Palm Restaurant

It's a fun place to eat and the food is consistent. The bar specials are incredible! more

I have been going to the Palm for years, and the food is good, the atmosphere is warm... It has become a Philadelphia classic. more

Great for a big lunch, nice location on the avenue of the arts. If your in the mood for steak or seafood after the theatre, this is a winner more

I have spent a lot of money here over the years with friends and clients, but I am done after this experience -- particularly considering the great new steakhouses that have opened across town. Notably, they are packed on a Saturday night at 9:30 or 10:00, unlike the Palm -- which seems to be fading away quickly. Nevertheless, the Palm clearly did not appreciate my business this evening. Our party of four arrived around 9:45 for dessert after seeing a show down the street. Although the restaurant was nearly empty, we were asked if we had a reservation -- a bizarre request, to say the least. We ordered the chocolate cake for three of us to share and also requested 3 scoops of ice cream and three plates to go with it. I had a bourbon/ginger and the others had coffee and soda; two of them tried to also order port, but the waiter disappeared for about 15 minutes only to eventually report that they did not have the variety that was requested. In sum, this was a meal that was almost pure profit for the restaurant, in a down economy, and after the end of normal business for the night. Yet, when the bill arrived the chocolate cake was accompanied by a $16+ charge for the ice cream -- specifically, a $3+ dollar charge for ice cream and then $13 more for 2 additional ""orders"" of ice cream. I promptly explained to the waiver my concern with this charge since we had simply asked for the chocolate cake with a few scoops of ice cream and plates to share. He looked annoyed, abruptly said ""fine, we'll take off one order"" with a tone of disgust, and walked away. As a result, I still paid about $10 for the ice cream, including an extra order that I never even requested. The fact that the restaurant even attempted to add a $16 ice cream charge to the bill, then was not particularly friendly about my objection, and then declined to do more than eliminate one of the three orders, is frankly absurd -- particularly when we had just bought a $15 piece of cake. more

Very good food,great and fast service, just a bit pricey though. Pros: great steak and lobsters more

I am not going to go as far as saying that I had a bad experience at the Palm, but I used to eat there regularly and remember it being a lot better. I know for some, the food is not really the issue. It will always be a place to be recognized and a good place to entertain someone, but the food just lost it a little for me. The oyster appetizer was very good but my clams were bland and so was my lamb chop. It breaks my heart to give a knock on a place I used to love but it just is not what it used to be. Still worth trying for a first timer but there is a lot better food in the city right now. more

Wow. The 5 pound lobster (we shared it) is really 5 pounds. This was great. The sald and the veggies were also super. Love this place. more

I've been to the Palm and I can honestly say I would be hesitant to go back. I know that its more of a see and be seen than a place for a great meal, but even then its a lot of show and not much substance. The food was so so; I've had a better steak at other restaurants. It was so nosy, especially since the alcohol was flowing more than freely at nearby tables. I guess if you're in or trying to be in with Philly's power elite, eat here. If not, try a quieter more modest place for a meal. Pros: See and Be Seen Cons: Noisy, Overrated more

Disclaimer: I must confess that I love The Palm. I have always been a fan of the ridiculous caricatures on the walls (and have been tempted to throw an impromptu version of myself just for kicks). The 837 Club is a bit of a problem. You have a 50/50 chance of having your points credited, or so has been my experience. The room is swimming with those eager-to-impress young lawyer types kissing up to those overweight, prone-to-another-heart-attack types with their sad-faced wives or lovers who hide their self-loathing behind botox cosmetic treatments. Anyway, all that fun aside, the delicious and decadent 6-pound lobster here cannot be touched elsewhere in the city (note I said 6-pound, not just any lobster). The filet is always spot-on for me (uber-rare w/ bernaise) and the asparagus tends to be good on most occasions. Gus is the prize of this place; always a gentleman. The martinis are generous and the maitre d' is always welcoming. Expensive, yes. Loud, YES. Worth it? Why not wash away an evening in a tub of vodka while figuring out that rich doesn't necessarily mean happy? Consider dining here if you want to see Philly's rich and ""famous"" collide in a hilarious sideshow of egocentricity. Personally, I think the food rocks! Pros: Fun people-watching Cons: Expensive more

We had the surf and turf. Biggest lobsters we ever saw and prepared by broiling rather than boiling them and what a difference! Tender and delicious! The steaks are prime aged and way better than what we've had around town. The waitress was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable when it came to helping us select a wine. Didn't try to sell us something too expensive. Definitely a place to celebrate. There were celebrities everywhere! Pros: steaks, lobsters, service Cons: too much food!, call early for resv more

A BIT EXPENSIVE BUT IF YOU ARE IN THE MOOD FOR A 5 POUND LOBSTER THIS IS THE PLACE Pros: STEAK AND LOBSTER more

great place in Philly for a great meal. the swordfish on the bone is fantastic. so are the crab cakes. go often and get on the wall! more

The food is always just average at ""chains' such as this, althought the steaks are typically very good (no surprise I guess...). I ordered veal, which was extremely tender, but the sauce/topping was nothing special at all. My husband's lobster bisque was just okay, as was my salad. Now comes the fun part...stone crabs claws were the ""special"" appetizer. My husband and I ordered 3 each. Imagine our surprise when we got the bill and found out they were $30 EACH. We spent $180 JUST on the appetizer. Our bill, which included soup-to-nuts came to more than $400 for people. What a HUGE rip off...definitely not worth it!! In summary, food is VERY mediocre, atmosphere is just average/nothing special, and some things are ridiculously over-priced!! Would NEVER go back. If you have money to waste, this is the place to go!! Pros: steak Cons: other food not great, VERY overpriced more

I don't really object to the prices, they struck me as typical expense-account numbers, and the waiters did not push us to get more expensive wine for instance. The food was acceptable, though as other reviewers have remarked nothing special. In Palm's defense, how much can you do with steakhouse standards? My dessert was mediocre (they all looked mediocre), sides were mediocre, my steak was delicious. My real complaint is the service. Rushed, rushed, rushed. The first one was rather condescending when I asked a question about the tap beers (this is, after all, Philadelphia). There are only two! Then she nearly wrote on me with her pen while reading my menu over my shoulder. She fled for unclear reasons and was replaced by the second, who cut me off when I had questions and helped someone else instead. I expected a much higher level of service. Pros: steak Cons: service, any food but meat, cost more

The atmosphere was relaxed but the food was extremely over priced. We didn't skimp on anything and our dinner was $200. The food was good, but not amazing. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant unless you have money to spend and want to do some people watching. Pros: Interesting Atmospher Cons: Expensive more

Reservations for 9:00 turned inti 9:30 seating and 10:30 serving. The food was under prepared and had to be returned. Once returned, Salmon was still raw in the middle. Not at all worth the trip, or the wait... Pros: Area Cons: Food, Service more

Granted, the GiGi salad should in fact be served with a Botox injection at this power lunch promenade. Virgin Palmers need to know that this isnt necessarily a place for the best creamed spinach in town. Frankly, for the money, a better crab cake can b e found at Pronto takeout on 18th street (Lump/6.00 each). However, you dont come here for the food darling. You come here to flick your mini lipstick mirror out at the conclusion of your meal to check out the ring finger on the Armani suit clad gentleman behind you as he closes a big deal. Women on husband number four come here to close their next big deal and hopefully he comes with a private jet and a Bendels expense account. Expect short skirts, stinky cigars and giant egosoh yeah, they have steak too. Say hi to Gus, one of the good guys Pros: people watching, people watching, people watching Cons: hope you can expense, play favorites, A tables limited more