La Paloma Restaurante

I was going to give them two stars, but this is Vista, Southern California. There is no excuse for mediocre Mexican food. And really, mediocre would be a complement to this place. Everything smacks of cheap, low quality ingredients. The burrito I ordered as well as the margarita were very bland. The real kicker for me was the «guacamole» appetizer. This is guacamole the same way Cheez Whiz is is cheese. It was obviously some canned avocado product that they attempt to pass off as guacamole. Even the color was wrong. It was a strange fake green color. And not a single fresh ingredient like a chopped onion or some tomato. Just a smooth mushy pile of creepy green. It looked like Shrek’s diarrhea. Also, the prices are way too high for this level of quality (or non-​quality in this case).
Been here a handful of times. Always been non-​memorable. Last night was my last try. I can’t do it anymore. It’s a convenient location, but definitely not worth it. I knew I should have driven to the coast and gone to Norte. Never again La Paloma.

have been coming here
for over 20 years ever since bob and kriss cherry have sold to this new owner everything has gone down hill the prise rases every year and you cant even get a sizzeling faheta sizzeling the shrimp scallops and lobster are milky and not cooked the last 5 times i have ordereed them you would think the cooks would know that sizzleing is cooked threw out not cold and milky$ 24.00 and have to take it home and re-​cook it before i can eat it get a grip these cooks need to be told they are cooks go for cheese enchaladas and nothiung else price for all food and drinks is to much for what you get

Went here for the first time for a family birthday dinner. I had high hopes as it appears as an «authentic» Mexican restaurant, but when I received my dry chicken breast & chewy steak fajitas I knew I was mistaken. And then I received my sides… Pico de gallo that looked a few days old and the «guac»… Don’t get me started. You know those powdered «guac» packages you find in the produce area next to the real avocados… Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what I regretfully ate and paid for. By the looks of old pictures, looks like they used to serve fresh guac. That natural green color… What I ate, looked more like… nothing I’ve seen before… Needless to say, I won’t be going back. The quality was not there. At all.

I thought it was great! Huge variety of different types of dishes. We will be back. Service was good as well!

Been coming here for ages. Great food and great service. I’ve never had a bad meal, service or experience in all these years. Thank you to the staff and cooks for always being spot on.
And YES… they are still in business.

Good quality Mexican food with lots of variety. They have everything from the normal Mexican cuisine (fajitas, enchiladas, and the like) to the obscure dishes like ostrich.
Good refried beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole. Flan is delicious for dessert.
It’s also a great place to bring kids — the waiters will make virgin daiquiris and the placemats are paper, so kids can draw on them. The entire wait staff is so nice and want to make sure everything about your experience was good. The only thing lacking just a little bit is their salad, which leaves just a bit to be desired — but it’s Mexican food, so the salad isn’t normally the clincher anyway!
Fun little place tucked away in the back Adobe of Vista. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

I’m addicted to their cheese pie! Smooth and creamy, with fresh strawberries and whipped cream or just plain the way I like it, just can’t be beat. I love their avocado ranch dressing, best guacamole ever and the ground beef enchiladas are so good, also the chili rellenos.
Beverly, one of the waitress will take extra good care of you and if something is wrong, she will make it right!

I have been here many many times and I am always unimpressed. If this was the only Mexican restaurant in the area maybe I would get the prices and the everything else. This place has great potential and great food but something is just always off.
I get that they are trying to be a «fancy» more «gourmet» restaurant but with options like casa de bindini and el callejon close by for cheaper and better, you would think they would step up their game.
The menu is far too big, it takes forever to go through. The salsa and the side salads with the meals are unimpressive.
service is nothing to rave about.
I really like their food, like I said they have great potential, but something just always seems off

I visited La Paloma for an early dinner one Saturday afternoon. We took seats on the outdoor patio which had a garden view.
When I laid my eyes on the gigantic menu I had pretty high hopes for mouthwatering meal, they had a vast array of Mexican style vegetarian and seafood offerings that sounded great. I love scallops so I honed in on anything that had them. I asked a lot of questions to get a preparation that would not be chewy. For me, a scallop should have a sear outside and be tender in the middle.
A good Mexican restaurant should have a variety of Margaritas, I selected the especial with Herradura tequila on the rocks, a $ 9.00 upgraded drink. Their premier margarita was served table side and our young waitress did not look like much of a mixologist or I would have gone for that one.
I received my scallop dish and did not immediately see any of them on my plate, they were buried under salsa and had no sear. I took one bite and sent the plate back. The texture was that of a rubber band. I settled on a simple combination with chile relleno and a bean tostada.
My margarita arrived dead. It had table salt, not margarita salt dripping all over it and tasted of something reminiscent of a frat party cocktail. I could not drink it and ordered a beer. The waitress did not ask about the dead drink or notice that it sat untouched.
We paid our bill and left, never to return again.

¡Camerones con pollo cilantro!

Lunch on Friday, hadn’t been there in 20 years. We were not disappointed, best Mexican food we’ve had since we left Northern California. Can’t wait to go back and explore the menu, and great iced tea, a must for us! The only odd thing was the Tony Bennett music playing, but we loved that too!