Palermo Italian Restaurant

(323) 663-1430

1858 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027 34.1049 -118.2916

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Neighborhoods: Los Feliz, Central LA

PALERMORESTAURANT.NET

Years in business

Established in 1976

Hours:

Hours: Mon 11am - 10:30pm Wed Thu Sun 11am - 12am � Fri Sat 11am - 1am

Price:

$

Last updated 4.02.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Late Night Dining, Outdoor Dining, Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Pizza, Italian

What People Are Saying About Palermo Italian Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – This red-sauce joint has long been popular with the Ragu-loving masses. Plastic cups of 75-cent wine are handed out by the host, keeping the throngs filling Palermo's small sidewalk patio happy until a table opens up. Inside this local favorite, the atmosphere is cramped and loud, with boisterous groups spaced among quieter couples on dinner-and-a-movie dates. Servers appear almost instantly to take drink orders and serve up free slivers of house pizza.

Editor's Tips

Parking:
Meters on Vermont can be sparse, so use the valet or the metered lots behind the buildings just east of Vermont.
ambiance
92.18999862670898% positive
  1. This is good, inexpensive food in a fun, casual environment.
  2. Very great atmosphere, exudes Italian.
  3. The service was friendly, the atmosphere warm, other diners seemed to be enjoying themselves.
  4. Great atmosphere, eh food
  5. The food is always great the atmosphere is always upbeat and you will always run into friends and faces from years gone by.
  6. They give you alot of food and I hear the pizza is good- but I haven't tried it- Definately a good pizza atmosphere.
  7. Children are not happy here as the atmosphere is loud and playful which makes them want to run and play and will annoy every other guest.
  8. good food, good wine selection and great atmosphere.
  9. Fun Time in a good atmosphere
  10. Excellent service, fun place.
  11. If you liked the atmosphere and friendliness of the Italian restaurant in Moonstruck, you'll love Palermo!
  12. the location is great, right next to a theater, bookstore, and several other odds-n-ends stores.
  13. If you have the money to try some of the higher priced dishes than Palermo offers a great ambiance and quick service to make an enjoyable night out.
  14. lasting example of quality dining at reasonable prices; great staff with old fashion sense of good service with a no nonsense style of welcome; an ambience of old world styling without the unecessary noise level the hip, cool trendoid foodies gossip; th
  15. The food here isn't really that good, but somehow I'm always happy to go here because the ambiance is very warm and loving.
  16. love the atmosphere at Palermo - cool and casual.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. And the owner Tony is so nice, this was our first time going and we were leaving he told us to sit back down and when we went back the waitress came we dessert and said "Tony said 'you must have dessert and it's on the house.'
  2. as someone else mentioned here, the pizza appetizer is awesome and really convinces you to buy a whole pie!
  3. I've heard the pizza is better, so maybe stick with a pie and some vino for a more enjoyable session.
  4. The pastas are good - but save room for dessert - the tiramisu is unparalleled!
drinks
92.30999946594238% positive
  1. love the wine samples while you're waiting to be seated (which will be the case on weekend evenings).
  2. Once you're seated before you even order your drinks, a server/or someone will walk over and givey you a complimentary slice of pizza (usually one slice per person).
  3. Great food and a free glass of wine while you wait.
  4. Box wine never tasted so good while you're waiting in line.
  5. It was a great experience and the wait isn't half-bad when you're chatting w/ friends and having a glass of wine.
  6. Always makes for good people watching and the complimentary port wine takes the bore out of waiting for a table.
  7. The pizza is absolutely delicious, the pasta dishes are tasty and filling, the salads are good, the wine is delightful and affordable.
  8. Great place to eat, good prices and even if you have to wait to be seated - they serve you wine for $.75 a glass - so you really don't mind the wait.
  9. The wait for a table was one of the most pleasant in recent memory -- free wine offered, the host laughing with guests and just a good overall vibe.
  10. The managers are there each night to welcome you, offering an especially affordable glass of wine while you wait for your table.
  11. They also have a full bar in back in case you need a cocktail.
  12. Another great perk is the free or next to free wine they pass out while you wait for a table.
