Pappasito's Cantina

Was recommended by a local as "the best Mexican food in Austin." Hubby loves Mex, so had to try it — VERY tasty! Portion sizes were huge, so Don't over order... Our waitress, Matty, was great. She took exceptional care of us first timers.

Always great food. We ordered a family platter with beef and chicken fajita, bacon wrapped shrimp, ribs and 2 quail on the side. Everything was cooked wonderfully and was bursting with flavor. Beans, rice, guacamole, pico and salsa were plentiful. Honestly my favorite is the any of it dipped in their amazing whipped garlic butter... ridiculously good. Drinks were solid and service was attentive.

If you're looking for a vibrant and authentic Mexican dining experience, Pappasito's Cantina is the place to be! From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is lively, warm, and inviting. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, especially our waiter, Nick. He was fantastic—super knowledgeable and attentive, with excellent recommendations. We noticed the "Training" on his name tag, and it's clear he aced it! He provided top-notch service and really made our visit memorable. The food was absolutely outstanding—everything from the sizzling fajitas to the refreshing margaritas was perfection. The portions are generous, and the flavors are spot on. Whether you're here for a casual night out or celebrating something special, Pappasito's Cantina delivers an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend, and be sure to ask for Nick! A+ service all the way!

Food is delicious and plentiful. Drinks very tasty and refreshing, waitstaff attentive and hostesses friendly. Come early by 5:30 and no lines. We highly recommend the tacos Al carbon beef and chicken. All if the desserts are yummy by the tres leches is amazing!!

Great fajitas! Very sharable. Nothing lacks flavor and their fresh tortillas are great. Plenty of parking. And the staff are lovely. Even on packed days, they do their best to accommodate. This is a busy spot at night. Would return and gorge on tortillas.

This was the first time, my friend and I went there. The atmosphere was very fun, friendly and casual. Our waiter, Jackson was tops!! He was very attentive, courteous and was efficient. Total professional. The amount of food and the quality was far better than another named Mexican restaurant located on South Lamar. Pappasito's definitely gives you , your money's worth! Give Jackson a raise. He deserves it! We will definitely be coming back now that we know this is a top rate restaurant for sure!!

I recently visited Pappasito’s on a sudden plan while I was in the city, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. The food was absolutely delicious, and the ambiance added to the enjoyment of the evening. The service was exceptional, making the visit even more memorable. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and a wonderful dining experience. The fajitas were amazing, and the stuffed shrimp was equally delightful. If you're in the area, Pappasito’s is definitely worth a visit!

Always a local fav of mine. While the prices has consistently gone up year over year the taste remains the same. Would love to see larger portions for what they charge to be fair and honest. Bartenders and servers are pleasant too. Def recommend going at happy hour as you could get away with the less than $25 a person. I got a medium frozen margarita with a shrimp taco and left satisfied (which is rare).

I've always been a fan of this restaurant, and every visit has been a consistently great experience with solid meals and outstanding service. But this time, they introduced something new--the lamb chops--and let me tell you, these are some of the best lamb chops I have ever had. I'm not exaggerating! For just $39.99, you get six generously sized, perfectly cooked chops served with flavorful grilled veggies, beans, and rice. The seasoning was spot on, and the meat was tender and juicy with just the right amount of char. Every bite was an absolute delight. Honestly, I would return just for these lamb chops alone. They've set a new standard for what I expect in a great dish, and I can't wait to come back for more. If you're a fan of lamb, or even if you've never tried it before, this is a must-order!

I am genuinely stunned by the low ratings this restaurant has received. It seems that chain restaurants often face harsher scrutiny, but our experience was nothing short of phenomenal! We visited on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and were impressed by the vibrant atmosphere, extensive menu, and excellent value. The menu creatively blends Tex-Mex with BBQ, offering a wide variety of options to satisfy any palate. The restaurant boasts ample seating both indoors and outdoors, as well as a lively bar area--perfect for a casual meal or a fun outing. Our meal began with a generous basket of crispy chips accompanied by smoky salsa, setting the stage for what was to come. I opted for the Red Snapper Ceviche ($15.95), and I was pleasantly surprised by its freshness and flavor. The ceviche was served with thicker chips specifically designed to hold the delicious mixture--an impressive touch that showcased their attention to detail. My boyfriend chose the lunch beef and chicken fajitas ($23.95), which were absolutely amazing. Both the steak and chicken were incredibly flavorful and juicy, making each bite a delight. The dish came with an impressive array of accompaniments: rice, beans, fresh flour tortillas, garlic butter, pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream. I was particularly impressed to learn that the tortillas are made fresh on-site using a machine in the back--what a treat! This restaurant has quickly become our go-to Mexican spot! I can't wait to return and explore more of the menu. I also want to give a shout-out to our wonderful server, whose name I regretfully did not catch--she truly enhanced our dining experience. In summary, if you're looking for delicious food in a welcoming atmosphere, this place is worth a visit!

