So expensive for exceedingly subpar food. Somehow buying tamales ($12) and a margarita ($10) cost $37 in the end. Very fraudulent. Also they add an extra 20% to the bill automatically. read more

These tacos are my absolute favorite in Baltimore. You can design your own and the service is very quick. We come back regularly for the shrimp tacos, which are incredible. That's all you need to get. The quesadillas are also really good but we almost exclusively pick tacos (the other protein options are also tasty). read more

Papi's Tacos - Shrimp tacos are the bomb dot com - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Truly enjoyed this place. Bar tender was super friendly and helpful, the guacamole was superb and of course the tacos..... The tacos. Try'em, eat'em, love'em. Small cozy joint. Bar seating and table seating in the back. I believe there is an outdoor area for warmer weather. Great deals and happy hour. I'll be back. read more

Best taco spot in Baltimore. Period.. simple ingredients made fresh to order. Service is great. You will not find a better place to delicious street-style tacos. read more

Rude staff. They have a confusing way to select tacos. When I ordered, 6, I was given 8 tacos. When I told the rude and condescending waitress it was wrong, she replied with " I told you..." and I asked if i was stuck with the order and she said yes. Rude and condescending. Never go here again. Stay away!!! read more

Amazing food. Amazing vibe. Loved it. Loved the taco sheets Hate that it took me so long to discover it.

By far the best tacos I have ever had. Anyone in the area needs to stop in for a bite and a margarita. read more

Papi's Tacos - Crunchy Carnitas Tacos with Pico de Gallo Arroz Rojo and Frijoles Refritos. - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The bartender, Nick, makes the most delightful, magical margaritas that taste like pie. He is fantastic!!!!

In a city where one typically must choose between authentic Mexican and American Mexican, Papi's offers the best of both worlds. Specializing in a wide array of meats, fixings, toppings, and styles for their tacos, groups can get just about any style of Mexican food their little hearts desire. Sad to see some of the negative reviews, as both of my visits to Papi's have been a huge success! I've tried the plantains, yuca, and queso as apps. Everything was well prepared, with the plantains and yuca's savory sweetness complementing the rich white queso laden with bits of spicy chorizo. Their complementary homemade chips are perfectly fried: light and crunchy tortillas that dissolve in your mouth. The salsa is fresh and bright with just enough heat. I've always steered straight for the taco front when it comes to entrees at Papi's. So far, I've tried the braised short rib, chipotle roasted chicken, maggi and butter braised lobster, and the margarita marinated fish with salsa pina. Having gone with both the authentic and gringo style, I prefer the former with soft corn tortillas. It's really up to personal preference though, they've delivered on everythign I've ordered thus far. On top of the tasty tacos and apps, Papi's has an awesome vibe both inside and out. Out front, there's the traditional patio seating - great for sunlight and people watching. Prefer a more secluded, perhapos romantic setting, but still want the fresh air and outdoor feel? Try their back patio: high brick walls with ivy climbing, low lighting by candle and twinkle lights...if you're not careful you'll end up thinking you stumbled into a seaside cafe in Zihuatanejo. Not one to bear the elements while you chow down? Zip on inside and snag a table inside, or a seat at the bar. Papi's has you covered when it comes to options. read more

I found this little gem out by accident...well not really- I yelped it. I took some out of towners here because they were in the mood for Mexican! Papi's did not fail in delivery. My ADD kicked in and I did not have the patience filling out the "taco form" so the waitress was nice enough to accommodate lol. The gringo style vegetarian tacos salsa margarita with Grand Marnier . read more

