El Cid
“If you are going there for huge portions of Spanish style lobster, steak, appetizers and paella you will never be disappointed.”
“The prime rib is enough for 2 people for several dinners, but it's prepared well and I often can't say no to it (plus I love the leftovers).”
“While the tenderness and depth of flavor weren't quite a match for dry-aged prime, it was a surprisingly fine cut of meat.”
El Cid
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Make sure to come HUNGRY! Portions are huge and prices of some of the entrees are on the higher side. Also they don't take reservations, so on a weekend be prepared to wait about an hour or so. Staff seemed to be attentive once they came to the table but there was a delay when we first sat down.
Appetizers to go with here are the garlic shrimp, chorizo and spicy beef tips. Entrees come with salad or soup. If your a blue cheese lover make sure to try their blue cheese dressing….YUM! Dinner for me here has always been the paella or the mariscada verde. They make some of the best green sauce I've ever tasted! As for desert, I have a weakness for flan and have to order it whenever it's on a menu.
Saturday night dinner for a group of 8 made it difficult of the bat. Our friends had arrived early an we were immediately seated when we got there. This was a huge bonus, because the line was out the door when we arrived and the bar was packed.
Our table was in the corner, which was good, but it was an awkward size. We had a round table attached to 2 smaller tables. This made it difficult for everyone to engage in conversation together, so we were more like 2 separate groups of 4. It was also quite loud during prime time.
Onto the food…bread was warm and hood. We ordered 3 garlic shrimp, a spicy beef tips, and clams as appys. We loved them all. Each had a nice sized portion and I felt full after round 1.
Onto the main event. ..friends ordered surf and turf. That looked amazing, beautiful piece of filet and a gorgeous lobster tail. I was definitely envious of the lobsta….. 3 of us ordered the shrimp with garlic or green sauce. Definitely 4+ star. One ordered seafood paella and one steamed lobster. All of the food was great, especially the lobster, which was amazing. Sides were spanish potato chips and yellow rice.
Overall, we had a great meal and a great time at about $100 per person. I don't think that I would go back on a Saturday night, as I prefer a more subdued atmosphere and less traffic.
Some colleagues and I enjoyed a lunch here on a recent business trip. El Cid was highly recommended and it did not disappoint.
We were sat quickly and the service was prompt. Before ordering we were given some delicious home made bread and potato chips – odd combo, but each were very good. I started with the house soup. It contained pork (I think) and vegetables. The soup has really nice flavor to it. Very enjoyable.
For my meal I ordered the marsala filet tips and Spanish rice. Stellar. The filet was cooked perfectly (medium) and the rice was great as well with just the right amount of spice. Surprisingly the masala sauce complemented the steak well. I usually like my steak without sauce as I think it hides the flavor. In this case though it worked perfectly.
Overall a very pleasant experience. Food was great and service superb. I found the prices to be very reasonable given the quality of the food. Highly recommended when in Paramus.
I live out of state but every visit to northern NJ includes El Cid. My friends and I always order the twin lobsters, which by the way are served as 3 lobsters. Yes, the portions are large. Check out the prime rib! The best blue cheese dressing I have ever had. We have always had great service here, even when we arrive later and close the place. The only down side is that the downstairs is very loud. Nothing to absorb the sound. Uostairs is better noise wise. The food is fabulous! Can't wait for my next visit.
Love this place, come here often. Usually sit at the bar. Try to avoid Saturday nights where the wait is usually an hour. Always get the spicy tips appetizer. If we are a big group we will get a 10lbs lobster (or whatever they have that evening). The food is delicious, generally the portions or huge (look for someone who ordered the prime rib or skirt steak if you don't believe me!). Some things are a more normal size (shrimp dishes, etc) so if it's your first time, ask. They usually close for a good portion of August for vacation. Call ahead if it's the end of summer.
If you like big portions, Spanish food, sangria, and don't mind a 1 hour + wait, this is a good place to try. From fish to steak to chicken to lobster, they have it all.
The area to wait is tight so plan to stand for awhile and get a drink at the bar. As long as you go in knowing this, it will be less stressful. The parking is also tight so expect to take some time to park.
The food: The garlic shrimp were good but I hate that they don't devein the shrimp. It took away from enjoying it. The chorizo was good too, just greasy as expected. These appetizers were not huge portions like the entrees. Your entree comes with salad or soup and rice and chips. The chicken dish (there is only one) was good, the sherry was very strong, but I still enjoyed it. You get 4 pieces of chicken, plenty to share or take home. The sliced tenderloin came in a brown sauce, like a mushroom type of sauce, but it doesn't say it on the menu. Be very clear when ordering and ask questions if you have any. The rice pudding and flan were said to be very good too.
The drinks: The sangria was really a good mix between dry and not too sweet. One glass is $9, a small pitcher is $17 and a large is $30. The large was enough for 6-8 glasses.
I would go back, but wouldn't have the shrimp again. The steak tips looked good, I'd try that in the future.
Its worth going if you like prime rib, its just too large for me so I didn't order it. The whole lobsters come with 3 not 2…I guess as a nice surprise ?!
I was treated to a dinner here and ordered the chilean sea bass. I thought the whole menu was overpriced but when my meal came out and I realized it was enough food for 4 full meals, I no longer thought it was overpriced, just wasteful.
No one needs to be served that much food. No one.
The fish was good. It was definitely fresh. The appetizers we had of chorizo, clams casino and oysters were also good. I just don't get the portion size. Why not make it a bit smaller and charge less? Does anyone ever finish a meal here?
Love this place. Definitely a bit pricey but with it for special occasions. I always get their prime rib special when I'm there as it can probably feed for people fairly easily.
Staff is super friendly too. Come by here for some good food and some nice ambiance.