El Paraiso Restaurant

The food here is delicious! We ordered the pig, which had a bunch of different meats and they're…read moreall very flavorful The cocktails are fantastic as well, especially their margaritas Service was good. They were attentive and came to check multiple times how we were doing with our drinks, food, and if we need anything else. They have a nice area where you can take pictures overall a nice restaurant for date night or celebration

I just had lunch it was awesome. My server, Macarena did…read morean awesome job. Thank you very much. I will be back.

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No Manches Mexican Grill

4.5(238 reviews)

6.1 mi

We're originally from Arizona so our bar for Mexican is ridiculously high. We've had a lot of…read moretrouble finding comparable food out here. We finally stumbled on No Manches and we can say without reservation that they have the best Mexican food we've had in the 20+ years we've lived here. The Tri Color Burrito is my absolute favorite and I recently commented to a friend that its made my "if I could only have one food on a deserted island for the rest of my life" list. Its that good. The margaritas are excellent as well. In terms of negatives, the prices are high and the music can be very loud if you want to have group conversations. Our server even got our order wrong the last time we were there because she couldn't hear us! That said, any cons are definitely outweighed by the pros. Everyone we've taken there has been thoroughly impressed.

It's been 2 years since I've reviewed so time for an update!…read more As usual this place is packed! I've come at 5 on a weekday and 6 on a weekend. Packed! I always make a reservation and I recommend doing that. Service is always great and quick. Chips and salsa are delicious. My new favorite tacos are both of the shrimp tacos. All of the food is delicious. Same with the margaritas. The only downside of our last visit was that they cleared my plate when I was t done with my rice and beans (on a separate plate) and they took my fork. But other than that, this place is one of my favorites.

Busy place on a Sunday night

Carne asada

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Taqueria Chapala

3.9(78 reviews)

3.0 mi

I met up with a friend, and he suggested we try this place. I'm glad he did because I left…read moresatisfied. I ordered the chicken taco and a burrito. The pulled chicken was incredibly tender, though it was a little lacking in flavor. Thankfully, the server brought out a variety of salsas, which made up for it. The burrito was packed with meat--seriously, meat, meat, and more meat. By the end of the meal, I was completely stuffed from all the protein. Now I know exactly where to go whenever I'm craving a hearty burrito.

Taqueria Chapala delivers some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine in the area, highlighted by an…read moreexcellent chicken dinner and consistently great tacos. The flavors are bold, traditional, and clearly rooted in quality preparation. Prices run a bit higher than expected for the area, but the food backs it up. It's a strong spot for those seeking genuine, well-executed Mexican fare

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Taqueria El Tio Ramos

4.1(138 reviews)

4.8 mi•West Dundee

Last summer, our family was on the hunt for the best tacos in the area. Taqueria El Tio Ramos was…read moreone of the top on our list. We stopped in at lunch time on a Saturday afternoon. It was pretty full but we got a table right away. We ordered a couple tacos, a burrito and a quesadilla. Everything was awesome. The tacos were so good; very juicy and full of flavor. We told a few friends about Taqueria El Tio Ramos and they said, "we have been going there for years!" Why didn't they tell me about it! The restaurant was busy but we didn't have to wait long for our food. It was clean and our server was very nice, a bit soft spoken, but super sweet. We will be back, for sure!

Service was quick but refills take longer, other than that steak and tripe tacos are fire. Alpastor…read morewas a lilttle to sweet for me and not tender.

Other choices

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Burrito + rice + beans

My Cocina

4.4(355 reviews)

5.7 mi

We absolutely love this place. Authentic fresh Mexican food with great flavor and super friendly…read morestaff. We went on a Monday night for their half off Margarita special and 8.00 burrito. They have a nice selection of margaritas. I tried the Mango Habanero. Not too spicey. Ive never had one of their burritos so I ordered a chicken tinga minus the lettuce. This burrito was packed with meat and flavor! Everyone in our party enjoyed their food and drinks and we will definitely be back!

We order catering from here a lot and every time the food is amazing, no matter what we've ordered…read moreall of guests loved it highly recommend! We usually order the shrimp ravioli or their chilaquiles When we go in the restaurant for dinner food is fantastic and the drinks were yummy

Chicken Tinga Burrito

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Black Panther Margarita. Half off on Mondays!