Sadly, this is another case of the I-really-want-to-love-it-but-the-business-gets-in-it's-own-way blues. The joint really deserves 4 stars (at least) for it's happy hour (ahem, "Papi hour") specials, quality of food, and overall prices. Happy hour (4-7) includes all the $3 drink specials you could ask for (sangria, margaritas, draft beer - including a fantastic jalapeno IPA that is soooo fitting) and free house chips and salsa (which is quite mild, but it's hard to complain on free). I got to try veggie tacos both styles, and they were great both ways: authentic (cilantro, onions, etc) and "gringo" (aka, shredded american-style cheese, shredded lettuce, shredded tomato (just kidding, just chopped a-la pico de gallo), and "crema" (aka sour cream). Essentially, the veggie taco was fried yucca (I'm pretty sure a single yucca fry, which they also serve) as well as sautéed cactus fruits. It was good - waaaaaaaaaaay better than the overpriced Barcocina mushroom taco I had the day before. So, where does Papi's lose points?? Sadly, it's the service. And I'm super easy-going, so I'm hard to un-impress. ESPECIALLY when there's good food and prices involved. Here's the story: I'm meeting up with friends for happy hour. I live close so, naturally, I'm there first at 5:00 sharp. When I arrive and ask to be seated, the hostess informs me I can't be seated until my entire party arrives. To set the scene: It's practically dead inside. There are literally 5 other people dining and just as many employees standing around. I eye the place and respond "um, yea, they'll be here in a minute..... but if I should leave or something...." After a obligatory moment of awkwardness, she says "I guess I"ll make an exception" Yea lady, make an exception. Because I'm pretty sure there are only 5 people in your bar/restaurant and you may want to sell a beer to me or something..... Our server was really sweet - which made me want to forget about the slightly incompetent and not-very-savvy hostess. plus good food, plus good deals. But then, just when things were going good and I was going to leave a nice Yelp review (minus the hostess' faux pas, of course), the waitress keeps a 60% tip for herself on my friend's tab without bringing cash back. Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is poor form, even though it's happy hour. I mean really. Really. Really?? Essentially, to remedy the problem the rest of us gave our friend with the cash some bucks to compensate for her being ripped off, and we paid for our credit card tabs without tip. I never leave less than a minimum 20-25% tip. I think the waitress unknowingly screwed herself. No 60% for you today..... Better luck next time. So my advice for Papi's tacos: Food is good and happy hour is a nice deal, but bring exact change and be assertive with your waitstaff. The End read more

Good stuff! They have done a great job renovating the previous hole-in-the-wall bar. Great service and food! Well priced and good portions. I'd love to go back for happy hour! read more

Papi's Tacos - Yuka - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Holy balls of sugar. I hate to knock this place, it's new. So, positives first. The ambience is great. I love the decor. Music was alright - not any Mexican sounding stuff, but that's ok. The bartender girl was super friendly, peppy, and informative. She told me the specials right off the bat, and was pretty quick with the margarita (more on that below). There was a food runner who was ridiculously fast. Also friendly. The food is typical Mexican street food, all done well. I loved the pork tacos. Two in an order, simply done, and tasty. You fill out a sheet to send to the kitchen. But my margarita was simply the sugariest concoction I've ever tried. Dos Manos margarita special sounded great on a Friday afternoon. I added a shot of guava flavor and maybe that's where I took a wrong turn. I feel like I drank a bag of cotton candy. Honestly even right now I feel kinda nauseous from it. Yes, I drank the whole thing and didn't send it back or complain. I never complain. Maybe it could have been a fluke. Just mind your sugar intake here. All in all I'd say for a new place, still working out the kinks, it's pretty good and worth a try. I'm feeling generous so I'm not factoring the margarita into my score... read more

This particular Americanized Mexican style bar/restaurant is pretty good overall. The service the few times I stopped in was overall above average. I enjoy the fact they offer free chips and two different salas to dip them into. The place has about a twelve seat bar when you walk in as well as table service. I've always sat the bar so I can't comment on the table service at this time. It's interesting how you can order a taco here as they have on the bar a pad with options to choose from and you pick them out and hand the paper to the bartender. The tacos are good but not the best I've had. The happy hour is from 4:00pm-7:00pm and it's worth to stop in if you can. They also have other specials during games and things like that. My favorite item on the menu so far is the short ribbed quesadilla, it came out a bit soggy but it was good overall. The prices here are fair and the drinks are good. It's what you expect from a normal place like this. The place is clean and I heard the parking can be a bit difficult at times. The place has a couple tables outside to sit at as well if that's something you enjoy doing. read more