Even in a city now jam packed with great restaurants,Pappasitos still places head and shoulders above some of the competition. Part of the corporate chain outta Houston,anyone who's dined at a Pappas restaurant is a happy camper. You can find their food in Major Texas Cities. My Texas Redfish on the Half shell today was perfectly prepared and exactly what the Doctor ordered. The table also ordered the world class Chicken Flautas...simply untouchable,world class . Always accompanied by excellent service. If you see Papas in a restaurant name anywhere in Texas,screech to a halt and go eat.

Pappasito's is one of my favorite non hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. Our waitress was fantastic! She sat us quickly despite the lunch rush and she anticipated our needs. The restaurant itself is a bit crowded - most likely to accommodate more people. The food was amazing! I love their fajitas and Diablo shrimp. This plate is great if you're on the carnivore diet.

SO delicious! The beef fajitas were out of this world...seriously the best I've ever had. The chicken was so tender. Chips and salsa were great. Service was a little slow for 3pm on a Sunday. I would have expected it to be a little faster, but our waitress was very responsive. The atmosphere was great and they do birthday celebrations! Would definitely come back here! I'll be dreaming on the beef fajitas until I make my return.

The steak fajita is AMAZING. It was cooked perfectly medium-rare and was unbelievably tender. If you come here and don't get it, go back and get some because you made a mistake! My uncle who is picky about quail took a bite and said "that's how you cook quail." It was juicy and not the least bit overcooked. The inside of this place is huge in the inside with TVs at the bar to watch sports. They also have some outdoor seating that looked nice. They make their tortillas and chips in house. The chips that come with salsa are thin and crispy. The ones that come with guacamole are thicker and taste better than most tortilla chips I've had in my life. The staff was friendly. We were there in a Thursday night, so it wasn't busy and we were sat right away. My meal wasn't cheap, but it was a LOT of food and the ingredients were high quality. I'll definitely be coming back to get some more fajitas!

This review pertains to a group function in a private room. They do have an enclosed private room off to the side which will hold about 40 people. I did have time to read through many of the reviews before arrival and one common complaint were the higher than expected prices. I agree with some yelpers concerning the watery salsa which also lacks heat, but I love the thin chips. They did also bring some queso, which was pretty basic, but good. When you walk into this place, you immediately realize the very spacious interior with countless tables. There's lots of seating at and next to the bar as well. In order to make things simple, our group was served family style instead of individual orders. We all enjoyed their beef and chicken fajita fixins along with the sides. The service was very attentive and our three hour holiday lunch went off without a hitch. Eight photos included for more insight.

Went there to celebrate a birthday and it was great. Lunch prices until 4pm so made it an early dinner. Parking was easy and nearby for 2 vertically challenged people. Service was exceptional. From Daisy. Started with the queso and the guacamole appetizers which were both excellent. Complementary salsa was spicy but really tasty. The entrees chosen were combos - one with a really large crispy taco and chicken quesadilla, the other was a beef enchilada and a tamale. Both served with charro beans. Delicious! The staff brought some tres leche cake and sang which was unexpected but so. Fun!! Despite the congested drive on I35 we will go back! Yummy!

Place was great! Came in with a few buddies who had been there before. This was my first time trying it out. It was in the middle of the day so it wasn't too crowded but still pretty busy. Our waiter was new but very good. Asked all the right questions, was quick with the refills and gave some pretty good recommendations. I enjoyed it.

Had a fun night at Pappasito's Cantina! We started with the Margarita flights. The spicy was my favorite. For the main course, we ordered a mix of ribs and fajitas. The fajitas were solid and came out sizzling with plenty of flavor. The ribs were a bit tough and not as seasoned as I'd hoped. The portions were huge and we had great service. Kennedy, our server made sure we had everything we needed, and our food arrived quickly.

