Pappasito's Cantina image

Pappasito's Cantina

Restaurant Mexican restaurant Tex mex restaurant

Tex-Mex dishes & margaritas are the stars at this chain with a festive look. People often mention good, great, time, lunch, beef, restaurant, delicious, service, fajitas, staff,


Address

6513 I-35, Austin, TX 78752

Website

pappasitos.com

Contact

(512) 548-7995

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (4.4K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 11 AM to 9 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 11 AM to 10 PM, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Sunday: (Easter), 11 AM to 9 PM, Hours might differ
  • Monday: 11 AM to 9 PM
  • Tuesday: 11 AM to 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 11 AM to 9 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: good (13) great (13) time (11) lunch (9) beef (9) restaurant (9) delicious (9) service (9) fajitas (8) staff (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Tim T. 2 years ago on Google
    I had not been here in years and had forgotten how good the food is. We ended up coming in on a Sunday evening and back for lunch on Monday. Good chips and salsa and great beef flour tacos! Plenty of parking. The only bad thing was they only used half of the available seating during Monday lunch, but we didn't have to wait too long for seating.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 William Tompkins (Live Music in A. 1 year ago on Google
    Easy parking. Nice vibe when you walk in. Very friendly and knowledgable waitstaff. The menu was excellent and diverse. You can see we had several different plates. The fajitas shrimp, beef, chicken were all amazing. UNFORTUNATELY for me I had a chicken burrito. Pretty bad and I felt foolish for ordering it and having nice expectations. It lacked flavor and worse yet was it was barely above room temperature. NO I did not send it back as we were in a large party and everyone had gotten there food, my bad. But not as bad as the burrito. Not what I expected from this highly referred restaurant.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jeff M. 2 years ago on Google
    Sam was our server. She made a fantastic recommendation for the platter with shrimp brochette, beef fajitas, and a quail. Oh my delicious! Take the staff recommendations and enjoy a great meal! The tortillas are made in house and are warm, pliable and the perfect medium for transferring the food from platter to mouth. All of the staff were friendly. The atmosphere was a little loud when we first arrived but as we were at the end of the dinner rush it got a lot quieter. Would highly recommend this as a place for great spot for Tex Mex!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Justin A. 1 year ago on Google
    I came in for lunch and ended up sitting at the bar. The bartender (Kevin) was great. Quick and very friendly service. He took the time to get my name and use it every time he walked by. My Combo Fajitas were prepared perfectly and were amazing. The tortillas were hot and fresh. This made for a very enjoyable lunch experience. I will be back!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Film M. 2 years ago on Google
    Fast and friendly service.. busy as usual but the food is always excellent no matter what location. The steak and shrimp are always cooked to perfection. The beans and rice are just as good. Many restaurants do not compare to the actual flavor of tius restaurant. The taste of the authentic tortillas..and delicious margaritas. Well worth the stop. I highly recommend any location.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 RECHEL S. 1 year ago on Google
    The staff was amicable, and the food was fantastic. But I wish the menu were more detailed; we had to ask our server thank-goodness we did because we found out the meat was grounded which she preferred slice, but those are not written down in the menu. They have a big portion here. Overall the food is delicious.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 9999 4. 2 years ago on Google
    My plate was somewhat sloppy. The service (my waiter) was excellent. The margarita was nice. The cook was accommodating. I’m just not a fan. Hopefully when I go back I can order something different. I just ask that all that have read my review compare my plate of food with other pictures that others have posted. I might be wrong but I was disappointed. Hope I’m not sounding rude or bitter. Can you tell that I’m eating seafood enchiladas?
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 The King’s Magic K. 1 year ago on Google
    Strongly recommended! Such a good place to have lunch. Fair price for enough amount of food. Everything tastes so good. The kitchen manager even treated us a dessert just for waiting longer than normal. All people are nice and all food is good. What else can I say? Come now and you will never regret!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Shari M. 2 years ago on Google
    This restaurant is simply the best! When we arrived for our reservation for 9 family members they were ready and waiting on us. I explained to the manager how excited I was to be back at this Pappasito's because we had driven all the way from Tennessee just to eat here. God bless her, she comped our appetizers! Ethan was our server and he was the best. The drinks were spot on, the food was cooked to perfection and so tasty and the chips and salsa never ran out. Thanks to all the staff for a wonderful gathering time for our family. We had not been together for over a year due to Covid and it was a real treat ❤
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marcus Fagan (. 1 year ago on Google
    It's gonna be a long one, but please read to the end. I visited this exact location on 9-21-22. I was in Austin for a convention honoring mentally challenged individuals. I was entertaining one such individual. The wait staff was amazing! My friend drank at least 7 cokes and his glass never went dry. The manager came over to great us. He was great! Now....I rank in the top 10% of Google reviewers in the U.S. for Mexican restaurants as well as a chef for the last 25 years. The hardest food to make in mass quantities is..... GROUND BEEF. Restaurants either try to keep the beef for too long or use pre-packaged spice mixtures..... or flat out don't season their beef. Papasito's ground beef is easily, hands down the best I've had. Their handmade, proprietary blend (which I know some of, but won't divulge) is a true culinary gift. The taco was longer than my foot! I made a point to introduce myself and tell the manager just what I wrote here. God Bless, brothers!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Thomas K. 8 months ago on Google
    Been here several times but over the years as I don't live nearby. Always great food and service. Most recently I had the lunch special quesadillas (upsell to fajita beef from chicken) with crunchy taco. Both excellent. The margaritas aren't my favorite so I'd try some other cocktails next time.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mary Gaby G. 7 months ago on Google
    We visited this Fantastic restaurant in July; the place is like a spanish house, with beautiful decoration and great music. Inside, we meet Mrs. Aydeh; she was making fresh tortillas and talked to us about the process with the machine to make it. When you get the fresh tortillas at your table, you know where they came from. The food was delicious. I ordered the mix fajitas, great portion of food, and the services was fast and perfect. We will come back!.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Kartik B. 1 year ago on Google
    We came here basis our friends recommendations. Did not disappoint. Was told that vegetarians would find it difficult because of limited options and that was partly true. This place is heaven for meat lovers. The food was excellent and drinks served were on the stronger side (which is a good or a bad thing based on perspectives). The desserts were on point! Absolutely delighted with their tres leches cake. The Dulce du leche pecan pie came good too. The one odd thing that I found was that this place stops taking guests in after 9 PM and last call for food is also around the same time. Maybe a little too early but that’s just me. Pricing is good and the portion sizes are huge which makes it reasonable. The decor is colourful and has a laidback vibe to it. Classic cantina. Worth a visit if you are around the area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yvonne J. 6 months ago on Google
    I absolutely love the food here! And my favorite is redfish on the half shell. You must call ahead to make sure they have it before you go. I also suggest the hatch enchiladas! However, the hatch dishes are seasonal. Their bacon wrapped shrimp is truly a dish from the gods. You can’t help but love the fajitas, they are very well seasoned and yummy. The grilled vegetables are unbelievably delicious. Of course the chips and salsa is complementary and truly delicious. The staff there is amazing! My favorite drink is the craft sampler. You won’t regret it.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 JD R. 2 years ago on Google
    When we arrived there was a 40 minute wait for a regular table. So we found 2 seats at the end of the bar. Right away we got service. It was a bit crowded but everyone was friendly. Our bartender Kerry was efficient and super engaging! Ribs had a spicy and smoky flavor. Prices are on high side.

