A mere one-minute walk to and a stone’s throw away from the Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Wharf and ocean, Las Palmas Taco Bar opened in 1955 and has been in its current location since 1975. Ron Méndez and his father Rick are the owners. Ron started there over 20 years ago as a cashier and worked his way up, doing everything from cleaning to prepping and cooking the food.
The ambiance is colorful and vibrant, with indoor/outdoor seating and a big-screen TV for sports and movies. Ron says the food menu features Jalisco-born recipes, blending traditional Mexican favorites with American touches. The offerings are headlined by the heritage crispy tacos, filled with ground beef, shredded beef or chicken, plus lettuce, homemade spicy red salsa and their famous dry Monterey Jack cheese.
Proteins include carne asada, chili verde, chili Colorado, chorizo and carnitas. And the beverage side is held down by homemade horchata and local fountain drinks.
What has kept the business successful for 70 years?
Other sabroso selections include a chimichanga burrito, loaded deluxe nachos and super quesadillas, and a popular veggie burrito (recommended spicy) with rice, beans, sour cream, guac and a battered and fried cheese-stuffed chile relleno.
RON MÉNDEZ: It starts with great work ethic and then passion, love and the grace of God. The restaurant has been in the family for four generations, started by my great-grandfather, originally inspired by his cooking and especially his perfected-over-time ground beef recipe that we still use today. Both locals and people from all around the world have been to Las Palmas. I think our food, ambiance and world-class location really mean a lot to people and leave an impression that is now multigenerational. One of our customers even got a tattoo of our coordinates because she is such a superfan.
Tell me more about the crispy tacos.
It all started with the ground beef tacos that we’ve been serving for our entire 70-year history. And 50 years ago, the shredded beef and chicken options made their debut and decided to stay. These tacos really have a fan-based following and people often argue over which is best. But they are all really delicious—the way the meat is prepared combined with the cheese creates a deeply savory and memorable gotta-have-more experience.
55 Front St., Santa Cruz, 831-429-1220; laspalmastacobar.com