Papi's is underwhelming at best. The margarita I ordered, to start, was so sweet I had to keep adding water until the very last drop... My wife and sister wouldn't even help me with it after their first sips. The carnitas had a decent flavor but the overload of cactus conspired to do its best to cancel out the flavor of the pork, so the taco felt more like a sloppy cactus taco than anything else. My wife's Pozole was also so salty to be inedible to her. I had a few bites and doubted that I would be able to finish it either. Her fish taco was even more overwhelmed by the loads and loads of cactus. But, you ask "don't you have anything good to say?" They had El Yucateco at the table but the fact that a store bought bottle of hot sauce was a notable highlight does not bode well for the rest. The hot salsa that they provide was likely the Papi's originated highlight, but that was only in light of how it compared to everything else that we had. Oh, and they had Victoria bottles but, again, someone else made that. It's hard to go back after you've had really good tacos, for less, so I have high standards, and Papi's is way off the mark. I have definitely had better tacos nearby, but can't recall what joints these were, and if they're even still around as I have spent minimal time in Baltimore over the last 15 years. Ultimately, I would not choose to go back here without a very good reason. read more

I enjoyed Papi's taco. My rating is specifically for the drinks and customer service both of which were good. I only had chips and guacamole which isn't enough for me to rate on the basis of food. The environment is really chill a good after work or happy hour location. read more

Papi's Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

There is something magical about finding an AMAZING Mexican restaurant in a new city - and that is exactly what happened Saturday night when my boyfriend and I visited Papi's Tacos. Hailing from Cincinnati, we have been treated to a wide variety of delicious Mexican restaurants - ranging from street tacos, Oaxaca delicacies, and gourmet items. It has been hard trying to find one place in the Baltimore/DC area that compares to the staples we have in Ohio, but Papi's Tacos finally delivered a great result! We arrived Saturday around 7PM, right as the place started to fill up. Quoted with a wait of around 20 minutes, we grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered two traditional margaritas with salt, and got a chance to look over the menu. While they offer a variety of Mexican dishes and appetizers, we were immediately drawn to the DIY taco feature. A few minutes later, we were seated in a second room, away from the noisy and crowded bar, and got to ordering. Unlike other Yelp reviews, our server was pretty on top of things. We started with the tableside guacamole appetizer and it was huge! It easily allowed us to enjoy some pre-dinner munching and save some to top our tacos with. And for tacos, we ordered the Chicken on Corn Tortillas with a mild house salsa and the Carnitas on Flour Tortillas with the pino (pineapple) salsa (both authentic style). I was a little worried about the incorporation of the nopales, but they were easy to pick off and did not add much flavor to the tacos anyway. BUT THE TACOS. They were delicious! The meats - both the chicken and carnitas - were superb. They were overflowing with flavor and super juicy. I particularly loved my carnitas and pino salsa combination; the sweetness of the pineapples and pineapple juice melded so well with the braised pork. I am craving these sweet tacos just with writing this review and cannot wait to stop by again to try more taco variations. The only tiny bump in our experience (which may be a plus for anyone who is looking to have a really good time) was the "Sangrita", a combo drink of margarita and red sangria. On our second round of drinks, I opted for the mango margarita, which ended up being much sweeter than the traditional, but still very good. My boyfriend ordered the "Sangrita", which ended up being a fast track pass to seeing doubles. After he expressed concern for the alcohol content, I tried a few sips and soon thereafter started to feel the effects of the "Sangrita" potency. I do not think we will venture to enjoy this drink again, but it did provide us with a good reason to enjoy some ice cream before going home! read more

You're better off going to a taco truck because this place is over priced for what your getting. Little ass tacos man.....the packaging is poor. The rice was soggy as heck and the beans tasted old. And I'll never be back. Rather go to Taco Bell read more

