Sophisticated, over-the-top, stylish, swanky, expensive, with a strong exclusiveness that radiates as you enter the inner sanctum that is the bar and dining lounge, Mary Lou's is an experience. You may experience it once, or multiple times, depending on how comfortable you are with strictly valet parking and, in particular, the Palm Beach prices, but the food, the cocktails, and the service are on point. For as long as I have lived in the West Palm Beach area, the building that now houses Mary Lou's was a bait-and-tackle store with a respectable craft beer selection. The structure has been in existence since at least the 1960s, by my knowledge, and the owners of what has become Mary Lou's have kept the exterior aesthetic to make it appear like an old but unassuming store on Southern Boulevard, but once you're inside, you realize you're in a completely different universe. Once you valet your car and walk inside, you're greeted by ship-like, polished wooden walls and intimate lighting as you head to the greeting desk to check in. Yes, please reserve a table in advance. Once checked in, you're escorted through a set of doors into a darkened hallway before a circular, circus-like lounge area and bar appear that radiates 70s vibes, not too far from what you may watch on the show Palm Royale from Apple TV. After being escorted to our table, we enjoyed a myriad of lovely cocktails and small and large bites with excellent service. I enjoyed cocktails such as the Olive Ave and Old Soul: the former was a filthy martini made with love and understanding, the latter was a bourbon-based powerhouse with applejack, Barenjager, and mango. I also ordered off the menu and enjoyed a Paper Plane and an Old Fashioned. Both were fantastic bourbon cocktails that the bar made well. The Beef Carpaccio Salad was wicked good with the goat cheese brulee and pine nut butter, while the maple pork belly skewers were solid. The crispy octopus was excellent with the fav bean puree, while the grilled lamb chops were piquant. The Banana Creme Brulee for dessert was very good, shaped like an actual banana with a chocolate shell that evoked Andy Warhol. Everything we were served was meticulously prepared and exquisitely delicious. The service was prompt and accommodating. We rarely waited long for drinks, for additional items off the menu, the bar accommodated us well with different drink selections -- we were a party of six and didn't have delays per my observation. The drawbacks are pricing and exclusive valet parking. Most cocktails run at least $20, and the small and large bites are priced between $30 and $45, with some slightly lower and some slightly higher. You can easily spend $75 to $100 before tip. Therefore, this serves as either a special-occasion spot or a regular-occasion spot for those who can afford it -- definitely Palm Beachy in that regard. The on-site parking spots for Mary Lou's are reserved for valet; self-parking is not readily available, as I have observed. If you're concerned about valet parking, consider either coming with a large group and carpooling or using Uber. After 10 PM at least on Saturdays is when the lounge turns into a dance club with the lights darkening, the spotlights shining, reflecting off the mirror bar, with dancers and DJ spinning music. It can be a lot of fun to take part if you make a reservation at the right time to experience both sides of the establishment. read more

Very disappointing and unacceptable experience at Mary Lou's in West Palm Beach. The prices were already extremely high, and then the final bill included an added 5% operational fee on top of an automatic 20% gratuity. For a restaurant at this price point, these charges should be clearly explained before the bill arrives, not left as an unexpected surprise for customers. The restaurant was also uncomfortably cold throughout the entire evening, which took away from what should have been an enjoyable dining experience. What was most upsetting, however, was the treatment by the bouncer. He was rude and physically shoved me without any reason. No customer should ever be handled in that manner. It was inappropriate, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. For the amount charged, I expected a much higher level of service, transparency, and respect. Instead, the evening felt overpriced, uncomfortable, and hostile. I will not be returning and would strongly encourage management to address both the hidden fees and the conduct of their staff. read more

Why I'll KEEP going back: the scene - cool, young, sexy, fun, unique You HAVE to order: tried the bourbon-based Old Soul this time around, with a nice fruitiness to balance out the bourbon Tony's Tip: Easier to walk in before 9:30, but dress the part! Latest trip to Mary Lou's with the wife last night (Friday). Came from dinner, arrived around 9:15. Gracious hostess waved us right in and we grabbed two seats at the bar. Our experience has been that the staff is welcoming and helpful, but also works hard. Bartenders were super friendly and Tyler concocted his personal version of a Negroni for me. His partner behind the bar (forget her name now - hangover, but super nice) customized the Daddy's Girl with tequila instead of vodka for the wife, and she loved it. DJ vibe was sexy 70's when we got there, but the place turned on a dime around 10:00 - basically went from zero to sixty. Bar seats gone, lights down, music up, and by 10:15, it was a full-on dance party. It's always a great crowd - mostly Millennials, with everyone dressed well and no sloppiness or attitude. Wife remarked, "this is the best-looking crowd I've seen in all of Palm Beach!" It was a long week, so we cut the night short around 11:30. There's really no other spot we've been on the island or West Palm that feels like this (Le Bar is also a scene, but the crowd and the music is a little different). Gonna reserve a table in a couple of months for a friend's birthday and plan on taking it deep (past midnight, lol). read more

