My Dinner at Las Palmas I am LOVING Restaurant.com!

I have received a number of emails and phone calls from all of you asking if I have had any experience with any of the local restaurants listed and if I have had any issues, so hubby and I decided that it was time to check this all out and go out for dinner.  **Yes, I will take one for the team when necessary, haha

Since the price is so amazing, I purchased several certificates for different restaurants and I plan to do a review here on the blog of each restaurant that I visit for those of you that are interested. 

The first restaurant that we tried was Las Palmas Restaurant in Ocala.  For whatever reason, I though that this was the big mexican restaurant in Ocala that just remodeled, I was TOTALLY wrong.  Las Palmas is a Cuban & Columbian Restaurant located in Ocala on Pine Street in the shopping center next to the Ocala Police Station.  OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE CUBAN FOOD!!  I grew up in Miami and my step mother is Cuban so I know good Cuban food when I taste it and I haven’t had a good cuban sandwich in years.  I was pretty excited to check this place out. 

Since the restaurant is located in a shopping center, the outside doesn’t look like much.  We got there mid afternoon so there were only a couple of people in the restaurant.  Shawn and I were a little worried about that and were hoping that it wasn’t an indication of how the food was if ya know what I mean. 

Our certificate is for $25.00 and the requirement is that your total is at least $35.00.  That is A LOT of food at this place, let me tell you!  Here are pictures of what we ordered, it was FABULOUS!  And  we have enough for at least two more meals that we took home with us!

Fajita Plate with beans, rice, salad and tortilla
menu price $10.95

Arroz Con Pollo (chicken and rice) with plantains
menu price $7.95

Two Cuban Sandwiches
menu price $5.95 each

Two Empanadas (meat pies)
menu price $1.00 each

Maduros (sweet fried plaintains, yummy!)
menu price $1.95

TOTAL FOOD $34.75 plus two drinks $3.00 ($1.50 each) = $37.75

GIFT CERTIFICATE VALUE $25.00

TOTAL DINNER TAB $12.75!!!  WHAT!!

Clarification on a couple of things just in case you are wondering.  YES we ordered that much food (we had to hit $35.00 and wanted to make sure that there would be no issue).  YES it was just my husband Shawn and I eating.  NO they did not give us any issue with the gift certificate at all.  YES I brought home  a LOT of food!

The certificate does state that an 18% gratuity will be added to the tab, in our case that would be $6.79 which would bring our total OOP to $19.54.  Our waiter Rafael was WONDERFUL and the service was fantastic so we tipped higher than the required amount, I have no problem with this minimum tip amount in this case because of the awesome deal that I got, the fantastic food and great service. 

Overall restaurant review:  FANTASTIC!  Rafael our waiter was excellent and the service was great.  The food was well prepared, the taste was fantastic and authentically prepared Cuban & Columbian food.  My husband said that the Fajitas were the best that he has ever had and he orders Fajitas often.  My chicken and yellow rice was REALLY GOOD.  I love chicken and yellow rice and haven’t had it cooked exactly correct cuban style in about 20 years, it was amazing.  If you haven’t tried plantains before, you really should try these, they were delicious!  We love a good cuban sandwich, by the time that we got to the sandwiches we were stuffed, but we both tried it and thought it was perfectly prepared with thin cuban bread grilled crispy, the roast pork was not a sliced pork but roasted and cut, the ham was authentic and the pickle was the right one for a cuban sandwich!  FOUR THUMBS UP!!

The deal is still good thru Sunday, so if you want to get in on the $25.00 gift certificates for $2.00 make sure you click below to purchase yours!!  You will need to use the code TREAT at check out!!