Yikes! I guess I shouldn't have come here with high expectations. My significant other and I arrived on a Saturday evening, hoping to delve into some late night tacos, but we were sorely disappointed. First off, the service was punctual, but it lacked some serious personality. Secondly, don't sit outside here on a Saturday night (I should have known, but alas, the weather was too nice). It's loud and full of drunks, and the tables and chairs are uncomfortably uneven on the brick sidewalk. And thirdly, the tacos sucked and so did the Mexican street corn. Let's start with the corn: We weren't originally going to get an appetizer, but we asked the waitress for a personal recommendation. She offered the corn, so we took the bait. Aye ya ya! It was disgusting! I mean...maybe it would have been delicious if I enjoyed eating cold corn on the cob smothered in a greasy mayo-like condiment, suffocated in queso fresco and parsley? Yuck, yuck, YUCK! The texture, the flavour, ugh. It was all way off. And the tacos: Tiny. Expensive. Salty. Juicy (in a bad way), you name it. There was potential but the execution was poorly done and they were lukewarm at best. It was just very disappointing for us. We will not be returning, that's for sure. And we won't be recommending it to others either, especially not when there's an amazing authentic taco shop just up the road called Tortilleria Sinaloa (even though their hours are lacking). read more

Food was great, service was great, but kind of concerned with the overall billing practices. We (two people) came in to order takeout and have drinks while we waited for the food. After ordering and while enjoying our drinks, we were given complimentary chips and salsa, which we declined but stated that we were happy to take home since they had already been dropped off. We were then charged for an item we did not ask for (chips and salsa). We then asked to pay for our food and drinks bill, and noticed that a 15% "takeout fee" had been charged. We were concerned, but still chose to tip well based on the overall food and beer since we did not know if the bartenders were the recipients of the fee. After paying, we were still waiting on the food and chose to order another round. When paying for this round of two drinks for two people, a 20% gratuity was added, something that I've never seen for drinks at a bar. Overall, while I enjoyed the food and service, it felt like a money grab, which I did not appreciate. read more

This is a great Mexican restaurant for anyone who is vegan and/or gluten-free--- I am both. Our waitress was extremely attentive and knowledgable. If she didn't know the answer to any of my questions, she made sure to get the correct information. Just let the staff know of your dietary restrictions and they are happy to help. I had no problems with cross-contamination too. The prices are great and the portions are perfect. You're not going to be served an oversized plate of gross subpar Mexican food here. Tons of flavor and delicious options are here! I would recommend Papi's Tacos to anyone in a heartbeat and I will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Absolutely fantastic food. Flavored margaritas are delicious. great atmosphere. vegetarian friendly

Okay, I'll be honest.... this is a "gringo" type of Mexican place in Baltimore. There are plenty of really "authentic" Mexican places nearby. But this place does really well! And it's a great addition to the neighborhood. Their soups are surprisingly good, and their menu is excellently catered to anyone. Their house salsa is surprisingly decent, but it's totally spiceless (so it works for everyone) so I add some hot sauce to it. The prices are really reasonable too! And they have many daily specials, Make Your Own tacos, happy hour specials, etc. Bon appetit! read more

OH MY GOD. OH MY GODDDD. I wonder if they're taking applications ... for me to have their baby? Papi's is a godsend after a string of awful establishments in that location. John Taffer would be pleased. This place ROCKS. Tonight was our third time there, and it was 100% Perfect. The only thing that makes this a 9.9 instead of a 10 was the guy sitting two tables behind us who did not have an inside voice. SHUT UP GUY. Seriously, perfect. Perfect food, perfect service. The waitstaff was incredible - friendly, helpful, super attentive for such a busy evening. The food was amazing - tableside guac was out of this world, the drinks get better every time I go (they're really working on their sour mix and you can tell - in a good way). I had their burrito tonight and it RULES. It didn't come out as the giant log you'd get at Chipotle (thankfully). Portions were just right, good flavor profile. BF had the street tacos and was pleased as always. Chips were super fresh, salsa was incredible. Just - this place is the bomb. It was so good I asked for the manager to tell her how good it was. I had to curb the temptation to high five her. She was super friendly and nice - dude, seriously. If you've given this place a shot before and you weren't into it, go back if you can. It was awesome. read more

