again. Buen provecho.
(5)
Vickie S.

Paladar has a wonderful, warm ambiance... or, maybe it was just the rum. ;o) The guacamole is served up fresh with a delicious blend of tortilla, potato, and plantain chips. The menu has a lot of choices and unique flavors. If you are looking to try something new and palate pleasing, this is the place to go!
(4)
Jillian N.

This place has a fun interior atmosphere and a nice outdoor patio area too. The food is a little adventurous for my typical comfort-zone ways, but I loved the mini cuban sandwich and guacamole dips that my friends and I sampled. Service was a little spotty, but I suppose that could be blamed on the fact that it was pretty hopping when we were there, during Friday happy hour - which is not surprising, because their happy hour prices are incredible!
(4)
Claire M.

Headed out for the Friday after Thanksgiving dinner with friends. We all had a round of drinks. Most drank margaritas, I had wine - fruitier than I had hoped but my fault not theirs. We shared the guacamole sampler - regular, hot and the special - caramelized onion and balsamic. I enjoyed the homemade plantain, yucca, malanga & tortilla chips - a different twist. My husband had the Rum Glazed pork - actually about five people chose that. Tasted pretty good. The coconut mango rice was good to taste, but I wouldn't have wanted a whole dish of it. I had the scallops with roasted cauliflower & fingerling potatoes and a Huancaina sauce (some kind of mild cheese sauce). I loved it. Only complaint, it only came with three scallops and while they were "jumbo", the third was more like a "medium". The waiter was pretty good. Although he was annoyed if everyone wasn't listening to him when he spoke. Now, I get it, I've waited tables before, it can be frustrating to serve a table of ten and have to repeat the specials. BUT, it was our dinner not his. The only other piece of information I will share is that it felt like one of those nicer dinner spots that turns into a cheesy club after dinner. I've worked in them, so I'm familiar with the signs. Music gets louder, they close off sections of the restaurant with dramatic black drapes, guys unbutton their shirt to reveal more chest etc... It doesn't mean that dinner can't be great, it just means that at a certain time at night it may get more like West 6th for 40-year-olds.
(3)
Daryl C.

Beautiful decor, and good food. The plantains, ropa vieja, and jicama is delicious.
(4)
Alfred K.

Wow - really surprised to see the low ratings at this place. I thought Paladar was a refreshingly trendy restaurant with really good quality food to back up the setting. Of the whole strip here on Chagrin, I would pick Paladar over all the other restaurants anytime, including Taza. I went to Paladar for dinner recently and the ceviche was quite fresh and tasty. The entrees also are well executed. The churros with chocolate dipping sauce are some of the best I've ever had - they were so freshly fried that they literally melted in my mouth. I've had a similar dessert at Adobo Grill in Chicago but it didn't nearly compare with Paladar's. Will definitely go back when I'm in the area.
(4)
Mike B.

I'm not sure if it was just my order or the obnoxious woman I was seated next to the last time I was here, but I was wrong to rate Paladar 2 stars. I've been back a few times in the last 6 months for lunch and I really do enjoy the food. Not to mention in terms of value, you'd be hard pressed to find a better lunch for $10 with service as fine as this place.
(4)
Keith D.

I loved this place, the food was excellent! Nice atmosphere Amanda our waitress was flawless.
(5)
Kenneth C.

This place never disappoints. The food ranges from flavorful but not spicy to very zesty Latin fare. And the chips, salsa, and fresh guacamole are something you have to experience!
(5)
Sarah E.

Came here on a Friday evening with my bf and another couple. We had to wait about 45 min to be seated, so I would recommend making a reservation if you plan on coming on a weekend night. Food/drink: -Mango sangria was very yummy and a carafe was enough for four people to have almost 2 drinks each. I would say this is a good deal on the menu. I loved the mango chunks that were floating around in this drink. -Fish tacos were good; the fish was blackened tilapia, which was flavorful and cooked well. The dish came with black beans and rice which were super bland. I am from Miami, so I have had very good black beans and rice. Compared to that, this tasted like black beans out of a can poured over rice. Meh. -Chips/guac were very good... I liked the guac a lot. It almost had a smoky / bacon flavor to it. The chips were good, especially the plantain and yuca chips. Service: -Service was very slow (30 min to take our order, another 30 min after that to bring our food), but it was a Friday night so I understand. There was some confusion with our order, but I felt they handled it well. Basically, we ordered ceviche and they instead brought out chips with guac. When we asked about it, we were told the guac was complementary. Then our food came, and when we asked about the ceviche, our waiter told us that they mixed up our tables and we got guac instead. Since our food was already there, we held off on the ceviche. They didn't charge us for guac or ceviche, so no harm no foul I guess. Overall, this place had a nice atmosphere and the food was good. I've had amazing Cuban/ South American food in Miami, so maybe I am a tough critic, but this place doesn't even compare to the food there. And the price of food here ($15-25 per plate) is pretty steep for the quality of food. I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but I probably won't be back.
(3)
Rodney W.

My wife read the menu for Paladar as we walked by the restaurant today and she immediately insisted that we eat there! So eat we did. We waited 45 minutes to be seated, but hey, it was Father's Day. In the mean time, we played chess down the block and scoped out some of the stores, including Trader Joe's. This is a nice shopping plaza. Once we were seated, we ordered some drinks and water. They serve two kinds of Great Lakes Brewery beer and so I ordered a Dortmunder, which was pretty yummy. All of us were in the mood for steak, so we all ordered the churrasco with rice and beans. It's not the churrasco that I'm used to, but it was pretty tasty. It will give Ohioans an idea of what a real churrasco is, but it is not the same as an authentic meal, which I've had many times out of the country. The steak was the closest thing to authentic in the meal. How can you get that part wrong? The rice was nothing like the rice I've had in Puerto Rico and neither were the beans. They were very Americanized. We had hoped that we would get top notch rice and beans, but they just weren't. The chimicurri left a lot to be desired too. I'll continue making churrasco, rice, and beans at home until I find a restaurant that does it right. Nonetheless, the food was of good quality and tasted good. The portions were a little on the small side. I can't wait to try some of the other menu items. We'll be back!
(4)
Simone D.

This place had me at "Latin Kitchen," but RUM BAR? I knew I had to come. There is a ton of space inside, and it was pretty full. I had just missed happy hour, and I'm a little sad because a lot of people showed up for it, so it must be good. I'm also bummed that I wasn't there on a weekend because that brunch menu looked heavenly. You can't go wrong with bottomless mimosas. I had the salmon mango ceviche, a side of sweet plantains, and a pomegranate ginger mojito. The ceviche had salmon, mango, cilantro, red onion, and a cream sauce. The flavors really let the salmon shine. The plantains were deliciously sweet, and provided a good balance of flavor from the ceviche. I was a little underwhelmed by the mojito because I wanted to taste more ginger, it was a good pomegranate mojito though. The table chips are pretty cool. They're a mix of malanga, yucca, plantain, and tortilla chips, but they don't come with any salsa or anything. I enjoyed them with my ceviche. My only negative takeaways are that I had to ask for the complimentary chips, and that there was no formal introduction from my waiter. He was helpful and friendly, but I never got his name.
(4)
A'Lia M.

If your into happy hour you may want to try this place. The first important thing to know is that they have two happy hours from 4 to 7 and then again from 9 to 11, awesome I know. Their chips are a mix of plantains, yucca, and tortilla. Also the sangria and margarita are well worth their happy hour price of $5
(5)
Roxanne O.

I would dare to say that this is one of the best happy hours around the Beachwood area. There are plenty of drink specials, a wide variety of discounted food, and...a million and 5 people jammed into the bar area every time I stop by for happy hour. Siiigh. Paladar gets extra points in my book for clearly labeling food on their menus. It makes it easy for vegans like me or people with food sensitivities to make good choices. I'm deducting a star because happy hour is always so busy and service isn't the quickest. I've also been to Paladar for lunch and have had a couple painfully slow experiences, so...I'll just stick to happy hour. When I'm not on my work lunch break, I can afford to be more patient.
(4)
Milena P.

My husband and I went back to Paladar to give it a second try, since they were so kind to give us a 25$ giftcard when we told them that the dinner was not as we expected. At our second visit, we didn't mention the giftcard at the beginning, so that the results would not be spoiled. We started again with tomato basil guacamole and chips, which were truly amazing again. This time we tried the Fiejoada stew, which includes rice, meat and beans. This came in a right sized portion, and I have to say it was tasty and original. The staff is always very kind. Probably it was too crowded the first time we checked it out, but this time the experience was completely improved.
(4)
VJ V.

I usually bring the party to wherever I go, but boy, I didn't need to for Paladar. It was after hours and we walk in to find that the bar was hopping with energy. Filled with corporate types, the crowd was a bit more mature and didn't seem all that worried about this quarter's sales projections. All the ladies seemed to be sporting 4-inch heels that day... company memo? Anyhow... We were seated in the non-bar area which was partitioned and well insulated from the bar noise. The meal was great, loved the guac, chips, ropa viejo, feijoada except for one. pet. peeve: damp rice. Damp rice pretty much tastes like wet towel, it was not spoiled but with a texture like this I could imagine it getting there, kinda gross, so I washed away my sorrows with the Mimosa which was delicious. The bottomless Mimosas are only available during brunch FYI. I've been here more than once and I always get good service. Counting all visits, it has been A-Ok.
(3)
Stephen B.

My wife and I always enjoy lunch at Paladar. Great drinks. Good food. Great service. The watermelon basil Mojito, fresh guacamole as an appetizer, along with the chicken tacos finished up by the Cuban bread pudding was a delightful lunch. I think I'll skip dinner.
(4)
Natalie S.

Amazing kale and sweet potato salad with chicken and sherry vinegrette after the gym and a massage . My friend got the curry vegetarian dish and a dessert she loved! The bartender who waited on us could not have been more helpful or accommodating!! Always a favorite!!
(4)
Chrishana B.

I must have drove past Paladar hundreds of times,when going across the street to The Original Pancake House and in the plaza to Trader Joe's. It wasn't until a fellow yelper suggested it that I decided to give the restaurant a try and i'm sure glad I did. This has become one of my favorite restaurants. Everything i've tried here has been really good and the service is always great. I've had the Crab & hearts of palm empanadas, Slow roasted chicken empanadas, Plantain crusted crab empanadas, The spicy guacamole, and the Slow smoke pulled chicken. The aoli sauce with the plantains is delicious blended with the smoked chicken.....How many places can you get a latin meal with a spin in Cleveland. There are always specials, and they are always worth considering. If you sign up on their website you can get a free order of guac and If you go for brunch you can order bottomless mimosas, but the only one I found I liked is the strawberry. Paladar is really nice, but isn't trend-chasing. It's crowded and lively, but isn't painfully overly loud and it's comfortable, but it won't coddle you. All in all Paladar is definitely a pleaser.
(4)
Cara L.

I love this place!! I am giving this place an overall review of 5 stars because I have been here for brunch, lunch and happy hour! Every experience at this restaurant I have had a fabulous waiter or waitress, which in my opinion can make or ruin the decision to return. Brunch is definitely the meal that exceeded expectations! It is a must try brunch location! Bottomless mimosas ($10) are available during brunch as well! Happy Hour is M-F, 4-7pm with $5 food options, $5 mojitos, margaritas and sangria.
(5)
Jeanne S.

This was my and my husband's first time eating here and it won't be our last. I had reservations for 2 and there seemed to be some confusion with the hosts. We were asked if we were "fast eaters" and could please make sure to "finish by 7:15 because another party with a reservation needs that table." I found the hosts fairly rude asking us that, but honestly, the service and food made up for it. Our waiter, Jeff, was prompt to our table and made great suggestions for drinks and appetizers. The mojito and caipihrinas we ordered were authentic and super tasty. We got 3 apps because we couldn't decide on just 1. Guacamole gets a C. I thought it was pretty bland (even listed as spicy). The tilapia and avocado ceviche was a solid B+. The chips they serve with those two apps are so good. The pupusa cheese dish was an A+. Nice flavor profile. Main entrees were perfect. Hubby got the Brazilian stew and I had the skirt steak with chimichurri. I ordinarily wouldn't rave about the side that come with an entree, but the pinto beans were the best I have ever had. We thought we would stop there, but Jeff mentioned how "life changing" the sweet potato donuts were so we had to try. These things are so good, life changing good!! We wanted to do a rum sampler with dessert and let Jeff pick them to compliment our dessert. He explained each rum in detail and those were fantastic!! We will definitely be back!!!
(5)
Irena H.

He food was good for happy hour. Definitely will return for dinner. The guacamole is a must.
(4)
Sheree M.

Great brunch menu similar to the Inn on Coventry but different presentation and stature. My group enjoyed and indulged in the bottomless mimosas. I ordered the crispy duck confit and fried egg (over medium) hash. Delish! We'll be returning again.
(4)
Rachel A.

I love paladar! I do not live in Cleveland anymore but I come here every time I visit, even if it is just for a weekend! The food here is so delicious and the servers are always really friendly. My favorites: - guacamole - They have a guacamole trio that you can get and try 3 kinds! The chips that come with the huac are also really good. - fried plantains - These are so tasty and you should for sure get a side of these or substitute one of your side for these! - The chicken tacos- These are so good! They come with brown rice but I like to substitute for the mango coconut rice! It is so much tastier and fun! They also have good drinks and a nice little bar area. The mojitos are all delicious, and the traditional mojito is actually really good! I
(5)
Jon O.

Went here Saturday for lunch and have been many times in the past due to its' proximity to our home. The food is hit or miss. Sometimes I like it and sometimes it's not so good. They frequently under season their food. Their drinks are usually very good. They have a habanero puree which is quite spicy (although lacks salt) that I always ask for with my food. The service is always very good. The sweet potato tacos are good and their guac is usually good. The yucca fries are great.
(3)
Katy S.

I live in Tampa, so when my co-workers suggested that we go to a Latin restaurant in Cleveland I was a bit skeptical. I am a bit spoiled by the Latin food options in Tampa so I wasn't really expecting big things. This place really surprised me! We started at the bar and had some margaritas and mango salsa and mango guacamole. The salsa and guac were both so fresh and so good! The margaritas were quite tasty and the happy hour special was good. Onto the table. I went for the ropa vieja and it was absolutely delicious. It was topped in a mustard sauce and came with a heaping portion of plantains. It was honestly the tastiest ropa vieja I have had in a long time. Really really good. Co-workers got pork dishes and steak dishes and all was enjoyed. This spot has an upscale atmosphere and is definitely a nice spot for a quality dinner out. I hope to come back on a future trip to CLE!
(5)
Ashley L.

I really like the food and the ambiance at Paladar. Their Saturday and Sunday brunch are amazing and they have bottomless mimosas! During the warm months it's so fun to sit outside and enjoy! They also have the most amazing plantain chips that pair well with guac. I highly recommend a meal here!
(5)
Akhil A.

I was visiting the Cleveland area for work and decided to try this place out based on the love it seems to be getting from Yelp. The problem with travelling for work is that you usually end up having a lot of dinners by yourself so I am always on the hunt for a good place with a good bar area. That way you can at least meet new people. Paladar met and exceeded my expectations in both the food and atmosphere. I'll start off with the food: I got the chicken tacos as my main and the carrot cake for dessert. The tacos were really well done and were topped with unique things like peanuts. They also serve this amazing habanero hot sauce that is scorching hot. I barely scratched the surface of the cup it came in but it really added to the taste of the tacos. The carrot cake dessert was also really good, and much bigger than I thought it would be. I'm not usually a fan of carrot cake but here the flavour was a bit more subtle, and it made it more enjoyable. One area where Paladar exceeded is its customer service. Nathan really took the time to answer my questions about some of the menu items and made really good recommendations for me based on my dietary restrictions. Unfortunately he had to leave before I Was finished my meal but he took the time to recommend me a list of other great restaurants nearby for me to try out during my stay. It is obvious that the employees here at Paladar are really committed to their job, and I've never seen a happier group of servers/hosts anywhere else. All in all I definitely plan on coming back, and would recommend Paladar to anyone in the area
(5)
Sheena W.

I love this place! I would say the majority of things I have tasted here were pretty awesome. Love the guac with different kinds of chips. The Rum Glazed Cuban Pork and Braised Beef Ropa Vieja are excellent, also need to try the mojitos which are great and definitely affordable during Happy Hour. Only downside was that I thought the desserts were on the small side. Ahhh I almost forgot they had these delicious jalapeno ball things covered in honey for their special Mardi Gras menu. Soooo good!
(5)
Rich G.

Been here a dozen times, never really enjoyed the food, never had good service, never left and said "well that was worth it". Good atmosphere because it's usually busy, but many times too busy.
(3)
Alex P.

From the ambiance to the food, this place is unique and delicious. Unique in the sense that you don't find many upscale Latin American restaurants that don't specialize in Mexican cuisine. This place brings together the foods from all over South America and merged them into a delicious blend. Guacamole is pretty good, but I I got the lamb stew for the main course. It was quite good also, but I would say slightly over salted.
(4)
Nivedita B.

Good food and drinks and great service! Came here with a group for a birthday celebration and they were very accommodating. The dragonberry mojito (their current special) was my favorite of the drinks we all ordered. I got the mango cilantro mojito but I didn't really taste any mango or cilantro, it was all sugar. The blackened fish tacos were pretty good, not the best I've had but definitely scrumptious. I will go back to try their ropa vieja because it looks mouth-watering.
(4)
Lin H.

Just went for the first time today! Since I went at 1:30PM I ordered from the lunch specials. I ended up picking the EL CUBANO & SOUP OR SALAD, which I chose to have chicken tortilla soup. Food was tasty! I don't typically go for/have minimal experience eating Latin flavors but it was impressive. I did end up having a hair in my soup, which was slightly gross because I already had eaten half of it. I'm not really one to keep quiet when there is hair in my food (especially when it isn't mine). They were so nice about it though, and took my meal off the bill. I think it really says a lot about a restaurant when they don't charge you for their mistake rather than try and fix it by giving you a new plate of food.
(4)
Ty P.

Food was great! The guac & chips was almost as good as what I make at home! Highly recommend it!! Def a spot worth visiting 1-2-3+ times!! had the rum pork and vieja.
(5)
Richard F.

I recently went to Paladar and was disappointed with their happy hour after a very nice first experience. I expressed my feelings on yelp, and their manager reached out to me asking that I give them another chance, and offering me a gift card to try them again. I wrote back and said it wasn't necessary, but if he wanted to send me one, I would be happy to return, and I provided my address. I never heard another thing from him. If you are going to the trouble of trying to improve customer satisfaction, please follow through. Now I would never go back, and I'll relate this story to all that ask.
(1)
Daniel G.

Paladar is seriously one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland! I don't even know where to begin. The food is on point, the service friendly, quick, and professional. The ambience of the place is perfect. I've been multiple times, and have two different meals. The first time I got the Feijoada Stew. It was delicious and would definitely recommend it. The second time I decided to try something different and got the Caribbean Rum Pork with sweet plantains, and I am glad I did! Possibly one of my favorite meals I've had at any restaurant. It was an upscale spin on a classic Spanish dish, and it worked out perfectly. I also tried one of their mojitos. It was a mango cilantro mojito, and it was so good! I wish it was just a bit stronger, but maybe that's because I like my drinks strong. Definitely recommend it, even if you don't like Latin food, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
(5)
Steve W.

My new favorite Mexican restaurant! Located in Solon, Ohio the place is clean and the decor is colorful and cheery with paintings, masks, and banners! We ordered the sampler platter which includes chicken wings ( meaty, crunchy coating, tender, juicy and the perfect amount of sauce) chicken enchiladas (tender and flavorful with peppers) cheese enchilada, beef enchiladas. The beans are really flavorful (the best in town!) and the rice (also the best in town) has added bits of corn, peas and scallions.The chili rellenos are muy caliente, also flavorful and made to perfection. Well worth the trip.
(5)
Tanya B.

For the past 3 years I've lived in the Cleveland area I've been wanting to try out Paladar and finally it happened! It was definitely worth the wait! Everything on the menu looks so good that I wish they had a sampler platter. On the other hand this just means I'll have to keep coming back and trying other dishes. The guacamole is a must! For main course I had their staple dish - the rum glazed pork. Absolutely delicious! Do also try their sparkling strawberry sangria. Smooth and refreshing and you get tipsy before you know it. Nice thing about the location - after the meal and the sangria you can stroll over the Eton mall or Barnes n Noble and walk off the tipsiness before getting behind the wheel.
(5)
Joshua Y.

This place is so good. We keep coming back! The happy hour is really good, excellent drink specials and food specials. The tacos are delicious, really fresh and lively ingredients. I'm not one for cocktails (I love my bourbon) but I will make an exception for their mojitos! Please try the guacamole and chips... Not your every day chips either! It's a mix with yucca, beets, sweet potatoes, etc... All crispy and with their own unique taste. Service has always been really quick and attentive as well! Haven't gotten an entree we didn't like either!
(5)
Kumar S.

This was our first visit. We reserved a table over the weekday, good thing to do, as it was packed on weekdays which was surprising. Its always better to reserve a table prior to your visit:) The ambience was good, we loved it:) We ordered Guacamole, Slow smoked chicken, Tacos and a desert. They were right on time, there was NO delay in getting the food to the table, in spite the restaurant being completely packed. Food was delicious... Five stars for the taste, price and service. We will definitely visit this place again. I strongly recommend this place. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Jeff M.

Paladar sucks. Just like Chipotle they serve rice and beans with your choice of protein on top. Everything tasted the same. Never again would I go back.
(1)
Michelle H.

Went to brunch here yet again and was I not disappointed!!! They have half off margaritas mojitos and sangria through Valentine's Day! Tried something new and was not disappointed. My date and I both ordered the Duck confit we were impressed. My only regret is I didn't get some of the amazing guacamole . Go here for a casual brunch date and you'll love the excuse to drink in the afternoon!
(5)
Rick W.

Maybe I was expecting a lot more bold flavors than what we got. Black bean soup was just smashed black beans not much flavor. The chicken taco & duck were just ok. The blackened fish tacos were good. Guacamole trio was very good. The roasted pulled pork was moist and had a good flavor. The best part was the extra aged trio of rum. I don't know that I would drive 45 minutes again just to eat here. We did have a great server, she took very good care of us.
(3)
Tim W.

Great Latin food! I was surprised to find such a gem in a mall/ shopping center. It is such a beautiful space. I had the El Cubano sandwich (Roasted pulled pork, ham, and swiss cheese hot pressed in our Cuban bread and topped with dill pickles and honey dijon mustard.) My wife had the Chimichurri Chicken sandwich (Marinated grilled chicken sliced and topped with thick cut bacon, melted Chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and housemade chimichurri sauce on a toasted brioche bun) and our daughter had the Cheese Quesadilla. Our sandwiches came with sweet potato fries which were amazing and I'm assuming that my daughter enjoyed her Quesadilla since we didn't hear a peep out of her! My favorite part of the meal was my Strawberry Mojito which was made perfectly. The service was impeccable also. I would highly recommend this place for anyone in the area who is looking for some delicious Latin food.
(4)
Emily D.