Pueblito Escondido

4.5(17 reviews)

1.7 mi

Absolutely yes. I loved the Columbian food here. I only wish I hadn't been so tight on time. I had…read moreto scarf my food down in 15 min and take the rest home. It's a family owned, small business which I love. I always want to suppprt those. Located in the basement with a bakery above it, the location is unique. It's very colorful and festive which adds to its charm. I ordered the Bandeja Paisa and it was enormous and cost $29. Pricey, but I got 3 meals out of it. It had pork belly, columbian sausage, rice, beans, a fried egg, avocado, and a fried plantain . Gigantic portions. We also ordered empanadas and they were the star of the show. I wish I lived closer to Elgin. I have no idea if I'd return, but I do recommend.

Such a great find!! They have Colombian, Guatemalan and Mexican food. I was born in Colombia so we…read moreopted for all Colombian dishes. Forgot to get a pic of the empanadas but they were delish. Was super excited to get jugo de maracuyá. Both entrees were perfect. Will definitely come again!

Fresh shrimp ready to delight your palate

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We have a great variety of dishes and cultures in our experience, come and try Latin America

Orale Mexican Bar & Grill

4.9(82 reviews)

9.5 mi

I finally found the right time to try this place, being in the mood for a dine-in Mexican dinner…read more It's a nice place with pleasant servers, and kudos to the guy who filled my water 3 times. I was torn between a chicken mole dinner or just good old tacos. I opted for the tacos Al pastor with rice and beans. I have had Al pastor at many, many places, and it's been interesting to see people's takes on the recipes. These were, hands down, the best I've had anywhere. The meat was charred nicely, yet tender. The marinade/sauce had the perfect balance between the sweetness of the pineapple and the counterbalance of the lime, cilantro, and onion. I was so proud of my selection, that I ordered some to-go for my daughter to try. I also had a delicious strawberry margarita and finished off with a tres leches dessert. Everything was superb! I'll be back for that mole someday, and will also try their Taco Tuesday. Judging from my food, as well as the presentations of others choices that I noticed, I believe their chef is seriously talented and creative.

Orale is a cool place. The decor is nice , the service was really good, and, I must say, the…read morerestroom stood out :-) The food we ordered was delicious. My wife and I are pretty stuffed right now! I had the quesabirria tacos and she had a spicy shrimp dish with avocado and tortillas. Oh, and we had the nachos with a flight of 5 delicious salsas, as an appetizer. In the end, Orale felt different. It had a city vibe to it. We dug it and will be back for more. Near Hanover Park and in the mood for some Mexican cuisine? Check out Orale!

Quesabirria tacos!! Amazing!!

Queso fundido con chorizo yummy!!

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Chile relleno dinner! Delicious!!

Mexico Lindo

5.0(2 reviews)

2.1 mi

The food there is always amazing and the people there are very nice and polite I do recommend this…read morerestaurant plus it's been around for years, so go there and enjoy the experience

Located inside the Fox Valley Flea Market This! Place is Great, authentic Mexican flavors, the…read morepastor tacos are flavorful and Tate's so fresh. Also had steak dinner plate and was delicious, their fresh made tortillas are a great compliment. In the past I had a huevos rancheros plate and the sauce for it was just amazing. Also very clean and friendly staff. Highly recommend it. Only bad thing is that they only open weekend

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Burrito Suizo

Los Comales Elgin

3.4(149 reviews)

3.0 mi

Taco Thursday? Don't mind if I do!…read more Los Comales is a staple for my coworkers! I've had it numerous times in the past, but this was my first time having it in years! I ordered the Taco Combo that came with 3 tacos with your choice of meat, rice, beans, and a 16oz beverage of choice. I ordered a cesina taco, a carne asada taco, and a pollo adobado taco. It was my first time ordering a cesina taco and I'm so glad I did. It was delicious! Usually my go-to is carne asada but it was a little chewier than usual and it just didn't compare to the tender cesina taco. The chicken was alright, but the cesina was amazing! And I chose their refreshing and perfectly sweet jamaica as my drink! My favorite! Check out @taqueria_loscomales for your next Mexican food craving! And if you've never had them before, try the cesina tacos!! Yum!

I order 6 special tacos, thinking i was going to get a good meal, turns out i almost die. There was…read morea twist tie inside one of the tacos!. I don't know if it was on purpose or accidentally fell in there, all i know is that i will be avoiding this establishment.

Counter

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Outside

La Casa del Pollo Asado

3.9(73 reviews)

1.9 mi

Been here twice - Tacos very good. Half Chicken dinner excellent! The beans are truly different,…read moreand awesome ! They are better than most places I have ever been to across the country! The salsa bar really is a nice feature that allows you to try, or create the salsa you prefer. The value here is outstanding- I strongly recommend La Casa del Pollo Asado!