The fried plantains are some of the best I've had! The tacos are delicious and a great price. read more

Papi's Tacos - Traditional style chicken tacos, fried plantains, salad, and chips & salsa - yummy and less than $25! - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My fiance and I found the place and decided to go in. Our "server's" name was Lindsay. I say "server" since she was not very present. We ordered drinks and had to wait 20 minutes before she ever came back to see if we wanted food. We asked for the manager who brought the ordered salsa and apologized. The medium salsa was rather spicy and a 2 dollar quantity of salsa was extremely small. Lindsay finally returned and took our order after the manager visit and we reluctantly placed an order for food. After receiving the WRONG order we simply asked the manager if we could leave. At least the chips were tasty! But if I could pay 10 dollars for a huge guacamole I shouldn't have to pay 2 dollars for a tiny salsa read more

Stopped by with a friend for a good, quick place to grab food and realized that Papi's was a very solid place with great service and good prices. I had the gringo style carnitas tacos and my friend had the authentic tacos with short ribs, and both were quite flavorful and tasty. The free chips and salsa is a nice touch, and I'm looking forward to checking out the Friday margaritas with mini-Corona bottles that seem to be a big hit with people. Overall, it's a place with a modern, upbeat vibe, very friendly service, and excellent drink and food specials. I look forward to many more years with Papi's! read more

A local friend took me to this spot and it was honestly great! The tacos are awesome! The guac comes in a huge bowl and it's sooooo delicious! Their nachos are greaat too. Great spot for lunch, middle of city and has lots of stuff around it. Usually crowded but service is great! read more

Excellent authentic street tacos and a nice menu as well. Service was knowledgeable and friendly. Almost walked past- but very glad we stopped in. There are gringo and vegetarian choices as well. read more

Stopped in around noon on a Sunday expecting to get some tacos at a taco place. Our expectations were blown out of the water immediately. We started with house margaritas and a Bloody Mary. Margarita was tremendous - not sugary at all, and with the perfect amount of tequila. Bloody Mary was thin and simple with just the right amount of spice. Food started with the Platano. We love fried plantains, but this took them to a new level. Adding salt and salsa blanco was perfect. Meal #1 was chilaquiles desayuno with chorizo and salsa verde. Plate was probably enough for 2 to split. Entire plate had a fresh taste and tremendous flavor and heat. Meal #2 was crab enchiladas. There was no skimping on the crab, and it was all fresh lump meat. Flavor was authentic Mexican. Easy 5 stars for this. Service, food, and value were all top notch. read more

Papi's Tacos - Chilaquiles desayuno with chorizo - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

While in Fells Point, we were trying to find places that could fit our group of 7 persons. Not much in that area without a reservation. So we wandered around, checked our trusty Yelp reviews and found Papi's Tacos. And what a treat it was. The website for Papis talks about being "...inspired by the antojitos of Mexican street food trucks, carts, and markets, our menu captures the art of small plates and signature cocktails creating authentic and flavorful bites- using only the freshest ingredients available.." When we walked in on a busy Tuesday evening, they look around to see if they could even seat us. The hostess and a waitress saw the table near the kitchen that was staged with cups, water pitchers, margarita mix and other table set up - they looked at each other and the table was cleared, cleaned and set for us in less than 2 minutes! Perfect!!! Karyn, Jeff, Richard and I started out by being talked into having the Dos Manos Margarita ("20 oz. House Margarita with 100% blue agave Exotico Blanco Tequila and organic house sour") - perfect! It's massive! Chips, salsa, beverages, laughter, good food with great flavour and a great time was had by all. Thank you for fitting us in that night. I would recommend to anyone visiting or living in the Baltimore area. read more

If you're vegan and a woman of color go to the hampden location! Not Here. The service is poor compared to Hampden location, where they were warm, welcoming. Took sometime for just the menus to arrive, the waitress who served us was pretty cranky, I was not ready with my order since the vegan menu was not offered early but my husband was, she flat out did not take his order, lol, she was old blonde with glasses aka Kate. Next thing we know we have a new waitress who was nice and took our order. But we prefer the hampden location, never again. read more