I really like it here! The food is always great and the guac options are amazing. For brunch, I strongly suggest the Chorizo & Cheese Pupusa with Fried Eggs. For lunch, I love the Chipotle Honey Vegetable Quesadilla and for dinner, I love the Rum Glazed Cuban Pork. Every meal I have ever had there was delicious!! And the sangria is amazing!
(4)
Christina L.

Fabulous food, service, and atmosphere! Guacamole trio, blueberry vanilla mojito, jerk chicken entree, and sweet potato donuts were all delicious, and I can't wait to go back and try more! The fish tacos were also a fav at the table.
(5)
Dawn J.

Wow!! I came here on a recommendation from a fellow hotel guest- the food and drinks were AMAZING!! I'm dieting, so my waiter recommended several lower calorie options and I chose the blackened tilapia tacos sans rice and beans- got kale instead. Delicious!! Got here just in time for happy hour and was se to enjoy a mojito and some spicy guacamole with the most amazing yuca a taro chips!! I'LL BE BACK!!
(4)
George B.

Very good Cuban food. Guacamole was excellent. Service was good. Not overcrowded, no wait. I will go back.
(4)
Thomas B.

I stumbled upon the $9.95 2 taco lunch when I could not find the nearby Mediterranean restaurant. I opted for the Duck confit tacos. Nicely spiced duck, in a bed of cool cabbage...just the right amount of cilantro. Heap of black beans on rice...more than even I could eat. Mango tea was tasty. Definitely a worthy lunchtime haunt!! JerseyWeddingPhotographyâ€¦
(4)
Rachael N.

A tad disappointed tonight after my stop into Paladar. I think when I first went to Paladar a few years ago, it was brand new. Now.. Things are different. Asked for the guac tonight.. It was just okay. Then I order the mixed seafood ceviche-oh it was bad. Way too much lime juice-I felt like they dumped the whole bottle in my ceviche. I just couldn't eat it. Everything else I tried (chicken tinga tacos and pork), was just ok, nothing great. And for that, Ill have to knock down my review to three stars.
(3)
Kerry K.

From start to finish it was a nice time. I had the Rum glazed Cuban pork it was great. Made to order guacamole with their chips was great. Spinach heart of Palm salad was good as well. Finished with Cuban coffee.
(5)
Bruce A.

Ate there last night. Started with filthy appetizer plate on table. Ropa Vieja came out ice cold. Sent it back and was replaced with a burned tasteless plate of bland and flavorless food. I asked for manager and he came over and just stood there without asking what was wrong until I had to start the conversation. Service timing was terrible as it is every time we give them another try.
(1)
Gordon B.

Visited this place twice and the food was not impressive either time. The atmosphere was the most pleasant aspect of the experience. The food was very disappointing.
(2)
Alexa A.

One of my favorite restaurants! I love Latin food, and Paladar never disappoints. From the ever changing guacamole specials, to the delicious empanadas, to the large selection of entrees, I know I'll always enjoy eating there! One of my very favorite entrees is the slow roasted mojo pork. A little bit spicy, incredibly juicy, and with enough just acidity. I end up getting it the majority of the time, even if I'd planned on trying something new! It's just too good! I know I'll end up leaving Paladar with a very full and satisfied stomach!
(5)
Megan B.

Love the Guac selection! I love spicy, so I always get that one every time I come here. This place is great when in the mood for spicy latin or not! They have some creative big high quality salads that are nice. I wish they had a la carte tacos or mix and match tacos available.
(4)
Juju W.

Guacamole doesn't disappoint. Peach white sangria, half carafe was enough for 4 glasses. I had the fish tacos which was satisfying. Others had the chicken sandwich and pork tacos. We all agreed this dinner was better than yesterday's at The Greenhouse Tavern at half the cost. Worth the drive out and better service too! Oh the coconut flan was delicious. Tab came out to $105 w. Tip for 4 peeps.
(4)
Casey S.

Consistently awesome. I want to stop there, because honestly I've been there dozens of times now, and never had anything to complain about. Not one thing. For a while I was stuck on the feijoada stew which is insanely good , recently I branched out and had other things. But every time, I leave there feeling full and content. This is one of those places where, as the cook of the house, I can honestly say that I could not duplicate many of their dishes without considerable cost or trial and error. I appreciate that. Consistently delicious, reasonably priced, good atmosphere and good service. Home run every time.
(5)
Traci N.

I actually don't have anything bad to say about Paladar, as the service was excellent and the food was pretty good. It's just that the food didn't wow me as much as I thought it would. The appetizer (corn and chipotle guacamole) and my appetizer (some sort of smoked/spicy chicken salad-stuffed poblano pepper) were both too sweet for my taste. I wasn't expecting either to taste sweet, but they both had sweetness as a strong flavor component. The rum selection, however, is great if you're into that! Again, the service was great and the food was a-okay, but I've been wanting to try Paladar for so long after reading other reviews and I was a little bit disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations as far as the food went.
(3)
Megan S.

I have been back here a few times now and although the food is good, I can't see where I would call it great anymore. Maybe the first time or two I was just taken in by the place and large portions and the different kind of food. Don't get me wrong they have really good food and a great atmosphere but I can't keep it a 5 star level. On our most recent trip I got the ropa vieja, which was very large and very good, and my husband got the pork chop with grits. You are never short on food here, it really is 2 meals in one so for the price, it's really not bad. I have to give credit, the pork chop was cooked very well and the sauce with the grits was really tasty. The ropa vieja was good...but maybe not as fantastic as I thought it was? I would order it again for sure but there was something off? Also, our service was not very good. We sat for a good 15 min before anyone came to take drinks or anything. They did make up for it by giving us free guac, which was a corn and something...and I would opt for the spicy one over that.
(4)
robert b.

Fair food, indifferently prepared. This used to be a place which served creative, delicious food-but no more. Save you money and time.
(3)
Carol S.

The Happy Hour is very good! There are lots of drink specials -- mojitos, beer, wine, sangria, margaritas and rum flights -- and deals on appetizers. I had a mojito and my husband had a couple of beers. We split the chips and guac and two other appetizers. Everything was delicious and it was plenty of food for the two of us. The specials are only available in the bar area and it gets very busy! We arrived early (about 5 pm) and got a seat right away but noticed many people waiting for seats shortly after we arrived. Certainly putting Paladar on our Happy Hour rotation!
(4)
Kimberly C.

I've always had a great meal at Paladar! GREAT drinks too!
(4)
Beth Y.

They make some great food here!
(4)
Meagan S.

Very, very nice restaurant, and the food is always fabulous--I have never had a bad meal here. It's not crazy expensive, especially when you think about the area you are in, which is what I thought it was going to be when I walked in and saw how nice it was. They even have a super nice, small but nice, patio for when it's weather appropriate. When I first started going here I thought it was a place I would only go to for special occasions, but it really can be an anytime place (especially when you want a really, amazingly delicious food!). I have to be honest, my first time here I was a skeptic because I am such a picky eater; however, that was several years ago, and since then I have done a pretty good job of expanding my horizons. That being said, I have tried so many things here that I have never been disappointed with. Most recently, we did a couple apps and split them between us--the spicy chorizo queso fundido--oh so good and cheesy. We also did the mojo puled pork tostones. I am not a fan of pork at all. You will never see me eat a pork chop. But these little babies....I couldn't get enough of them. On my most recent trip there, I sat at the bar and got there maybe a couple minutes before 7:15. As soon as I sat down, the bartender immediately came over and asked for my drink order, letting me know if he put it in within the next thirty seconds I would get the happy hour price still (I think happy hour "ended" at 7). It was awesome, the bartender was totally looking out for me haha. I did get the mojito, and it was a little strong. I still drank it, of course. There were two bartenders working there that night, and they both had great customer interaction with everyone they served the entire time I was there. You could tell they were having fun, which definitely makes the job easier, I'm sure. But it made my experience a ton more enjoyable too. Now that I think about it, every time I have been there, the staff has always been nice. Oddly enough, when I would be leaving, there was always a manager near the hostess stand that would say bye and that he hoped we enjoyed ourselves. I would go here any change I get...happy hour or dinner.
(5)
Tim M.

This should be 3 and 1/2, but, well, you know the drill. Trendy looking spot. a nice date night location. Started with the cirvice. I'm torn on this. Citrus was spot on, presentation was very nice, and quantity was generous. I guess the let down was all the seafood variety in there was pretty bland. For the meal I had the rum glazer pulled pork. It was very good and the rice they paired was spot on. Better half had the skirt steak with chimichuri sauce. No complaints from her at all. Finished with bread pudding and pineapple upside down cake. Both were fine, but not memorable. I would recommend this for date night.
(3)
Britney G.

The pork chop is great and the short rib dish is also a winner in my book. Im.not sure how they get it so tender. However, the second tinge I ordered the short rib it was dry and stringy. After returning it I ordered the cocunut shrimp dish was suprisingly tasty. The beef plantain appetizer is so good. I think I've tried pretty much every flavors mojito I didn't care for the half mango chicken because it was so dryand the guacamole was nothing to write home about.
(4)
Valarie B.

Went for lunch with a friend. We had the spicy guacamole for an appetizer. It was very fresh and quite delicious. We ordered from the lunch menu and had the chicken and beef soft taco, grits and sweet plantains. The beef taco was okay but the chicken taco was absolutely wonderful. The roasted corn grits is not like any grits I have ever had. I kept telling myself I would only eat a couple of spoonfuls but that didn't work. I would go back just to have the chicken tacos and grits. For dessert we shared the carrot cake. Thought it was delicious and disappointed to hear it would only be on the menu for 5 more days. Our server was Marisol. She as very knowledgeable about the menu and was quite helpful in narrowing our choices.
(4)
Alex D.

Was in Cleveland for work and saw this restaurant and thought it looked good, and boy is that an understatement! For starters the service was great. I sat in the bar and Paul took great care of me. When my dinner was brought out, the "Braised Beef Ropa" there was a mix up and I received the appetizer portion. It was so big that I didn't even notice. That is until Paul brings me the dinner version and a mojito for free apologizing for the mistake. I told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted and offered to box up what I didn't eat. The mgr came by as well to apologize and I told him I was amazed as really no harm was done. On top of that the food really was excellent. The meat was tender and flavorful without being too salty. The drinks were strong and for a $5 HH you can't go wrong. I would definitely recommend for the great service, food, and nice atmosphere.
(5)
David C.

Definitely one of our favorite restaurants. This is one of our regular haunts, so we've had many of the many of the menu items. All have been delicious. My wife loves the Ropa Vieja with a side of plantains. I'd say their Blackened Tilapia Tacos are the best fish tacos of anywhere I've eaten because the fish is grilled, not breaded & fried like everywhere else. We love the variety of guac's they have ... and we love the mix of chips. Portions are generous. We've eaten on the patio, inside in each of the "rooms", and at the bar. The service has always been attentive without being overbearing. Over the years we have taken several friends, co-workers, and relatives to Paladar, and they have all loved the food and come back. Always a good idea to make a reservation, especially for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights when they are busiest. Only drawback has been the parking at Eton which isn't under Paladar's control. Sometimes it's hard to find a spot.
(5)
Andrew W.

Not a good night out other than watching the child captivate those around us with his insane cuteness. Our waitress was borderline dumb and at one point rambled on for 5 minutes explaining a bunch of nonsense. Her suggestions on items the restaurant is known for were simply the highest priced items on the menu, same with drinks.
(2)
Ben V.

Decent food though it did not seem particularly authentic or exotic and felt very much like a chain. Expected a little more for the mid-tier pricing. Service was good. Location in the busy Eton mall is another negative in my book.
(3)
Sara B.

Maybe it isn't my kind of place but I just didn't get it... The waitress had no idea about a drink but pretended that she did and just suggested the most expensive on the menu. the fish tacos were ok but nothing memorable. The scallops were like licking salt and eating breakfast potatoes....Sad
(2)
Joe H.

Usually I will go in depth on a review but I was really underwhelmed with this place. The drinks were really good, but the food was just meh..... Had chorizo queso dip, portobello empanadas, rum glazed pork, churros & donuts with dipping sauces. I wanted to like it, but I didn't. The flavors of the food seemed to run together into one bland taste.
(3)
J.J. H.

I hadn't been to Paladar in almost 2 years but stopped in this past weekend with 2 others who hadn't been there before. The food was even better than I remember (perhaps a new chef?) and our server was very friendly and attentive. I asked her about the ropa vieja appetizer and she gave it a strong recommendation. And she wasn't wrong. It was amazing! I'll definitely be back (I work in the neighborhood) and will order it again! The only thing preventing this from being a 5-Star Review was my cocktail. I asked if I could have a weak Cuba Libre (half the amount of rum) and our server looked confused. When I told her it was because I was driving, she assured me that they don't make overly strong drinks and that a normal Cuba Libra would be fine, so that's what I ordered. I'm not a lightweight when it comes to alcohol but this drink was WAY too strong. If I wasn't driving I wouldn't have minded, but I specifically said I didn't want a strong drink, so I only drank half. I should have insisted on my original order or stayed with water. But the food was great, my companions LOVED their drinks and we all had a great afternoon.
(4)
Dawn K.

Love the food, hate the seating. Shared the ropa vieja and smoked chicken dinners on the most recent visit. Food was excellent, and made a good lunch the next day too. However, I hate that diners have to share bench seating with other parties. It feels like you're almost on top of the next table. I'd like a little more arm space while eating! I'll still eat here now and then, but would likely increase my visits if the seating arrangement was updated.
(4)
Jeffrey S.

Off the charts food and service. I can't wait to eat here again.
(5)
Aaron B.

We sat at the bar and had a blast. The bartenders were fun, and gave us some great recommendations off the menu. We shared guac and a ceviche both of which were really good. Also had tacos and empanadas, both great. The drinks are worth a trip there on their own, if your just thirsty for some S. American style boozing.
(5)
Tim S.

I don't know if this place deserves the full 4 stars...so it may be in the 3.5 range. Service - Our waitress was nice and was not shy to talk about the menu, drinks or anything else for that matter. Overall it was good service. Appetizers - we tried the guacamole flight and the queso fundito. The guacamole was quite good, very fresh and and good consistency. My favorite was the goat cheese and black bean. The fundito was good, not great. It was a bit different than ones I've had...this was basically just cheese and chorizo chunks, rather than a cheese sauce and ground chorizo. Dinner - I was able to try a few dinners. The duck tacos were pretty good - very tender meat and the cabbage was a good complement in the taco. I got the Feijoada stew and it was certainly complex and deep with flavor - especially the broth. Again I liked the cabbage addition to give it texture and the pork was nicely done. But the chorizo was just ok - but I still enjoyed the dish as a whole. Lastly I tried the spicy lamb stew. This was my least favorite of all of them. It wasn't bad, but the lamb was average and the broth was very acidic and there was too much mint. But again was not lacking flavor that's for sure. I want to add I had the clementine mojito and it was delicious - maybe the best thing I had here. This place has to go through mint like no other restaurant. They put copious amounts of it in everything. I had a good meal here no doubt, but it's missing something to make it special.
(4)
Soly Z.

The manager was gracious enough to send us a gift card to try out their famous guac trio and we finally got around to hitting up Paladar again last month to celebrate some very good news. The trio was incredible and the plantain chips were a uniquely superb way to enjoy the flavorful guacamole sampler. I got the tacos again and they did not disappoint.
(4)
Rocky N.

Awesome place. Great service. Great food. We had the spicy guac, tilapia ceviche, amazing stew dish, fish tacos, coffees and chocolate flan. Loved every second of it. Also, Charles is an amazing manager with stunning good looks. Ladies, get ready!
(5)
Melissa M.

I have been here twice and had a great experience each time. Service is attentive and knowledgeable to start. Food is ridiculously tasty. Desserts are really off the charts decadent and really need to be shared. Of all of the things I've tried or ordered I can't say enough good things about the portobello empanadas. Super delicious! Also, check out the specialty drink list. Tons of yummy rum drinks. I had the aged flight of rum as well. Definitely recommended.
(5)
Brucilla J.

This was probably one of the worst dining experiences of my life. In addition to taking an hour for our entrees, they cancelled my open table reservation giving me no points. The food was cold and practically inedible. My moms margarita was full of salt. Why people come here is beyond me.
(1)
Avril B.

I think I've reviewed this place before, but I cannot brag enough about them. SO yummy!! They do an amazing job of accommodating every wish and their food, service, quality.... are fantastic!!! I think I'm craving a kale wrap....
(5)
Sarah Y.

We've eaten at Paladar about a half dozen times. The food is usually good (my husband loves the Ropa Vieja), and although I've had issues with my meals being lukewarm at best most times; most menu items are pretty decent. I cannot, however, say the same in regard to the happy hour bar menu. On this particular visit, we just happened to be in the area and stopped in for a quick bit. The mojito's were off and the margaritas were down right terrible (bright yellow?). Not sure what was going on behind the bar. Usually Omar is back there and the drinks are great! This time I recognized some faces, but I wasn't familiar with any of them. My guess is they were too busy laughing and carrying on, and couldn't be bothered to make a decent drink. Now for the food....I will give it up for the fish tacos and salsa trio, they were delicious. However, that was about it. My husbands braised beef tacos were so sloppy and wet; he could have wrung them out. The Cuban sandwich just shouldn't even be an option on the menu; it looks like something you'd be served at a local dinner. I mean get why it's on there, a Cuban ham and cheese sandwich is a staple in Cuba, but it needs to be jazzed up somehow. Finally the worst, the Tostones. They were so greasy and disgusting I couldn't even eat them. I cut into one and saw the grease poor off and that was the end of that. I fully expected our waiter to ask if the Tostones were okay, since they hadn't been touched; but he said nothing. He didn't even ask if we were done, just took the full plate away; it was almost as if he was use to people not eating them. Just really weird. We will be back, because of my husband's love for the Ropa Vieja, this is the only reason for 3 stars rating. My advice is to avoid the bar menu and order off the dinner menu.
(3)
Marchem P.

Went yesterday sat on the patio to enjoy the sunshine. Service was very slow and seemed uninformed as to what was on the menu. We decided on the special guac that month which is chipotle corn. As always super fresh and the chipotle honey was a nice added sweetness. Next we ordered the chicken empanadas because we had made empanadas from scratch but the flour she used was 2 years old and didn't taste very good outside of the filling. The empanadas were golden brown and tasted good not great it lacked in the amount of filling. For drinks we ordered bottomless mimosas but while the name stated bottomless the servers slowness indicated that it was whenever she finally noticed our glasses were empty which seemed like she was racing with a snail. We ordered the salmon mango which was delicious with the right balance of acid to sweetness but the cuts of salmon seemed very uneven. Finally we ordered my favorite dish at here the rum glazed pull pork. It came out but with the wrong rice instead of the mango coconut rice it should have it had the cilantro which slightly changed the flavor profile I brought it the servers attention she had no idea that that was the rice that was supposed to come with it but she then ordered it for us and it set the whole dish off. Overall I highly recommend this place but for such a slow Sunday morning I do wish the service could have been better. The food was delicious as always and the beautiful girl that was with me really made the whole moment a very good memory
(4)
Howard Z.

The mojo is finally back with Charles in charge. Food and service is now great again. Thanks Charles
(5)
Aldo M.

Can't say enough about this place. Service was great. Apps dinner were great. Sangria was very good. Highly recommend!!!
(5)
Christine G.

I went here with my parents and a family friend tonight. We met at Eton and figured out where to go once we got to Eton. We started off with some drinks and since we were in the bar, we got happy hour specials. 3 sugar margaritas later, my mom was driving home, but that's besides the point! The chips and guacamole were delicious (tortilla, plantane and one other type of chip) were pretty good and I'm normally not a guac person. For dinner, I got the Braised Beef Ropa Vieja. It was enough for 3 meals for me, but absolutely delicious!!! The meat melted in your mouth, the rice and beans were so good. My mom got the chicken tacos and sent her last one home with me. My friend got the portobello dish and it was one of the best vegetarian dishes she's had. Good place to go with good portion sizes. Our waiter was awesome and we had a good 1.5 hours or so with him! Note, would beware of prom and homecoming season!
(5)
Kelly R.

I've been to Paladar, once or twice before, for dinner. Yesterday, I visited Paladar for Happy Hour. I arrived at approximately 5:00, there were only a few people sitting within the bar area. Within 30 minutes, the area was standing-room-only. The restaurants hosts Happy Hour 7 days a week from 4-7. There were lots of choices on the Happy Hour drink and food menu. I opted for the El Cubano sandwich and an order of Tostones @ $5 each. The sandwich was huge, and included a generous portion of ham, roast pork and other condiments, served warm and gooey with a side of tortilla chips. The tostones (twice fried plantains), were also very good and the perfect accompaniment to my sandwich. I can't wait to go back in order to try other options!
(4)
Eric H.

We went during happy hour. Half priced drinks and appetizers were the way to go. Good food, good drinks...by the time dinner came out we were all pretty much done but the food was tasty. I will return.
(4)
Kate M.

Ceviche and black bean soup are super good! Service is great, too!
(4)
Rico b.

Ate here 11/5/11. Food was better than I expected; had the slow roasted mojo pork and the spinach & bacon salad. Good sized portions on the entree and salad. Pork was flavorful, spinach very fresh. Mojitos were great, and our server was efficient and knowledgeable. Only disappointment was the appetizer, which was a daily special - marinated skirt steak skewers. While tasty, it was only 3 skewers and each skewer only had 2 bite size pieces of steak, for $13.
(4)
Jarrod N.

