**Why am I doing this to myself... Do I love Dominican food this much that I'm willing to be annoyed by it?** __ Attempt #1 - Look what I found! __ Everything was cool order was right on time, portions were really nice. I had oxtail and canoas. Finally able to find decent canoas in Philly near Center City. Plus points for getting here in less than 20 minutes __ Attempt #2 -Curious __ I REALLY want to like this place, but the little things make all the difference. We stopped in to grab food the staff is super sweet and kind, but the portion when you order to go/delivery was WAY(live visibly) smaller then when you eat in. I've ordered the same 3 things here over the course of finding this place. I'm not sure if different staffing effects portioning but this is weird. __ Attempt #3 - It's getting worse __ This is a SUPER unfortunate situation, as I REALLY like this place.. I ordered from Parada today. Normally everything is super on point and I get stuff pretty quickly...However today was no good. My initial order was not on time, and it was stated it was delayed by 15 minutes.... It was then 15 minutes after the 2nd estimated time. (so over 30 additional minutes late) I was like ok it's cool I like this place a lot, so it's cool I then opened my food (Cubano, Pasteles, and pinto beans) and everything was cold... not like cold from the delivery like everything was CLEARLY sitting. So I called... and spoke with a nice young lady who informed me that the delivery guy was out when my order came in and by the time he arrived my sandwich "had already been sitting like 15 minutes, and then the delivery time"... Not sure why a fresh one wouldn't be made... you wouldn't feed that to an in house guest.. I was told to call tomorrow and they would resend it (cause at this point I don't have time to wait.) I know you're saying well you could warm it up... NOBODY warms up pasteles or a cubano... it's meant to be enjoyed as fresh as possible. __ Attempt # 4 - Eat24 had to "track down" this order __ Old rice, and inconsistent portion.. I went from discovering this place and loving it to now being one of my least favorite places to eat or deal with. Not only did it take an hour and 15 minutes to get a dish described as (a la carte) but when it arrived the delivery driver was rude, didn't thank me for his tip (which I regret giving), the rice I received was old (or under cooked), and the portion was way smaller than it was when I order just a week prior. I really REALLY wanted to love this place, but consistent disappointment has turned a great experience to trash. The staff was extremely unhelpful previously and I'm not sure I want to reach out this time as I was literally told "call tomorrow maybe the manager can help you." I guess you need to eat in house to get the proper experience.... EAT24 was amazing with helping me find the order initially, and deal with my issue post delivery... so that's a plus read more

Great little restaurant! Note that the outdoor seating is not open yet, but will be soon. However, my girlfriend (a Spanish teacher and discerning Latin foodie) and myself (regular foodie) agreed it was somewhere we'd have to visit again. The staff were very polite and eager to make sure we were enjoying our time there. It's run the way a restaurant should be run, prices are reasonable, and the food is tasty! Great place to spend some time. Also, since it's misleading in the restaurant info, this restaurant does not serve alcohol but IS Byob. PS. The bad lighting is from my phone's camera lens, which is cracked and has seen better days....it's actually warmly lit and a perfect for picture-taking because of the wooden walls! read more

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Love our breakfast, the tres golpes was delicious. The delivery was quick and the food was still hot when we received it. The tamarindo juice and the morir soñando were heavenly. read more

This place is awesome. Stumbled past it during one of my runs and was excited to find a Dominican spot. Very reasonable pricing and amazing food that always hits the spot. My fiancée and I order from here all the time and it gets delivered pretty quick, too. read more

It's covid season Mannnn. Sign in front states you should wear a mask before entering...which I was but the employees in this establishment wasnt even wearing one. Hmm. I got oxtail stew and chicken stew. Clearly the same stew broth, But different protein. So both dishes sucked, simultaneously. Not even season properly or at all. Eating here is like doing the two step and calling it bachata. No bueno. read more

Friends and I have hosted large groups (50ish) at Parada and it's always been a fantastic experience. The owner Jose helped me pick out a set dinner and drinks to make it easy to handle us. The staff? Super friendly and helpful. Never complained about having 50 loud 20-somethings being a little rowdy, and occasionally joined in on the jokes and fun. The food? Delicious. The dinner we picked out was huge and well priced. Chicken, rice, plantains and potatoes. A sampler of their Dominican style and it was fantastic. The atmosphere? Cute and tiny but plenty spacious. They were able to seat all of us and still have some room for walk ins. There's even an outside area if the weather's nice enough. Obviously, I love it there and wanted to leave Parada a great review as a thanks to Jose! Thanks guys!! read more

