Came with family celebrating my birthday. Best Mexican restaurant in Smokey Point. Service is always great. Casual atmosphere. Food always delicious and authentic. The prices are still affordable for a meal. I recommend this restaurant. read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Models and chips and salsa... - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

When I first started dining here the food was much better. The biggest problem is inconsistency. The service can be great, or greatly lagging. Last week I had steak fajitas. The meal and service were good. Pretty standard Mexican fare with rice, beans, chips, and salsa. When paying you get to use their iPad. The pre-determined tips START at 25% and go to 40. Rarely do I get a meal that's worth 30%, anywhere, and nowhere has a meal been worth a 40% tip. I havent had a meal at Paraiso that was worth a 25% tip. Yes, you can enter a custom tip. It's just so nervy to even consider asking for tips this big! The location is next to a post office, views are of the parkinglot. read more

We stopped in for dinner the other night before attending an event nearby. (Side note: if I'd known how much food was going to be at the event, I'd have skipped dinner altogether!) This is a cute little spot that's a bit off the beaten path. It's a large space, with a separate bar and two distinct restaurant seating areas. The place was very clean and decorated with festival wall murals (plus some lovely Christmas decor). We decided to order a couple of beers and split their relleno/enchilada/tamale combo. While we sipped our beers, we munched on some chips and their tasty homemade salsa. Soon, the food arrived. I have to say, it wasn't the most visually appealing plating I've ever experienced. Everything was brown and beige. I guess you don't realize how nice a little green garnish is until you don't get one. This plate could definitely have used a little dollop of pico de gallo or some guacamole. The food was disappointingly just "okay." It was definitely the heavily americanized Mexican food that seems very common around these parts: served on a too-hot-to-touch plate and loaded with lots of cheese. The relleno was the best part of the combo. The tamale was passable and the enchilada lacked much flavor at all. The service was friendly and fast, which we appreciated. What I didn't appreciate was, when I paid and the screen gave me the usual tipping options, the suggested tip STARTED at 25%! The options were 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40%. I mean, the service was good, but 40%?!?! Seemed quite over-the-top and honestly it was a little offensive (and I consider myself a pretty good tipper, usually tipping at least 20-25%). Maybe it's a minor detail, but it's still stuck in my head. I'd probably go back here again if I was in the area; but would try something different to eat. read more

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We visited this place after our visit to the mt Vernon tulip farms. We were kind of hungry and this place was right next to I-5 We ordered from the vegetarian menu that they had ! The vegetarian burger and the fajita veggies. It took about 40 min to get the food on our table . The wait was way too long and it felt like the waiters kept ignoring us. Finally the serving lady acknowledged our frustration and told us that there was a huge order in one of the tables and that's why the subsequent orders were delayed. A heads up would have been nice Coming to the food, we have like what we ordered. They are kind of on the blander side when it comes to taste, but overall they are well cooked and fresh I really liked my rice and beans. The sour cream was pretty fresh as well Overall good food but mediocre service read more

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This is my first time visiting this location. We are in need of finding a restaurant that was at the halfway point. I knew my family member enjoyed Mexican so I found this location. It's kind of hidden gem, as it's very easy to drive right past. Everything was excellent. From the chips and salsa, to the shrimp ceviche appetizer. Will definitely be back in the near future. read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

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I visited this place for the first time, the food was good the experience and service was horrible. our waitress took forever to return to our table with anything. My friend order a margarita without knowing the price (the price wasn't even on the men) it was $20 for one drink. Then she brought us the bill and charged us for things we didn't even get and clearly said no to. Our bill was $88 dollars, when I brought this up to her she tried to lie and say we did but was quickly proven wrong. So she took the items off and brought the bill down to $80 then when she gave us the machine to pay for our bill there was a mysterious extra four dollars on our bill and was not told what it was. this is illegal and awful way to run a business. they tried to scam us for more money. Will not be returning due to the lies and scams. but the food was good. read more

The food was okay the servers unfortunately weren't very helpful. The fijitas stunk up the place, a little too much smoke, when you go home smelling like fijitas that's a no for me. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! Come here often and as we explore each item on the menu, we continue to get exceptional and friendly service. We love their spicy salsa and pico de gallo add-on with the chips. They have no problem adding chicken to the kids quesadilla upon request. They graciously put up with my very specific margarita customizations every time. So far l, everything has been great and we look forward to discovering more muy bueno dishes! read more

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Food for me was good, companion unhappy with food temp. His food was good though. Our server hovered a little too much again for my companion. I like the food and hospitality of the place. read more

