Sad day in the Montclair culinary world. Paris's Cocina Dominicans has closed their doors. Stopped by and like many other days I couldn't tell if they were open. Most the time he would be up the street or closed but this time it was completely empty. All the kitchen stuff is already moved out. Luckily we had a big catered event by him a few months ago so I got my fix but this is going to hurt. I will remember my many delicious meals I had here. read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - Out front - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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This lunch restaurant is absolutely delicious, truly one of the hidden gems of Montclair. Johan, the owner, is also such a doll. I went there once with my father, who due to his Parkinson's had trouble swallowing certain kinds of food, and Johan made sure he chose exactly the right food for him. The amount of love he puts into his food shines through. read more

This place is never fn open. Damn shame. They would be so successful if they actually were. They don't answer the phone and door is closed. Maybe they got shut down. read more

Read the other reviews there is just not much more to say, Johan the owner is a genuinely good person and a great cook! My brother and I we're hiking nearby and wanted something different for lunch so we found this place on TripAdvisor and drove over. The owner greeted us warmly before informing us he was nearby out of food. Bummer? Not so much. He then proceeded to scrape up every last thing he had and sold it to us at a very reasonable price. Long story short, everything was amazing not a so so bite to be had. I will definitely be going back, I will just have to go much earlier. read more

Best comfort food ever. If you guys are in the area and your hungry for a home cooked meal stop by this place. You won't be disappointed. Pick anything it's all good. You can eat indoor or al fresco. Had a lovely time speaking with the owner. We definitely will come back to this place it's the best. Ambiance is nice. Make sure you know where your going it is easy to pass we almost past it. Drive slowly. Go enjoy my friends. read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - First time here and on a scale from 1-10 it was definitely a 10 - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Great food! Really is best pernil in town... loved all the food. Johan Inoa the chef and owner is a Great Guy! Fun to talk to and full of energy... watch Bizarre Food Delicious Destination- New Jersey read more

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Pay close attention when you turn on to the street as you may drive right by it. This restaurant is basically a hole in the wall store front with about 10 seats inside. The owner/cook is cooking up some good dominican food served cafeteria style. He was extremely friendly. You could tell he cared a lot about his customers and cooking. Empanadas were amazing. He made them fresh while we were waiting! We will definitely come back to try some more of their dishes and get some more empanadas. read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - Huge beef empanadas - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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We had the Dominican salami with rice & beans and yucca and when I asked for more sauce, he gave me more salami for free! The food was delicious, everything tasted homemade. The owner was so friendly, generous, and funny! We will certainly be back. Thank you again! read more

Shady business practices. Notice there are no prices posted anywhere. That's because the owner charges different people different prices. He did not know I spoke Spanish and he told the girl working with him to charge that lady (me) more. Will not be returning. read more

I've been biting my tongue for a while, because my coworker used to order here all the time. However, time and time again Paraiso Cocina Dominicana would disappoint. The business card clearly says oxtail and bacalao on Fridays. More than half the times we ordered, this place would either not have one of those things or it wouldn't be available until after 1pm. The last time we ordered, this was the case, and they didn't have empanadas. As for the actual food, I don't know what my coworker saw in this place other than the amount of oxtail he got with his $10 meal. My pernil meals were almost all rice. I always had leftover rice when I did decide to get something from here. They don't even throw in a lot of beans. It looks like he literally sprinkles pigeon peas across the top. The rice was always soggy to me as was the pernil. I don't know how they were consistently able to prepare pernil that didn't have any crispiness to it. The only thing I liked about the meal was the addition of pickled cabbage. Other than that, I couldn't wait until my coworker stopped ordering from here. This paraiso is just a mirage. read more

I stopped by today & though the owner was about to close he very graciously to me to come in & made me a plate to go. He is very friendly & welcoming (apologies for not knowing his name). Food was yummy, a really generous portion & just what I needed. If you are in the mood for some good Dominican food - please show this business some love. read more

