Papi’s Cocina & Cantina — Restaurant in Republic

I am genuinely shocked this place is able to stay open… I recently dined at Papi’s Cantina in Republic, MO, and to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. This was hands down the worst Mexican restaurant I’ve experienced in the southwest Missouri region.

First, the atmosphere is downright grim. The restaurant used to be a Burger King, and it still has that repurposed fast-food vibe, making for an uninviting dining experience. The place was practically empty, which should have been my first red flag. To make things even stranger, there were slot machines inside, which gave it a bizarre and unappealing feel not what you’d expect from a supposed cantina.

As for the food, it was beyond disappointing. I ordered a cup of elote, expecting the rich, flavorful Mexican street corn I’ve had at other places. Instead, I was served what was essentially a bowl of canned corn mixed with mayo, hot sauce, and Takis. No real seasoning, no grilled flavor, just a sloppy, thrown-together mess that tasted as cheap as it looked.

Then came the birria tacos, which were a disaster. Rather than the tender, juicy, slow-cooked beef you’d expect, the meat was dry and flavorless. The tortillas were stiff and tasted like cardboard, making each bite a chore to chew through. The consommé lacked depth, tasting more like watered-down broth than the rich, spiced dipping sauce it should be.

The whole experience from the food to the atmosphere felt lazy and uninspired. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic or even decent Mexican food. There are far better options in the area that actually care about quality. And the audacity to give us a $60 check… Safe to say, I won’t...

While the building is an old converted Burger King, the interior has its charm. The wait staff is friendly, personable and good at their jobs. The margaritas are very tasty. The salsa is nicely flavored with the perfect balance of heat to accompany the warm and tasty chips. The food while very large portions is bland,I don’t know if they keep it that way for the local population or their cook just goes for bland. Being from a Latinx community on the West Coast, my family teases my very wyt Midwestern husband about how he thinks ketchup is too spicy and he said his fajitas were bland. Having grown up on the coast I have had fresh seafood all my life. I do not expect amazing seafood in the middle of the landlocked Midwest but, I was very disappointed to find artificial crab and overcooked scallops in my soup, the shrimp we nice and solid but the entire seafood soupy smelled & tasted overly fishy. I ended up comparing it mentally to Olive Garden’s seafood soup & this one was a far 2nd. The most disappointing part was finding that their queso blanco is soooo expensive ($5 for a very small dish & $8 for the large). All in all tip included, for two meals & 1 cocktail, it cost us $70 for dinner. A bit too much for the area, the environment and for the low quality of food. We will try again but our expectations are lowered. There are so many choices for Mexican food in the area, some are amazing, there is little point to overpay for convenience...

Our server was the one clocked-in front of house employee doing any work aside from the couple that rolled silverware near the host stand. I didn’t like my food so I didn’t eat more then 3 bites of the main feature on the plate and didn’t touch the rice or beans. I told the server I didn’t care for the meal… she offered to get me something else but I said I was ok without a replacement meal however I asked if they would just take off the dish from my bill. Moments later a different female server (she was dressed exactly like all the others) approached the table to ask if I had sent back my food. I told her that “yes …I didn’t like it at all.” She then went on to quiz me by asking “well, what is it that you didn’t like?” And “why do you say it was soggy?—I just have to have something to tell the cooks.” She then offered a different meal and I again said that I did not want a new meal but if they could discount it or something that would be great. When I received the check the gesture on their part was lack luster— to say the least— my $16.99 meal was discounted to $12.99 and that was it!!! I honestly didn’t think she would do anything less than remove the dish from my bill altogether… but apparently those 3 bites we were worth 3/4 of the price… I...