I've been to MacArthur Park several times and have never had an issue with the food. We went on Christmas Eve, and for the price, the buffet was a great value, with a wide array of options to choose from. Their happy hour is also a standout--great prices on both food and drinks--and it's just a festive, enjoyable place to be. The service could be improved, as it can take a while to get a drink, especially during the buffet. That said, I would absolutely go back for happy hour or a special occasion. read more

My sister and I went for Thanksgiving. It was AMAZING! They are in process of remodeling. They've put in the most gorgeous hardwood floors. And a fresh coat of paint goes a long way. The food! They really elevated things this year. So many options on the buffet. Regular Thanksgiving fare Seafood Roast beef Salmon Their famous ribs, sausage and bbq chicken Pasta ( 3 choices) Charcuterie Salads And the desserts - yum. I wish I had taken a photo but we were so excited by the food we just inhaled our meal. To be honest, our server was meh. You don't need much for a buffet but we had to wait at least 15 min before he even showed up to our table to ask if we wanted water. That was disappointing. But I give the food an A++++++ read more

We had a wonderful large birthday dinner at MacArthur Park, the food was terrific and the outside patio venue was lovely. The patio was perfect for a private party, and there was room for a dinner buffet and a DJ and dancing area. The food was great, and the servers were very helpful and on top of making sure everyone had drinks and appetizers, etc. Mitzie as the event planner was a great help in ensuring this was a fun and successful event. read more

Awful Christmas dinner- definitely avoid if you can! Bizarre as soon as you walk in. The hostess is wearing ripped jeans for a holiday meal? Totally classless and that should have been our first red flag. We were seated at one of the bare tables with no decoration, silverware, plates, etc. We waited for about 10 minutes before someone finally greeted us to give us the drink menus. We never got any explanation for if we were clear to go to the buffet, so we flagged down a woman who seemed flustered and told us we could go. The food was average at best. The ribs were probably the most disappointing- I had a bite that I had to spit out because it was just an entire bite of fat- so so gross. My favorite dish was probably the salad with Brussels sprouts but when I mentioned that to my uncle he said that his portion was super bitter. There were a few tables cluttered with bins of utensils and napkins just out next to the coffee station. It seems like no effort was put into cleaning up or having a nice atmosphere. There was garbage on the carpets too. The only staff member who was upbeat or friendly or didn't seem totally out of it was the gentleman at the carving station. At the dessert station, the cheese board had little tongs but no knives to cut pieces off of the blocks of cheese. The dessert selection was limited, hadn't been refilled, and most of the dishes didn't have serving utensils, so people had to grab portions with their hands. Gross!! It's clear to see why you never hear about this place. I've lived ten minutes away for 30 years and never hear about anyone going here- now I know why. read more

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John at the bar was amazing. He was busy but made me feel special. The owner Faz came by and walked me through the science around being better. John I'm coming back for you. Watching Ellen work her magic inspires me to come back again. Thank you everyone for making me feel specially read more

Hosted a private dinner here for 20 doctors and they never notified me that they were in the middle of renovations. It was so embarrassing for all of my guests. We had to tell them to stop drilling so we could hear ourselves. I suggested they offer a $25 gift certificate to each guest but was refused. The entire experience was awful and totally avoidable if they had AT ANY POINT contacted us to let us know of the inconvenience. Poor management! We opted for the patio and didn't realize we'd have a crappy view of the staff transportation food was about as good the management. read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - View in the patio- ??! This is for my fancy party and we have to look at this -yikes - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Great Thanksgiving buffet: traditional turkey, chicken, prime rib, salmon, sides galore! A feast with many delectable dishes and desserts, the servers were kind and gracious. Food was great! read more

