I'm usually not a chain restaurant person, especially when traveling, but Pappasito's Cantina is one place I make a point to visit whenever I'm in town. There's just something consistently great about the experience here. The atmosphere has that lively Texas cantina energy without feeling overly commercial, and the bar area is a great place to relax with chips, salsa, and one of their legendary margaritas. The margaritas are strong, fresh, and easily some of the better ones you'll find at a restaurant this size. Food-wise, everything I've had has been solid, but the tacos and Tex-Mex plates always hit the spot. Portions are generous, ingredients taste fresh, and the service has consistently been friendly and attentive on every visit. What keeps me coming back is the consistency. A lot of chain restaurants feel interchangeable, but this location has personality, good energy, and staff that seem to genuinely care about the experience. If you're in the Richardson area and craving Tex-Mex, this place is definitely worth a stop. read more

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My wife and I have been coming to Papasitos for many years. We love the fajitas and the margaritas and ambience. Today was her birthday (one of those that come every 10 years) and she wanted to go to Papasitos. I made reservations, checked the box that we were celebrating a BD. We arrived ahead of our reservation and had a little wait for a table. No problem. The young lady from the check in seated us and ask if we were celebrating anything. I told her that it was my wife's birthday, but she didn't want the full blown hooten hollering sombrero celebration. We waited 8-10 minutes before a server came to our table. He immediately apologized for the wait and said that he was helping out another waiter that was supposed to have our table. He took our drink order and soon returned with our drinks. To my surprise, he proceeded to take our food order. I thought he was temporarily helping out until the other server could catch up and take over. That wasn't the case. Ok, No problem so far. I'm giving 2 stars because the food came out super fast and hot and delicious. Then our server delivers hot flour tortillas.., all 3 of them. After each eating one taco, we were ready for another batch. Now this is where it started to go downhill. Several minutes go by and I could not grab his attention. I literally had to waive my hand in the air to flag him down across the restaurant. He finally looked my direction and soon delivered more tortillas. That was the last we saw of him. No checking on our table, no refills on our drinks, no nothing. After we finished our meal, we waited another 25 minutes to try to get his attention to close out our meal. He would never look our way. He was like a horse with blinders. Honestly, I think he forgot that he was our server OR MAYBE he saw us as 2 people and his gratuity was going to be smaller compared to the larger tables. Finally, I flagged down another server from another table and ask if he could close us out. He asked if we had a paper receipt, which we had not. He closed us out on his iPad. I didn't even get the chance to order my wife a dessert to celebrate the occasion. No bueno! Let's just say the service was abysmal and absolutely unacceptable. My man went MIA. It is questionable whether I will return to this establishment. read more

Pappasito's is one of those staple high end restaurants you go to for special occasions. In fact, when we were there - multiple birthdays were being celebrated. It has a name, and a space most everyone knows. The food is good, but many new restaurants are coming up with better quality menu items to compete against Pappasito's. The waiter was exceptional. Friendly, attentive, and made sure we did not want for anything while we had dinner. It was a good overall experience. read more

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Extremely disappointed. Overpriced for the quality. The house margs are not good and taste like sweet and sour mix. The queso was fine, probably the best item of the meal. Skip the tamales... ours came out cold and the ratios were not on par. The birria tacos are NOT Birria tacos and instead come deconstructed in a thicker more gravy like sauce. You have to shred the meat and build your own tacos. After this last experience I don't think I will be returning here. Disappointing read more

