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    Papi's Barbacoa

    4.5 (45 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 1:00 pm

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    All meat Barbacoa on corn tortilla
    Matthew Z.

    I wanted to try a new barbacoa spot, so I stopped by Papi's this morning. I ordered the all meat barbacoa with salsa and corn tortillas. Barbacoa (3/5) The barbacoa here was a bit more dry than ones I have had in the past (Rio's, a few places in Laredo). The flavor was still solid and what I expect from good barbacoa, but it was noticeably less tender. Salsa and corn tortilla (2/5) The salsa was a bit too watery for me, and the corn tortillas were paper thin. The tortillas tasted like ones I would get from the store compared to corn tortillas I've had at other establishments (including taco joints). They still got the job done, but I've had better. Pricewise, the above costs about $18 after tax. I would personally stick to rios barbacoa for your barbacoa fix or try a different spot. It's possible maybe I came at too late a time or should have ordered menudo or tamales instead. However, even if it was as good as barbacoa places I've been to in the past, being a few dollars pricier for the same thing makes it not really worth it in my opinion.

    The tamales I opened and paid 15$ dollars for dry and gross

    Food was dry maybe even stale and given in a messed up tin foil wrap and it cost 15$. Don't go much better places nearby

    a car parked outside
    Erika J.

    It is a hole in a wall Barbacoa. The batbacoa is very good, but the flour tortilla was a little dry. People are nice. Still I would recommend this place.

    All Meat, corn tortillas and green salsa
    Edna C.

    Best to go barbacoa. I got half of All Meat, corn tortillas&green salsa. I got complementary beans. Everything tastes so good!! Great staff, very friendly. 100% recommended!

    All meat, finely shredded! They didn't have refried, beans, so ran over to TC's for that!
    Dave L.

    I used to go here all the time when it was Arturo's. This was my first barbacoa I tried when I move to SA in 1998, and it was delicious! Guess what, it's almost even better now under new ownership! I got the all meat, which is seriously finely shredded, little fat, and amazing! Their corn tortillas are a bit thin, and they don't serve refried beans like they used to, but for a little more than $15 for 1lb ALL MEAT, 12 corn tortillas, and green hot sauce, I'll be back!

    Initial press of a fork.

    Tried Papi's for the first time on the recommendation of a friend. He had good reviews but nothing that stood out. I went there as soon as they opened, 0630, and purchased the Spur Special All Meat selection, a packet of flour tortillas and another pound of All Meat. The rice was higher than I expected compared to my usual establishment CMM. But not one to give judgement without trying, I paid the higher price, over $35. I found the All Meat to have much more grease than CMM. I do expect some grease but this was to the point when I pressed it with a fork, I would get excessive drainage. All in all, I was disappointed with my first visit but I will give them two more visits before making a final decision on further patronage. For the time being, I will continue to go down CULEBRA for a few blocks more and get my usual All MEAT Special at that particular MARKET. Strike One.

    Tamales have meat so tasty! Not a lot of masa!

    Hands down the BEST Barbacoa in San Antonio! I love their specials. Food taste so good. Corn tortillas are so soft! Tamales are on point! Not like some that have more masa & less meat! I'm sorry I didn't take a pic of the Barbacoa but it is NOT greasy at all!! When it says ALL meat, that's what you get!! The staff is friendly. This place use to be Arturo's Barbacoa. The former owner had a friendly staff & always took care of his customers. I'm feeling like this new owner is also taking care of his customers. I've never been disappointed!! I've tried many places & nothing compares to Papi's!!

    Barbacoa with avocado, fresh green salsa on a home made corn tortilla. And charro beans on the side!

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 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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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great pick up and fresh Barbadian for the weekend! Not loaded with fat very nice and lean

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This place will remind you why barbacoa made childhood Sunday breakfasts so memorable.

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Barbacoa was ok. Wouldn't go out of my way to buy again. They said they have homemade tortillas but they weren't.

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    The Barbacoa was delicious. My tamales weren't as great but I'd still choose this place over any other Barbacoa place

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Best Barbacoa in town. Friendly an open Saturday and Sunday. Very delicious. Once you taste it you will return. Don't forget the Big Red.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Papi's is the best! Moved here from So Cal and have not been able to find good menudo until now. Thanks Papi

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    8 years ago

    Barbacoa & charro beans are on point....do yourself a favor & give this place a shot...you'll never go back to Rios again

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    8 years ago

    This is my go-to if I'm in the mood for excellent barbacoa. Amazing lengua and really good barbacoa.

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    8 years ago

    I was really satisfied with service and the all meat barbacoa.... I won't be going else where .