  • 5/5 Okayiest D. 2 years ago on Google
    Great atmosphere, they had slings for our newborn in his car seat. Amazing vibe and wonderful food selection. At the moment they were definitely short staffed but the tables were spread out enough to carry conversations while having great laughs.

  • 5/5 Ivanice O. 6 months ago on Google
    The food was delicious and the service was amazing! My husband and I visited from Maryland, it was our first time there and they even gave us a dessert on the house. Would definitely come back next time we’re in town

  • 5/5 madeleine p. 5 months ago on Google
    Came for a friends birthday, it was my first time and everything was amazing! The food was flavorful and the portions were generous, everything on the plate was soooo good except for the rice, that was one of the worst “mexican” rices i’ve ever had, otherwise everything was perfect!

  • 5/5 michelle b. 8 months ago on Google
    Our first experience at Pappasito’s was AMAZING! Came for late lunch and the service given by Juliana and her coworkers was absolutely top tier! The manager came and had a short conversation with us which is always nice. The food is all hand made in house and was so so good!! I’m a picky eater and I loved everything! We got the queso to start and shared the combination fajitas. It exceeded our expectations! The atmosphere is casual and very clean. Everyone on the staff we encountered was so friendly. We will definitely be back!!

  • 5/5 Jamal Z. 7 months ago on Google
    Went during lunch and loved how fast and attentive the staff was even during lunch rush. The food and drinks came out fast and was delicious. Will be back again just based on the service.

  • 5/5 Melanie �. 8 months ago on Google
    Went again recently great redfish , really impressed expensive definitely. Ordered food to ribs/w 🦐 brochette. Not good ribs tough definitely not what they should be, probably out of pressure cooker too soon Went back again just this week of August Awesome experience, wonderful food and service above a 5 Star. They really know how to take care of customer.

  • 5/5 Austin T. 7 months ago on Google
    ..09/25/2023..Took my wife and kiddos here to celebrating our 31yrs anniversary. Ms. Bailey was our server and the manager in charge name is Ernie Pẽna. The restaurant has a situation next to my table and quite frankly we were a little scare, but Ernie de-escalated the situation a pro. Because of his handling and there were nothing happen at the restaurant or any of us within the situation table. A few minutes later, Ernie took his time to my table and making sure we are ok and enjoying our foods. I really think if Ernie didn’t handle well, things can get pretty ugly quick. I would like to thanks Ernie and recognized his handle things so everyone can enjoying their foods and in a safe environment. **** 08/02/2023 My family and I have dine here almost 29yrs. Pappasito’s is the only place we come for beef fajitas, other grills, yummy desserts and drinks. On this day, my server was a young man named “Hunter” and he was an excellent server w/ an awesome attitude. Hunter was prompt from beginning to the end. Make our dine in experience w/ lots of like. Malik / restaurant manager was also great leader on this shift. I can see Malik was like a music conductor (but on the restaurant’s floor) to make sure his customers are enjoying their time here. If this restaurant location have many of “Hunter” & “Malik” then I would dine here every day 😃. Thx you Hunter and Malik for your serving us and we are looking forward to our next meal here soon.

  • 5/5 AC G. 8 months ago on Google
    My husband and I had dinner here. This was our first time at Papasito's. Our waiter, Gavin, was great. I had the beef fajitas jalisco style and had the La Fresa margarita. The fajitas were tender, flavorful, and so delicious. My drink was very good as well. I had flour tortillas with my meal, and they reminded me of my mom's. My husband had the Reynosa. He said the chicken was very flavorful. He enjoyed his meal. For dessert, we had tres leches. I am not usually a fan of this dessert, but it was good. We will return here again. Highly recommend!


Call (512) 548-7995 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Curbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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