Had a great experience at Pappasito's! I ordered the cheese enchiladas and they were absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The customer service was excellent, with staff being attentive and friendly throughout the visit. The restaurant itself was clean, well organized, and had a welcoming atmosphere. Definitely a spot I would come back to! read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Menu - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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I've loved Pappasito's for years. The chips and salsa are heavenly. The food has always been too-notch. Throughout the years they've been consistent delivering mouth-watering dishes and even though the prices are steep, it's worth it because the food is higher quality and satiating. But this most recent visit was disappointing. The service was fine, and the atmosphere was also fine save for the annoying teen at the table next to us live streaming basketball at full blast. The issue was with the food itself. Having been to Pappasito's so many times, I know what the recipes taste like. This most recent visit however, either someone went totally off script and did their own thing with the recipes, or they've been tweaked. I ordered the Plato Mariachi which has two pork tamales. The pork was SO fatty. I mean, I get that it's pork, but this was like ginormous chunks of fat- much different than other times I had this dish. I also of note- the chile con carne sauce was straight up gross. It was really greasy and had a spice in it I just wasn't digging. Also, the chicken in the Chicken Tinga taco was in huge chunks instead of shredded chicken. The shredded texture is part of what makes Chicken Tinga Chicken Tinga. This is why I really hope someone was just going off script, and not Pappasitio's overhauling their recipes. Overall, really disappointed to have the food taste different. I get evolving and changing things to keep it vital, but I didn't like these tweaks or changes. I really hope this was a one-off situation and that the recipes haven't changed. That would be a total bummer. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Fajitas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Pappasitos is always a good option. My coworkers and I ordered lunch. I got the beef enchiladas. I wish there was a way to order extra cheese. Also there was only one salsa and chips bag for 3 separate orders. Not good, Pappasitos. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Beef Enchiladas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Former Houston girl here so I grew up loving their fajitas. The chips were thin and salty, not necessarily a bad thing. The salsa is warm chipotle style. It was decent. I got a limited time lobster surf and turf fajita special. The bacon on the shrimp didn't look cooked enough but they were yummy. The chicken wasn't thinly sliced and didn't have that charred look you would associate fajita meat with. The service was pretty good. I do think it is a bit overpriced for what you get. Overall, I enjoyed the nostalgia from going when I was younger. read more

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We have a family tradition of celebrating Mothers Day at Pappasito's. This year my mother had an incident. She had a tooth come off!! She has verniers, was embarrassed and began to look on the floor for her tooth! One of the managers, Jacob, heard what had happened and immediately joined us in the search for her tooth. Within minutes he found it! Then provided a little container to keep it safe! We are so very thankful to the Jacob and Claudia, our server, for their kindness! The food is always delicious and the service caring and professional. read more

Food is excellent. I had Tulum and it was superb especially the tamale. Buddy had 3 enchiladas plate and said it's the best he's had in years. Another had carnitas and loved it. Food is great. So why 4 stars? Service. It started when we arrived. We had a reservation. We were told our table wasn't ready. We were a party of 5. We waited 25 minutes. And we kept seeing open tables which could have held us. When we were seated it was at a long table that seated 8. Just odd. Our server was nice but was clearly overwhelmed. She quickly would stop by but not much else. A couple of us ran out of water. And she showed up without a pitcher. And when food came out, 1 person was told their plate was not ready. It was fajitas. They waited maybe another 5 minutes. Overall I liked the food. Will return and hope service improves. read more

Food was deliciously seasoned! For Christmas Eve our family dined in and had a wonderful meal and server was also great! read more

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I went here on a work outing for lunch. It's a slightly elevated casual restaurant and the service was great! Our waiter was on top of our order and food came out promptly. The food itself was pretty delicious. The steak and shrimp were very tender, our tortillas were warm and chewy, and all the sides went well with the protein. It's a great amount to share with 2 people. Food, price, and service are good. I would definitely come back. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Shrimp and streak Fajita Plate - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Sunday brunch after church, nice clean cantina vibe inside. Moderately busy several people and families enjoy their company and some good food, waitress was very attentive and very knowledgeable. Sweet tea, water and chips and salsa to start. We shared fajitas for two and it was very good, some great quesadillas were had and enjoyed as well. Great food for a BIG price but worth it to spend time with family. You drive by here all the time on 75. Stop in and enjoy, bring the family or stop in for appetizers and let the traffic die down. Stay safe read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Pappasito's has always been a favorite place of mine for years. The food is great and large portions. It is a large restaurant and always festive!! Service is usually good. Only time I've had an issue was on a weekend night and they were packed. But I was impressed how all employees were pitching in wherever needed. Prices are reasonable too. They also have party rooms for events. read more

