Almost give it a 5 star except the restaurant interior is a bit dated. Salsa is hot, not screaming hot, but the kind when you stop eating it, you notice the after burn. Shared a plate with my wife and got a side Chili Relleno. Food was good, serve not bad. They had no lunch menu, so you pay full fare for entrees. I guess they have no lunch menu because of the Food Stand they run adjacent to the restaurant.
Review Source:Sucks. Cumin in the New Mexico red chilé sauce is like running a red light on a driver's test. Yes, CUMIN, in the chilé sauce. It was overpowering and transformed what could have been a passable red chilé enchilada into a cheesy mess that tasted like a chili dog. Like a hot dog. I didn't even finish it. Red chilé colorado sauce, the type that forms the foundation of the famed New Mexico red chilé sauce does not contain cumin. If red chilé was unionized they'd have their union card revoked. I don't care how long El Paragua has been there (1958, that ain't shit in the 500+ year history of chilé sauce in these parts), they have simply violated the laws of red chilé (proper recipe listed below). Furthermore, the cheese they used to top the enchiladas was cheap yellow pre-grated cheese, the type you find at a cheap taqueria that is used to top fried rolled tacos. I was shocked at how bad it was. Let's discuss the prices. Muy caro (very expensive). $13.50 for cheese enchiladas with no rice or posolé on the side either. If you want blue corn tortillas it's an extra $2.00. That's outrageous prices, as a local reviewer pointed out in another review of this place. The pinto beans that were sandwiched into their "enchiladas rancheros" were of the cheapest variety. I know chilé and I know beans. I make my own hot sauces and make frequent trips into Mexico to find exotic beans and chilé peppers. I was almost offended by their use of cumin to flavor red chilé. El Paragua takes the cheap route out on everything. The decor, the chairs, furniture, bathroom paper towel dispensers that don't work so they have the brown paper elementary school rough towels to wipe your hands with. If you've ever worked in kitchen industry you know that bathrooms take 5 minutes of maintenance about 3 or 4 times day. Kitchen work takes a whole hell of a lot of more time, so if they can't even maintain the paper towel dispenser then what is happening in the kitchen? It's time for a major overhaul here. It's way dated, like a Las Vegas prime rib joint on the north Vegas strip behind the Lucky Lady.
RED CHILE RECIPE
NM Dried red chilés-about 10. Break apart remove stems and seeds.
Half an onion-chop up a bit
Garlic and a little oregano
Salt
Boil broken up peppers for about 5 minutes in about 6 cups of water.
Put peppers, onion, garlic and spices in blender with about 1/3 of the water from the pepper boil. Blend less than 1 minute. Now make a roux. 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour. Add the chile sauce and bring to a boil while stirring. Apply to 20 second oil fried corn tortillas that get stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and minced red onions. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
El Paragua is a great restaurant with a lot of history and the best carne adovada ever. Incredibly spicy and the pork is tender and flavorful. Perfect. Â If you're craving something else and don't want a full order, at least ask for a side order of the adovada. It's not on the menu, but they have always been happy to accommodate me when I have asked. The enchiladas and tacos are very good here as well and the sapodillas are out of this world good. Overall, it's a must visit if you're in the Santa Fe area.
Review Source:The Best New Mexican cuisine I've found. It's worth the drive up from Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Â Almost worth a trip to the area just for itself. Â Not many restaurants I've come across over the years with a live tree (and a big one at that) growing up through the roof. Â Great local color, and even better food.
The margaritas were great, the portions are generous, and I always get the Steak a Las Brazas (steak smothered in green chilies and cheese). Not exactly health food, but worth it.
Outstanding food & service!! Â I have driven past this restaurant for years without stopping. Â What a shame. Â Friends told me they had the best Carne Adovada ever. Â They were right! Â It was tender with just the right amount of chili and very lean. Â I chose posole instead of rice. Â It was done to perfection.
My second visit I had their homemade red chili tamales. Â They were full of shredded pork covered with a flavorful red sauce. Â Wonderful!!
Both meals came with chips & salsa (really good) and a sopapilla with honey and homemade jam.
This is a definite stop on future trips through the area.
We shared enchiladas and beef tacos. Â Very tasty & totally authentic New Mexico cuisine. Â My lips were glowing from the heat! Â Great attentive service. Â Awesome salsa & chips... I took the rest with us it was so good! Â Interesting atmosphere ...a little too Catholic shriney for my taste. Â But hey good food can be a religious experience!
