Palermo Puerto Rican Kitchen — Restaurant in Orange Park

I took my four children under 6 years old and it was a Great experience. As soon as we entered the restaurant we were greeted and welcomed with gracious smiles. Palermo have very attentive and kind servers. I had the kids take a seat right away and the servers brought the crayons and I could order. To start I was served a fresh and crunchy salad;lettuce and tomatoes with italian dressing. It was perfect size taking into consideration the amount of food on my entrée. I ordered the mofongo and carne frita. The food was presented in an appealing manner and it was still hot when it arrived at my table.I enjoyed every mofongo flavorful bite with "tocino" pieces on it, I remembered "wow! like mami con trocitos de tocino on mofongo" the only kitchen I could get mofongo with "tocino" is from mom's kitchen in Puerto Rico. It was served with a small portion of "caldo de pollo" which I appreciated and tender carne frita. Perfect portion size and delectable. I immediately had a pleasant sense of connection with home and culture. I ordered for my children yellow rice and the chicken tenders kid's meal. The kids did not stopped saying "Mmm! is yummy. Thank you for taking me here mama I love the food! I always try my children's food. The tenders were chicken breast size cooked to perfection. It was crunchy outside and really tender inside. The food was cooked at the moment of the order in a timely manner I was really impressed. The kids portion was to my surprise very good size. The yellow rice had an after taste of delicious "sofrito" made of fresh ingredients. It reminded me of grandma's yellow rice and I loved it. I tasted the why my kids said: " Yum!Are we coming back mommy? I want to come back mommy." To have my kids express such impression of my culture I can say I am fulfilled and happy. Excellent choice of ingredients and very good food quality. A warm and welcoming ambience. though within an open space there was a sense of privacy at the table. The puertorican artists salsa music played in the background and excellent customer service. I want to say to Palermo staff and Chef I really had a complete positive experience. You accomplished what I really wanted my kids to know about my Puerto Rico.You showed hospitality, kindness, courtesy, excellence and culture. It is a very good price for the service Thank you! Palermo staff and Chef for a great puertorican...

This being my first time visiting, I was a little skeptical about trying something new at a new place. However, this food blew me away! For an appetizer,my friend and I ordered the Grandules Hummus (dipped). The pita was soft with a little crisp on the outside, topped with garlic and other seasonings that made the pita flavorful (even if eaten by itself),complimenting the fresh hummus that came in a small side dish and spoon. The hummus had a perfect amount of oil to seasoning ratio and tasted unlike any other hummus I have ever had in a restaurant or store bought. Delicious and perfect start to our meal. Extra pita chips were offered if you wanted them. My friend ordered pork chops with mofungo. Mofungo is a blend of green plantains that are fried and then mashed with a blend of olive oil,salt,garlic,and broth. To me,the taste is slightly sweet but is offset by the spices and broth to compliment the entree (perfect blend). It was my first time trying it, and I would definitely order for myself at another visit. I ordered the creole vegetables with rice and red beans. The beans came in a small bowl with a mix of delectable juices, yucca, and spices. The vegetables were freshly cooked and came in a bowl perfectly cooked (not mushy as you'd find with frozen vegetables and/or overcooked) with the perfect balance of creole sauce to vegetable ratio. Not sure how this is traditionally eaten, but I chose to taste individually and then mix the vegetables with my yellow rice. I used a spoon to scoop up my beans and then a little bit of rice. Everything was absolutely delicious, fresh, and had the perfect balance of spices to food ratio as well as the perfect sauce to food ratio. I have tried plantains before and have not enjoyed them much in any which way, however this place got them spot on and I loved them!! They know exactly what they are doing in that kitchen and I highly recommend! It was worth every penny! I will be returning with friends!! (Decor can seem a bit outdated at first glance, but it gives enough room for people to move around and not feel cramped. This can be good for those in wheelchairs or mobility chairs and easily maneuverable for putting tables together for larger parties. The dining room and...

For sure 10 out of 5 stars for Palermo Puerto Rican Kitchen. The food is FRESH, and the service is amazing and extremely respectful! The portions are huge, you will definitely leave super full from overeating, or with a box of leftovers (if you can control yourself, because I couldn’t stop eating my meal it was so delicious!) and the prices are extremely cheap and reasonable! If anyone complains that the prices are “expensive” then let me give you some advice, please just stick to your drive-thru dollar menu, which I bet you won’t because you’ll get tired of dollar value food, and will crave for some real, quality fresh cooked meal! I’m a person who loves supporting small businesses, so I always have to mention that! Back to my dinner experience, I had a very juicy, yet crispy fried whole red snapper, and Oh my goodness it was the most flavorful snapper I have ever had, along with the side I chose of arroz con gandules, which rice is THE BEST arroz con gandules I will EVER have! My fiancé got garlic succulent shrimp with a side of tostones, and the tostones were so FRESH and CRISPY. They were cooked the way tostones should be! We also had some delicious empanadas made by the owner Daisy, who is the sweetest woman by the way! And the empanadas were so addicting along with her HOMEMADE hot sauce! Omg her hot sauce...I could just drink it, it was sooo flavorful with a very nice spicy kick! My fiancé and I are hot sauce connoisseurs, and I can tell you she has some real deal hot sauce. I am already planning our next visit to Palermo Puerto Rican Kitchen, which by the way! Are now currently located at 556 Kingsley Avenue, right next to the orange park library. So if you are meaning to go to Palermo, make sure the GPS takes you to 556 Kingsley Ave. I would hate for you to get lost and miss out on the amazing quality food this wonderful restaurant has to offer! Oh! And they also have beer and wine, which is perfect for...