Oh Pappasito's...Like I said, I love me some Tex-Mex. We had a last minute reservation at 5p for two. As soon as we pulled up to the parking lot, we knew it was going to be a mad house. I mean people were parking wherever they could. We check in with the host, Angel, and he tells us it'll still be a 25 min wait...sad but expected, even with a reservation. It's not my first time here. He was friendly and assured me he would do his best to get us seated asap. It wasn't 2 minutes later when I got a text that our table was ready. Ashley walked us to our table with a smile and made small talk. We always get the same order - margs, and the beef fajitas. We were feeling fancy so I ordered the queso - not a fan. It was pure velveeta cheese without any flavor. Connor was our waiter and WOW! He was on it. Everyone was, I was literally amazed at how fast, and efficient all of the servers, busboys, hosts, waiters/waitresses were...everyone just knew where they had to be. No hesitation. I even saw the managers on the floor doing rounds. Did I mention it was Cinco de Mayo? Connor was personable, SUPER ATTENTIVE, polite and just a pro. Our order was brought out by Kennedy, so nice and cleared out our table to make room for our meal. Checked to see if we needed anything else before taking off. The fajitas were SIZZLING, the tortillas were fresh and hot, the beans were tasty...the rice was a bit dry. Pappasito's hits the spot every time. And I am pretty much bedridden after each Pappasito's feast. But I accept my fate....

Cam here on a Sunday at about 3 pm with a party of 10. The place is huge but we still had to wait about 15 minutes cause it's a very popular spot. Sat down and the table ordered multiple sizes and varieties of fajitas because they are known for their fajitas. And I understand why now, they are delicious!! The unfortunate part is that the food took forever to come out. We probably waited 45 minutes after getting our drinks just for 3 orders of fajitas. I understand that they were busy but the people around us were getting their food even though they had been seated after us. They also brought the food for another table over to our table and set it down not once but twice! It's like they were teasing us. That obviously was not intentional but there is nothing worse than having to wait for food when you're hungry. I would come back again just maybe not at such a crowded time.

My family came into town and they have never been to Pappasito's. They loved the food and the service was fantastic! We had fajitas, enchiladas, and burritos and they were all delicious! Desserts were to die for. Thank you AJ for your amazing service and making my family's visit memorable!

Awesome restaurant always a nice staff and great food with plenty of fun and always on point

The food was good, there weren't a lot of people there. Our waiter kept forgetting our drinks/untensils and food. When we got out food it was good but it wasnt fresh and hot. And the queso took too long to arrive. By the time we got the queso i was already full. And to make it worse the queso tasted off, so did the food i ordered.

Convenient to where I was staying. Friendly bar service - ate right in the counter. Steak fajita taco was perfectly cooked -- but at $15 a taco -- man, glad I was on business. Garden salad was quite filling and fresh.

Food and service was wonderful. Great atmosphere. Our waitress was wonderful and very helpful.

I had Handmade Pork Tamales and Beef enchilada with rice and charro beans and it was excellent. Fresh hot tasty and ample amounts. Service was fast friendly and pleasant. We had the brownie with vanilla ice cream and it was good. We will come back for sure

This place is the bomb! I went with my friend while at a conference in Austin. Pappasito's was walking distance from the hotel. We went Saturday night and had a blast. Had a few drinks and appetizers and everything was delicious. Their guacamole was so tasteful and fresh. I like that it had some queso fresco sprinkle on top. Their chips are obviously made there and so are their tortillas. Sooo good. We had so much fun that we came back Sunday for lunch before we left Austin. I had their beef fajitas steak quesadilla- it was filled with steak, toasty on the outside and the perfect amount of cheese inside. They were huge too. I had maybe 1/2 and brought the rest home for the next day. I know there is a Pappasito's at Dallas and I am wondering if they are as good as the Austin location. Need to go check it out soon. This location was huge. So many tables yet the service was good. They had lots of servers. This place is very family oriented. Lots of ppl with their kids/families having a feast. I recommend this place 100%!!

Brought my out of state friends here for the first time and they loved it. It was busy but we were able to get a seat at the bar and sip on margs while we waited. Serving size is huge, chips and salsa is always good, and we loved our server! They really enjoyed their experience here.

