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    Papa's Tacos

    4.1 (328 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 11:00 am - 6:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Papa's Tacos Photos

    Business Info

    PAPA'S TACOS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Papa's Tacos

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    Reviews With Photos

    Papa's California Burrito
    Indi E.

    My kids and I come here every time before we head down to the beach. They love it, which is a win in my book cause they never all eat at 1 place. The seagulls and pigeons will also tell you they love it since they've repeatedly stolen leftovers from the INSIDE of my backpack. Our usuals are the asada quesadilla, potato burrito, and papa's California burrito. The green (mild) salsa is tangy and not spicy which we prefer and compliments our food well.

    Food was really good
    Chencha B.

    Great food..red salsa was FRIRE!!! Definitely recommend Great service Asada nachos and asada tacos Fish tacos was great too And carnita taco

    bean cheese rice burrito

    A bit pricey, vegetarian options were more expensive than meat which doesn't add up. Burrito had no flavor, cheese wasn't melted. Salsa verde was flavorless too. Disappointing

    The vintage sign really adds to the neighborhood.
    Grandma Pika C.

    Visiting from Portland and found this spot while driving around. They gave generous portions and the meats were flavorful. I got Papa's California Burrito and it was excellent. The salsa was good and chunky. Wasn't a fan of the "mild sauce", didn't have much flavor at all. The staff that helped us were polite, prompt, and friendly. Only two outdoor tables that have seen better days, so take this to go! Perfect for a beach picnic or cruising to a park.

    Machado Chicken Street Taco, Black Beans ,Rice
    Jennifer R.

    Great spot by the beach. Food was excellent and served HOT! Service was great, parking is a bit tricky but there is parking in front of the place.

    Mahi Mahi Fish tacos... the bomb
    Amanda N.

    Yes. This spot is a five star winner. It's just a humble blue shack on the street; go order from the window outside, don't forget their homemade salsas. Mike is the owner; shake his hand, thank him for his 33 years of dedicated service to the community and enjoy your food. This is a great hole in the wall spot that represents the area well.

    Potato Burrito

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    1 month ago

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

    A bowl of homemade chicken tortilla soup is a delicious and perfect meal for rainy days. Yummy!!

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    8 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    IT WAS AMAZING!! They're very quick and the food was delicious. Highly recommend!!!! Their chips are so good.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    I got a Papa's tacos for their street tacos. They give you plenty of meat and the tortillas are fresh. For only $3.50 each it's quite a buy!

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love love love Papa's tacos. My favorite dishes. This is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Laguna.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Papa's Tacos Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Papa's Tacos

    Are any of the vegetarian options vegan?

    Yes. The Veggie Bowl (minus rice - our rice has chicken broth in it) and ask to grill the veggies with soy oil instead of margarine. Veggie Burrito and Taco (minus rice, cheese & sour cream). Potato Burrito (minus rice and cheese). Potato taco… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    South of Nick's

    South of Nick's

    4.6
    (1.2k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Delicious, well prepared, elevated Mexican dishes with an artisan's aesthetic flare to put it…read moremildly. From the beef options to the ever so delightful seafood options - your tastebuds will enjoy a night out here. Atmosphere is energetic and most inviting. Excellent for a date night or book a gathering - you'll be well cared for - staff is most welcoming. Views across PCH allow glimpses of the ocean and sunset beyond. Highly recommend / suggest you make a reservation.

    PHENOMENAL dinner service from the waiters here. Great cocktail pairing recommendations with meal,…read moresuper attentive, always delivered, and great end to my engagement night. Would 100% come back. That said, I'd admit, a certain DTLA Michelin restaurant has set my expectations of south of border seafood cuisine a bit too high (starts with H) so I'll try to be reasonable. Also the items picked were surprisingly huge and i was too full to finish my meal. 9/10 The chips tasted delicious, bean dip was something new and delicious, salsa was fresh and bold, and the roasted pepper salsa was surprisingly not too spicy, really good. 8/10 trio de cheviche. Good assortment and size of the dish. Shrimp was ok, I felt it was missing something, octopus was good, my personal favorite was the marinaded tuna. 8/10 seafood chile relleno, not a bad assortment, sides were good, large portions of food. 10/10 Coco rita, this margarita is definitely something different! And pairs with everything amazingly, I love it, and this is coming from someone who normally hates coconut. 9/10 they brought out this chocolate cake I dont see on the menu but they will if it's your birthday, but in my case to celebrate my new engagement. Super moist. The place is really loud ambient wise when busy which was around 8pm which is normal of any popular place but after near closing around 9:30 is pretty quiet and casual on a Sunday. Total bill after a 21% tip ran me total $165 and I had leftovers. Free chips, 1 large giant appetizer, and 1 large entree could potentially feed 3 people if you don't eat a lot. If you don't wanna have leftovers, go easy on the chips but that's gonna be hard.

