La Palapa Too has a lot of potential, but fails miserably in its attempt to present itself as a good Mexican restaurant. I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants over the years, and this one is definitely one of the worst. The interior decorating is very pleasing with its tiles floors and beautifully designed bar top. However, looks can be deceiving. When the chips and salsa are the best part of your entire meal, there is a serious problem in the kitchen. We started off with the loaded nachos. Unfortunately, it was more of a soup than a platter of nachos. Not only were all of the tortillas chips soggy, the toppings that were causing them to be soggy were completely tasteless. I ordered a beef taco with a bowl of tortillas soup. The tortilla soup was actually decent, but the beef taco was terribly bland as well. To make matters worse, I noticed that the beef/chili filling in the taco was the same as the beef in the loaded nachos. Some people might think that this is an okay practice in the restaurant business, but not if your beef/chili filing has the consistency of canned chili from the grocery store. Also, just because a dish contains ground beef, that does not mean that it can be used as a cheap filler. The idea is to serve your customers great food, not subpar food in order to turn a profit. And to put a fitting end to such a terrible dinning experience, I ordered the street corn but got a sad excuse for street corn instead. I do not know if the cooks in the kitchen were just lazy, but a piece of mushy yellow corn covered in spicy salt does not do the tradition of street corn any justice. It is supposed to be grilled (not boiled), and covered in cheese, smokes spices, lime juice, and green onions or cilantro (at least). This felt like it was just a pathetic attempt to get my order out of the way by the kitchen staff. The worst part is that they were not even busy. It really is a shame because the restaurant could be a great one. Unfortunately, it is not anywhere near that level yet. If you want fantastic Mexican food, there are a plethora of restaurants in Laurel, Maryland that can accommodate you, just not here at La Palapa Too.
stephanie rosa
Ordered the carne asada and it literally tasted like water . It was the most expensive meal and it was not good at all . Also bartender left for like 20 mins . Her service wasn’t that great . That is all !
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Diane Threat
Small group of 8 - comfortable area to visit & enjoy our
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mexican Salad, Tacos Soft or Crispy, Chips and Salsa, Chips
Sal Martinez
Great service and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice and Beans, Chicken Fajitas, Refried Beans, Chips and Salsa
Jose Ward
A Must-Visit for authentic flavors and ambiance. Even for watching the Super Bowl!It stands out! The flavors are vibrant, offering a true taste of Mexico and their tequila selection second to none..What truly sets Lapala's apart is the exceptional service. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience, offering personalized recommendations and attending to every detail with a smile. Their hospitality makes you feel like part of the.Whether you're a local like me or just passing through Lapala's now a regular part of our dining out routine in Howard county.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Fajitas, Enchilada, Chips and Salsa, Ceviche
John E.
GREAT service. My server, Maria Emmons, was very respectful and delivered EXCELLENT customer service to me and my mother. She deserves a promotion!
Rumit P.
We were seated right away, which is awesome for a Saturday night! The service from the host, server, and bartender was excellent. Superb ambiance for a strip mall: wall art, painted, textured walls, archways, separate bar area. We ordered a vegetarian burrito, two beef tacos, street corn, Sprite, and agua fresca (tamarindo). Everything tasted super fresh and flavorful and my vegetarian burrito came with a huge side salad! The meat in the tacos was juicy, seasoned well, and a great portion. They also had a fresh homemade habanero sauce that was absolutely delicious. We got some to go!
V Mars
Average Mexican food, not authentic, but tasty. Expensive. Good drinks. It's casual Mexican sit down restaurant chain style food. It's fine because it's on the neighborhood & therefore convenient.I prefer Tampico's near Main Street in Laurel on Route 1. The chef there has been written about and rated highly for making more authentic food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Taco, Guacamole, Chips and Salsa, Chips
Javier Echavarria
I found the worst mexican restaurant I've ever been too, and expensive. The food was just trash canned refried beans, the rice just had paprika on it. The white queso looked like big mac sauce. I just couldn't eat it. There is nothing authentic about Mexican cuisine on this menu. Please don't use Mexican food on any of your menus. It's embarrassing.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Lee M.
