A unique addition to cleveland eateries Every meal Is an exploration of exotic flavors elegantly blended Expect your taste buds to be awakened Expect to return many times read more

Last Friday night we visited Paloma for the first time. We made a reservation on Open Table (which worked well), hoping to land a table on the patio. Alas, when we arrived at 5:50pm (for our 6 pm reservation), the patio was full, and so, after some back-and-forth about wanting a table in the dining room and not a high-top at the bar, we were seated. The vibe was odd, perhaps because we were the only ones in the seating area but also because of the decor, layout, and furniture: not quite fancy, not quite charming. Rather than warmth and graciousness, I felt like we were imposing on the team by showing up for dinner. Undaunted, we pressed on. Shortly, we were greeted by a friendly team member who answered some questions. We eventually ordered the made-to-order guac and margaritas. The guac was the highlight of the evening. It was fresh, generous, and well-presented. The margaritas were also good. No complaints! Next, we placed our order: meat tacos for me, a burrito dish for my wife, and a shared order of the corn dish. The orders came in good time, all except for the corn. When we asked about it, the reply was "oh, so you'd like to add corn?" "No!" I said. "We'll just take the one we already ordered!!" During this light-hearted exchange, we were also promised an additional side of chips to go with the abundant guac. "Three minutes" was the reply. Never came. The entrees were universally too spicy. I love spicy food, but this level of spice obliterates what I think was a really lovely set of dishes. My wife and I both struggled to get through it because of the heat. Sadly, the team's stinginess with refilling water only added to the spice experience. The makeup corn order was promised "in three minutes" and did arrive in five or six. It's a lovely companion dish, even though timing caused an odd imbalance of food temps. When it was time to settle up, our team member told us she would package up the leftovers and would be back "in three minutes with the bill" because she was also tending the patio. By then, I asked, "is that three minutes or fifteen?!" She returned promptly; we paid the bill and headed to the VAD courtyard for live music. Bottom line: great location and intriguing concept. Something is amiss with the training and team support. As for the food, only the guac and margarita would draw me back. read more

Loved this place! We came on a Saturday late morning and were seated outside. There isn't much shade but it was nice to get some sunlight since it was a little colder outside. Service was excellent- our waitress was very helpful. Food is a little pricey but excellent quality! We especially loved the potatoes in the breakfast bowl and the texture of the churro French toast. read more

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We live near by and frequent Paloma. I can say that the food is exceptional. The carnitas, Brussel sprouts, guacamole, and queso appetizer are all amazing. The black cod was the only disappointing dish we have had which I would recommend skipping but otherwise you cannot go wrong. Excellent service, cozy but upscale atmosphere and delicious food. They remember us and are always accommodating with our 9-year-old. Our favorite in Van Aken. read more

Great happy hour with good prices and a variety of food and drinks. Located in a really cute outdoor shopping area, attached to a food court if you need additional options. Enjoyed the nachos and guacamole. The place also had a really nice smoky smell that really set the ambiance. read more

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Sat at a high top table in the bar area. My friend and i made it in time for happy hour so we had good margaritas on the rocks with salt. For our second ones we tried the hibiscus margaritas. My friend liked her hibiscus more, I preferred the house marg more, both great. Lakeisha was our server, she gave us space and had the perfect balance of attentive as well. Never felt ignored but not rushed. She was great and funny We started with the nachos. They were delicious, the cheese was so good but it did make them sort of a challenge to rip out of the nacho pile. I had the mushroom taco and cauliflower burnt ends. Loved my taco but I wouldn't have known it had mushrooms on it tbh. The cauliflower burnt ends were good and so interesting the way they smelled exactly like smoked meat. Cool interiors, neat little spot. This is not a cheap place. A happy hour marg was $9. Nachos without meat were $15. Location of course to be considered. read more

Paloma - Mexican Near Me - Shaker Heights, Ohio

Add this modern Mexican to your regular rotation. Great value, including happy hour and prix fixe options. You could make a meal out of their guacamole bowls. Also had a great Caesar salad read more

I ordered the tacos, which were tasty. My husband ordered the pork carnitas which he said had no flavor. Very bland. So good gets a 3 stars. The service however was terrible. Our waitress took forever to come to our table the first time. Then once she took our order, never came back again to check on us. Another person brought out or salad, which came fairly fast after ordering but then it was 45 mins to get our main entre. Never once did waitress come to say sorry kitchen is backed up or offer us chips and salsa while we wait, nothing. I hate to say bad things about a neighborhood restaurant because I want places to stay in business, but the service needs major improvement. read more