The old saying goes, "Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me." What does anyone say after not three, but four times? I guess the only to say is I'm pretty fu3$$%# stupid. approximately one year ago I ordered the 2 enchilada dinner combo to go. I enjoyed their food on previous visits. This time, however, when I tried to eat itNe, I almost got ill. There was virtually no sauce, the beans were canned---I'm Latino and an ex chef, I can tell, the enchiladas were skimpy on protein and very little cheese. I can get over the portion size. I can forgive the lack of flavor. What I can't get over is the sloppiness in which it was plated. Yes, it was a to go order, but having been careful on the way home, I still saw that it was sloppily thrown in. It looked as if someone was having a bad day and took it out on my meal. Nevertheless, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and patronized their establishment about a moth later. On this occasion I brought a friend along and we tried to dine in. I asked for my meal to go after they brought it out to us as it was completely wrong and, again, flavorless. I had to toss it because it wasn't palatable. I'm not trying to be some snotty foodie who demands gourmet perfection. This was actually not fit for consumption. My dog even snubbed it. He was pissed at me for a week or so. O.K. Being the guy that I am, I decided to give them another chance . (approx. 6 mos. ago). This time I asked to speak with the management before placing my order. The owner (I assumed) spoke with me and I voiced my concerns in a polite yet firm manner. He assured me that he would let the chef know to make it special. I told him I just wanted a meal like they used to be. OK. case closed right? No siree Bob. When I got it home it was worse than the previous 2. They even forgot my chips, my guac, my salsa and the extra trimmings (cheese, black olives and onion), which I paid a substantial upcharge for. I was thoroughly pissed. I tossed it straight into the garbage and ordered a pizza because I didn't have time to prepare a meal. The pizza was great, but if you think about it, it cost me about $65.00 after tipping. Today: I'm busy again and on my way home. I saw the sign for el Paraiso and decided to stop and order my 2 enchiladas to go. For some reason I forgot about my previous ordeals. I guess hunger can do that to a person. I enjoyed a decent margarita while waiting--served in a Pina` Colada glass--for my meal. I opened it up to heat in my toaster oven and Oh my god. I suddenly recalled how shitty their food was. I threw some cheddar and diced onion on top and reheated it A few bites in and Yuck. I guess I'm in for another Pizza BTW the chicken was thigh meat. I am sorry to say I will never be back. I've never Yelped, good or bad, i feel i must just to give warning read more

Surprised charges on bill, be aware!!! Must be under new management, better food and service on prior visits read more

This is a great place for a large group with good food and great service. People at my old job used to visit for lunch and now we have small reunions with 15-20 and they are great for a large groups. read more

Good food for great price. Service is always good. House margaritas and super nachos are a must try

Let me start with the service, it was excellent the drinks are fantastic, and the food is something to brag about

We found this restaurant on our return home after a week up on Vancouver Island. It was dinner time and we were hungry. After a few rejects via a Google search for "Best Mexican restaurants near me," we were ready to bag it and head home. Somehow Paraiso popped up, and we decided to give our hunger one more opportunity for dinner. Paraiso is a gem!! Family owned, top top flight food, great employees and the bartender is just terrific!! (Mr Benjamin!) We wondered if it would live up to our first impression, and tried it again last week. It was every bit as impressive the second time!! The food is fresh, deliciously prepared, and the service is terrific. Everyone seems to go out of their way to make sure you get what you want. Lalo was our waiter, and he is wonderful! My test for a good Mexican restaurant is the beans and the salsa. Paraiso passed The Test with flying colors! Salsa has great flavor with the right amount of heat. The beans! If I had a Mexican grandmother, these would be what she'd make! If pushed, I would say they could improve on the guacamole. It lacks texture and flavor. It needs more lime juice and more spices. A chunky texture would be nice, as well. Not my fave, but everything else is! This little place has 3 different seating areas: an area that is frequented by families on the left, a quieter area in the middle, and a large lounge area with big TVs and seating in the bar. Try this place the next time you are looking for great Mexican food! We live south of Bellevue, and we'll make the trip every time we have cravings!! Phone: (360) 653-6133 Address: 3611 168th St NE, Arlington, WA 98223 read more

Be sure to enter tips manually. Minimum tip shows up at 25%. I'm all for tipping but the service and quality of food doesn't warrant it. Introductory chips and salsa are not complimentary, they show up on your bill. Portion sizes are on the small side for the cost of the meal. read more

Servers were great and food was tasty! Have to get a peach margarita, they definitely don't go light on the alcohol!