Came to Papi's one night to try out the new taco place in Fells. We were seated as soon as we walked in. I will say this, this place is loud. I could barely hear myself think. That also could have been the table of about 8 girls next to us but, meh. Tacos are one of my ultimate vices. They may be one of the best food items on earth because you can turn anything into a taco. Here, I asked what the server recommended, and he stated his favorite was the build your own taco and go with the short ribs. Ok, done. I went with the short ribs, lobster and chorizo tacos. FYI-They are pretty tiny tacos so don't be afraid to order more than one. I also got a side of fried yuca. My wife got the taco salad. We were given complimentary chips and salsa which were pretty good. The other food came out pretty quickly. I tried the short ribs firs and they were not good at all. The beef had no flavor and it need some salt big time. The chorizo tacos were the best I had and the lobster tacos had a fishy taste too them. Odd because they were lobster. I also didn't like that they put a big roasted pablano pepper on all of the tacos. My wife stated she enjoyed her salad and I on the other hand did not enjoy my tacos. The fried yuca was good and it came with a mayonnaisey side. My wife also had a margarita and said that was pretty good as well. Overall I was not thrilled with this place. I will come back to try other things but their tacos were a big let down. For me. There are way better taco place in around me than here. read more

Papi's Tacos - Yuca Fries - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Place was busy, very small but quaint. The margarita and elotes were great. My daughter had the tacos and liked them. I got chicken enchiladas and they came out cold. They were small and not what you expect when you order enchiladas. The table next to us were served cold enchiladas also. The server was nice and said the guys in the kitchen were having problems. They reheated my order and I ate it. I would stick to tacos and apps when coming here. When I get enchiladas, I want gooey, tender, saucey, cheesy filled with meat or cheese comfort food. The enchiladas here are small and thrown together not baked down. They did apologize and did not charge me for the enchiladas. My daughter loved her tacos and she is kind of picky. The cinnamon peach margarita is unique and tasty. read more

Service was great but that's pretty much it. The street tacos were very small and lacking the favor I was looking for. However I did enjoy the Elote along with the chips and salsa. I'm willing to give this place a second chance since there were so many options on the menu. read more

Papi's Tacos - Elote - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Never had a bad meal---everything is exquisitely tasty and delicious. Definitely easy to overdo. The tamales were hot and fresh and perfect. Also had an amazing corn dish and fried ice cream. Every bite is awesome. Besides all that, it's cute, homey, not pretentious, and pretty affordable. Down to earth crowd. read more

Tacos are good, but I don't know why everyone is raving about them. The tacos at Clavel are much better. The Elote was amazing! That is a reason that I will go back Happy hour deal is not great and some only applies at the bar which seats like 5 people. Not the greatest deal read more

FAVORITE TACO PLACE They never disappoint. The food is always amazing. Service is great with awesome bartenders & servers Music is always on point as well. Never sitting still while eating read more

I had lunch here on a Sunday afternoon. We were seated in the back outside area which was nice and quiet. We got the Yuca fries and the Platano. Both were delicious and served pipping hot. We didn't wait very long for our food. Everyone loved their tacos and burrito, but I have to say the Shrimp Chilaquiles were the tastiest dish I had at Papi's. It was so good the girl at the table next to us asked what it was so she could order it next time. The service we received was excellent and very friendly. I will definitely come here again. I don't give many five stars but I couldn't find one bad thing to say about this place. Good Job!!! read more

What is there not to love about street tacos and margaritas? I had the fish and shrimp tacos gringo style and just really loved the mix of flavors and texture of the tacos. Each order of street tacos comes with 2 tacos per order. I also ordered a side of plantains and yucca fries. The plantains are SO good. I could probably eat a dozen orders of them. The yucca fries were okay - not as much flavor and kind of dry for my taste. I also had a dos mans margarita (aka "big ass" margarita) on the rocks with salt and it was nice, strong, and tasty. The place is small, so it can get pretty crowded, but they do try to fit you in. Great service as well! read more