Okay, I am not by an means an expert on latin foods or Latin Culture. In fact, I am as white bread as you can get. I love spicy foods, and enjoy many different flavors, but I had never had latin food before. So, this may be infact latin fusion, I don't know and frankly, I don't care either. What I can say is YUM. This food was delicious and I ment to write a review earlier (three months ago) but I guess I have still been fantisizing about my meal every sense. Here I am, my wife, my father-in-law and I, on a very rainy day (Cleveland, go figure). We made reservations for 6:30 ( I think), which was definitley a good hour to go, if you want to be seated reasonably close to the time of your reservation and be able to have good conversation. As the night moved on the place became louder and louder with more customers clammering and raising their voice to be heard. The decore for me is hard to explain, I would not call it latin or even latin influence, but it was modern, and cool (or if you want hip) the seats were comfortable and there was plenty of space so that you did not have to crow around the tables fearing that you would be bummped my the wait staff or the table next to you. We started out with drinks both my wife and my father-in-law ordered, the mojiots (one orginial and the other pineapple) while I ordered a single barrel rum. Here, again, I am no expert, but I truely savored the warmth and flavor of my drink, I would order it again if I could just remember which one it was. I tried each of the mojitos and they were - predicable; not in a bad way, it's just that I knew what they would taste like before I even took a sip. Next, we had ordered the chips with the spicy gaucamole and salsa there were not enough chips and the the poritions of gaucamole and dipping sauce were small for the price (which was probably my only complaint). The chips were a mixture of Plantain, Yucca, Malanga & Tortilla. Can you say delicious? They were good and I would order it again and again. Then, the main event...my wife ordered (If I remember correctly) the rum smoked mahi mahi tiny tacos, my father-in-law orderd the same, I think. I was however, a little bit more adventurous, I ordered the roasted half chicken mole. The wait was a little long for my liking, but that was just because I was excited to be trying something new. The food came, the presentaion was very well done and my first thought was to photograph it, however, my hunger got the better of me and I choose not to play with my food and just eat it. That was the best choice as it turns out. The flavors were unique and the sweet and the spicy bleneded beautiflully together which just made me take each bite one slowly and one carefully. I was truly please by my reward for being so adventurous. I have had lots of food in my life time, but I have to say this was one of the most memorable meals, not just because of the company or the location, but the total flavor experience. I did take a very short break from my own meal just to induldge in a taste of the tacos. Here again, I was pleasantly surprises, one becuase I really don't care for fish anything and two becuase the overall flavor was so different too me. After a meal like that I did not want the fun to end so we ordered the dessert. *GRIN* I still remember my dessert. We ordered the Churros and cheese cake. Of course we ordered coffee to wash everything down. Of these two desserts I loved the churros. There were four or five sticks fried dough tossed in cinnamon & sugar which were accompanied by two dipping sauces dark mexican chocolate & marshmallow. I did not NEED the sauce, but I enjoyed them just the same. As for the cheesecake it was flavorful, dense and bit too moist for my liking. I am a lover of the classic cheesecake which in my opinion is not too dense and dry. So dry that your mouth makes the same kind of smacking sounds as when you eat peanutbutter all by itself. That being said,I would not turn it away, it was still a good choice. Bottom line - from start to finish a very well executed meal, very flavorful and overall pleasing to the senses. I would do it again and again, if I had that kind of money. Paladar is not cheap, so save your money and come when you can truly have the freedoom of ordering whatever you want without worring about your wallet. (If you have the means, then please adopt my wife and me, so that we can enjoy more meals here and place like it, thanks). The ambiance was wonderful ( I especially with the wall that changes colors), the service was good, although a smidge slow, but that may have been due to the crowd that this place draws in. No doubt in my mind, I would recommend this to everyone and anyone willing to listen. I hope this place does well for years and I hope they continue to update the menu options so I can try more stuff. This place deserves high ratings as long as it remains the way I expeirenced it. Go! Now! this place is a dimond in the rough.
(5)
Erin R.

This place has a fun atmosphere. The service is not consistent - sometimes it is fabulous, and sometimes it is really horrible. The food is decent, but not as good as I'd expect it to be. The mohitos were fabulous though!
(3)
Joe G.

Can't believe I forgot to mention this the first time, but the Tiny Tacos, the appetizer, is an excellent choice if you like fish tacos. They have a very nice smokey flavor and while they have shrunk in size considerably since Paladar first opened I would still highly recommend them.
(5)
Amanda K.

This place was fabulous! I had the roasted pork that was magnificent w/ mango rice. It was basically rice with little chunks of mango. Odd combo but tasted great there wasn't a real strong mango taste to it just enough. Friend had the chicken and it came with plantains with a bit of spice to it. The lamb stew was good, it wasn't really gamey like most lamb is and it had a familiar but different taste, I couldn't put my finger on it. The service was great, our server was so polite she never wanted to interrupt us in our conversations. Bussers were really polite too. The interior design is lovely they have a wall that changes color from time to time, it is a wonderful atmosphere I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that likes to eat something different or needs a change of pace of what they been eating. It was a good change of pace from eating steak, fish, and American/Asian foods. I loved it!
(5)
Brian D.

Times have changed. My wife and I used to visit Paladar all the time, but then we moved out of Cleveland about a year ago. We were back in town to visit family and were very excited to have lunch there while back in town. Big disappointment. I have really missed the Ropa Vieja but what I had today was not nearly as good as about a year ago. It used to have so much flavor, but today it was pretty bland and uninteresting. It also looks like their guacamole station is just for show now because the guac we ordered came from the kitchen and was brown on top, so it had clearly been sitting (we had a late lunch, so who knowns how long ago they made it). Plus, it was ok, chipotle does have better though, and it is green there though probably not fresh. The plantains were still delicious and the tacos were pretty good, but not what they used to be. Lastly, we had not been there in a while but we had an old punch card for a free lunch. Since we left they stopped using punch cards but the waiter let us use it anyway, we thought. But first he brought the check without taking it off, then he brought it back with only the guac taken off, no explanation. We looked through all the literature they include with the bill and figured out that now they don't give you a free lunch for being a regular, with a punched card, only a small order of guacamole. Oh well, we moved, but we definitely aren't going to rush back. If you haven't been in a while listen to this post and the other posts on yelp that agree that things aren't as good as they used to be, and the customer service is a little spotty.
(2)
Jason C.

Underwhelmed. It was...good...but...I felt like I was eating at an expensive version of Chipotle. Only dined here once--but I tried everyone's food (4 dishes, we all shared). I will definitely return...at some point...however there are many places in my restaurant queue to visit first.
(3)
Benjamin P.

Enjoyed a great Father's Day brunch. The food was a good mix of authentic Latin food with some American-fusion takes. The mix of plantain, malanga, yuca chips and guacamoles was a highlight.
(4)
Kimberly S.

Few recommendations I must add to the list: 1) Guac - either the special of the day, or their HOT one - with the root vegetable and plantain chips - amazing! 2) Blackened Tilapia Tacos - YUM! 3) Butternut Squash Soup - perfect thing to help you warm up on a cold day!
(4)
Kavi D.

I hit up happy hour here with some buddies during a weeknight, so keep in mind my review is based on the happy hour experience and is not reflective of the restaurant as a whole. During happy hour I ordered mushroom and queso empanadas as well as a black-bean flat bred. The empanadas were absolutely delicious. They were crisp and stuffed with nice seasoned mushrooms and topped with delicious queso that packed a little zing. Pretty much perfect. The flatbread also tasted good. It was actually more like a Mexican pizza in that it was a gently baked thick tortilla topped with blackbeans, tomatoes and garnished with cilantro. I felt as if they put a little too much cilantro, but otherwise, it tasted pretty solid. The service was a bit on the slow side, but I'd attribute this to the fact that the bar was packed. Everyone in my party felt as if the selection and pricing for happy hour was among the best we've seen in Cleveland area restaurants. Overall we had a great experience and would like to try this place for either lunch or dinner.
(4)
merlin c.

More fusion than Mexican, outstanding nevertheless!!!! The cheese appetizer was to die for, we had 2!!!! Huge portions and great food!!
(4)
Shayna R.

I'm really torn about my rating for Paladar. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but when I came for lunch in about May, my experience wasn't the greatest. The food was nowhere near as good as it had been in all my visits before, starting with gummy calamari and cold tacos. However, my most recent happy hour visit was great, so hopefully that afternoon was just a fluke. I'm a huge fan of Paladar's happy hour - delicious mojitos and perfect little appetizers for a good price! I typically order the pomegranate-ginger mojito, but I recently tried the mango mojito and it was just as good.
(4)
Jessica I.

As far as I'm concerned, this part of town is a culinary wasteland replete with boring chains. So, when planning a work dinner for a party of 10, largely from out of town, this seemed to be the least of the evils. Yeah, it's a chain, but it doesn't pop up like weeds in every town on earth. The boss was buying, so I had to be respectful of his budget, too. I was assigned to pick out appetizers since I have a reputation as a food snob (go figure). We demolished the guacamole trio, the salsa trio, shrimp corn cakes, chicken empanadas, and calamari. All of those were solid. Entrees ranged from the giant pork chop to my vegetarian sweet potato soft tacos. The only hiccup was that the pork chops were a little pink in the middle, and those two people sent theirs back for a re-fire. Perhaps just a miscommunication, as the server did tell us that those were done medium with a pink center. My rice and beans were pretty standard, but I loved my sweet potato tacos. They were full of perfectly done veggies and a zesty crema. Service was really great, especially for a table of 10. Bottom line, I look like a rock star for picking out a place my coworkers were still talking about the next day, and this crotchety West Side food snob might even go back.
(4)
Jeanette B.

Paladar is a favorite place for work dinners at Progressive when we have out of town guests, partly because of the location, but mostly because the food is diverse and fantastic! There were about 15 of us on Wednesday evening, but they did a decent job of keeping drinks filled. The waiter was very friendly, although possibly a bit frazzled, and even gave us what he called a "tour of the menu." He pointed out all the customer favorites and described the dishes in more detail than the menu. His description changed my choice and that of two others to the "Rum Pork Glazed Cubano." He was right too. The pork was perfectly cooked and served over a fantastic coconut mango rice with black beans on the side. We also all shared multiple guacamole's and salsa as appetizers. The "tortilla" assortment that comes with these is awesome. I highly recommend the banana chips -- YUM! I actually liked the salsa more than than the guac, but I was spoiled on wonderful guac on our trips to Tucson, so it's hard to compare..... This place leans toward the pricey side, but they do have happy hour specials and sandwiches if you don't want to spend a ton of dough. I also recall from a previous visit that their Mojitos are a must-have if you are in the mood for a drink!
(4)
Justin L.

Paladar is one of my new go-tos in Cleveland. I've been 3-4 times, now, and each experience has been 4-star. Really great, but just short of perfect. Nothing in particular to keep it from 5-star territory, it's just not THAT good. The atmosphere is great - "clean and contemporary" as Jamie said, but certainly not overly trendy. A place you feel good to be inside. Service has always been top notch. The servers seem to know the menu well, and even if they're faking it, they seem to have favorites they're passionate about. I've yet to have a bad recommendation. I've had the 8-hour short rib on corn grits, the skirt steak, and one of the chicken dishes (and bites of plenty of others from generous friends). Everything is very tasty. Some of the food is predictable and somewhat unimaginative. But, the spices that are used are so flavorful, that the food is predictably GOOD. I'm not complaining about the food... you're just not going to say, "I never would have imagined these flavors together." The short rib on corn grits may be my favorite... it is just incredibly rich and comforting. But the skirt steak is right up there - it has a sharper flavor that is well-complemented by the delicious beans. On this dish, the rice falls flat but is a good filler. The mojitos and margaritas are both very good. I'm usually a "spring for the premium version" kind of guy, but there's no need unless you're trying to impress someone or your palate is just that sophisticated. Both drinks are refreshing and delicious in "base model" form. All in all, Paladar is an easy choice for entertaining friends, or just a fun date night out. I'd love to see some turnover on the menu and for the executive chef to challenge his patrons to enjoy some more inventive flavor combinations, but I'm nit picking. It's always an above-average, very enjoyable experience.
(4)
Quinton F.

The sangria gets a lot of love here, but if you're inclined I would also try the rum punch. I really enjoy the ambiance here as well as the service. It's a nice "go-to" spot if you're from the area.
(4)
Daniel S.

Nice atmosphere. Tried the salsa trio. Several good jar salsas have more to offer. Chips were less than average yet veg chips good. We had the sweet potato taco. Was decent but nothing I would tell friends about. Service was nice but understaffed so be prepared for overwhelmed server.
(2)
Corinne D.

great place for drinks and apps as well as happy hour! there decor is cool and trendy too. I have tried almost all their appetizers, but there chicken empanadas, and calamari are great. I have yet to find an entree there that i love tho. There drinks tho are very good, margaritas by the flavor as well as mojitos and other fruity concoctions are there by the dozens. Definitely a place to try for a fun night out!
(4)
Marc T.

I recently had dinner here with a coworker and her husband. It was pretty busy, but not overly noisy. The decor was fairly trendy and not particularly "Latin," but nice enough. We had the traditional guacamole, which was very good. I really liked the combination of different chips they provide. Next time I visit hopefully it will be with a larger group allowing me to order and try other types of guacamole and appetizers. I had the Brazilian stew for my entree. It was great. It was a little spicy, but not overpowering. I wish I had more right now. The prices aren't cheap, but certainly are fair for what Paladar serves. I'll definitely go back when in the area.
(4)
Lax C.

OKay so if you don't have reservations don't worry. It was a friday night and we waited about 15 minutes for a table for four. The bar area was definitely busy, but also doable in about 15 mins. I had the pomegranate-ginger mojito.. DELISH! the ginger is very subtle and its not too sweet. The fresh sugarcane is a great touch! We ordered the trio guacamole.., black bean and goat cheese, spicy and regular. I wasn;t a big fan of the former, it was tooo sweet. But the latter too were very good and I loved the chips they were served with. Next I had the chicken empanadas. They were okay. I've definitely had better. Didnt have dessert but did have a second mojito! I would def come back, as there were so many other entres that looked good on the menu! all in a great atmosphere, with very good drinks, great guac and average entres.
(4)
Jamie G.

The deal at Paladar is simple, great atmosphere, clean and contemporary. The drinks are strong although not refined. The "chips" are a delicious mix of thin sliced plantains and yucca slices (malanga, tortilla, Plantain, Yucca) . My first issue stems from the first time I ate at Paladar, the waiter told me the Black Bean soup was Vegetarian, it is not. As a Vegetarian, it is not cool to slip Ham into my food. If I am going to eat meat it is my decision. This kind of pissed me off, but still I blamed the waiter, although an easy solution is put it on the menu. Why give this restaurant 3 stars? Because it is absolute Bullsh1t that they claim to have FRESH Guacamole "Made To Order," that they serve with brown edges and scooped with an ice-cream scooper out of a vat of Guacamole. Puke!!! You are NOT allowed to make the Guacamole every 3 hours and call it Fresh Guacamole. You have a Guacamole Bar, well make it to order. Until you fix the Guacamole process, it is impossible to give you more than 3 stars. Take pride in your Guac. Period. ***I am giving Paladar another shot, mainly because I have heard thru the grapevine that the problems have been heard and are being addressed. Just knowing someone is listening is worth one star.
(4)
isabelle l.

Very bland food. No seasonings on anything. The beef tacos were putrid we had to send them back. The mango coconut rice had no flavor to it. The only tasty thing on the menu were the fish tacos. also we had the rudest most uninterested waitress. Return, Me thinks not!
(2)
Hannah D.

I'm still a newbie to Paladar (only have been there a couple times) but absolutely adored it. Food was delicious, service super friendly and we had a great time. I have all positive things to say. I ordered the glazed pork cubano on this visit based on previous Yelp recommendations (oh imagine that). It was very good and I'm glad I tried something new since I seem to have the bad habit of finding something I like and ordering it EVERY time. With the guacamole appetizer and side of fried plantains I was more than full by the end of the meal and couldn't finish everything. I had a mojito and that was delicious as well. I need to plan another trip to try some of the different rums on their menu. Definitely recommend. I went with my family and everyone enjoyed their dinner. YUM.
(5)
Todd K.

Stumbled across this restaurant while on biz trip to Cleveland. Down the street from my hotel. Went at 5:30 with my work colleague for happy hour--and was not disappointed! $5.00 for all types of appetizers and latan drinks--what a bargain! Had the spicy guac with house made chips which were plantain and yucca, plus one other I could not ID but was very good, along with a few normal corn chips. Had the yucca fries with three dipping sauces and the blackened fish tacos--all were 5.00 each!
(5)
Dominic T.

Went to Paladar with my wife on a Saturday night on recommendation from a friend. 45 min wait (to be expected, especially when we came after leaving B-Spot's 1.5hr wait). Guac ($5) was good, but not great (Momocho was better), but decent app when we were starving. We shared 3 appetizers instead of entrees. I'd pass on the Chicken Emenadas (ca. $10) as they lacked kick, but really enjoyed the Mussels (ca. $12), a 1/2 lb portion in a spicy broth served with corn bread. The Braised Short Rib Mini Tacos were great as well ($10), a generous portion of tender, savory meat served with a sweet asian slaw (fresh and crisp) and several mini tortillas. (My only beef there was that we could have used more tortillas since there was so much meat). While we skipped drinks, we did splurge on dessert, but should have chosen something other than the Churros. We paid about $40 or so with tax for the two of us. Overall the service was great, atmosphere was nice, food was good and portions were great for the price. The entrees we saw at tables near us seemed really well put together and very large for the price. Next time we may split an entree ($15-20) and get drinks, and it would be even less expensive. We've been hearing great things about their Happy Hour too, which is a great deal - $5 select appetizers and $5 drinks (bar only, every day 4-7p). We're excited to return!
(4)
Corey H.

A bit pricey, but nice ambiance and good Latin food
(4)
Chris R.

Great place to go for a late night snack. Great deals on food in the bar. A bit noisy, but the food is worth it.
(4)
Radu N.

Very disappointing cuban sandwich. For $15, I'd expect the sandwich to have more than a few strands of pulled pork. Instead, I got a glorified ham and cheese sandwich. Atmosphere was good. and mojitos were good. Portions were very large for lunch, which I also found unnecessary.
(2)
Caresse s.

Really good place go with a few friends for dinner! Nice drink selection (with and without alcohol). They have a separate gluten free menu and are very accomidating. However, they need to get a separate frier for chips!!! Then everyone can enjoy them. Plantain, corn and something else.. Yucca? However, they provided me with fresh cucumber and jicama slices for dipping:) The guacamole is nice and fresh... Specify the heat you want in it. Try out the braised pork appetizer! The heart of palm salad is both savory with avocado, black beans and sweet with mango! The tacos are really good- we tried the fish and carnitas. The pickled red onions, bell peppers and pineapple is unique - and delicious with the fish. The pork has a smokey red sauce and a soft goat cheese... Really good. 3 tacos per order- double wrapped in corn tortillas. They are not soggy by the time you get around to eat them. Each topped with it's own slice of lime. With a generous amount of black beans and rice. Another party with us got the steak and it was cooked perfectly to order! RARE! It came with a sweet potato hash. The cheesecake was reported to be good. I personally had the coconut creme flan. Yum! Not to sweet, creamy perfection.... Both regular and decaf espresso - per request with a nice selection of latin inspired drinks. Cafe con letche etc. The cappuccino was very good. Give this place a try... They also have a nice looking happy hour between 4-7p. And a frequent flier card... If your that kind a person.
(4)
B R.

Score. Tacos crisped on the inside, soft on the outside. Salmon and chicken entrees good, good with unique tastes. Chips made from plantains and four other foods I can't remember - nice. Fresh modern, smartly designed interior. This place works.
(4)
Laurie U.

I've eaten here a few times and decided to grab takeout for dinner as it is too hot to cook. I ordered two Cubano sandwiches that were to come with fries, two side salads and an order of guacamole. I asked the waiter twice if everything was in the order and was assured it was. I saw four containers plus a smaller one with the guacamole so felt confident I had a complete order. So imagine how irritated I was when I drive all the home and find they never put the fries in with the sandwiches. Normally I would never write a review to complain, but for the $11.95 for a sandwich and fries, you kind of expect better service than you get at a fast food restaurant. The sandwich was just ok, I've had better when I've dined there. I also ordered the large guacamole and got a very skimpy bag of the chips that come with it. I guess this will be my last take out order! What's really ironic is I was way under charged when I was rung out at the bar and pointed it out because I'm honest. I should have taken my food and run!
(2)
Joanna P.

HI Scott, I greatly appreciate that Paladar and you make the effort and care about the quality of your patrons experience. I am sure that sometimes things just end up less idea then anticipated and I will make sure that I come back to Paladar since it used to be my go to place. I am excited to try some of your new vegan options as well. I applaud you for having a very comprehensive and easy to read menu that includes vegan, veg and GF options. Definitely a step in the right direction. Thank you again for writing back.
(4)
Simon I.

Tucked away in the Eaton place on east side of Cleveland, Paladar kitchen & rum bar is a sophisticated Caribbean food heaven. Every dish starting with appetizers to entree to dessert are true celebrations of the taste. Paladar definitely has a weak spot for plantains - fries thin cut as chips for dipping in guacamole, to caramelized accompaniment with entree to sweet fried with dessert. Their currently special appetizer - Prosciutto wrapped beef skewers with spicy peanut sauce leave you craving more almost wishing it could be made into an entree. The meat is tender and burst with jerk flavor that's just right. Their 3 different flavored Civiche (Shrimp, Tuna, or Salmon) are sweet & tangy explosion of diced fish, Plantains, Pickled Red Onions, Basil & Pineapple, & citrus flavor that is a flavor explosion in with every bite. Even a simple sounding entree like 'SLOW SMOKED CHICKEN' keeps you wanting more even if you feel stuffed. This particular dish is tender shredded slow cooked chicken tossed in a "Guajillo Marinade atop Columbian Arepas and Sweet Plantains finished with our Spicy Aji Pepper Sauce". This is a genius amalgamation of Caribbean flavors The 'Rum bar' part of the name of Paladar truly holds up given the extensive light & dark rum. My most favorite is their 'Dark & Stormy' a combination of dark rum with ginger beer. They have mojito & margaritas with various flavors. Although most flavors are well the classic flavor is the best. I did find the pomegranite-ginger flavored mojito to be a terrible mix of flavor and their mint leaves are not mashed like a true mojito deserves. Paladar is not a cheap place, however their $9 - $17 price range, in my opinion is worth the creative and tasteful cuisine they serve up. Paladar truly razzles and dazzles you with their latin influenced flavors, the wait staff deliver mixed service - some are very attentive and know their game, some seem to not know how to serve at a sophisticated place like this. They are always accommodating, so just ask for a server change if you happen to get one who does not suit you. Oh don't forget to check out the secret about Paladar in the announcement section of their business listing here on Yelp.
(4)
Brandon L.

Nothing more I can write up that hasn't been said - just will add another 4 start review as this place was great! Been here a few times now as well so I'm comfortable saying its 4 Star.
(4)
Tobi G.

Excellent Latin Food. The choices are many. We come from S. Florida where we have an abundance of Latin Restaurants and this one was very good . The service was outstanding. The weather was gorgeous and and people could enjoy sitting outside on the patio. You should have a reservation, Go and enjoy!
(4)
Mike P.

Awful...Drinks were weak...server average...food not all that tasty...go to Taza or Pacific East in the same plaza instead... I do not know why people love it here so much. Trying again Wednesday...I am told I ordered the wrong thing...
(1)
Javier G.