Was just there yesterday & let me tell you my friends and I have found our new favorite spot! The owner is amazing, your welcomed by the delicious smell of home cooking & musical ambience lights up the place. If youre a college student like us, they have $6 lunch specials that include a soda so definitely a treat! Every large entree is $12 and let me tell you its filling we had to take home the rest because it was soo much. After digging for a bomb Dominican spot im sooo glad we found one! You'll be hooked from the first bite! The empanadas also BOMBBB !!!! read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This is a hole in the wall spot that's hidden down the street from the Montclair Bikery . Very good food and service . Everything is good . Street parking. read more

This food slapping. Felt like I was in the heights. Made me wanna slap my auntie. Portion was big and the service was quick.

I came in to pick up some food for my sister. I didn't know this place existed. I seriously live under a rock. I got there and unfortunately the food was pretty much gone which is a good sign. Lots of foot traffic so I'm not surprised the food was gone. The atmosphere and the gentleman at the front counter was really welcoming and very nice and offered to fry some empanadas for me. The empanadas were really good. I'd definitely recommend this spot to my friends. read more

Straight fire!! You can tell when a person loves to cook and loves to do what they do. This man shows his passion, more than worth the stop if you're in town read more

Perfect for take out. The staff is incredibly friendly. Food is homemade, delicious and affordable. The menu changes daily which keeps it exciting. read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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I tried this place based on the reviews. The beef and cheese empanadas were really good. They were full of flavor and fried fresh. I'll be back to try more. The service was also friendly and attentive. read more

Love, love, love this place. Great food, super cool owner, cool, server combo. Also have student discounts! Food is healthy and delicious! I want to take this place to San Diego! read more

I walked into this place not expecting much but left thinking about when I am going to order from here again. I ask for a little bit of everything, this got me rice, cabbage, fried Talapia, stew, roast pork, onions and peppers lol all this for $14. The chicken empanadas were good but not mind blowing but for $2 you cannot go wrong. Everything is homemade and he will remake whatever he's cooking only when food gets low. I will be eating at this hidden gem again. read more

This place is awesome. Looks simple but the good food is rich with flavor and texture. Awesome huge portions and a great price. Owner is pleasant and jovial as they come. The menu changes day to day which always makes walking in the door that much more exciting A great lunch spot for sure read more

I saw this place on Andrew Zimmern's show and had to try it - because I love pernil. Needless to say, the day I went, they didn't have pernil - but Johan, the owner, explained that it was too hot and he doesn't have air conditioning. So I tried the empanadas and the chicken stew - both outstanding. He told me he'd make pernil the next day. So when I called, he said he had it. It's as advertised. Amazing. Moist, tender, so flavorful. Rice and peas or rice and beans to accompany and some yucca - what a meal! BTW - on TV, you could tell Johan just oozes personality. It's more pronounced in person. He's someone who just loves what he does and it shows in his place and his food. read more

Not gonna lie, almost missed the place. I looked at everyone's reviews and said why not. So thankful I did. The food was so good, I had to go to the gym to work it off later because I couldn't have enough. The owner was extremely welcoming and had a sense of pride that was refreshing. If you find yourself in the area, do yourself a favor, stop by and eat!!! read more

Great food and the chef is a nice person !!! Real authentic Dominican cuisine!! Reminds me of my grandmothers food.

Hey dog, lemme holla at y'all real quick. This place is truly what the name says: paradise. I've been without Johan's eats for a few months now, and I honestly don't think I can live away from him for this long again. My boy keeps his shit hot n' ready, but not on no lil caesars shit lemme tell ya that. As long as Johan chooses to keep his business in Montclair, it is on us to make it worth his while. You can smell, taste, and feel the love and passion this man puts into his eats... it really doesn't get any better than Paraiso. Did i mention its $6 for some of the biggest plates in town? read more

I was in the neighborhood to visit a friend and I looked up dominican food because I was just craving empanadas. I found this place and while I did not get to taste an empanada, I was able to get the friendliest service. For $10, I got a superpacked container of the tastiest rice and beans, moist and yummy yucca and deliciously seasoned tilapia!! He ran out of empanadas and I was only there for a few hours to visit a friend so I couldn't go back for any! So sad. But definitely would want to hit this spot again next time! read more