Not a great experience overall. Our table was very dirty when we sat down, it seemed like they didn't wipe it down beforehand so we had to ask our server twice to clean it. The music in the dining room is to loud to have a normal conversation. The food is so so. The guacamole bar with Smoked Cauliflower is excellent, however the Alaskan Black Cod is terrible, it was so fishy that we barely touched it. We mentioned it to our server and all we got is a shrug. Friends of ours ordered couple things - grilled octopus (they indicated it was excellent) but shrimp ceviche was not good. Not sure if it was an off night but this was definitely off. Not a place I could recommend. read more

Pamela happy hour is a bit unfair. On the menus it says 20% tip is already included. Service at the bar isn't great as there is just one bartender all night. So service is not very fast and things come out not as hot as they should. On the bill they give you it gives you additional suggestions of what you should give as gratuity. So it comes off confusing as I'm sure many people end up tipping 40%!! maybe it's different if you're just getting table service but it's still feels very unfair read more

Would not recommend, drinks are inconsistent, brisket tacos are dry and tasteless, steak bites, were fatty and undercooked.

Small menu but everything was delicious! Definitely get the dip sampler! We went with a sample of tacos and they were all delicious. The service was particularly good, our server was friendly and attentive and we never wanted for anything. read more

Finally popped in to try Paloma. Happy hour was still running in the bar, which was a win. They have a solid happy hour menu including $3 tacos which you can mix and match. Service was quick and friendly. read more

Paloma - Mexican Near Me - Shaker Heights, Ohio

Drinks were great. Our server (bartender) since we were sitting at the bar...was fantastic, attentive, honest. Food had some good hits and some slight misses. Hits: guacamole, chips, tortillas, sirloin steak, bacon side (i mean, how can you go wrong),the brown sauce, the corn side Miss: beef tartar was slightly lacking in flavor. The salsa was a bit too tart...borderline saucy ketchup...i love a smooth salsa: but this needed maybe a little more depth of flavor, the chimichurri (wasn't a miss, but not the best one i've had...or the brown sauce was just THAT good). and the potatoes: the sauce was great but could use more of it, but some of the larger pieces of potato could have been fried or cooked longer... I Didnt try dessert but would have appreciated a chocolate dessert of some sort...mexican hot chocolate or something like that? Overall it would be more of a 3.5 star review...but i think if i tried other things on the menu...it could possibly top it to 4... read more

I've been to Paloma a couple of times before but I only had the tacos during my previous visits, which were satisfying. During this visit, I had the shrimp enchiladas and they were okay. I wasn't expecting for the enchiladas to be served in a bowl and I think that is what contributed to a lot of liquid being at the bottom of the bowl. It seems as if the liquid caused the ingredients inside of the enchiladas to fall apart and the entree ended up being more soupy than solid. My friends had the Paloma salad and a variety of the tacos and overall, they enjoyed their food. The service was great and the server was nice and attentive. I would visit again but I personally would not order the enchiladas again. read more

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We had some extra time before dinner and decided to grab a drink. The bar was a super fun circle bar with TVs and a view of the outside area. My husband tried the Brew Dogs Elvis Juice and then a Pulpo Beer. He said both were great! I had a non alcoholic Agua de Jamaica with lime. It was so different and the bartender was so friendly, helpful, and happy. We might even stop back tomorrow. We did stop back for brunch on Sunday and our meal was sooo tasty! We had the chip and dip appetizer...wonderful gauc. We then got two meals and split both. My husband got the steak and egg tacos and I got huevos rancheros. Both were great. They had a "board of the week" where the chef just picks the food and if we would have been paying attention we might have tried that...such a fun idea! read more

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Churro bread pudding reminded me of New Orleans yet much much better Service excellent Remains extraordinary Latin fusion food We keep returning Happy hour a good way to do initial Visit You will return many more times than read more

Ate here for the first time for dinner. Great location and feel to the place. Everyone was super friendly, especially Mariam, our waitress, who was fantastic. We had the Alaska black cod and crispy shrimp and el pastor tacos which were all fantastic. Finished with salted caramel brownie for dessert which was fun and tasty. Looking forward to coming back! read more

Paloma - Tacos (crispy shrimp, el pastor) and Alaska black cod - Mexican Near Me - Shaker Heights, Ohio

