Paraiso - Mexican Restaurant Taqueria & Mezcaleria — Restaurant in Washington

Before we get too far into this review, I want to highly recommend this restaurant to anyone willing to explore a well-balanced plate of food, both in portion and in palette. It's worth every cent and I will be returning to explore the rest of the menu. The atmosphere is clean, fresh, and vibrant with a bunch of invigorating artwork and statement lighting pieces throughout the main dining area. The service was top notch (allergies accommodated excellently). The General Manager, Brad, left an incredibly positive impression on our table with his cheerfulness and his clear, apparent love for the chef's menu. I'll take his food recommendations any day!

With that out of the way, let's get into what was ordered!

The beverages I was able to experience were La Mula and La Colada. Both are traditional drinks, but Paraiso put their own spin on the classics. La Mula is a pineapple-forward drink made with their Xicaru Mezcal, ginger, and lime. It was a refreshing drink that balanced the usual bitterness associated with agave-based liquor. La Colada is a coconut-forward drink made without alcohol per the menu, however I asked for the host's recommended coconut rum to be added. It was smooth, creamy, and the entire table enjoyed their sip before I greedily kept this gem of a pour to myself.

As for the appetizer and main entree, I was able to experience the Restaurant Week menu. I selected Queso Fundido and Poblano Mushrooms served with corn tortillas (not pictured, it was gone in less than a minute!), Short Rib and Mole Verde, and the Tres Leches.

The Queso Fundido and Poblano Mushrooms was a delightful starter of primarily soft, pull-able white cheeses served in a cast iron pan. It was enough to fill four corn tortillas, and everyone who tasted it, enjoyed it. The only small critique of this dish was the lack of salt to help enhance the flavors. Don't let the grease scare you, it's an attestation to the quality of cheese used for this dish!

The Short Rib and Mole Verde was the main entree and it was a showstopper. This short rib was perfectly cooked, as is evident in the video included with this review. It was tender without sacrificing the integrity of the cut, and very well-seasoned. It was matched with a mole verde that packed a little heat on the back of the palette and a smooth mashed potato purée to help cool it down. The balance on this plate was incredible. Every bite, whether with one item or all, was delectable. And let's not forget the surprising star of the plate: the brussel sprouts! I was incredibly impressed by the sweet flavor packed into these mini vegetables and they added a nice crunchy texture to an otherwise softer plate.

Dessert was just as much a pleasure to eat as the aforementioned. I have a history in pastry arts and I can appreciate the ability to make this unique, traditional dessert and the skill it took to plate it. It was like stepping into abuela's kitchen, sneaking a taste of the sweet dulce de leche before popping a spoonful of moist cake into your mouth. They top their Tres Leches with a toasted meringue that brings a delicate sweetness to an otherwise typically heavy dessert, and it elevates it to another well-balanced plate that had my son scraping at the plate once it was gone.

Wrapping this review up, I cannot recommend Paraiso Taqueria enough. I will be returning, and this next time with more tequila-loving friends to experience their tasting menu! Thank you for an amazing meal and being so kind to my mother by accommodating her allergies.

Context: Reservation was made for 7p, and we arrived at 6:50p and was seated immediately. We ordered drinks and the appetizer by 7:10p and...

My friends and I had the most degrading and offensive experience here at Paraiso. Myself and 2 of my friends were in DC wanting to have a nice Sunday brunch on 7/23. The staff here need to be taught the definition of hospitality because it was severely lacking. From the time that we entered the restaurant- myself and my other friend had to inform the host that we wanted to sit outside and that the reservation was actually for 3 people, not 2, to which the host seemed to have an attitude about when getting another menu, something that we just brushed off. Then our other friend arrives, and we all start to sit and talk. Our waitress comes to take our drink order, and she asks to see our ID’s, which we hand right over. She leaves, we continue taking, then a gentleman in a pink suit comes over to our table to re-ask for our ID’s, something we all thought was strange but again we obliged. He then goes over our ID’s multiple times for quite a few minutes and then says the following things: 1. He thought it was strange that all of our ID’s were from different states, which was one of the oddest comments I’ve ever heard in my life. Have you not heard of friends from different states meeting up in a different state before? It’s suspicious that 3 friends that are adults live in different areas of the country and decide to meet somewhere? This comment still baffles me. 2. He believed that the age on our ID’s didn’t match with how youthful we looked, apparently my skincare routine seems to be working. Thanks for letting me know that I don’t look 26! 3. He mentioned that the ID’s didn’t appear real based on his “extensive knowledge of ID’s”. I guess that this gentleman knows more than the TSA agents at the airport that scanned my ID when I took a flight last week and more than the countless ID scanners for the clubs we’ve been to in DC these past few days, he should definitely change his career field. After this encounter, we got up and didn’t patronize this restaurant. This situation could’ve easily been handled way better, but Paraiso completely dropped the ball here. This is a warning for all potential patrons of color, you will not be treated with respect here, and it left a sour taste in our mouth during our...

Really nice place. We went on a quiet Wednesday evening. Great atmosphere. It felt like the perfect spot for a friendly after hours meeting with a friend, date, or coworkers. Very chill and laid back.

We started off with the chips and sauce trio. They were good; basic. When compared to other places (e.g. Bar Taco) with a similar offering, the sauces could have been a little richer in flavor. The bowls they were served in also could have been larger. They were also light on chips. But they were good. (I've just had better). I note this in particular because so many of my friends that I've spoken to judge many Mexican restaurants by the quality of the chips and dip/salsa/queso. I'd step it up on this one. IT WASN'T BAD, but it could work a little harder. But that's where the harsher part of my critique stops. Everything after was great.

We also ordered the following from the small plates and the taco selection, all of which were excellent: Crab Tostada - large, flavorful, delicious. There's a slight peppering of cayenne pepper that makes for a really interesting finish to every bite. The red onion offered a nice sharp contrast to the smooth flavor of the crab which was fresh and delicious. This thing was smooth and spicy at the same time. The tostada was larger than expected (which was good). If I lived in the neighborhood I'd be stopping by at least once every other week or two to get one. Ceviche Acapulco - again, larger than expected (good), and flavorful. The slightly sour flavor of the vinegar (in a good way, not sour bad) was a great contract to the Tostada's fresh and spicy flavor. El Camaron tacos - finely seasoned. The flavor of the shrimp is primary to the additional layors of flavor. Nice and light. El Barracho tacos - Excellent. Just excellent. Really rich in flavor. The El Camaron taco was very good, but the El Barracho taco was even better.

Our server Maria was excellent. Very pleasant and attentive. We didn't have any drinks, so I don't have a commentary for you there, but you can see from the pics that they have a well stocked...