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    El Paisa Restaurant

    3.7 (356 reviews)
    ModerateColombian, Empanadas
    Open 10:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order El Paisa Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    El Paisa Restaurant Photos

    EL PAISA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Paisa Restaurant

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    Steak with rice
    Rawdon T.

    Me and the misses were cruising the streets at night and we just wanted something good to eat, and we stumbled upon this place. It was a little bit early, so the restaurant was completely empty which means service was very quick. I ordered steak with rice beans on the side. The food did not take very long to come out, and there was an assortment of sauces to add to the steak. The meal was not the best. The presentation was very nice and the waitress that took care of us was very friendly however, I do not think I would come back to this restaurant due to many of the items we first wanted were not available.

    Este baño es del restaurante que vergüenza
    Nadia M.

    Tuve una experiencia inolvidable para no volver que vergüenza la comida cara vieja y recalentada se demoraron mucho se pidió de todo un poco para saborear la comida y fue lo peor fui al baño y esta imagen para un restaurante colombiano fue de lo peor y este limón para 2 bandejas un chicharrón con yuca y que no tenían limón y me pasaron esto

    My mom and I, very happy.
    Rosemary M.

    I just celebrated my birthday here with family and friends. Food was on point! Delicious. They went out of their way especially Andy & Mitzy. They gave me a special birthday hat to wear, put up a banner, recommend balones, didn't charge a plating fee for cake. It was so authentic and a 10 out of ten! They went out of there way to make sure my elderly mom was doing ok. She's usually very passive, but she asked to speak to the manager to compliment the service.

    It's FRIJOLES CON GARRA but no beans LOL   NO NO NEVER AGAIN CHECK YOU PRICE MACH WITH INTERNET

    I been at this place before many times Never feel like I need to do a feedback MENÚ IS FAKE please check your online prices don't let the guy with many rings and BS blin blin play with you money my bill was $40 and he was changing me almost $50 he came with the BS the price when up I was like WHEN? He just want more money I LOOK IT UP AND HE JUST CHANGE THE PRICE TO MUCH BE CAREFUL DONT LET THEM FOOL YOU OUT NEVER AGAIN Check you price online I noticed something was wrong

    PONYMALTA

    Service, food and environment are soooo good, this place truly makes me feel like i am back home I will be coming back to this place, they have the best bandeja paisa ever Also the music selection is authentic and really good

    Advertised tamale on the menu on the left. What was actually served on the right. Tasted just as nasty as it looks.

    I've been wanting to try this place for a while. My Columbia friend was in town so I decided to finally try the place out. The server was extremely rude. My Spanish isn't the best but I can get by pretty good. But he chose to ignore me the entire restaurant experience, only addressing my Columbian friend whose Spanish was better. Her food came out and it took an additional 30 minutes to have just one tamale come out for me. It wasn't until I went up to the counter, the one tamale finally came out. But to my disgust they served me this overcooked, extremely watery tamale. I took a bite and it tasted so disgusting, watery and bland. I immediately showed the server the picture of the tamale they have advertised on their menu, compared to what they served me. My Columbia friend even told the server that's not what it's supposed to taste or look like. As he continued to dismiss me and not talk to me, even tho it was my dish. I just told him I didn't want anything else to reorder. My friend finished half of her dish and reported some of the flavors are off. But we ended up walking down the street to the Salvi restaurant and got exceptional food and service. Would not recommend this place! To the servers surprise it must have been when he tried to give my friend the bill to pay and I took it as I was the one treating. Let's just say his tip reflected his service. ;) ***ALSO, NO PRICES ON THEIR MENUS***

    Patacon con crema.
    Stephen C.

    If you're in Long Beach and are in the mood for Colombian food, go no further than El Paisa! Ordered a PICADA! It had everything blood sausage, empanada, fried plantain, sweet plantain, fried yuca,potato, and a cheese Arepa! What kind of sauces did they have? I'm not sure, but they tasted very good. One was spicy one was not. It was in between breakfast and lunch, so we were the only ones there however, it looks like it could be a good nights spot as well!

    Julian R.

    After a long wait and I have been following this place , major fail. The owner is rude and sarcastic! The food was not worth it and would not recommend. I will not return or refer anyone to this place . The owner does not appreciate or value his guest . I would give 0 stars if I could .............

    Seating
    Ann D.

    The food here was great. It was my first Colombian restaurant. The churrasco steak was good. I was able to share the food with my friend. It was a lot. On the menu there are no prices which is kind of weird. The service was outstanding. The ambiance was well decorated with paintings. The maduro appetizer was very yummy. I would recommend coming here. They have a small parking lot for customers too which is good.

    Exterior (side).

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Always, the best place for Colombian food and the owner is an amazing person, they have good service too

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    2 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    The food was okay. The service was slow and we didn't have the best experience over there.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Everyone I've spoken to complains about how bad the service is from the owner so I rather not patronize this business.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Came for the game and whoever was in control of the sound SUCKED. Couldn't hear anything and ruined the halftime show. Don't come here.

