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One of my favorite go-to spots here in the triangle :) super authentic, service is always amazing, great ambiance. When you walk in, there's a little grocery store/bakery embedded in the restaurant, you can purchase some produce and bakery items alongside authentic candies and others, and there are plenty of tables for you to sit at. I love their food so much, they have a very robust menu and they are very affordable. I never leave feeling hungry, I always leave feeling satisfied. This time, I got their pollo en crema or chicken in cream and it was so delicious, the chicken was super tender, I loved the veggies in the soup/sauce base, and the rice is super flavorful. Getting the shrimp arepa was also an incredible decision, it's so delicious and the sauce it comes with is divine. I can't rave enough about this place- delicious and you have to come!
Visited El Chapin towards the end of the lunch rush. It was pretty full when I arrived but empty when I was paying my bill. I was sat by the window. I wasn't able to get a sense of beverage options so I just got a water and then ordered the Hot Dog Mi Tierra. I was excited to try a Guatemalan hot dog. The food came out relatively quickly. It was two hot dogs with fries as the side which was a pleasant surprise. This hot dog was fried, the bun interior covered with guacamole and the dog topped with cabbage, ketchup, mayo, mustard, and a cheese (crumbly, cotija-like). The hot dogs were good. Loaded with the toppings, a good bite, and a slightly toasted bun. The fries weren't seasoned which was disappointing because I bet they could come up with an awesome spice blend for the fries. The biggest let down was probably the service. Even as I sat alone in the dining area at the end of my meal with my empty plate at the edge of the table, it still look 8-10 minutes for anyone to bring my check. I know they were focused on cleaning up after lunch, just wish someone had checked on me sooner. All in all, pretty good. I'd definitely return to try more of their menu.
La comida deliciosa, el servicio más que excelente, es la segunda vez que voy a el chapin y el sabor es exquisito
We were killing time and the incredible flowers and plants out front caught our eye as we drove by. We had to take a second look and saw people sitting inside happily eating. We knew they took such great care of their flowers so the food was likely going to be great as well. There are lots of authentic Guatemalan items on the wall and for sale. The employees are friendly. The food was delicious, the service a bit slow, and cleanliness could be improved. But all in all I highly recommend this place.
Wonderful rustic Guatemalan food located in SW Durham. This restaurant located in unassuming strip mall. Inside is a store/ restaurant with non-perishable goods and marinated meats to purchase to take home and grill. While it would be helpful if you spoke Spanish, there were plenty of Anglo speakers for monolingual customers. While I don't normally bring this up... I'll just say that one becomes extra thirsty when eating at the restaurant if you get my drift. The male and female staff were trim and lovely, respectively. Appetizer was 3 pupusas; loroco, Queso and revueltas. They were wonderful, I do wish the curtido was a bit more crunchy, but there's a salsa bar for some additional texture. Came out pipping hot and not too oily. Entrees: Carne Guisado & Churrasquito Chapin. The Guisado was lovely this time of year and warmed me up. More of a soup than stew, it had an interesting cereal undertone which I think is corn? It felt hearty without being overly thick. The Churrasquito grilled beef was tasty, comes with some tortillas if you want carbs, but otherwise very keto friendly. The grilled onion was a nice touch. The extra Longaniza were a bit salty for our preference. While I have consumed Central American food before, I'm not too familiar with Guatemalan. That being said, I'm very pleased to say this place is worth a visit.
I am not well-traveled enough to know what is/is not "authentic Guatemalan food". What I do know is the following: 1) The food here is super tasty. I've only tried their various appetizers so far - I think it's more fun to have a little of lots of things rather than just one big plate - and they've all been flavorful. Even the cooked cabbage side that came with my papusa was delicious. 2) I've been here a couple of times at random off peak hours (e.g. 4 pm), and there's always several Latine folks eating and enjoying themselves. I'd call this place low key/unassuming rather than a "hole in the wall". The service has always been friendly, and the ladies room has a changing table in it, so I'd consider them super family friendly as well.