Found myself way down Randall Road and in the mood for pollo rostizado but given that it was close…read moreto 8pm I knew the likelihood of that happening was very low if I headed back home so I did a quick search and found that Elgin had their own (original?) Casa del Pollo Asado that stays open until 9pm. I took that as a good sign and headed that way. The restaurant is pretty big with a good amount of tables and booths. It's counter service with self-serve fountain drinks and salsas. They also have beer for sale. I originally was just going to order an 8 pc of only chicken but since I had driven out I decided to make it worth my while and get the 12 pc meal. They were unfortunately out of corn as a side so I got mashed potatoes and beans. They have big TVs in one section of the dining area and a World Cup match was on. My order was ready in about 5 minutes and I'm happy to say that the roasted chicken was still steaming hot and delicious when I got it all the way back home. The salsas are all very good although I didn't get any pico de gallo because it looked pretty soggy. The beans are good and the fries are fine but the mashed potatoes and gravy could use some revamping. Also, I felt like I we didn't get very many grilled onions or chiles with our order. Those things in combination with the slightly high price is what make me not so confident I'll make the trek back to this Casa del Pollo Asado soon.

Menú

Self serve salsas

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Exterior

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13 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Mido L.

0

8

0

2 years ago

Disappointing Experience at El Paraiso - Poor Service and Unhealthy Food My wife and I visited El Paraiso today and had a truly frustrating experience. She was craving a steak burrito with grilled peppers and onions inside, so she politely asked the server if the kitchen could prepare the veggies that way. Unfortunately, the server completely ignored our request. Not only did she refuse to help or even ask the kitchen staff, but she also bluntly said, "We can't do that." We were shocked. How is it that a simple request for grilled vegetables can't be accommodated? It felt unprofessional and rude. To make matters worse, the food was lackluster. It was far from fresh and didn't taste good at all. I overheard some concerning comments from other customers about the restaurant's practices, including using the same oil for weeks without changing it or even cleaning the cooking space. That's just unacceptable for any restaurant, let alone one serving food to the public. This is a warning to anyone considering visiting El Paraiso - don't bother. The customer service is terrible, the food is subpar, and the hygiene practices are questionable. There are plenty of other places that care about their customers and serve fresh, healthy food. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

Jennifer S.

6

4

15 years ago

I wouldn't say it is the best Mexican joint I've been to... It's typically hard to find something that fits in my picky pallets. I am generally a health freak that tries to stay away from greasy food, but what normal human being doesn't like to enjoy a cheat meal? :) I love, love, LOVE, their Steak burrito here. HUGE burrito. Far enough to feed me for lunch and dinner. Fresh tasting, not too greasy. Not loaded with beans. I say I come here once a year. DELCIIOUSO :) Try their horchata too. Mmmmmm!! Thinking about the burrito for dinner. If you're looking to enjoy a nice fine dine restaurant, this is not the place to go. Casual burrito joint, nothing too fancy. This place is off of Route 20. read more

Jim G.

28

6

0

11 years ago

I ordered two chorizo burritos, both of which were undercooked. The chorizo was cooked into some weird meatloaf patty that was completely red on the inside. Returned to the restaurant to get a refund and they wouldnt issue me one. Then the manager agreed with me that they have poor customer service. Buttholes!!! read more

Marvin R.

Elite 18

4

133

15

13 years ago

Greasy greasy greasy. If you go there after the sunsets be warned it is filled with gang bangers and low lifes. Place is dirty and cashiers don't care how long you wait. This place is nothing special. read more

Shawn W.

6

2

0

2 years ago

refused service to veteran with documented service animal food is trash service is trash it's like 2nd hand Taco Bell management barely manages to breathe without Messina something up never return read more

Shannon D.

61

16

1

11 years ago

This place sucks. They undercooked the chorizo, and since pork shouldn't be pink inside I brought it back and the manager refused to refund it. On top of that, they messed up half the order. read more

Mike J.

0

2

0

15 years ago

Oh my god I was there with two friends and we all ended up with upset stomach. if your looking for a great Mexican place check out Chorizo Grill on the west side of Elgin. read more

Bryan K.

8

4

0

6 years ago

Once again this is the third time they have got an order wrong well that's enough for me I will not be going back again!

Thaddeus C.

4

3

0

13 years ago

This boo-rito makes me want to poo-rito. Ha, heheh. Hahaha. Yeah. it isn't very good. read more

Avinash K.