Food is good, service also good even on busy weekday lunch. Really enjoyed the queso with pork rinds as a low carb option. Fajitas are well prepared. Low rating is because of the ambiance. It's so loud, nothing there to dapen the sound dispite being carpeted. And the whole place smells like mildew, very gross, stinky carpet. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Queso with pork rinds - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Yet another home run from Papas! I was a little worried at first. Mid afternoon and only 1/2 full restaurant and I had to wait for a table. Then,the waiter never came so,went back to the hostess stand to inform Those were the only hiccups and as usual the food was phenomenal as were the drinks. Go read more

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I ordered the fajitas and they absolutely did what they were supposed to do. The meat was seasoned well, cooked just right, and came out hot and sizzling. Not dry, not bland, not rushed. Everything on the plate worked together. Now let's talk about the butter because that part matters. The butter is a must. It takes the fajitas from good to why did I wait so long to come here. Drizzle it over the meat and veggies and it adds that rich, savory finish that makes every bite better. Don't skip it. I'm serious. The drinks were also a highlight. Strong but smooth, well balanced, and actually worth ordering. One of those situations where the food and the drinks are equally pulling their weight. Overall, this was a solid experience from start to finish. If you're coming for fajitas, this is the move. Order the butter. Get a drink. Enjoy your life. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Fajita Pack 1 (Serves 2-3) - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

First Pappasito's experience! Came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was booked and busy. The parking lot was pretty much full and I secured one of the last spots available. The food was great and everything looked cooked to perfection! They do a little birthday song and situation for birthday guests. I would come back and try some seafood! read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Outside - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Not sure why the overall score isn't great, because Pappasito's hits every time, and we always look to visit when we come to Texas. The fajitas are next level good, and don't skip on the shrimp brochette. If you're a fan of smoky warm salsa and fresh warm chips, then go no further. Service is always on point, snd I have never had a bad expierence at any Pappasito's. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Steak fajitas with shrimp brochette - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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For the first time, ever, we had deplorable service & mediocre food at a Pappasito's. When we arrived, there was no one else waiting and we were told a 10 minute wait for our party of 7 (5 adults & 2 young children). After several parties arriving after us, including two parties of 6, were seated, we asked the hostesses about a table and were told they couldn't push tables together & the party at the table they planned to seat us at wasn't leaving. After waiting awhile longer, we asked for a manager, which took another 8-10 minutes but she soon found us a table. At this point, we'd waited 40 minutes-not a big deal, except that so many arriving after us had already been seated. The initial issue of "waiting" ended up being the theme of the day as we waited inordinate amounts of time for each step of the process; acquiring menus, ordering drinks & receiving them, then ordering food and receiving food-the first 3 meals came out and weren't even warm (salmon, chicken taco & nachos-sadly the nachos weren't just cold but the chips were soggy). At this point we'd been there just under two hours. It took another 20+ minutes to get the check. I, and some of the others, were a little surprised the manager didn't at least come by to make sure everything was going well. We've been going to Pappasito's (not just this one) for 30 ish years and have never before been disappointed in the food or service. It was such a disappointing experience, I doubt we'll be back to this Pappasito's. 2 stars because some of the food was the quality one expects at Pappasito's. read more

Had to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the best steak Fajitas in town. Service at the bar was outstanding by Rebecca. Tiki hubby and I shared lunch beef fajitas and queso. Meat was tender and flavorful with so many delicious grilled onions. It was busy and noisy but food was delicious. read more