I love El Chapin. I have been there a few times and never been disappointed. This time we ordered, tacos dorados yum! Papas Locas, french fries with some sauce really good and Bean Pupusa that comes with some sauce and cabagge, really good! Their staff are very nice and great service. They place nice latin music and sell things from Guatemala. So it is a restaurant / market. 100% recommended
TLDR: You want mostly authentic Guatemalan food with friendly service and lots of options stop here. It frustrates me a little when I see reviews from so-called Elites talking about all Latin American food with a blanket description of "Mexican Food". They both use many of the same base ingredients because that was what was available however Mexican leans more towards Spanish inspirations and Guatemalan has a bit more Mayan influence. Guatemalan foods are those like "Pollo En Pepian" which El Chapin offers and makes correctly and well. I recommend trying this with a side of plantains and pupusas. Technically pupusa is a bit more El Salvadorian (and I've had authentic ones from an older generation of El Salvadorian immigrants which were amazing) but in the triangle area this is about as good as it gets for pupusas if you're going out. Staff is always nice and are used to dealing with the ignorance of not pronouncing the menu options properly or in one case a couple next to me ordered and then later had no idea what they ordered then asked to see the menu while complaining one of their dishes wasn't up to temp. The staff was very nice and accommodating but there's little worse than people looking dumb when they think they are right about something. If you don't even know what food you chosen for yourself (even though you just told someone 10 minutes ago) how do you know if it is at the correct temperature? Some people I'm convinced you could throw any random plate of food down and if it was plated well or looked exotic enough to them they wouldn't know the difference. Anyway, I digress... If there's any real criticism of this place in my opinion is that the menu is too large and they need to do away with some of the hotdog and hamburger offerings that don't really go with the theme of the restaurant and muddy up the menu. Overall a great go-to place when I'm looking for some comfort food!
Was in the area, read the reviews and we ran over here. Overall it's a very informal dining area within a small market. The food was good and the service as well. The prices I think were a little steep. We ordered caldo de res and was asked if we wanted it with rice and avocado, my mistake was assuming it came with it, at the end we paid like $20.50 each per soup, rice and quarter avocado which in my opinion was steep. The avocado alone was like 3.25 for not a whole one. In NY they're 1.25 for a whole one so to me that was a lot. Anyways, would I return, yes. I just know better for next time.
The food we had from El Chapin Guatemala Grill & Catering was good, but a little pricey for the quality and the amount of food received. Also, the prices on the PDF menu and the online order menu were different (prices on the latter were more expensive). Service was great. I give this place 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. It's worth trying. El Chapin is located in the Oak Creek Village shopping center off of 15-501, not far from I-40 exit 270. You can't miss it as you enter the shopping center. In addition to the restaurant and catering, El Chapin has a market too. About half the space is used for the market and the other half is used for the dining room. This is a humble, no-frills place with a casual, warm atmosphere. Outdoor seating is available, but limited to a few tables just outside the entrance on the shopping center walkway (covered). During my Wednesday night visit, the restaurant and market were nice and busy. Both dine-in and takeout business seemed to be doing well. I ordered online following the link at the top of El Chapin's website (http://el-chapin.com/). For online ordering, they used MenuPages powered by Grubhub. I was able to pay online so all I had to do when I got to El Chapin was pick up my order. It was ready on time. Here's what I ordered for my wife and me: * La Parrillada para Dos ($29.99) - churrasquito, carne adobada, pollo asado, grilled tomato & jalapeno, salad, rice, and beans, plus add-ons: Guatemalan chorizo and longaniza sausages * Elote Loco (2 at $2.99 each) * Caldo de Res with rice ($15.74) - beef rib soup, slow-cooked with fresh mixed vegetables La Parrillada para Dos is a special barbecue platter for two people. It comes with several different types of grilled meat: beef (I think skirt steak), pork in red chili sauce, and bone-in grilled chicken (leg and thigh). The sausages I added on were optional at $3.50 each - I recommend it because the sausages were the best