Great Mexican and good Italian food; friendly service and excellent drinks. I've always enjoyed dining there.

Nice quiet location. The server very nice and promptly took our order. The food came out pretty quick. I liked the flautas, rice and beans. We will come back to try the enchiladas. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Sopes - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We ordered 2 Fajita burritos, and they come with rice and beans. The fajitas were unseasoned and not marinated so we could not even taste the meat. The burritos were filled a lot with rice, crema, and avocado. The burritos were covered in melted cheese that had no flavor. The salsa wasn't spicy. There are multiple restaurants in that area that serve the same dish with more flavor, for a few dollars more. I believe it's really white people centered, very, very Tex-Mex. The tortillas were amazing though read more

Same consistently yummy tasting food from when I 1st started going there in the early 80's. Margaritas will give you an attitude adjustment. YUM read more

Came here for lunch with friends after a fun morning at HMNS. It was not crowded at all and service was fast! I tried the queso, quesadillas, and flauta plate. Everything I ate was so good!! I especially liked the cheese quesadillas- they use the good, authentic Mexican cheese here. Their chips and salsa were also notably delicious. The chips were thicker than the ones at say, Pappasitos, and really packed a crunch. It was like eating fried tortillas- I loved them! We had a very kind waitress who was patient with our toddler-aged children. Great place and I would recommend if you're in the area! read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Flauta plate- tons of fresh guacamole on top! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place was good . I would say a solid 4 stars everything was flavorful and it didn't disappoint . I believe the prices are a little bit high for the area it's in and compared to other Mexican restaurants but overall worth the money . The salsa didn't disappoint . The waitress was very nice and pleasant and the place has a cute little vibe . read more

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My family and I were beyond excited to find this place after moving from their Montrose location. Great service and love the food! read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Ground beef Enchiladas Tex Mex - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is a solid average Mexican place set in a relatively busy spot in Montrose. The place looks like a gutted house that has been here for quite some time. They've got parking out front, which is nice for this area. This is a seat yourself place, and the service is alright. Their menu is pretty straightforward and doesn't have a lot of frills. The chips and salsa are great and could probably serve as a meal on their own. I feel like this place is an institution because just about everyone here is a regular. The food came out hot and was decent. I would have liked a little more variety as there wasn't any pico or veggies to be seen. Prices are decent for this part of town and the portions were very filling. This is a solid choice if you're not looking for something too fancy. read more

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The food and service are so good! I can't believe I haven't tried it soon. I'll definitely be back again!

Tried this place for the first time, it was a nice surprise. The service was great. I had the Carne Guisada, with rice, beans and tortillas. It was really good, meat was tender, and yummy. Hubby had Huevos Rancheros, which came with beans, fries, and tortillas. It had just the right amount of salsa not drowning the eggs. Beans had good flavor and the fries were really good but could have added a few more. The music is nice, not too loud like some places. We definitely recommend trying it if you haven't and we will be back. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros, Beans, and fries. Pancakes were an added item we ordered. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I throughly love this place better than LA Mexicana. Here's why. One the food is always consistent and good. Not rushed and made well. You always get what you want and it's exactly as is. I love the service. They always are attentive and polite. Accurate orders and fast. It's such an underrated spot. read more

I have been going to this place for like 25 years. They have a few other things on their menu that are really good but I generally go there and order one thing and one thing only the fajita nachos supremos . It's right in the Gayborhood (across from ripcord) so they are extremely trans and gay friendly too. While the restrooms are not signed as gender neutral, in practice they are single person restrooms and they let you choose which is right for you. ( even 15+yrs ago when I started transitioning and most places weren't so friendly) the owner is about the nicest most caring person you will ever meet. Never treated me with anything but respect before or after my transition. Also, He always knows exactly what we're ordering. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Nacho fajita Supremos from el paraisio - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

