It is counter service, the food was incredible, and was pretty quick. I haven’t tried anything like this but my Colombian friends wanted to bring me here. I wanted to try a variety of things and got the Bandeja Paisa which had a lot of flavor and was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
judayne Castillo
Definitely a terrible choice, they cover a menu from several countries but what was chosen had excess fat and simple, graceless contours. I will not refer to the price of the dishes (we paid $80 for 2 people) but it is notable that being a place where there are no waiters, the food does not fit on such small plates (not because it is a lot of food, it is because the plates are small which makes eating uncomfortable, preventing the food from falling on the table), sodas must be taken directly from the refrigerator, without glasses, the cutlery is plastic...but the prices correspond to a restaurant where there is full service...in conclusion , I don't plan to eat it a second time...
My Life the Parody
I cannot express how much I love eating here. The service is amazing and the food is even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Violeta Rodriguez
Very good and authentic! Empanadas not pictured but were so fresh!!
Just go here! I had the jibarito. The pork was so good as was the whole dish. Yeah, they have tacos but this is not to get tacos although they may be great, we have plenty of places for tacos. I would describe the food as high end home cooking. So fresh and flavorful. My birthday is soon and this is where I am going.Find this little place on Main Street, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to my next visit soon to try something else new. You won't find this food anywhere else around that I know of.
Janet G
The jibarito was spectacular! But I asked for lechon instead of asada and it made it all the much better!! No error/miscommunication on the restaurant part!!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Justin S.
Most authentic Latin American cuisine in Champaign/Urbana area! Good variety, delicious menu, and highly recommended. Personable staff and service. Clean restaurant. Family friendly. Event friendly and they even do catering. They provide a great environment with latin music in the background for a fun experience. It's a MUST visit in the area!
Piet
My first time at El Paraiso I ordered the mofongo with chicken and llapingacho. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the mofongo was very fulfilling. I expected for the llapingacho to be more crispy on the outside, so it didn't quite hit with me.I did takeout another time and had the steak jibarito, which was so good that I ordered it again the next day. The way the steak is seasoned and cut reminds me of Korean bulgogi. I would definitely recommend giving El Paraiso a try for its various plantain dishes and phenomenal cooks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vincent Leong (Vince)
The best Latin American food in town! I have tried seco de carne/pollo, lomo, and mofongo. They are all tasty!
Flavor is on point!! This place is amazing. We had the chicken mofongo, pork arepa and chicken jibarito and they were all so goood! The portions are big, made me feel at my grandmas. We got our food so fast too. 10/10
Nick
Best jibarito ive ever had. New, but I’ve been to every restauruaunt in Chambana and this is one of the best. Must visit for Latin food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony M.
I actually really liked this place! Its a little small and quiet, but the food that I had there was excellent and certainly is a hidden gem in CU. I got the special hibiscus iced tea which was probably the best I have ever had. The hibiscus wasn't super overpowering which is usually the problem with this kind of drink. For lunch, i got a steak and onions dish. It was kind of like a South American version of Mongolian Beef! I loved it! My buddy was a little more adventurous and got a paella which he loved. Its in a little bit of a dead area of Urbana, but we were certainly be back. Its always great to support a small business in a somewhat struggling area!
Aga A.
Wow!!! I just had the most delicious tacos!!! My mouth is still watering. I'm you're in the area pop by this place! It's super cute on the inside. The ingredients are fresh and full of flavor. I'll definitely be coming back! I wish I would have gotten a pic of the food but I was too busy enjoying every bite!
Solomon B.
Recently had a very enjoyable meal at El Paraíso. The food was quite yummy and different featuring food from South America. I got several delicious appetizers to get a variety. The frijoles were very satisfying almost like a sopa. The surprise treat was a fried plátano ball stuffed with pork and a white cheese /bolones. The other dish was also tasty llapingaccho / stuffed potatoes. My buddy had a very tasty pork chop dish served with rice and fried sweet plátano. I've been fantasizing about returning and will soon. Bienvenido!!