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Overall, a really good experience, this was Sunday after church lunch and the crowd was thin, but it was early. Waitress was really great! At one point, my daughter had gotten a chip stuck in her throat and I asked for a tortilla and the waitress quickly ran and got one! Thankfully, it worked to my daughter was right as rain and ready to eat. The food is good, but I wouldn't call it the best I've ever had. However, overall, this is a great place to eat, and it had a great atmosphere. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Fajita Pack 2 (Serves 4-6) - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Popped by for to go and was directed to the ToGo Pick up at the bar. The staff was in the restroom and all three bartenders didn't even look my way. Finally I asked if the host could get someone to help me. As expensive as this food is their customer service should be top shelf. It's not. No we apologize. Just more waiting. read more

I was disappointed It was way under Par compared to the houston location in March Waiter was nice so service was ok Food tasted bland Nothing was really good or hit except the queso We had friends with us and they agreed Ambiance was fine Typical for the chain I dunno It'll be up to you but like I said Mot as good as other locations read more

Service was great! We really enjoyed our dinner at the bar. Fajitas were great! The fajita meal was a little overpriced, but it did tasted amazing. I got a side of grilled veggies and they were soaked in too much butter. Restaurant was tidy and had great energy! read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Whenever I travel to Texas to visit family I insist on eating at Pappasito's . I love the fajita. The service is always great . I just love it. read more

I went into this restaurant today to relax and have a great lunch. Nick my server was excellent. The food was horrible. I ordered the lunch chicken and beef quesadilla. I received 3 slices of half cooked beef strip and one tiny piece of chicken. The chef put a large piece of chicken skin on the plate. I showed the chicken skin to the Manager, he wasn't at all surprised. He said, that the chicken breast are cooked with the skin on. THE HELL YOU SAY. THAT IS TOTAL BULL SHIT. THAT CHEF MUST BE INSANE TO ASK A PATRON TO PAY $36 FOR SOME DAMN CHICKEN SKIN. THAT WAS THE WORST FOOD I'VE EVER EATEN. I'LL NEVER GO BACK. GLORIA'S NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!!!!!!! read more

Huge restaurant, with big bar and a giant menu with all sorts of Mexican dishes enchiladas, fajita platters and tex-mex entrees. Lots of different alcoholic drinks and beer served here too. I thoroughly enjoyed the lobster, shrimp, beef platter, where I got to make some delicious taco rolls with ingredients served on the side like sour cream, avocados, onions, lemon and beans. The lobsters were huge, shrimps cooked well, beef was tender. But no one touched the grilled chicken as it appeared really dry. But we all loved the dessert items, the puffy doughs and the yummy cake. The restaurant also seemed aged with its gloomy lighting and dark carpets. The AC vent on top of our table was dripping rain drops on me occasionally. It was very annoying. I hope the place gets a fresh look soon. Service was good. Our server was very friendly. Brought us lots of chips and side items. Made sure we had enough drinks around us all the time. read more

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The tortilla soup was pretty good, couldn't finish it though since it was a big bowl. But it comes with a lot of stuff in it. Service was quick and pleasant. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Sopa de tortilla - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

The entire service from start to finish was spectacular! Food was excellent. Staff was phenomenal. Manager is running an excellent crew and deserves all the praise. 10/10! Will be back. Happy birthday to ME! read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

I came here for work. I ordered the snapper tacos. Let's say those were so gross. The batter had a bad after taste of bad oil. I almost threw up after. I will never recommend these to anyone. So much grease too. I didn't even taste the fish. High cost and bad taste. Second The service was slow. Took forever to get our food I ended up taking mine home. While I was eating from my plate the waitress took my plate. I said "well I guess I'm done" she didn't even ask. Won't come back ever read more