Review Source:Loved it.  Food and service is great.  One of the best nm restaurant I've been to and I live in Santa Fe.  Burrito with shredded beef  great.  Enchiladas with ground beef and red wonderful.  Sopas fresh and good.    Only minus was having to wait for someone to show up at front door to seat us.  Comes with salad.
Review Source:As a native from Espanola, I had never been to El Paragua before. Â On a whim, I suggested to my mom on my last visit that we try it out for the fun of it.
The overall experience was ok. Â (Just ok.). The decor is really cool - I liked that a lot. Â
The salsa had way too much cumin in it (I had heard from others that they are heavy on the cumin in their food and they weren't kidding. Â I have never been a fan - that was never traditional in our household). I ordered tacos and my mom ordered flautas. Â They were both good, but they weren't exceptional. Â
So this is why I think this place deserves 3 stars vs. the 4 and 5 that everyone else gave it. Â I ordered a house maragarita that arrived in a smallish wine type of glass. Â It cost $8. Â $8!!!!! In Espanola! And it was just "ok." Â But not the best I've ever had and definitely not worth $8! Â I expect pricing like that in Santa Fe or larger urban cities that I've visited, but not Espanola. Â In addition, the prices for the meals were over the top expensive for the food and the location. Â I can't believe that locals come in here and pay those prices.
This was the first and last time I'll come here because I know I can go across town to La Cocina or Los Arcos and get equally decent New Mexico style food for a significant amount less. Â I expect those prices from Rancho de Chimayo or Gabriel's, but certainly not in the middle of Espanola. Â I've lived and traveled throughout the US and NM style food is special....I agree. Â But I found it pretty ridiculous to return home and to to a place in town that would charge these prices. Â It is clearly geared to more of the tourist crowd.
The service was ok at best. Â Our server didn't crack a smile. Ever. Â She didn't make any recommendations on the menu or for her favorites. Â She barely came back to check on us. She gave the minimum. Â Unfortunately, I won't be back.Or if I want to pay those prices, I'd probably go to Rancho de Chimayo for the atmosphere and view.
BTW - I had a wonderfully DELICIOUS margarita at the bar at Ojo Caliente's lodge (at the mineral springs) and it was $7. Â And worth every penny.
We went to this place after our rafting trip on the Rio Grande. I had a cutoff shirt on. I had to put on my long sleeve because there was a big sign near the front door saying I needed sleeves. One of those restaurants that seems like it's haunted inside. The waiter suggested we order tacos, and we did. They were really good. The salsa was too spicy for us. The parking lot was a good walk from the front door. Not a bad restaurant considering we were in a fairly small town.
Review Source:Outstanding Food, but very spicy...so get a cold beer with dinner! After suffering through Northern New Mexican Restaurant Food, the drive to Espanola was well worth it! I had just about sworn off of Mexican food in NM when we were told about El Paragua Restaurant! I am wedded to Salvadorean food since I am from the East Coast and was hankering for a dish with tasty shredded beef. El Paragua was the ticket. It's hard to get a table; that was the first clue that we had not been led astray. The atmosphere was wonderful; especially liked the tree growing through the restaurant. You will enjoy the drive. Arrive hungry and thirsty. I can't wait to get back there on my next trip.
Review Source:Espanola is not a major culinary destination, so this restaurant was a very pleasant surprise. The service was pleasant and prompt, the food was excellent and as authentic as one could ask for north of the border, the portion sizes were generous, and the prices were quite reasonable. My travel plans are not likely to bring me back through Espanola any time soon, but if they do I would be sure to eat here again. A very enjoyable casual dining experience.
Review Source:Super service and excellent food, the Mexican plate is what I order along with my buddy John B; we did good. The sampling of carné adovada, tamale red enchiladas (WOW) and other goodies. Well, we were very happy with the food and friendly service; it was a dimly lit inside for my taste, but the taste of food made up for the moody atmosphere...we'll be back!
Review Source:We hit lunch time on our way from Taos to Sante Fe, and using Yelp found this establishment. We were not disappointed!
We both had a fish taco special (Lent special for lunch) and they were cooked to perfection - well seasoned not greasy  - and the salsa and other condiments such as the pickled pear sauce were flavorful.
However, in the end, it was the sincere tone Roberto, our waiter, set - to make sure we had a great meal and all our needs were met.
Roberto and the other wait staff all wore clean white shirts and ties. The restaurant is nicely appointed with a warm Hispanic ambience. This set an expectation that was met, and made for a wonderful hour away from the car.
If you find yourself in the area of Espinosa NM and like us trip on the Yelp reviews, trust me, if you dine here you will not be disappointed!
