Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Paraiso Cafe

    4.2 (65 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    El Paraiso Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    EL PARAISO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - El Paraiso Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Outside
    Rhea A.

    So I told my boyfriend as we were driving to South SF that I was craving some pupusas. He told me to check what the Yelp 415 collection had to offer... and of course... pupusas were on the list of deals!! (My life is a movie sometimes.) The Yelp 415 Deal for this IS a total WIN. You get any 2 kinds of pupusas for $4.15 as long as you check in through the Yelp app! (WARNING: You need to spend at least $10 if you're paying with card and DON'T want to be charged an extra $2.75 for card fees). Me and my boyfriend each got 2 pork and cheese pupusas. My boyfriend got it with the spicy sauce and I got it with the non spicy sauce. The pupusas were made FRESH -- we saw them hand make it as we were waiting inside. Just seeing this made my tummy so happy... I just knew in my heart and gut that it was gonna be delic. We also ordered an iced coffee so that our total would reach at least $10. This is sooo strong and def taste like coffee. But let's talk about the main star of the show: the pupusas were absolutely TASTY!! Every bite was better than the last... My fav bite is when you add some of the sauce with some of the curtido and the pupusa. Freakin amazing. It's so freshly made that I immediately burned the roof of my mouth on the first bite. My bad!! Got to excited. El Paraiso is located on the corner of the street and there is plenty of street parking nearby. There is indoor and outdoor seating available and a park right across the street. Staff is so kind too! Love this place!! Their pupusas are such a good choice and I am for sure keeping this place on my radar.

    Hot and fresh pupusas, perfectly cooked
    Shelley T.

    I found this place through the #yelp415deal and I'm so glad I came. The pupusas were made-to-order so they were hot and fresh. We got the cheese and loroco and cheese, beans, and pork. I had no idea what loroco was but the lady was nice and explained that it was a flower/vegetable. Both were super tasty. This place is no-frills and also serves American-type breakfast with a couple tables inside and outside. It's a little off the beaten path, but I will definitely be back for more pupusas!

    Outisde!
    Miguel G.

    Came here for the 415 deal with Yelp, 4.15 for any 2 pupusas (up to $8 value). The ladies running the business were so nice, friendly and welcoming! Ordered 4 total Pork and cheese pupusas and man were they delicious! They are handmade on the spot which only added to the overall experience. Their curtido and spicy sauce (spicy/non spicy choices) were so tasty, every bite just continually kept getting better. There's a bunch of parking in the area, cute outdoor seating and friendly vibes. TLDR: Will be coming back to support this business and to eat more delicious pupusas!

    Mari O.

    Eggs, Platanos, frijoles, y queso is great! Sweet & friendly service. Tastes from home. Outdoor Covid seating. Pleasant view of park. Fresh handmade tortillas.

    Inside

    See all

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shane S.
    108
    1061
    5726

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Rhea A.
    308
    433
    1175

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Miguel G.
    248
    29
    64

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    This place is fantastic! Amazing pupusas! Affordable, delicious, nice people. Highly recommended

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rafael R.
    52
    564
    77

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leslie R.
    123
    101
    127

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Torta of milanesa so delicious my only complaint is that they close at any time they want so I finally was like to find it open

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Liz H.
    26
    85
    12

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cub H.
    45
    31
    4

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    The most authentic papusas you will find in San Francisco. Everything here is good, they make the tortillas of my dreams.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Rude lady at cashier was too busy having a conversation then to notice I wanted to order, not coming back again...

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - El Paraiso Cafe

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Sandwiches 24,227 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Lolinda

    Lolinda

    4.2(2.6k reviews)
    0.5 mi•Mission
    •$$$

    We celebrated my daughter's surprise 40th birthday at Lolinda with a party of 14 after our…read morecupcake-decorating workshop. Our theme was "Dress in the City," where Emily in Paris meets Martha Stewart, and Lolinda was the perfect place to continue the celebration. Communication with Cortney was excellent from the beginning. She was helpful, attentive, and created a special menu that matched our theme beautifully. We were seated on the mezzanine, which gave us a wonderful atmosphere and made our large party feel comfortable and special. The food was absolutely amazing, and everyone enjoyed it. The entire evening was beautiful, lively, and memorable. Thank you to Cortney and the Lolinda team for helping us make my daughter's birthday so special.

