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Papa Guapo

4.3 (12 reviews)
ModerateMexican
Open 12:00 am - 7:00 AM, 11:00 AM - 7:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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PAPA GUAPO ATMOSPHERE

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Restaurant front
Emmett T.

What used to be a longtime coffee shop in the heart of Old Town is now the home of a taqueria specializing in loaded baked potatoes. Papa Guapo is the new taco joint that has inherited a converted house with a largely covered front patio and a spacious interior with tables in a living room setting. A cartoonish mural was painted on the right wall of the patio depicting the business mascot. Parking was available curbside or in one of the nearby common lots where most visitors parked. Two menu screens hung behind the service counter. One of them listed the signature items which were a baked potato or french fries covered with melted cheese, butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and a choice of one of four proteins. The prices ranged from $14 to $16. The rest of the first screen displayed the burritos, quesadillas, and tacos. The second screen featured appetizers, desserts, beverages, and a kids menu. I thought the cost for a loaded baked potato was a bit much so I settled for two of the four street style tacos... Carne Asada (steak) and El Pastor (marinated pork). Each one cost $5 and was served on a pair of corn tortillas dressed with guacamole, onion, cilantro, and salsa. The two meats were cooked well, however for a street size variety, the prices were high. I did purchase the Churros for dessert. There were half a dozen pieces in the order and tasted sweet and sugary as expected. The service from the staff was very friendly which was why I rounded my rating of Papa Guapo to a four star level.

Shrimp tacos and El Pastor tacos  (with no cilantro on either, by request.)
Amanda Z.

After looking around for a place to eat lunch in Old Town that was a) kid friendly and b) wallet friendly, we settled on Papa Guapo. They had a lovely outdoor patio perfect for eating outside on such a beautiful day. My kids happily munched on their chicken tenders and fries. I appreciated that they were cut up for them. My husband got a burrito and I couldn't decide between the El Pastor tacos and the shrimp tacos so I got an order of each and shared with my hubby. I also really appreciated that they were able to accommodate my request of no cilantro. The El Pastor was very tasty, albeit just a bit dry. And the guacamole was so good and fresh that I wished I'd gotten chips & guac as a starter. I wished they'd had a salsa verde for the pork, but the very pleasant and attentive server mentioned they didn't serve it anymore. The salsa that came with the tacos added a nice flavor though. The shrimp tacos were FIRE (delicious, not spicy) . Fried to a crispy golden brown, super fresh, and topped with diced tomatoes and a chipotle mayo, I could have easily put away twice as many. I was a little regretful that I gave my husband one of the three shrimp tacos, but after eating 4 tacos already, some self restraint was necessary. A little shredded cabbage on the side was the only thing that could have made these tacos any better. It was a very satisfying lunch for the whole family. Next time we're in the area, we'll definitely be back. And next time, I won't be sharing my shrimp tacos hahah.

Pour $2 marg drink can in cup then up charge 8x for ice, salt, and lemon
Ramiro H.

I hate leaving 2 stars, especially when the service wasn't bad, but I got their best meat recommendation and it was quite literally the worst taco I've ever had. The meat was chewy and had no flavor. I was looking for hot sauce to salvage the flavor but there was none. I asked for a margarita to chase the bad flavor and they got a plastic cup, put salt on the rim and cracked open a can of some marg drink then poured it in. I understand that it's a business but the price to value just isn't close to come back and try.

Gustavo B.

What a fantastic new gem in old town San Diego! We stumbled across it for lunch and have it a shot. Though they lead with their famous baked potato we opted for some of their Mexican entrees. The chicken quesadilla, the chicken burrito and their homemade guacamole were superb. And ask for Madelyn... as our server, she was phenomenal!

Carne asada burrito with green chili salsa
Koldon S.

Carne Asada baked potato with guacamole . Great food, nice vibe and ambience Taco Tuesday spot for sure

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Review Highlights - Papa Guapo

The baked potato is the main event.

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Quixote - Chocolate cake

Quixote

4.0(662 reviews)
3.2 mi
$$$

This place is so cool for celebrating special occasions…read more We celebrated our anniversary and they gave us a candle with our names on it!! So sweet The interior is so cool - very gothic medieval vibes inside!! We tried a couple of items but specifically LOVED the squash blossom and the crab donut and the duck memelita! The fried chicken tacos were pretty good as well Personally I did not love the fondue - comes with corn tortillas on the side - it's not my favorite style Drinks were great - I tried the guava Paloma and liked it a lot but wish it was a bit more sweet more guava flavor

Four of us dined at Quixote last night. I can see why it takes a few weeks to get a reservation…read more The place is truly magnificent. We ordered about six small plates, and they were all delicious and unique. Hard to pick a favorite. I'd say the shrimp tacos were absolutely incredible. Everything else was packed with flavor and very different than anything you will encounter at any other restaurant. It is special. My only complaint is that the place is so dark that you can barely read the menu. Also, being so dark, you can't get a good look at the food or even see color. And I would think that the food is beautifully presented. We are in our 60s. That might have something to do with our inability to see anything in that low light condition. We had to pull our phones out so that we could light up the menu and check out the food we were about to eat. It does make for a dramatic ambience. There are thousands of candles that add to the experience. But I gotta knock them a point because I couldn't see my food or read the menu without help.

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Quixote - Dramatic dining space!

Dramatic dining space!

Quixote - Bay Scallop Black Cocktail. Tender octopus, creamy avocado, and a hint of sweet heat from the sauce.

Bay Scallop Black Cocktail. Tender octopus, creamy avocado, and a hint of sweet heat from the sauce.

Quixote - Cool and dramatic setting!

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Cool and dramatic setting!

Coasterra - main entrance

Coasterra

4.0(4k reviews)
2.0 mi
$$$

Made reservations on open table but the space is so big there were still lots of vacancies when we…read morewent for a Saturday lunch. Ordered the crispy calamari, ceviche trio, and ahi tuna tostada. Enjoyed the different flavors of ceviche and was a fan of the super crispiness of calamari. My fav was the ahi tuna tostada. Super dressed up and had a good mix of crunchy, tart, salty, and mildly spicy. The restaurant has a great view of the ocean especially if you sit outside. Our waiter was very friendly and our food came out in a timely manner.

My girlfriend made reservations for Mother's Day for an early dinner since her mom was in town. The…read morehostess were friendly and led us to our seats. The gentleman/waiter handed us the menu and went on his way. Chips and salsa along with waters for the table were brought and then that was when the service of our waiter went downhill. We ordered the ahi tuna and guacamole for our appetizers but the timing for the meal was so off. It was a long wait before the waiter even checked back on us and which is when I asked for a refill on my water and chips. We had order drinks as well. The smoked old fashion was good and the ahi tuna appetizer portion was plentiful. There were some parts of the diced ahi that was a bit chewy. The gaucamole portion was large and it wasn't until I asked another waiter did my refill of water and chips arrive. For entree, we got the scallops with corn cake, a salad and I had the poblano burger. I asked for the burger to be cooked to medium. When the entrees arrived my burger was overcooked with no pink in sight. The flavor of the burger was good but the burger was definitely dry as can be. The corn cake with scallop was interesting it was almost like the corn cake was a croquet that encased a corn salsa. Overall the food was okay but the service left a lot to be desired. The waiter and the end seemed to put up a fake act when the check came. Since we asked for the check it seemed like the waiter was on hyper speed. Overall the view is nice but the food and service did not meet the expectations.

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Coasterra - Skyline & bay views

Skyline & bay views

Coasterra - View from patio

View from patio

Coasterra - Main dining room

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Main dining room

Papa Guapo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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