Best authentic Mexican food in New Mexico everything is so unique and different from your typical New Mexican food. I loooovee there Enchiladas Atencio, Taco's Las Brazas, and there steak and lobster is one of the best I have had believe it or not. There margaritas are also the best in the state try there silver coin margaritas or there frozen margaritas they are worth every penny. But be sure to take your check book cause this place isn't cheap.
Review Source:When it comes to New Mexican food, this place is in the top three! The red and green chile here is awesome. The Carne Adovada (pork marinated in red chile) is some of the best in New Mexico! Â The taco plate and Enchiladas Suprema are great too. The atmosphere and decor are really great and cozy. You have to love the tree in the bar area! The service is hit or miss, which is typical for Northern New Mexico.
Review Source:as much as i usually love this place, it's not as good as it used to be. Â prices have gone up and service has gone down.
i highly suggest driving the extra distance to rancho de chimayo. Â Â the chips were stale tasting, the meat in the el paragua tacos was dry and tasted more like beef jerky. Â server didn't know the answers to a lot of questions pertaining to certain menu items. Â sorry el paragua, not so good.
The enchiladas made me cry!
Not from the heat of the sauce, but from the wonderful childhood memories they elicited in my food memory bank. Â There was a secret deliciousness that can only be captured with homemade tortillas, an incredible green chile sauce and the perfect cheese to tortilla ratio. Â
Hands down, the best enchiladas I've had in 35 years! Â
Don't forget the huge fluffy sopapilla which was large enough to use as a raft on the Rio Grande.
We also had the lunch special of three tacos: Â one an incredibly seasoned grilled chicken, another a delicious beef and the third a vegetarian (which was rather hopeless in my opinion). Â
Now, they have something which you can't find anywhere else but in a small pocket of Northern NM ... "chicos"! Â Chicos are corn dried on the cob in an horno over a smokey fire. Â They are a unique and wonderful food. Â They serve them cooked in with the pinto beans. Â Absolutely fabulous. Â I'd be happy with a bowl of pintos and chicos and a couple of sopapillas. Â
The service was a little slow as it was the lunch rush hour and it took a little time to get the check, but I was ready to lay my head on the table for a nap anyway. Â
Lovely environment in an old adobe building with wood beam ceilings and a wood burning stove by the entrance where a lady was cooking homemade tortillas. Â
This is so deserving of 5 stars except for the slow service and the sad veggie taco.
El Paragua is now my favorite New Mexican food restaurant! Â I will make a pilgrimage there soon.
I came here for lunch, because my friend wanted to show me some cool New Mexico architecture, and it was perfect. Â The restaurant has red tile floor and thick rock walls and the wooden beams on the ceiling. Â The tables and chairs were pretty interesting looking as well.
We arrived just past 11am and they had breakfast as well as dinner. Â I ordered the menudo soup, and the waitress was so helpful. Â She mentioned that it's a bit of an acquired taste, so she brought out a small sample to determine whether I really wanted it or if I wanted to get something else. Turns out I like beef stomach, and it was a good soup.
The food was really filling, and they had some apple pear jam to go with the sopapillas which was pretty good. Â A great place to go experience some of New Mexico.
We stumbled upon El Paragua on our trip from Austin to Pagosa Springs, by Yelping it. If you love love love good (New) Mexican food, this is the place for you! The service was stellar, the atmosphere old Mexico, yummy margaritas & everyone thought their food was incredible! Kid friendly, too. We felt like we had lucked out finding them!
Review Source:Seriously amazing Mexican food is served at El Paragua! Hubby and I have wanted to try this place for years - the locals recommended it highly - but it never worked out until this latest trip to northern New Mexico. It was well worth the wait. The atmosphere is great - very old school Mexican with lots of little rooms. I couldn't help but notice all the reviews on the walls - it's been around forever. We could have had street food at El Parasol out front, but after all this time we wanted the real thing, so we sat inside. And I'm glad we did!
I find it is usual to charge for chips and salsa in New Mexico, even the first round. El Paragua makes their own and serves them with hot, fresh salsa. The chips were crunchy and had a touch of spice - we all loved them so much we needed more. The kids had the ubiquitous quesadilla and french fries while hubby and I tried the real food. He had a trio of tacos - chicken, asada and pulled beef - each tasting completely different and delicious, with components that highlighted the different meat (like guac with the asada). I tried a enchilada and taco combination (another asada taco and a chicken enchilada with green chile), served with refried beans and rice. We each thought it took Mexican food to another level. This isn't fancy-smanchy Mexican, but it is a little more expensive than the norm. Man is it worth it. Well, I have to admit I was a bit taken aback to find we were paying $7 for flan - it was good, but should only be priced at $5.
