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    El Paraiso

    4.1 (30 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Dining room
    Janice M.

    Not familiar with the area, so I wanted beef stew. I Google restaurants near me and this is one of the choices nearby. El Paraiso, authentic mexican restaurant is what I choose. This place is part restaurant, part grocery store. The aroma of fresh food makes your mouth water. I ordered shrimp Quesadillas. AMAZING. My friend ordered steak fajitas.

    My burrito test...carne asada that can stand on its end. Check!
    James M.

    First of all, thank you Robbie A. for bringing El Paraiso to Yelp! I doubt I would have found it otherwise. It's a little far for a lunch run for me but works perfectly for an occasional burrito on the way home from work, and I'll begin this ritual soon. I was raised on burritos like these in California and I've missed them for the past 9 years since moving to Virginia. It's good to be home! For those who don't know what I mean, a burrito is a wonderful thing when done right: large flour tortilla, meat of choice (carne asada is my test burrito), rice, beans (whole beans are preferred but refried as served here will do in a pinch), a little cheese, and that's about it. My El Paraiso burrito had those elements plus a little grilled onion, which wasn't bad, and it was delicious! The point in keeping the ingredient list to just these more dense items is so you can set it down on its end while eating it to take a break (see my picture) without everything tumbling out. Under no circumstances should a burrito include lettuce...that's just wrong. Hot sauce should be added as you're eating it. I'm sure others have their methods but these is mine. If anyone is interested in lessons, I'll meet you there! These guys are very friendly too.

    Enchiladas verde platter
    Thuy V.

    Good Mexican food. Hole in the wall. All the staff speak Spanish and menus are in Spanish. Luckily two of our friends spoke decent Spanish to help us out. We got 3 platters and 2 pupusas for about 30 dollars. Food was good but not spectacular but fills you up and is satisfying. I had the chicken enchiladas verde with beans and rice.

    Chicken, steak, and braised steak tacos.
    Thuy-Lan L.

    Cute little hut. You won't regret trying their food. I love their tacos!!! They also have their own little Spanish mini market next door. Everything in there is also cheap compared to other places around Richmond. Great food and even better when the prices are low!

    shrimp fajitas w rice n beans
    Kyn H.

    this little restaurant was amazing. the sweetest cashier helped us out while ordering. the birria tacos were a 10/10! we enjoyed everything else as well. so yummy will definitely be eating here again.

    Enchilada's Verde
    Beth A.

    Tried this place yesterday based on location & Yelp reviews. Very tasty and huge portions. Extremely authentic, at least on terms of environment. Everyone in the place was speaking Spanish & seemed to know each other (except me:) but very friendly. Will definitely go again.

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I had the grilled chicken salad. Food was excellent. Great service. I would absolutely go back!

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    6 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Dam good food prices is good service is good taco are good it the best on staples mills

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

    the best of the best, pound for pound. there is a lot of food similar but none like this mexican street style food

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    13 years ago

    This is still the best al pastor in Richmond. I am so grateful this place exists...

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    This place is a gem the people here are pleasent and friendly. The food is very very good i asolutely love it. I can't stop eating here

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    Blue Habanero - Elote

    Blue Habanero

    4.3(354 reviews)
    4.5 miThe Fan
    $$

    We arrived on Thursday night around 8 pm, and the parking was hit or miss. I had to circle the…read moreblock to find a spot, but it was pretty close once I did. I noticed the ice cream/yogurt spot nearby was hopping. There was a person asking for change outside the front door. We were greeted by an enthusiastic host and seated immediately at a booth up front. The server came by within seconds and brought us water and place settings. We decided to get the chips and salsa for an appetizer and a pair of melting chimichangas for entrees. I can't resist some chorizo and steak. My partner got the chimichanga without chorizo and with chicken. The ambiance was colorful with beautifully painted murals on each wall, and the atmosphere was undeniably loud. There were lots of patrons. The place was packed, even at the bar, so your mileage may vary. We received our orders within minutes of each other, so there wasn't much of a wait time. The chips and salsa were homemade, fresh, warm, and delicious (muy rico). Same for the entrees; exactly what I want in a Mexican food restaurant. The chorizo and steak were well-cooked, seasoned, and chopped finely, but not ground. I was in heaven with that chimichanga. We had to take home leftovers. The next night, heated in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes, they were similarly excellent. The night ended without dessert, sadly (too full). However, the server was quick and efficient, and he was always around to fill water and bring anything we needed throughout the meal. Great experience overall. We will definitely return here whenever we have a hankering for some good Mexican food at reasonable prices. I can recommend this place to anyone who appreciates hearty and filling Mexican food.

    Blue Habanero is a Mexican restaurant near Scoop on Strawberry St. in Richmond. There's free street…read moreparking in front of the restaurant and street parking nearby. The ambiance can be described as eclectic and casual. It's great for big groups and relaxed lunches. There's a variety of menu options for food and drink. Our server was nice, but she didn't really answer our questions about the menu or substitutions, which was a little inconvenient. Also, we kept having to ask for utensils and napkins, which made our food get a bit cold. The pineapple habanero margarita tasted like spicy pineapple juice and was pretty expensive. It was pretty, but not worth the money. The food also was really average, but the portion sizes were good for sharing. The huitlacoche tacos were a little bland and soggy, the chicken chipotle tacos had a good sauce but were also soggy and the fajitas did not have enough seasoning. Not a restaurant that I would come back to, but I liked it's proximity to other dessert places nearby.

