We live in North Raleigh, so it's about a 25-minute drive to Wake Forest. The upside is that once you're there, shopping and dining are all close together--making it a convenient outing. After running errands, we drove just six minutes to El Chapin, a Guatemalan restaurant. Forget Tex-Mex--this is a completely different Latin cuisine experience. The two of us spent $76 (including tax and tip), but we intentionally ordered extra to take home leftovers. Parking was easy, right out front, and the restaurant itself is spacious. Since we arrived just a few minutes after opening, we had the place to ourselves at first and were seated immediately. Service was prompt and very helpful--the server even suggested we might have ordered too much food (he was right, but we didn't mind!). Here's what we tried: Plato Chorizo y Longaniza - a sausage platter with salad, rice, refried black beans, and two delicious housemade corn tortillas. Pollo Adobado - marinated chicken with rice, salad, refried black beans and two housemade corn tortillas . Ceviche de Camarón - fresh and tangy, though light on shrimp, which tasted a bit tough Fried Plantains - perfectly done, sweet, and satisfying. Plus, I had an unsweetened iced tea with lemon. The highlights for me were the flavorful rice (with vegetables mixed in, including carrots and squash), the marinated chicken, and the sausages. The plantains were also excellent. The ceviche had great flavor but could've used more shrimp. The only miss for me was the salad--generous in portion but iceberg-based, so a bit bland. Overall, the food was fresh, flavorful, not heavy or greasy, and we left with enough for another one or two meals. We'll definitely be back. read more

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First time visiting. Food is authentic. I had the Sopa de Mariscos; was very good. Definitely will return to try other items on the menu. read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Sopa de Mariscos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

I will concede that I was intimidated by the menu. But I will never make that mistake again. Wife and I decided to do all appetizers with beans/rice and plantains. That was a quantity of unexpected proportions. So much food at such a good value. And it all was so good. Also don't pass up the salsa bar. Would highly advise sharing. The entrees are monstrous. We will definitely be going back again (plantains were awesome also). read more

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I love the food, service, and ambiance it's so good every time. The quality and pricing is amazing read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Chiles Rellenos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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I've been to the one in Durham many times and love it, I was expecting to like this one as much as that one but.... Seafood soup was flavorless, I ordered the chapin chuletas and too salty. Service on the other hand was great!!!!!! Oh and mojito was good :-) read more

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Excellent food in a local go-to place that's great for easy lunches for families. Service was thoughtful, which was helpful given the menu is very large. Many vegetarian options, meat items I had were all super tender and flavorful. This place is a "hidden gem"! read more

Great authentic food- and their condiment bar is the best on the area. Love the pork dishes, chorizo and sausages. I recommend ordering one of their plates and loading up on the condiment bar. This location isn't as expansive as their Durham one- but the food is pretty authentic. read more

This is the first Guatemalan restaurant I have visited in Wake Forest and it doesn't disappoint. The staff was incredibly kind and patient with a table full of folks who were tasting the cuisine for the first time. The food was terrific. We got a good variety of dishes across the diners and everything was quite solid. Thr salsa bar had a variety, including some spicy options. The pupusas were the best my family has ever had, and we eat them every month or so. Tortilla chips don't seem to be a Gautemalan thing, so while the salsas are amazing, don't expect all you can eat chips and salsa! Definitely recommend! read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Ceviche (in tomato sauce, so a little different) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

This place was great. As soon as we walked in we were immediately greeted. The menu had many options. The food came out and it looked phenomenal. The portion sizes are big, come hungry. I had chorizo sausages with rice beans and a salad. Hubby got steak with the same sides. Our toddler got corn dogs and french fries. The food was amazing. Even the rice. Yes, the rice. It was so flavorful. The beans as well. The steak and sausages were flavorful. You can tell hard work and talent went into preparing these meals. They also have a store inside and we tried Guatemalan snacks. We will be back. read more

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Absolutely. I don't think the five stars are quite warranted, but I gave them anyway to boost the rating--maybe that'll encourage a few more folks to give this place a shot. Realistically? Four and a half stars. I've had Belizean fare, but never Guatemalan. I figured they'd be similar, but I guess that makes me an ignorant American. Anyway, I found the menu a bit challenging--just wasn't familiar with most of the dishes. I asked the very nice server what they recommended, and they encouraged me to just go a la carte from the "appetizers." So that's what I did. I tried a ceviche tostada, a pupusa, and one other thing (something with a potato filling and a protein). It was all really, really, really good. The ceviche stole the show. The only "ding" I can give is that the pupusa and the other item were a little one-note--but they're street food, so I think that's kind of the idea. You condiment them up. I'm very excited to come back and try one of the entrees. The salsa bar is not to be trifled with. Don't avoid it, but respect it. If you go in thinking you can handle the heat, it will quickly remind you who's boss. Absolutely give this spot a chance if you're tired of the same ol' same ol', looking to try something new, or your middle-class life has left you feeling dead inside and you need feel alive again. It's in a shopping center that's not exactly fashionable, but don't let that throw you. If you need help, just ask--the server will be more than happy to share their culture with you. read more

Great menu, friendly people and the food was very tasty along with the house made drinks. My only complaint was the crema and rice and chicken were lukewarm almost cool. I enjoyed the taste but I wish it was served steaming hot. Please be mindful of the temperature of the food youre putting out. Very good otherwise. read more

We have lived in Central America and the food transported us back there! Garnaches, tostados, rellenos! Excellent!

exelente Lugar. la comida delicios. Lo único malo que en los baños no tienen para cambiar bebe. si es un ambiente familiar deverian agregarlo read more

My husband and I stopped in for lunch. I had the Pollo Dorado and the food tasted great! The chicken soup is delicious!

