Palo Santo

Brooklyn, United States

3.6

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 718-636-6311
Website:
www.palosantorestaurant.com
Address:
652 Union St, Brooklyn, NY, 11215
b/t 5th Ave & 4th Ave
Park Slope, Gowanus
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
380 ftUnion Street (R)
460 ftUnion Street
0.3 miThird Street
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Brooklyn) 5:42 PM Thursday, November 28, 2024

Business hours

Monday 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Tuesday 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Wednesday 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Thursday 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 10:30 pm

Description

Specialties

The Palo Santo Menu changes daily to reflect the seasonality of ingredients and the creative inspirations of Chef Jacques Gautier. Some or our regular customer’s preferred dishes include; Ceviche, Grass-​Fed Steak with Chimichurri, Roast Fish & Plantain, Tacos, Homemade Tortillas, Farmer’s Eggs for Brunch, etc.

History

Established in 2006.

Located on the bottom floor of a Park Slope brown stone, Palo Santo opened its doors on August 9, 2006. Architectural salvage and reclaimed materials were used for most of the construction. The front wine bar area and back dining room feature exposed brick, handmade furniture, mosaics, and various art installations.

Meet the Business Owner

Jacques G.

Business Owner

Chef Jacques Gautier draws his influence from Caribbean family roots as well as his extensive travels and time spent working in renowned restaurants. His eclectic cooking expresses a versatile understanding of culinary tradition. Dishes maintain their original essence, with a new take on ingredients, technique and presentation.

Read more on Chef Jacques Gautier’s blog:

chef​jacques​.word​press​.com

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Saluhallar & Marknader

Jacques G. says,

«We buy as much as possible from this Farmer’s Market. It’s open all year and has excellent produce, fish, meat, cheese and eggs.»

Joyce Bakeshop

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Bagerier

,

Tesalonger

Jacques G. says,

«Mo and Joyce are good people and they make nice cakes which we often use when we host private parties.»