    Photos
    Blue Habanero
    Blue Habanero - Street corn

    Street corn

    Blue Habanero - Quesabirria Tacos

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    Quesabirria Tacos

    Lolita’s - Brussel Sprouts, Pollo Asado Tacos, Baja Shrimp Tacos

    Lolita’s

    4.3(288 reviews)
    4.5 miCarytown
    $$

    This little spot in Carytown is a hidden gem with such good food! The place is vibrant yet cozy…read more The host and server were great. Stopped in on a Monday - with all day happy hour specials for food and drinks. We enjoyed the guacamole, the tacos and the beverages. The tostadas served with the guacamole were a nice and different touch than the usual chips at other places. The flavor on my shrimp tacos exploded with a balance of spices and fresh ingredients. So good!

    Celiac- Gluten- free Review…read more Lolita's has my WHOLE heart. Their gluten-free options may not be extensive, but they're enough, and they are done WELL (no dedicated fryers just FYI). Let me also give nuance to my love of Lolita's by saying first and foremost that I had the best cocktail I've ever had here, the Hotboxed Ferrari (Siete Misterios Mezcal, Byrrh, Piña, Campari, Fernet Branca, Cinnamon Deme, Salted Grapefruit Foam). I am rabid for Mezcal. I want to kiss the mixologist who developed this drink, because it is absolutely a balance of flavors that showcases the beautiful and perfect smokiness of Mezcal and good grief I almost fell out after my first sip. *deep breaths* So we just continue riding this wave of joy with the salsa and tostadas. Three types of salsas with unique flavors and different levels of heat. All three incredible. Blue-corn tostadas made in-house. And then a bowl of pozole verde. This damn sopa had me in a chokehold as well because how was everything perfect??? The textures, the flavors...I think I might have forgotten where I was because I got lost in that bowl. Best pozole verde I've ever had. Ordered the Choripapa and Suadero tacos- at this point I really could have ordered just one because your girl was almost at maximum capacity. The tacos are not cheap- ranging from $11-14- but to their credit, they do not skimp on the fillings and the flavors are top tier. Add in those fresh blue corn tortillas and you have a combination that truly did not miss in any way, shape, or form. Only disappointment I encountered the entire night was one of the drinks on the menu not actually being available (the frozen horchata-pumpkin colada), but my bartender made me a horchata coffee cocktail that definitely made up for it. Shout out to her, because she was throwing down on them drinks. So. True artistry experienced throughout the night, from the cocktails to the food. The atmosphere is so cool inside too, definitely a light summery feel which is a nice respite from this crazy winter blast we're experiencing at the moment. Love this spot and highly recommend.

    Photos
    Lolita’s
    Lolita’s - Watermelon salad

    Watermelon salad

    Lolita’s - Fish tacos

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    Fish tacos

    Cochiloco - Vegetariano Taco

    Cochiloco

    4.6(102 reviews)
    3.4 miScott's Addition

    One of my favorite places to go when I visit Richmond. The food is absolutely delicious. This…read moreMexican restaurant is Jalisco style serving up an incredible diverse offering of food and drinks. Some of my favorites include the Cochi Loco Taco, the Birria Quesadilla, Carne Asada Fries, and I love their chips and queso. They also serve different flavors of agua fresca, and an amazing assortment of fresh fruity cocktails. Everything is aesthetically pleasing, and the looks match the food. I also love that they have a salsa bar where I can serve myself different type of salsa and peppers and onions, etc. The atmosphere is fast paced, but kind of exciting. It's really packed in there pretty much any time you go so keep that in mind It's not a place that you could really bring a bag or relax and work or have a solo date. It's really a place to hang out with friends and have a good time

    Giving praise to the woman who was cleaning tables Friday night 4/24/26. What a saint. First, I…read morewalked over to a table she was cleaning to grab it and I dropped my sauces in the process to the table. It fell on the floor and table. She was so kind and was like don't worry I got it. I was cleaning some of the sauce on the floor and she just was like no I got it. Also, I had a toddler that was having a total meltdown. The lady was trying to help me with that! There was a language barrier, but she was just trying to know his age and tried to smile at him. It was also the evening time so, it was busy, but she was just so calm and helpful. I didn't get a name, but you are amazing and hope you are doing well! Tacos were the best I had since my trip to the Bay in '19. Al pastor was perfect. My husband said the chicken quesadilla is the best he's ever had in his life. All the food was what we wanted and it hit that taco craving. Like everyone has said, it's as good as west coast tacos.

    Photos
    Cochiloco - Salsa Bar

    Salsa Bar

    Cochiloco - Cali Fries

    Cali Fries

    Cochiloco - Birria tacos, Al pastor tacos, chips and salsa

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    Birria tacos, Al pastor tacos, chips and salsa

    El Paraiso - mexican - Updated May 2026

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