Elite 17

256

514

112

11 years ago

Had a quick stop here for some chips and guac. It was pretty good.

Cindy H.

0

8

0

17 years ago

They have good mexican food - I will be eating their again.

Ilsa M.

0

2

0

13 years ago

yum!!!! always a must on my way home from a night out.

Luis P.

0

11

0

15 years ago

burrito is huge it is bomb

El Paraiso Restaurant - mexican - Updated October 2026

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El Faro

3.5

(119 reviews)

Checked out this locally owned Mexican restaurant in Elgin. El Faro actually has a few locations…read more It has this one on State Street. A pretty standard menu of what to expect from this type of cuisine. There's of course burritos and tacos, along with more traditional items like tortas. Bare bones kind of place with not much of an atmosphere. It's got a counter to order at along with booths. There's just handwritten signs on the walls. A lot of traditional items. There's some that are unfamiliar to most Americans, though they should be able to recognize quite a few things. A bad thing is there's no alcohol. It's about $3 for Jarritos. There's also cans of pop. It's about $10 for one of the big burritos. The one we each got was the Burrito Vegetariano. It's got cheese and sour cream which I left off. There's also beans, lettuce, onions, peppers, rice, and tomatoes. Comes with some bottles of hot ass sauce to add to it. The rest of the menu has fajitas and seafood. Even though it's not pretty, it's still a good option for authentic Mexican. It's located on State Street. There's a lot of meaty items, but there's a few things for vegetarians.

we walked in everything looked pretty nice. We got taken care of really fast. I heard a lot of good…read morethings about this place so I had to come try it out. The tacos were very good and flavorful. The fish was not the best would not recommend. The burritos was also very good and tasty. They also forgot a lot of stuff like try tortillas and drinks and our chips and salsa when we first walked in.

Los Comales Elgin

3.4

(149 reviews)

Taco Thursday? Don't mind if I do!…read more Los Comales is a staple for my coworkers! I've had it numerous times in the past, but this was my first time having it in years! I ordered the Taco Combo that came with 3 tacos with your choice of meat, rice, beans, and a 16oz beverage of choice. I ordered a cesina taco, a carne asada taco, and a pollo adobado taco. It was my first time ordering a cesina taco and I'm so glad I did. It was delicious! Usually my go-to is carne asada but it was a little chewier than usual and it just didn't compare to the tender cesina taco. The chicken was alright, but the cesina was amazing! And I chose their refreshing and perfectly sweet jamaica as my drink! My favorite! Check out @taqueria_loscomales for your next Mexican food craving! And if you've never had them before, try the cesina tacos!! Yum!

I order 6 special tacos, thinking i was going to get a good meal, turns out i almost die. There was…read morea twist tie inside one of the tacos!. I don't know if it was on purpose or accidentally fell in there, all i know is that i will be avoiding this establishment.

Taqueria Chapala

3.9

(78 reviews)

I met up with a friend, and he suggested we try this place. I'm glad he did because I left…read moresatisfied. I ordered the chicken taco and a burrito. The pulled chicken was incredibly tender, though it was a little lacking in flavor. Thankfully, the server brought out a variety of salsas, which made up for it. The burrito was packed with meat--seriously, meat, meat, and more meat. By the end of the meal, I was completely stuffed from all the protein. Now I know exactly where to go whenever I'm craving a hearty burrito.

Taqueria Chapala delivers some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine in the area, highlighted by an…read moreexcellent chicken dinner and consistently great tacos. The flavors are bold, traditional, and clearly rooted in quality preparation. Prices run a bit higher than expected for the area, but the food backs it up. It's a strong spot for those seeking genuine, well-executed Mexican fare

Los Fernandez Taqueria

3.0

(122 reviews)

I have visited this Los Fernandez on multiple occasions and have never had a bad food experience…read more They have deals on Taco Tuesday and surprisingly their fries are pretty good if you're a soft / semi crunchy fry person. Smaller spot but open late and they have karaoke going on for some live entertainment. Their drinks are normally solid, my go to margarita is delicious. We ordered some micheladas on our last visit and unfortunately they were flat and not savory. When we informed the waitress she said there was nothing she can do.