  13. good food, good wine selection and great atmosphere.
food quality
87.08000183105469% positive
  1. The lasagna was drenched in this horrible marinara sauce that tastes as if they just opened the jar and poured it on the dish.
  2. The food is amazing especially i.
  3. Many people I have talked to raved about how great this restaurant is, makes me wonder if they have ever had good Italian food.
  4. Once you're seated before you even order your drinks, a server/or someone will walk over and givey you a complimentary slice of pizza (usually one slice per person).
  5. The portions are large though, but this really makes no difference if the food isn't good.
  6. Although Palermo has a nice, warm, dining space, I was not impressed with their tomato sauce.
  7. the garlic bread was decent
  8. The food is always great the atmosphere is always upbeat and you will always run into friends and faces from years gone by.
  9. If you're looking for cheap eats or a good pizza I would stay away.
  10. I've heard the pizza is better, so maybe stick with a pie and some vino for a more enjoyable session.
  11. This had a good crispy crust (i.e., not soggy), and it also had plenty of good quality meat and cheese on top.
  12. The food is excellent, the personal pizza.
  13. Palermo is a friendly, neighborhood Italian restaurant with decent food.
  14. Other dishes comprised of best quality ingredients, sure to please those familiar with the dishes they order.
  15. I'm not a marinara fan but their's is authentic and good.
  16. great food.
  17. Try the Nino pizza; great crust, great ingredients.
  18. The owner always welcomes his customers with smiles and feeds them great food!
  19. The pizza here is excellent; simple menu for good taste.
  20. Prices were expensive for the quality of food.
  21. Great food, the best service in town and a traditional home-style flair that brings us back at LEAST once a week!
  22. as someone else mentioned here, the pizza appetizer is awesome and really convinces you to buy a whole pie!
  23. No two Italians (or anyone else for that matter) like their sauce & fare the same.
  24. The menu has a nice selection of authentic, simple Italian dishes.
  25. Plus, to top it off, it came with a side of spaghetti drenched in that same horrible marinara sauce.
  26. Absolutely the best value for Italian food
  27. This by far has been the best place, not just the best italian food but the service was so good.
  28. Sure, it's not high end cuisine, but it's delicious, affordable, unique and has the best service in LA!
  29. Although this place is charming in that checkered table cloth and boisterous Italian waiter kind of way, and I will concede to loving the decent, dirt cheap chianti, I will say that the food never lives up to the "idea" of going to Palermo.
  30. If you want some good authentic Italian food, then look no further!
  31. They give you alot of food and I hear the pizza is good- but I haven't tried it- Definately a good pizza atmosphere.
  32. Great pizza and service
  33. Pizzas and salads are your best bets (for takeout or delivery too), though everything's tasty.
  34. Their garlic breads are really tasty, in combinat.
  35. The place is festive too bad the food wasn't any good.
  36. suggest it as an appetizer or as a full meal (on some nights they offer it for free to everyone).
  37. You won't like everything at Palermo but its a sure bet that you'll find some dishes you LOVE.
  38. To enjoy a meal is priceless.
  39. This classic may not have great Italian food, but it has one of he best pizzas around.
  40. Great food and a free glass of wine while you wait.
  41. Amazing food!
  42. This place is great if you like your food bland and tasteless.
  43. good food, good wine selection and great atmosphere.
  44. had the Chicken soup which, btw, was great.
  45. great vines and friendly waiters, I like the pizza and parmigiana.
  46. find the food mediocre, however, particularly the chicken dishes.
  47. the pizzas are always piping hot and delicious, the service is friendly and surprisingly attentive for how bustling it gets.
  48. Great atmosphere, eh food
  49. The food is great at Palermo's.
  50. But the pizza was great and ranks in my top 1 or 2 for L.A. pizzas.
  51. Authentic Italian food, heck the owner is from Italy.
  52. The pizza is absolutely delicious, the pasta dishes are tasty and filling, the salads are good, the wine is delightful and affordable.
  53. have been searching for 9 years to find an Italian restaurant that has Lasagna Bolonese as delicious as Palermos.
  54. The food was good, but far from great.
  55. lasting example of quality dining at reasonable prices; great staff with old fashion sense of good service with a no nonsense style of welcome; an ambience of old world styling without the unecessary noise level the hip, cool trendoid foodies gossip; th
