Pala Cafe — Restaurant in California

EXPERIENCE 3 (Positive)

On my way home after Christmas I decided to stop by to have breakfast. I ordered the Chorizo Omelette. It arrived looking like a very nice omelette, topped with sliced avocado, a side of hash browns, and corn tortillas, along with some Salsa Verde. It all made for a delicious and spicy breakfast.

Our server was a very nice woman that did a great job servicing our table.

EXPERIENCE 2 (Positive)

I was in the area on Christmas so I stopped by to get a bite to eat. I ordered the Open Face Turkey. When it arrived it looked great, and ended up tasting just as good. The turkey was moist and tender. The gravy was flavorful and complimented the turkey perfectly. The mashed potatoes were nothing special, but who cares, mashed potatoes are always great. And, like any turkey meal the cranberry sauce really pulls everything together. But, what I really enjoyed was the toasted crusty bread. Even covered in gravy it provided enough crunch to contrast the rest of the dish. A simple, well done Open Face Turkey.

The man serving our table was friendly, efficient, and enhanced our dining experience.

EXPERIENCE 1 (Positive)

This year we came to Pala for Thanksgiving after having a horrible Thanksgiving dinner last year. The restaurant was very busy and everyone seemed to be enjoying their food. No one had informed us about the Thanksgiving menu, so my mom grabbed a passing server and asked him about the Thanksgiving menu. He told us about the specials and prices, and was very helpful. When our server came to our table everyone decided to order the Thanksgiving special. Turkey with both white meat and dark meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and cranberry sauce. And, we all chose pumpkin pie for dessert. When our food arrived it looked great. But, as always my mom needed extra gravy. She couldn't find our server, so she grabbed the same guy and told him she needed extra gravy. A few minutes later this awesome guy that wasn't even our server came back with gravy, not for just my mom, but everyone at our table. And, at no additional charge. At some restaurants in this area it would have cost an extra $12 bucks. Everything tasted great. It was nothing special, just a well done Classic style Thanksgiving meal. When the pumpkin pie arrived it tasted great, and was very light. I didn't notice until later that there were holes on top of the pie. If I were a judge in a contest I would have been appalled, because it looks bad. But as a diner on Thanksgiving, all I care about is that it tasted good. It was most likely caused by minor issues in a busy kitchen on a holiday.

Overall a very nice Thanksgiving meal at...

"One Beefeater, please. No, the sandwich. Not the drink, thank you."

Tired of getting some chow at Noodles restaurant between the vigorous slot play, I wanted to try something new & gave Pala Café a go. Browsing the menu online prior, I noticed burgers & sandwiches come with choice of fries, onion rings, potato salad or coleslaw. Seeing a good option for a shareable meal with a sandwich & fries, I ordered Pala Cafe's Beefeater sandwich to go.

Beefeater Prime rib, Ortega chili peppers, grilled onions & jack cheese. This hefty sandwich was stuffed with slices of tender prime rib. The Ortega chili peppers provided a mild heat, complimented by the sweetness of grilled onions and the creamy, melted jack cheese. The slices of buttered bread had an exquisite crunch, and just barely managed to contain all of that meaty goodness. Plus, the generous & heaping mound of fries were perfectly cooked and enough to share, and then some! Now, naturally, premium prices are de riguere for casinos, and the Beefeater comes with the hefty price tag of $12.99 + tax. However, I found it delicious, filling, and when split amongst two people, a pretty good savings.

Service was good. I ordered to-go & was told my order would be ready in approximately 15 minutes. While not checking the exact time on my phone, it seemed my Beefeater was bagged & ready for pickup long before that estimated time. Plenty of seating inside the café. We sat outside the café at one of the communal tables, so as to avoid having to pay tip to a server.

Pala Café is open 24 hours a day, and also serves the entire menu all day.

Variety is the spice of life. Foregoing a usual order of combination fried rice or bulgogi and rice at Noodles restaurant, we went with Pala Café across the way and came away satisfied. Our packed sandwich was stuffed with juicy prime rib, and the fries were more than enough for the two of us. I think, next time, I'll go with a breakfast item, as I contemplate all that cash money I'll get on my next spin at the penny...

There is no room service. So, last time we were here we got our food to go. Good enough. This morning we went to the cafe. After they knew I wanted it to go the server brought these very small boxes for left overs. There was no way the food would fit. I was basically forced to sit and down my breakfast but still had an order to go. They brought another plate to put on top, it kept falling off. Then my left overs didn't even fit in the box. I am NEVER GOING TO EAT THERE AGAIN. NO WHERE WAS IT POSTED NO TAKE OUTS.

$15. A PLATE. I WANT MY MONEY BACK. BUT BEING NICE AS I AM I DIDNT DINE AND DASH. WARNING... IF YOU NEED TAKE OUT TO YOUR ROOM...