MacArthur Park - Palo Alto

Review summary

1. D

   David

   San Francisco

   8 reviews

   2.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   In our 30 years together this might have been the worst overall experience we've ever had. * Rez at 7:30, no one came to our table until I approached them at 8:10. I was then addressed as, "What can I get you, boss?" This at a ~$275 meal. * Two tables near us were seated after us. One received their salad and app before we had received even our drinks. The other table was a given a free app because of their wait before we had had anything; they bailed and gave it to us. * Here was the order of our 5 courses + drinks: 1) app from the other table, 2) drinks, 3) salad, 4) app, 5) amuse bouche 6) offer of dessert even though we hadn't had entrees yet , 6) entrees. * In general, 6 tables near us were all laughing about incredibly bad the experience was. I was amazed there wasn't a revolt. I can't imagine a single customer that night will return.
   

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2. K

   Kay

   San Francisco

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Great ambience, we went here for Valentine’s Day. They might have been short staffed but our meal took an incredibly long time. We were seated for 20 minutes before anyone came over to take our drink order, and then another 25 minutes before our bottle of wine came out. No water until we asked for it, same with the bread. Food was good, although salmon was over cooked. Hopefully it was just an off night for them.
   

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3. M

   Mark

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Had the pre fixe Valentine’s dinner. It was a 5 course meal, and the food was quite tasty. We left stuffed. Service was uneven. Long wait times between certain courses and very short between others. My guess is they were short staffed that evening. We left stuffed. Overall, it was an enjoyable dinner, but I just wish the service had been better.
   

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4. M

   Mike

   VIP

   San Francisco

   38 reviews

   4.0

   38 reviews

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   This was a special Valentine’s Day menu and the food was ok, and we understand it will a big, fixed menu, but the service was snail paced… 3 hours for 5 courses is a bit, a tad or way way too long for table service. We had to continually ask the wait staff to move on to the next course. In fact I had to flag down the hostess in order to pay as the waitress was running ragged. In the future, tell them to post the 3-hour time frame so we know what we are in for.
   

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5. S

   Stanley

   VIP

   San Francisco

   15 reviews

   5.0

   15 reviews

   Dined on 8 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food, service, ambience. Will come back often.
   

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6. D

   Danny

   VIP

   Seattle

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on 1 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Potur was attentive and accommodating. He did not rush, and lent expertise on dishes, and beverage choices. Well done MacArthur Park….
   

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7. P

   PJ

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 19 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Really great meal. I was there a few months ago for a Stanford event, the first time since early 1990s. Portions are very large, food and serv ice were excellent, and prices are very reasonable - seafood past was just $22-$25, Caesar salad only $12. Very interesting history and old photos from >100 years ago. Will definitely go back, especially in summer when outdoor seating is available.
   

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8. J

   Joyce

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 4 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent barbecued baby back ribs and chicken. Must have the fried onion strings, our favorite appetizer. Love the warm ambiance with large fireplaces in a historical building. Have been going to MacArthur Park for over 30 years and always pleased with the excellent food and service.
   

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9. K

   Kathleen

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 26 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We attended the Xmas buffet in 2024. Everything was wonderful and Xmassy as we were greeted and seated by the smiling owner. The food was the perfect temperature and plentiful even though we had the last reservation. Service was impeccable. I will definitely be back.
   

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10. A

    Anthony

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 26 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    We were there for the Christmas buffet. The food was marvelous and plentiful: prime rib, salmon, pork loin, ribs, bbq chicken, assorted salads and sides, and desserts. The service was fine and the price was great. We'd like to go for a regular dining experience in addition to the holiday buffets as we also went to the Thanksgiving buffet.
    

    MacArthur Park - Palo AltoResponded on 31 December 2024

    Dear Anthony, Thank you so much for your fantastic 5-star review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our Christmas buffet and found the food to be marvelous and plentiful. It’s wonderful to know that both the service and value met your expectations. We’re also excited to hear you’d like to join us for a regular dining experience – we’d love to welcome you back for that as well! Thank you for choosing us for your holiday celebrations, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
    

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