  56. figured this was a great sign, an indicator if you will, of a great meal to come.
  57. great meal might consist of two of them and a small house (three cheese and tomato) pizza.
  58. The Pizza Rosa is absolutely delicious, the fresh salad an garlic bread are great too.
  59. Service, food, and prices are all great.
  60. Your complimentary Pizza Rosa (Fresh warmed tomatoes and a fantastic trademarked mixture of cheeses that I have found nowhere else on EARTH served on the best crust this side of Sicily) is enough to tempt you into the pizza - which is unrivaled in LA.
  61. The food here isn't really that good, but somehow I'm always happy to go here because the ambiance is very warm and loving.
  62. Good happy hour deals for average food.
  63. From the outside, and the inside as well, Palermo's looks like a small, authentic Italian restaurant.
  64. Wait staff is friendly and pizza is tasty.
  65. I'm not too into their pizza, but the pasta dishes are quite good.
  66. The food is fantastic and the service is friendly.
  67. the half price appetizers makes the small sauceless, tasteless pizzas seem a decent bargain for 5 dollars.
  68. The complimentary Pizza Rosa is also great as a meal.
  69. The pizza's are fabulous as are the raviolis and the meatballs.
  70. recommend the heartier meat sauce.
  71. The spinach salad is good.
  72. Great food, great prices, great service, but without the drama (which may or may not be good!)
  73. fairly large menu with all sorts of tasty options but they'll adapt to your taste if requested.
  74. If you have the money to try some of the higher priced dishes than Palermo offers a great ambiance and quick service to make an enjoyable night out.
  75. If the sauce improves, Palermo has a chance of being a great place to take friends and family to, but they are not there yet.
  76. You'll get traditional italian-american dishes at this restaurant in generous portions (even if you order the small size).
  77. This is good, inexpensive food in a fun, casual environment.
  78. The food is YUMMY super delicious, creamy and thick alfredo sauce.
  79. The Raviolis w/ meat sauce are to die for, thanks for recommending a hearty lentil soup AND for a grand finale Tira Misu.
  80. Walked into Palermos to order a slice of takeout pizza.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. fairly large menu with all sorts of tasty options but they'll adapt to your taste if requested.
  2. The menu has a nice selection of authentic, simple Italian dishes.
  3. good food, good wine selection and great atmosphere.
  4. The pizza here is excellent; simple menu for good taste.
overall
97.22000122070312% positive
  1. The Lasagna is terrific, great place to take a date.
  2. If the sauce improves, Palermo has a chance of being a great place to take friends and family to, but they are not there yet.
  3. It's probably my favorite restaurant in town, and that is saying a lot.
  4. This by far has been the best place, not just the best italian food but the service was so good.
  5. If you want some great italian cooking this is the place!
  6. Many people I have talked to raved about how great this restaurant is, makes me wonder if they have ever had good Italian food.
  7. the location is great, right next to a theater, bookstore, and several other odds-n-ends stores.
  8. nice place with tableclothed tables.
  9. great place for dinner with a group of friends.
  10. Palermo's is a great little restaurant in Los Feliz with the friendliest staff around.
  11. Very nice place.
  12. This great neighborhood restaurant has to be then number one in my book!
return potential
50.0% positive
  1. But alas, not good enough for a return visit.
  2. All in all, it was a great experience and I'd definitely return.
service
95.20000457763672% positive
  1. This place has incredible service.
  2. great vines and friendly waiters, I like the pizza and parmigiana.
  3. Palermo is a friendly, neighborhood Italian restaurant with decent food.
  4. Great staff.
  5. Always makes for good people watching and the complimentary port wine takes the bore out of waiting for a table.
  6. told him that not only was the service bad (not including him) but the waitress's attitude was bad.
  7. lasting example of quality dining at reasonable prices; great staff with old fashion sense of good service with a no nonsense style of welcome; an ambience of old world styling without the unecessary noise level the hip, cool trendoid foodies gossip; th
  8. The food is fantastic and the service is friendly.
  9. Great food, great prices, great service, but without the drama (which may or may not be good!)
  10. the pizzas are always piping hot and delicious, the service is friendly and surprisingly attentive for how bustling it gets.
  11. Wait staff is friendly and pizza is tasty.