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Papi's Barbacoa

    Review Highlights - Papi's Barbacoa

    The charro beans are perfect for a cold day out eating them in a cup while freezing out in front of a bonfire.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    I have been here several times. It's one of those staple tourist places that you have to visit when…read moreyou are in town. Service is fast, place is decently clean for the foot traffic, the servers all look happy and eager to work. I ordered tortilla soup, I usually like it with a cup of rice and avocado like most places serve it. However, I definitely think this is a safe Mexican food restaurant when it comes to not overdoing it with spices and the extra stuff. My soup had a decent amount of chicken. I had a mimosa, loved that they used fresh orange juice. Flour tortillas were delicious! Before heading out you need to have the sweet bread!! So goooodd!

    People say when in San Antonio, do like the San Antonian's. Nobody really says that. I mean, I just…read moredid, but I also just made it up. With that being said, let's make up a review. Except I'm not actually making the review up, I've been to the place. Both San Antonio and the restaurant moments away from being reviewed. I'm always down for solid Mexican food. It's always pretty damn good. I mean, at the pure base of things, it's basically the same few ingredients, just different vessels to get it to your mouth. I'm never bad about that. I love transportation. Mi Tierra was a pretty great looking place. Plenty of space, a nice outside waiting area, plus a bakery. I have never been to a place with a bakery that I didn't like. It seemed like a very authentic place, and that's coming from a resident of Michigan. A resident that eats Taco Bell. A resident who eats Taco Bell and think's THAT'S authentic Mexican. The first thing I noticed was that this place did not seem to serve burritos. Not a marker really for me, but it was something I've never came across before. I also thought that you were stuck ordering enchiladas or tacos in a meal type of setting. Upon further questioning, you can order a la cart. That was a relief. I ended up ordering the enchiladas Verdes because sometimes I ignore my color palate and go for green. And because I can't just stop eating one form of meat, cheese, and sauce, I ordered a taco. Actually, I just ordered a taco because I wanted a dryer enchilada. Or did I order the enchiladas because I wanted a wetter taco...I don't know anymore. Anywho, I ground beef, American style taco. Now, I've always been a big fan of chips and salsa. Some salsa hits, some miss. Some salsa is pureed and is basically red water. Some salsa is just a full tomato. I like my salsa like I like my orange juice. With extra calcium. Wait. Mild pulp. That's it. This salsa pretty much hit those notes. Had good flavor and a little spice left to linger. The main course came out and everything looked delicious. Green enchiladas looked exactly like I expected. However, it took me a moment to realize I was not looking at a burrito...but instead, my taco. It was served a peculiar way. wrapped, seam down, with a little bit of the meat on top, pico and lettuce on the outside, next to it. It was a burrito peacocking as a taco. I've never seem this display before, and I have been to many Taco Bell and non-Taco Bell restaurants. The taste was pretty good, though. All the taco flavor in a burrito jacket. The enchiladas were pretty decent, too. Everything tasted like it had all the ingredients and that they were in all the right spots. No doubt about it, I was full after e

    Photos
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    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

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    Surprised the wife with a trip to Pan Fila for her favorite hot chocolate and concha. We started…read morewith the Pan Fila Conchota combo that is a combination of the two that is 1/2 gallon of hot chocolate made using a base of Abuelitas with additional cinnamon, and cocoa along with something special. It was delicious! The concha was soft, buttery and flaky, with just the right sweetness. We took home the majority of it and it stayed nice and soft instead of turning hard like so many others. We decided to try several appetizers to go along with our concha to get a wider taste of their food than we would by just ordering a couple entrees. Let me tell you, this was a great idea! We ordered the Tosti-Ceviche Verde, Panela Asado, Mexican Street Corn, and their Spicy Bean Dip. The Ceviche Verde was excellent, the freshness of the fish and shrimp was wonderful with the chipotle mayo and avocado. We chose to have it on the salsa Verde Tostitos and it was all great combination. The Panelo Asado was a completely new dish for us and was extremely good with a savory flavor from the salsa Tlaquepaque that mixed well with the Panela cheese. Their tortillas though not made in house, are made for them and taste like mom made them. The Mexican Street Corn was great and had the perfect bit of char taste from the corn. It was creamy and flavorful, we did think it could use just a tad more lime juice though. The Spicy Bean Dip was very good. You can't go wrong with Oaxaca, Chorizo, and pieces of pork mixed with some mildly spicy beans. Our server was fantastic. She had great recommendations for us, and was quick with checking on our drinks and generally helping us throughout our dinner. The food was prepared quickly, was hot, tasteful and refreshing. We definitely will be going back, and recommend Pan Fila to all of you.

    La comida y el servicio siempre esta phenomenal! Ive been here twice and both times the food and…read moreservice and vibes were 10/10. I recommend the cafe de olla y el flan the most theyre delicious. Its a nicely decorated restaurant and the music is great too! My new go to for brunch or happy hour.

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