Nothing fancy, which is great. This is an authentic-feeling Dominican restaurant. Most customers are speaking Spanish, the decor is very cute, and the food is great, though not made to order. The food is all ready to go, but it wasn't dried out at all, and it of course comes out in two minutes when you don't have to wait for it to be cooked. The guanabana juice was delicious, the sweet fried plantains were the real deal, and the stewed chicken was to die for. The rice and beans were perfect and in hearty portions. The prices were not bad for Center City. I got a ton of food and that yummy juice for $22. read more

Parada Maimon - From left: guanabana juice, sweet plantains, stewed chicken on the bone, beans, and rice - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This food is absolute trash. If I could give 0 stars I would. I ordered the pork (pernil) lunch special with yellow rice, sweet plantains and the soursop juice. Where do I begin...this was a delivery order which was over an hour late. I placed the order at 11:40 and my food arrived at 1:00 pm. When the food finally arrived, I was so famished and anxious to dig in. From the first bite of the side of plantains, I knew I'd regret paying $14 for this food. The plantains were dry and tasteless. I proceeded to eat the pork and yellow rice and omgoodness was it salty! I mean the food was so salty that I didn't eat it for my health's sake. The soursop juice had enough sugar to send someone into diabetic shock...a huge disappointment. read more

I'm not really sure what the rave is about other than the portion to price ratio. Though the majority of the portion consists of rice/beans or carbs. There really isn't much protein. However I do like to stop by for a cup of coffee in the morning. For the size and quality, it's a good deal! read more

I love Latin food, but I don't want to go to deep DEEP north Philly and I'm not always up to spending what they spend at the Center City spots. So Parada Maimon is a good compromise. Most of the times I've been here I've gotten the pernil with rice and black beans. I've tried the half chicken, the gizzards, and the mofongo. The chicken was good enough that I brought some home to my family. It was a hit. The price can't really be beaten. For those wondering, you can sub out rice and beans for some fries... or maybe some other side they're offering. What issues did I have? You can either order at the counter or you can have a seat. The counter (cafeteria style) food is ready-made while most other things are made to order. My first impression was underwhelming... as the pernil I had was dry. I didn't know to ask for gravy since I ordered from the menu. That wasn't enough to keep me away because I came back and had the mofongo and I didn't like it much. I mentioned in a review for another place that I don't fault the establishment. I just didn't know what I was getting into because it more or less tastes the same everywhere I've tried it. There was a little confusion in the portions... they should just say large and small, but instead they say lunch and dinner if I remember correctly. So for the best dine-in experience... order at the counter, if you're not fluent in Spanish then English is fine...mostly (I got a verbal judo flip with my basic Spanish), state what sauces/gravy you want on your food and then have a seat. Also, get one of their fresh juices (Chinola for me). If you really want to EAT get the dinner (large) portion, but if you're there for the deal get the lunch (small). So with a large plate of pernil with a good amount of gravy, some hot sauce and oil for the rice, and some thousand island or whatever for the little salad... I'm NICE! I think they have tres leches too, but I've been too full to try it. PRO-TIP: And ask for maduros... I don't think they're included, but I don't think they're extra. It's just like 3 or 4 and anyway. FUN FACT: The area is desolate so there's really no best way in or out on foot. You're catching alleys, bums, and long empty stretches on all sides. Seriously, don't let that stop you from checking this place out. read more

If I could give this ZERO STARS, I would. We ordered 3 orders of French Toast, and ALL of them had MOLD on the bread. It was absolutely disgusting. Now we're all sitting here feeling like we need to vomit. Don't order breakfast from here. I personally won't be ordering anything else either. read more

Parada Maimon - MOLDY FRENCH TOAST. I would give ZERO STARS If I could. So freaking gross. - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Delicious shredded beef platter. The table next to me had half chicken in sauce, which looked like it might be what I order the next time I'm craving Dominican food. read more

Parada Maimon - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Excellent food fresh and delicious. The snapper was very good. We ordered Pastelitos and they were delicious

This place is a an authentic mom and pop shop with terrific food. The ropa vieja is a must and the octopus ceviche is also delicious. We've come as a couple but also as a huge group. It's very reasonably priced, is BYO and the owners have fun dispositions. We recommend getting what's been prepared (and what you can see available) but you won't be disappointed! read more