  12. That's not to say service is always perfect.
  13. Sure, it's not high end cuisine, but it's delicious, affordable, unique and has the best service in LA!
  14. Great pizza and service
  15. The service is usually good and the prices can not be beat.
  16. And the service is amazing!
  17. Many people I have talked to raved about how great this restaurant is, makes me wonder if they have ever had good Italian food.
  18. This by far has been the best place, not just the best italian food but the service was so good.
  19. If you have the money to try some of the higher priced dishes than Palermo offers a great ambiance and quick service to make an enjoyable night out.
  20. Palermo's servers and hosts were soooooo incredibly warm and friendly.
  21. Although this place is charming in that checkered table cloth and boisterous Italian waiter kind of way, and I will concede to loving the decent, dirt cheap chianti, I will say that the food never lives up to the "idea" of going to Palermo.
  22. The prices are very reasonable and the service is usually efficient and friendly.
  23. And the owner Tony is so nice, this was our first time going and we were leaving he told us to sit back down and when we went back the waitress came we dessert and said "Tony said 'you must have dessert and it's on the house.'
  24. The service, though nice, didn't go above and beyond.
  25. Excellent service, fun place.
  26. Great food, the best service in town and a traditional home-style flair that brings us back at LEAST once a week!
  27. The service was friendly, the atmosphere warm, other diners seemed to be enjoying themselves.
  28. Fun atmos with friendly service.
  29. great service.
  30. The entire staff is very friendly and will make you feel at home.
  31. Once you're seated before you even order your drinks, a server/or someone will walk over and givey you a complimentary slice of pizza (usually one slice per person).
  32. The service is friendly and efficient.
  33. Palermo's is a great little restaurant in Los Feliz with the friendliest staff around.
value
86.89999580383301% positive
  1. The prices are very reasonable and the service is usually efficient and friendly.
  2. The portions are large though, but this really makes no difference if the food isn't good.
  3. Service, food, and prices are all great.
  4. the half price appetizers makes the small sauceless, tasteless pizzas seem a decent bargain for 5 dollars.
  5. lasting example of quality dining at reasonable prices; great staff with old fashion sense of good service with a no nonsense style of welcome; an ambience of old world styling without the unecessary noise level the hip, cool trendoid foodies gossip; th
  6. You'll get traditional italian-american dishes at this restaurant in generous portions (even if you order the small size).
  7. always order the half sizes on dinners because the portions are huge.
  8. Absolutely the best value for Italian food
  9. This is good, inexpensive food in a fun, casual environment.
  10. The service is usually good and the prices can not be beat.
  11. Great place to eat, good prices and even if you have to wait to be seated - they serve you wine for $.75 a glass - so you really don't mind the wait.
  12. The ball-shaped mozarella appetizers were something not worthy of the wait experience and though the portions were big, quality over quantity could be better put to test.
  13. The pizza is absolutely delicious, the pasta dishes are tasty and filling, the salads are good, the wine is delightful and affordable.
  14. If you have the money to try some of the higher priced dishes than Palermo offers a great ambiance and quick service to make an enjoyable night out.
  15. Although this place is charming in that checkered table cloth and boisterous Italian waiter kind of way, and I will concede to loving the decent, dirt cheap chianti, I will say that the food never lives up to the "idea" of going to Palermo.
  16. Sure, it's not high end cuisine, but it's delicious, affordable, unique and has the best service in LA!
  17. If you're looking for cheap eats or a good pizza I would stay away.
  18. Good happy hour deals for average food.
  19. Great food, great prices, great service, but without the drama (which may or may not be good!)
  20. The managers are there each night to welcome you, offering an especially affordable glass of wine while you wait for your table.
  21. Prices were expensive for the quality of food.
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. The "Special Pizza" is my favorite, it comes with a bit of everything (including anchovies) and a couple of slices go a long way.
  2. If you have the money to try some of the higher priced dishes than Palermo offers a great ambiance and quick service to make an enjoyable night out.
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/13/11