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Fresh goodness made to order and you will love every bite! Greeted by the hostess in front of the beautiful living wall was a pleasant entrance. The place was bustling and noisy which is an automatic good sign of happy and busy! We sat at the humongous horseshoe bar and were able to view the busy kitchen, restaurant, tv screens and VAD walkbys. Perfect! Let me start with I am a Queso Fundido snob, by all means. So I simply must order it everywhere its on the menu. This QF came out in a skillet with a lil side of lovely salsa, slivered onions and cilantro. The only thing I would have loved was if it was bubbling upon arrival. It's okay, the flavors were spectacular! We ordered the chicken tacos which were full of flavor and taste! The chorizo tacos were laden with a spicy Morita BBQ sauce that had an amazing kick of flavors. Alex, the manager and Allysa, the owner's wife stopped over to say hello and explain the operations. Thank you ladies! You are a pleasure and a joy and we will order the michelada (???) Bloodymary beer and hot sauce drink next visit!!? read more

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It took me a minute to find the entrance as the door seemed to blend in with the building, but once I entered, there was a cute ambience. I asked the hostess if I could get a booth instead and her tone was kinda rude as she said "sure" and gave me a bad first impression. Although, our waitress was kind and helpful. I noticed the cups were face down on the table so I wasn't comfortable drinking out of them due to sanitary concerns since I'm a clean freak. Although, they had a nice concept of the water and cups on the table ahead of time. Most taco places usually have nearly empty tacos and lack flavor, although I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the lamb tacos which were packed and bursting in flavor. I really couldn't believe it. Each bite was better than the next. Unfortunately I did see a small piece of hair on the platter underneath one of my tacos. But outside of that, the ambience, service from the waitress, and taste of the flood was great. Once improved in the areas I noted above, I would change this over to five stars. read more

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Heard they had good tacos, and had been wanting to check the place out, so we made a reservation for Friday. Almost immediately we learn that tacos are only available at the bar (which was full) and couldn't be ordered at a table. I guess the one saving grace is that we learned this before sitting down and ordering drinks. Can't speak to the food or the service, because we just turned around and walked out. If there's one thing I can't stand it's arbitrary and asinine rules. read more

Came here for lunch and tried a few of their tacos. Each taco dish comes with 3 tacos. The birria, lamb and the duck carnitas tacos were pretty good. Service was a bit slow but it seemed like she was the only one working the lunch shift. read more

Paloma - Mexican Near Me - Shaker Heights, Ohio

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The service was kind of slow and there were not many people in the restaurant. The food was ok but was not authentic Mexican food. The staff was not attentive and helpful when we voiced our concerns. read more

Rude manager. We accidentally sat ourselves after the host said we could sit at a booth or table and walked away. The manager then came over and made us feel incredibly unwelcome and extremely awkward as she spoke with a thick attitude about how now she has to clear off the rest of the place settings and since we only had two people she could not get over the fact that we wanted to sit there. We offered to move but she didn't answer back...awful first ten minutes! The place was almost empty as it was a Monday night! The food was good but nothing great- oysters were good, Paloma salad was forgettable with a total of two small slices of grapefruit on it and a decent amount of pretty darn greasy chicken added for a few bucks extra. The cocktail was good as it had mezcal and passionfruit in it, but the incredibly unwelcoming manager still left a huge stain on our time there. Won't be back! read more

Beautiful decor and ambiance for date night. Excellent service by our waiter all night. We ordered two appetizers, chicken tortilla soup and traditional guacamole. The guacamole was muddled and served in a traditional molcajete which I thought was a nice added flair to the Latin inspired vibe. For our entree we split the Churrasco di Waygu with Papas Bravas and Crispy Brussels. Everything was seasoned and cooked perfectly, and enough to share between two of us. Can't wait to go back and try more items. read more

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I thought this was a great experience - great service for a Saturday night, with a table of 4 adults and two kids. I was seated right away thanks to our reservation, and the waitress was helpful and kind throughout the night. The tacos themselves were very unique and flavorful - maybe the best I've had in Cleveland. The margarita (I sprung for the house-made sour for $3 more - worth it) was great. My friends had some other items like wings, corn, and hummus that looked great, and we shared the queso fundido (good, but sorry, it doesn't compare to what I've had at restaurants in Texas... that's a high bar though). It was quiet enough to hear each other speak, and a really nice, clean-looking space. Easy to park in the garage around the corner, and the parking is free. read more

Me and some coworkers visited Paloma for lunch. The location was not very busy.... correction we were the only people there. Generally I would enjoy that but it was a beautiful day and added some suspicion to my experience. I enjoyed the food and the appetizers but the place was nothing to rave about. I would recommend trying the restaurant as the location and patio was wonderful. read more

Paloma - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Shaker Heights, Ohio

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Finally found a place in Shaker for happy hour - and this was top notch! Gorgeous decor and atmosphere and the food/drinks were amazing. Can't wait to go back! read more

Everything was delicious. The tacos were some do the best I've ever had. The drinks were delicious. Nice vibe. Highly recommend. read more

