La Palma — Restaurant in Greensboro

While Greensboro has Mexican eateries aplenty (one of them, El Mariachi, is right next door), Dominican and other Latin cuisine is largely underrepresented. Thankfully, La Palma, which opened earlier this month, capably fills the void.

La Palma’s pan-Caribbean menu includes starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, platters, and signature dishes. In addition to the more familiar Cuban sandwiches, plantains, nachos, and empanadas, you will find cassava balls, longaniza (Dominican sausage), mofongo (Puerto Rican plantain bowls), and a decidedly different take on lasagna (shredded chicken or beef, pasta strips, cheese, and cream sauce).

For my first visit, I opted for a takeout order of a La Palma sandwich (pulled pork, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sauce with fried plantains instead of bread) and sweet plantains (maduros) as well as a Cuban sandwich with fried plantains (tostones) for my wife. The cashier was friendly, and the sandwiches came out to about $7 apiece with a choice of side included, a very good value given the filling portion sizes.

The food definitely did not disappoint. Though a bit of a mess to eat (plantains don’t hold ingredients together nearly as well as bread), the La Palma featured tender pork and a delicious pink gustosita sauce. The maduros were crisper and not quite as sweet as some that I’ve had, but they still satisfied. My wife rated her Cuban and tostones a definite re-order for future visits.

Sparsely appointed with few tables, La Palma is tidy and neat but probably better suited for takeout. If you go this route, do not expect fast food prep speeds: this food is made with care (in front of your eyes, if you choose to look past the counter) and takes time.

With an enticing menu, reasonable prices, and (so far) very tasty food, La Palma has earned a “Me gustó” as well as several...

Hole in the wall in an old strip mall. By far the best Dominican Food Restaurant in the Triad. From outside you may miss it if you blink. Very simple place with ample sitting or you can take out. Even better, they also cater, offering each dish in half & full tray sizes at reasonable prices. Their Pernil.... Spanish pulled pork....is amazing. Juicy and flavorful, slow cooked with garlic, mojo and lots of love, get it with Yuca(Cassava) & Sweet plantains as your sides. Chicharrón de pollo (fried chicken pieces with bone in) is perfectly crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. They have other Caribbean favorites like Mofongo and crispy chicken, beef or cheese empanadas(stuffed patties). The staff is friendly and even though you order at the counter, they bring everything to your table and will return to make sure everything is to your satisfaction. The head cook is the owner and she wants to make sure everyone leaves satisfied. Don’t forget to try one of the traditional drinks like tamarindo, limonada, piña, etc. Best representation of the Caribbean...

Native New Yorker living in NC now. My ex-wife is Dominican, and her family can get DOWN in the kitchen. This place did not WOW me. Maybe the first Dominican place I've been to that didn't have waitresses. I had the rice and beans with chicken. Usually, I've had it rotisserie style, but I'm not sure exactly how this breast was prepared. Nevertheless, it was decent but not mind-blowing by any means. My friend had the Mofongo with chicharon, which is mashed up plantains with pork pieces (fat attached), and he loved it. They're Christian, so they don't sell any beer. The Christian music music playing over head along with a window sign for attending Bible studies further confirmed my suspicions. Considering there aren't many Dominican spots to eat here in Greensboro, I would venture to say they probably do pretty well. I just don't see myself running back any time soon. Alas, my Dominican food cravings will have to wait until I can...