I had not been here for many years, but a picture posted on Yelp motivated me to go, so the family and I set off for a Sunday dinner. The interior is attractive, it looks like a Tex-Mex place. The menu is Tex-Mex. It feels like a Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant. We started with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were thin and crispy, not at all greasy. The salsa was smoky and chunky, but lacked any heat. I started with a Premium margarita and it was excellent. I got it shaken with no ice and it was perfect. They use real lime juice, not an artificial juice. The wife and I got combination plates. I had the Coronado, which comes with an oversized crispy taco, 3 grilled shrimp, and a cheese enchilada with chili. There is also bean soup and rice. The taco was excellent, one of the best I have had outside of my own. The shell was thin and crispy, and the ground beef was seasoned very well. The shrimp were excellent, cooked perfectly with a smoky flavor. They obviously were marinated in something that gave them a bit of a kick. I could not eat the cheese enchilada because I was already full, but I tried a bite and it was good. It went went home for lunch. The wife had the Sombrero which is a taco al carbon with fajita steak and a cheese enchilada. There is also pico and guac. Her steak meat had good flavor but also had a lot of gristle. It did not compare well to Mariano's. She did not try the cheese enchilada but it was the same as mine. The kid got a beef steak taco and rice and beans. She did not like the meat because "it tastes different than Mariano's" and it was too rare for her taste. Our server Victor was attentive and efficient. Very good service. Prices are a bit high I think, but not outrageous. read more

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The food, service and ambiance were excellent. However the main reason for writing the review is due to our superior service. Nathan did an outstanding job in taking care of our 5 person gathering. We couldn't have asked for better service. 10 stars for Nathan!!! read more

Not sure what has happened but the quality of food coming out of this location has really went downhill. Ordered cheese enchiladas, cheese queso and chicken fajitas to go. This was the cheese enchilada they served. Please do better. I used to really enjoy coming here and getting take out. read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Cheese enchilada, or so they say. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

As the hostess was preparing our table, she asked if we were celebrating a special occasion? I informed her that my mom would be donating her kidney next week, so this would be one of her last good meals before the big surgery. The hostess was very complimentary toward my mother, and she informed the manager of our special occasion. The manager, Jacob, was so kind to come to our table to share how impressed he was by my mom's bravery, and he said our appetizer & dessert would be on the house. The rest of our meal tasted delicious Particularly, the beef fajitas were super tender, the tortillas were good & flaky, the rice was flavorful, and the tres leches cake was perfect (Definitely recommend that cake!) The rest of our service was great as our waitress was very friendly, and she also encouraged my mom to indulge in the meal Very impressed and appreciative for this memory of a good meal & generosity. 2/18/25 read more

Pappasito's Cantina - Tres Leches Cake 2/18/25 Definitely order it! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Location is smaller than others but service was good. Our waitress took good care of us. Had a good family dinner. read more

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I had an absolutely wonderful experience thanks to my server Mari-Paige. From the moment I sat down, she was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. She checked in at just the right times, made sure my drink was always full, and had such a positive, upbeat attitude that really elevated my experience. Mari-paige even offered helpful suggestions that showed she truly knew the menu. I decided to order the Pork Carnitas Fajita, and it was phenomenal. Perfectly seasoned, tender, and sizzling hot when it arrived. She made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. It's clear she takes pride in her work and cares about giving guests a great dining experience. If you're lucky enough to have her as your server, you're in great hands. Highly recommend! read more

Mothers' Day excursion to Moms favorite place for TexMex. We have been going here for many years. At least 35. It's all still good but just a couple of current changes to note. 1. It's Mothers' Day, open the patio. More people, more seating. 2. The pine nuts and radishes on the Guac are not an improvement. The portions size of the Guac is way down. Replaced in the same o bowl with a piece of lettuce and feta cheese. Not a fan. read more

Mediocre food. My wife, son and myself waited for an hour if not a little over for our food. But they were on point with the baskets of chips though. On top of that we paid $135 for a fajita plate, enchilada plate and kids chicken tenders. Definitely not worth it, the food was bland and lacked taste. read more

Food is always good but the service was horrible. The waitress left after serving drinks. It took 20 plus minutes for the manager to come. She brings another waiter from another area and he was awful as well. read more