This review is specifically for Tyler: Bartender, magician, part-time therapist & full-time legend. Let me just say this: I came to MacArthur Park for a drink, not to meet a man so charismatic he could sell sand in a desert. Tyler is the kind of bartender who makes you question why you ever settled for lukewarm beer and social anxiety at other bars. From the jump, Tyler greeted us with a smile so genuine I briefly considered proposing, even tho I'm straight as an arrow. The man's got jokes, charm, and the kind of presence that makes you think he might be in witness protection from a former life as a stand-up comic or cult leader (the friendly kind). Now here's where he went above and beyond: I brought my little brother, Scotty, who has a rare disability where he was born without a bottom lip and has 6 toes. Scotty usually gets overlooked in crowded spaces. Not on Tyler's watch. He made that goofy rascal feel like he was the star of the bar. Tyler busted out all sorts of tricks with the oranges and limes--juggling them, making them disappear etc. He started doing magic tricks like he was auditioning for America's Got Talent: Bartender Edition. My brother lit up like a Christmas tree in Times Square. You could literally see the fuzzy feelings forming in real-time. It was borderline emotional, which was inconvenient because I was trying to look cool sipping on some suds. Tyler made my brother feel like the most important person in the room, which--let's be honest--is a rare and beautiful kind of magic that no cocktail can replicate (and the cocktails were damn good). He even made Scotty a special cocktail called The Melted Snowman (it's just ice water). So yeah, if you want to be served by a guy who can mix a Manhattan, roast you lovingly, make your little brother feel like royalty, and possibly pull a coin out of your ear (or anywhere else you want it pulled from)--Tyler's your guy. Just try to not fall in love. He's probably already taken. read more

I had driven by this restaurant so many times and recently decided to give it a try with my partner. Our dishes were served really quickly as we were one of three tables. The server was attentive enough without being overbearing. The portion for the fettuccine was large and they were generous with the prawn. The cheesecake was slightly gritty so I would not recommend it. This restaurant has been operating for over 20 years so I would definitely recommend giving it a try for yourself. read more

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Came in not really knowing what to expect but it turned out to be a solid experience. The people working were super friendly and seemed relaxed, not stiff or overly formal. They checked in just enough and were happy to answer any questions without rushing us. The space had a laid-back feel and was clean without being too sterile. Food came out faster than we thought and everything was cooked just right. No weird aftertaste or over-seasoned stuff. It was just good, clean food that tasted fresh. The portions were generous without being too much. We could tell a lot of care went into both the food and how the staff treated people. Nothing overly fancy, but definitely something we'd come back for again when looking for something reliable and tasty. read more

We made reservations for a family Christmas Eve dinner. We were not told it would be a buffet dinner. The website says there is plenty of parking which is incorrect. We entered and it was like a high school cafeteria. It was buffet with no decorum. People ravaging the food, tubs of bread, food on the floor, waiters with no personality. Didn't even greet us at our table and introduce us to the place, menu, drinks etc. Just go up and get your food. Food was generally lukewarm warm at best. Website says average plate was $30 and buffet was actually $79. Presentation was poor. Ambiance was not suitable for a nice family Christmas Eve dinner. More like Kings Court or a bowling alley buffet. read more

So so sad. When we moved to California almost 40 years ago this was one of our favorite restaurants. We decided to celebrate our son's birthday by visiting this restaurant for the 1st time in 35 years. The restaurant is in disrepair physically. We were there on a Saturday night. At 7pm there were just a few parties dining. Food was mediocre at best. Dried out BBQ chicken, Cobb salad had ice cold tasteless meat on it. Ribs were just OK. Onion strings were delicious. Service was excellent. I don't expect this place to survive. A shame. read more

The Food is SO BAD here. Service is okay and Ambiance is mediocre. But again, Food is absolutely terrible.

On our way to the Stanford football game and we stopped here to eat. Waitress was super nice and professional and attentive. Why do restaurants serve "instant" potatoes with their meals. That's gross and unnecessary. Chicken was delicious and the Cobb salad had lots of protein and fresh crispy bacon. read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - Cobb salad - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Excellent service by the wait staff helping us by moving our chairs out as we were leaving the table. Very nice food and beverage presentations by the staff. Best time to dine is in the morning and just my opinion. Make sure you order a drink of any of the their mocktails, as they're real good too. read more

Restaurant was cold, I ordered lam shank and I was not cooked. No service for first 15 minutes. I would not go back. read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - Picture of lamb shank - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Thanksgiving 2025 meal. The place was packed. Sat at a bare table and was told by the waitress that the silverware was at the buffet station? They could not be bothered to set a table for a $75pp meal? Food was just OK, nothing special (cruise ship food). Mary's chicken was the best at the buffet. Desserts were sad and picked over. Will not attend this event again. Stay home and bake a turkey breast. read more

Onion straws were very tasty-thin,crispy,and piled high. Steak sandwich on sourdough was delicious with lots of thin sliced filet mignon and condiments. Linguine with chicken in a cream sauce was homemade and just right. Upscale warehouse vibes and tastefully remodeled. I'll be back! read more