Welcome back! Anything on the menu is delicious. You cannot go wrong by adding a frozen margarita with your dish. Love going here to grab a bite to eat. Please patronize as restaurant(s) were hit hard witht the pandemic. read more

The MOST delicious Mexican food I've found in Houston and the surrounding area! Authentic and SUPER NICE family. I'm addicted to Mexican food (lol, but true) and I've searched & searched when I moved to Houston 23 years ago...and luckily found this restaurant and have been coming here to eat for 20+ years! Each and every time the food is fresh and DELICIOUS. You won't find a better Mexican food restaurant in the area (for that matter Texas, maybe the world ...in my opinion). I've lived in the southwest US and travelled the world...and always 'hunt' down delicious Mexican food and I found it here. THE BEST SALSA (hands down)! FRESH, TASTY & authentic style with AMAZING owners and staff / service. You won't be disappointed. Maggie read more

I give their red salsa 5 stars. This red salsa is the best I have eaten of all the Mexican restaurants I have been to and that is quite a few. Their food is consistently good and tasty. I love their prices, not overpriced. I have been coming here since they were located in Montrose and was extremely happy to find their new location. Margaritas are better than I've had in more expensive restaurants and I especially like their chalupas with the avocado slices. read more

Great margaritas !!! Authentic Mexican food.. place has been here forever lots of love !! The chips alone are worth the trip to come out... I'm not sure how they make them but they are out of this world. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Super small hole in the wall in the middle of Montrose in an old house. The walls have artwork by artists you can purchase, and I've never had to wait for a table. If you only get one thing from this review, please try the salsa and chips. They come with your meal and It is the best salsa and chips I've had at any Mexican restaurant. It's spicy and you can tell they make the chips fresh. The steak tacos are my favorite and my boyfriend always orders the enchiladas Mexicana. Both are delicious, the only downside is sometimes they're alittle greasy - but it's Mexican food what can ya do? The only reason I'm not giving them 4 stars is my belief that Mexican food should never be expensive and this place can be slightly pricy. Not as expensive as Papasito's or La Mexicana, which is good though. Overall, favorite Mexican restaurant. read more

While it saddens me to downgrade them some stars, it saddens me that the last couple of times we've eaten there, it has been less than stellar. There's something to be said for El Paraiso to have endured this long. They have their fans, and we still count ourselves among them, just not as ardent anymore. Numero uno, this new waitchica they've hired is a major ditz. She must be the gal David S. refers to in his review. We went there for dinner one evening and I arrived before my boyfriend. She was nice and friendly, but the lights were on and no one was home. She asked me if I needed silverware when it was obvious there was no silverware on the table at all, nor did she bring any when she delivered the entree. Encountering her a previous occasion, I thought she's new, maybe it's an off day for her. Unfortunately, no. She is a cerebrita and not all pistons are firing, bless her heart. Numero dos, the food quality seems to have waned. This is not a fancy place, I prefaced that factor in my original review. Yet, we felt we could always rely on El Paraiso for good, Tex-Mex comfort food. Lately, the same dishes we love so much are just meh, nothing special, not particularly comforting, just some high calorie stuff for your gullet. Finalmente, we will not quit you El Paraiso, but we won't be rushing back. read more

One of my co-workers is always raving about this place being "Authentic Mexican" so one night my gf and I decided to check it out. First off it's hard to find, we had to circle back a couple of times to finally find it. It looks like a pink house on the corner. Once we got inside we were greeted by the host/waiter. It was a week night and we were the only table. He was very welcoming and started us out with some chips and salsa. They were average, nothing spectacular. I had the mixed fajita plate. It was decent, everything about it was just average. Not bad not good. My gf had the chicken torta sandwich. This thing was solid. I guess overall this place delivers OK food, with just so many Tex-Mex options in town this place doesn't justify me coming back. read more