Lots of room here for big parties. Maduros are yummy though a few pieces are undercooked. The service is fast. read more

Parada Maimon - Interior - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I'm originally from ny and I'm used to having access to many Dominican restaurants. I finally found this worthy restaurant through Uber eats here in Philly and I felt like home. The food is so good and the portions are big for the price!! read more

If you are looking for a resemblance of Cuban and Latino food this is the place to go. The white rice was to perfection along with the steak and onion fried like the Cubans do with lots of seasoning. The mofongo was great just missing the garlic aka mojito sauce. The yellow rice and fried snapper also a greT dish. read more

Delicious food and great service! Also has its own mini parking lot located on the side of the building if you have a car!

I'm from NY and was EXTREMELY excited to see that a Dominican restaurant was opening near my apartment. I've dined in twice and taken good to go a million times. I always get the lunch special for take out: quarter chicken, rice, beans, plantain for around $8. The quarter chicken is always juicy and the rice is NEVER dry. I've also tried stew chicken & fish while dining in. The owner and workers are super nice and always greet you with a smile. Only downside is that the restaurant has no A/C and is always hot which is why I get my food to go. read more

I live right next to this restaurant. Always very good meals. My favorite is the half chicken dish. They also make great smoothies. Very reasonably priced read more

Service is very friendly. My party of 7 came here on a Friday after work and were able to get seated right away. The stew chicken was recommended and that's what I went with. Loved it. Good sauce and chicken very tender. I also got the mango smoothie. Very fresh. Had leftovers and even more delicious the next day we also shared the tres leches cake and flan. both really realy good. one note: my friends and i each ordered a side of tostones / plantaines. each plate is enough to be a side for 3 people so no need to order a side per person! read more

Delicious authentic cuisine! Service was friendly & quick. This is now a go-to spot. Highly recommend the mofongo & tres leches cake!

I have ordered here before and the food is usually very good. Today the food was terrible. All the food (especially the chicken) was old and clearly not fresh. The plantains were raw and didn't even looked cooked. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. read more

If you are looking for some good Dominican food this is the place nice and fast service! The price is amazing won't regret it I take my hot sauce with me because they only have mild Other than that it's great read more

We stumbled upon this Dominican Republic restaurant during our stay in philly and it was amazing! The owner was so nice and explained to us what their popular dishes are and how we can order. There's already some prepared food so if you are stopping by to get something to go it'll be very fast. We ordered oxtail, octopus ceviche, chicken stew, regular chicken, and some fatty pork. Pork was fried and crispy but had too much fat for us. The chicken and oxtail was so good. The meat was really tender and soft. The octopus ceviche was pretty good but i would get shrimp next time since octopus is very chewy. The fried and sweet plantains are very delicious. Def try both. The mash potatoes was enormous. My family really enjoyed our lunch here and would love to come back if we are ever back in Philadelphia! read more

Everyone working at this fantastic restaurant couldn't have made you feel more welcome, part of their extended family. And the food - fantastic The tres leches cake, to kill for, seriously!!! read more

Parada Maimon - Chicken special with rice & beans!!! - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TLDR: Delicious food at cheap prices. Get the goat stew, it's heavenly. No AC tho, maybe don't come on a hot day. I'm a Dominican food newbie, so I can't speak for the authenticity of this food. But it is delicious! I ordered a lunch special, which includes a protein, a huge bed of white or yellow rice, a side of black or red beans, 3 fried plantain slices, and a cabbage and tomato salad dressed with vinegar. The amount of protein isn't as generous as the amount of rice, but regardless you'll still end up pretty full ($8-$12). If you're craving more protein, go with the "order" vs "lunch special". You will get significantly more protein for a couple extra bucks. I loved the goat stew, but the pork spare ribs were meh (a little too salty for my taste). My gripes with this place include that there is no AC, just some ceiling fans, and that they don't have all the different types of protein on hand (I tried ordering oxtail and they hadn't made it). read more

Wanted to love this place. Red beans were sweet and bland. Chicken was decent. Goat was so salty it was unbearable and I have pretty good salt tolerance...going to be drinking water tonight... Glad most people love this place, but was unfortunately underwhelming for me. read more

I ordered food on yelp and the owner was so nice! He got my order ready quickly and made sure he got and said my name. The food was delicious! Real authentic Dominican food coming from a Dominican!!!! Will definitely be coming back. read more