Still my favorite and I hope everyone stops by. Sent a few friends to your lovely restaurant (there was nothing else around here, quite frankly) and they were very pleased. Stated the food was "good" and the "atmosphere was lovely". Please everyone - enjoy this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. I'm going by tonight! read more

Very nice service. Warm delicious sourdough with cold butter no extra charge (so many restaurants are charging for bread now!). Very ample portions. BBQ is their specialty. The ribs are great and you can have any combination of sides with them at same price. I especially recommend the corn, prepared with slightly spicy Mexican ingredients, and coleslaw, which is not too mayonnaise-y. Cobb salad entree is likewise delicious, more than enough for a meal. Come with a big appetite! Gorgeous Julia Morgan-designed historic landmark building lovely interior. Not sure why the rating isn't higher or the restaurant isn't fuller. Do not agree. read more

Aureliano and his team are the best customer service hands down, get custom drinks, good food, great atmosphere. Will always keep coming back! read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - Aureliano, bar manager - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Excellent service, wait staff friendly and efficient...ambiance good for large party inside private room...my steak was good..very generous portions read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - Mesquite Grilled Fillet Mignon 8oz Steak - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Was a great meal! Came on thanksgiving which was a buffet that was being regulated / refilled frequently. We had a great service and they were very attentive for the large party we had. We were sitting in one of the rooms in the back which was a perfect space and quieter. The space was warm even though it was so cold outside and there were many doors. read more

MacArthur Park has been a staple in the Palo Alto community for years. It has a wonderful outdoor seating area and a great ambiance inside. The wait staff was welcoming and attentive. The menu is well rounded and the food is yummy. Specifically we had the calamari, wedge salad, grilled shrimp and avocado salad, and ribs for dinner. We each sampled a desert as well. The turtle pie, mud pie, and cheesecake were the perfect end to the meal. We also had some of their port wine, which was a nice touch as well! I would recommend MacArthur Park to anyone looking for a quaint, classic, Palo Alto restaurant vibe. Enjoy! read more

I've been meaning to stop in to try this place as I've become a regular on the Caltrain. Popping in, the venue has a great vibe with wooden floors and a great outdoor patio for warm happy hour dining. Stepped in solo to grab a drink and food while waiting for the train. Service was friendly, with a nice server. The pomegranate martini was delicious. Asked the sever about the starter scallops & if it came with just one or a few. (It comes with two, and while the menu says it is served on potatoes the sever recommends getting them served on the polenta). I took some time to think over my order, and eventually decided on the scallops. I realized after putting my order in that I didn't ask for the polenta, but when the sever brought it out he had decided to make the change for me (a little presumptuous to make that executive decision without confirming with me first) but it worked out in the end because it was very delicious! A nice place to unwind after work. However, if you are looking to catch the train after I do not recommend coming here because the service is slow and you will miss your train. Once I was done with my meal, it felt like the server disappeared. It took what was essentially 10 minutes for the check to show up. (My dishes had long been cleared by that point). And even when I provided my card as soon as it arrived, the server said "I'll be right back for that" and never returned. It took me another 3-5 minutes to realize there was a QR code on the receipt that I could use to pay via Toast. All amounts to a super bummer since I ended up missing the last train by a minute. Good food, nice people--soured at the end. read more

This place was the spot 10 yrs ago. I don't have any idea what's going on with the menu. I met 4 friends for a birthday dinner and it was mediocre at best. I spent $300 dollars on buttermilk fried chicken, 2 whole rack of baby back ribs, 1 rib and chicken, a Cob salad along with 1 onion strings and 1 Calamari and Artichoke for appetizers. The ribs and bbq chicken was a 8 and very good except the sauce. The cob salad was a 8 along with the appetizers. But the service and the buttermilk chicken with mash potatoes and Cole slaw was horrible. There's some dishes you just need to keep simple like fried chicken, Cole slaw and mash. The skin was soft and like a sponge and not crispy along with awful horse raddish slaw and running mash potatoes. We had to ask the waiter 5 to 6 times for water, bread and utensils. Simply get rid of that awful slaw and make real fried chicken and buttermilk garlic mash potatoes. No one in my party ate that nasty slaw.. Also get folks that enjoy there job and not the tip. read more

Went here for the Thanksgiving buffet and it was great. Parking is very limited so allow a little extra time for your arrival. Food was delicious and plentiful. Service was polite and attentive but not obtrusive. read more