I've ordered from this taqueria many times, have eaten there, and have even catered parties from…read morethem. The food has always been good, so unfortunately, this review is strictly about customer service. Today around 8 PM, I spent $75 on a pickup order. When I got home and opened the order, I realized I was missing 2 of the 10 tacos I ordered. I called immediately, and after initially acknowledging the issue, I received a call back telling me that they were sure the 2 tacos had been included. I explained that I was literally looking at the order on my table and only had 8 tacos, but I was still argued with. It's not about the $7 worth of tacos. I'm not calling a restaurant after spending $75 just to make up a story about two tacos, especially when I would have to get back in my car and drive back to pick them up. It's about the principle and how the situation was handled. It's a shame because I genuinely liked this place and was a loyal customer. But being told they were "sure" the tacos were there when I immediately called after opening my order was extremely disappointing. I'm glad they were willing to lose a good, repeat customer over $7.

North of the Border Mexican Restaurant

3.6

(229 reviews)

Frequently dine here 1-2 times a month and the quality and consistency is on par each time. I order…read morethrough Toast (great rewards) and the food is ready by the time I arrive each time. I'll usually get a burrito and fries, wife will get the birria tacos, enchiladas or taquitos. The kids will get the quesadilla and bean meals. We can always depend on a great filling meal at a reasonable price. Special shout-out to the horchata which is top tier and the cashier (don't know her name) who always greets me by name and grabs my food as soon as she sees me walk through the door. I'd add pictures but everything is always gone by the time I think about it.

The food here is always fresh and delicious! The staff is friendly. A great place in Bartlett for…read morean awesome meal.

Taqueria Parrilla Azteca

3.5

(33 reviews)

A friend recommended this place for dinner. This is a neighborhood taqueria with cozy dining area…read more Upon entering, a friendly staff greeted us and asked if we were ordering takeout out or dining in. We could choose our table since it was not busy. The price was affordable with generous portion. The food was flavorful. There were a few people came in to pick up their order. Even though the dining area wasn't too busy, it looked like a place that people come for take out.

I live 5 mins from this place , ordered the lomo burrito , it was cold , only thing in it was…read morelettuce ,sour cream , and a couple small pieces of steak , no beans , rice or anything . And to top it off it shows $8 for this burrito , ordered two . Total was $29 ??? Def won't be going back here !!

Elly’s Mexican Tacos

3.0

(22 reviews)

This has become a go to staple, the food is always fresh and delicious. Love their tacos and…read morewashing them down with a cold horchata. The pastor torta is also go to. Staff are extremely nice and quick.

Today I ordered 2 tacos 1 Sopa and 1 Torta and 1 large Horchata. We dined in so I asked if they…read moreoffered chips and salsa. They said "No, it is extra". I said no problem and asked how much it was. They were changing $6.99. I declined because I felt that was overpriced. We got our food. There was barely any steak on the torta. And they were charging $12.75 for it. I normally don't complain as I used to be in the food service industry and know how it is but decided to bring it up to them due to the price. I asked if they could put more steak on the torta. The cook came to the front and was extremely rude and said "if you don't like the food then just give it back and we will give you a refund.". I told him that I wanted to get what I paid for and to not my money back. And he said something about it being portion controlled and he just works there but continue to be rude and said he could just give me my money back. After some arguing back and forth we decided to give him the food back. My wife ate half of her food I took two sips of my horchata and he only refunded me everything but the $8 for the sope. This was extremely unprofessional. Again I don't complain much especially with reviews, however this was very disrespectful. I asked to speak to the owner and when he would be in but they said they don't know and we're extremely dismissive. Another thing to note is that we ordered off of the large menu in the restaurant then come to realize that most items listed on the receipt where at least $0.75 more that we paid for. We ended up paying over $3.50 more than what was advertised on there menu that people order from every day. Buyer beware please make sure you check your receipt when you order from there. I did bring this up to the cashier and he said "oh yeah those prices are old". I understand that but they should be updated it would take no more than 20 minutes to update the menu.

Mary's Tacos

4.0

(7 reviews)

In an unexciting Strip Mall. Large eating area. There were a lot of workers eating lunch. I ordered…read morea Carne Asada Burrito to go. My Burrito was full of steak , beans , lettuce, cheese and Sour cream. Very hearty and tasty. I was pleasantly surprised and would return. Friendly staff. Passed on the Mexican Desserts but they had a display of several sweets for $2. Each.I was very tempted to!! Burrito was10.99.

I ordered the burrito off the menu taped down on the counter. I even pointed to it on the menu…read more It's $9.99. I got home and noticed my receipt was for $10.99. I paid cash. I think if you're going to charge more than the printed menu, you should tell the patrons.

Salsa Verde

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