Both times I have been here the food has been terrible or mediocre at best. It seems like the only thing good at Paladar is the drinks. The basket of chips is the best part about the whole meal, however, most of the chips in the basket are overfried or stale. Plantain chips gets extremely hard when they are too thick/overcooked in the fryer. The yuca chips are good, but once again, most of them in our basket were stale. Finally, the corn chips at the bottom of the basket are worse than any brand I have purchased at the supermarket (very stale, almost rubbery, and tasteless). They probably leave their already served baskets on a counter for way too long. The fire-roasted salsa - tastes like red italian sauce that belongs over pasta rather than on chips. It is sweet, slightly smoky, and lacks any cilantro flavor. I had to drench it in hot sauce to make it edible with chips. The guacamole - as everyone else has said, tastes like homemade, not restaurant quality. The ceviches - I don't expect to each good ceviche anywhere in Cleveland, but this one is so far out of the basics that it feels like I'm eating canned fruit on top of random fancy seafood. There is no pungent lime taste, which is the base for all ceviches. The selection of seafood in ceviches should never be fancy fish, like salmon, etc. It should always be a simple white or common crustacean. A strong fishy taste is needed to balance the strong taste of lime in a basic ceviche. Paladar's fancy ceviches taste like a cup of dole fruit - the seafood in them is nearly tasteless, and the critical lime flavor is replaced by pineapple or some other sweet fruit. The desserts - The churros are not something that you should order. Carts in american streets have been churros than the ones served in Paladar. I think next time someone invites me to come along, I will have to politely decline or convince them to go somewhere else. At least the service is nothing to complain about.
(1)
Ifeoma W.

ZOMG! I love this place! Walking in there made me feel like the high-powered fashionable career gal I always dreamed of being...except I was pushing a stroller with my husband. LOL. Although the place was full of slick, beautiful, 20-something year olds just off from work and having their appletinis and cosmos, the server didn't bat an eye at our (equally fashionable and slick Brita red) stroller. I had the lamb soup and it was absolutely scrumptious! The term "soup" is misleading, it really was much thicker, more like a stew and the lamb was cooked all tender and melted like butter in my mouth. Om nom nom nom! My husband had the cuban sandwich and he found it also very good. I love their chips too, and the dip it came with was tasty! We didn't get the guac (watching that waist-line) so I can't rate it but I saw them making it fresh in the kitchen in these little mortar and pestles and I think this means it must be really good! I had a guanabana drink and that was really yummy too! Made me reminiscence of our time in Costa Rica. Someday Cuba, we shall meet! In short, I think this would be a great place for a girl's (or boys) night out. The one star off is because it was VERY noisy in the restaurant so I could barely have a quiet conversation with the hubby. But if you are with your group of girls, then this would be perfect; especially since you know y'all are gonna get real loud after that second mojito! ) P.S.: And what a great location! Right in the mall with the Trader Joe's, etc.
(4)
Karen W.

Good mojitos, and lots of different types of rum to choose from. I had my first caipirinha here, and it was strong, and a little tart. I had Leblon cachaca in it since it was supposed to be better than the cachaca 51, and though it was good, I think I like the refreshing minty taste of the mojitos better. The happy hour here is a good deal- from 3-7 pm $5 mojitos and margaritas, and discounted appetizers. I only tried one of the appetizers, the crab and mango cakes, and they were delicious. For dinner, I tried some of the cuban pork and had the slow smoked chicken. Both tasted great, lots of flavor and cooked till tender. The corn cake that came with the meal was very salty and lukewarm though. I tried some horchata at dinner as well, and I really have to say this is the worst horchata I've ever had, and the most expensive. $4 for VERY watery, tasteless, milky colored liquid. So would I go here again? Sure, for happy hour and for the great rum drinks.
(3)
Ferdinand H.

I'm not entirely certain how to classify this place; it's really somewhere between a gastro-pub and a restaurant. There's quite a mingling scene, and rather pretty decor, but perhaps my experience is coloured by seat vultures. There has definitely been a decline in courtesy in the US, and this night really highlighted it, when the server directed my brother and I to seats that were immediately snatched by an older couple that had been there far later than we. Now, had they made eye contact, I would have been happy to cede the seat to them. I mean, they are older, and hopefully having a good date together... My brother and I could easily stand. However, when the server apologized loudly for the seat snatching, these two blithely continued to enjoy their "good find" without acknowledging their breach of etiquette. Most distasteful. That said, they have an extensive rum list, and rather decent fare. I can't vouch for authenticity, in that I haven't eaten enough Mexicana cuisine to have a strong idea as to what they should taste like. That said, I've been to a lot of Tapas places around the nation, and mexican food in completely latin run and patronized restaurants... My sense is that the flavours are good, but off the mark. Still, I enjoyed my short rib taquitos and carnitas tacos. My brother seemed to like his meal. I'd go back, but not aggressively.
(3)
J W.

We were heading to Mitchel's Fish Market for dinner at the Eton Collection and we saw this place full of people. We changed courses and sat outside for some magaritas and mojitos. It was Cinco de Mayo! Our waiter was awesome. Jed was his name. He recommended the mini tacos for some appetizers, so we tried one of each kind of meat, pork, chicken, beef and fish. Fish was the best. Loved the fact that they didn't use the traditional corn taco shells. They used Taro root! The usual basket of chips had taro root, yucca and plantains on top of the corn chips. I had the slow cooked chicken for dinner and it was good and there was a lot of it. I think I barely finished half the plate as it came with plantains and some corn cake. Atmosphere was good. Looks like a happening place for singles. Sitting outside wasn't so great because of the wind. It kept blowing the water from the water fountain on us. Everything was great except for some bad advice from the busboy. We had a flight at the Cleveland airport later that night and we asked the busboy how long it took to get to the airport from the restaurant. He said 10 minutes. We trusted him and didn't check google maps on the phone. Turns out, we are 30 minutes from the airport. So I drove all fast and furious to the airport, while my coworker checked us in online using a blackberry and had the boarding passes emailed to us. That plus no wait at the security line, we made it with 5 minutes to spare.
(4)
Amanda L.

Food is decent here, recommend the tacos, which are tasty. Ambiance and staff are nice. As usual, you'll encounter some clueless patrons as with any place in Eton Collection. Parking is a nightmare. Place is pricey for what you get, especially drinks. If you want to try this place, do so at happy hour. Also, their salads are not very good, and their steak is not very high quality; it's "chewy". Staff was attentive, hostess was good, bartenders were awesome, waiter was good. Their sangria was not very impressive; I don't think they make it properly. It tasted like red wine poured over fruit, with fruit floating on the top. I don't think they marinate it overnight. It did not possess a fruity flavor in the least. My old roommate, who was from Mexico, would make red wine sangria, and this could be why I don't like it; because I am used to this recipe. Guacamole is good with the chips they serve. Too loud for a date; too trendy for my taste. Not a place to go to talk during happy hour. They crank the music and you feel like you're in a pseudo-club. I only come here if others want to try it. What I have noticed is this: they usually don't want to come back once they've experienced this place.
(3)
J. H.

Went for appetizers and drinks at the bar (which we have done before, too). Bartenders were attentive and personable. Had some happy hour drinks and appetizers. Guacamole and chips were solid as usual, and tried the chorizo and cheese pupusa for the first time - very nice. Paladar will normally set you back a few bucks, but the happy hour specials helped to keep the bill reasonable.
(4)
Brandee P.

Rum Glazed Pork Cubano: ridiculously amazing. Its not something I would probably order on my own but a friend did, I tried it and now I'm sold. Everything on the plate just works so well together. I really have liked everything I've tried on my visits and I love their chips that come with the guacamole. IF they have the lemon basil guacamole try it, I'm a traditional girl and I love lime over lemon but wow. Service is good but can sometimes be a little slow. I went last week and there were seven of us, the one to my right had extraordinary service and the one to my left was constantly waiting on something. Our server was just inconsistent however they have all seemed to be very professional and highly trained. I'm low maintenance so for me the service was average, maybe slightly above.
(4)
Adriana B.

We had such a great experience! Some of the food was just average, other items were spectacular and makes me want to go back and try more. Service was excellent! We ordered and shared the following item (they may not be the exact name on the menu): Table side guacamole- Guac was average but the yucca chips served with it, make it different and worth ordering. Hearts of Palm Salad- We ordered the dressing on the side. However, the salad is so delicious neither one of us wanted it, even though it was equally as yummy. Colombian Seafood Stew- LOVED IT! Truly flavorful. Again, we had the item split and we each had a good size serving. Carne Asada Churrasco- The steak was grilled medium (as requested) and the chimicurri sauce was to be expected. The item was good, but not spectacular. It also came with pinto beans, but I didn't try any because I don't like the texture of beans like that. However, the hubs really enjoyed them. Dulce de Leche cheesecake- I'd take a pass on this. The cheesecake was dry, rather than the luscious deliciousness it should be. When the manager asked us how we liked the meal, we were honest--It was great, but the cheesecake disappointed. He didn't have to, but was kind enough to remove it from the bill. We will most definitely be coming back to try more. Our server was gracious, attentive and not overbearing. One of the better restaurants I've tried in Cleveland.
(4)
Carmela M.

Great food, great drinks, excellent service!!!!! Would come back in a heartbeat!
(4)
Betsy S.

Came here for pre-dinner drinks and apps with my mom, my best friend from high school, and her mom for our annual-ish Thanksgiving time get together. I ordered a caiparainha (yes i know it's spelled wrong), and there were rum drinks, margaritas, and a porter scattered around the table. And we got guac and salsa. Our waitress was attentive at first then once she realized we weren't ordering entrees and more drinks, sorta abandoned us for the table of party girls next to us. That's okay. We were headed to Bravo afterward anyway. The guac was all right - not anything special - but the plaintain chips were delish, Would I return? Doubtful, seeing as I'm home rarely and there are many other restaurants to try. But I'm glad I gave it a shot - my drink wasn't too sweet, per request, and the guac tasted like what I make at home. But with a bigger price tag.
(3)
Megan T.

Yum! We started with the plantain crusted crab croquetas. While they were delicious, you only get four small ones which are hard to justify at $12. I had the rum glazed Cuban pork and my husband had the Cuban sandwich with the spinach and hearts of palm salad. Service was okay but not great. We both liked our dishes and we will likely return. Oh, and bonus -- it's just down the strip from a Menchies!
(4)
Rachel S.

I've only been here once for lunch while I was in the neighborhood, but it was great. Loved the atmosphere and decorations. The beef tacos were delicious, as well as the shrimp guacamole (which was a special that day). My mom got the chicken empenadas, which were pretty bland, so I wouldn't recommend those. The peach basil and pomegranate ginger mojitos were to DIE for--they alone were enough reason to come back!
(4)
Karen M.

I never would never even try guacamole until I tried it here. I love it with the yucca chips and plantain chips and also the tortilla chips.
(4)
Robyn T.

Great location at Eton Collection with a beautiful patio, open dining room and friendly staff. My Mom had been raving about this place and it lived up to the high expectations I had set. There is an extensive (and fun) drink menu. My horchata run drink was sweet and I easily could have had two. Appetizers are meant to be shared and there are a plethora of great Cuban inspired options. The quacamole was good (not the best I've had but good -- plus they had options to make it spicer or with some more exotic add-ins), mahi mahi tacos were an excellent choice (the fish was almost a pate mix and anything that is mini seems that much better) and the ceviche did not disappoint. Entree portions were huge and though I easily could have opted to take mine home I insisted on finishing it all there. Our waiter recommended the cubano (I thought it was going to be a traditional sandwich but it was a cubano deconstructed). There was a mound of subtly sweet pork, rice with bits of mango and black beans. Other highlights at our table included the chile rellenos (quite possibly the largest chile I'd seen) and the plantains. Overall this was a very good dining experience and I'd definitely enjoy coming back to soak up the lively bar scene, enjoy a ladies lunch or a relaxed dinner on the patio.
(4)
jennifer b.

Yes. If you like meat and latin flavors, without spending a ton of cash, yet getting an ENORMOUS plate of food, this is the place to eat. Went with a large group and all of our dishes were meaty to the max, and all of us struggled to finish. But! we did, because it was cold out, and this is some great comfort food. I started with a ceviche, which was great with the plantain chips. For my meal I had the lamb stew which actually had a decent amount of lamb in it. Also got what I believe was the house margarita and oh my did that go down fast. One friend had the steak that came with the yuca fries. While the steak was gone quickly, I was allowed to try a yuca fry and I've now got to find out where the @#$% I can get a yuca and make fries myself! The most popular dish at the table was the pork cubano and I can see why -- the meat fell apart in your mouth (that doesn't look right now that I've typed it out. In fact it looks creepy. But it's true! It was delicious!) Oh, and if you're into rum, the drink menu looked good. But as I said above, so were the margaritas... I'm more of a tequila girl myself. ;)
(4)
Jim V.

Paladar's daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm rocks! Wish they were in Tremont!
(5)
lizette r.

went to paladar for the first time with two friends last night. FANTASTIC mojitos! we got the guacamole for the table and it wasn't the best i'd ever had but the mixed tortilla, plantain and yuca chips were great and made up for it. one friend ordered the salmon and it was pretty tasty. another friend ordered the short ribs and though they were good they weren't all that exciting. mine was by far the best - the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. delicious!! cooked perfectly. it came with pinto beans and rice which were pretty good but the steak was killer. i thought it was a pretty cool place too. really, really good drinks. a great place for three girlfriends after a shopping trip.
(4)
Anand S.

Great mojito and some very interesting chips. The chicken in my salad was a bitter, but other than that the food was good. Great ambience too.
(4)
Keith H.

Ate here last week with the work crew. Super hip, sexy, and trendy. Service was super duper for our 7+ group. Cool nifty diverse and and authentic menu. We had some killer apps, guacamole and ceviche. My meal was tasty and the rest of the group liked their food. Nice monitor and a great experience.
(5)
Ryan N.

Absolutely amazing food and service! A party of 7 came here for a "Welcome Home" dinner for my sister. Everything from the drinks (JalapeÃ±o Paloma was excellent), to the made to order guacamole sampler, to our entrees all exceeded our expectations. The waiting staff was professional and courteous, without seeming pushy or overwhelming. I'll definitely be making a second -- and a third -- trip back to Paladar
(5)
James D.

Paladar really hit the spot for me big time. I visited before and it was years so I needed to refresh to try to write a good review for you. I had avocado and tilapia ceviche and rum punch drinks. This was a perfect combination. Refreshing, delicious or whatever strong adjectives you may want to attach to my experience. I liked the bartender. He did not try to treat me like geriatric alcoholic because I wanted to indulge in few drinks alone and possibly strike up some conversation. I was all for it, I even was able to absorb some of their Latin American music with no frills. I favor Tropicalia personally but another topic altogether friends. Only one thing restrains me from offering the elusive five star review. I found myself next to an older man and woman having the most inane and gross conversations I have heard. The man was some executive person for Keybank. You can gather my sentiments for Keybank in my scathing review posted previously. This guy wagered talking points from his affairs with women who worked for him, HR investigations, and couple million dollars of salary over past several years all within my sensitive earshot. He generally carried on with the aplomb that could make anyone want to vomit nachos. What a creep. I am still recovering from customer service experience that I wrote about previously. I can't fault Paladar for serving these people who happened to be obese yet I left feeling depressed with my rum punch buzz.
(4)
Veronica P.

Excellent Latin food, flavorful and great service. Best fresh tasting guacamole I have ever had in a restaurant. Great prices at happy hour 4-7, and $5 mojitos. They are made fresh with real fruit!
(5)
Carol T.

My daughter and I went for dinner and drinks on a Friday evening. The bar was packed, it was Happy Hour, so we opted for a fairly empty dining room. After we were seated we waited almost 10 minutes before we were brought our water. We tried to order drinks, but the server who had brought our water told us she was not our waitress. We waited almost 10 more minutes before we walked out. While we were waiting we watched 3 to 4 servers talking among themselves, checking their phones, and apparently blatantly ignoring us. There is more to a dining experience than the food....and I hope the food which we will NEVER taste is better than the service
(1)
Joyce H.

I went here with a friend to eat and the decor is beautiful. We loved the atmosphere! It looks very modern/chic with lots of colors. Seems like it would be a fun place to go on the weekends for drinks. When we went though, the patrons were more on the suburban, older end. We did go on a Sunday evening, but it makes me wonder if the same crowd comes in on the weekends too. On the whole, the food seemed average. I really enjoyed the appetizer, which was the pulled beef on plantains. The flavor was good (for me, I could always use more spice) and the beef was tender. The rum pulled pork was generally good - very tender, and I liked some of the flavoring, but the pineapple/rice tasted very so-so. (It was a little rice-a-roni...yikes.) I had a spiced rum that enhanced some of the flavors. Overall, I think the food could use more spice, but hey, it's located in an area with Midwestern palettes.
(3)
Tim S.

Drinks were great. I had the Rum Glazed Pork, which was great. The coconut mango rice tasted nothing like coconut nor mango it tasted like water, way over cooked. The pork made up in flavor that the rice lacked. I'd go back and try again to see if it can get better
(3)
Donna W.

Excellent restaurant! We love the different flavored Mojitos. Last night I had the mussels for my dinner with the house salad and my hubby had the salmon with spatzal. I don't like salmon as its just too fishy for me but I do try it every time he orders it and I have to say it was not fishy at all. I would actually order it from here. The guac with chips is also a must! Delish!
(4)
Sean P.

I have to say that this food was good (a little too hyped from the other reviews but good). Went with co workers on a Wednesday night and it was already busy! So get to location early if have reservations. Also finding a parking spot is a little difficult so showing up a little early will help. The food again was great and the service was nice and prompt. Would come back here but as other restaurants in the area will have to try others also.
(4)
Vanessa L.

Just okay. Has selections for gluten free diners but the chips aren't completely gluten free. It's so easy to make gluten free corn chips - so a disappointment. The salsas were not good - more bland than anything. Just okay
(3)
Ted M.

Great happy hour menu, very good vibe and atmosphere, a good choice for a first (or any) date. Very good mojitos. All food I have ordered here has been quite good, which is also to say that none has been truly exceptional. A solid four stars.
(4)
Hokie F.

Good guac and chips. Sat at a high bar table smack against a giant column so my view was limited. Short rib empanadas were a good idea but a little too doughy for my liking. Gazpacho was too garlicky. Service was inattentive at best. When they brought backthe special guac with heirloom tomatoes after first bringing me the plain version, waiter tried to explain that many of the tomatoes were green and couldn't be seen easily... Really? Standard mojito was good. Sugar cane swizzle was a nice and sweet chewy touch.
(3)
J F W.

Sweet Potato Donuts. Enough said... These things were like little balls of joy in my mouth. That sounded nastier than I intended. Let's just go with awesome shall we? I also didn't intend to start the review with dessert but they were so good I pretty much forgot everything else. I had the pork soft tacos for dinner and they were fantastic as well. I paired them with a mojito, margarita, and bourbon on the rocks. Don't judge me. The margarita was a little sweet for my taste but I'll give them a pass on that considering how great everything else was. I would definitely suggest a trip to this latin kitchen...
(5)
Kenneth C.

This place never disappoints. The food ranges from flavorful but not spicy to very zesty Latin fare. And the chips, salsa, and fresh guacamole are something you have to experience!
(5)
Sarah E.

Came here on a Friday evening with my bf and another couple. We had to wait about 45 min to be seated, so I would recommend making a reservation if you plan on coming on a weekend night. Food/drink: -Mango sangria was very yummy and a carafe was enough for four people to have almost 2 drinks each. I would say this is a good deal on the menu. I loved the mango chunks that were floating around in this drink. -Fish tacos were good; the fish was blackened tilapia, which was flavorful and cooked well. The dish came with black beans and rice which were super bland. I am from Miami, so I have had very good black beans and rice. Compared to that, this tasted like black beans out of a can poured over rice. Meh. -Chips/guac were very good... I liked the guac a lot. It almost had a smoky / bacon flavor to it. The chips were good, especially the plantain and yuca chips. Service: -Service was very slow (30 min to take our order, another 30 min after that to bring our food), but it was a Friday night so I understand. There was some confusion with our order, but I felt they handled it well. Basically, we ordered ceviche and they instead brought out chips with guac. When we asked about it, we were told the guac was complementary. Then our food came, and when we asked about the ceviche, our waiter told us that they mixed up our tables and we got guac instead. Since our food was already there, we held off on the ceviche. They didn't charge us for guac or ceviche, so no harm no foul I guess. Overall, this place had a nice atmosphere and the food was good. I've had amazing Cuban/ South American food in Miami, so maybe I am a tough critic, but this place doesn't even compare to the food there. And the price of food here ($15-25 per plate) is pretty steep for the quality of food. I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but I probably won't be back.
(3)
Rodney W.

My wife read the menu for Paladar as we walked by the restaurant today and she immediately insisted that we eat there! So eat we did. We waited 45 minutes to be seated, but hey, it was Father's Day. In the mean time, we played chess down the block and scoped out some of the stores, including Trader Joe's. This is a nice shopping plaza. Once we were seated, we ordered some drinks and water. They serve two kinds of Great Lakes Brewery beer and so I ordered a Dortmunder, which was pretty yummy. All of us were in the mood for steak, so we all ordered the churrasco with rice and beans. It's not the churrasco that I'm used to, but it was pretty tasty. It will give Ohioans an idea of what a real churrasco is, but it is not the same as an authentic meal, which I've had many times out of the country. The steak was the closest thing to authentic in the meal. How can you get that part wrong? The rice was nothing like the rice I've had in Puerto Rico and neither were the beans. They were very Americanized. We had hoped that we would get top notch rice and beans, but they just weren't. The chimicurri left a lot to be desired too. I'll continue making churrasco, rice, and beans at home until I find a restaurant that does it right. Nonetheless, the food was of good quality and tasted good. The portions were a little on the small side. I can't wait to try some of the other menu items. We'll be back!
(4)
Simone D.

This place had me at "Latin Kitchen," but RUM BAR? I knew I had to come. There is a ton of space inside, and it was pretty full. I had just missed happy hour, and I'm a little sad because a lot of people showed up for it, so it must be good. I'm also bummed that I wasn't there on a weekend because that brunch menu looked heavenly. You can't go wrong with bottomless mimosas. I had the salmon mango ceviche, a side of sweet plantains, and a pomegranate ginger mojito. The ceviche had salmon, mango, cilantro, red onion, and a cream sauce. The flavors really let the salmon shine. The plantains were deliciously sweet, and provided a good balance of flavor from the ceviche. I was a little underwhelmed by the mojito because I wanted to taste more ginger, it was a good pomegranate mojito though. The table chips are pretty cool. They're a mix of malanga, yucca, plantain, and tortilla chips, but they don't come with any salsa or anything. I enjoyed them with my ceviche. My only negative takeaways are that I had to ask for the complimentary chips, and that there was no formal introduction from my waiter. He was helpful and friendly, but I never got his name.
(4)
A'Lia M.

If your into happy hour you may want to try this place. The first important thing to know is that they have two happy hours from 4 to 7 and then again from 9 to 11, awesome I know. Their chips are a mix of plantains, yucca, and tortilla. Also the sangria and margarita are well worth their happy hour price of $5
(5)
Roxanne O.

I would dare to say that this is one of the best happy hours around the Beachwood area. There are plenty of drink specials, a wide variety of discounted food, and...a million and 5 people jammed into the bar area every time I stop by for happy hour. Siiigh. Paladar gets extra points in my book for clearly labeling food on their menus. It makes it easy for vegans like me or people with food sensitivities to make good choices. I'm deducting a star because happy hour is always so busy and service isn't the quickest. I've also been to Paladar for lunch and have had a couple painfully slow experiences, so...I'll just stick to happy hour. When I'm not on my work lunch break, I can afford to be more patient.
(4)
Justin B.

Great restaurant. Their fish tacos are amazing. Great staff and service and the bar has some fantastic selections.
(5)
Ganesh N.

Main course was very good. I had pulled pork which is their specialty. Desert was a disappointment. Tress Leeches was very dense. But they did take off the item from my bill when they heard my complain. The waitress as well as the floor manager were excellent. They came by to check on the food. Nice decor. Good crowd. Good selection of rum. Parking is tough. This mall has many good restaurants as well as upscale stores. So be patient.
(4)
Bryant M.

When I get really excited about reviewing a place, my mind goes a million miles a minute and my thoughts get totally jumbled. And that's exactly how I'm feeling about Paladar. So let me try to get my shit together and write a decent review of one of the best dining experiences I've had in really long time... After an exhausting day touring Cleveland, we were famished and looking for a great meal. The trusty Yelp iPhone app pointed me to Paladar, and once again - you guys were totally on the money. This was hands-down the best Latin food I've had outside of Central and South America. The hype around this place is completely on-point. I think a list would be the easiest way to tell you all the things I loved about Paladar: ^ Reservations on Open Table - easy, peasy! ^ Service - Our server, Kristy, was warm, bubbly, attentive, and full of personality. She especially won me over when she found out cilantro (that vile weed!) was in my dish, and she immediately came over to me to help choose a substitution. ^ Food - Everybody at our table loved their meals, so I don't think you can go wrong with any choices. But I have to highly recommend: grits, papusa, plantains, and rum pulled pork w/ mango rice. (The Mister also loved his ceviche, but I can't attest to that - I don't eat seafood.) ^ Drinks - It seems like Paladar is always having some type of drink special, and I got my fill of deliciously-crafted caipirinhas...for $5 each! ^ Atmosphere - Paladar is upscale without trying, and the customers ranged from casual families to young people all dressed up - and everything in between. I can't say enough amazing things about Paladar, and I can't wait to go back. It's probably a good thing that I'm in Columbus over two hours away!
(5)
Scott S.

Paladar has a great selection for those with dietary restrictions (vegan, veg especially) - and not just the usual "we have salad". The sweet potato tacos are fantastic! The mojitos are great too (and vegan as well) :-)
(4)
David G.

Great experience and fun for the entire family as we ate there the night after Valentines. Great drinks and food. We will be back for brunch!
(5)
Aaron S.

Great happy hour, great guacamole! Good tacos but there's so much more. I suggest trying either of the stews, or anything with the braised beef which is fantastic. Also - rum. Great runs you can't find anywhere else!
(4)
Marrissa M.

One of my new favorite happy hours. The food on the menu is very tasty and affordable. They do not skimp on the portion sizes. I highly recommend.
(4)
Linda W.

Have you ever anticipated an intriguingly named place only to be disappointed? Paladar was just such a place. "Rum Bar." Doesn't it sound dark, mysterious? Don't you envision an exotic tropical bar with stands of palm trees, cronies crowded around swapping stories of adventures long remembered? Wellllllll...not so much. It's actually glass-walled, gleaming, high ceilinged and quite short of anything exotic. Maybe they threw in the "Rum BAR" simply to rhyme with PalaDAR. We planned a brunch run for our first ever Paladar Rum Bar experience. Having perused the menu online and finding gluten-free items, I was excited to see they had pupusas. I knew that would be part of my order, for sure. What are they, you say? Delightful pillows of masa harina dough flattened into almost English muffin size discs and grilled on both sides until crisp outside, tender inside. Usually they're stuffed with cheese or meat or other fillings. Fantastic! And they have them at Paladar! Except, for some reason they deep fry them. In a fryer with gluten items. What?! Why? Pass. So what to order? Hmmmm. We started with the guac and chips of plaintains, yucca and malanga. Okay, good start. The chips especially were crisp and interesting. The guac was good, was nothing extraordinary. (Get extraordinary at Momocho!) For the my brunch entree I decided to order traditional Brazilian feijoada. I couldn't wait to try the roasted pork, spicy chorizo and black bean dish! How could you go wrong? But it was bland. Even the "spicy" chorizo wasn't what a good chorizo should be. And to think the waiter had bragged to us that the chorizo was one of the foods they got in that WASN'T FROZEN! Wow. My daughter ordered the Ropa Viejo. She was similarly underwhelmed. Maybe the frozen food issue is part of the problem, maybe they need better recipes. Actually, I think I know the real answer. We had both ordered the Paladar Bloody Mary which is described as "Ron Atlantico Reserva Rum, tomato juice, chipotle peppers, adobo seasoning, lime juice and cilantro salt. It's got a 'lil kick." At least that's what the brunch menu said. When it arrived, it looked fantastic. The cilantro salt rim was delightful. But, where was that kick? The drink was watery and there was no heat whatsoever. They may want to consider rewriting THAT description. A very sweet bartender came to the table and offered to remake the drinks explaining that they had to tone down the heat for the locals. There it is...that explains the food, too. Instead of being authentic, it's been dumbed down for cautious palates. And then there's that frozen food issue. Gah. Would I go back? Not on your life. Cleveland is blessed with numerous AUTHENTIC Latin restaurants. If you want Latin food, seek one out. In fact, I highly recommend Barroco in Lakewood where you can get AUTHENTIC Latin delights. I wasn't aware that Paladar is a chain until I noticed numerous locations across the country while writing this review. So maybe that's another part of the problem. If you're looking for bland, cafeteria quality "Latin" food...sure, hit up Paladar. Otherwise, don't bother. What a disappointment!
(1)
B D.

The food was fantastic service was great had an excellent time with our family and our server was very very friendly thank you so much for a great experience. Must try the bread pudding. !!!
(5)
Frog F.

Very salty to begin with also found a piece of bone in the chicken.... Lost my appetite after finding a robbery skin in my chicken tacos....won't recommend it at all
(1)
Adi S.

I feel that this place deserves slightly more than three stars, in the 3.5 range. Came here for dinner with friends on a week night. Overall, I have to say I really like the atmosphere of this place- elegant, yet just shy of upscale. The food was done well, yet left a little something to be desired. I had the guacamole sampler and the lamb tacos, which were a special. I am a big fan of lamb, and I have to say that the tacos were cooked right, were pleasantly garnished, and had a great sauce flavor- slightly spicy and slightly tangy. I feel as though there could have been more meat on the tacos and I was slightly disappointed with the guacamole, all three of which in the sampler ended up tasting rather the same. Great drinks and great dessert options. The goat cheese cheesecake and sweet potato donuts are absolutely delicious. Another plus was the very friendly service that we received.
(3)
Doug N.

Fish tacos are outstanding. Used to stop at Dukes every time I was on the West Coast to get my fill, now I can drive 15 minutes! Spicy Guac is very good with chips and the service is always good.
(5)
Kaitlin D.

Nothing bad to say! Wow! Well, except for the fact that it isn't closer to me. I came here for happy hour, so keep that in mind--I didn't eat an entree but I had my fair share of drinks and appetizers. The pumpkin seed guacamole probably changed my life. There wasn't much in the way of feta (I think that was the cheese included...) but the pumpkin seeds were a perfect addition. I think what would have made it even more remarkable would have been goat cheese (then I wouldn't have to go to Momocho for goat cheese guac AND I'd have a better experience!). The fish tacos were excellent! Since I split them with a friend, we each got one, which, after a couple of drinks, was not enough. I found myself wanting something like 12 of them. Of course that was the mojito(s) speaking...and the fact that my eyes are ALWAYS way larger than my stomach. I had the pomegranate ginger mojito and it really changed the way I look at mojitos. I could have had more than two, but like I said, the drive is a bit far for me to be getting too happy during happy hour. The interior is fantastic! I really love the way it looks in this place and the layout of it all. The colors and decor come straight from my dream home (or at least bedroom) and the placement of the bar is really cool. Well, cool until you're two drinks and a glass of water into your night and you have to get to the bathroom--then, the step off of the "stage" of a bar area is a little dangerous and the walk through the dining area makes you feel even more like you're on a stage (performing this time, of course). I almost felt like I should have done the rumba or something to entertain the folks enjoying their dinners, they were so fascinated with me. I don't think I was THAT bad...hmm. Our bartender was friendly and on his game, though he seemed overly excited for happy hour. Maybe because his bar was full of ladies sipping cocktails? Either way, he seemed to know what he was doing! I'm really looking forward to coming here again, whether for happy hour again or for a whole dinner experience!
(5)
Ellie G.

I really wanted to like this place!! Menu looked right up my alley- I wanted to order it all!! We had a reservation but arrived a few minutes early and sat at the bar to have a drink while we waited.. And waited. We were there 5 min early and after 20 min decided to order a snack at the bar. It was good we did so we were able to leave before blowing a lot of money on what appeared to be mediocre food and terrible service. We ordered wine. Easy. Came quickly and we chatted with the bartender about the apps. He told us chefs choice was a mango/roasted garlic guacamole and we were excited to try it. Liked that it came with different types of chips but I have had so many plaintain chips in my life that I know stale/bad ones- these were bad! And missing salt! The guac was terrible- must have been mixed with mayo and other fillers to make it more 'moussy' rather than made with lots of avocados Mango equaled appx four fruity pieces that I could have sworn were pineapple. Roasted garlic non-existent. The consistency almost made me sick. But around that time I saw one of the bar servers stick their hand in their mouth to pick their teeth and then go back to 'prepping' mojito glasses. That was the last straw. We got up and paid for our disgusting guac and wine and promptly told the server to remove our reservation. I know it's bad to judge a restaurant on one dish- but come on! You can't make good guac- you are off my Latino list. Even chipotle has better guac!!! And it is way less expensive!
(2)
Allison S.

I came here for a business lunch. The service was speedy & friendly - perfect for a work weekday lunch. The staff was knowledgable about the menu. I had the appetizer on special, which was Duck Confit Tostones. The portion size was good enough for a person to have a filling lunch. The duck was perfectly cooked, moist and flavorful. The plantain tostones were crispy yet sturdy enough to hold the duck & toppings, but were kind of bland tasting. Slightly sweet but, I couldn't tell they were plantains. I still found them delicious and would go back for more. Also try the sweet potato donuts! They were delicious! Shaped more like a donut hole and with the density of a "cake" donut. They were very dense, moist, and yummy! The dip was some kind of coffee/caramel confection with the consistency of yogurt. I could eat it by the spoonfuls! If your shopping at Eaton and need a food fix, I'd definitely check this place out.
(4)
Lisa C.

Met up with a friend for lunch. Wanted a hamburger, but didn't want to go to B spot, so headed to Paladar instead. When here, you have to try the guacamole. We shared the traditional, but if you are with a large group, order the sampler of guac. Yum! The avocado is fresh. It's smooth with a nice kick of onion and tomato. It's served with assorted chips: tortilla, banana and taro? I ordered my hamburger made with avocado and fried onions. Side of sweet potato fries. Nice combo. The ketchup also had a nice kick...maybe mixed with some sort of hot sauce?! My friend tried the Tilapia, which was moist and fresh! Came with a side of green beans with a nice crunch. He finished his whole meal, which is always a good sign! This was not my first visit here. I have probably been here more then a handful of times and most if not every time, I enjoyed my meal. The price is debatable, but the portions are large. If the weather is nice, enjoy your meal out on their patio!
(4)
Christine G.

I went here with my parents and a family friend tonight. We met at Eton and figured out where to go once we got to Eton. We started off with some drinks and since we were in the bar, we got happy hour specials. 3 sugar margaritas later, my mom was driving home, but that's besides the point! The chips and guacamole were delicious (tortilla, plantane and one other type of chip) were pretty good and I'm normally not a guac person. For dinner, I got the Braised Beef Ropa Vieja. It was enough for 3 meals for me, but absolutely delicious!!! The meat melted in your mouth, the rice and beans were so good. My mom got the chicken tacos and sent her last one home with me. My friend got the portobello dish and it was one of the best vegetarian dishes she's had. Good place to go with good portion sizes. Our waiter was awesome and we had a good 1.5 hours or so with him! Note, would beware of prom and homecoming season!
(5)
Kelly R.

I've been to Paladar, once or twice before, for dinner. Yesterday, I visited Paladar for Happy Hour. I arrived at approximately 5:00, there were only a few people sitting within the bar area. Within 30 minutes, the area was standing-room-only. The restaurants hosts Happy Hour 7 days a week from 4-7. There were lots of choices on the Happy Hour drink and food menu. I opted for the El Cubano sandwich and an order of Tostones @ $5 each. The sandwich was huge, and included a generous portion of ham, roast pork and other condiments, served warm and gooey with a side of tortilla chips. The tostones (twice fried plantains), were also very good and the perfect accompaniment to my sandwich. I can't wait to go back in order to try other options!
(4)
Eric H.

We went during happy hour. Half priced drinks and appetizers were the way to go. Good food, good drinks...by the time dinner came out we were all pretty much done but the food was tasty. I will return.
(4)
Mark L.

We came in 14 strong with a reservation, and they had our table ready on time and everything. Our server handled our big party respectably. Wait time for service and food wasn't long given how busy it was on a nice Saturday evening. I didn't know what to order because nothing jumped off the menu to me. That's when our waiter came to the rescue and recommended the "Ropa Vieja" appetizer (Cuban braised beef served over plantains and topped with red onion, jicama slaw, and spicy aji pepper sauce) and the Jamaican Curried Shrimp entrÃ©e (shrimp and chorizo with red beans, brown rice, and plantains in a coconut curry sauce). Both were wonderfully presented and tasting amazing as well. The ropa vieja was braised to perfection. A lot of restaurants prepare plantains poorly but Paladar does it right, at least in the ropa vieja. The red onions were not overpowering and meshed well with everything else. The dish was, dare I say, perfect? The Jamaican curried shrimp did not disappoint either. Way more shrimp than most restaurants will give you, and they were succulent and tasty. The curry sauce was on point as well. The price is kind of steep at this place for both the drinks and the food. I guess that's to be expected, but I had to dock a star for that. Also, all beer is bottled, no draft. People come here for the cocktails/liquor though, and those looked impressive and were reportedly strong. Overall, I did love the place and will definitely be back for more.
(4)
Jennifer R.

I loved everything about this place!! The ambiance and decor were so fun. The portion sizes were pretty large and the food was amazing - the best taco I have ever had. Our service was great too. There is absolutely nothing I would have changed about this experience. I have worked in a few places and Latin America and this just brought me back to those times. Absolutely loved it and cannot wait to go back! They had great happy hour specials posted if you sit at the bar - may have to try that next time!!
(5)
Jeffrey S.

Off the charts food and service. I can't wait to eat here again.
(5)
Aaron B.

We sat at the bar and had a blast. The bartenders were fun, and gave us some great recommendations off the menu. We shared guac and a ceviche both of which were really good. Also had tacos and empanadas, both great. The drinks are worth a trip there on their own, if your just thirsty for some S. American style boozing.
(5)
Sarah Y.

We've eaten at Paladar about a half dozen times. The food is usually good (my husband loves the Ropa Vieja), and although I've had issues with my meals being lukewarm at best most times; most menu items are pretty decent. I cannot, however, say the same in regard to the happy hour bar menu. On this particular visit, we just happened to be in the area and stopped in for a quick bit. The mojito's were off and the margaritas were down right terrible (bright yellow?). Not sure what was going on behind the bar. Usually Omar is back there and the drinks are great! This time I recognized some faces, but I wasn't familiar with any of them. My guess is they were too busy laughing and carrying on, and couldn't be bothered to make a decent drink. Now for the food....I will give it up for the fish tacos and salsa trio, they were delicious. However, that was about it. My husbands braised beef tacos were so sloppy and wet; he could have wrung them out. The Cuban sandwich just shouldn't even be an option on the menu; it looks like something you'd be served at a local dinner. I mean get why it's on there, a Cuban ham and cheese sandwich is a staple in Cuba, but it needs to be jazzed up somehow. Finally the worst, the Tostones. They were so greasy and disgusting I couldn't even eat them. I cut into one and saw the grease poor off and that was the end of that. I fully expected our waiter to ask if the Tostones were okay, since they hadn't been touched; but he said nothing. He didn't even ask if we were done, just took the full plate away; it was almost as if he was use to people not eating them. Just really weird. We will be back, because of my husband's love for the Ropa Vieja, this is the only reason for 3 stars rating. My advice is to avoid the bar menu and order off the dinner menu.
(3)
Marchem P.

Went yesterday sat on the patio to enjoy the sunshine. Service was very slow and seemed uninformed as to what was on the menu. We decided on the special guac that month which is chipotle corn. As always super fresh and the chipotle honey was a nice added sweetness. Next we ordered the chicken empanadas because we had made empanadas from scratch but the flour she used was 2 years old and didn't taste very good outside of the filling. The empanadas were golden brown and tasted good not great it lacked in the amount of filling. For drinks we ordered bottomless mimosas but while the name stated bottomless the servers slowness indicated that it was whenever she finally noticed our glasses were empty which seemed like she was racing with a snail. We ordered the salmon mango which was delicious with the right balance of acid to sweetness but the cuts of salmon seemed very uneven. Finally we ordered my favorite dish at here the rum glazed pull pork. It came out but with the wrong rice instead of the mango coconut rice it should have it had the cilantro which slightly changed the flavor profile I brought it the servers attention she had no idea that that was the rice that was supposed to come with it but she then ordered it for us and it set the whole dish off. Overall I highly recommend this place but for such a slow Sunday morning I do wish the service could have been better. The food was delicious as always and the beautiful girl that was with me really made the whole moment a very good memory
(4)
Howard Z.

The mojo is finally back with Charles in charge. Food and service is now great again. Thanks Charles
(5)
Aldo M.

Can't say enough about this place. Service was great. Apps dinner were great. Sangria was very good. Highly recommend!!!
(5)
Tim S.

I don't know if this place deserves the full 4 stars...so it may be in the 3.5 range. Service - Our waitress was nice and was not shy to talk about the menu, drinks or anything else for that matter. Overall it was good service. Appetizers - we tried the guacamole flight and the queso fundito. The guacamole was quite good, very fresh and and good consistency. My favorite was the goat cheese and black bean. The fundito was good, not great. It was a bit different than ones I've had...this was basically just cheese and chorizo chunks, rather than a cheese sauce and ground chorizo. Dinner - I was able to try a few dinners. The duck tacos were pretty good - very tender meat and the cabbage was a good complement in the taco. I got the Feijoada stew and it was certainly complex and deep with flavor - especially the broth. Again I liked the cabbage addition to give it texture and the pork was nicely done. But the chorizo was just ok - but I still enjoyed the dish as a whole. Lastly I tried the spicy lamb stew. This was my least favorite of all of them. It wasn't bad, but the lamb was average and the broth was very acidic and there was too much mint. But again was not lacking flavor that's for sure. I want to add I had the clementine mojito and it was delicious - maybe the best thing I had here. This place has to go through mint like no other restaurant. They put copious amounts of it in everything. I had a good meal here no doubt, but it's missing something to make it special.
(4)
Soly Z.

The manager was gracious enough to send us a gift card to try out their famous guac trio and we finally got around to hitting up Paladar again last month to celebrate some very good news. The trio was incredible and the plantain chips were a uniquely superb way to enjoy the flavorful guacamole sampler. I got the tacos again and they did not disappoint.
(4)
Rocky N.

Awesome place. Great service. Great food. We had the spicy guac, tilapia ceviche, amazing stew dish, fish tacos, coffees and chocolate flan. Loved every second of it. Also, Charles is an amazing manager with stunning good looks. Ladies, get ready!
(5)
Melissa M.

I have been here twice and had a great experience each time. Service is attentive and knowledgeable to start. Food is ridiculously tasty. Desserts are really off the charts decadent and really need to be shared. Of all of the things I've tried or ordered I can't say enough good things about the portobello empanadas. Super delicious! Also, check out the specialty drink list. Tons of yummy rum drinks. I had the aged flight of rum as well. Definitely recommended.
(5)
Brucilla J.

This was probably one of the worst dining experiences of my life. In addition to taking an hour for our entrees, they cancelled my open table reservation giving me no points. The food was cold and practically inedible. My moms margarita was full of salt. Why people come here is beyond me.
(1)
Avril B.

I think I've reviewed this place before, but I cannot brag enough about them. SO yummy!! They do an amazing job of accommodating every wish and their food, service, quality.... are fantastic!!! I think I'm craving a kale wrap....
(5)
Andrew W.

Not a good night out other than watching the child captivate those around us with his insane cuteness. Our waitress was borderline dumb and at one point rambled on for 5 minutes explaining a bunch of nonsense. Her suggestions on items the restaurant is known for were simply the highest priced items on the menu, same with drinks.
(2)
Ben V.

Decent food though it did not seem particularly authentic or exotic and felt very much like a chain. Expected a little more for the mid-tier pricing. Service was good. Location in the busy Eton mall is another negative in my book.
(3)
Sara B.

Maybe it isn't my kind of place but I just didn't get it... The waitress had no idea about a drink but pretended that she did and just suggested the most expensive on the menu. the fish tacos were ok but nothing memorable. The scallops were like licking salt and eating breakfast potatoes....Sad
(2)
Joe H.

Usually I will go in depth on a review but I was really underwhelmed with this place. The drinks were really good, but the food was just meh..... Had chorizo queso dip, portobello empanadas, rum glazed pork, churros & donuts with dipping sauces. I wanted to like it, but I didn't. The flavors of the food seemed to run together into one bland taste.
(3)
J.J. H.

I hadn't been to Paladar in almost 2 years but stopped in this past weekend with 2 others who hadn't been there before. The food was even better than I remember (perhaps a new chef?) and our server was very friendly and attentive. I asked her about the ropa vieja appetizer and she gave it a strong recommendation. And she wasn't wrong. It was amazing! I'll definitely be back (I work in the neighborhood) and will order it again! The only thing preventing this from being a 5-Star Review was my cocktail. I asked if I could have a weak Cuba Libre (half the amount of rum) and our server looked confused. When I told her it was because I was driving, she assured me that they don't make overly strong drinks and that a normal Cuba Libra would be fine, so that's what I ordered. I'm not a lightweight when it comes to alcohol but this drink was WAY too strong. If I wasn't driving I wouldn't have minded, but I specifically said I didn't want a strong drink, so I only drank half. I should have insisted on my original order or stayed with water. But the food was great, my companions LOVED their drinks and we all had a great afternoon.
(4)
Dawn K.