Stopped into this restaurant as we were passing through Philly based upon the great reviews and ordered the lunch special to go. It was: Beef stew, yellow rice, black beans, some plantains and a salad. The lady behind the counter with the curly hair was super sweet and more than generous dishing out our rice. We are talking heaping spoonfuls!! She also gave us some extra broth to go and packed everything so well that it wouldn't spill all over the car! Bonus! Needless to say, this lunch special was enough to feed two people. And --- it will only cost you 7 or 8 bucks!! The owner overheard us debating which juice to try and gave us a sample of the passion fruit juice and of course we ended up ordering one. A little on the sweet side, as juices tend to be, but really refreshing on a warm day! This place was a great value if you are looking for some authentic and fresh Dominican food in Philly! It is obvious that the owner puts his heart and soul into this operation. Support local!! read more

This place was a true surprise for me to find in Philly! I am not Dominican but I travel to the Dominican Republic often for work, so I'm pretty familiar with Dominican food and restaurants. This place felt exactly like being in the DR, in all the best ways! I will note that if you want a fancy restaurant with fancy food, this certainly is not it. But if you want authentic Dominican food, served the way that it is at little roadside restaurants throughout the DR in generous portions with a side of great hospitality, then you should definitely check it out at your first opportunity! The prices are very reasonable, the food is delicious, and the staff are friendly. Parada Maimon also exceeded my expectations for accommodating the big group that I reserved for when I went there. I didn't expect them to take reservations, but they did. The table was ready for us when we got there, and they were ready to serve us. They split the checks for each person at the end, and allowed us to pay with card or cash - once again, simply not expected and really felt to me that they went above and beyond to accommodate us and make sure that we enjoyed our experience. It's a great little place that I'll recommend to anyone interested in trying something new or reliving memories of the DR! read more

Yesssss!!!!! I am a native New Yorker....so I am obsessed with cheap-and-best. Not just cheap, not just best, cheap-and-best. I am a native New Yorker....so I am obsessed with Dominican food (yes, partly because of its general cheap-and-bestness.) This delicious Dominican restaurant is a direct transplant from Washington Heights. They have experience in the restaurant game. Everything I have eaten here has been excellent. Do you like garlic? If the answer is yes, stop twiddling your thumbs, and start running to Parada Maimon right now. They do not hold back on the magic root. Garlicky chicken, yes. Garlicky beef stew, yes. Garlicky shrimp, yes. Try the mofongo, try the guisada. Try it all! And this place is a BYO. It's almost too much read more

Philadelphia isn't New York. I know in Philly I'm not going to find Ethiopian delivery at 4am. However, I've expected to find a suitable Dominican place - and until now, I really haven't. Today, we found it. Parada Maimón is like any place in the DR you'd want to go after a day at the beach. Amazing seafood and all the typical Dominican food you'd want. It's BYOB, so bring your own Presidentes, but expect your fill of tostones, ceviches and chillo entero. ¡Que rico! read more

Parada Maimon - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

After agonizing over reviews and finally having to flip a coin to order from here (sorry Angry Deekin), I am happy to say that I was not let down. I just moved from NYC so I was missing my Dominican food. I think this will be a new go-to. We got the chicharron de pollo sin hueso w/ sweet plantains, fried plantains, beef patty, and bbq ribs. The portions were more than enough for two people and it looks like 2-3 more meals can be made from the leftovers. And w/ uberEATS I got the food within the 30-40 minute frame. The chicharron was freshly made, not too juicy/wet and was not soggy. There also wasn't any of what my family calls "funny business" which can be gristle, cartilage, bone, arteries or veins. This was just nice chicken (maybe breast only) cut into bite sized pieces and fried perfectly. The sweet plantains went with the chicken amazingly! They were sweet, but not too sweet, and melted in our mouths. 10/10 Fried plantains were also great, not dried out and still moist and dense. They were freshly made as well. 10/10 Beef patties were excellent. The meat was loose (not like Jamaican patties) and seasoned well. The crust was crisp and light. On the inside, the crust was almost like phyllo dough - it was still light, but had a bit of density and doughy-ness bc it had soaked up some of the moisture from the filling. Again, no funny business in the meat for my teeth to bounce off. I only had one bc the rest were eaten before I could get to them lol but I will definitely reorder. 10/10 The only reason this place is getting 4/5 (but closer to 4.8) is bc of those bbq ribs! The reviews I saw mentioned that they were good so, of course, I ordered them. Unfortunately, mine were basically just streamed spare ribs with bbq sauce poured over them. Literally poured. They didn't even shake the ribs around a little in the sauce. And the meat itself was not seasoned, fat wasn't rendered... now, I am from the south and I am Jamaican. This is not a case of expecting Jamaican or southern ribs and instead getting a Dominican/Latin version and being upset about it... no, these ribs were just not done well. It is a shame bc I was really looking forward to them and everything else was so good! Ribs get a 6/10, the 6 for large portion size and the bbq sauce wasn't bad, the ribs weren't bad either once you doctor them up and get that sauce coating right, I just know that they could have done them better in the first place especially considering how wonderful the rest of the meal was... and other photos of their bbq ribs that I've seen.... I totally recommend this place but quality does seem based on when your order (mine was Sunday at ~6pm) and, I'm guessing, who is heading the kitchen that night/day. I think all the reviews are right and that this place CAN be hit or miss and maybe I ordered on the tail end missing... Hopefully they redeem themselves to some past reviewers and start a new trend of good reviews. I WILL order from them again! Side note: I hope they make their online menu more descriptive! Many items on a la carte are labeled just "pork" and it's hard to tell the difference between them. read more