Absolutely love Pappasito's! Especially this one. Service is always top tier, food is consistently great, it's always our go-to. Never had a bad margarita from this one

Pricey but delicious. Watermelon margarita was perfect. My chicken fajitas were tender and came with butter which I found unusual, taking a healthy dish and adding butter to it. Gave it to my bf and he enjoyed it with his beef fajitas. Sides were good. Cool seeing autographs from celebrities like Emilio Estevez. Cesar was our setver and he was good.

The food here is very delicious. The chicken fajitas are always the star of the show and the portions are very large. We always come for the queso with ground beef in it - incredible! The service is great - even when it is very busy inside. The longest I've had to wait, even when busy, is 20 minutes. The ambiance is very cute and you can tell they care about their own heritage as a restaurant.

I stay at the hotel next-door a couple times a month and I've never eaten at this place. I decided to try it out for the first time I went for lunch fajitas. They were super tasty. Amazing chips and salsa was out the door for about 20 bucks my service was fabulous thank you Constain. You were amazing. My only complaint would be that the host Alex told me I couldn't eat outside, which was strange because they had tables and when I left people were eating outside. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect. Talk to a manager. She said he made a mistake so if they tell you, you can't eat outside ask for a manager.

So much food. Holy cow. I ate plenty and same taking home enough for another meal. Incredible. The chips are warm and fresh. The margaritas were fire!!!!!. Great prices. Ask for Kilee!!! Fast friendly professional service.

I LOVE Pappasitos so much! I literally dream about the queso (regular and fundido). Can never go wrong with the chicken enchiladas but also a big fan of their fajitas. Jasmin at the bar has always taken great care of us every time we go and every server we've had always provides amazing service. It's a great spot for any occasion. I can't wait to go back!!

By far the best fajitas in town. Chicken, beef, even shrimp which I am normally not a fan of is extremely amazing here. They have a positive vibe and atmosphere; I am looking forward very much to going back. Their desert options are absolutely phenomenal as well. Everyone that works there is very nice and cannot wait to return.

The place can really accommodate large groups, and the staff is incredibly friendly. The house margarita was delicious. I would recommend this place to really indulge in a cheat meal.

The food is ok. But I think the best part art of Pappasitos are drinks! I would literally come here (mainly) to sit at the bar and order drinks and have some nachos.

Kitchen was _very_ slow today and some of the food wasn't as hot as it should have been. Service was inattentive for chips and drinks. This is not a restaurant which should take 40+ minutes from seating to food arriving. No explanation or acknowledgment of the delay. The tamales (on the appetizer menu) I ordered to come with the meal weren't hot. Otherwise the food was good but disappointing on this trip.

Great meal was just kind of pricey. We were a large group portions were big and service was great

My husband and I love going to Pappasitos. It's consistently delicious, good service and good pricing. We always leave full and with left overs. Ambience is very casual but still highly recommend!

Came in early for dinner, nice quick service, waitress took my order & dropped off chips but no salsa, said it would be out in a minute. Never came. For the prices this restaurant charges I was not impressed with the food at all. No better than any Tex-Mex in the area but way more expensive. How can a Mexican restaurant be out of salsa @ 4.30pm ?? I know it's trivial but I was looking forward to warm chips & good salsa , they didn't tell me why there wasn't any .. chips & salsa delivered to table when I was 95% finished eating 1st time here & will not return, as said, food was ok but did not have any better quality than much cheaper establishments. The restaurant does support "End Cancer" charity which I did donate to .

Food was fantastic, the manager Zach stopped by our table and made sure everything was perfect! Will be back every week!

Excellent food, amazing service and very affordable prices. Will definitely return here.

We go to this place because it's always consistent with their fajitas, and you definitely get a lot of bang for the buck, and the drinks are pretty good. The meats are great quality and, juicy and tender. Unfortunately our servers were short staffed and had to hustle, which they did well.

I love this restaurant so much! Great quality of food and the service was amazing! Our food came out at a perfect pace! Loved everything we got. Full of flavor and scrumptious. We got the diablo shrimp and they for sure had a kick but i love spicy food, so these were amazing! The beef fajitas you can't go wrong with. They tasted so yummy! The meat was cooked perfectly to medium well (what we asked for) The waiter was so helpful and answered any questions we asked! Great service! I can't wait to come back soon! The ambiance was also really nice.