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    1 year ago

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    Page 1 of 9

    El Paisa Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    No, only inside.

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    Selva - Plantains

    Selva

    4.5(519 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$$

    Selva was a great dinner experience! I came in for date…read morenight with my boyfriend and we loved everything. My family is Colombian so I was happy to see that they had refrajo on the drink menu. ( it's Colombian beer mixed with Colombian soda - it's amazing!) We ordered the arepas with chicharron, steak, and ceviche. Everything was super flavorful and delicious. The butter that came with the steak has sooo much flavor, I put that on everything. Our server Jake ( I believe that was his name) was super friendly and informative. Overall great experience, and will be back.

    Selva has a very cool vibe you can feel upon entering, with its checkered floor, teal bar chairs,…read moredark wood, and alternative rock playing in the background. It also smells like amazing meat which is a huge plus for me. We didn't have reservations so had to sit in the bar area which did include high top booths thankfully. It was our first time and happened to dine during one of their collab nights. We were disappointed at first because we were craving Colombian food. But the limited menu looked promising so we gave it a go. It turned out that everything was delicious. The spare rib was fall off the bone tender and had great smoky flavor. The beans were surprisingly tasty too. (I always find beans an unnecessary and bland accompaniment). I absolutely loved the brisket stir fry. The flavors blended well and it had a nice kick. The meat was so tender and I appreciated the meat to noodle ratio. The chicken inside the empanada was deliciously smoky but not overly so and the crust was the right consistency and crisp. It came with 3 sauces which were good but would have like a more spicier option. I tried two cocktails that were in the collab menu. The black old fashioned was too strong for me. I definitely preferred the buffalo soldier which was tasty and refreshing. My favorite dessert was the Natilla. It was like a flan mousse and so good. The toasted coconut flakes added a nice texture. The oblea was fun to eat. That cream and jam were a great combo. Overall a worthwhile experience. I hope to come back to try their regular menu items.

    Photos
    Selva - Inside

    Inside

    Selva - Scallop Crudo. So good!

    Scallop Crudo. So good!

    Selva - Smoked Pollo Half plate. Delicious!

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    Smoked Pollo Half plate. Delicious!

    OBRA HandBakery - Breakfast sandwich on a warn croissant!

    OBRA HandBakery

    4.5(1.2k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $
    Family-owned & operated
    Free parking

    This place was a nice little, hole-in-the-wall cafe for a quick bite. Seating is limited. There is…read morea small bar area inside, but nobody was sitting inside, because the line to order was kind of taking up that area. There are also three tables outside that seat four, four, and two for a maximum of ten. The place fills up fast, but empties just as quick. And their baked goods go quick, so grab them while you can! I ordered the Cuban Empanada as an appetizer. The savory rice and bean filling was a perfect compliment to the sweet ripe plantain filling and hint of sweetness in the dough. They are baked and the dough is thick and chewy, so if you're not a fan of that type of Empanada, be warned... I ordered the Cuban Sandwich as the main course. It was DELICIOUS and I would recommend it to everyone! If you're a purist, like a few of my friends and family though, be warned. Their take on the Cuban is made with Ciabatta not Cuban Bread, Mozzarella not Swiss, and is toasted not pressed... I ordered a Vanilla & Dulce De Leche Cookie for Dessert. It was AMAZING! Soft chewy on the inside, a little crunch on the outside. The taste of a sugar cookie with little sugar bombs of Dulce De Leche throughout. Perfect. And I washed it all down with a Tres Leches Latte (Hot). It was DIVINE! Very much on the sweet side, which I absolutely enjoyed to the last drop. But, if you do not like it too sweet, you can ask them to lower the sweetness level. Also, they will give you an option of dairy milk (2%), almond milk, or oat milk when you order. Overall it was an excellent experience, for me. I will recommend it to all my friends, and will definitely be back!

    Not bad! But I definitely think I've had better empanadas. I'd love to come back and try their…read moresandwiches or burritos next time! It was our first time here, so we wanted to try all the flavors! We got the beef, chicken, BBQ pork, Cuban, chicken curry, veggie, and ropa vieja empanadas. I LOVE the crispy exterior of the empanadas, although interestingly, the first bites always tasted slightly salty. The fillings all had decent flavor, but none of them were outstanding or impressed me enough to want more. I will say, the green salsa they included with the order SIGNIFICANTLY improved the taste and experience of the empanadas. By itself, I'd rate the empanadas 3/5, but with the salsa, it definitely goes up to at least 4/5. But I dislike that the empanadas can't hold their own without the addition of the salsa. The shop is located in a plaza with a decent amount of parking. I think there were a few tables outside to enjoy the food, but not much seating otherwise. The girl at the counter seemed sweet and helpful and immediately greeted us when we came into the store. While the empanadas here aren't for me, it does seem like many people like them!

    Photos
    OBRA HandBakery - Ham & Egg Sandwich!

    Ham & Egg Sandwich!

    OBRA HandBakery - Best seller! Cuban Sandwich.

    Best seller! Cuban Sandwich.

