Papi Grandes Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Buffalo
Site: https://www.whosyourpapi.com/
- Monday:11AM–9:30PM
- Tuesday:11AM–9:30PM
- Wednesday:11AM–9:30PM
- Thursday:11AM–9:30PM
- Friday:11AM–10:30PM
- Saturday:11AM–10:30PM
- Sunday:11AM–8:30PM
I ordered a papi grande nacho more then 20 times and it was always completely amazing. Yesterday I ordered it and it was horrible a complete waste of money and time. I was so disappointed and upset over my order so upset I will probably not bother ordering there again. The nachos was missing like 3 key ingredients. It had almost no chicken I paid 25 dollars for nacho and salad and I drove all the way from Buffalo to pick up my order I wasnt gonna waste time calling to complain and drive all the way back for a new one . Well they will never get my money again that Im sure of. I never ever complain about a order being wrong. It happens fast pase restaurants get bust things happen but I just wanted what I paid for and I didnt get that . I emailed there customer service and still no reply there to busy taking people money and not making sure there customers are satisfied. Find another Mexican restaurant its not worth the hassle 😒
Im from San Diego I know Mexican food and cant find anything authentic in WNY but this was different the tacos were unique had good fusion of flavors menu is very simple I believe they could expand it and widen their appeal overall good service the blonde Emma? very attentive and sweet and personal able prices decent
Website menu is incorrect. I chose this establishment based on a single menu item only to find it not on the menu. If I hadnt already ordered chips and guacamole I would have walked out. Speaking of, 10 bucks for chips and guacamole? Ordered fajitas. Told waitress we were splitting them, still only gave us 1 plate. I ate over a napkin. They were weirdly saucy and wet. Tortillas were dry and stale.Lettuce had that weird bagged sakad taste. Rice ice cold. Table was dirty. They all looked grubby, tbh. Cheap looking fixtures. Our waitress was ok, friendly. Others were, uhm,interesting. Clothes literally falling off. Not in that sexy Im looking for bigger tips kind of way, but that I cant be bothered kind of way. Wouldnt go back. I wouldnt recommend to anyone either
This place has alot of potential being near UB. But theyre not trying to meet that demographic. Limited menu. There were so Many cars in the parking lot, but they must of been at the movie theater. There was only a handful of people there on a Saturday night, sitting outside. It was so hot under that tent. They need to improve the outdoor space and maybe a get a live DJ in there to draw in more people
The margarita I order was frozen. It was chunks of ice no taste for small 10$ drink. 1 taco I order was fajita chicken with coke . 3 stripes of chicken with 6 cucumber pcs. For 4$ . My husband order 3 taco deal on the menu 13.89 or so we were charged 16.99. The side rice was so dry. Bill was 44$ before tip.Next time will go to mighty taco at least 3$ taco they put some cheese & lettuce too. It was not a good food. Disappointed
Great tequila sunrise, but hoooooorrible food. Dont come here expecting a great eating experience. Id hate to see what Gordon Ramsay would find in the kitchen. Everything tasted old, and the chicken tasted like tuna. The blonde waitress was sweet and bubbly, but other than her and the drinks, those were literally the best parts of this place.
New location is horrible. Security letting tons of dogs in say their emotional support dogs, place is so dirty, it’s basically Chippewa with bean bag tossWent here for national taco day. Had a great buy 2 get 1 taco special. Drinks were solid, environment was awesome, just wish they had grilled options for the fish and shrimp as everything was very heavy.
Sorry but I wasnt impressed. The food was mediocre at best. Its like they were afraid of salt. I ordered my stand by, fajitas, chicken the potion was HUGE and they were ...ok we also got the queso, ehh i didnt care for it but it too was a huge portion. Amd then we ordered the chickem chimichanga. It also was huve but it just lacked flavorThe wait staff was very friendly. They did t have normalthings like chili reanos or a simple tamale, but they had mexican wedge salad and mex poutine fries? Idk.
Just picked up a Chimichanga and Papi’s Nachos because no delivery services deliver out my way. It was so worth the 30 minute drive! My order was ready when I got there and the curbside pickup was really fast and easy. The order was made perfectly (I added some special instructions), and still was hot when I got home. I’m a big fan of burritos and this was the best chimichanga I’ve had in years! My wife and I also loved the Papi Nachos. The chicken was moist and so flavorful and the portions were huge! Thank you Papi!!
The food wasnt bad, but the quality was definately short of the price, and everything felt like an extra charge. Additionally, this may be the only Mexican restaurant Ive been to that charges for chips and salsa. It feels like the owner is trying to nickel and dime the customers. I probably wont be back, since I can get much better food for the same price elsewhere.