    We came here to celebrate our anniversary and to try their Happy Hour in addition to their regular…read moremenu. We were not disappointed. First let me give a shout out to our server Mindy. She was super attentive and made the dinner special. Thank you Mindy! And thank you Lolinda for the complimentary glasses of Champagne, so nice and unexpected. Note if you wish to try the happy hour it is limited to seating in the bar area which was fine with us. We started with (from Happy Hour menu) Cocktails 1 Bees Knees and 4 Penicillin (I had 3 and wife had 1) Suffice it to say we liked the drinks. Beef tartare and toasted bread, beef was luscious! Empanadas beef and chicken were hecka good. we wanted to bring some home but they don't allow take away from happy hour menu Mushroom empanada yep this was good too Dipping sauces were excellent Dinner Asada Mixto. Meats, peppers, potatoes, bread and chimichuri sauce. Excellent combination of flavors and textures. The grilled peppers and potatoes were soft with nice charred flavor. Two types of sausages with crisp casing and great flavor fillings. Could have used a bit more meat but the flavors were great. Outstanding bread served with this dish and with beef tartar Rescoldo, Eggplant, pepper and onion, Served room temp spread over toast Dessert Burnt Basque cheesecake with poached peaches. To die for!!! Beautiful interior warm and rustic. Open kitchen in the back but you can't see them easily from the tables. There's a long bar height table centered in the bar area for large groups. With several bar height tables along the wall and normal tables and booths in the main dining area. For the most part there is street parking but good luck finding a space. We took Uber so that we could have some drinks.

    Photos
    Lolinda - Inside from waiting area

    Inside from waiting area

    Lolinda - Ceviche pescado

    Ceviche pescado

    Lolinda - Cookies and milk

    See all

    Cookies and milk

    Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Shredded Beef Pabelln

    Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen

    3.9(1.8k reviews)
    1.2 mi•Mission
    •$$

    People have recommended Pica Pica to me for years and I never had the chance to go ... until a few…read moredays ago. For some reason, I thought this was a regular restaurant with table service, and a much larger space, but it's a somewhat narrow space and you order at the counter. I decided to try their trio sampler plate so I could get an idea of how a few of their meats were prepared and they each were in their own mini-arepa, so I thought that would be a good introduction. Unfortunately, I didn't like the arepas as much as I thought I would. I found them to be a little dry and lacking that rich corn masa flavor I was expecting. I don't know if this has to do solely with Pica Pica or if it's simply how arepas are made in general, but I came away feeling like I preferred other foods with a corn base such as tamales and pupusas. Meat-wise I had the fried chicken, the shredded beef and the asado negro. The fried chicken, to me, was not very exciting. The shredded beef was good, tasty, but the asado negro was the absolute star of it all? As far as I'm concerned, it's a most delicious cut of brisket with a sweet tomato sauce. I wish I had ordered more. The platanos or fried plantains were not like maduros that are very sweet. They're a little dry and flavorless, and the side order that I got of them for $7.50, they sure don't give you all that many. so that was a bummer for me. I also tried two flavors of what essentially are aguas frescas, the passion fruit and the mango. The passion fruit was out of this world! The mango, don't bother. It tasted like water with a powdered mix. I will definitely be back -- unfortunately, not for the arepas, but for the asado negro, either as a plate with rice & beans or in a salad.

    My first arepa and cachapas experience! We came here on a Sunday around 5pm and it's empty. The…read moreplace didn't seem to have lights on when we were there and we decided it's more pleasant to get it to-go and eat at Dolores park. I liked the cachapas with pulled pork so much more than the arepa with shredded beef. The pulled pork portion was huge and very juicey and delicious! The combination of sweet corn and savory pork was incredible. It's a bit weird though there are was half an uncut avocado just sitting inside the sweet corn crepe. The salad that came was also fresh, and I enjoyed the all the sauces that came with it. The white arepa we had was dry and uninteresting. I liked the plantains and the beef fillings too but the cachapas just couldn't beat. When we asked for to-go they put it in a brown bag. They didn't include any utensils so I suggest getting them if you want to eat somewhere else.

    Photos
    Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Some seating

    Some seating

    Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Yucca fries

    Yucca fries

    Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - Pica Pica Nachos

    See all

    Pica Pica Nachos

    Cha Cha Cha - Plantains

    Cha Cha Cha

    3.9(3.7k reviews)
    2.5 mi•The Haight
    •$$

    A True San Francisco Gem!…read more I've been coming to Cha Cha Cha for over 20 years, and one thing that continues to amaze me is how the food still tastes just as absolutely divine as it did all those years ago! The consistency, flavor, and quality are truly something special. I highly recommend the calamari and the paella--both are absolutely delicious! There are so many other dishes I enjoy here that you really just have to come in and experience them for yourself. And let's not forget the sangria--it's to die for! The service is always impeccable, the atmosphere is wonderful, and every visit feels like a reminder of why this place has remained a favorite for so many years. After more than two decades of coming here, Cha Cha Cha continues to deliver. If you're visiting San Francisco or simply looking for an incredible meal, you definitely need to put this place on your list! A true gem in San Francisco!