    OBRA HandBakery - A must try! Beef OBRA Ball

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    A must try! Beef OBRA Ball

    Olé Tapas Bar & Kitchen - Paell Valenciana

    Olé Tapas Bar & Kitchen

    3.9(2.8k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$$
    Live music
    Kitchen open late

    Stopped at this location after our concert. No wait time to get seated. Sat down and ordered some…read morefood and beverages. Received our food in a timely manner. Food and Service was good. We really wanted to hear some latin music while we eat. We were dissapointed since the dj or live band was set to start late. It was already 1030pm, no music to vibe too. Just to give you a heads up, there are two locations. Long Beach and Costa Mesa. The one in Costa Mesa displays shows like Flocorica dancing and live latin bands. Long Beach, not so much Overall, the food, service and latin ambience was great. I would comeback and try again.

    If you want good paella, do not come here…read more This was honestly the worst paella I've ever had, which was really disappointing because the restaurant itself had a nice atmosphere and live music. We ordered a half seafood and half meat paella, with added lobster and pork belly. Unfortunately, the actual food was terrible. Main issues: * The bottom of the seafood side was completely black and burnt instead of having a crispy socarrat. There's a huge difference between crispy rice and burnt rice. * The lobster was severely overcooked, burnt, and tasted terrible. * The pork belly was an extra charge, but there was barely any visible pork belly in the dish. It honestly just looked like tiny bacon pieces. * All of the meat throughout the paella was severely overcooked. Positives: * Our waiter was very nice. * The ambiance was good. * The live music added a fun vibe. * It was my birthday, so they gave me a complimentary ice cream dessert at the end, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, none of that made up for how bad the paella itself was.

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    Olé Tapas Bar & Kitchen - Paella Valenciana, Pan con Tomate, Afternoon in Valencia Craft Cocktail

    Paella Valenciana, Pan con Tomate, Afternoon in Valencia Craft Cocktail

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    Alegria

    Alegria

    3.5(1.2k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    If I could give zero stars, I would. This place has only two bathrooms, and the women's restroom is…read moreliterally a single stall. The line is so long it spills into the dance floor, with people bumping into each other and drinks constantly being spilled. The floor is sticky, dirty, and honestly unsafe. I had just paid the waitress for a drink when staff suddenly started yelling that they were closed and began pushing people out. When I tried to use the restroom before leaving, I was turned away by an extremely rude and unprofessional employee. The cover charge is $15, and it's absolutely not worth it. The environment felt chaotic and uncomfortable, and I witnessed multiple instances of people being touched inappropriately. Overall, this was a terrible experience and I would not recommend this place to anyone.

    First time coming here, parking is either metered street parking (if you can find any), or paid…read morelots. We went to a paid lot and walked to the restaurant. Before 10pm it's a restaurant and after it's a nightclub. Our waiter was great she got all of our stuff very quickly. After 10pm we had to go to the bar. The nightclub would get a little full since it's small. The restroom is on the other side of the location so you need to walk thru the dance floor to get to it There's only 2 restrooms, one for women one for men. The attendant let like 5 guys go in at the same time asm door is almost always left open (weird lol) and women restroom always has a line. I personally probably would never come here again lol

    Photos
    Alegria
    Alegria
    Alegria - Front view of the restaurant

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    Front view of the restaurant

    Azúcar Peruvian Bistro - Sangria

    Azúcar Peruvian Bistro

    4.1(92 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Avoid. They are closed even though their hours say…read moredifferently. We drove 2 hrs to try this place because it has 4.0 stars. It was closed. Online in several sites it says they should be open. Read the bad reviews first. Know what you are getting into. Then if for some reason you are still curious, look at the good reviews, see their profiles, so many are fake accounts and staff taking photos from their kitchen acting like they are regular customers. I saw online they say yuca is $6 but charged $7.20 THEN charge you tax AGAIN. PLUS 4% surcharge. Yikes. Please fix these issues. Some ppl say y'all's food is decent, why mess that up with random hours, crazy charges, and blaming the neighbors for cockroaches you have in your restaurant. Just say we will do better and actually do better and then y'all will have tons of ppl traveling to eat at your restaurant. I want Peruvian restaurants to succeed and give good service because Peruvian food is excellent. So there's so much opportunity. I guess I'll never know because they weren't open

    I didn't eat anything here because there was only one vegetarian dish. But my husband loved the…read morefood here , we visited this place twice on the same day. For lunch, he got the tri colored fish ceviche which he loved and for dinner he got Arroz a la chiclayana con Pollo. Both the dishes looked amazing. I even tasted the coriander rice and it delicious. Though the food takes some time to be served , everything was amazing , and service was also great. They have a few reserved spots for parking adjacent to the building which is convenient.

    Photos
    Azúcar Peruvian Bistro - Delish

    Delish

    Azúcar Peruvian Bistro - Panorama picture

    Panorama picture

    Azúcar Peruvian Bistro - Very cozy inside

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    Very cozy inside

    El Paisa Restaurant - colombian - Updated May 2026

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