Pal Campo Restaurant Tampa — Restaurant in Citrus Park

“feel free to take your business elsewhere, one customer won’t make a difference.” - restaurant manager

Updated review: after 9 months of eating at Palcampo averaging 1-2 times a week either for lunch, business or night out with my wife we have witnessed the decline in food quality and service.

Last 3 visits were dinning nightmares! Much hasn’t change except for the fact they usually don’t have available a lot of what’s in their menu or plates come incomplete as they have certain ingredients unavailable at the moment… for months this been and ongoing issue.

In our last visit they forgot to bring our usual appetizers and jump straight to 1 entry instead of the 2 ordered. We decided to share as the team showed very little motivation. We ordered 2 Passion Fruit Mojitos which are usually very nice and they were served in this ridiculous larga glasses with their name and brand on it. We thought it was an upgrade to the glass they serve in, we decided to settle our bill and go home very unhappy but thank them and walked away.

I found the price out of wack so I decided to call them and see why was I over charge which resulted in them being more rude and telling me over the phone they had close and weren’t able to help me. I called the next day spoke to a manager explained the whole situation as they charge full price for plates that didn’t arrive and 8 dollars on top of the margaritas because they “sold” the glass to us! The manager said there was nothing he could do about it and we should pay more attention and read. I replied with “you do realize we come here very often 1-2 a week and this could lead to us never visiting them again to which he replied “feel free to take your business elsewhere, one customer won’t make a difference.”

I recently dined at Pal Campo restaurant and had a generally positive experience. The food was delicious, although there were a few minor issues. The lobster dish I ordered was a bit chewy, but the rice and meat selections were tasty and cooked to perfection. The "mar y tierra" dish, in particular, was a standout, and the "Surtido" appetizer was a highlight worth traveling for.

The cocktails at Pal Campo were impressive, and I highly recommend trying the passion fruit mojito. The service was attentive and our waitress made sure our drinks were always refilled promptly. The timing of the entrees arriving after the appetizers was well-executed.

The atmosphere at Pal Campo was exceptional, with live music that added to the overall ambiance without being overwhelming. The artist interacted with the tables and delivered a great performance with a diverse selection of songs.

While there were a few areas that could be improved upon, the overall experience was positive. The staff at Pal Campo demonstrated great attention to detail and provided excellent service to guests, especially considering the busy Saturday night we visited. It's worth noting that the restaurant seems to manage rush periods better on weeknights.

In conclusion, Pal Campo offers a great dining experience with delicious food, impressive cocktails, and attentive service. I would recommend giving this restaurant a try, especially for the fantastic appetizers and...

Drove over an hour to this restaurant to celebrate my best friends birthday. A party of 10 was about an hour wait. We finally were about to sit down after an hour of waiting. When at the entrance we were stopped and told we couldn't come inside with a birthday cake. Confused on as to why the staff mentioned it was company policy. But no where on there company website does it mention that you can't bring outside cakes. I've never heard of such a thing. We had no choice but to leave it with the staff and if not couldn't be sat down. We finally decided to continue stick with still eating there cause we waited so long and didn't want to drive anywhere else given the big party. While still waiting for the birthday girl I decided to go out an talk to the manager. He mentioned it was company policy. But no where in the business are there signs and or on the website that mentioned this so called policy and I continued to state my case about how we were not made aware even after I called in advance to tell them we were celebrating a birthday and attempt to call ahead for seating. This place doesn't do that either. The manger basically didn't care and I even asked how many people think about coming here with outside decorations and cakes and have to be turned down. He basically said it was a verbal policy and it's told that way and communicated up on arrival of the customer. At that point I was frustrated and continued on with the night of celebrating my friends birthday without her cake. Finally after we were done eating and waiting for the checks which took over 30mins to get the checks. I went up to the hostess to get our cake and had to sit back at our table because the checks still had not came and they continued to trail us an harass my party about NOT CUTTING THE CAKE. At that point I was really annoyed and didn't understand why it was SUCH a big deal. We never cut the cake inside instead asked for spoons to eat and cut the cake in the truck of our car and sing happy...

I feel compelled to share the troubling experience my sister and our family had at this restaurant last Friday night. We were all excited to enjoy a meal together, but things took a disappointing turn.

My sister specifically asked our waiter, Fidel, if the mixed seafood mofongo was available without fish. Fidel confidently assured her it was, listing shrimp, lobster, and concha as options. However, he failed to mention that each seafood item would incur an additional charge. When the bill arrived, we were shocked to see the breakdown:

Mofongo w/ Octopus: $26.99 Lobster Tail: $47.00 Shrimp: $6.99 Concha: $7.77 Total for ONE plate: $88 🤯

Had Fidel been upfront about the extra costs, my sister would have made different choices. Instead, it felt like a deliberate attempt to upcharge, especially since we were a table of six with an automatic 18% tip already included.

Additionally, I noticed some upselling tactics that raised red flags. Fidel brought over a large $19 mojito without even asking if we wanted it, which further inflated the bill. The lack of transparency was frustrating and left us feeling deceived.

When my sister addressed the situation with the manager, Juan Negrón, we hoped for a resolution. Unfortunately, he barely engaged with her concerns and suggested she should have asked about prices beforehand. There was no apology or acknowledgment of the situation, which was disappointing.

Overall, our experience was far from what we expected. This restaurant lacks transparency and accountability, and I would caution others to be aware of potential upselling tactics. After witnessing my sister spend $211 on this frustrating experience, it’s clear we will not be returning. I urge everyone to check prices carefully before ordering here—because they certainly...