Well I know that I am not Mexican food master and neither am I crazy about it so my review probably doesn't count. I thought this place was ok but the four stars are from my husband who thinks that he could never have enough Mexican food. I had a chicken taco plate and it was mediocre. My husband had the enchilada plate he claimed that he was happy with it. So go figure. read more

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I am from southern California, and am always on the lookout for Mexican food with a more traditional flare than TexMex. I must say that this restaurant certainly met my expectations, and will be coming back again sometime in the future. I had a combination plate with a taco, beef enchilada, and a tamale. All were tasty, and the chips & house salsa combined with my Modelo complemented the meal excellently. The service was excellent. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Great food and amazing staff!! If I lived closer, I would definitely be a regular! Margaritas are delish too!

True "hole in the wall" mexican food...The best Tex-Mex in Montrose read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas Tex-Mex Perfect sober up meal - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food and service by Raul were excellent. Atmosphere very casual. I've searched all over Houston for Carne Guisada that reminds me of home for years and have found it on a back street restaurant less than a mile from my apartment!!! Pork tamales, beans, rice, guacamole salad, breakfast tacos, and margarita were very good as well. Yes it was a brunch feast. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Omg!! This place is soooo good. And cheap. I live in the area so it's walking distance from my place so I will be back at least once a week for a cheat day read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Food - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

We recently moved to Tarpley in the Texas Hill Country and really miss this authentic family run Mexican restaurant having frequented it for 25 years mainly for breakfast. There is nothing that even comes close to their excellent salsa (not for the timid) and the simple but exceedingly tasty guacamole.The menu items are all worthy; however, they are are always willing to prepare tasty "a la carte" items that you have a yen for after a night on the town. A favorite of mine is Frioles a la Santos with scrambled eggs, Mexican cheese and jalapenos smothered in their one of a kind salsa accompanied by tocino regular! Beatrice, Raul and the other staff which includes the cook and the dishwasher are exceptionally friendly and polite and have been holding down the fort for years. In closing, the core flamboyant clientele who have also been patronizing this jewel obviously appreciate the restaurant for what it is - A friendly family run restaurant with scrumptious no frills grub! read more

A hidden gem in the heart of Montrose, homestyle food and great service. Try the Pastor Tacos! read more

This place is by far my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant. For a few reasons, the first is: The food is uniform and always the same. I hate going to Mexican restaurants and getting fajitas and sometimes you get a decent amount of meet and sometimes it far less or cooked differently. This place is always the same, always delicious and always hot and fresh. Secondly there is almost never a wait, and they have a decent amount of tables for a non-chain restaurant. The waiters are friendly and the food only takes 10ish minutes tops. Pretty quick. The last reason I love this place is THEIR CHIPS AND SALSA. It is my favorite salsa in Houston, I am a bit of a snob when It comes to salsa. It's spicy and almost garlic-y, and the chips are fresh. Never had a bad experience at this place and will continue to come back. read more

My husband, friends, and I were greatly disappointed by the location change from Montrose to the northwest side, but we're glad they're still open at all and that the food quality stayed the same. El P has the best avocado chalupas in Houston. Highly recommend the avocado chalupas - you get three of them and they don't skimp on the toppings. I love their rice and beans too. They have good chips and their salsa is tasty, though the last time we ordered there it was unbelievably, inedibly spicy when it hadn't been like that any previous visit. Their margaritas are good and no good tex mex outing is complete without one. read more

Their food is nothing to write home about, but those chips and salsa are yums. Yums. The building is pretty cool, and they actually have parking. read more

Nothing to write home to Mom about. Enchiladas looked more authentic than they tasted. Salsa appears homemade but lacks the taste of anything. My overall experience was a waste of time, tastebuds and spare change. No personality in the waitress and substandard customer service. Doubt my experience was a fluke. read more

We've got food to go several times now it's it's all been delicious. Fresh, fast and tasty. The house salsa is great. The tortas make a great filling lunch at a reasonable price. Glad to have something like this in the neighborhood. read more