Food is great but we noticed the bill contains NC beverage tax of 1%, NC Food Tax of 2%, Transit tax of 0.5% on top of wake county tax of 7.25% bring the whopping total of 10.75%. This does not look right. Anybody else has this experience? Personally, I have seen 8.25% but not at 10.75% Now tax and tip alone will cost 30% of your meal. read more

We ordered our dinner to go. It was delicious and still warm when we got it home. The food was flavorful! I can not eat meat, and the boxes were not labeled. So, I wound up taking a bite of good that was not mine. I do recommend! read more

Incredible experience. Fantastic service, amazing food, good vibes. We came for breakfast and will definitely be back. They even hand squeezed our orange juice to order. read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Granjero Breakfast - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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As soon as you walk in the door you are welcomed like family and the delicious smell is like walking in to your grandma's kitchen on a Sunday. Mind you I am not an adventurous one when it comes to new foods but I am so glad I ventured!! My husband and I perused the menu and the server came over and explained what we didn't know. Be sure to come hungry and wanting to share! Even the "appetizer's" are huge portions. The chicken taquitos had 6 to a serving covered in a salad mix with yummy Guacamole and pico. The black beans were so flavorful and well seasoned. The perfect meal for me was the beans with white rice and plantains. Please come and enjoy the delicious Guatemalan food that this restaurant has to offer. Plus there's an all you care to eat salsa and sides bar. Very clean, very friendly and just amazing great food. read more

Food is super good. My dad and brother think the refried beans are some of the best they've ever had, and we've had them all across Texas and in Mexico. They start with corn tortillas instead of chips at the table (Guatemalan style tortillas, which seems to be thicker and "puffier" than Mexican tortillas), and they have a wide variety of salsas and relishes at their salsa bar. My favorite was the Guatemalan style Papusas. read more

Excellent, fresh food with great service. I have frequented the Durham restaurant for years and I'm happy to have one closer to home. I always ask the staff for a recommendation. Love all the soups and I'm working my way through the chicken dishes. Highly recommended. read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Chicken Asada - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

The food is delicious and fresh! I got a chicken tamale and a chipilin tamale today and they did not disappoint. The salsa bar had a pickled beet salad that was amazing. read more

I've never had Guatemalan before so this was a great introduction! Authentic Central American cuisine with fair prices and friendly service.

Ehhh , my marg didn't taste like there was any alcohol and our service was super slow and not friendly

The food was great and the service was excellent Highly recommend the tostadas Don't miss the salsa bar as well read more

Second time here. Love It! Probably my favorite restaurant in WF. Food is fresh, unique, and delicious. They also have a great selection of homemade baked goods and breads. The wait staff is amazing! read more

Great authentic food! My wife got the kebab, and I got 2 pupusas, and both were great. Reminded me very much of our trips to Central America. Highly recommend! read more

Words cannot describe how delicious this food is! You just gotta go try it you'll be hooked and you'll love it. Customer service is great, food is delicious, prices are good. read more

A cozy Guatemalan restaurant with a good variety of excellent dishes. Service was helpful and quick.

Excellent food. Loved the sampler platter with the pork n beef. Great advice from the staff. Wished I lived in the area. Would be back weekly. read more

El Chapin - Wake Forest - Sampler! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

This was our first experience with Guatemalan cuisine. While similar in some respects to Mexican food, all our dishes had a little something extra that made the food extra tasty. Service was exceptional and the manager/owner seemed very enthusiastic about his restaurant. We will definitely be back. read more

The food is very good. The food is Guatemalan. We tried multiple Appetizers and loved the. The food is fresh.

We just got some appetizers/small plates for lunch as takeout so I can't comment on service, but the food was delicious and the prices were great. We'll definitely be returning to check out the bar and/or desserts soon! read more

Best customer service and the food is AMAZING! Definitely coming more often and making to go orders for my family and myself.

Delicious food and a great atmosphere! Had the steak skewers, and they were amazing. Can't wait to go back!

Truly an amazing spot. I've been twice this week already. Tamales are amazing and all the traditional dishes are top notch. The staff is incredibly helpful and so nice. I'll be back for sure read more

súper deliciosa la comida! y ellos muy amables y atentos 10/10 he ido a 2 de sus 3 ubicaciones y mismo sabor autentico de nuestra bella Guatemala read more

We went to this restaurant because gonza's was not open and we are happy we did. At first looking at the menu it didn't look too exciting and there was almost no items with cheese which blew our mind, but boy were we wrong. We got the salsa and guacamole with chips and the chips were hot and fresh and the guacamole and salsa were delicious. Probably the best guacamole we've had in a long time. My daughter got the tiera y mar and the steak was good, the shrimp was delicious, the beans were delicious and it came with a nice salad. My wife got a chicken kebab dish and everything on it was delicious. I got the tacos de Papa and they only had three tacos so they substituted the other two with empanadas, absolutely delicious! They also have a salsa bar with all types of salsa, sauces and other items to put on your food. The manager was our waiter and he did awesome. You know you've done something right when your beans are so delicious they are something to go back for :-). You gotta try this place out! read more