    Went back to the Haight for a Niners event and decided to stop by Cha Cha Cha. Talk about…read morenostalgia! I haven't been here in 20 years, but I used to come all the time and I was craving their Cajun shrimp and patatas bravas! We weren't sure if it would be packed, but luckily our plans ended early and they had an early seating. Quick service, and the place somehow looked bigger and brighter. I just remember sitting in there in the dark lol. We had the ceviche, mussels, jerk chicken, Cajun shrimp and patatas bravas. And you know what? It tasted exactly the same as it did 20 years ago and that's a WIN!

    Photos
    Cha Cha Cha - The bar

    The bar

    Cha Cha Cha - Sauteed Mushroom Dinner

    Sauteed Mushroom Dinner

    Cha Cha Cha - Ceviche

    See all

    Ceviche

    Sangria & Salt - Cajun Shrimp Pappardelle w/ bacon, onion, mushroom, habanero cajun sauce  ($26)

    Sangria & Salt

    4.6(181 reviews)
    0.7 mi•Mission
    •$$

    I came here with a party of 5 on Fourth of July for a late lunch session. It was lively but we…read moreluckily got a seat pretty quickly. I think the food was solid - I shared with someone the shredded jerk chicken chilaquiles and crispy beef vaca frita potato hash & eggs, whereas the entire table shared the guava crème brûlée French toast. The potato hash & eggs was good, no complaints. The chilaquiles were okay, my friend really loved them, but I personally thought they were okay. Seems like they're prepared different (with mole rather than salsa), and I think I prefer with salsa. Not to say they were a bad dish - my friend really loved them. The guava French toast was probably the best, it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet and had great flavor. I'm giving this place a 5 not because the food was exceptional or standout, it was solid overall, but taking into consideration the good experience, service, and ambience too. We also had bottomless mimosas, and staff were very friendly and attentive. My group had a great time overall. I would come back for bottomless mimosas & grub if I came with a group.

    came on a Wed night. Area is a bit sketch but the place is tucked away and has plenty of bar and…read moreindoor seating. Very comfortable and nice! The food was so good holy cowwwweee.... I usually don't like bbq chicken but this one was actually awesome. It's definitely sweet but has a good fruity (?) sweet to it. Chicken was so juicy and I liked the crispy skin. And the potatoes?? Again not usually a mashed potatoes person but this one tasted SO good and I liked how it wasn't 100% mashed lol, and it was seasoned too. Of course the red cabbage went so well with the chicken and was a refreshing bite. The staff and waiter were so friendly and checked up on us every now and then to make sure everything was ok. Awesome find for a place to catch up with friends or starting a night out!

    Photos
    Sangria & Salt - Front portion of the bar

    Front portion of the bar

    Sangria & Salt - May be one, if not the best, ribs in the bay area.

    May be one, if not the best, ribs in the bay area.

    Sangria & Salt - Some bar liquor choices

    See all

    Some bar liquor choices

    Cholita Linda - Fish tacos

    Cholita Linda

    4.3(329 reviews)
    3.3 mi•Embarcadero
    •$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Catering service

    10/10 one of my fave spots at the Ferry Building! Highly recommend…read more My top picks: FOOD: BAJA FISH TACO Love their fish tacos, consistently perfectly crunchy and delicious with an even ratio of veggies and fish. CHURROS 4 long churros with dip, perfectly crunchy POLLO CHOLITA Boneless chicken thighs , delicious blend of herbs and spices - very easy to cut into. Good ratio of beans and rice and greens. Firm plantains Piña Colada - balanced, can slightly taste the alcohol Sangria - also balanced, slightly taste the alcohol Chips & Guac - fresh, crunchy chips lightly salted - SERVICE: Quick and friendly AMBIANCE: Casual: indoor + plenty of outdoor seating with a nice view of the Ferry

    We've never been here and only have door dashed. The mango habanero sauce is a banger with the…read morechips and anything really. The enchilada verde is really good, wet, and meat is actually cooked well. I'm also always impressed by the packaging. Robust boxes for food and use saran wrap for the sauces so it doesn't leak everywhere during the transport. I didn't even know this was in the ferry building. Just goes to show how much my wife orders this spot on her phone and I never see where it's coming from. Frickin' capitalist technological driven society man. Just ever lasting cornering whoever and anything to make sure we stay in our cubicle or our little bed section at the expense of something else. Like some Black Mirror or Cyberpunk shit. And you know what I say to that, GOD BLESS MURICA.