Ughhhhhhhh. SO GOOD! I'm so happy there's finally a legit Dominican spot close by. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to weep over my lunch special from home sickness and then fall into a food coma. read more

Finally a Dominican place in the city. Authentic Dominican food, fresh seafood. Service is great, owner is very approachable. Has free parking!!!!!!! Byob! read more

Came into this restaurant in a poor mood cuz I had to drop my car in Chinatown for unexpected service. Left this restaurant content with the world. 1/2 chicken lunch special with red beans + yellow rice is the BUSINESS. I could only finish half. Tasted great, washed it down with a milk+mango smoothie (get it w/ milk not water, if you can). Staff was super nice. A lunch special that's good for 2 meals and a mango smoothie for $10? Hard to find that in philly. Come here hungry, leave here happy and fighting off the post-big-meal-nap-syndrome. read more

My housemate and I cannot get enough of Parada Maimon!!! This hidden gem has the double benefit of being both cheap and full of good eats. Our go-to dish has always been mofongo (either chicken or pork). Their beef pastelito (beef patty) is solid - nice and flakey, and full of rich flavor. When we last went yesterday, we also decide to try their tostones... omg, why have we not ordered a plate of that before!?!? Plus, did I mention this is a BYOB establishment?! In essence, if you're craving a homecooked meal of Afro-Caribbean food, Parada Maimon is THE place to go to in all of Philadelphia! Jose (the owner) is a wonderful host and he'll make sure to hook you up with whatever you want. If you want a sample of some things before ordering, he is more than happy to allow you to sample some of their prepared items. read more

Great BYOB. I live right nearby so it's my go-to place whenever I'm hungry at almost any time of the day. Perfect for take-out or dine-in. Staff is very friendly and food is very authentic. Reminds me of all the times I've stayed in the Dominican Republic. Really cheap prices, my only complaint is that sometimes the food maybe a little old sitting out all day. The oxtail is incredible, and I crave it often. Definitely check it out! read more

Ok I'm fully Dominican. I know how an order of Dominican mangu con los tres gulpes should look. I got one salami, one cheese, and i swear to you it look like one and a half scoop of mangu...and it cost 6.50 with tax... then we got a mori soñando and i guess that drink cost $5 because our total was $11. At that The mangu was extra oily. I don't know if they think that the location they are at which is near center city that they think the could rip anyone else off with high prices for bullshit food but not when it comes to a true Dominican like me! Luckily it wasn't me that ordered it it was my bf who isn't Dominican so he didn't know lol he was around and was hungry and i had to work and couldn't make what he was craving. That's very sad my own kind smh NEVER AGAIN! They are expensive for no reason! You Are better off going to the hood spots that sell Dominican food. You for sure will get 3 pieces of salami instead of one. Like come on everyone knows that's the best part! And $5 for a mori soñando i mean let's be honest it's just orange juice and milk.. i feel like they took advantage of my bf but i called and spoke to someone girl and she goes yes we add one of each but she says it with an attitude like they are lucky i don't live near i would of went and dropped that disappointing behind tray back and got my money back. Stingy ass people read more

Parada Maimon - Dominican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania