Palenque Restaurant

Absolutely a top in my book for SoPhilly dining. #1 BYOB. #2 the friendliest happiest server. #3 fresh fast and hot food.They bring chips to your table with mole and some beans and cheese. We had the additional chips and guac that was so good and fresh and not too oniony. I didn't try the corn but my friends loved it. Main meals... a chimmychanga?! I haven't had one of those since ChiChis!Open clean restaurant with hot hot fresh food. The server is attentive and so happy! He had a big smile the whole time. Just a pleasant place, energy and vibe with good FOOD. And BYOB!Go soon.

Stop number two one the Yelp Taco Crawl, and it was one where we ate almost ALL THE TACOS!For a normal dining experience, I'd probably give Palenque a four when comparing it to other neighborhood taquerias in the area. But on an afternoon when we came in as a last minute party of eight, ordered six (eight? we ordered many!) different kinds of tacos to share among our table, and they delivered great service without missing a beat, I have to curve higher. Bonus points also go to Palenque being BYOB and having a random but very cool rooster-fighting mural within.Here are the highlights of the taco feast that we had:Gorbernador - Chili marinated shrimp served with avocado, chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo for all the flavor!Quesabirria - a mix of slow-cooked short rib, dry chili peppers, chihuahua cheese, cilantro, pickles, and onions ready to be dunked into a juicy consomme!Chile Relleno - deep friend jalapeno pepper served with fresh cheese and rice for the perfect vegetarian classic taco.Chorizo - sauteed and perfectly seasoned sausage so good!Tinga - Perfectly marinated chicken with a subtle bit of spiciness!Alambre - a megamix of steak, pastor pork, chorizo, chicken, and chicharron served with mushrooms, peppers, onions, Oaxaca cheese, avocado, and french fries!!! Santo Guacamole - a fresh and delicious classic with just the right amount of cilantro and lime.On a non-taco-feast I'm definitely coming back for Elote, huarache, tortas, fajitas mixtas, and more. But for a variety of great tacos Palenque is definitely pretty hard to beat!

Amazing service! The ambiance feels warm, welcoming and is very clean. The food was delicious! I recommend the homemade mango water and bistec tacos and bistec burrito. 5 out of 5! Highly recommend!

We never thought Taqueria La Veracruzana, the restaurant that used to be at this location, could be replaced, but Palenque is a worthy contender. Having just returned from two months in the Bay Area where I ate (more than) my fill of Mexican food, I can say that at least when it comes to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, guacamole, etc., Palenque is helping with the transition.

I took no photos, but I'm sure my fellow diners did. We had their specialty tacos: Chile relleno, fish, shrimp, alambres, quesabirria, plus chicken tinga and chorizo. Loved the fish taco. The alambres taco was also delicious. It had a bit of everything in it.They are BYOB. They serve you chips and salsa when you sit down. I don't think there was a charge. There was so much food that we took those home and made chilaquiles the next day. Quesabirria tacos were cheesy and good. Consome was flavorful. I'd return for those alambres tacos.

This is my first time dining in here. There's only one waitress but she was very friendly and attentive.We were served with complimentary chips with two kinds of dipping : chipotle and green sauce. Both were quite spicy.Service was unfortunately slow. It took a while for our appetizers.Guacamole was fresh served in a stone bowl.Elote: three small pieces of corn about a size of half corn. Very juicy with some charred spots topped with cojita cheese. Delicious.My entre was enchilada mole topped with fried egg. I pick guacamole and refried beans as my side dish. Enchiladas came in three smothered in fresh mole sauce. Each of them was fully stuffed with shredded chicken, tortillas were soft. After I finished this flavorful meal, the waitress explained that the mole sauce was made in house. No wonder it tasted homemade, not like coming from a can or a jar.My father in law had carne asada and his plate was full of different varieties of food. He enjoyed his meal.I definitely recommend this place when you're in Italian market

I miss Veracruzana, but Palenque hits the spot for about the same price.The menu is a little more focused, but everything still slaps. Chips and salsa, al pastor, guac, the usual.Check it out. Pretty sure it's still BYO.

Just a quick review but we were looking for a not crowded place for a small birthday party and chose this place. Great service and all of our dishes were very good. I love that they give you some refried beans with the comped fried tortilla chips before the meal and a sampler of 4 sauces. All of our meals were very good, tasty and inexpensive. And loved the service. I guess this is what you call a hidden gem. I typically don't like to give my secrets away but these folks are very nice and they deserve a chance to succeed. There is a sea of taquerias and such in the area but I really liked this one.

Hands down one of the best Mexican spots in Philly. Everything is insanely good - tacos, burritos, platos, churros. You can tell it's made with love just from how well they package your takeout orders. 12/10 highly highly recommended

SO GOOD!! Get the giant Mayan Molcajete. The best thing $35 can get you in the city! Everything was really fresh and the service was friendly and quick. Will be back soon!