Papi Grande's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina — Restaurant in Town of Amherst

This is my first ever written review on a restaurant, thus showing the pertinence in what I say and how strongly I felt about my experience. I ordered a "Carnitas Enchilidas" for takeout. When I approached the bartender I was confronted with nothing more than a sense that he was simply doing his job, no more than that. It took close to an hour for my food to arrive. An hour, for one, singular dish! Now mind you, it was Cinco De Mayo, but it seemed that the sizeable crowd here was a bar crowd. However, I do happen to work at a Mexican restaurant myself back on Long Island. So, I do have an idea of how long certain dishes take to prepare and execute. Everything is prepared for this dish before the service starts. It is not as if they are making a small portion size of Enchilida sauce for each order. No, it is already made and is safely (hopefully) being kept at temperature. Truly, all they just do is portion out rice and beans on a platter, fill the tortillas (most likely warming the tortillas) with the meat, pour Enchilida sauce on them, melt cheese and make sure it's a dish that is servable. A process that should take no more than 10 minutes. During the long, and boring wait, I was offered no reassurance my food was coming. There was no mention of an apology for the long wait. When I had finally waited for about 35 minutes, I spoke to a bartender for the 2nd time, who then went into the kitchen to check on the status of the food. He came back telling me it would be another 5 minutes, and I had an option of getting my money back and leaving...remember this is after I had been waiting for now 35 minutes. So, of course I stayed because I had put in too much of my time now. But, the service was well below par, this restaurant could be the DMV of Mexican restaurants. Who knows maybe the cooks in the back decided to take shots, ripped up the tickets as confetti, so that they could have some sort of fiesta in the back in honors of Cinco De Mayo. Or maybe every single one them got explosive diarrhea leading to their inability to cook. All I know is that this establishment, which is in a buisness that is quite futile and dangerous, just lost a customer and this customer will advise his friends and peers not to patronize...

Ok where do i start, i cant give this place more than a two star. Stopped by for a quick bite to eat after a movie next door to try a newer mexican restaurant and give them a review as a local guide for Google. Sat in a booth and ordered some food, i got the Burrito Grande with Chicken, my girlfriend got the same minus the chicken being a vegetarian. The waiter was great but then heres where i was disappointed. The salsa was bland, no flavor , i actually added hot sauce to spruce it up, wasn't tomato chunky at all like a salsa dip, but free is good. Ordered the entrees and they arrived relatively quickly. The chicken burrito was also bland, the chicken they used resembled the chicken from a can the way it shredded when cut up and then tasted. It was far from chopped grilled chicken breast. The side of rice and beans were lukewarm / room temperature. The small plate and the product spread out as a display probably had something to do with it cooling fast. Other mexican restaurants always warn you about a hot plate. i assume they know the product cools fast when sitting in the kitchen; waiting for the rest of the meal to be completed. Lastly , the rice was half cooked, actually hard to eat because it crumbled off the fork. I did mention it to the waiter and he said sorry. The beans were bland also, not only lukewarm but also lack of flavor. they served whole beans not refried beans. The bill came and not only wasn't something discounted for the undercooked rice or offered, but they also charged me the full price for the burrito Grande without chicken for my girlfriend. I figured they would have charged less with no protein on it but that's not the case here. My mistake for not asking, but anywhere else they knock off some price for leaving a primary ingredient off. The cook here should sample the food they sell so he or she can determine the spices necessary for mexican entrees; It...

Papi Grande's, located at 4276 Maple Rd in Amherst, NY, promised a tantalizing journey through Mexican cuisine. However, my recent dining experience left much to be desired.

Upon entering, the ambiance seemed inviting, with vibrant decor setting the stage for a flavorful meal. Eager to indulge, my party ordered the Enchiladas and Chicken Chimichanga . Yet, from the moment the dishes arrived, disappointment began to simmer.

Firstly, presentation fell short of expectations. While I typically enjoy capturing culinary moments, the lackluster appearance of our plates discouraged any photographic enthusiasm. This initial letdown set the tone for the rest of the meal.

Service proved sluggish, with the need to repeatedly request water refills adding to our frustration. The disjointed communication regarding our Enchilada order only compounded matters. Being told that our customization requests were inconvenient for the kitchen left a sour taste in our mouths, figuratively speaking.

When the Enchiladas finally arrived, it was evident that the kitchen had rushed the preparation. The cheese inside remained disappointingly unmelted, detracting from the dish's overall appeal. Furthermore, the flavors failed to impress; the promised burst of Mexican spices was notably absent. Even the rice, a staple side, offered little reprieve, its peculiar taste leaving us perplexed.

Ultimately, our dining experience at Papi Grande's left much to be desired. Despite its promising facade, the restaurant failed to deliver on both service and flavor. While I acknowledge the challenges restaurants face, the lack of attention to detail and flavor refinement left me unimpressed. In a city rich with culinary offerings, Papi Grande's fell short of...