What happened to this place? We have dined her at least a dozen times. The family always treated us well and excellent customer service. Not so much anymore. I ordered black beans with my fajitas and was served refried beans. No biggie, but no 'I'm sorry' or acknowledgment from the server. Usually with fajitas, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico or salsa is given. Not today. Our server seemed to ignore us and I had to ask a different server.Five minutes later, he brought out a small dish of sour cream and guac. Again, no acknowledgment. The fajitas were very bland and poorly cooked. Not caramelized as it should be on a hot plate. My soda glass had been empty for a while and our server never checked on us I asked the counter person if I can have a refill. She asked me if I asked my server for a refill??!! I said I would but he seems to be ignoring us. She said she just handles the front counter. I said never mind. Approximately 5 minutes later, I saw her serve a table their dinner!! When I went to pay the bill, I was charged an extra $2. I asked the same counter person why. She told that credit card users are charged $2. Would have been nice to know before I paid!! I would have used my debit card. Their prices went way up and their customer service went way down, almost rude. I won't be back. Very disappointed. read more

They bring a side of pico de gallo unpromted with the complimentary chips and will charge you $3.07 if you accept it. What, am I supposed to refuse it and have you take it back? If you add carne asada to a super nachos appetizer, it becomes $26.98. Of course, the upcharge is not broken out separately (even legal?), so youre left guessing. They also charge .35 for a togo bag. They also dont drop off the check, they come and print the reciept 0.4 feet away from your face and wait for you to pull out your card. No wonder it was empty and the vibes were OFF. SHADY read more

Super disappointed in my return visit here. I'm not even sure where to start.... First of all when we came in and got a table we hadn't even taken our coats off and chips, salsa and Pico de Gallo was served. I thought wow that was nice.... We ordered a margarita on the rocks and a Laguanitas Beer. We were brought back two Margaritas instead. My husband said "I ordered a beer!" Server left incorrect margarita and brought him his beer. Our food came. Both were good. We had Chimichangas. I have zero complaints about the food. We never got more chips or napkins. I would have appreciated both. When it came time for the bill I was very surprised! Charged for the Pico de Gallo which I DID NOT order, charged for 2 Cadillac Margaritas! I ordered a House margarita on the rocks and the second one was their mistake! I truly felt that they were completely dishonest and crooks! Most people always pay with a credit card and don't even look at their bill. Not me! I pay cash. I don't trust anyone taking my card out of my sight! I complained about my bill. They removed the one Margarita. I laid down a large bill and he thought I was also leaving a huge tip. Had to ask for my change. All in all an awful experience. Felt like I was dealing with bad used car salesmen who were taking advantage of us! When I complained about the bill no apologies, instead they looked surprised they were caught! I have never in all my life been scammed like this. Unfortunate! read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

My boyfriend and I decided on Mexican for lunch and we are so glad we chose Paraiso! He got the Special Tacos, I got Carne Asada, and we ordered a to-go Steak Fajita Burrito for my dad (which was brought out hot and at the perfect time). The food was delicious, but the service from Lalo and Lisa truly made the experience for us. They were attentive, funny, and Lalo even performed a neat card trick for us. The prices also seemed fair compared to similar restaurants. Will definitely be returning! read more

Went with mom here on 05/27 afternoon, got this burrito and came right home feeling fine 2 hours later throwing up burrito four time went to bed sick to my stomach. Got up this morning still very upset stomach and threw up three more times. I went to the walkin clinic for food poisoning Dr. Agreed with me and prescribed me some anti nausea meds and feeling better now. Refund would be nice!! read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Beef and bean burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

You guys rock!! The restaraunt we went to first for my birthday was full...so we decided to come here. Very glad we did. The friendly staff made us feel like family and the food was unbelievable! Very clean , and comfortable. So happy we chose to come here. Thank you guys for making my day even better Definitely recommend, and will be back more often read more

I've been about 5 times in the last 3 years, each time with minimal service, just to grab order and dropping off the order and then the check. The food is basic, nothing that stands out so far that I've ordered. Drinks are ok, margaritas are sweet. I would suggest to double check the bill, last time I was charged for Pico de gallo that I didn't order that's offered as they bring chips and salsa. read more

This is a family favorite. Every time we go we're greeted and seated right away (usually during lunch time on weekends). I usually order the same boring thing but it's always yummy and consistent: Horchata (which, no lie tastes pretty authentic!) and the taco ground beef salad. My MIL loves their shredded beef chimichanga and my husband always orders the chicken enchiladas. We're always happy and full here and they serve big portions! I love their complimentary chips and delicious salsa too. read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Taco Salas and Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

Your typical Mexi restaurant although they had these steak tacos i had not tried before that were delicious. My friend said their pasole was the best she's had. Will return. read more

My fish tacos were dry, the chicken enchiladas were drenched in cheese (an item we didn't order we ordered quesadillas) and the crab enchiladas were served with imitation crab meat.... Now if you are going to charge 16.49 for crab enchiladas I expect REAL CRAB not imitation crab. To make things worse the 7.00 guacamole was filled with canned/ bottled jalapeños, served with store bought chips. We ordered margaritas but it tasted more like margarita mix. Awful! The restaurant also has the nerve to charge 3.7% for using your debit/charge card. Just a disappointment! Customers please pay attention to your receipt, I noticed the prices on my receipt didn't correlate to the prices on the menu. read more

Truly a classic Mexican Restaurant, great food and good service. We ordered the fajitas. They taste great.