part. Also included with the meats were the grilled tomato and jalapeno mentioned above as well as grilled whole spring onion (yum). Since the platter is made for two, there were two servings of salad, rice, and beans plus four tortillas. The sausages were spectacular. Two short, but plump links were included of each type, chorizo and longaniza. I think my wife and I both preferred the longaniza over the chorizo, but they were both super tasty. Longaniza is similar to chorizo, but is spicier and has more complex flavor. The chorizo was smoky and succulent. It had a stronger, saltier flavor. The standard meats that came with the platter (steak, pork, chicken) were OK to good. Perhaps a tad dry for some bites, but overall, not bad. The pork had the best flavor (marinade) and the steak was as good as one could expect for a cheap cut. I liked the addition of the grilled veggies. Good portion sizes on the salads, but they could have used some sort of dressing. The salads consisted of fresh iceberg lettuce, sliced radish, tomato, and white onion, chopped cilantro, and a couple lime wedges. The rice was delectable; they must put butter in it. The beans (dark, almost black, paste) were A-OK, satisfying. I recommend the Elote Loco, El Chapin's colorful take on Central American street corn (on the cob). It's not the best elote we've had, but it's still pretty good and worth ordering. El Chapin tops their corn with ketchup, mayo, queso fresco, and a savory green sauce that was a mystery to us. Whatever it was, it yummy and went well with the corn and other toppings. I also recommend the Caldo de Res. If you like soups, especially hearty beef soups, this one is fantastic to get. The chunks of beef rib were tender and flavorful. The broth was excellent; robust and delicious. Vegetables in the soup included big, thick slices of cabbage and carrots, as well as a piece of corn on the cob. The soup was served with that mouthwatering, buttered rice, a small cup of finely chopped cilantro and onion, a couple lime wedges, and two tortillas. El Chapin's tortillas were grilled and served warm. They were corn tortillas and relatively thick. My wife liked them, but I wasn't as big of a fan. They just weren't all that appetizing to me. Bland and dense. The restaurant has a fairly extensive menu featuring everything from Guatemalan-style Pupusas (grilled corn cakes, $2.25 each) to Chuchitas de Pollo (Guatemalan mini chicken tamales, $2.25 each). On Saturday and Sunday, they offer a special seafood soup made with shrimp, calamari, and tilapia ($13.99). El Chapin opened in 2015. They have a small fleet of marked catering vans parked outside the restaurant.
Do Guatemalan's eat good or what? Tried food here couple weeks ago and it's the only thing we (hub & I) can think about so I came back again and will come back bringing every family members and friends or make any excuse to be back. Great for family and friend. Small tiny market inside to keep you interested. Food: as I mentioned above, the food is out of this world. The Garnachas: I can't Bragg enough about this food. Small thick fried tortillas that are crispy yet chewy topped with ground meat and veggies that's bursting with flavor. I can eat 10 of them. I've tried many dishes here but one other food that stood out is Tamales. Yes. Fresh out of the steamer. They are bigger than Mexican tamales. Softer dough and filled with tender and juicy pork (or you can order it with chicken). Plenty varieties of drinks to choose from. The sauces and condiments are just perfect addition to their scrumptious menu. Proudly traditional which I always admire. Service: friendly, informative and eager to make your experience wonderful. Price: Average. Someone said they think it was a little pricey but heck, I'll trade my kidney for them garnachas. My overall experience here has been amazing. Will come back soon for another.
I'm surprised (and have been neglectful) that I haven't written a review yet for here, because we have eaten here for the past 3 years! This place is typically packed (pre-covid) and currently practicing covid-precautions (distancing, masks, sanitizers). It is located at a busy shopping plaza, making parking sometimes tricky. But you don't want to miss this place--authentically delicious food and good sized portions! The staff are all very friendly and great with suggestions. We picked up our usual -- Tierra De Mar (marinated and deliciously grilled ribeye and shrimp) and the whole fried tilapia (crunchy and moist).
I visited this place like two years ago and didn't like it at all, one of my friends wanted to go so I decided to give it a try again, this time my experience was much better then the first one. I had two garnachas and they were really good, and for the main course chile relleno and it was good too, not the best chapin food i ever had but not bad.