We will be back El Paragua! Can't wait to try a bean and chicharone buritto sometime soon too from el Parasol.
This is a very acceptable northern New Mexico restaurant . We have been going here for years since we live up the hill on the high road. It has a nice funky old restaurant interior, a bar, restrooms, lots of parking in the back, usually decent service. Good sopapillas (not as good as Rancho de Chimayo's). My only problem is that It is so dark inside and the reviews on the wall are really old. I don't mind eating in a dark room, in fact I kind of prefer it but in an old restaurant it makes you wonder what you would see in the daylight. On the other hand if you like old funky restaurants in this age of franchises, you will love this place.
Review Source:I was sick the day we went to el paragua so I was jonesing for a nice big bowl of soup, which is exactly what I got - a large bowl of caldo talpeno.
I want everyone out there to know that this is one of the great soup experiences of my life! the avocado worked so well with the hot spicy broth and soft tasty garbanzo's - truly a work of art!
I would have given this place 5 stars, but I feel like that's unjustified based on one soup bowl. Plus no one else let me try their food since I was sick, I don't know how anything else there tastes.
Do not fret, I will be back next time I'm in NM.
Yelp! sure sent me in the right direction with this one. I had a feeling it would be good just based on how it looked pulling up. It looked like a large old style restaurant. The parking lot was very interesting.
You enter into a small bar area in a dimly lit room with a rich southwestern feel. You are then seated in one of a number of small dining rooms with just a few tables each. The rooms are isolated in such a way that you feel like that little room is the only room. Seats are comfortable.
Service is professionally dressed and even more professional in behavior. One person immediately took drink orders and brought everything back almost instantly; I have no clue how he filled the drinks so fast. He was also real good at bringing refills. He also brought chips and salsa. The chips were a harder corn grind and not greasy at all, somewhat salty. The salsa was very spicy yet also tasted very salty, a strange combination for sure.
The menu has usual Mexican items, quite a few salads, even some sandwiches. Nice menu. The server arrived and answered questions about the menu and took the order. She was really knowledgeable and also very friendly.
Food came out quickly. I tried a very nice sandwich that had large slices of chile pepper and mozzarella on a buttered/grilled French roll. This sandwich was beyond good and beyond tasty. It came with fries, which were, well, fries. They were hot and everything but with this really good sandwich some boring fries just didn't do it. I'd suggest pairing that sandwich with some other side item, just about anything else. Basic Mexican items also look good.
Service got a little slower after food was delivered; it took a while for the check and even longer for her to come pick it up after we were ready to pay but nonetheless I still found the service very good.
I'd definitely recommend this place.
They also have a half dozen or so fast food units scattered within about a 45 mile radius called El Paragua. While I did not try those, supposedly it is an abbreviated menu of the same general recipes, so those may be worth a trip too.
One of the little known demigods of the New Mexican food world. Â In response to an earlier review, I don't think it's the right choice for vegetarian fare, but then again, neither is New Mexican cuisine. Â These people would put pork in Congress if there wasn't so much of it there already.
To be fair, I have not had the pleasure of a recent re-appraisal, only an unblemished track record. Â Something tells me it has not fallen from grace. Â A re-review will follow upon returning and no detail will be spared.
Well, as usual, Jeanne d. has nailed one of my favorite restaurants in Northern New Mexico with one of her "right on" reviews. Â Not sure how much I can add to what she's said. Â
The place is lovely - beautiful and historic setting, the New Mexican cuisine text book examples of all of the classics, and, at least in my experience a very warm welcome with great service. Â It's just a short drive up to Espanola from Santa Fe - you could even drive up the back road through Chimayo instead of taking the highway for a very scenic view of the New Mexican countryside. Â You might even save some money! Â Pretty reasonable prices after getting held up in Santa Fe and the food and ambiance are certainly equal to anything around. Â Be sure to take time to look at their amazing collection of beautiful Pueblo pottery and art. Â Provecho!
This restaurant may be a Northern New Mexico fixture, but I am not a fan. The service is not the greatest, especially when you're in a larger group, and I'm of the opinion that the food is mediocre at best. They do have OK drinks and it can become a little lively as the night goes on, so that's a plus. The prices are a bit heavy too.
The last time I ate here, in December, it took so long to get any decent service that I decided to not order and go get dinner somewhere else. The rest of my group stayed, but when I'm hungry, my eyes fog over, and I get a bit surley...
My favorite restaurant in Northern New Mexico and perhaps the world...
