Do you like delicious sandwiches? A commenter on yesterday’s post about breakfast in the neighborhood mentioned Paila Grill on Park Road as a good spot. I hadn’t been before so a buddy and I went last night. The verdict: tasty stuff. I want to go back soon and try more.
It’s a small spot with a few tables, and the owner, a friendly Chilean guy, recommended we eat in rather than get it to go so it doesn’t get cold. The place specializes in churrasco (steak) sandwiches, plus hot dogs with lots of toppings. I tried the chemilico (below), which is steak and fried egg, and my buddy got the chacarero (above), steak, avocado, jalapenos, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. Both were served with a small side of chips and pico de gallo, and both were pretty delicious. I demolished mine. The chemilico worked well as dinner and would be equally as good for breakfast or lunch. I could have gone for some kind of side dish, but the sandwich was quite good.
The steak is tender, cut into pieces and nicely seasoned. On the chacarero, the green beans sound strange but work well, they’re tender and good. The toasted buns were pretty good too. The owner said everything is fresh, nothing frozen. Plus it’s inexpensive: the sandwiches were $7 each.
The owner also recommended the viensa completo, an all-beef hot dog with avocado, tomato, mayo and sauerkraut. I’ll have to try it next time. They also have fish tacos which Yelpers recommend and breakfast, from sandwiches to burritos.
For dessert I tried to get the brazo de reina, a traditional Chilean pastry with dulce de leche, but it was sold out. The owner (who while we were there spoke Spanish, English and French to different customers) said his wife makes it and was very convincing about how delicious it was. Next time.
The place doesn’t have alcohol and is a little lacking on ambiance, but if you like good, fresh food, this is the spot.
They’re open until 9 pm, 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and open at 8 am.
Yelp likes it too and they’re also on Facebook.
Paila Chilean Grill is at 1424 Park Rd NW.