4 years ago
Stopped by to try the ceviche de camarón, which is a cocktail basically, and man let me tell you. That thing was salty, I'm not the type to complain but I just could not even make it to half way without using the salted crackers as a chaser. Talk about a heavy hand. This is the first time I had came, I was going to try a bistec ranchero but I'm a fan of shrimp cocktails. read more
11 years ago
"Very inexpensive strip mall Guatemalan food" Tucked into a strip mall next to a Subways is this small new Guatemalan restaurant. I ordered a mix of 4 appetizers for dinner, and despite paying ~$10 including tip, left quite full. Garnachas ($1.75 each)-- small but tasty crispy corn tortilla topped with meat. Chuchitos ($1.75 each)-- corn flour cakes with chicken-- OK. Chicken had bone still inside, in my case broken with bone bits loose in the filling. Chicken tasted funny, too. I wouldn't order this one again. Tamales ($3.25 each)-- I got chicken. It was fine, but mild and not tastier than other local tamales I've had. Pastelitos ($1.25 each)-- fried folded potato cakes-- this was my favorite dish of the ones I got... quite tasty. (I confess I may have the chuchito & tamale reversed in the descriptions above) My wife had the tamalitos de chipilin ($1.50 each), and those were quite good & flavorful-- I'd be more inclined to get those next time rather than regular tamales. Service was EXCELLENT-- they checked on us numerous times and were generally helpful. Setting was a bit unusual with the groceries on one wall, counter in the back, and tables spread in the middle. But it was clean and welcoming. While I confess I wasn't thrilled with half of the dishes I ordered, the other half were quite good, and the price was amazingly cheap for the quantity of food I ordered, and the service was excellent. 3-4 star border, but I'll be kind and round up (though may revisit in future visits). read more
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Wow! My wife and I stopped in for our first Guatemalan breakfast. It was amazing! We had the Granjero which is ham, eggs and tomato sauce over a thick tortilla. Every aspect of the dish was great including the beans and plantains. Wow! They have a nice salsa bar too. It was being run by several young guys that were incredibly pleasant and professional. My measure of a restaurant meal is whether it feels like someone's grandmother could have made it and this one fits that category. This place is something special. We'll definitely be back! read more
We came in here with a Guatemalan friend who spoke highly of this place. The setup is pretty straightforward and traditional. We had the Tamalitos De Chipilin, Pollo En Peppian along with Fried Plantains and Tortillas. The portions were good and the food came out great! read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
What a hidden gem. Authentic, casual and delicious are the first words that come to mind. We were on 15/501 in Durham running errands and I had El Chapin bookmarked for the longest time. It is in an unassuming shopping complex and we saw the Open sign from the parking lot. We went on a Saturday night at about 7:30pm and the restaurant was packed. It is a store and restaurant in one and really an authentic experience. The young gentleman running the counter gave us menus and when a table inside cleared up, he moved us there. The menu is very straightforward with meat dishes, daily specials (Seafood soup on Sundays, beef soup on Mondays, etc.) sides and has a few photos. We asked what was recommonded and La Parillada para dos was the perfect choice. It is a steaming cast iron plate for two with steak, pork, vegetables and chicken and is served with a plate of fresh iceberg lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers and a slice of lime. You also get refried beans, the best rice I have ever had and homemade tortillas. The rice has a chicken flavor and yucca or cayote in it. The tables have a plastic casing and underneath you will find beautiful hand woven icons from Guatemala. You grab your silverware and hot sauces from the drink station. The restaurant is family-run and there is so much service and passion behind the food. The sides are lined with rice, medicine and grocery items from Guatemala. At the counter we also found homemade rolls that go well with coffee. Soccer jerseys and traditional shirts line the hallway. I felt like I was in Guatemala for dinner and loved the ambience, music and food. We loved it so much, we came back on Monday for lunch. Gracias a la familia. Regresamos muy pronto. read more
7 years ago
