Paradise Eatery — Restaurant in Town of Herkimer

I am going to rate this establishment based off of many traits. Atmosphere. Friendly Staff. Family Friendly. Wait times. Food flavor. Consistency.

Starting with Atmosphere. They have both indoor and outdoor seating areas. The first time we sat inside, the second we went outside. Both are absolutely gorgeous. I had to double check the menu prices to make sure we weren't eating at a crazy fine dining restaurant. Beautiful marble panels and fake shrubbery on the walls. A large flatscreen above a fireplace. Outside is even more beautiful. Turf floor with shrub panels lining the walls. A area with a roof that contains a couple outdoor couches. They nailed the name paradise, it was stunning. The atmosphere makes you forget all your troubles as if you are on vacation dining at a fancy restaurant or one of those fancy mansions in the movies.

We had different waitresses both times we went, both were very friendly. Always serving with a smile and checking up on us a few times to make sure everything was good. They do offer high chairs and do not serve alcohol so they are purely family friendly.

I saw some reviews about wait times, but I laugh at unprofessional reviews. Which once again, those reviews only glorified their ignorance. We arrived at 7:54pm on a Tuesday the first night and were seated immediately. The second time was 4:55pm on a Thursday and we were seated close to 5:00pm.

Now for the juicy part. The food and drinks. Drinks: We tried the Shirley Temple, Blueberry Breeze, and Tropical Fizz. All wonderful drinks. My personal favorite was the Blueberry breeze, if you were to picture a flavor to represent summer, it would be this drink. The tropical fizz was very tart. I love tart/ sour things, but this one was a little too tart for me, still had a very good taste though. Appetizers/ Sides: Mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese, and french fries. The mozzarella sticks were simply delightful. Cooked so perfectly to where the cheese felt soft and creamy in your mouth. The marinara was also very good. It was unique, nothing you would buy in a jar at a store. The fries were also very good. Unfortunately not fresh cut, but they had a nice batter on the outside that gave them a perfect crunch when you take a bite. They were also seasoned nicely to where you could enjoy them even without ketchup. Paradise eatery nailed the cheese game. I want to know their secret on cooking cheese so perfectly. Again the cheese was soft and creamy, melting in your mouth. The blend of different cheeses mixed together really nicely with the spices they added to make a delectable dish. Main dishes: Tacos and steak bowl. This was the consistency test. I was blown away by the tacos. The flavor in the meat has a very dynamic profile, all of the spices create this beautiful robust flavor that bursts as soon as your tongue touches it. I had the soft tacos, but they gave them a slight fry with gave the shells a satisfying crisp. The flavor was consistent through every single bite. This is the dish I tested for consistency, ordering it both visits. PASSED with flying colors. How can you be blown away with something a second time? I dont know, but they did it with their tacos. A nice touch is the build your own where you can choose a variety of toppings and sauces to put on your tacos to meet your liking. Next the steak bowl. It is served with their "boom boom sauce" in the bowl which has some spice to it. Tastes like a french dressing base with some kick. Really nice flavor, but if you don't like spicy, then ask for it to be removed. The steak in the bowl was perfectly seasoned. I love my seasonings so a typical "over seasoned" steak I would still love. But the seasoning on their stake was there, but not too overpowering so you get the nice steak flavor along with it.

Overall, Paradise Eatery in Herkimer is an absolute wonderful place to eat and a must try if you are visiting the Herkimer area. If you are feelings stressed out, stop into Paradise, the scenery will make you forget about all your troubles. I am looking forward to...

I honestly don’t know what I spent $76 on. I’m devastated because we were so excited to try this place especially now that they’ve settled in for a few months.

We ordered two smoothies, the BBQ wontons, the ribs entrée, and the honey chipotle chicken cheesesteak. The cheesesteak was dry and under-seasoned—it tasted like frozen chicken, was under-sauced, and came on bread that was a bit burnt and not balanced out with any moisture. The ribs were not tender or “fall off the bone” as described. While the sauce was tasty, the ribs themselves were Applebee’s quality in terms of size and amount of meat. I would gladly pay more for proper St. Louis or beef ribs. The ribs were overcooked and unsatisfying. The mashed potatoes were fluffy, but they badly needed butter, garlic, and salt to have any flavor.

The BBQ wontons were the highlight—they were pretty much as described, though I wish they came with a dipping sauce and were a bit larger, like rangoons. The sides situation was also frustrating: the ribs are supposed to come with onion rings and garlic Alfredo fettuccini. I asked to sub mashed potatoes for the onion rings and to add an additional side of vodka penne. Instead, they swapped the fettuccini out for overcooked egg noodle–style “vodka pasta” I never asked for. At least I wasn’t charged extra, but it wasn’t what I ordered.

Overall, I was very disappointed. Ordering closer to 9 p.m. shouldn’t mean a drop in quality. If the kitchen is open, the food should taste fresh. A simple grilled chicken with honey chipotle sauce shouldn’t be that hard to execute.

As a native New Yorker, born and raised, I won’t be returning. The smoothies were supposed to be “healthy,” but I couldn’t taste the mango, strawberry, or banana—all flavors that should have come through strongly.

All in all, I left very dissatisfied—and as a pregnant woman, that’s...

I don’t usually leave reviews, but this experience needed to be shared.

I called on a Saturday night and was placed on hold totally understandable. But after 17 minutes with no follow up, I hung up. I’d been excited to try this place, so I drove there instead.

When I arrived, I was surprised to see only one table seated. The woman who took my order was kind, and I mentioned the phone line was still busy. Turns out, the waitress (Josie) who answered never returned to the call. My order came to $61.08, and I still left a $9 tip.

As I turned around, I saw Josie sitting casually with the only table there not working, not checking on calls. Just sitting w her friends. As a business owner, that’s disappointing to see. Great food can only get you so far if your staff doesn’t match the standard.

The food was good. The lemonades were excellent and the Dubai chocolate cup was tasty, though a bit overpriced. I’d come back and support the business again, because there’s potential here.

One suggestion: The hours online say open until 12am, but when I came by the night before at 8:45pm along with 3 other people we were turned away by the same waitress who left me on hold the next day. If the kitchen closes early, that’s totally fine just be upfront about it so customers don’t waste their time.

This place could be a so much better with a few...