Mind blown. I have been to every Mexican restaurant in the area, and this one has to be the most ridiculously priced one with absolute average tasting food, I've had better Mexican food for half the price, I got the quesadilla, which is $12 on the menu came out to $22 total..... pico was extra and tortillas for the Carne Asada plate were extra.... Free anywhere else, and the minimum tip was 25% like are you serious I wouldn't even give a 10% tip. read more

The food was ok but my tacos were LOADED with onions and drenched in oil. My daughter got beans and a side of tortillas that were served in this odd fabric warmer which concerned me about how sanitary that may be. The decor is pretty bizarre especially in the bathroom. I really wanted to love this restaurant because they are very sweet but super slow service and they charge another 3% when you use a card. read more

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DO NOT EAT HERE!!!! GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! Would give 0 stars if I could. They bring you out Pico de Gallo with chips and don't tell you that we would be charged for something we didn't order. Margaritas on the rocks tasted like it was just mix no alcohol in it at all. Then they let you pay with your card and then tell you afterward that you are charged a 3.7% fee. It was horrible! Spend your money at a better establishment. Need to report this business to BBB. read more

Favorite Mexican restaurant that my husband & I go to. Super fast, always great food & inexpensive! We have been customers for over 20 years! Celebrated my 10th birthday there, our wedding rehearsal as well! read more

I just walked out of this place in shock. Actually, super hungry and really pissed off. I haven't been to this place in ages but my husband and I decided to go there. We were seated by the hostess and my husband noticed a printed note on the front of our menus that said they charge 3.7% of the bill when using a debit card. As we're reading this our server came with a basket of chips, salsa and two glasses of water then asked, "would you like pico de Gallo for an extra charge?" We looked at each other then my husband said no. I pointed to the note and asked her who's brilliant idea this surcharge? She said it was her boss. At that point I just said never mind and walked out. We drove down the street to Tres Hermanos where we were given chips, salsa AND pico de gallo at NO EXTRA CHARGE!!! We will never go to Paraiso again. If I could give a minus 5 stars I would! I had been going to this place since 1994. It's nothing like it used to be. It's sad that the owners decided to take their business in this direction under the guise of "maintaining quality". I doubt that this is going to fly with most people. It's going to be a tough lesson but I guess you'll have to learn it the hard way. read more

Some of the finest Mexican food around, the owner Benjamin is a great guy with a great family that staff this establishment. They Have stiff drinks, it is not priced too bad, it's a pretty good margaritas. There's salsa and homemade beans I would take it to a different level! This is our go to restaurant read more

Since first accidentally discovering this little Mexican gem in 2013 (just five minutes east of the I-5 in Marysville), I've been back several times introducing family and friends to the great restaurant. I was just there again yesterday on our way back from Seattle and it remains a perfect spot for lunch or supper. The prices for quality and quantity of food remain very reasonable. Sadly the owners' daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Her photo and story are featured on the front of the menu. It's a vivid reminder to never drink and drive ... ever!! read more

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Arlington actually has a descent Mexican restaurant. The salsa is mild, not unexpected, this is the North West. But the menu is extensive. There are multiple screens to watch sports. And they offer a full bar. Pool tables included. So if you want to get out of the house this just might be your venue waiting to happen. read more

I used to go here a lot but that was also 10 years ago. I was in the area with my sis and we thought we'd try it out again. We shared fajitas and they were so bad. It came out looking bland and like it was boiled or pan fried but I thought I'd power through and give it a go. I bit into a piece of raw chicken. Like really really raw. My sister tried the steak in the fajita and it was like boiled meat. She couldn't even bite into it. We instantly flagged our server down. She was very very sweet and agreed to take it off our bill. However, they then charged us for chips and salsa instead. That was kind of an insult. A margarita, soda and chips costs us $34. It was really bad and I'll never come back. read more

1 Fajitas, 1 Carne Asada, 2 House Margaritas, 1 Fiesta Margarita = $93 before tip. Card reader tip options were 25% 30% 35% or 40%. The Carne Asada was good, but the fajita steak meat looked steamed. It's definitely not a $$ restaurant, it's a $$$. And quite mediocre. The fiesta margarita cost $19.50 and tasted like a bottled mixer. Go to COA instead. read more

A friend of mine went there yesterday and was shocked to pay over thirty dollars for a $15 entrée. How could this happen you ask? Well, although it is not apparently listed on the menu, they upsell everything - six dollars for a thing of guacamole, extra for cheese, extra for pico de gallo, extra for virtually everything (see the receipt. ) This is dishonest and a horrible practice. I will never go to this restaurant. read more

Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Receipt... - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Washington

Great spot for Mexican dishes that follow the traditional family recipes. A favorite with locals for lunch and dinner. Takeout is great too. Salsas are housemade and available in mild or spicy. read more