El Chapin was my first experience with Guatemalan food, and it was a good one! The restaurant is very unassuming, located in a small strip mall on 15-501. One half of El Chapin is a sit down, informal restaurant, and the other half is a small grocery store. The restaurant side was fairly crowded during the weekday lunch hour. The service was quick and efficient, and our server was happy to answer questions about the menu and provide some recommendations. I had the Chiles Rellenos, and it was delicious. My food itself wasn't too spicy, but for those that want more spice, there is a salsa bar. I definitely plan to come back and try more items from the menu! read more
6 years ago
Great food and an even greater way to support local right now! We got the Carne Adobada and the Pollo a la Plancha. Both meats were juicy and cooked perfectly. They both came with beans, a salad and yummy rice on the side. We also got tortillas on the side which were amazing. Some of the best corn tortillas I've ever had. Excited to return! read more
4 years ago
I had never eaten Guatemalan food and this have no comparison, but I will say the food at El Chaplin is delicious. The highlights for me were the garnachas (sort of like Mexican sopes that are topped with delicious chopped sirloin), the chicken en pepian (half a chicken stewed in a vibrant tomato soup with carrot, potato and chayote) and the chiles rellenos (very similar to the version I've had at Mexican places, only a bit sweeter). The salsa bar is also amazing in its variety even though sometimes you get charged for chips. The atmosphere is a very clean, no frills strip mall vibe and the service is a bit slow if they are busy (I've been six times and the same young woman is always the sole server). Highly recommended read more
4 years ago
This place has great food, environment and staff. I would eat here every night if i could. Do yourself a favor and don't come here to order the burger or chicken sandwich (although they are delicious!), but get something authentic instead. We tried the garnachas and pastelitos de papa and would definitely get those appetizers again. For the meal we shared chicharrones chapines and will be coming back for that plate. I wish we had room for the elote, but we were too stuffed. They did give us a sample and it tasted like heaven in a cup. This place is a must try. read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
Don't buy the merchandise it overprices!! I was charged $35.00+ tax for a simple t-shirt. Jorge (person in charge) was very rude when I called and brought to the attention on unfair price. read more
8 years ago
We went for Sunday breakfast and glad we did so! Service was great and so was the food. Very tasty. Bacon was cooked perfectly. Coffee was fresh and refills prompt. We will be back. read more
When I first walked into this place, it was very unique. It was half restaurant and half store. I felt like I was in Guatemala from all of the decorations. Not to mention, our server was very attentive and he kept coming back and checking on us. We got the Mar Y Tierra and Mojarra Frita. Both of these portions were quite large. They had a side of rice, salad, and bean. I really enjoyed my lunch here and luckily my aunt introduce me to this place. I definitely would recommend this place. My experiences with this place is phenomenal! read more
11 years ago
I lived in Guatemala for more than one year, and nothing stateside has taken me back there until El Chapin. Rustic food, lovingly and skillfully prepared with great service. I started with a refreshing homemade watermelon juice. The corn tortillas are obviously handmade and served hot off the griddle. They accompany most entrees. As a starter, I had a crispy tostada with creamy guacamole, but many of the other ones looked good too. My meal was the Caldo de Pollo. they served it as one bowl of rich chicken broth, rice and veggies with lots of fresh cilantro. To the side was a crispy chicken thigh, cooked perfectly. Guatemala has a rustic cuisine that utilizes lots of fresh herbs, lime juice and simple ingredients. El Chapin is Guatemalan hospitality at its best. read more
8 years ago
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7 years ago
Friendly service, delicious food! Ordered the Plato Tipico and it was AWESOME. I haven't had garnachas since traveling in Mexico and these brought back fond memories. The Chile relleno was literally mouth watering the more I ate. Will definitely be back. read more
7 years ago
This is my go to place with my daughter. Delicious, nutritious and reasonable prices. Nice staff too. read more
7 years ago
A new experience for us so we shared a little bit of everything! It was delicious and the staff was helpful and friendly... read more
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More info about El Chapin
4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd
Ste 38
Durham, NC 27707
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(919) 908-7975
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