The good: staff was great.The bad: food and price. Food is bland. The salsa is straight out of a can, tastes like pace you buy at store. Tried 4 different tacos, I couldnt tell you what was what, no taste to anything. Another person had the chimmichanga, all you tasted was queso. Another one had enchiladas red, didnt like the taste, couldnt finish it. Prices are way too high for what you get, both quality and portion size, compared to the authentic Mexican places around town.
Really looking forward to their March Margaritas and half price appetizers tonight. Ordered nachos without jalapenos, they came with jalapenos and 2 long hairs. They were going to give us another order but it was too late. Thought maybe we would get a discount on the drinks we ordered but no. Asked to speak with the manager but he was busy in the back. Very disappointing. Really liked Papi Grandes but unfortunately, we probably wont be back.
The service was good, our waitress was really nice and the food didn’t take long to come out. The food was just ok, the salsa tasted like Tostitos salsa, small portions, and seemed a bit overpriced for a few menu items. (You do have to pay for chips and salsa) It didn’t taste like authentic Mexican. Overall we won’t be coming back, but hopefully they improve the food in the future.
My husband and I went for dinner Monday night.. service is extremely slow, HOWEVER, our waitress who was training was so friendly. She is the reason I gave the 2 stars. Our food took very long to come out, they didn’t have half of the things we ordered, my beans were hard like they formed a shell from sitting out for too long (gross), and I was still charged for the items they didn’t have and replaced with cheaper items.. The food is sub par and came out cold and hard.. the tacos were completely mush by the time they came out from sitting in their own liquid for so long waiting to be served. The floors in there are pretty dirty, could use a good mop once in a while! I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately it wasn’t my only bad experience.
What happened to this place? The atmosphere, patio, and people are still nice, mostly, but the food has taken an absolute nosedive into the gutter. The meat was tough, bland, and didnt have an passion behind it. This place was never incredible, but it was never supposed to be. Avoid it until something changes.
The food was awful. Overcooked soggy rice. Beans that looked like overcooked baked beans. The entree was hard to chew which I attribute to the queso blanco - it reminded me of the melted Velveeta Queso Blanco. No chips and salsa (served free at other Mexican restaurants). Asked for diet Pepsi and was told they do not carry that. Menu says diet Pepsi. Was not a good experience.
I have no idea why people are rating this restaurant so low. This is me and my boyfriend’s go-to date night spot. The staff is always very nice and the food is fantastic! My favorites are the fish taco, the vegetable quesadilla, and I love their queso! Plus, they are very adequate in maintaining social distancing. I’m very cautious about where I go, if I choose to go out to eat, and I’ve never felt uncomfortable or unsafe there. Keep up the great work!
It was my first time dining at this restaurant. We were welcomed and greeted by our server Zach upon arrival. He was an excellent server and was very knowledgeable about the menu. He was conversational and yet willing to answer our questions about the menu. He went above and beyond as a server. Zach even expressed some of his favorite foods on the menu.We chose to eat the Mexican Paella and the Sizzling Fajitas off of the menu. The food was fresh and delicious. We definitely would return to this restaurant with the clean decor, cost effective food prices and awesome service will prompt us to come back again.Thanks for sharing your passion for Mexican cuisine with our community. :).
Really bad experience for the food and the service. Food is not worth the price you pay, they have a good menu but the food was horrible. The churros were basically nachos smothered in cinnamon brown sugar, which didnt make sense! They can definitely work on developing the flavor and the authenticity. Apart from the food the service was extremely disappointing. During our to-go order, there was no one to attend us on arrival for at-least 10 minutes. Straight up rude behavior when finally someone turned up. Never visiting again.
Went to see the band outside the first time there had a great time saw old friends made some new never knew it was here really close to home recommend you try it I will again because I didnt get to do it all there only went outside to see the man workers atmosphere and attitude were so good made me feel where Id want to come back again try it youll like it
The waitress doesn’t know how to tell you what’s on special and what’s not so you get overcharged with no warning. She said “I’ll see if I can do anything about it” then wentIn the back, charged my card full price, came right back out and said they couldn’t do anything about it. Okay sure you couldn’t.... not great food compared to the better Mexican places around. Will definitely be telling my friends not to waste their time going here.
I was going to order take out. Used to be able pay inside with a credit card when picking the order up. The waitress who answered the phone said its either with cash when coming inside or pay with a credit card over the phone. Told her weve been paying inside with the credit card since doing take out the last couple months. Waitress gave an attitude because I wouldnt give my card information over the phone. I used to love it there, now they have lost a customer, will not be going back!
I pre ordered 4 orders of churros for a small party I was having. I picked up the order, went home.. and when I went to open the churros 2 of my orders of churros were replaced with giant piles of ice cream with churro looking crumbs on top. My husband took them back and they said that they ran out of churros. So instead of telling me that, they just replaced it with ice cream and didnt say anything. They also offered him more ice cream as a solution to the problem. The are refunding the 2 orders of churros they didnt give us but still disappointed in the lack of customer service.