Love the food, hate the seating. Shared the ropa vieja and smoked chicken dinners on the most recent visit. Food was excellent, and made a good lunch the next day too. However, I hate that diners have to share bench seating with other parties. It feels like you're almost on top of the next table. I'd like a little more arm space while eating! I'll still eat here now and then, but would likely increase my visits if the seating arrangement was updated.
(4)
Bruce A.

Ate there last night. Started with filthy appetizer plate on table. Ropa Vieja came out ice cold. Sent it back and was replaced with a burned tasteless plate of bland and flavorless food. I asked for manager and he came over and just stood there without asking what was wrong until I had to start the conversation. Service timing was terrible as it is every time we give them another try.
(1)
Gordon B.

Visited this place twice and the food was not impressive either time. The atmosphere was the most pleasant aspect of the experience. The food was very disappointing.
(2)
Alexa A.

One of my favorite restaurants! I love Latin food, and Paladar never disappoints. From the ever changing guacamole specials, to the delicious empanadas, to the large selection of entrees, I know I'll always enjoy eating there! One of my very favorite entrees is the slow roasted mojo pork. A little bit spicy, incredibly juicy, and with enough just acidity. I end up getting it the majority of the time, even if I'd planned on trying something new! It's just too good! I know I'll end up leaving Paladar with a very full and satisfied stomach!
(5)
Meagan S.

Very, very nice restaurant, and the food is always fabulous--I have never had a bad meal here. It's not crazy expensive, especially when you think about the area you are in, which is what I thought it was going to be when I walked in and saw how nice it was. They even have a super nice, small but nice, patio for when it's weather appropriate. When I first started going here I thought it was a place I would only go to for special occasions, but it really can be an anytime place (especially when you want a really, amazingly delicious food!). I have to be honest, my first time here I was a skeptic because I am such a picky eater; however, that was several years ago, and since then I have done a pretty good job of expanding my horizons. That being said, I have tried so many things here that I have never been disappointed with. Most recently, we did a couple apps and split them between us--the spicy chorizo queso fundido--oh so good and cheesy. We also did the mojo puled pork tostones. I am not a fan of pork at all. You will never see me eat a pork chop. But these little babies....I couldn't get enough of them. On my most recent trip there, I sat at the bar and got there maybe a couple minutes before 7:15. As soon as I sat down, the bartender immediately came over and asked for my drink order, letting me know if he put it in within the next thirty seconds I would get the happy hour price still (I think happy hour "ended" at 7). It was awesome, the bartender was totally looking out for me haha. I did get the mojito, and it was a little strong. I still drank it, of course. There were two bartenders working there that night, and they both had great customer interaction with everyone they served the entire time I was there. You could tell they were having fun, which definitely makes the job easier, I'm sure. But it made my experience a ton more enjoyable too. Now that I think about it, every time I have been there, the staff has always been nice. Oddly enough, when I would be leaving, there was always a manager near the hostess stand that would say bye and that he hoped we enjoyed ourselves. I would go here any change I get...happy hour or dinner.
(5)
Tim M.

This should be 3 and 1/2, but, well, you know the drill. Trendy looking spot. a nice date night location. Started with the cirvice. I'm torn on this. Citrus was spot on, presentation was very nice, and quantity was generous. I guess the let down was all the seafood variety in there was pretty bland. For the meal I had the rum glazer pulled pork. It was very good and the rice they paired was spot on. Better half had the skirt steak with chimichuri sauce. No complaints from her at all. Finished with bread pudding and pineapple upside down cake. Both were fine, but not memorable. I would recommend this for date night.
(3)
Britney G.

The pork chop is great and the short rib dish is also a winner in my book. Im.not sure how they get it so tender. However, the second tinge I ordered the short rib it was dry and stringy. After returning it I ordered the cocunut shrimp dish was suprisingly tasty. The beef plantain appetizer is so good. I think I've tried pretty much every flavors mojito I didn't care for the half mango chicken because it was so dryand the guacamole was nothing to write home about.
(4)
Valarie B.

Went for lunch with a friend. We had the spicy guacamole for an appetizer. It was very fresh and quite delicious. We ordered from the lunch menu and had the chicken and beef soft taco, grits and sweet plantains. The beef taco was okay but the chicken taco was absolutely wonderful. The roasted corn grits is not like any grits I have ever had. I kept telling myself I would only eat a couple of spoonfuls but that didn't work. I would go back just to have the chicken tacos and grits. For dessert we shared the carrot cake. Thought it was delicious and disappointed to hear it would only be on the menu for 5 more days. Our server was Marisol. She as very knowledgeable about the menu and was quite helpful in narrowing our choices.
(4)
Alex D.

Was in Cleveland for work and saw this restaurant and thought it looked good, and boy is that an understatement! For starters the service was great. I sat in the bar and Paul took great care of me. When my dinner was brought out, the "Braised Beef Ropa" there was a mix up and I received the appetizer portion. It was so big that I didn't even notice. That is until Paul brings me the dinner version and a mojito for free apologizing for the mistake. I told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted and offered to box up what I didn't eat. The mgr came by as well to apologize and I told him I was amazed as really no harm was done. On top of that the food really was excellent. The meat was tender and flavorful without being too salty. The drinks were strong and for a $5 HH you can't go wrong. I would definitely recommend for the great service, food, and nice atmosphere.
(5)
David C.

Definitely one of our favorite restaurants. This is one of our regular haunts, so we've had many of the many of the menu items. All have been delicious. My wife loves the Ropa Vieja with a side of plantains. I'd say their Blackened Tilapia Tacos are the best fish tacos of anywhere I've eaten because the fish is grilled, not breaded & fried like everywhere else. We love the variety of guac's they have ... and we love the mix of chips. Portions are generous. We've eaten on the patio, inside in each of the "rooms", and at the bar. The service has always been attentive without being overbearing. Over the years we have taken several friends, co-workers, and relatives to Paladar, and they have all loved the food and come back. Always a good idea to make a reservation, especially for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights when they are busiest. Only drawback has been the parking at Eton which isn't under Paladar's control. Sometimes it's hard to find a spot.
(5)
Casey S.

Consistently awesome. I want to stop there, because honestly I've been there dozens of times now, and never had anything to complain about. Not one thing. For a while I was stuck on the feijoada stew which is insanely good , recently I branched out and had other things. But every time, I leave there feeling full and content. This is one of those places where, as the cook of the house, I can honestly say that I could not duplicate many of their dishes without considerable cost or trial and error. I appreciate that. Consistently delicious, reasonably priced, good atmosphere and good service. Home run every time.
(5)
Traci N.

I actually don't have anything bad to say about Paladar, as the service was excellent and the food was pretty good. It's just that the food didn't wow me as much as I thought it would. The appetizer (corn and chipotle guacamole) and my appetizer (some sort of smoked/spicy chicken salad-stuffed poblano pepper) were both too sweet for my taste. I wasn't expecting either to taste sweet, but they both had sweetness as a strong flavor component. The rum selection, however, is great if you're into that! Again, the service was great and the food was a-okay, but I've been wanting to try Paladar for so long after reading other reviews and I was a little bit disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations as far as the food went.
(3)
Megan S.

I have been back here a few times now and although the food is good, I can't see where I would call it great anymore. Maybe the first time or two I was just taken in by the place and large portions and the different kind of food. Don't get me wrong they have really good food and a great atmosphere but I can't keep it a 5 star level. On our most recent trip I got the ropa vieja, which was very large and very good, and my husband got the pork chop with grits. You are never short on food here, it really is 2 meals in one so for the price, it's really not bad. I have to give credit, the pork chop was cooked very well and the sauce with the grits was really tasty. The ropa vieja was good...but maybe not as fantastic as I thought it was? I would order it again for sure but there was something off? Also, our service was not very good. We sat for a good 15 min before anyone came to take drinks or anything. They did make up for it by giving us free guac, which was a corn and something...and I would opt for the spicy one over that.
(4)
robert b.

Fair food, indifferently prepared. This used to be a place which served creative, delicious food-but no more. Save you money and time.
(3)
Carol S.

The Happy Hour is very good! There are lots of drink specials -- mojitos, beer, wine, sangria, margaritas and rum flights -- and deals on appetizers. I had a mojito and my husband had a couple of beers. We split the chips and guac and two other appetizers. Everything was delicious and it was plenty of food for the two of us. The specials are only available in the bar area and it gets very busy! We arrived early (about 5 pm) and got a seat right away but noticed many people waiting for seats shortly after we arrived. Certainly putting Paladar on our Happy Hour rotation!
(4)
Kimberly C.

I've always had a great meal at Paladar! GREAT drinks too!
(4)
Kerry K.

From start to finish it was a nice time. I had the Rum glazed Cuban pork it was great. Made to order guacamole with their chips was great. Spinach heart of Palm salad was good as well. Finished with Cuban coffee.
(5)
Megan B.

Love the Guac selection! I love spicy, so I always get that one every time I come here. This place is great when in the mood for spicy latin or not! They have some creative big high quality salads that are nice. I wish they had a la carte tacos or mix and match tacos available.
(4)
Juju W.

Guacamole doesn't disappoint. Peach white sangria, half carafe was enough for 4 glasses. I had the fish tacos which was satisfying. Others had the chicken sandwich and pork tacos. We all agreed this dinner was better than yesterday's at The Greenhouse Tavern at half the cost. Worth the drive out and better service too! Oh the coconut flan was delicious. Tab came out to $105 w. Tip for 4 peeps.
(4)
Christina L.

Fabulous food, service, and atmosphere! Guacamole trio, blueberry vanilla mojito, jerk chicken entree, and sweet potato donuts were all delicious, and I can't wait to go back and try more! The fish tacos were also a fav at the table.
(5)
Dawn J.

Wow!! I came here on a recommendation from a fellow hotel guest- the food and drinks were AMAZING!! I'm dieting, so my waiter recommended several lower calorie options and I chose the blackened tilapia tacos sans rice and beans- got kale instead. Delicious!! Got here just in time for happy hour and was se to enjoy a mojito and some spicy guacamole with the most amazing yuca a taro chips!! I'LL BE BACK!!
(4)
George B.

Very good Cuban food. Guacamole was excellent. Service was good. Not overcrowded, no wait. I will go back.
(4)
Thomas B.

I stumbled upon the $9.95 2 taco lunch when I could not find the nearby Mediterranean restaurant. I opted for the Duck confit tacos. Nicely spiced duck, in a bed of cool cabbage...just the right amount of cilantro. Heap of black beans on rice...more than even I could eat. Mango tea was tasty. Definitely a worthy lunchtime haunt!! JerseyWeddingPhotographyâ€¦
(4)
Rachael N.

A tad disappointed tonight after my stop into Paladar. I think when I first went to Paladar a few years ago, it was brand new. Now.. Things are different. Asked for the guac tonight.. It was just okay. Then I order the mixed seafood ceviche-oh it was bad. Way too much lime juice-I felt like they dumped the whole bottle in my ceviche. I just couldn't eat it. Everything else I tried (chicken tinga tacos and pork), was just ok, nothing great. And for that, Ill have to knock down my review to three stars.
(3)
Rick W.

Maybe I was expecting a lot more bold flavors than what we got. Black bean soup was just smashed black beans not much flavor. The chicken taco & duck were just ok. The blackened fish tacos were good. Guacamole trio was very good. The roasted pulled pork was moist and had a good flavor. The best part was the extra aged trio of rum. I don't know that I would drive 45 minutes again just to eat here. We did have a great server, she took very good care of us.
(3)
Joshua Y.

This place is so good. We keep coming back! The happy hour is really good, excellent drink specials and food specials. The tacos are delicious, really fresh and lively ingredients. I'm not one for cocktails (I love my bourbon) but I will make an exception for their mojitos! Please try the guacamole and chips... Not your every day chips either! It's a mix with yucca, beets, sweet potatoes, etc... All crispy and with their own unique taste. Service has always been really quick and attentive as well! Haven't gotten an entree we didn't like either!
(5)
Kumar S.

This was our first visit. We reserved a table over the weekday, good thing to do, as it was packed on weekdays which was surprising. Its always better to reserve a table prior to your visit:) The ambience was good, we loved it:) We ordered Guacamole, Slow smoked chicken, Tacos and a desert. They were right on time, there was NO delay in getting the food to the table, in spite the restaurant being completely packed. Food was delicious... Five stars for the taste, price and service. We will definitely visit this place again. I strongly recommend this place. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Jeff M.

Paladar sucks. Just like Chipotle they serve rice and beans with your choice of protein on top. Everything tasted the same. Never again would I go back.
(1)
Michelle H.

Went to brunch here yet again and was I not disappointed!!! They have half off margaritas mojitos and sangria through Valentine's Day! Tried something new and was not disappointed. My date and I both ordered the Duck confit we were impressed. My only regret is I didn't get some of the amazing guacamole . Go here for a casual brunch date and you'll love the excuse to drink in the afternoon!
(5)
Tim W.

Great Latin food! I was surprised to find such a gem in a mall/ shopping center. It is such a beautiful space. I had the El Cubano sandwich (Roasted pulled pork, ham, and swiss cheese hot pressed in our Cuban bread and topped with dill pickles and honey dijon mustard.) My wife had the Chimichurri Chicken sandwich (Marinated grilled chicken sliced and topped with thick cut bacon, melted Chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and housemade chimichurri sauce on a toasted brioche bun) and our daughter had the Cheese Quesadilla. Our sandwiches came with sweet potato fries which were amazing and I'm assuming that my daughter enjoyed her Quesadilla since we didn't hear a peep out of her! My favorite part of the meal was my Strawberry Mojito which was made perfectly. The service was impeccable also. I would highly recommend this place for anyone in the area who is looking for some delicious Latin food.
(4)
Emily D.

I really like it here! The food is always great and the guac options are amazing. For brunch, I strongly suggest the Chorizo & Cheese Pupusa with Fried Eggs. For lunch, I love the Chipotle Honey Vegetable Quesadilla and for dinner, I love the Rum Glazed Cuban Pork. Every meal I have ever had there was delicious!! And the sangria is amazing!
(4)
Lin H.

Just went for the first time today! Since I went at 1:30PM I ordered from the lunch specials. I ended up picking the EL CUBANO & SOUP OR SALAD, which I chose to have chicken tortilla soup. Food was tasty! I don't typically go for/have minimal experience eating Latin flavors but it was impressive. I did end up having a hair in my soup, which was slightly gross because I already had eaten half of it. I'm not really one to keep quiet when there is hair in my food (especially when it isn't mine). They were so nice about it though, and took my meal off the bill. I think it really says a lot about a restaurant when they don't charge you for their mistake rather than try and fix it by giving you a new plate of food.
(4)
Ty P.

Food was great! The guac & chips was almost as good as what I make at home! Highly recommend it!! Def a spot worth visiting 1-2-3+ times!! had the rum pork and vieja.
(5)
Richard F.

I recently went to Paladar and was disappointed with their happy hour after a very nice first experience. I expressed my feelings on yelp, and their manager reached out to me asking that I give them another chance, and offering me a gift card to try them again. I wrote back and said it wasn't necessary, but if he wanted to send me one, I would be happy to return, and I provided my address. I never heard another thing from him. If you are going to the trouble of trying to improve customer satisfaction, please follow through. Now I would never go back, and I'll relate this story to all that ask.
(1)
Daniel G.

Paladar is seriously one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland! I don't even know where to begin. The food is on point, the service friendly, quick, and professional. The ambience of the place is perfect. I've been multiple times, and have two different meals. The first time I got the Feijoada Stew. It was delicious and would definitely recommend it. The second time I decided to try something different and got the Caribbean Rum Pork with sweet plantains, and I am glad I did! Possibly one of my favorite meals I've had at any restaurant. It was an upscale spin on a classic Spanish dish, and it worked out perfectly. I also tried one of their mojitos. It was a mango cilantro mojito, and it was so good! I wish it was just a bit stronger, but maybe that's because I like my drinks strong. Definitely recommend it, even if you don't like Latin food, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
(5)
Steve W.

My new favorite Mexican restaurant! Located in Solon, Ohio the place is clean and the decor is colorful and cheery with paintings, masks, and banners! We ordered the sampler platter which includes chicken wings ( meaty, crunchy coating, tender, juicy and the perfect amount of sauce) chicken enchiladas (tender and flavorful with peppers) cheese enchilada, beef enchiladas. The beans are really flavorful (the best in town!) and the rice (also the best in town) has added bits of corn, peas and scallions.The chili rellenos are muy caliente, also flavorful and made to perfection. Well worth the trip.
(5)
Tanya B.

For the past 3 years I've lived in the Cleveland area I've been wanting to try out Paladar and finally it happened! It was definitely worth the wait! Everything on the menu looks so good that I wish they had a sampler platter. On the other hand this just means I'll have to keep coming back and trying other dishes. The guacamole is a must! For main course I had their staple dish - the rum glazed pork. Absolutely delicious! Do also try their sparkling strawberry sangria. Smooth and refreshing and you get tipsy before you know it. Nice thing about the location - after the meal and the sangria you can stroll over the Eton mall or Barnes n Noble and walk off the tipsiness before getting behind the wheel.
(5)
Ashley L.

I really like the food and the ambiance at Paladar. Their Saturday and Sunday brunch are amazing and they have bottomless mimosas! During the warm months it's so fun to sit outside and enjoy! They also have the most amazing plantain chips that pair well with guac. I highly recommend a meal here!
(5)
Akhil A.

I was visiting the Cleveland area for work and decided to try this place out based on the love it seems to be getting from Yelp. The problem with travelling for work is that you usually end up having a lot of dinners by yourself so I am always on the hunt for a good place with a good bar area. That way you can at least meet new people. Paladar met and exceeded my expectations in both the food and atmosphere. I'll start off with the food: I got the chicken tacos as my main and the carrot cake for dessert. The tacos were really well done and were topped with unique things like peanuts. They also serve this amazing habanero hot sauce that is scorching hot. I barely scratched the surface of the cup it came in but it really added to the taste of the tacos. The carrot cake dessert was also really good, and much bigger than I thought it would be. I'm not usually a fan of carrot cake but here the flavour was a bit more subtle, and it made it more enjoyable. One area where Paladar exceeded is its customer service. Nathan really took the time to answer my questions about some of the menu items and made really good recommendations for me based on my dietary restrictions. Unfortunately he had to leave before I Was finished my meal but he took the time to recommend me a list of other great restaurants nearby for me to try out during my stay. It is obvious that the employees here at Paladar are really committed to their job, and I've never seen a happier group of servers/hosts anywhere else. All in all I definitely plan on coming back, and would recommend Paladar to anyone in the area
(5)
Sheena W.

I love this place! I would say the majority of things I have tasted here were pretty awesome. Love the guac with different kinds of chips. The Rum Glazed Cuban Pork and Braised Beef Ropa Vieja are excellent, also need to try the mojitos which are great and definitely affordable during Happy Hour. Only downside was that I thought the desserts were on the small side. Ahhh I almost forgot they had these delicious jalapeno ball things covered in honey for their special Mardi Gras menu. Soooo good!
(5)
Rich G.

Been here a dozen times, never really enjoyed the food, never had good service, never left and said "well that was worth it". Good atmosphere because it's usually busy, but many times too busy.
(3)
Alex P.

From the ambiance to the food, this place is unique and delicious. Unique in the sense that you don't find many upscale Latin American restaurants that don't specialize in Mexican cuisine. This place brings together the foods from all over South America and merged them into a delicious blend. Guacamole is pretty good, but I I got the lamb stew for the main course. It was quite good also, but I would say slightly over salted.
(4)
Nivedita B.

Good food and drinks and great service! Came here with a group for a birthday celebration and they were very accommodating. The dragonberry mojito (their current special) was my favorite of the drinks we all ordered. I got the mango cilantro mojito but I didn't really taste any mango or cilantro, it was all sugar. The blackened fish tacos were pretty good, not the best I've had but definitely scrumptious. I will go back to try their ropa vieja because it looks mouth-watering.
(4)
Irena H.

He food was good for happy hour. Definitely will return for dinner. The guacamole is a must.
(4)
Natalie S.

Amazing kale and sweet potato salad with chicken and sherry vinegrette after the gym and a massage . My friend got the curry vegetarian dish and a dessert she loved! The bartender who waited on us could not have been more helpful or accommodating!! Always a favorite!!
(4)
Sheree M.

Great brunch menu similar to the Inn on Coventry but different presentation and stature. My group enjoyed and indulged in the bottomless mimosas. I ordered the crispy duck confit and fried egg (over medium) hash. Delish! We'll be returning again.
(4)
Rachel A.

I love paladar! I do not live in Cleveland anymore but I come here every time I visit, even if it is just for a weekend! The food here is so delicious and the servers are always really friendly. My favorites: - guacamole - They have a guacamole trio that you can get and try 3 kinds! The chips that come with the huac are also really good. - fried plantains - These are so tasty and you should for sure get a side of these or substitute one of your side for these! - The chicken tacos- These are so good! They come with brown rice but I like to substitute for the mango coconut rice! It is so much tastier and fun! They also have good drinks and a nice little bar area. The mojitos are all delicious, and the traditional mojito is actually really good! I
(5)
Jon O.

Went here Saturday for lunch and have been many times in the past due to its' proximity to our home. The food is hit or miss. Sometimes I like it and sometimes it's not so good. They frequently under season their food. Their drinks are usually very good. They have a habanero puree which is quite spicy (although lacks salt) that I always ask for with my food. The service is always very good. The sweet potato tacos are good and their guac is usually good. The yucca fries are great.
(3)
Katy S.

I live in Tampa, so when my co-workers suggested that we go to a Latin restaurant in Cleveland I was a bit skeptical. I am a bit spoiled by the Latin food options in Tampa so I wasn't really expecting big things. This place really surprised me! We started at the bar and had some margaritas and mango salsa and mango guacamole. The salsa and guac were both so fresh and so good! The margaritas were quite tasty and the happy hour special was good. Onto the table. I went for the ropa vieja and it was absolutely delicious. It was topped in a mustard sauce and came with a heaping portion of plantains. It was honestly the tastiest ropa vieja I have had in a long time. Really really good. Co-workers got pork dishes and steak dishes and all was enjoyed. This spot has an upscale atmosphere and is definitely a nice spot for a quality dinner out. I hope to come back on a future trip to CLE!
(5)
Milena P.

My husband and I went back to Paladar to give it a second try, since they were so kind to give us a 25$ giftcard when we told them that the dinner was not as we expected. At our second visit, we didn't mention the giftcard at the beginning, so that the results would not be spoiled. We started again with tomato basil guacamole and chips, which were truly amazing again. This time we tried the Fiejoada stew, which includes rice, meat and beans. This came in a right sized portion, and I have to say it was tasty and original. The staff is always very kind. Probably it was too crowded the first time we checked it out, but this time the experience was completely improved.
(4)
VJ V.