I had an extremely disappointing experience at Mary Lou's during my bachelorette weekend. We emailed asking for a table and didn't receive a response until we were already standing in line outside. When we tried to politely follow up in person, the situation escalated in a way that was honestly shocking. The female hostess called my maid of honor a "dumb b*tch" and the male bouncer told us we should go to a 7-Eleven instead. Completely unprovoked and wildly unprofessional. What made it even worse was that an extremely kind man offered to let 4 of us join his table so we could still celebrate. Instead of accommodating that, staff told him he would need to purchase 2 entirely separate tables just for us to enter. It felt unnecessarily rigid and dismissive, especially given the circumstances. Regardless of policies, there's a way to treat people with respect. I would not recommend this place based on how we were treated. read more

The ambiance is about the only thing this place got right. The drinks are overpriced and not well balance/ lack flavor complexity. The service across the board is not friendly, treats you like a second class citizen, and is so obscenely mistaken this place in not in Palm Beach, Miami or NYC its in WPB so no need for aloof, posh, or "above it all" energy! Two drinks for $52? Which included a 5% operation fee? and 20% gratuity? Save your time and money! There are far better places in the area that are worth it in WPB! read more

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I was in town for the week and decided to stop here. Unfortunately I was not let in. The guy in the front proceeded to let 3 girls of caucasian decent inside and kept ignoring me. I ended up leaving. I also realized he would not let any of us in the group that were african american or latino in. Very disappointed and have never been treated like this in my life!! read more

Amazing! Decadence! exciting! The feeling of being in an underground club in manhattan!! The staff is so nice Mittt the GM is colorful and entertaining Alex our waiter was so professional and attentive. And then the music got louder and the dancing started. Great night. I say you have to live a little and go to Mary Lou's read more

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This spot used to be the old bait and tackle shop, and I have to say they did an amazing job transforming it into a really vibey, stylish place. HOWEVER, they seem a little too big for their britches. The drinks are definitely overpriced, and when I inquired about taking engagement photos here, they quoted $2,000 for just one hour before they even opened. If you don't want people taking photos, just say so but that kind of price tag for a few quick shots is absurd. read more

Thursday night is the best if you are over 40 but they start the band too early and end at 10pm when people get there after dinner. It is a late night place a great upscale Palm Beach crowd. The only place on Thursday to go 6 months through April! read more

I've been to many speakeasy and this one left a great impression. My brother and I came early, since we prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and it was perfect. The staff were not only professional but personable as well and so attentive. The vibes and music were chill and it made for a wonderful end to a long day along with a delicious drink. read more

Mary Lou's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - West Palm Beach, Florida

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The only thing more tired than the decor were the patrons in attendance that didnt somehow work there. If you are one of the paid influencers; there has to be easier money elsewhere. If you are a bar tender, you're either from the jersey shore or something similar, semi-hard of hearing and more focused something other than service . If you are a working girl, well plenty of 55 year old targets trying to act 25. My $29 drink was strong enough to warrant a 1/2 star but not a return trip. Reminded me of the kind of place where you might get roofied. read more

Food was terrible! Chicken was so tough you couldn't even chew it. Bread was good. Service annoyingly good. Constantly at our table telling us how good the chef was. And history of the restaurant. Save your money - don't go. Or if you do don't order the chicken. read more

Great Ambiance! I would definitely will go back! Food was also very good! And the cookies oh yes!!

There is a reason why this establishment has two stars. Jennifer, the hostess was the rudest rep. She looked at our group and the party after us and claimed the venue was full. She claimed she was holding two tables for another reservation. When we asked what the grace period was for the hold of that reservation, her response was "when they get here". read more

Restaurant review Mary Lou's -er *Caution, Caution* - MONEY GRAB! The food and service is good, to be fair,  but the prices are over the top and the portions are small. "Big bites" are really small bites and "Small bites " are minuscule. French portions? Try hostage size portions. And beware, they automatically apply a 20% gratuity without verbal notification ( we had 4 in our party) But the kicker? They charge a 5% "operating" fee. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I give this place less than a year read more

Gr8 place for a bachelorette!! Lots of yummy fish bowls. Conveniently located off of 95 next to flanigans you can hop over right after having a bite!! read more

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Just about the worst experience you could have. Celebrating our anniversary and it was so bad. Food was ok, drinks were bad, service was worse. Avoid at all costs. read more