The food was amazing. We selected 2 items from a selected course menu. I picked the lobster scallops pasta, and the poke. The first item was the shrimp bisque. So yummy. It was creamy and tasty. It was served with bread. I love the bread- soft and chewy in the in the side and crunchy on the outside. The salad was good. It was refreshing- simple arugula, with fruits and a light dressing. The poke was also ok. It came with tuna, avocado and tortilla chips. The chips were oily. And the tuna has a hint/smell of ginger, which I didn't like like. The pasta salad was great. The sauce was creamy and the lobster and scallops was oh so yummy. The desert was also very good. So why the 3 stars? 1 star for the service. The service was horrible. We had reservations and when we checked in at the front desk. The guy said they don't have a table for us. We can either sit at the bar or wait at least 30 minutes. The couple in front of us was offered to share (for Valentines dinner) with a table with 4 other random people. So we sat at the bar which wasn't too bad at all. The problem was our waiter. He kept getting us confused with the couple next to us. He kept bringing their food to serve us, even when we didn't finish our courses. He kept asking us if we were good when the dirty dishes were just stacking up. We asked for our check but he gave the couple next to us their check first when they didn't ask for it. We had to keep reminding me about our check cause we wanted to leave. When we finally got our checks, it was for another couple down the other end of the bar. The poor experience kind of ruined the great food :( read more

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Thanksgiving Buffet,it was very cold inside. Not sure why the tables, were not properly set with silverware,gave the experience more of a cafeteria feeling. Turkey was undercooked,no signage for spicy cole slaw. Salads were not appetizing,seemed like trial mix over greens. We were seated by the waiter station,yet had to ask for beverage refills. The only good dishes were the pastas, chicken and desserts. Not worth it,for the price. read more

After a long day of touring SF, my fiancé and I made reservations here to cap the night off on our way home. We ordered each a wedge salad and the 8oz filet that came with veggies and a baked potato. Everything was pleasant. The filet was a little tougher than I would have preferred, but still a great cut of meat. Veggies were perfectly sautéed and seasoned. I would have liked more options to put on my baked potato (it only came with sour cream) but it was still cooked well and tasted good. The manager and staff were great! My birthday is in 5 days and we recently got engaged. As a way to celebrate, the manager and our server brought us a brownie with ice cream on top as well as each of us a glass of champagne! To top things off, it was a beautiful night and to sit on the front patio, mid-October, in front of MacArther Park, was divine! read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I took my family here tonight on 8/28/23. The food was completely substandard. The pork was totally overdone and lacking in flavor. The hamburger, which should be easy, was bad. Period. The Mac n cheese was similarly bad as was the Caesar salad. The only saving Grace was a pretty good martini. There is literally nothing to recommend about this restaurant. There were probably five tables filled on a Saturday night. Pathetic. Please sell and/or find a different chef. I used to go to this restaurant in the 80s when I was an undergrad at Stanford. It is literally less than a former shell of itself. Shame. John read more

MacArthur park is a great place for a date night. We got the shrimp and potato skins for appetizers. The portions were so generous for both! The sauce on the shrimp is amazing! I also got a wedge salad which was delicious. For our mains we got the lobster and scallop pasta as well as the ribs, chicken, and sausage combo that also came w fries and coleslaw. Everything tasted great, but the best part in my opinion was the chicken in the bbq combo! It was so tender and juicy - some of the best bbq chicken ive ever had! For dessert we had the mud pie as well as the cheesecake. The mud pie is something I've never tasted before...it was so delicious! The cheesecake was light, fluffy, and perfect. The desserts were also priced very fairly! Even if bbq isn't your thing, coming here for a drink and desserts would be a great experience. Ken took great care of us. He checked in on us multiple times and made sure everything tasted good. All in all, we will definitely be coming back for date nights and special occasions! read more