    Photos
    Cholita Linda - Cubano Sandwich

    Cubano Sandwich

    Cholita Linda
    Cholita Linda - Tofu Tacos

    See all

    Tofu Tacos

    Pacifico - Empanadas. Delicious. We have the beef and the pepian... both great

    Pacifico

    4.6(26 reviews)
    1.8 mi•Hayes Valley

    Items ordered: Tuna…read moreTostada (Ahi tuna, red curry aioli, tamari, avocado, crispy jalapeños from Flor de chile) Hearts of Palm Ceviche (Orange, lemon verbena, red onion, cilantro, sunchoke, leche de tigre, corn) Short Rib (Short rib with Posta Negra sauce, rich, slow-cooked and deeply caramelized, served with sweet plantain puree, grilled asparagus, and a fennel and red cabbage salad) My wife and I were able to sneak in a quick dinner with just the two of us after a music recital we attended in the city. With no planning, we showed up at Pacifico, which was just a couple blocks from our concert. The restaurant was a little weird - it sits within the lobby of the SF Jazz recital hall, and all the signs are for "B-Side". It's a little unclear to me still whether the restaurant is called B-Side or Pacifico, but the waiter told us that Pacifico is new, with a new chef and new menu. The inspirations are Colombia, Peru, and California cooking, which was very appealing to us. We ordered two items off the specials menu (Tuna Tostada and Short Rib) and one from the permanent menu (Hearts of Palm Ceviche). The Tuna Tostada was both of our favorite. It was light, refreshing, and there were these little pops of flavor from burnt, deeply fried jalapeños. The Hearts of Palm ceviche was interesting and unique (a completely vegetarian dish, but made in the style of ceviche and with leche de tigre). Ultimately, it was more interesting than appetizing. Finally, the Short Rib was well cooked, but unfortunately just way too sweet for our palate.

    The staff is literally mom & pop. The mom is the hostess and the dad is the chef. It's legit and…read moreauthentic. They treated us and our child so well. We came in with no reservation and they first asked a table to move for us, but we insisted it was okay and they seated us at the bar area since it was pretty packed. The restaurant is located in the building, might be hard to miss. Food and drinks were good overall. Portions are on the smaller side so we weren't super full by the end of our meal, but the taste was delicious. Not too salty, fresh fish, unique drinks ... a lot of tang in their thang!

    Photos
    Pacifico - Inside

    Inside

    Pacifico - Caldo de Mariscos: basically a seafood bisque. Best dish on the table. The seafood was cooked perfectly.

    Caldo de Mariscos: basically a seafood bisque. Best dish on the table. The seafood was cooked perfectly.

    Pacifico - Behind the counter

    See all

    Behind the counter

    Poc-Chuc - Pollo en Mole

    Poc-Chuc

    4.3(641 reviews)
    1.0 mi•Mission
    •$$

    I passed this place on the way to another restaurant that turned out to be closed, so I'm glad I…read morehad noted the menu was interesting and came back because damn this was good! I had to order the signature poc-chuc but I wasn't hungry enough for a full entry so I got a poc-chuc taco and also a chicken thigh taco. Each taco was LOADED so this was more than enough of a meal for me at such a cheap price. The poc-chuc pork meat was an insane flavor - while the citrus marinade wasn't super obvious like it didn't taste citrus-y, it tasted like no other pork I've had before and so flavorful and moist. The meat came on a freshly made tortilla as well - it was piping hot! And the tortilla was like no other corn or flour tortilla Ive had before. It was obviously very fresh and a little fluffy, though not to the level of naan or arepas. It just really complimented the meat. The chicken was fine but paled in comparison to the pork, so I shoulda got two of the signature. There was also free chips and salsa at the table. The salsa was also freshly made, but watch out the yellow/orange one has a strong kick to it! Logistics: - Indoor and outdoor seating - Limited street parking nearby but along the 22 and 55 bus lines

    Small hole in the wall serving up stellar Yucatecan cuisine at a reasonable price!…read more We ordered the namesake poc chuc plate and three panuchos to share, trying salpicon (my favorite), poc-chuc (my bfs favorite), and asada (our least favorite, but not bad). Portions of all were pretty large, we left super full and struggled to finish everything. The food was so damn good, writing this review is making me want to go back already! Chips were thick and crispy, they came with two salsas, one of which was way too spicy for me, but loved the other. The ambiance and service are what you'd expect from an older more traditional spot in The Mission. Would absolutely come back here and recommend it to anyone that truly loves food and experiencing other cultures and cuisines.

    Photos
    Poc-Chuc - Wall decor

    Wall decor

    Poc-Chuc - Poc Chuc

    Poc Chuc

    Poc-Chuc

    See all

    El Paraiso Cafe - sandwiches - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...