food poisoning - be warned

by Kristin F

I had a very bad experience here. I ate the linguini with clams and suffered a 24hr bout of seafood poisoning. do not eat here.

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/22/11

Italian Food ?

by sufisonic

I tried this place twice - once dining in, and once I ordered take out.

Both times the food was less than stellar.

There are much better places to experience Italian food in Los Feliz- say' Farfalla' or even some dishes at 'Little Doms'.

Sorry Palermos...just calling it like my taste buds scream it.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/17/10

Love palermo!!!!

by CSMobileUser2

Looooove palermo restaurant...My dad abel del real he use to work there for 9 years intil he pass away 1993.I had good memorys at that restaurant .my dad use to take me there sinces I was 9 years old, ,and know that im 34 year old, I still go there ,love the food and the people r so kind they have good services,and thony the owner well he make u feel welcome , and wen u go there all the way to the back ,u will see

a lot of pictures and right there ur will see my dad and all his employee that have work there,and everytime I go there ,,, I feel like a little girl again,some times a get so emotional ,what makes me happy is that thony is so caring person , there's nothing that I dont like, I live in san bernardino ,and even do is far away ,,, I steel go ,and that's my favorite place =)

1 Star Rating: Poor

03/28/10

25 minutes for a slice of takeout pizza

by photo guy

Walked into Palermos to order a slice of takeout pizza. Thought the guy said it would take 10 minutes when I asked him to repeat how long. 15 minutes later the slice still hadn't arrived. I asked an employee walking past who said, "If it's not on the counter it's not done." Waited a few more minutes and asked another person walking by who also responded quickly saying, "They'll bring it to the counter when it's ready."

The front lobby was crowded and I could never quite get up to the person who originally took the order but since I believed the other employees that the slice wasn't done I didn't push my way to the counter.

Finally, after 25 minutes, and after already having paid, I'd become disgusted and the crowd had thinned enough that I asked the person who took my order what was taking so long. He said "Oh, there you are!" with a big smile.

I never moved further than 10 feet from the cashier station.

I said it had been 25 minutes and I thought it was only supposed to be 10. A guy named Tony said "A slice only takes 2 minutes. You need to come up and remind us your still here every couple of minutes next time."

Are you kidding me??

Suffice it to say, there won't be a next time. I had asked 2 other employees. The whole time I was standing close enough to the counter, though it was constantly packed, that if I took a large step forward I could touch it.

I said, "You mean I have to remind you to actually bring out an order that has been placed when I don't know if it's finished?? Shouldn't you automatically bring it to the counter and say the order is ready?"

"You just need to remind us."

Having asked a couple of employees, I believe it's the establishment's responsibility to keep track of doing their job, not the customer's responsibility, especially after I was told twice that "it will come out when it was done."

If I hadn't already paid nearly a half hour before, I would've walked out without the pizza or paying. It infuriated me that this guy, Tony, said to "remind us next time."

Like I said Tony, there won't be a next time.

  • Cons: not great service
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/01/10

Great Italian delivery!

by ALEXGUNNCLARK

On a 'night in' this is definately the place to get great take out! They will basically deliver a date in a box, including chilled wine! Also, owners are wonderful and welcoming and will give you a discount if you order frequently!

The Details on Palermo Italian Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • friendly service
  • great authentic italian food
  • great place
  • great special pizza
  • great pizza atmosphere
  • not good italian food
  • absolutely delicious complimentary pizza rosa
  • thick alfredo sauce
  • great meal
  • decent garlic bread
  • great crust
  • affordable box wine
  • favorite neighborhood italian restaurant
  • not like everything
  • great wait staff
  • good spinach salad
  • great little restaurant
  • big portions
  • best quality ingredients
  • incredibly warm soooooo
  • nice dining space
  • wonderful owners
  • great prices
  • great experience
  • not best place
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