    Photos
    Bar area with chips and dip
    Bar area with chips and dip
    Tres leches
    Tres leches
    Pork mole enchilada and chicken chipotle enchilada

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    Pork mole enchilada and chicken chipotle enchilada
    The Taco Stand

    The Taco Stand

    4.2
    (570 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $

    Taco Stand never misses -- but just know this is not the exact same experience as the San Diego…read morelocations. The flavor profile here is definitely a bit smokier/charred compared to the Taco Stand spots down south, especially compared to La Jolla. There are slight variations in how some of the food is cooked and prepared, but it's not bad at all -- just different. If you come in expecting an exact replica, you may notice the differences. If you treat this location as its own thing, it's honestly really solid. Huge shoutout to Carlos at the register for the excellent customer service. We ordered food both for here and to-go, and everything was packed separately exactly how we asked. We also made a few modifications after placing the order, and Carlos went out of his way to track down our ticket and write the changes on it himself to make sure everything came out correctly. Food was still great, service was amazing, and we'd definitely come back again.

    I've been to a different location before (La Jolla) and I think this location wasn't as good. I'm…read morenot sure what the difference was but the tacos weren't as flavorful especially when it came to the Carne Asada. At the La Jolla location you can see the staff making the tortillas + churros and this location the tortillas were packaged. I'm not sure if they use the same ingredients but this could have changed the flavor profile. They were still yummy don't get me wrong but they just weren't as good as I remember them. I ordered chips and guac as well and the staff forgot to include it in my order so I had to go up to the counter another time which was quite a hassle given it's a very busy restaurant with the line out the door the entire time I was there. The salsa selection is rather nice especially when most restaurants are trying to cut down on salsa options + use the lower quality ingredients. You can tell the ingredients in the salsas were high + they even have a few creamy options which is hard to see at most Mexican restaurants these days. I do think the guac was a little limey but it wasn't bad when you added it to the tacos. If you go I would recommend you go with zero expectations of eating inside as there are about 5-6 tables + waiting a long time for your food. The beach is 10 steps away so you can always take your food to the beach too!

    Photos
    Great spot
    Great spot
    California burrito- good carne Asada in there
    California burrito- good carne Asada in there
    Freshly made churro with a sweet cream sauce for dipping.

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    Freshly made churro with a sweet cream sauce for dipping.
    Javier's

    Javier's

    3.6
    (4.6k reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$$

    The food here is second to known I've tried there whole menu dam near there Aguachiles money any of…read morethere tacos tucked fire asf I can keep going but yall need to go check k it out it is a little pricey but worth every penny and there desert omg

    Came in for a family dinner with a party of 13, and wow--this place was already packed by 4:30 PM!…read moreReservations aren't required, but I highly recommend making one if you don't want to wait. Despite how busy they were, the service was excellent. Drinks and appetizers arrived within minutes of ordering, and the staff did a great job keeping up with our large group. The unlimited chips and salsa were dangerously good. I always tell myself I'll stop after a few chips, but somehow I never do--and this salsa was definitely the reason why! For my entrée, I ordered the three seafood enchiladas. I appreciated that the seafood flavors were bold and fresh without tasting fishy. The green sauce complemented the dish perfectly and elevated the flavors even more. I also sampled a combination plate, which was good overall, although I felt the chile relleno had a little too much cheese, making it difficult to taste the chile itself. For dessert, we couldn't decide on just one, so we ordered the chocolate cake, tres leches cake, and fried ice cream. My ranking: fried ice cream first, tres leches second, and chocolate cake third. The chocolate cake was good but similar to what you'd find at many other restaurants. The tres leches was delicious--moist without being overly milky or sweet, and the almonds added a nice texture and flavor. The fried ice cream was the standout for me. The crunchy cereal coating added great texture, and because it wasn't overly sweet, it balanced perfectly with the ice cream. Overall, this is a place I'd definitely recommend for both the food and service. Just remember: reservations, reservations, reservations!.

    Photos
    Newport Beach Location
    Newport Beach Location
    Filete Ladrillo
    Filete Ladrillo
    Newport Beach Location - Tacos

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    Newport Beach Location - Tacos

    Papa's Tacos - mexican - Updated July 2026

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