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20 reviews of Palo Santo

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
We hosted our friends baby shower here in their back room and it was perfect! Delicious food, cool music and space, and chill vibes all around. The service was superb with the drinks constantly flowing. The manager, Gonzalo, was incredibly lovely to work with: friendly, helpful, and so sweet. Yes yes yes to this place! I can’t wait to go back for a regular meal.
Place rating: 4
Central Islip, NY
Had Brunch here a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty good. I sat in the back room that felt very comforting although there were one or two flies :-/​. I had the chicken mole which was really good. I also ordered maduros which paired really well with the mole.
Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY
I came to palo santo on a Thursday evening. It’s very pretty inside and dimly lit. This is definitely a nice date spot. When we sat down, we ordered two glasses of wine and the tortillas with avocado. The tortillas were made to order and they were great. The avocado was dressed with olive oil and jalapeños. The avocado with the tortillas plus their hot sauce tasted great.
For dinner, my boyfriend had the duck breast cooked medium and he loved it. It came with corn and vegetables and the sauce was great. I had the skirt steak with chimichurri. It came with fried yuca and vegetables. It was perfectly cooked medium rare, like I had requested.
For dessert, we ordered the cactus pear sorbet. I was excited about it because cactus pears are one of favorite fruits and you don’t see them in restaurants often. It was delicious. Overall, we really enjoyed this place and will definitely return!
Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY
On the pricier side, but the food was good and they are generous with the entrée portion size (the app was on the small side, but I guess that’s to be expected). We got the $ 33 pre fixe, and I chose the shaved brussel sprouts salad (yum), mahi mahi fish with plantain and hot slaw (hot as in peppery, not temperature), and I finally tasted tres leches cake, which came with something similar to apple sauce on the side (just ok).
Our server was friendly and helpful, the space is really cozy and comfortable, and the vibe is good. We went on a friday night and the front of the house was packed, the back was closed off for a private event. We would definitely return.
Place rating: 1
Brooklyn, NY
This is the second time I visit this restaurant. The first time I thought the food was just ok, but the service was terrible.
At my spouse’s insistence, we went back yesterday. The service was terrible beyond belief. We were sat at a table near the door, and then asked to move to another table to accommodate other patrons. We agreed and were generously offered a glass of sparkling sangria.
We placed our order and waited for 50 minutes. During that wait time, we didn’t get utensils or dishes. When we asked our waiter why we weren’t getting utensils, he sneered. When we called the maitre to ask about our food, we were invited to leave if we couldn’t be patient. We were very polite about the whole thing and left.
Must say, why come to this restaurant to be mistreated? There are many good restaurants in Park Slope with better service.
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
We came here for a NYE pre-​fixe dinner and as with all pre-​fixe dinners, it’s either a hit or miss. For Palo Santo, it falls somewhere in the middle. Their lobster taco apps was pretty good but others who ordered their scallop ceviche said it wasn’t so great. For the main entrée, I ordered the beef tenderloin bone marrow in medium well, which initially came out extremely charred like someone nuked the cow. It was not edible at all so I had to send it back and asked for medium instead. Second time was a lot better and definitely more tender. But I think I prefer the chicken roast that my husband ordered. Overall, it’s not a bad place. It has a cool and cozy vibe. Their mix of Spanish and Riverdance music was interesting.
Place rating: 3
Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
This restaurant looks beautiful. The front is perfectly landscaped and the inside is well designed. Even with the craziness of 5th Avenue on a weekend, Palo Santo seems tucked away – a quiet respite from the rest of Park Slope.
But it gets a little less enchanting once you get inside. Prices are good and the variety is nice, but I have – honestly – never had service be so slow in a restaurant with so few people eating. We could see the cooks from our table as they made plates one at a time. My food was made and sat, getting cold on the counter for 15 minutes while the other two dishes were being prepared. I know people love to exaggerate times in review, but this is not an exaggeration.
I wasn’t happy with my food, and I’m fairly easy to please. But the mimosas and coffee were fine. We’d have gotten more if the service had been decent, but that wasn’t the case. The others were happy with their (hot!) food, and all said, I wouldn’t be opposed to giving Palo Santo a second chance.
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
Totally unexpected quality-​stopped in spontaneously looking to raise my blood sugar. I was amazed! Looked at the price and thought ‘wow, prices are high for Latin food in Brooklyn’ but continued to order avacado and tortilla. It blew my mind. The tortilla is freshly made right in front of you. Also order the fish taco’s-didn’t disappoint after the appetizers. Realizing I’m rarely ever in the area put in an order for the quesadilla. Still waiting on it… but I’m sure I’ll be pleased :)
Place rating: 2
Brooklyn, NY
The place is nice inside and the staff is professional and very friendly.
I’m not really into their food. Almost everything is fried and/​or meat based. I recommend for people who like this style of food, just not for me. My friends thought it was ok.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