I usually bring the party to wherever I go, but boy, I didn't need to for Paladar. It was after hours and we walk in to find that the bar was hopping with energy. Filled with corporate types, the crowd was a bit more mature and didn't seem all that worried about this quarter's sales projections. All the ladies seemed to be sporting 4-inch heels that day... company memo? Anyhow... We were seated in the non-bar area which was partitioned and well insulated from the bar noise. The meal was great, loved the guac, chips, ropa viejo, feijoada except for one. pet. peeve: damp rice. Damp rice pretty much tastes like wet towel, it was not spoiled but with a texture like this I could imagine it getting there, kinda gross, so I washed away my sorrows with the Mimosa which was delicious. The bottomless Mimosas are only available during brunch FYI. I've been here more than once and I always get good service. Counting all visits, it has been A-Ok.
(3)
Stephen B.

My wife and I always enjoy lunch at Paladar. Great drinks. Good food. Great service. The watermelon basil Mojito, fresh guacamole as an appetizer, along with the chicken tacos finished up by the Cuban bread pudding was a delightful lunch. I think I'll skip dinner.
(4)
Chrishana B.

I must have drove past Paladar hundreds of times,when going across the street to The Original Pancake House and in the plaza to Trader Joe's. It wasn't until a fellow yelper suggested it that I decided to give the restaurant a try and i'm sure glad I did. This has become one of my favorite restaurants. Everything i've tried here has been really good and the service is always great. I've had the Crab & hearts of palm empanadas, Slow roasted chicken empanadas, Plantain crusted crab empanadas, The spicy guacamole, and the Slow smoke pulled chicken. The aoli sauce with the plantains is delicious blended with the smoked chicken.....How many places can you get a latin meal with a spin in Cleveland. There are always specials, and they are always worth considering. If you sign up on their website you can get a free order of guac and If you go for brunch you can order bottomless mimosas, but the only one I found I liked is the strawberry. Paladar is really nice, but isn't trend-chasing. It's crowded and lively, but isn't painfully overly loud and it's comfortable, but it won't coddle you. All in all Paladar is definitely a pleaser.
(4)
Cara L.

I love this place!! I am giving this place an overall review of 5 stars because I have been here for brunch, lunch and happy hour! Every experience at this restaurant I have had a fabulous waiter or waitress, which in my opinion can make or ruin the decision to return. Brunch is definitely the meal that exceeded expectations! It is a must try brunch location! Bottomless mimosas ($10) are available during brunch as well! Happy Hour is M-F, 4-7pm with $5 food options, $5 mojitos, margaritas and sangria.
(5)
Jeanne S.

This was my and my husband's first time eating here and it won't be our last. I had reservations for 2 and there seemed to be some confusion with the hosts. We were asked if we were "fast eaters" and could please make sure to "finish by 7:15 because another party with a reservation needs that table." I found the hosts fairly rude asking us that, but honestly, the service and food made up for it. Our waiter, Jeff, was prompt to our table and made great suggestions for drinks and appetizers. The mojito and caipihrinas we ordered were authentic and super tasty. We got 3 apps because we couldn't decide on just 1. Guacamole gets a C. I thought it was pretty bland (even listed as spicy). The tilapia and avocado ceviche was a solid B+. The chips they serve with those two apps are so good. The pupusa cheese dish was an A+. Nice flavor profile. Main entrees were perfect. Hubby got the Brazilian stew and I had the skirt steak with chimichurri. I ordinarily wouldn't rave about the side that come with an entree, but the pinto beans were the best I have ever had. We thought we would stop there, but Jeff mentioned how "life changing" the sweet potato donuts were so we had to try. These things are so good, life changing good!! We wanted to do a rum sampler with dessert and let Jeff pick them to compliment our dessert. He explained each rum in detail and those were fantastic!! We will definitely be back!!!
(5)
Robert B.

Another good meal at lunch today. The menu has been changed-for the better and the crowd noise at lunch is much more manageable. Service was wonderful. Every member of my group was pleased.
(4)
Susan P.

Enjoyed a special occasion dinner at Paladar outside. The waiter was very personable and made some good wine suggestions. The guacamole was fresh, and my salmon was cooked to perfection.
(4)
Heather J.

Needing a girls night that would include beverages, food, movie & some great fun some friends & I made reservations for this past Friday. Work ran a little late and we were a little starving with quite thirst for something... Paladar's daily 4-7 happy hour saved us. As a matter of fact the bartenders tempted us away from taking our table when called and we spent all our time at the bar. $5 mojitos...the pomegranate-ginger were delish Chicken empanadas, beef short rib tacos, blackened tilapia tacos, yucca frites...and the most heavenly s'mores churros! A good time was had..and the movie 'Bridesmaids' was all that much funnier due to our food/drink coma. Definitely saved on my list of favorites when I visit this area. And the staff gave some of the best service in all of Cleveland.
(4)
Marcella B.

I love Paladar! I've tried many things on their menu & have not been disappointed by any of them. They also, of course, have delicious drinks as this is what they seem to be known for. They have 3 types of guac and 3 types of salsas, and you can roder all 3 in a sampler appetizer which is nice, especially if you are new to the place and are not sure what to try. They do happy hour pricing but PLEASE NOTE that this only applies if you are sitting AT the bar. Thsi was not brought to my attention and one night when I dined during happy hour, I was nto given the happy hour pricing because I was at a table. The bar is not very big so I imagine that you have to be there as soon as happy hour starts to get in on the action.
(4)
Mark C.

The service was terrible in the annoying ways. For instance it took close to 30 minutes for us to get our drinks and guacamole with chips. Contrary to the posts the gauc was fine but nothing special and the plantine chips were also good but they were cold. By the time they arrived we were all so hungry it didn't matter. Two of us ordered Capriahana which were terrible. The small glasses were only three-quarters filled and the drinks tasted like someone had dumped in a half cup of white sugar. Our entrees were ok but very greasy and heavy - even the vegitarian meals felt incredably heavy. The menu actually had cool stuff on it but the execution was miserable. Lastly, we never got any water unless we ask for it. One of the folks at our table didn't drink so we were constantly stopping an employee for water. The prices were ok. Overall, I'd say if you want a kind of upscale Olive Garden - a not very good chain restaurant with a Latin and Brazilian theme.
(1)
Mitchell D.

The only reason I'm giving this place 3 stars is because the food is great... When it's hot. Don't sit in the bar area because you'll get bad service and your food will come out luke-warm. I sent my food back 2 times. All they did was put it under the warmer. The manager lady was VERY nice and apologetic. It's just unfortunate that time service is lousy but the food is great.
(3)
Kris P.

I like Paladar. I like it. The caiprihana is something I'll order every time with my dinner as not many other spots in Cleveland area know how to make one, even though they are simply simple. Whatever they do to the pork and beef when its roasted, braised and falls apart as you pick it up. Genius. Flavors are very much South American with a bit of Asian here and there. I highly recommend the Ropa Viejo, a Brazilian Stew on the lunch entrees menu, guacamole apps are fresh and excellent, and the fish tacos are so fricken delicious. Now too bad they got rid of the Mini Mahi Taco app. That was really tasty. It was a bit briny and limey and tasted oh so good. One of my office's favorite places to come for large lunches. They treat us like kings and queens. Service is almost always impeccable. Go there. You probably won't be disappointed.
(4)
Michael L.

Fabulous Atmosphere, wonderful food. Our server was genuine snd took marvelous care of us. We went there for tapas and drinks, I had one of their mojitos with vodka instead of rum and it was simply divine. Totally recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice place to grabs drinks and light food. I will be back to explore more of their menu!!
(4)
Jade K.

Paladar has a great thing going. They is so much atmosphere and ambiance. Every time I have been there it's been packed and service has been great. The last time I was there I was with two co-workers on a busy Saturday night. There were no tables available and it was about a 30 minute wait so we stood by the bar which was sardine packed! But, we were able to get to the bar and get drinks relatively quickly - that being said - the Mojitos are AMAZING. Between my coworker and I, I think we tried the entire mojito list. There was one with Basil - that was my favorite. After getting our drinks from the bar it was only a few minutes until someone got up from the tables in the bar area (which are self seating) so we grabbed one of those. I so wish I could remember our servers name - maybe david? - he was so funny and so awesome that I think all of us would go back just to see him! We ordered the guacamole, which didn't last very long on the table. It was FAB! We decided not to order anymore food and just kept drinking. It was a truly fantastic night highlighted by great atmosphere, great drinks, and great service. Thanks!
(4)
Jason S.

Amazing! If the menu says "foodie bucket list" - order it! Shrimp and grits on the weekend brunch menu - taste explosion!
(5)
Nick A.

There is a reason I drive all the way from Westlake to get to Paladar. It is worth the drive!! This latin kitchen is by far on the top of my list in the city! I love the cuban braised tacos, there are 3 in the grouping and just enough to be full. Finish that off with a couple of margaritas. ( I like the strawberry margarita). And the night ends with being completely satisfied with Paladar. We had a new waitress here the last time we were here and she was great, she didn't admit to knowing everything, which we appreciated. If you are in Woodmere, you have to go here!
(5)
Donna C.

Happy hour, even on the weekend...awesome fish tacos, and cuban sandwich. the drinks are great too. I'll be back
(4)
John N.

This was my first time here. I saw the rum list and had to check it out. The 4-7 happy hour menu is awesome. Had the fish tacos and guacamole with chips and veggies. It was simply amazing. $5 mojitos with no mixes, real ingredients you can't go wrong.
(5)
Funglin W.

I'm having a hard time giving this place a rating. The food is good, but it's not worth the price I'm paying for it. Because of that, I never really feel the need to come here although many of my friends love this place. With that said, i wanted to give it a high grade because of their mojito. Paladar makes the BEST mojito in town!
(3)
Ruchi S.

One of the best Mexican food I had in Cleveland.. Great ambience n great food.. I will definitely come again!!
(4)
Jenny L.

Paladar is one of my favorite places to go. Yes, it is very expensive but you also know that ahead of time if you look at the menu. Even though it's one of my top places to go, I'm only giving it they 4 stars instead of 5 because they need to make the drinks a little bigger for how much you pay. $10 drinks still come in the small scotch type glass even when you ask for a tall. I like to get big margaritas and they come in the same glass, no matter what type you order. That still doesn't sway my husband and I from loving this place! Latin food that's so good, (like the various types of chips, salsa and guac) amazing decor and ambiance, and the churros at the end of the meal (also now the sweet potato doughnuts) make any expense worth it! We come here 2-3 times a year and live about 30 minutes away.
(4)
Bryant C.

The tone of the visit was set when the waiter could only recommend the most expensive drinks on the menu. First he started by recommending the $18 Rum flights, then suggested, if the flights weren't for me, I should get the most expensive individual glass of Rum. Even if they happened to be the most awesome and flavorful drinks they had, his insistence put me off completely. I don't think he appreciated my whipping out the phone to look up reviews of the Rums, then finding that the best from their list, in fact, wasn't the most expensive (it was the Zaya Gran Reserve 12 y Trinidad). During entree ordering, he pushed salads and soups on us in addition to our entrees. This was fine by me, if it wasn't for the fact that the soup gave me instant runs and kept on the John through most of the entree. In their defense, my coworker didn't have problems with the same soup. I was visiting from out of town, so the yelp one star "Eek! Methinks not" accurately describes my inclination to go again ...
(1)
Jeff D.

sweet potato tacos are great. The menu is diverse with plenty of meat and non meat items that all can enjoy
(4)
Tamika W.

My family & I ate lunch here after the Cleveland Got Sole convention this weekend. It was fairly close to where we were. I really enjoyed this restaurant! My husband ordered an El Cubano sandwich, I ordered a Chimichurri Chicken sandwich & my daughter ordered a Cheese Quesadilla. Our sandwiches came with sweet potato fries which were amazing and I'm assuming that my daughter enjoyed her Quesadilla since I didn't hear a peep out of her! The highlight of this place was my Strawberry Mojito which was made perfectly. I would highly recommend this place for anyone who likes Latin flavor in the area.
(4)
Melissa A.

After avoiding Paladar for years because it's a place I associate with my entire high school meeting there for unofficial night before Thanksgiving reunions, I went for lunch last week and was super impressed. Who knew after all of that avoidance I had been missing out. Opps... I really enjoyed the mojitos. My friends and I sampled a few different kinds and the watermelon basil was my fave. It was slightly sweet and the basil lent a very fresh taste. Our table started out with the traditional guacamole, which was delicious and simple, however no different than a guac I would make at home. The homemade chip blend was really special and a whole lot more exciting than the guac. Highlights from my table included the blacked fish tacos (could have used some more spice), hearts of palm salad, and the skirt steak salad. I look forward to heading back for another go at the menu.
(4)
Felice W.

Great food! Great drinks! Great atmosphere! Love the chips and guacamole and salsa! The appetizers and chips almost make a meal! Great happy hour prices on drinks and appetizers. Best happy hour around...upbeat, fun vibe in the bar area as well. And if you want the $5 appetizers to go, they'll serve them at your table then box them for take out. Awesome! I recently boxed up several guacamoles for book club.... For $10!!! It's one place you can get feijoada and although it doesn't taste real authentic to the Brazilina dish, it is really good...with a little bit of kick! I will go back again and again!
(4)
Amrita C.

Paladar is a wonderful restaurant with a great atmosphere and delicious food. The server was friendly and knew quite a bit about the menu, and all of our food arrived quickly. My advice-end your meal with the sweet potato doughnuts. They were absolutely delicious, and came piping hot and freshly prepared. I highly recommend Paladar as a casual restaurant to spend a night. Just come hungry, the portions are huge!
(5)
Tim F.

Stopped here after a meeting in the area, enjoyed the happy hour deals. I wouldn't consider this a full review, since I didn't have a genuine "meal"... $5 mojitoes (among other choices) and $5 apps. The mojito was excellent; crisp & refreshing. We shared 3 apps, chips and guac (regular), cuban sandwich, and blackened fish tacos. Guac was very good, but the chips were a real treat - corn, taro & plantain chips make for a great random mix of flavor & texture. The fish taco was delicious, a generous portion for $5. I'd maybe remove just a bit of the slaw & veggies so the filing ratio was a little heavier on the fish, but that's a nitpick. Really good cuban sandwich; makes me wonder why you don't see this on more menus. I'm looking forward to a return visit, but the happy hour bar deal was so good, it's almost hard to imagine coming here for a full dinner.
(4)
Leah T.

If you enjoy Latin food, this is probably the only place in Cleveland you can get it :-) I love the guacamole and sangria. It's not my favorite place in Beachwood, but definitely a good place to take friends for a fun meal. It would be cool if they could make the bar area bigger to allow for comfortable hanging out/eating there.
(4)
Cher M.

Our 2nd visit in less than 2 weeks. Tim is exceptional; his drink and food recommendations for me are spot on! Yesterday I asked him to 'surprise me' and he excelled We were even able to enjoy the patio, but then we are hardy Clevelanders.
(5)
Maria S.

In need of a decent restaurant for lunch that could accommodate my gluten allergy, I did a quick Yelp search and found Paladar Latin Kitchen. As an added bonus, it was less than a mile from my hotel and close to I-271. Paladar has a separate gluten free menu, and will provide it on request. Our stellar server, Andre, expertly steered us through the various menu offerings, and our table opted for the fish tacos and the ropa vieja. Both dishes were delicious, but the ropa vieja exceeded our expectations and was large enough to provide ample leftovers for another day. (They also offer an appetizer portion of the ropa vieja.) The restaurant is open and airy, with a beautiful bar area, and the cocktail list looked great. Maybe next time...
(4)
Erin K.

This is my go-to restaurant. I love the decor. You like guac? They have a Guac of the Day and other flavors to choose from. The Chips that come with the guac are an array of bananas, tortillas and root veggies thinly sliced and fried to perfection. The dinners are what I come for. They have a great JalapeÃ±o Spiced Lamb Stew, that is spicy, tender and delicious. The Braised Beef Ropa Vieja is another favorite of mine. It comes with rice and black bean and sweet bananas, which balance the flavors nicely. Dessert is a must - sweet potato donuts with caramel dipping sauce. If you are drinking, they have the Caipirinha -Brazil's national cocktail: Cuca Fresca CachaÃ§a with muddled lime and sugar, served on the rocks. Its a strong drink and not for everyone but I love them.
(5)
Rachel W.

I really hate to write this update, because I had such a good experience the first time, but my visit to Paladar on 2/16 was just terrible. I know it was the Saturday after Valentine's Day so the wait was going to be extraordinary. But my boyfriend wanted to eat here, so even though our buzzer for B Spot went off, we turned it back in and waited here because the Hostess told us we were "next." Well, apparently "next" means 12th to her, because there were seriously at least 8 tables sat before us. We waited another 30 minutes after she told us we were next. She even told my boyfriend again that we were next while I was in the bathroom and then sat 2 more tables. We were standing right there, it's not like we weren't going to notice. That girl needs to be fired. Just be honest with people. If you told me it was going to be a while, I wouldn't have been enraged. Altogether we waited more than 2 hours. Once we were finally sat, our waiter, Ben, was awesome. He was friendly and quick with everything. Our drinks and guacamole were good. We had the regular guacamole. I would recommend the spicy because the regular is bland. I guess that is because they make it fresh. Fresh is great, but it doesn't allow any of the flavors to soak into the avocado which is part of what makes guacamole great, in my opinion. Our main dishes arrived very quickly. Too quickly for my chicken to have been put on the grill after I ordered, so I have to assume our server stole someone else's food to make sure ours came out as fast as possible. If the food had been great this might have actually made up for the rest of the experience. However, the rice on my dish (cilantro) and the rice on my boyfriend's were both gross. The first time I ate here, the rice was one of the best parts of my dish; well-cooked and flavorful. This time, both types of rice were wet and not thoroughly cooked (almost crunchy). I can only assume that because they were so busy that they were running out of rice and quickly cooked more. Rather than cook it til it was done, they threw it together to serve it. It was not edible. My chicken was bland, though the salsa made it better. I did not have the heart to complain about my meal to my server because I know he was trying so hard, and there was really nothing he could have done or brought me to make it better. Ben brought us free dessert as well, which was very nice. It was some kind of sweet potato doughnut. I am not a big dessert person but my boyfriend liked it. Not sure if I will come back here just because of the way the food was cooked. I don't know how you could serve something cooked that poorly and have the balls to charge money for it. If you are so busy that you can't turn out quality food, then close for the night. Yeah, you'll make a couple extra grand tonight, and then those people will never come back to your establishment. If our server hadn't been so awesome I would not have paid for that meal, and I almost never complain at a restaurant.
(1)
Jeff E.

It doesn't matter what you eat, but as for me, it's usually the skirt steak or the rum-infused pork. The Caipirinha's are damn good here too and as far as I'm concerned, go eat in the bar so you can people watch that much better. Ask for Mike. The food is awesome and the prices are more than fair for the quality. It's a regular for me when I visit Cleveland. Wow!
(5)
Alison B.

I personally loved the place! When looking for a place to eat near where I was staying, the words "Latin" and "Rum" caught my eye and every other place I looked at on yelp, those words kept on flitting back into my mind. Those words did not disappoint me... *I had the mango, cilantro mojito because I'm in love with mojitos - didn't disappoint. *Had to try the guacamole because I'm an voracious avocado fiend -- didn't disappoint (which, they have a few special guacs as well, but I just got the original). *Then I went for the special, the rainbow trout on corn fritters with sauteed shrimp and corns and veggies on top. Wasn't disappointed ut I wasn't in heave. But, to be fair, I think it was because I had such a hard time deciding from the menu and there was a sandwich and a wrap that I was looking at as well - it had turkey and bacon and AVOCADO on it.... I really was yearning for that, but wasn't really wanting the "bread" factor so I wound up with the trout special. I think that sandwich/wrap choice was still in my head so my taste buds were not willing to be completely happy. Don't get me wrong, the trout was delicious, but when bacon and avocado is stuck in your head.... I'll have to try it next time. I will say that the menu is absolutely overwhelming as, if you tend to like Latin foods, everything looks absolutely delicious and its sheer torment. SO - bring a group and make sure to try a bunch of stuff and PLEASE post the things that were absolutely delicious so that you can pay it forward and help other people decide from this amazing menu. Oh - one more comment... Great service and really cute and classy atmosphere! Loved it!
(5)
Veronique D.

I have been to this place a number of times throughout the years. I've gone for dinner and happy hour. The guacamole and drinks (margaritas and mojitos) are pretty good. The servers are attentive. The entrees are just okay.
(4)
Scott E.

Fantastic food! Mango Mojito's, guacamole, blackened fish tacos and sweet potato donuts. All were incredible!
(5)
Anna J.

Had dinner here with some fam. Very nice atmosphere. Guacamole and chips very tasty! Had the stew it was ok but the rice was bland.
(3)
Monika N.

We were in town for Easter and a couple of friends took us here for dinner. We unfortunately didn't have a reservation so we had to wait a bit - but only 35 minutes, which wasn't too bad on a Saturday evening. One of the best parts of our dinner was the service. Our server Andre made all the right suggestions, brought dishes out at the right time, was attentive but not overbearing - really was just perfect. We decided to start with the guacamole trio and a few drinks. The husbands tried the mojitos and the ladies wanted the red sangria. Andre suggested that we spring for a half carafe of sangria instead of separate glasses, which was cheaper than the 2 separate glasses and we got more. What a great suggestion! The guacamole was good - not the best I've had but good. I like my guacamole to have more cilantro and this had very little. The chips were really interesting - nothing like what I'm used to. I ordered the chorizo, potato and goat cheese tacos and substituted the quinoa instead of frijoles because I'm not much of a bean person. The tacos were amazing, although I would have liked more goat cheese and should have ordered 100% corn tortillas (the half corn-half flour just tasted like flour tortillas to me). The quinoa was equally amazing, although extremely salty. It's a good thing I like salty foods! At the end of the night our server was very persuasive about ordering their special dessert which was a plantain french toast. So we ordered one dessert with 4 forks. The french toast itself was good but not great, but the sauce we dipped/poured was to die for! In the end it was a delicious meal that was slightly overpriced, but a great night to enjoy dinner and a few drinks with close friends.
(4)
Katherine M.

My favorite part were the mojitos. It was Friday night so I tried 3 flavors! ;) vegan selection was reasonable! I really enjoyed the sweet potato tacos and hearts of palm salad, but I was more impressed by the mojitos. The ambience was very nice but felt a little too commercial upscale dining, whereas I prefer more unique, never-been before, but can still be accepted in my yoga pants.
(4)
Brian L.

Freakin awesome. Fresh, authentic, creative menu, great atmosphere and good pricing.... In addition to the rum bar. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Amar G.

Amazing happy hour! Mojitos are so fresh with mint, lemon, and sugar cane --- best I've had in the area. Try out the Cuban sandwich and eggplant dip
(4)
Jordan K.