Lovely restaurant. Arepas are amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is counter service, the food was incredible, and was pretty quick. I haven’t tried anything like this but my Colombian friends wanted to bring me here. I wanted to try a variety of things and got the Bandeja Paisa which had a lot of flavor and was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely a terrible choice, they cover a menu from several countries but what was chosen had excess fat and simple, graceless contours. I will not refer to the price of the dishes (we paid $80 for 2 people) but it is notable that being a place where there are no waiters, the food does not fit on such small plates (not because it is a lot of food, it is because the plates are small which makes eating uncomfortable, preventing the food from falling on the table), sodas must be taken directly from the refrigerator, without glasses, the cutlery is plastic...but the prices correspond to a restaurant where there is full service...in conclusion , I don't plan to eat it a second time...
I cannot express how much I love eating here. The service is amazing and the food is even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good and authentic! Empanadas not pictured but were so fresh!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas, Empanadas Colombianas
Just go here! I had the jibarito. The pork was so good as was the whole dish. Yeah, they have tacos but this is not to get tacos although they may be great, we have plenty of places for tacos. I would describe the food as high end home cooking. So fresh and flavorful. My birthday is soon and this is where I am going.Find this little place on Main Street, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to my next visit soon to try something else new. You won't find this food anywhere else around that I know of.
The jibarito was spectacular! But I asked for lechon instead of asada and it made it all the much better!! No error/miscommunication on the restaurant part!!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Most authentic Latin American cuisine in Champaign/Urbana area! Good variety, delicious menu, and highly recommended. Personable staff and service. Clean restaurant. Family friendly. Event friendly and they even do catering. They provide a great environment with latin music in the background for a fun experience. It's a MUST visit in the area!
My first time at El Paraiso I ordered the mofongo with chicken and llapingacho. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the mofongo was very fulfilling. I expected for the llapingacho to be more crispy on the outside, so it didn't quite hit with me.I did takeout another time and had the steak jibarito, which was so good that I ordered it again the next day. The way the steak is seasoned and cut reminds me of Korean bulgogi. I would definitely recommend giving El Paraiso a try for its various plantain dishes and phenomenal cooks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best Latin American food in town! I have tried seco de carne/pollo, lomo, and mofongo. They are all tasty!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seco De Carne
Restaurantji Recommends
Flavor is on point!! This place is amazing. We had the chicken mofongo, pork arepa and chicken jibarito and they were all so goood! The portions are big, made me feel at my grandmas. We got our food so fast too. 10/10
Best jibarito ive ever had. New, but I’ve been to every restauruaunt in Chambana and this is one of the best. Must visit for Latin food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I actually really liked this place! Its a little small and quiet, but the food that I had there was excellent and certainly is a hidden gem in CU. I got the special hibiscus iced tea which was probably the best I have ever had. The hibiscus wasn't super overpowering which is usually the problem with this kind of drink. For lunch, i got a steak and onions dish. It was kind of like a South American version of Mongolian Beef! I loved it! My buddy was a little more adventurous and got a paella which he loved. Its in a little bit of a dead area of Urbana, but we were certainly be back. Its always great to support a small business in a somewhat struggling area!
Wow!!! I just had the most delicious tacos!!! My mouth is still watering. I'm you're in the area pop by this place! It's super cute on the inside. The ingredients are fresh and full of flavor. I'll definitely be coming back! I wish I would have gotten a pic of the food but I was too busy enjoying every bite!
Recently had a very enjoyable meal at El Paraíso. The food was quite yummy and different featuring food from South America. I got several delicious appetizers to get a variety. The frijoles were very satisfying almost like a sopa. The surprise treat was a fried plátano ball stuffed with pork and a white cheese /bolones. The other dish was also tasty llapingaccho / stuffed potatoes. My buddy had a very tasty pork chop dish served with rice and fried sweet plátano. I've been fantasizing about returning and will soon. Bienvenido!!