Unfortunately the drinks were sub par for the cost, odd vibe for 8pm, and somehow all added up to $150 for a few drinks and one app? Is there an automatic gratuity included that wasn't told to us? Sorry guys, won't be back. read more

Do yourself a favor and listen to the reviews... wish I had. I'm sorry to say but this was by far the most awful dinner. The $22 cacio e pepe was pretty much a kid's size leftover spaghetti heated up with just a little cheese sprinkled on top (I should've sent it back...SMH). I made a better pasta dish as a 10 years old... After waiting about an hour the pizza we ordered still didn't arrive so we canceled that, especially since time was running out to keep the dinner table. The chicken nuggets were super dry and without anything to dip it in, 4 little dry nuggets for $30 were a joke. Better off going to Chic-fil-A.... Drinks were good but took a long time to be served, which made no sense if the drinks were indeed pre-mixed as we were told. You couldn't even substitute a vodka for bourbon when ordering a cocktail from the menu. Otherwise, the place looked fun, the ambiance was unique and the music was nostalgic 80s and 90s. Sadly, for us that was a one and done experience. read more

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looks like the place is out of business. No one answers the phones. Prices of way over priced food is frozen.

We came on Saturday night and got a table. There were eight of us , the table only fit four people. We paid the $1200 minimum and left. The place is so unbelievably overcrowded. If you don't purchase a table, The drama to get in the place is stupid. Don't waste your time or money. Certainly wouldn't get the food here. They wish they were in Miami or NYC. read more

My girlfriend and I arrived at 9:06pm this past Saturday night. There was no one in line, we walked right up to the hostess stand. We were told we were not allowed in because we didn't have a reservation. We didn't want a table, we only wanted to have a few drinks. We were not aware you had to reserve a bar stool...??? WHAT!!!??? The hostess Alessia was rude and patronizing and made us feel unwelcome. I will never come to this establishment again. I'll go somewhere else where my money is welcome. read more

Hottest place in Palm Beach - best cocktails, music and vibe. Best scene and always a good time. Attractive and really friendly staff.

Fantastic vibe for a late night stop! The DJs have been amazing and a lower key Saturday night recently has been our favorite as season winds down. Try the dirty martini!! read more

To be honestly this place was pretty disappointing. We came to celebrate a bachelorette party and was very underwhelmed by their singular disco ball and crappy music. Spent a couple hours here but got bored and ended up leaving for a local dive bar that was much more fun. Also it smelled weird and the girl running the hostess stand was incredibly rude. read more

Terrible experience. Have tried going here multiple times and have been turned away each time for no legitimate reason. Have been told it's either reservation only, that you "have to be on a list", or that they're at capacity. But then proceed to watch certain people in line gain admission. Hostesses are rude and unintelligent. They're doing a really great job at making everyone in town hate them, so keep up the good work if your goals are to be closed come end of season. read more

my friend and I had 2 drinks each, we were charged over $170. and the entertain was Less then mediocre! the sound was awful! don't waste your time or money! read more

For a new establishment they certainly are pretty rude to people. Only made it t the hostess stand. The outside of the building looks like a dump as there is crap everywhere. read more

Food is mid - bland and not worth the price. Service is terrible - from the rude attitude at the door from the hostesses, to the waiter not checking on us for over 45 mins. Decor is cheap and quite the opposite of the ritzy palm beach glam vibe they were going for... this place is sure to close after 6 months - don't waste your time here. read more

Extremely vapid hostesses (Alessia, as others have called out) in the parking lot - rude and unprofessional for no reason, trying to create an "image" for a new bar out of what used to be an old bait and tackle shop. It still looks like it from the outside. What a dump. Unprofessional bouncer staff too. This place will rise and fall quickly if they do not address the horrific customer service. Will never return, and have heard from so many others around town about the negative experiences they've had here. All the same feedback. Not a coincidence read more

This place is VERY COOL . The ambiance was perfection. I loved that they paid so much attention to detail everywhere you look something to catch your eye . Drinks were 10/10 and I'm picky . i do have to say they didn't have blue cheese stuffed olives :( Service was a 10/10 they were so attentive and so helpful . The reason I'm giving 4 stars is because the food . With a limited menu they still had some great options however , it almost was like they were trying too hard . All the meat was savory and tasty but they overdid it with seasonings and sauces . Everything felt too sweet or too salty when It didn't need to be . I think this place thinks it's in palm beach but it's off of southern . That being said the prices were pretty high . They also didn't allow our friend in because of dress code , but there was 2 guys there in full golf attire right off the course . I'll definitely go back but probably just for cocktails . read more