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Easily the best tacos I've had in Cleveland. Tortillas were so soft and fresh. Made to order! We had the beef short rib tacos (the best), the cauliflower tacos, and the maitake mushroom tacos. The beef short ribs were truly delicious--can't remember the last time I had short rib tacos so juicy and flavorful outside. The drinks were also fantastic. Not too sweet. The poppy drink was the best -- great cucumber flavor. Nachos were really tasty though I'd probably go for a different one next time. I will definitely be back read more

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Great patio in the heart of Van Aken district. Had the fundido and tacos which were excellent. Drinks were good. Our service was fantastic and manager came over to make sure we were having a good experience. If service was an issue in the past they've clearly taken steps to rectify it. read more

My friend and I went to Paloma for "brunch" the place looked cleaned and they had a moxi atmosphere. We sat at the bar and Kamelah was our server, lovely lady. Few constructive criticism notes... chips and salsa are not complementary, the lime in my margarita was an old lime, the side portion of guacamole was a kids size portion with no flavor. The thing I was most disappointed with, is that their tacos are served with flour or gluten free flour, tortillas. It would've been nice if they can offer a corn tortilla, like the tacos should be made of. Also- the receptionist was drinking tea/coffee while greeting guests... maybe she could out her cup down were people can't see it, a bit unprofessional if you ask me. 6/10. Maru read more

Food is delicious!!! Service is great.. I really loved the energy from the staff. They really seemed to love working there. I really enjoy the happy hour deals and drinks were great. I absolutely LOVE the oysters. A must try!!!! read more

Enjoyed the street corn and chorizo tacos. Chips and brussels sprouts could use some salt. Service was adequate, but not enthusiastic. It was a fairly quiet Monday evening and I was surprised that the chef or hostess didn't talk to diners. I don't expect them to be my BFF but this is a new restaurant and a tough economic climate. Asking patrons about their food, informing diners about what makes them special, and socializing a bit could go a long way to repeat business. Lots of variety on the menu and I am interested in trying other dishes. read more

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This was our first time here since the management change and new menu. It was fantasitc. The drinks, food and service were all great and a manager stopped by to check on the table. We can't wait to go back. read more

Happy hour at the bar... Alex makes a terrific Margarita that looks good and tastes as you would expect for $6. The HH avocado hummus and grilled oysters were very tasty too. Happy Hour is at the bar Monday-Friday 4:30-6:00. read more

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Great Tacos, good drinks. The service was decent but they appear to be short staffed.

This taco joint is a great addition to the Van Aken district! Perfect for a girls get together, date night, or progressive dinner because it is in walking distance to so many other fun local spots. Free parking in the VA Garage makes getting in and out smooth. I came here on a very warm night in mid-April. The doors were open so there was a light breeze but they had yet to put out chairs for patio seating. This was disappointing because the weather was so nice - I'm sure this will be a great spot in the warmer months. The patio is next to a big playground though, so depending on what time you go, there may be a lot of noise from kids nearby. If you have small children, this may be another draw for you. My friends and I ordered margaritas and Paloma's. The drinks were good - I wouldn't say the best I've ever had, but on par for the restaurant. My friends ordered the taco week specials - one taco with some chips and salsa. I ordered the crispy walleye tacos. These came as a trio and were delicious. I'd say one taco isn't enough to fill you up here - luckily all tacos typically come in 3s. The menu also includes apps and salads and some sides. Not much else. They do have a brunch menu as well. The walleye tacos came with a sweet mango pineapple tartar sauce which really complimented the fish. I would definitely order these again. We also shared a trio of dips - salsa, guacamole and queso. The queso was good - a tad spicy. The salsa and guacamole came in really small Condiment-size cups. This is not one of those Mexican places where chips and salsa are bottomless or free. Overall, we had a good experience. It was clean, not too busy on a Wednesday and the food was tasty. Our server split our checks for us but mixed up every single check. We ended up just figuring out who owed what on our own. I wish she could have done a better job there, but other than that, she was attentive and friendly. Check it out if you're looking for a fun new taco place - Mitchell's ice cream is right next door and makes for a great after-dinner dessert too! read more

Ok. Nothing special to bring us back. Low headcount for service. Good tacos. Filled us up.

Such a cute, fun taco restaurant with very fresh food. I enjoyed that the restaurant had higher-end choices with unique cocktail options. The dip trio was absolutely amazing, I just wish chips/salsa were included with your meal like at other Mexican restaurants. The cocktail was strong and I enjoyed the presentation as well. As for the tacos, very fresh and made to order, could use more sauce/flavor. read more

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