Great breakfast. I'm here like 2x a week. I know there's barely any photos but don't worry just go and experience it. I normally get Huevos Rancheros with a side of bacon. It lasts like 4 mins on my plate max. read more

I recently moved to the Near Northside area and have been trying one Mexican restaurant after another to find my favorite. So far, El Paraiso is making the top of my list. I ordered the chicken enchilada combo plate (1 mole, 1 verde, 1 rojo) and all were very good at a reasonable price. The tortillas were fresh, soft, and flavorful. The chicken was seasoned well. The beans were exactly right - not too firm, not too runny, not too salty. The queso was a bit different than I'm accustomed to, but I very much enjoyed it. My guess is that they blended jalapeno or poblano peppers into the queso, so it has a greenish tint to it. It's a bit on the spicy side. Make sure you have sweet tea handy if you're sensitive to heat. The salsa was fresh and flavorful but way too spicy for my palate. If they'd back off on the peppers in the salsa, I'd consider this the perfect meal. read more

The chips were crispy and seemed homemade; not greasy either. The salsa was different, but tasty. We'll probably visit this place again if we're in the area. I would have liked if they had fresh limeade or sweet tea but that's just preference. read more

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant - Mexicombo 1 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

EXCELLENT waiter and service. Spacious room, nice decoration in this high ceiling salon. We had enchiladas, shrimp tacos, rice and beans and it was all yummy. Margaritas were also great. Will definitely go back to try other dishes! read more

First time here, and my overview would be... no frills tex-mex and really good frozen margaritas (quite strong too). Refrieds and rice are important in the tex-mex game, and this place scores well. Rice was especially good - well prepared and tasty. Queso and salsa were on the spicy side, but we enjoyed both even though we aren't big on spicy. As far as entrees, the chicken flauta was simple but great, the best we've had. Tamale was quite good. Enchiladas weren't special, but fine when you just need that basic tex-mex fix. Very casual place, seemed like nice folks running it. Server was helpful and friendly. read more

Best Mexican restaurant in Houston! The food is authentic and so delicious. The service is amazing and very nice. I highly recommend!

This is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been a Montrose staple among our residents for decades. I've been eating here since I was a child, and ever since then I only order the Tacos al Carbon plate. Therefore, I really can't give it a higher rating and tell you much about the other entrees. So what's the big deal about that particular dish? Nothing really... it's the charro beans included w/ the dish that keeps me coming back. The Tacos (comes in three) are not too shabby as well. Sure I've had better fajitas but the portions are just perfect. Not too big like most Tex Mex joints. The service is family-friendly and the establishment is clean. You can find me eating here and order the same dish for future decades to come. read more

The queso flameado and margaritas at El Paraiso are too legit to quit. Seriously, I never deviate from my order of both and am always a happy camper. We always get the queso with the poblano peppers instead of the chorizo. I love that the peppers here pack some serious heat. Don't know if I used that idiom right but it is like a shot of deliciousness to the taste buds. I think I'll stop while I'm ahead... I also adore their vegetarian chile relleno. When I feel like overeating, I follow the queso with the pechuga. One of my good friends who is a native Houstonian has been coming here for the last 15+ years and always gets the pechuga, a well-seasoned, chargrilled chicken breast served with fresh avocado. It works well with the yummy tortillas and standard yet good refried beans. Our chips are always refilled fast and the salsa is decent. We've never had problems with the service but I always come with the same friend, a long-time regular who all the waiters have known since she was a flippy little thing. The people-watching is also unexpectedly good here. The location is such that there is an intersection of the typical Montrose crowd with Richmond party-types. Just when we think we've seen the worst wardrobe malfunction yet, the bar is raised. This is a totally comforting, laidback spot to grab some good Mexican food on a low-key Saturday night or any night, really. It never gets too loud to hear your company and you can't argue with lots of delicious melted cheese. Ever. read more