Food was tasteless, I ordered chicken fajita it came with no peppers and onions like menu shows. I had waitress take off bill. Beans were burnt, they charged $3.99 for salsa and chips and it was tostitos salsa usually that is all free with order when I asked the waitress they said due to cost with vivid they arent making homemade anymore. Rice had absolutely no taste and cook was on break when we left smoking a blunt in his car... very disappointed... stay away.... waitress was the only upside. Also the inside was very run down and dirty! Needs upkeep. Also window said free queso when in fact they did away with that also....
The best steak fajita I ever had! The steak was seasoned perfect. Plenty of shells, beans, rice, etc.. The service was great! Our server made sure we had everything we needed and checked up on us periodically. She also seemed very happy to wait on us! Highly recommend Papi Grandes !!!
I never write reviews but the food was so bad that I felt like I had to warn someone. Ive heard from friends not to go here but we were in the area and I wanted to try for myself. My tacos had no flavor even similar to Mexican and they were cold. My boyfriends burrito was basically the same. I left hungry and had to go to Taco Bell next door 😣 One star is for the service because our waitress was great.
Today was the first time we visited this restaurant. Chips and salsa were very good, although very salty. Service was adequate. Chimichanga was very good. Ordered the Mexican Paella for myself and found that the saffron was way over the top. Could have added just a small fraction of what they used. Rice tasted like I was eating flowers. I felt that it completely masked the other flavors I might have tasted in this dish. We may visit again, but wont order the Paella.
It was better, but this last time I ate there something had changed. The menu was much smaller and the flavors of the fillings had a sweetness to them that I totally dislike in Mexican food. Im not saying its a bad place to eat. It was clean, it has a great atmosphere, and the food preparations were definitely well made. All Im saying is compared to when they first opened, the flavors have changed in a way Im not crazy about. Try it out, you might love it. I however probably wont be back. Im disappointed.
Very helpful & friendly waitstaff. Food was delicious, balanced seasoning & well cooked meat/seafood in our entrees. Excellent rice bowl, the pickled onions & guac are especially tasty! Margarita was a tad on the sweeter side but overall delicious. We’ve very much enjoyed our dining experiences at Papi Grande’s & we look forward to our next dinner out!
Me and my family love Papi Grandes. The staff is always extremely nice and accommodating, especially during pandemic times. The Felipe and stinger tacos are on another level. Best chimichanga in town. Can’t get enough of the margaritas. Would highly recommend for both takeout and dine in!!!
Our waitress was amazing! Super kind and attentive, she did all she could to make this place seem good.But the food was below average. I would hardly call this Mexican food, and I can get better tasting salsa/queso at Wegmans or Moes. The best part was the alcohol, it made the food easier to eat.
I went there yesterday with my mother and my father thought it would be a nice time since the open patio look pretty adorable. Weve been here before and knew it was pricey but we figured we could catch it around lunch time since theres a huge sign saying 650 lunch specials, so we decided why not. I understand a lot has changed since covid-19 but we waited outside at the door like the sign said for about 5 to 10 minutes before going in and standing at the hostess stand for another few minutes until the server came up shocked and looked agitated that I was inside the building, even though the inside was open for dining. Sit down with the attitude waitress and order our drinks and ask about the lunch specials since we no longer see them on the menu. The waitress tells us then that the owner took away the lunch specials but failed to take the sign down so all the entrees were still upwards of $14. That was okay we had already sat down so we begin order and were also told then that there will be no chips and salsa unless we are willing to pay for them. After this experience I will no longer go back the food is subpar and for three people it should not cost $75 for Mexican food that dont even offer lunch specials or free chips... When I can go right down the street 5 minutes and get amazing food with huge portions for literally half the cost. I understand covid-19 impact on small businesses but to reopen jack up the prices and offer nothing to your returning customers other than extremely expensive mediocre food and rude service I dont think youll make it another year or at least hope you dont.
Terrible food and super loud music. If you want Mexican food, don’t go here. More of a bar than a restaurant - although the drinks leave quite a bit to be desired. Ordered a iced strawberry margarita and it tasted very bland, basically like water with alcohol mixed in. Very, very poor.
Just had lunch there or waitress was Sarah and everything was amazing! Best queso sauce I’ve ever tried and the food was outstanding! Great flavor in everything that we had.The owner Jimmy came to our table he was extremely friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone. We tried like eight different things and everything was terrific can’t wait to come back!!!!
I seek out the best tacos in the land and this place is not it. Tried three different tacos no one at the table gave the food a good rating. Will not be back to eat, maybe a beer. The setting is nice, large craft beer selection, it has a patio, and staff was friendly. Tried three different tacos no one at the table enjoyed their food.