The food was served in such in such bland taste it's been yes to the staff was so sweet trying to help make a great experience you could tell there was excellent training in customer skills buts the food was no-t that good or maybe my taste buds have change you know that does happen either way I would go back because customers service is85 % in my book.

Great service, convenient location. Decent soup and Mexican entree. The Pappas brothers draw crowds with their various locations, but I still prefer a mom-and-pop place of which Austin has zillions.

Not the same as it use to be on food quality. The food quality has gone downhill. Maybe a Happy hour with friends but nothing else.

Papasitos is absolutely my favorite Tex Mex restaurants. The chips are always fresh and salted. I came yesterday looking due the Mahi Mahi but they discontinued the dish!!!!! Pleassssssse bring it back and keep on menu. Hands down it was my favorite thing on the menu. The second best is the shrimp fajitas, the butter is the extra topper that sets it apart from any other fajitas. The shrimp is peeled and seasoned perfectly and the veggies. I have no complaints

We absolutely love Pappasitos. As someone from Houston living in Austin I'm so happy there's a location here, just wish they'd make one in south austin! The queso and salsa is my favorite in town, as well as the beef fajitas. We also got the shrimp brochette this last time, and it's so delicious. Also recommend getting a frozen house margarita, yummy and strong.

Atmosphere is awesome and I heard the lore as foretold by Texas natives but... the food was so different than expected with some strange garlic cream over the fajitas. The service was severely lacking but it was late on a Tuesday night. Went back to our hotel and ate from the market.

Food 5 stars Ambiance 4 stars Service 5 stars I really enjoyed dining here from beginning to end. The hostess was very accommodating when I asked for different seating. I appreciated it because we just left from a bad experience with another venue. Once sat our waitress immediately greeted us and took our drink orders then returned shortly to gather our food orders. She was extremely polite and I originally wanted to salmon but they were out. She apologized and I explained that I understood and wasn't disappointed. She was so attentive and checked on us the entire night and refilled our drinks. Towards the end multiple people asked if we'd like to order anything else to eat or drink due to the kitchen closing. This was so thoughtful. I also have to say the food was so delicious. These have to be some of the best charro beans I've had in Austin. The rice was so fluffy and tasted as well. The butterfly shrimp with the lime butter made my heart smile. I can't wait to come back and hopefully try the salmon if not I'll try something else offered on the menu. Thank you for turning a bad evening great for us.

I have to admit the staff was on point considering it was graduation weekend at UT. The wait was an hour and a half but took a little less time. I hate to go to restaurants when it's close to closing time but they we'e able to accommodate our party of six and stated they would stay until everyone was fed and satisfied. The food was delicious and the kitchen manager came out and apologized for some of the delays we encountered. All in all, everyone was well taken cared for on a busy stormy evening.

It's expensive, but usually you get what you pay for, and Pappasito's is no different. The tortilla soup with avocado is outstanding, as are the beef fajitas nachos.

Get these fajitas at the restaurant. I've had them to-go during the pandemic and it wasn't the same. My favorite is the mixed fajitas. It is enough for two if your moderately hungry and you eat the chips and salsa. The chicken is breast meat and the beef is very flavorful. The onions are nice and sweet. This place has been around since the 90s and so their system is efficient. Don't forget the butter!

My first time here was a Saturday around 4:00/4:15pm. We ordered the family plate. It came with stuffed shrimp, chicken, steak fajitas, half of slab of ribs, tortillas, beans, guacamole, pico, rice and grilled onions. When I tell you it was SOOOOO good! The ribs and steak were so tender. But my absolute favorite were the stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon. Here we are 3 days later and I can't get those things out of my mind!! The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the chicken it was a bit dry. But other than that everything was perfect. Oh and not only was the food delicious but the drinks were as well; and so was the customer service. Our waiter, AJ was super sweet, super kind and helpful. Everyone was so nice even people who weren't our waiter. We really enjoyed ourselves. I'll definitely be returning! Fingers crossed the customer service and great food is consistent! :)

This was my first time at Pappasito's and I had such an amazing experience. Not only was the food delicious but all of the staff was super friendly, especially our server and the manager. The environment is very family oriented as large groups came to celebrate birthdays and couples were there for a date night. We got the beef fajitas and it exceeded my expectations. I normally don't like TexMex but I am a fan of Pappasito's