I went here every single day back when I went to Montclair High. Johan the man who works here is the homie love that dude to death. Food was always crazy good. Check his Instagram @paraiso_dominicana for the daily menu. This is the spot fr read more

Good fresh Dominican food, standard luncheonette fair, very friendly owner/operator who took an interest and was very passionate aboutMaking his food from the heart "Corazon" read more

The owner is a great guy very friendly service and the food is very authentic and some of the best empanadas around and they are made to order .. not sitting under a heat lamp like most places read more

Ordered lunch with a few coworkers and everyone LOVED the food. Full of flavor and delicious!!! I wanted to order again today and just noticed they were closed on the weekends :( read more

Paraiso Cocina Dominicana - Pernil...delicious!!! - Dominican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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The food is fresh and fantastic! I had a giant plate of Spanish chicken and a stewed pork dish on yellow rice, with yucca and cabbage on the side. All for under $10! The owner is super friendly too. Great food, great staff, great experience! read more

This place is great. I went there twice and got a combo of everything. The first time, I got everything: Chicken pork, sausage, meatballs, fried pork chops, oxtail. It was $20 but that was enough food for 5 people. Of course, I ate it all and felt like a snake that had swallowed a pig whole. Went again tonight. It was right before closing, but everything was so tender and tasty. What a great place. The owner is a wonderful guy. Friendly, outgoing. It feels like you are with family. read more

First time here, had the best service I've had in a while! The owner is humble with great customer service, the place is super welcoming. And the food is GREAT! There sure is love in this food, read more

I had their ribs with rice and empanada. Ribs were very tasty and the rice was flavorful. It was enough food for two sittings. The empanada is big and with real big flavor. I was going to order some for the Super Bowl but they are closed in Sundays. It's a small little shop at the corner of a residential area. The cook is really friendly. All the food I ordered came out to just $11! What a steal. A great place to get some great food for a phenomenal price. read more

This place is amazing. Customer service is spot on. The energy is amazing you can almost "taste" the culture. Then once you eat the food you feel like you are in Dominican republic eating this plate under a palm tree. The food is amazing and spot on. Best spot to eat in the area. You come here for the food not the useless over decore of some other spots that lack in taste. RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE read more

This place is literally a HIDDEN gem! Don't drive too fast or you may pass by it, but if you do be sure to turn around! I stopped in here on a whim for some empanadas because I was having a craving. I'd previously read some reviews and they mostly seemed positive. Let me tell you, the empanadas are huge and delish! I ordered four thinking that would be enough for a dinner, but man, two and I'm stuffed! Now I have lunch tomorrow too! Two meals for $8! Cannot beat that! I had the chicken and beef empanadas and they are rich in flavor, super fresh (they were made while I waited) and as authentic as you can get. This is a "no frills" place, and do not let that deter you. The food speaks for itself. The owner is super charismatic and very personable--always great to see for a local place! He said I will be back and he's correct!!! Loved it! read more

The food at this place is amazing !! My coworkers and I ordered food from here today and everything we got was beyond delicious ! We will def order from here again . read more

I went in today for my roast pork and asked if he could do a pork Mofungo. Well 15 minutes later I left with the wonderful creation that will feed at least three people for $12. Highly recommended read more

Great little hidden gem in Montclair. Johan (the owner) is incredibly friendly and makes awesome food. I've tried just about everything there. Stewed chicken, meatballs, talapia, oxtail, rice and beans, empanadas and the list goes on. Everything is fresh and delicious! read more

The place is cozy, and food was wonderful. The owner is a very nice guy, great carisma. I definitively recommend this place if you want to have good latin food for a good price (not expensive at all!!). Best I had was the empanadas, but I'd also have chuleta frita (pork) and bacalao again. I'll come back for sure for some more beef empanadas ;) read more