I really loved this restaurant. The waitress was so accommodating and friendly. We didnt have a lot of time but I wanted to have something before we went to our movie. She was Aces got our food out in no time. I had the perfect chimichanga it was not over fried beautifully cooked really large portion. Their guacamole is some of the best Ive had. My son and his friend split a quesadilla and they both devoured it and said it was really good. We will definitely be back again.
I recently went here for takeout lunch and have to say it was disappointing. Mexican food usually has such great flavors but this does not. The meat was dry and the flavor bland. Also the tacos I ordered were suppose to be on corn and came with flour tortillas. Not to mention the missing sour cream. Sigh. Ill pass on eating here again and you should too. The waitress/bartender was nice though.
Waitress was nice and friendly but food was overpriced and just meh. Nachos were good but entrees not so much. Everything in there was sticky and when i wiped some water off the table a thick white foam came off in the napkin showing then residue is probably from a cleansing detergent that isnt being used properly. Really disgusting and not worth the price.
I used to enjoy this restaurant. However in the last 6 months it has gone downhill. The camarones tacos tasted like shrimp and ketchup, the salsa watery, the corn shell stale and worst of all $9 for a margarita that tasted like Mrs Ts mixer and a 1/2 shot of tequila. The bartender couldn’t get off her phone and the manager (from what I could tell) moping around like a kid lost on the playground. Im not sure if it’s under new ownership or management but this place is not what it used to be. This has happened the last 2x we were in and we will never be back. Please get it together before your doors close for good.
If there was a option to put 0 stars I would haveused it. The food was bad, horrible. Starting with the sauce they give you with your chips as soon as u sit down. It was so acidic. Then we order some cheese dip to try, it was ok but not that good. But then we got our entrees, the beef was so sour you could even smell it, and they poured what it looked like 4 spoons of meat into small thin tortillas. The rice had no flavor neither did the beans. The enchiladas tasted acidic as well. Not even the children’s chicken nuggets we’re good. I wouldn’t even give this food to a stray dog. Even the water was bad.
Horrible. Dont even know how to describe the disappointment. 630 pm on a Sunday...place is almost empty (six people in dining area and four at the bar)... Had to send drink back...had to send food back...ended up not eating because of the poor/lack ofquality... restroom was disgusting. Hard to believe this is same place we ate in almost two months ago. Food/quality/cleanliness ... absolutely terrible. Totally unacceptable. Server was a very nice apologetic young man. Management seriously needs to step it up. PS... YOU NEED LIDS ON YOUR RESTROOM TRASHCANS...HEALTH VIOLATION!!!!!!!!! And DISGUSTING!!!!!!
The place was well designed. The waiter was very nice....but the food was awful super dissatisfied with the fish taco no flavor super salty everything needs more flavor...its Mexican food!!! The only good thing was my daughters chicken quesadilla I was stealing from. They need a new chef and management! Prices are extreme for this quality!!! You need help!
My friends and I love this place. Jimmy, the owner, never fails to make us feel welcome and special. We love the house chips and salsa, beer selection, and chill atmosphere. They also host a variety of events like karaoke, trivia, themed parties, and dueling pianos to keep it interesting!
Ive been craving Mexican food for awhile now so when we decided on the movies I convinced hubby we had to eat here since it was right next door and yum. Everything was so good we shared some nachos and I got the chicken fajitas and they were delicious. Hubby got the tres tacos and they actually let him choose which 3 he wanted.The lobster taco so good he told me I had to try it and I agree absolutely amazing that I will be getting that the next time we go there.. Everyone was so nice there. We sat outside and enjoyed the yankee game on the projector. My only complaint was there was way too much lime in my strawberry daiquiri and hubby was complaining the music was too loud. Other than that we had a great time!!!
Came to Papi Grandes in hopes of finding a new go to mexican restaurant. When we walked in, the first thing we saw was a drunk man at least in his late 40s loudly yelling at girls (who were young enough to be his daughters) to come get free drinks with him. Despite this red flag we wanted to give the place a try.The waitress was very friendly and attentive to whatever we needed. The problem however was with the food. The menu was promising but the food we ordered just tasted of salt. salt salt salt. When we got the bill, the price was just made the night more upsetting.The only food that was good was the salsa that came with the chips.
My fiance and I decided to try something different after our movie date for my birthday weekend and I must say our experience wasnt great at all. She didnt like her food, the loganberry was watered down, the queso and salsa for the chips taste like they came straight from a jar and I even had to get my own straws from the bar. Needless to say, we were still charged. First and last time for us. Oh and the guy that ran the kitchen needs a new job and a hairnet!
I just read Joe Lewiss review and had to say I had the same experience with a hair in my rice. Could clearly see it as the waiter placed it on the table. As I checked the rice just to verify I was seeing it correctly he walked away. When I called him back he said no one here has black hair. I however do. Hum? What was he saying? Staff could care less. My fault for trying this place instead of a much better authentic restaurants for half the price. Never again. If it wasnt for the college kids the place would be out of business.