I arranged a surprise birthday party for my wife in December this year. We had the back room which holds about 30 people. Diana and juan cold not have been more hospitable. Also, Azad who took care of us was awesome! the food was delicious and the margarita's flowed. We reserved for two hors but they ended up letting us use it for three. My wife was totally surprised and everything went off very well. Thanks guys for a terrific experience. Would highly recommend La Palapa's for a private party or even an open group setting.
Kid-friendliness: Kids menu available. Quesadillas, tacos, burritos, and hot dogs
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Quesadillas, Chips and Salsa
Vance Naftal
La palapa too is an absolute staple of food/drink in the Columbia/Laurel area. The food is spectacular and the Margaritas get me dancing. Thanks, Jimmy, for providing exemplary service. I’ll be back for sure!Vegetarian options: I love meat, but there’s a whole list of vegetarian options! Come in if you want to change up your vegetarian options!
Went for fajitas with my kids. Food was ok. Service was very nice. Entertainment was a good artist playing “take me home” by John Denver for a twist. Can’t say it was worth the price plus tip. But it was a a decent time with no pressure of waiting for a seat on a Saturday evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
R W
First time at this restaurant. Ordered a large beef burrito. It was warm Not hot.My wife ordered the fajita sub. You couldn't eat it like a sub. The meat was extra tough and chewy. You needed a steak knife to cut it. The chips are very very thick and bland.Next time we will just go to On The Boarder in Columbia.We just thought we'd try a different place. On the outside the place looks very nice with plenty of outdoor seating. BUT if this is the usual food served then Not for us and our friends.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Private Information
Food was midService was bad. Our server seemed like he didn't understand what we were ordering. He had to look at the menu and have use point at it 5 times. A margarita is not that hard. It was pretty dead inside as well. The food was okay at best. I also didn't like the fact that they make you tip with the terminal in their hand and the lowest tip amount is 18%
La Palapa Too has a lot of potential, but fails miserably in its attempt to present itself as a good Mexican restaurant. I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants over the years, and this one is definitely one of the worst. The interior decorating is very pleasing with its tiles floors and beautifully designed bar top. However, looks can be deceiving. When the chips and salsa are the best part of your entire meal, there is a serious problem in the kitchen. We started off with the loaded nachos. Unfortunately, it was more of a soup than a platter of nachos. Not only were all of the tortillas chips soggy, the toppings that were causing them to be soggy were completely tasteless. I ordered a beef taco with a bowl of tortillas soup. The tortilla soup was actually decent, but the beef taco was terribly bland as well. To make matters worse, I noticed that the beef/chili filling in the taco was the same as the beef in the loaded nachos. Some people might think that this is an okay practice in the restaurant business, but not if your beef/chili filing has the consistency of canned chili from the grocery store. Also, just because a dish contains ground beef, that does not mean that it can be used as a cheap filler. The idea is to serve your customers great food, not subpar food in order to turn a profit. And to put a fitting end to such a terrible dinning experience, I ordered the street corn but got a sad excuse for street corn instead. I do not know if the cooks in the kitchen were just lazy, but a piece of mushy yellow corn covered in spicy salt does not do the tradition of street corn any justice. It is supposed to be grilled (not boiled), and covered in cheese, smokes spices, lime juice, and green onions or cilantro (at least). This felt like it was just a pathetic attempt to get my order out of the way by the kitchen staff. The worst part is that they were not even busy. It really is a shame because the restaurant could be a great one. Unfortunately, it is not anywhere near that level yet. If you want fantastic Mexican food, there are a plethora of restaurants in Laurel, Maryland that can accommodate you, just not here at La Palapa Too.
Ordered the carne asada and it literally tasted like water . It was the most expensive meal and it was not good at all . Also bartender left for like 20 mins . Her service wasn’t that great . That is all !