Never had a bad meal here. Never had anything less than a very good meal here. Paladar is, dare I say, a great restaurant with delicious mojitos, gaucamole, and other nuevo latino fare. Try the ceviches, ropa vieja (braised beef served on top of fried plantains...holy shit!) and the tuna. Stay for the great coffee and desserts. Come back and try new things, it'll most likely be great again. Buen provecho.
(5)
Paul H.

Ok, I have eaten here many times and it's always been good. Went there recently with my wife. I'll make it short, great food, terrible service. We were greeted by our server Marisol, she took our drink order and left us to ponder the menu. She returned quickly with our drinks and we proceeded to order our appetizer and entrÃ©e. our appetizer came out quickly and was brought to us by a runner, but by this time we needed more drinks but Marisol was no where to be found so we start eating our appetizer with no drinks and we are only about half way into it when another runner arrives with our entrees and puts them down on our tiny already overcrowded table. 15 minutes has gone by and still, no server. WTF Paladar?? Finally Marisol arrives and I let her know we are not happy, she half heartedly apologizes saying, "yeah, I guess the entrÃ©e came out too soon" Oh you think?? She then copped an attitude for the rest of the meal. Food was great though, but still, don't hire incompetent servers.
(2)
Jayram K.

Expensive and the drinks are sub-standard. If you know anything about mojitos and like them - do not order them here. They are not freshly made and are not authentic mojitos. Food was average but way overpriced. The only positive about this restaurant is the ambiance (outdoor patio) and the service. Our server was excellent. I don't think I will be going back here.
(2)
Fox M.

I can't wait to go back! My family chose this place to celebrate my sister's birthday, and I was really impressed. Every time I am in the area I try to go back there. ***SERVICE/ATTITUDE = Good Staff: ***DRINKS = Amazing! ***FOOD = I want to eat my way down the menu!: I love the mixed corn, plantain and and yucca chips that are served with the fresh guacamole! The spicy guac is not very spicy but, but it is very fresh. I recommend the Jalapeno Lamb Stew. Very savory and not too spicy. The Hearts of Palm Salad is also good if you are going for something lighter. ***DECOR = Classy. Great date spot: Ok, so this place's one saving grace was the dÃ©cor. The interior has a very unique feel with a lucha libre X day of the dead theme. I really liked it. The bar was beautiful with a backlit wine rack and irregularly shaped hide light fixtures. One of the main art pieces involved several crosses carved into wood and some cut out and back lit. It was very interesting and visually appealing.
(5)
Beth D.

Delicious! We eat there all the time and often take people from work for happy hour. Food is consistently high quality and delicious. Service is always excellent. I particularly like the guacamole and the salads. My only complaint is that when we come with a big group they won't let us order happy hour items sitting at a table (we have to cram into the bar-- even if the restaurant is completely empty). Otherwise, always happy to be there!
(4)
Beth Y.

They make some great food here!
(4)
Rob S.

First off, I do have to say that I did not pay for my meal/drinks/coffee/anything else here I had when I was inebriated. My office's holiday party was here, so they picked up the tab. First off, service -- really, really good, even though they had to deal with about a dozen people/hypochodriacs whose dietary restrictions go from "eat nothing with a soul" to "eat nothing with a shadow." Appetizers and entrees were delicious. They specialize in American-ized versions of Cuban favorites, and you gotta be crazy not to like anything from our fine Communist culinary artists to the south. I got the blackened fish tacos, which were the finest thing to hit my mouth during my entire holiday season, and that includes my mom's famous chicken gyros. I honestly wasn't paying attention to the prices, so this place might not be right for a twice-weekly jaunt, but if I want to treat myself, I will head back here.
(4)
Ameesh P.

A great place to find unique food in a sea of the usual American or Italian chain restaurants. The quality of food was top notch and tasty. So many of their menu items appealed to me and I look forward to future visits when I can try more of their creative dishes.
(4)
Nicolas L.

The best place in the city for food and atmosphere. Get the Guacamole and the fish tacos. Any mojito you get you will love.
(5)
Vickie S.

Paladar has a wonderful, warm ambiance... or, maybe it was just the rum. ;o) The guacamole is served up fresh with a delicious blend of tortilla, potato, and plantain chips. The menu has a lot of choices and unique flavors. If you are looking to try something new and palate pleasing, this is the place to go!
(4)
Larry J.

Had another great dinner last night at Paladar. The food is always good and there are items on the menu that you just don't see at other places. I had the Fejuada (sp) stew and it was really good. It isn't cheap but it isn't way out of line either. The service can be a little spotty (strictly depending on who you get) but otherwise this is always an enjoyable night out. One thing - they need to explain to their servers the difference between Habanero and Chipotle.
(4)
Barbara B.

Visiting a good friend in Solon and we zipped over for girls Friday night. Super happy! Sat in bar area- had great wine and a tasty meal. I would definitely recommend this place for a good social spot to grab some good food in a cool atmosphere BTW- salmon is excellent. And Guacamole is pretty yummy!
(4)
john e.

Simply outstanding. Food, drink, simply everything. I am in a different city/state every week. Makes me wish I was in town more than just the week. I could definitely make this a habit. Even a second home. Ask for Andrei - he'll walk you thru the menu and the rums. Ask for the Ron Zacapa rum and you'll never leave. Multiple thumbs up!
(5)
Shawday B.

Great ambiance, good food, wonderful sangria! =)
(4)
Mike W.

Great beans and rice. Mojitos were a good mix of flavors, just weak and pricey for my taste. My service in the bar was mixed with a confirmation of what I ordered had to seek additional help. I guess I was just another plate and ticket instead of a customer. I might go back for a happy hour, but probably not for dinner.
(3)
Scotty Z.

The perfect, swanky joint at which to be seen keeping up with the Joneses. Paladar surrounds and embraces you from the moment you enter, as the host stand is a few feet back from the door -- requiring one to "enter the scene" even before they truly enter the scene. The place is busy, but in an "alive" sort of way. The bar seems like a cool, comfortable place to chat and mingle, though I wouldn't really know. While crowd surfing and jumping and raising my hand to get a bartender's attention were routine in college, this place screams "adult"; if I have to leave the hoodie at home, they can too. Not sure how to rectify this -- but considering the space isn't all that tiny, I'd like to see an expanded bar area. As there was no room in the bar area, we migrated to the restaurant -- clean, upscale, lively. The lighting was bright, but pleasant and strategically designed, contributing to the overall lively vibe. High ceilings enabled a great deal of this lighting design, while also contributing to the spacious feel of the restaurant floor. Our group only had drinks and an appetizer or two. I had a Cuban Manhatten -- excellent, but overpriced...at upwards of $11. The food was tasty -- high quality, but again, slightly overpriced, IMHO. All in all, this place is definitely worth a try. I'll even probably go back for a meal, at which point I may bump up to four stars. If you find something on the menu you love, more power to you! When I go out, however, I'm mostly concerned only with the quality of what's on my plate and/or in my glass. My overall impression was that too much of the atmosphere's aesthetics comprise a significant portion of the check. If you're into "being seen" however, this familiar, albeit veiled line item shouldn't discourage you in the least.
(3)
Sam S.

Expensive, loud, and bad service. 2 of the 4 entrees at my table came out wrong. It took 15 more minutes to get the correct food. Service was inattentive. Food runner had no idea about the special dietary needs at my table (we had stressed them to the server). No communication seemingly between front and back of house. Ugly decor. Loud music (made my head pound). You could not pay me to go back to Paladar.
(1)
Meredith C.

Paladar is okay. Good drinks and decent food but it's rather overpriced given that everything really is just okay. The service has always been mediocre. The happy hour is decent but it's only available in the bar, which is seriously unfortunate since during happy hour it's tough to get a seat there given the limited seating. Despite the downsides it is very conveniently located and has a nice environment and lovely patio. The place is always packed but I wouldn't recommend seeking Paladar out. If you're on Chagrin Blvd. and need a place to grab a drink check it out, but don't expect to be wowed.
(3)
Chris W.

I love the food here and the drinks although a little pricey are very good. I have dined here probably 10 to12 times. I do this for my wife as the only thing consistent about the service is its terrible. If they offer a second drink you receive it when your meal is finished every time. They don't check to see if everything is acceptable or if I need something, like another drink or a little water. Great food bad service
(3)
Charles M.

Paladar has all the elements I enjoy in a restaurant: good food, good drinks, good service and swanky decor. My partner and I went with another couple late last Saturday night and had a great time. We started with a round of drinks and a couple of shared appetizers. My pomegranate caipiroska (think caipirinha with vodka instead of cachaÃ§a) was perfectly balanced and refreshing. The chorizo and chihuahua cheese papusa (say that five time fast) and Cuban black bean soup had excellent flavor. With the waiter's assurance, I also tried the Havana Side Car martini made with rum instead of cognac. Very, very nice - it went down really smooth. For dinner, I ordered the "Ocho Hora" Braised Short Rib and my partner had the Braised Beef "Ropa Vieja". The short rib was fall-off-the-bone tender and accompanied with yummy sides. The braised beef was incredibly satisfying and came with traditional Latin sides like black beans and plantains. Mmm... I didn't personally try my friends' slow-smoked chicken or salmon, but they both vouch for their dishes. The space at Paladar is very cool. The bar area is well-lit and playful with ample seating for those after work, before dinner cocktails. The main dining area is very comfortable with a combo of chairs and banquettes overlooked by a color-shifting wall. Another seating area is lit by a sparkling galaxy of Moravian star latterns. It's an eccletic, upbeat space that feels special and accents the vibe from the crowd. I look forward to visiting Paladar again on our next trip to Cleveland.
(5)
Alfred K.

Wow - really surprised to see the low ratings at this place. I thought Paladar was a refreshingly trendy restaurant with really good quality food to back up the setting. Of the whole strip here on Chagrin, I would pick Paladar over all the other restaurants anytime, including Taza. I went to Paladar for dinner recently and the ceviche was quite fresh and tasty. The entrees also are well executed. The churros with chocolate dipping sauce are some of the best I've ever had - they were so freshly fried that they literally melted in my mouth. I've had a similar dessert at Adobo Grill in Chicago but it didn't nearly compare with Paladar's. Will definitely go back when I'm in the area.
(4)
Mike B.

I'm not sure if it was just my order or the obnoxious woman I was seated next to the last time I was here, but I was wrong to rate Paladar 2 stars. I've been back a few times in the last 6 months for lunch and I really do enjoy the food. Not to mention in terms of value, you'd be hard pressed to find a better lunch for $10 with service as fine as this place.
(4)
Keith D.

I loved this place, the food was excellent! Nice atmosphere Amanda our waitress was flawless.
(5)
Jillian N.

This place has a fun interior atmosphere and a nice outdoor patio area too. The food is a little adventurous for my typical comfort-zone ways, but I loved the mini cuban sandwich and guacamole dips that my friends and I sampled. Service was a little spotty, but I suppose that could be blamed on the fact that it was pretty hopping when we were there, during Friday happy hour - which is not surprising, because their happy hour prices are incredible!
(4)
Claire M.

Headed out for the Friday after Thanksgiving dinner with friends. We all had a round of drinks. Most drank margaritas, I had wine - fruitier than I had hoped but my fault not theirs. We shared the guacamole sampler - regular, hot and the special - caramelized onion and balsamic. I enjoyed the homemade plantain, yucca, malanga & tortilla chips - a different twist. My husband had the Rum Glazed pork - actually about five people chose that. Tasted pretty good. The coconut mango rice was good to taste, but I wouldn't have wanted a whole dish of it. I had the scallops with roasted cauliflower & fingerling potatoes and a Huancaina sauce (some kind of mild cheese sauce). I loved it. Only complaint, it only came with three scallops and while they were "jumbo", the third was more like a "medium". The waiter was pretty good. Although he was annoyed if everyone wasn't listening to him when he spoke. Now, I get it, I've waited tables before, it can be frustrating to serve a table of ten and have to repeat the specials. BUT, it was our dinner not his. The only other piece of information I will share is that it felt like one of those nicer dinner spots that turns into a cheesy club after dinner. I've worked in them, so I'm familiar with the signs. Music gets louder, they close off sections of the restaurant with dramatic black drapes, guys unbutton their shirt to reveal more chest etc... It doesn't mean that dinner can't be great, it just means that at a certain time at night it may get more like West 6th for 40-year-olds.
(3)
Daryl C.

Beautiful decor, and good food. The plantains, ropa vieja, and jicama is delicious.
(4)
Stephanie S.

If I could, I'd give 3.5 stars. The staff is attentive, and the restaurant is certainly beautiful to look at. The guacamole of the day/season had mangoes and shallots in it and was delicious, as were the amazing chips made from dried (and fried?) fruit. The basic guac is also very tasty. The shrimp ceviche isn't bad although the portion is pretty small. My first disappointment came when I asked about the horchata-tini and was told by the server that not only was there no horchata that evening but it's bad anyway. Why have this $9 drink on the menu if it's not readily available and the servers are bad-mouthing it? The Muddle Strawberry caipirinha I settled on was way strong and refreshing. The Vegetable Relleno "Picadillo Style" completely failed to impress. The chile is filled with quinoa and beans, neither of which have a ton of flavor on their own, so I was counting on Paladar to come up with an interesting way to season the dish. But it just tasted like plain quinoa and beans, so it was quite bland. The Slow Smoked Chicken is decent, with a spicy mustardy sauce and served atop sweet plantains. Tons and tons of plantains. And some arepas which were bland and a bit tough. Come for the atmosphere, drinks, and appetizers. The entrees seem a bit hit or miss.
(3)
Chris W.

Two of my friends are getting married this weekend in Cleveland and they picked Paladar as the site of their rehearsal dinner. I was really surprised to see some of the other reviews b/c everything was spectacular! To accommodate the 45 guest, Paladar set up a pre-fixe menu starting with a chips with housemade guacamole and a mista salad. The guac was really fresh tasting and the variety of chips were a welcomed change from the standard Tostitos offerings of other restaurants. There was one chip that had flecks of chocolate baked into it - absolutely delicious! The salad was really light and quite refreshing. Guests were able to choose either the Slow Roasted Pork "Cubano", the Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco, and the Slow Smoked Chicken as their main dish. Rather than be limited to only one dish, two friends and I split the three offerings and we weren't disappointed. My favorite by far was the Cubano, which was rum glazed, tender and melted in your mouth. The meat was paired with some slightly spiced black beans and a delicious coconut mango rice dish. I was also really pleased that the flavors of my meal mixed really well with the mojito I ordered - maybe a little too much mint leaves in the drink, but that is honestly the only thing I could think of that was less than ideal. Then, to cap off the meal, we had a choice between the Chocolate Cake or the Coconut and Caramel Flan. Not much a fan of Flan, I opted for the cake. I do love chocolate, but tend to avoid cakes b/c outside of specialty dessert places, I haven't found a cake that wasn't too dry or too heavy. However, if this was available anywhere else, I would order it in a heartbeat because it was just the right blend of moistness without being too heavy. The servers were also really attentive to our tables and kept the drinks flowing. Granted, it was a giant party, so they had to have a lot of people to attend to us, but still, I was impressed. Don't be fooled by this place being in a strip mall. If you find yourself in the Cleveland area, definitely check out this place. You will be pleasantly surprised.
(4)
JL O.

Just OK ... Chips & blue-cheese guacamole we're very good...fish tacos were also good ... Pork tacos were not so good. The pork was mushy and bland...rice & black beans were also bland. Service was OK, but water never got refilled. Server who delivered food could have been a robot given his limited interaction w/ customers. Not really anything that would draw us back to this restaurant, especially given the number of very good restaurants in this and nearby areas.
(2)
Mark M.

Very good food that is well prepared and well described on menu. Service was excellent, moved right along even though we were a party of 12. Only disappointment was no beer taps. But highly recommended.
(4)
Dawn P.

Great service with your original server. Great food and portion size. Vegetarian friendly.
(5)
Lily B.

One of my favorites in the area. The food, atmosphere, and service are all great. The menu has something for everyone, and everything is delicious. Definitely try the pulled pork on mango-coconut rice, and the smoked butternut squash soup (if it's on the menu).
(5)
Kyle S.

Great ambiance, huge room so you should find a table easily on a friday nite but reservations would be a good idea for a large party. Service was great both times i've been. One waiter was funny and knowledgeable which made the large menu easier to tame. I ate the grilled mahi mahi the first time there with calamari app and both were very good with zesty seasonings and a nice amount of heat. second time around i got the blackened tilapia (or Tipalia as my friend mark calls it :) fish tacos that were very good although i am not a huge fan of tilapia, Mango coconut rice is buttery and nice and the cezar salad was a very good rendition with manchego cheese and a buttery roll turned into a giant crouton of sorts. Scallops were good, heard the pork chop with passionfruit was awesome but also heard from my guests that the skirt steak was thin ( i think its supposed to be ) and the short ribs were fatty (did not try either of these ). The guacomole was pretty good and they have a nice drink list too. Definately take a date or a group from work its the right choice when you are looking for something unique and flavorful.
(4)
Alicia M.

After having a less than stellar entree on my previous visit, I decided to go with the requisite guacamole as an appetizer and the Caribbean Mango Chicken salad as my entree and both were quite delicious! I'm a huge fan of anything jerk (except people of course!) and I enjoyed their seasoning, the vinaigrette was fresh and flavorful too. I enjoyed one of their mixed drinks, the Dragonberry Daiquiri which was super tasty. And there was no way I was leaving without the famous churros as dessert and they were nothing less than exceptional!
(4)
Michael C.

Good food at good prices, nice crowd at night
(4)
Jackie S.

Good For: - Happy hour with friends for mojitos, guacamole & chips outside on the patio or inside. The only issue is that if you want the special you have to sit in the bar area, which can get a bit crowded. - Lively dinner Bad For: - Quiet dinner, this place can get a little noisy and not a lot of privacy/space.
(5)
Terri B.

Met Thanksgiving visitors at Paladar last evening. While we were originally just talking happy hour, one look at the menu and we grabbed a table in the dining room. Glad we did. Service was excellent and we weren't rushed at all. Even as the contemporary and well designed room grew more crowded. My fish soft tacos were very good. Nice pieces of fried fish complimented by zesty slaw of some sort. A squeeze of fresh lime and I was set. Rice and black beans were so-so. A bit of fresh cilantro would have helped. One of the diners raved about the skirt steak and it was voted dish of the table. Scallops got thumbs up. Only thing rated avg was the pulled pork. Two diners said it was "ok" but "lacked flavor". We'll return when the patio's open....
(3)
Sam P.

Had the Spicy guacamole, queso fundido, Al Pastor pork tacos and a special, Black Seal Rum Chicken entree. Like the two stars connote, "Meh, I've had better." That phrase is spot on for Paladar. The guacamole was ok, but is not worth the price. The fundido was good, (I don't think I've had a fundido I didn't like) but the chorizo in the fundido didn't taste like chorizo, more like a spicey chicken sausage. Again, it wasn't bad, but, if you are looking for authenticity, not so much. The pork taco was ok but lacked any distinctive flavor of Al Pastor. My wife's chicken special was just ok as well. We were really hoping/expecting to be wowed and were not. While Paladar was ok, $13-15 for for our entrees was too much and we don't plan on returning. We are on a desperate hunt for a wow! meal in the Cleveland area and Paladar had been recommended. Coming from the New York city area, we will soon give up our quest.
(2)
Joseph D.

Took my girlfriend to Paladar for her birthday. The atmosphere is odd and seems completely inappropriate for a Latin restaurant. We had decent service, good food and great drinks. It was a little pricey but the food was a nice change of pace from most of the restaurants in Cleveland. We definitely plan to return.
(4)
Mary S.

Demond, our waiter, was in Demand on the patio at Paladar last night, so service was slow but since the weather was great, it wasn't as much of an issue. At the table were: Dark & Stormy, a man drink that could put hair on a girl's chest; and a Banana Colada - both excellent. The chips could have been more plentiful, and a spoon in each of the three salsas would have been helpful. Nitpicking. Soft tacos in both the pulled pork and fish variety were amazing, as was the tortilla soup. The Cezar salad had blah dressing, but the lettuce was fresh. Definitely a popular choice in The Cleve and a nice change.
(4)
Mehrunnisa K.

This place is FANTASTIC! Definitely 5 stars- the ambiance is great! Real packed which is proof that it is a great place. I had the plantain crusted tilapia with mushroom grits and garlic roasted spinach on the side. My date had the chicken breast with salsa (amazing) on the side. Desert was the BEST part- do not miss out on the tres chocolate layered cake! Great Great place-service was great!
(5)
Michael M.

Very cool Latin atmosphere. Service was great as our table wasn't ready righ away and they quickly offered us some complimentary Chips and Guac which was excellent. Our drinks were very good along with foo that was spicy, but not overbearing. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice date night spot. Very crowded, but not overly loud.
(4)
Denise Y.

Great food and i've never had a problem with service. I went on a whim for a girl's night out and the following week we brought our boyfriends for them to try out the restaurant since we liked it so much. If you like guacamole, get either the spicy (not that spicy) or the chef's special. The regular I found to be a little bland. Everything i've ordered off the regular menu has been great. Lately i've been going for latin bbq sunday nights with a set entree (rotates every week between three dishes) and a choice of sides, which equals up to a lot of food. I've been back three times for it if that tells you anything how good it is.
(4)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Address : 28601 Chagrin Blvd,Ste 900
Woodmere, OH, 44122
Phone (216) 896-9020
Website https://www.paladarlatinkitchen.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 11

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

Claim Restaurant

Mexican Cuisine

If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.

Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.

Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

Search Your Favourite Restaurants.

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

28601 Chagrin Blvd,Ste 900, Woodmere, OH, 44122

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar Menu

Appetizers

Soup & Salad

Market Salads

Latin Comfort Food

Fresh Seafood

Sandwitches

Sides

Dessert

Healthy Meal suggestions for Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

Appetizers

Soup & Salad

Market Salads

Latin Comfort Food

Fresh Seafood

Sandwitches

Sides

Dessert

David G.

Aaron S.

Marrissa M.

Mark L.

Megan T.

Jennifer R.

Ganesh N.

Ellie G.

Allison S.

Lisa C.

Linda W.

B D.

Frog F.

Adi S.

Doug N.

Kaitlin D.

Justin B.

Bryant M.

Scott S.

Rachel S.

Karen M.

Anand S.

Keith H.

Ryan N.

James D.

Fox M.

Beth D.

Rob S.

Ameesh P.

Nicolas L.

Monika N.

Katherine M.

Brian L.

Amar G.

Paul H.

Jayram K.

Felice W.

Rachel W.

Amrita C.

Erin K.

Alison B.

Veronique D.

Scott E.

Anna J.

Tim F.

Leah T.

Cher M.

Maria S.

Ruchi S.

Jenny L.

Bryant C.

Jeff D.

Tamika W.

Melissa A.

Robert B.

Susan P.

Jade K.

Jason S.

Nick A.