Don’t bother wasting your time going here. The restaurant looked like no one cared to take care of it. The food was flavorless and disgusting. The food was just terrible; meat was smothered in sauce, guacamole had no taste, The beans that come with the meal tasted rancid. The waitress was nice but did not ask why I had a full plate of food and didn’t want a box. I will not be going back.
If I could give no stars I would. The server was nice but extremely slow. I knew right away it was not going to be good when the chips and salsa were the worst Ive had and how do you mess up chips and salsa. The food took forever and less than worth the wait it was so bad it tasted spoiled. Not authentic Mexican or even close. The prices were OUTRAGEOUS compared to the quality. Do yourself a favor and go to Mighty Taco instead.
Im glad we went there when we werent in a rush to be anywhere. I would call the service a snails pace but that would misrepresent the speed of a snail. The snail is much quicker. With that said the food was very good. I ordered the chorizo chimichanga and my wife the lime shrimp tacos. Both were very tasty and we were impressed. The wait staff was pleasant and the food made the trip worthwhile. As I said, make sure you have plenty of time for your visit.
The plain margaritas were mediocre. We had to send the strawberry/pinapple margarita back. Tasted like cough medicine. The rice was overcooked to a mush. Refried beans had no taste and the quesadillas were laid ON the beans so the bottoms of the quesadilla slices were soggy and you couldnt pick them up. Waitress was nice. Like that they have bar trivia there. Would only go back for bar trivia but not for the food. Not authentic Mexican and not even good Tex-Mex.
We have been here twice after watching movie in AMC. One do the days it was game day and we sat and watched soccer game outdoor which was lotta fun. Second time was winter. We were the only customers that day. The place offers complimentary drink with the movie ticket. However drinks are not great. Less alcohol and more soda.
The waiter did his job. My family and I came to Niagara Falls from Chicago, IL. Long drive and looking for a place to eat. The same way we got our plates is the way we left them to say the least. The rice was uncooked,crunchy and hard, like it was days old. The beans had a bad smell and taste to them. The steak didnt have any flavor whatsoever. When the waiter asked how everything was, and we answered with the above: his response was that they had new chefs, and that we arrived late, so basically giving us the leftovers. Waiter apologized but never offered a solution. Manager Matt seen how disturbed we were and didnt bother to ask as he seem pretty busy and buzzed from working the bar outside. He didnt bother to speak to me until I asked for a MANAGER!!! Dont go to this place unless you want to be disappointed! Not sure what was Mexican about this restaurant, false advertisement...ughh
All stars go to the server. Food was ok. . Margaritas were sent back because they were like water and crushed iced. Server gladly went back to bar and got us another one. Dont expect tablespoons with your soup, they will ring teaspoons. We noticed that it was like that for everyone who ordered soup. Some chips were stale, maybe they were leftovers from someone else. Salsa was terrible, looked like crushed tomato from a can. Want great Mexican food? Go to Aguacate on Transit Rd., Lockport
Avocado wasnt smashed right very lumpy but tasty. Ordered steak burrito, paid 3$ more fore it, discovered it was chicken once I got home. The Arabe tacos were cold and not enough sauce. I think it depends whose in the kitchen, bc last time I visited everything was great, which is why I returned!!!
My wife and I use uber eats once a month or so. This is the first time there was an issue. Uber and their driver is at fault and the driver cancelled our order after it being made.Needless to say papi grandes stepped up helped us in our HANGRY moment. It speaks volume about customer relations. The food was awesome. Regardless of the unfortunate events that lead up to it, Papi Grandes held up their end and we will visit again. I recommend if youre looking for good mexican food at a decent price.
I ordered margaritas for cinco de mayo and this staff was working so hard. There was a line all the way out of the parking lot. During Covid we are all adjusting but these employees were literally running to deliver food to people. Outstanding customer service, friendly!
By far one of the worst mexican joints Ive been to. We were the only people there and our food took 40 minutes. The refried beans were not edible the queso cheese was disgusting. My chicken and steak fajitas were charred black and bone dry. The only decent thing we were served was the hotdog.
From a visit a while ago. Sat at the bar. Bartenders were handing out free drinks, which was great! Someone else at the bar bought me a drink. Whats not to like! Food was quite good.The bartenders were choosing their own music though..and well..its not something that I would ever play in a restaurant. They were friendly, but, cmon...
Sad that my family spent way too much money on the over priced canned chicken, refried beans that had a hard coating over them I couldnt even try them they were so old and dry looking. The cheese turned almost into a jelly once it wasnt hot anymore. We were the only ones there and waited over a half hour for our food that looked and tasted so old, VERY disappointed. Should have trusted our gut, theres a reason we were the only people there!