Aside from finding a hair in both of our water glasses and the meh-​rated service, I thought the food here was actually pretty decent. We came on a Sunday afternoon and didn’t have any wait (a rarity in this neighborhood). Very Mexican-​y brunchy and lunchy things. The décor is very cute! Their green hot sauce (not sure if homemade, I assume so) was delicious! Not really that «hot» though, but still very tasty.
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
Palo Santo tries, it really does. I like it there. The tiny restaurant has the best ambiance for a cozy dinner when it’s cold and rainy outside. And some of the food delivers. And some just… doesn’t. The menu is constantly changing (which usually is a good thing!) but when things are so hit or miss, it’s kind of like Russian roulette. For the prices, the entrees aren’t worth the risk that you won’t like your dish. Stick with the appetizers and desserts and you’ll have hacked how to eat Palo Santo.
Place rating: 5
FOREST HILLS, NY
Great atmosphere great service the owner? Asks you how you enjoyed your meal, innovation in the kitchen, what more can you ask for? I’m beginning to only want to eat out in Brooklyn I’m so impressed with the offerings. I would definitely return.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Quaint restaurant tucked away between park slopes brownstones. Spanish inspired décor to match the Latin american/​Caribbean cuisine. The service was superb with our super delicioso meals. We had the steak N eggs with the bean n cheese papusas.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
As soon as you walk in you see this beautiful ambiance and wonderful staff. The owner always has a smile on his face and is very welcoming. I love everything this place has to offer. The food is made from its freshest ingredients and everything is fresh and home made. You leave with a smile on your face and a happy content stomach. You can’t go wrong with ordering anything.
Place rating: 4
Montreal, Canada
Excellent food but the sound system wasn’t good, very loud, we couldn’t hear each other.
Absolutely recommend the tomato salad and oxtail dish.
Place rating: 2
Miami Beach, FL
I was here last night and to be honest, I really don’t see what the big hype was. It was a Sunday night and there were literally only 4 people there. There is a patio which had a few more people, but not really busy. Our total came out to approximately $ 101 for two, tip not included. That includes one appetizer, 2 main courses, 2 sangrias, 2 beers. They had a pre fixe for $ 33 p/​p but we didn’t like the selection that it was limited to.
We ordered the Barbacoa tacos which were very flavorful, but since the tortillas were homemade, they immediately broke and made the appetizer somewhat messy. My GF order the skirt steak and asked for it well done. When it came, it was still red in the middle and since they already cut it up for you, we found it difficult to send it back to get cooked as a whole. I ordered the cornflake fried chicken which was ok, but somewhat greasy. All of our food with the exception of the chicken was at room temperature, which really didn’t make it too enjoyable. Would I recommend it? Not likely unless I’m in the area. I would probably not go back and just try another Latin spot.
Place rating: 3
Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NY
Went to grab dinner last night around 7:30. The place is a bit small but cozy (dim lighting). When we arrived the place was pretty empty and it took a while for someone to seat us, however the server was really nice.
For the appetizer we got the ceviche which was alright, it had a little spice to it and came with slices of potato.
For entrees we got the pulled pork which was pretty tasty and it came with some greens and I think shredded yucca. Overall this dish was good.
The second entrée we had the duck. This dish was ehh, a bit on the salty side. It came with a yucca bread topped with beans and some greens. This dish wasn’t that good.
Reason I gave this place 3 stars was due to the awesome waiter we had, very polite and always refilled our glass of water.
Enjoy!
Place rating: 2
Brooklyn, NY
Excellent service. The food tasted pretty good. So, why the low review? Food preparation and hygiene.
Some people don’t care what they put in their mouth. It is Park Slope after all.
Anyway, take a close look at the pic. That’s not a vein left in the shrimp.
Place rating: 4
Bergen County, NJ
We held an event in the back of the restaurant. Initially, there didn’t seem to be enough ambient light (daylight or otherwise). It’s kind of dark in the back. So we asked that all possible lights be turned on. The staff complied but heavy shadows still lingered. So we opened up the french windows that led to a small patio/​stone garden. When the event began around noon, sunlight poured in from this open area. This was crucial as there were many small children running around at this event.
I ordered the roasted pork (pernil?) brunch. When paired with the sides of beans/​rice, maduros, and avocado salad, my brunch was satisfying. I saw other partyers order the huevos baneros. That did not look so good.
The staff was friendly and accomodating. So that was nice. And they were generous with the mimosas, sangria and coffees. Good party. Solid 4 stars.
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
I’ve been try to explore the culinary establishments of Brooklyn and Park Slope neighborhood. Along to streets of tacos.
We went here for Sunday Brunch. The interior is quaint with wood and comfortable and plenty of locals. The host was friendly as was the server.
The brunch menu was limited but enough selection to make everyone happy. We had the Bluefish Ceviche, Papaya salad and the egg/​bacon sandwich. The ceviche was quite good. Great flavors and the papaya was firm and sweet with the slightly spicy watercrest. The egg/​bacon sandwich was what it was but equally as good served with yucca fries and spicy mayo dipping sauce.
We certainly enjoy the meal and looking at the dinner menu, it looked just as good. But the let down was for the price and amount it left us wanting a little bit more in way of portions.