Papi's Tacos Fells — Restaurant in Baltimore

Ate at Papi's yesterday and I have to say I was not overly impressed with the food and another non-service related issue. To start, the queso reminded me more of gravy than an actual queso, both in consistency and taste. Maybe it is the style of queso that they served, but it felt like it was over thickened and did not taste of the cheezy/herby goodness that I was expecting.

Though the queso wasn't up to par, the salsa was one of the best I've ever had hands down, but it was given to us in one of those black takeout containers instead of a regular dish. Between two people that's simply not enough (fwiw our server would have definitely gotten us another one if we had asked). I expect a takeout dish from lower end restaurants, not someplace that had the reputation of Papi's.

Next up was the main course, I'll only speak to what I ordered which was the Fajita Mix. This had two issues, one the shrimp still had the tail on it. I've never been served a fajita plate that still had shrimp with tails on it as they come out piping hot and you typically don't want your customers to burn their fingers removing the tail. The second issue is that it was way too salty. I am a person that appreciates salt, but even adding sour cream and cheese, the meat/peppers were still way to salty.

My final problem came with the check. I understand during COVID a lot of restaurants instituted a 20% gratuity to help them get by. But I never ate at a restaurant that did not tell you that up front and only told you once the bill came. Maybe that is naïve of me, but I don't like surprises like that. Also, I have to question why this gratuity is still being added. I've eaten at several places in the area, and I've not seen that surcharge tacked on a bill in months. The city has been reopened for a long time now, and I've driven by Papi's on an almost daily basis and seen the place packed. If a restaurant needs to increase the price because business needs require it, then do that. In my eyes, it's a lot more honest then simply tacking on an automatic gratuity that probably doesn't need to be there.

All in all, I'm really disappointed in Papi's. I was hoping it would be a good experience, especially since I live right down the street and would love to have a go-to Mexican spot. I understand that even a Michelin star restaurant can have an off night and I'd be open to giving it another shot, but not until that gratuity...

I decided to try Papi’s after hearing rave reviews from some of my foodie friends. I have recently become slightly obsessed with birria and I discovered that Papi’s had it on the menu. My husband and I love to honor the “taco Tuesday” tradition and went to the Fells Point location because it was warm- 82 degrees! And I heard they had outdoor seating. Because it was a nice day I planned to have a drink or 3 and get my food to go. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 4 pm and we were told that because of the possibility of a rush we could not sit at the outdoor table. I was then informed that we could order our food, get our drinks in a to-go cup and take it over to Broadway market. Huh? I would understand this instruction if the restaurant was crowded… if there was a long line of people waiting to dine- neither was the case. Did I mention it was 4 pm? So, after any lunch rush and hours before dinner. I am also sensitive to the fact that restaurants have instituted new protocols to handle Covid- I get that, but this? Was NOT that. The other thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the hostess said “customers will get mad” if they have to wait for a table- 1. Aren’t I a customer? 2. There was no one and I do mean NO ONE else waiting for a table. The other red flag was that I overheard the hostess tell another table that they had to leave soon. Here’s the thing- a dining experience is a combination of food, customer service, and ambiance. Your hostesses need some training in what effective customer service looks like. As for the birria? It was okay but I found a recipe that sounds amazing and next time, I will...

I am planning a 25 person happy hour for my law firm and considered Papis because I had heard great things...

I went to eat there last night with my husband and my aunt from Guatemala. We walked in speaking Spanish and overheard the waitresses argue because neither wanted to take our table. (They mentioned Hispanics don’t tip) The red headed waitress with Glasses even tried to squeeze the three of us onto a booth/ chair combo that was clearly set for two. We should have walked out but my aunt is from out of town and we didn’t want her to feel as uncomfortable as we did. We sat and ordered steak tacos, tilapia tacos, and a chicken quesadilla. The tilapia tacos barely had any tilapia and the chicken quesadilla was this disappointing pulled BBQ type chicken with barely and Oaxaca cheese. We ended up with Gema because she spoke Spanish, which is considerate I guess. Well she dropped the food and drinks and never returned. We would have ordered more Sangria. When my aunt told her she didn’t like the quesadilla (and she didn’t even eat it) Our waitress just rolled her eyes. Our bill came out to $50 and when my husband handed Gema a $10 tip she just said “I don’t have change” honestly he should have put it away right then and there but he explained he didn’t expect change $10 is 20%.All in all I have never felt more unwanted as a customer. Shame on management for allowing this kind of behavior especially when you claim to be a “mexican” restaurant in an area with a big Latino population.

Needless to say, I am glad I check out the place before calling to book the happy hour. We will take our business to Woodys...