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The name MacArthur Park is not a new name for me in the least. I used to have Pharmaceutical Speaker programs here all the time. I would say I have had over the last 20 years about 10 dinner programs at least. On top of that, numerous family events here. Well yesterday for Easter we decided to for here for their advertised Easter Brunch. Yes there were a few things that sort of disturbed me about the posting. First an Easter Brunch, but for those that do not want to order from that, they made no other offers. That is not a great choice!! After all there are those that are vegetarians that would not be able to have the majority of what you had at your brunch, so I guess for those. Tough Easter Eggs for you! ;-) Another thing, you advertised it as an Easter brunch for 65.00 when in fact, your drinks including Champagne are separate, how do deal with that? Alright, so parking to this event was terrible and had to go all over kingdom come looking for a space. On top of that all the parking was way too tight!! Have ample parking for an event like this. If you are anticipating these crowds. Onward and forward. The inside was not as I remember. It was not as nice as years gone by. The rugs inside looked old and rugged and not clean, that was disturbing. Your bathrooms should have been managed better, turn off!~ On top of this, the only real coverage where staff was behind the buffet was for the Prime Rib and Ham and Salmon, that is it. That is disturbing. It looked like a free for all. Though most people were respectful, we just have been dealing with Covid for the past 2 years and we have an open even where practically zero people are wearing masks except these 2 people covering that back table of Prime Rib and Salmon etc. There was nothing exceptional about the food. The salads were good, but for 65.00 a person which in turns is actually much more by the end, everything was just ok. Honestly, I would not have paid more than $ 35.00-40.00 for this brunch per person. Let me explain what the total cost ended up for all of us. That 65.00 per person, by the time you add tax, a living wage ( which is a higher wage that for the servers that owners want to pass on to patrons), tip and your champagne or drink, we ended up paying $101.00 per person. Would I do it again here no way!! Was I glad I did, yes. Was it the same as in years go bye, disappointing but not. Your waiting staff was not even that attentive, but given the circumstances, I understand. read more

Attended some functions here as a teenager in the late 90's and had a special occasion to celebrate. We showed up and they happened to be hosting some sort of corporate function in the main dining room which was has great ambiance and where I envisioned us dining. We were whisked back into a weird room with scuffs on the walls, debris on the floor, with a projector and seated next to an emergency exit door. My wife's chair wobbled constantly. It had all the makings of a hotel corporate banquet room with what I am assuming were foldable tables under the tablecloths. Frankly we almost left. Our server Ellen greeted us promptly and took our drink order. My wife has been on this weird kick where she loves blue cheese stuffed olives in her martinis and asks everywhere we go if they have them. Ellen replied unfortunately they didn't have them. She returned a few minutes later with my wife's drink and had taken the time to cut some of the bar olives open and stuff them with blue cheese. We were blown away. Ellen helped us decide on our entrees which were super generous and delicious. Anything you get from their wood oven is amazing and kissed with a smokiness that is hard to come by. Being forced to dine in the side room was not ideal and frankly if you are planning more of a special occasion I would call ahead to enquirer if you will be sitting in the main dining room or not. To MP I would recommend putting a fresh coat of paint in those side rooms, making sure they are swept and decorated a bit nicer as we almost left and heard the same sentiments from patrons sat around us. Food was amazing Ellen was awesome. read more

Host is pretty rude. We had reservations but ended up waiting for more than 30min. She found tables for non-reservationist first.

It has been a minute since we last visited one of Palo Alto's longstanding restaurants. This time we were here for their Easter Brunch. At $65 per person, the price of admission is on par with other spots in recent memory. Though they may not have the largest selection of items, everything was good tasting and very filling. The prime rib, though, was a bit on the dry side. The benedict with the chipotle hollandaise was delicious. Breakfast sausages and crispy bacon were plentiful. Their signature ribs are not "fall off the bone" which is how they prefer it. They were lightly sauced and meaty. The desserts were plentiful and portioned in smaller size so that one could sample virtually all of them. The building remains an iconic gem of the city. read more

Great place for company events! The speakers are great. Food selection is great. Only if they have more room and more bar tenders at the bar... Notes: parking is limited, use their valet parking and have a few dollars ready when you go pick up your car. read more

MacArthur Park Restaurant and Bar - New American Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Totally unsatisfactory dining experience. It was a disorganized, terrible experience. We paid $192.00 each for the following: 1， the host did not note our reservation correctly. She went ahead and seated us, but our waiter called the host over to the table to prove we had paid. Ended up I had two wristbands. 2，A party of people unknown to us was seated at our table by the host. 3，When we requested hot water, we were told to get it ourselves. We were also told that there would be no hot water after 11:00 p.m. 4，There was few lipstick mark on the "clean" coffee cups. 5. Buffett $80 (official website) COVID or not, we expect a lot more consideration for close to $400.00. read more

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I hate to write a bad review, but I went there and the service was AWFUL. Thirty-five minutes and no one came for a drink order, let alone offered water. Table next to us- there for 65 minutes and just got their drinks. Then, inexplicably, and without saying anything, an employee gave us a dish belonging to another table because he'd seen us sitting there for so long. I will never go back. read more

What a beautiful historical building! Great food, great service! Fun and inexpensive happy hour.