This place is a disgrace to mexican food. Way overcharged and honestly I can make better mexican food. The burritos are dry, filled with uncooked peppers, service is goof but food needs flavor. Its a beautiful restaurant but owner need to do better job managing the food and who he hires. Food expectations, highly disorganized and need better management n
Being in the bar business for 35 yrs when there was any problems the Manager would always come and address the issues. Not the Manager working today 6/19/2017. Hid like a little scardey cat. We were served spoiled milk to my grand daughter our guac was brown and taste like a salt lic. Also my chimichunga SUCKED. When the waitress came to the table she asked if we would. Like to see the manager I said honestly why hasnt he come to my table yet. She took my meal off the bill and Nap MANAGER STILL. Maybe a call to the owner or health dept not sure yet. Service poor food horrible . stay far away
Giant hair in the food. The manager Matt could not have been any more unprofessional or cared any less. Made awkward smirk remark about taking the entree off the bill (not apologetic). Said sometimes hairs fall into food and thats just something that happens here and not in his control it happens. Even the waitress (very nice) was grossed out when she saw the hair and was surprised we ended up paying for the bill. Have heard bad things but now will never return. Most unprofessional staff and person to person experience I have ever had.
The food was not even close to authentic. The salsa is like tomato paste spaghetti sauce. The queso wasn’t even as good as a place like moes. And it’s wayyyyyy overpriced. I won’t be returning. I have had better enchiladas from the frozen section of my local wegmans.
Sorry, not authentic Mexican, is more like an American idea of what is Mexican....We ordered Enchiladas, they gave us two white tortillas with a tasteless chicken and the enchilada sauce was horrible. Also Red salsa tasted like it was a combination of Italian spaghetti sauce with onions and peppers...
This is my first ever written review on a restaurant, thus showing the pertinence in what I say and how strongly I felt about my experience. I ordered a Carnitas Enchilidas for takeout. When I approached the bartender I was confronted with nothing more than a sense that he was simply doing his job, no more than that. It took close to an hour for my food to arrive. An hour, for one, singular dish! Now mind you, it was Cinco De Mayo, but it seemed that the sizeable crowd here was a bar crowd. However, I do happen to work at a Mexican restaurant myself back on Long Island. So, I do have an idea of how long certain dishes take to prepare and execute. Everything is prepared for this dish before the service starts. It is not as if they are making a small portion size of Enchilida sauce for each order. No, it is already made and is safely (hopefully) being kept at temperature. Truly, all they just do is portion out rice and beans on a platter, fill the tortillas (most likely warming the tortillas) with the meat, pour Enchilida sauce on them, melt cheese and make sure its a dish that is servable. A process that should take no more than 10 minutes. During the long, and boring wait, I was offered no reassurance my food was coming. There was no mention of an apology for the long wait. When I had finally waited for about 35 minutes, I spoke to a bartender for the 2nd time, who then went into the kitchen to check on the status of the food. He came back telling me it would be another 5 minutes, and I had an option of getting my money back and leaving...remember this is after I had been waiting for now 35 minutes. So, of course I stayed because I had put in too much of my time now. But, the service was well below par, this restaurant could be the DMV of Mexican restaurants. Who knows maybe the cooks in the back decided to take shots, ripped up the tickets as confetti, so that they could have some sort of fiesta in the back in honors of Cinco De Mayo. Or maybe every single one them got explosive diarrhea leading to their inability to cook. All I know is that this establishment, which is in a buisness that is quite futile and dangerous, just lost a customer and this customer will advise his friends and peers not to patronize their buisness.
After being seated by the hostess we sat for 25 min with zero acknowledgement of our presence. So I decided to take my money, and business else where. I could understand if it was busy, but I only noticed 4 other tables that had people seated at them, and judging from other reviews there seems to be an issue with the service, and actually waiting on customers.
Cinco De Mayo. Charge $10 for a maragrita and bring it in a 6oz. Plastic cup? ComOn Man....Dont mind paying for a margarita. And we was ready to have many. Also, seems paper menus were made for the day to jack up prices. Seemed a bit expense for lunch items. Party Porch Bar atmosphere was cool and the man singing was good. but not for them prices. Many other places do the same for half the cost. Getting rich quick lost me for the long term. Food is ok. Wont be back....
Had this for the first time today 6/16/18. Got the fresh made Guac, made by Carlos, AWESOME.. The tacos,1 carnita and 2 Chorizo, were great. The rice and beans was very good not dry.. I lived just outside of San Diego and had some fresh mexican food.. This tasted just the same.. Very Good.