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Small group of 8 - comfortable area to visit & enjoy our
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mexican Salad, Tacos Soft or Crispy, Chips and Salsa, Chips
Great service and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice and Beans, Chicken Fajitas, Refried Beans, Chips and Salsa
A Must-Visit for authentic flavors and ambiance. Even for watching the Super Bowl!It stands out! The flavors are vibrant, offering a true taste of Mexico and their tequila selection second to none..What truly sets Lapala's apart is the exceptional service. The staff goes above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience, offering personalized recommendations and attending to every detail with a smile. Their hospitality makes you feel like part of the.Whether you're a local like me or just passing through Lapala's now a regular part of our dining out routine in Howard county.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Fajitas, Enchilada, Chips and Salsa, Ceviche
GREAT service. My server, Maria Emmons, was very respectful and delivered EXCELLENT customer service to me and my mother. She deserves a promotion!
We were seated right away, which is awesome for a Saturday night! The service from the host, server, and bartender was excellent. Superb ambiance for a strip mall: wall art, painted, textured walls, archways, separate bar area. We ordered a vegetarian burrito, two beef tacos, street corn, Sprite, and agua fresca (tamarindo). Everything tasted super fresh and flavorful and my vegetarian burrito came with a huge side salad! The meat in the tacos was juicy, seasoned well, and a great portion. They also had a fresh homemade habanero sauce that was absolutely delicious. We got some to go!
Average Mexican food, not authentic, but tasty. Expensive. Good drinks. It's casual Mexican sit down restaurant chain style food. It's fine because it's on the neighborhood & therefore convenient.I prefer Tampico's near Main Street in Laurel on Route 1. The chef there has been written about and rated highly for making more authentic food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Taco, Guacamole, Chips and Salsa, Chips
I found the worst mexican restaurant I've ever been too, and expensive. The food was just trash canned refried beans, the rice just had paprika on it. The white queso looked like big mac sauce. I just couldn't eat it. There is nothing authentic about Mexican cuisine on this menu. Please don't use Mexican food on any of your menus. It's embarrassing.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
I arranged a surprise birthday party for my wife in December this year. We had the back room which holds about 30 people. Diana and juan cold not have been more hospitable. Also, Azad who took care of us was awesome! the food was delicious and the margarita's flowed. We reserved for two hors but they ended up letting us use it for three. My wife was totally surprised and everything went off very well. Thanks guys for a terrific experience. Would highly recommend La Palapa's for a private party or even an open group setting.
Restaurantji Recommends
Kid-friendliness: Kids menu available. Quesadillas, tacos, burritos, and hot dogs
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Quesadillas, Chips and Salsa
La palapa too is an absolute staple of food/drink in the Columbia/Laurel area. The food is spectacular and the Margaritas get me dancing. Thanks, Jimmy, for providing exemplary service. I’ll be back for sure!Vegetarian options: I love meat, but there’s a whole list of vegetarian options! Come in if you want to change up your vegetarian options!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Fajitas, Guacamole, Ceviche
Went for fajitas with my kids. Food was ok. Service was very nice. Entertainment was a good artist playing “take me home” by John Denver for a twist. Can’t say it was worth the price plus tip. But it was a a decent time with no pressure of waiting for a seat on a Saturday evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
First time at this restaurant. Ordered a large beef burrito. It was warm Not hot.My wife ordered the fajita sub. You couldn't eat it like a sub. The meat was extra tough and chewy. You needed a steak knife to cut it. The chips are very very thick and bland.Next time we will just go to On The Boarder in Columbia.We just thought we'd try a different place. On the outside the place looks very nice with plenty of outdoor seating. BUT if this is the usual food served then Not for us and our friends.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Food was midService was bad. Our server seemed like he didn't understand what we were ordering. He had to look at the menu and have use point at it 5 times. A margarita is not that hard. It was pretty dead inside as well. The food was okay at best. I also didn't like the fact that they make you tip with the terminal in their hand and the lowest tip amount is 18%
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1