La Palmera

Sadly, the place has gone out of business. Went by since we were planing to have dinner there and found the place empty and a sign «for lease». What a shame!

I have to say I was very disappointed in this place, I’m Puertorican who recently moved to VA from NJ and my family has been looking for a few months, we found this only Puertorican restaurant, we were happy.
But once arrived we instantly were disappointed in the way the outside of the restaurant looked, the sign is like 100 years old and the front store needs updated painting, not quite our representation .
We walked in to find only a couple eating there, we waited a little for someone in an apron to walk out, we asked for a menu to preview and found that not many typical food from Puerto Rico were not in their menu.
The table setting looked outdated, prices outrageous
We returned the menu and left quickly.

Family based small with huge atmosphere
Great authentic Puerto Rican food. A must eat.

Every time I’m in Richmond or around the area I have to stop at this authentic Puerto Rican restaurant. Definitely the best in the area!

I have not eaten here much but a friend told me that they sell pasteles frozen to take home at this place («pasteles» are a traditional PR dish item that are savory large tamale shaped package typically wrapped in banana leaves, despite its name, they are not sweet– «pastel» is also «cake» in Spanish-​). So I stopped by and ordered a few to take home for future meals. OMG. These pasteles are the BOMB! They are super authentic, made with care and love, with the real deal hand milled plantain olive milled masa filled with seasoned pork… YEOZAH. These things take days to make, and I am positive this restaurant makes them traditionally. Since they are frozen they are the best made by boiling the frozen pastel in the tin foil in which it comes for 1 or 1.5 hrs. YES almost 2 hrs boiled. Trust me, it is well worth the wait, throw it on top a little rice and sprinkle a little hot sauce on top and its quite possibly the closet thing one can come to being in HEAVEN.

We just moved to the area and were checking out the local Latin spots. After a trip to the Quisqueya parking lot, my husband and I were not convinced that it was truly Latin. It seemed more Mexican than anything (nothing against Mexicans but we were just looking for something Dominican/​Puertorican) so I told him about La Palmera and decided to go check it out since it was strictly puertorican. It is more like a café setting but I really felt like I was back home in PR. the menu had every puertorican «antojito» you could think of. We ordered alcapurrias, arroz con habichuelas, arroz con gandules, pernil, pollo guisado, and tostones. Everything tasted like it was supposed to although I still prefer my grandma’s food. I would definitely go again!

Where has all the PR food gone? This is a Puerto Rican restaurant, but the wall menu appears to have changed and now has a lot more salvadorian-​type food, so ask for a paper menu.
The food here is pretty good. Pretty good and authentic pasteles en hoja. Good chicken in adobo. I’ve never had authentic PR food, so I can’t compare, unfortunately. I know my PR friend says their pasteles are very good, although pricey (so is the rest of the food) and her dad brings the real deal home from PR every year, so she would know. When I go, I see PR patrons there, so it must be at least minimally authentic and good.
Pretty small, but enough room to sit at one of a few tables they have and stools along the walls. Nothing special in the way of décor or service.