Ok where do i start, i cant give this place more than a two star. Stopped by for a quick bite to eat after a movie next door to try a newer mexican restaurant and give them a review as a local guide for Google. Sat in a booth and ordered some food, i got the Burrito Grande with Chicken, my girlfriend got the same minus the chicken being a vegetarian. The waiter was great but then heres where i was disappointed. The salsa was bland, no flavor , i actually added hot sauce to spruce it up, wasnt tomato chunky at all like a salsa dip, but free is good. Ordered the entrees and they arrived relatively quickly. The chicken burrito was also bland, the chicken they used resembled the chicken from a can the way it shredded when cut up and then tasted. It was far from chopped grilled chicken breast. The side of rice and beans were lukewarm / room temperature. The small plate and the product spread out as a display probably had something to do with it cooling fast. Other mexican restaurants always warn you about a hot plate. i assume they know the product cools fast when sitting in the kitchen; waiting for the rest of the meal to be completed. Lastly , the rice was half cooked, actually hard to eat because it crumbled off the fork. I did mention it to the waiter and he said sorry. The beans were bland also, not only lukewarm but also lack of flavor. they served whole beans not refried beans. The bill came and not only wasnt something discounted for the undercooked rice or offered, but they also charged me the full price for the burrito Grande without chicken for my girlfriend. I figured they would have charged less with no protein on it but thats not the case here. My mistake for not asking, but anywhere else they knock off some price for leaving a primary ingredient off. The cook here should sample the food they sell so he or she can determine the spices necessary for mexican entrees; It definitely lacked
I wish I could give zero stars. After ordering my second drink there i noticed that bartender was eating an orange and then put the peel in my drink. Its absolutely disgusting. Need peels for a drink? Prepare it in a morning but dont use your fingers covered in your saliva. So grossed out.
Worst tacos ever. I ordered the carnitas taco. Is was all guacamole and a sprinkle of carnitas. The shrimp tacos came out like a quesadilla. One shrimp chopped up and drizzled with cheese . The food was non edible and no where close to authentic. As far as a Mexican restaurant. They play nothing but Puerto Rican music. I guess they have an identity crisis going on.
Called to order food for my family I was told they would take my name and number and I would receive a call back within 20 minutes to take my order. I never received a call and when I attempted to call back 40 minutes later the phone was busy for over an hour like it was off the hook.Very disappointed my family was looking forward to having food from here. Thanks for ruining or dinner plans.
When you have to send a margerita back that should tell you something. Long wait for food. They ran out of chips. Burrito Grande was dry luke warm and not very flavorful. Server was pleasant. Dont know if well be back. Doesnt come close to La Tolteca on Transit Rd. El Agave on Union Rd id s Also better. Even the salsa was dry.
Was there on 1/8/16. Cant say i will be returning. Got the shrimp tacos. Took a very long time to get our food, and when we got it it looked like the saddest plate in the world. So little rice. Could see the plate through it. Maybe 1 layer thick. Tortilla was stale on the edges. Bathroom is terrible. Cant close the door on the mens stall without considerable effort to lift it. Hurt my finger unlocking it. Just all around bad time. Wish i could forget my visit. Extra star because they still have a chance to improve.
Zack was GREAT!! Very good service and the food is Delicious!!! Always drove by the place but never went in and I’m so happy I did!! Definitely will be going back and the prices are great too!! If you try this place out ask for ZACK!! He will make it a great experience
Called to order food to go I was told to leave my name and number and someone would call me back within 20 minutes to take my order. 40 minutes later still no call so I called back and phone was busy tried for the next hour and phone was busy like they took it off the hook. My family was looking forward to having dinner from here. Thanks for ruining our night.
Waiter was wonderful very nice gentlemen..but... I got the chimichanga beef and I got it looked delicious...it was so loaded with cheese it was horrible I personally love cheese but it was so packed it tasted like only queso, the refried beans were a strange grainy consistency with this i think it was feta cheese (my friend ate them) rice was ok salsa was good also got a pork tip taco and again...drowning in salsa verda so waiter brings the plate in the back manager allowed him to take off the 3 dollar taco not the 13 dollar chimichanga that I took 1 bite of...just disappointing
I went to the Mexican restaurant Papi Grande I enjoy the food it was delicious and the server his name was Zack and he was very good and very kind always smiling and spoke very well I enjoy the food it was tasteful and I would definitely go back and ask for him again I do recommend for people to go there you will enjoy the food and the company thank you very much
Will never return after eating here was up sick all night! The food did not taste good service was very slow,although the waitress was very friendly was not worth me up all night sick!and that was the only thing i ate that day so it had ti be from there ,will not ever return!
Total reviews rating 3.5
199 Reviews for Papi Grandes Mexican Restaurant and Cantina 2023:
Review №1
2021-12-22Once we checked in we got a free offer for queso and chips. However, the waiter already hooked us up before hand because we were going to a movie next door. I loved how conversational our waiter was. He showed genuine interest in the movie we were going to see and built rapport with us. He was very attentive to our needs and on top of refills. I got the chimichanga with chicken and my husband got tres tacos. The chimichanga was huge and packed with deliciously flavored chicken and it had a generous amount of queso on it. Yummy. My husband said the tres tacos were okay. There was also a live music playing when we went which I found enjoyable. The atmosphere was lovely, fun, and I would recommend coming here.