To say that El Paragua is a fixture in Northern New Mexico is an understatement. I've been coming here since I was in a high-chair, but by that time the place had already been open for business in some form or another for at least thirty years. Back then I used to order the "wienie-torts" (think pigs in a blanket). Nowadays I almost always ask for the Steak a las Brazas, a hefty rib-eye steak smothered with green chile and cheese and cooked to perfection over mesquite. If I still lived close enough to visit more often I'd probably venture away from  my old stand-by and have the Carne Adovada with Posole which is also excellent. Dinner is served with chips and homemade salsa (those who don't have an affinity for spicy fare should consider testing the salsa before eating in large quantities), an appetizer salad, and sopaipillas with homemade preserves and honey. For an appetizer I recommend the Carnitas or the Nachos El Paragua.
In my experience, El Paragua is accustomed to handling large groups quite well. My wife and I held our rehearsal dinner here in the private dining room upstairs with no problem. However, whether you're having dinner for two or twenty-five, I highly recommend making reservations even though they're not required because this place is a local favorite.
Without a doubt, El Paragua was our favorite off the beaten path restaurant find on our northern New Mexico trip. Â Located in the not so small town of Espanola, El Paragua is the perfect layover on the way up from Bandelier National Monument to Taos. Â I will note that Google Maps places El Paragua further on Santa Cruz Road than it's actually located - it's just off the Rt 68 turnoff.
The interior of this place is Kodak worthy. Â As soon as we walked in, I thought I was walking into a Western version of Frodo Baggin's hobbit abode. Â There's a massive tree on one side of the room with Western as well as religious and antique kitsch items decorated throughout - it's actually quite tasteful when it's all pulled together at El Paragua.
The food was oh so delicious. Â While I wasn't thrilled with the crispy taco shell for the beef taco dish we got (more personal preference than a comment on quality), the stuffed sopapilla with frijoles and carnitas that's smothered in green chile sauce blew me away. Â I wish I had my iPhone docking cable so I could upload photos, but this dish is massive both in portion size and flavor. Â We didn't get our sopapilla until the end of the meal, but it was the best one I had tried on our trip.
The service was wonderful - clearly 5 star worthy for a place like this. Â Our waitress was so nice and friendly. Â The busboy asked if we wanted ice in our waters (very impressed he asked). Â Honestly, we felt quite welcomed at El Paragua. Â We enjoyed it so much that as we were heading from Taos back to Santa Fe late Friday night we were tempted to stop by El Paragua to grab a late night dinner. Â If your travel plans allow you to pass by Espanola, make a definite note of stopping by at El Paragua for a meal that you won't forget.
Called before going to ask if I needed a reservation. Â None needed, just come on in, they said.
Had to wait 20 minutes before I could be sitted when I got there.
Then another 30 minutes before a waiter showed up!
Actually, I had to ASK the busboy  for a waiter to get any service.
Once you get their attention though, things were okay.
Food was good, though pricey and not that much better
than what you can get elsewhere. Â The waiter was
apologetic and tried to make up for my long wait.
Overall a 2-star experience. Â I would NOT go back
if just for the food.
The best in New Mexican and Mexican cuisine is found at El Paragua of Espanola. We go there for the carnitas, tamales and flautas. The posole is exemplary. Friendly and efficient staff are always at hand to supply more water or excellent salsa picante. Everything is top-notch at El Paragua. The Spanish and Mexican tiles, Â and little areas of old wall paper are charming, the memorabilia of the Atencio family is interesting, and the restrooms are clean and tidy. The menu is extensive, and the background music is Northern New Mexican favorites in Spanish. El Paragua is a perfect place to eat on your way to or from El Santuario de Chimayo. I've posted eight photographs of the historic, award-winning restaurant from June 27th, 2008.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elparagua.com%2Felparasol.html&s=9c0dbff95d12bca3935b3df005cd07f05d68d25da60f9cbd409946c62912d677" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.elparagua.com…</a>
I discovered this place earlier this summer on my first trip to the Santa Fe area. I was out exploring at Bandelier Nat. Monument and I asked a local where I could get good New Mexican cooking. He recommended El Paragua, and I was not disappointed.
First thing you notice is that this place is really for the locals, families sitting next to construction workers, next to business types, etc. The place is large and somewhat cavernous, with room off of room, which I' found at a couple of other NM restaurants.
Even though it was lunch, I ordered the Mexican omelette and really liked it. A friend had told me to try sopapillas, which are a sort of fried tortilla-like side dish, which you traditionally eat with honey. They had the best sopapillas that I found on my stay--they were light, steamy and with a little honey almost melted in your mouth.
A thumbs up for this place. The only thing I'd say is that if you're looking for quiet or fancy, this may not be your place. Â
David.
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