Review №2
2022-07-22My fiance and I have been here about 5-6 times in the last year, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. It is a very chill atmosphere. The service has always been great, but its even improved more recently, the food is well seasoned and delicious with ginormous servings (we always have lunch the next day), the margaritas are awesome, and everything is reasonably priced! Well worth it. Plus, whoever was running the music playlist tonight had good taste!
Review №3
2022-05-20I do not recommend this place. We thought this place would be a nice place to go after a nice movie, but we were soon proven wrong. First of all, we payed for every step we took in there. The Margaritas were 13 and a half dollars, for a glass barely bigger than a shot glass. We then ordered Chips and Salsa. First of all, the chips and salsa were 100% bought at a store. Literally tasted like something Id find at a Dollar Tree. Next of all, we grabbed food. Horrible mistake! The portion sizes were small enough that not even an ant would be full from it. The Enchiladas were so dry, and the sauce was actually tomato paste. The beef tasted foul, not to mention the rice. The rice tasted like you poured 100 salt shakers on it, we were coughing because the salt was so overwhelming. Another person at our table got Fajitas, which were 25 dollars for some horrible stuff that was probably 5 bites. The meat tasted like a McDonalds patty. The other person got some kind of Taco Mac and Cheese, it was drier than the Sahara Desert. It was also extremely small. Once we got our bill, we only expected it to be around 50 dollars. WRONG! It was about 110 dollars, for nothing. We left that place extremely unsatisfied and hungry. Lord knows what an inspector would find in that kitchen.
Review №4
2022-06-10Ive been to many, many Mexican restaurants in my life. Unfortunately and disappointingly, I cant count this as one of them. The margaritas were so sugary and limey that they were barely drinkable, and IF they had tequila in them you couldnt remotely taste it. As for the food....wow....its as if the chef who made the menu only ever looked at pictures of Mexican food without ever actually tasting it. We ordered the shrimp and steak fajitas and the steak was way overcooked, the veggies undercooked, and were pretty sure the shrimp (all four of them) were precooked and previously frozen. They didnt even look or taste grilled. We might try this place again for a drink (not a margarita) and music, but we wont be ordering food. We only gave it two stars because our server was very attentive and friendly.
Review №5
2022-05-12$10 for a Margarita that tasted purely of mixer. Very sparse menu. Not many choices of Mexican Food at all. They are into tacos at $5 each and up.If you want Mexican American food, this is the place. They should be renamed Little Papis Tacos.
Review №6
2022-06-03One of the worst tasting resultants I’ve been too, the chips were so cheap and and obv from a bag, the salsa was so sweet, the food was very bland. The meat was a weird grey color inside, and smelled so weird. I am vomiting profusely the next day after eating it. *** I have confirmed food poisoning, tried calling the restaurant to let them know, and they kept sending me to an automated message. My next step is to call the health department/CDC no one else should have to feel like this. My fiancé got chicken instead of beef, seemed to be a way better choice. This place could be on bar rescue…. I wouldn’t eat here if someone payed me to.
Review №7
2022-07-08Come for a drink and light bite. Fun atmosphere - kid-friendly and dog-friendly too! Sam is the best!
Review №8
2022-03-22Went on 3/21/2022. Would NOT recommend anyone go there for food. Waitress was very nice. Food was pitiful. Refried beans were dry and tasted like taco seasoning was mixed in. Rice as well. Chimichangas were barely warm and eating half of it was painful. I feel as if I someone literally stole 35 dollars from me. This restaurant used to be good. They should be disappointed and embarrassed with the product they put on their plates and serve to paying customers. I apologize for the harsh words but it was actually that bad.
Review №9
2022-03-27This is the worst restaurant I have ever gone to. I spent $100.00 in 4 plates of $13.99. They charged us even the oxygen we shared in that place. I was going to leave when I sat down but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Worse decision ever. We ate 3 Taco meal. 1. The meat was without flavor. The shrimp taco had 2 shrimp without anything. 2. The rice is literally rice from the Goya box sprinkled with sazon 🤮. The refried beans my god... They are from the can again mask with sazon. 3. The lemonade and sweet ice tea is literally water with color. American people can be fooled but a Hispanic never will. Also, the utensils given to me were dirty. I will never do business here again.
Review №10
2022-06-03Well first off I must say the waitress or bartender was great. Very nice and attentive. But omg they charge for chips and salsa now which most places serve for free. The salsa was so thick it tasted like tomato paste. Then the margarita was just ok but it wasnt even served in a margarita glass. Hello your a Mexican restaurant. Wow. Very dissappointed. Will never go back.