PapaO’s

Came here with our small children & were pleasantly surprised. Grilled Catfish & Talapia were good & so were the collard greens (:
Even tho it’s a ‘cafeteria’ style, they took their time to cook the food just right (;
Super nice folks too; our kids made a big mess & they were very nice about it. Will come again!

This place received a bit of hype when it first opened, and I actually arrived with quite a bit of expectation. At the very least, they should be on par with the other soul food joint in this area. The setup resembled a fast food/​cafeteria where you order up front and receive your food in to-​go boxes.
We got some fried catfish, waffle, and fried chicken. Catfish was overly salted, and the breading was a bit off. The chicken was a bit sweet for some reason, maybe the powder sugar on the waffle got on it, and the waffle was a bit soggy too, almost as if it was dipped in water. The okra was on the dried side too. We were not too impressed by the cornbread, a bit too mushy on the inside.
I really want to like PapaO, since there are not many of restaurant specialized in this type of cuisine in Utah. But the food proven the hype wrong. Perhaps they might have just gone downhill since they first opened?

I do my best to support southern restaurants. This one is a hit and miss depending on what you order. Twice I ordered chicken to only have the breast meat under cooked. Needless to say I wont order that ever again. The catfish you will find very good. Im almost afraid to try other items based on the chicken. Ill post a picture of it however not sure if it breaks any rules by doing so.

Chicken was RAW in the center!!!
Ordered 5 meals 5÷7÷13 @7:45pm; fried catfish, smothered pork chop; and 3(3piece chicken meals) ALL the chicken was raw in the center! Never going back here again… The catfish, pork chop, sides were good tho… But failure to fry basic chicken can not be overlooked… The meal was taken to-​go by the time i got home and saw it was to late to bring back waste of money!
Future customers DO NOT TAKE IT TO-​GO!!!

Singing sooong song of the south sweet potato pie and a shut my mouth (no really if you get me a pie of pie I will shut up)
My beautiful wife (no I am not sucking up she doesn’t read these she won’t feed my ego, belly yes ego no) took me here and shut the front door this was awesome. We both ordered the chicken and waffles and I was astonished at how good this was. It was light and crispy without being greasy, the waffles tasted a bit like a sourdough waffles but were still good. Now onto the sides it has been a while since I had fried okra and it was as good as I remembered, and if you value your life you will not stand between me and those black eyed peas, I will smack the white off your teeth if try it. The cornbread was good and the service was friendly and quick. We got there and we were the only ones there, this needs to stop people. I NEED this place here in Salt Lake like a Republican Congressman needs to preach about family values while he secretly takes his rent boy to South America to save his «soul». Hey I’m just sayin.
Also remember that the man that cooks your food and shake his hand and maybe give him a couple of bucks, hey he deserves it look at this great food he made for you, and the secret ingredient is love… or heroin, I’m not sure yet but the fact that I woke up later that night needing a black eyed pea fix I know which one I am going with.

The pot roast was a tender and flavorful medley of beef, vegetables, and gravy with a hint of heat. Nice crispy fried okra as a side, and hush puppies to soak up all the left over juices really hit the spot. A bit far away from downtown, but will always stop by when in the area. Really wish they had a food truck!

* Food has a different taste, every time
* Joint went from clean to grimy in under a week
* Don’t make eye contact with the deep fryer cook if you know what’s good for you
* That toilet nasty
* Special of the day errday
* Fried chicken, cheesy grits, jalapeño cornbread and collard greens
* Extra helpings keep me jolly and fat
It was all worth it.
edit: Closed. Everything I touch, dies.

It was great. I called while at work on Thursday 3÷21÷2013 to pick up in 10 minutes. Used my coupon that I got from Unilocal.I got there at 430 and I was the only 1 there. Yes the floors were a little sticky, so what give them a break! It like to see if every inch of your house is spotless! Got 2 3piece meals of the chicken, both sides were Mac n cheese Anne mashed potatoes and gravy! Yuummmmm! Also for bread got hush puppies and dessert a coconut cake.
Really nice spices flavor and taste. Chicken was so moist and juicy!!! Mac sooooo cheesy. The gravy?! OMG!!! AMAZING.
Everything was sooo good and it was actually my 2^nd time having it better this 2^nd time, I actually called the guys back and told them, «Good job!» I’ll be back.
Real confidence booster! Try it sometime instead of just complaining, viva a compliment for job well done

I ordered the fried catfish with fried green tomatoes and mac n cheese. The catfish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside but it was way too salty. I heard fried green tomatoes are supposed to be amazing but these were just okay. The mac n cheese IMO was the best part of my meal but even then, it was pretty average.
Some of my friends ordered the chicken and waffles and I’ve been looking for a place in South Jordan that serves chicken and waffles but the chicken here was very disappointing. Considering this place specializes in soul food, I expected the fried chicken to be better than KFC but it really wasn’t.
I might go back to give it another shot but so far, I am not impressed.

I guess I’m different than the other reviewers. This place sucks! $ 20.00/two people, please. Greasy refried tasteless chicken. Really small sides. We were greeted by a very unfriendly female person. «What do you want»
Attitude. Really ugly dining area and filthy. Furniture only small children could be comfortable on.
The food had absolutely no seasonings.. Don’t go there.

Papa Oh’s
Why I went:
10 for 20 Deal on Unilocal (Jeffrey S. Highly recommended it)
Food before Jazz vs. GSW with classmates
What I ordered:
Chicken and Waffles–
Chicken had average flavor and was very crispy but the portion size for the dish was off. The amount of chicken was way too much for the waffles and the waffle tasted almost like an Eggo Waffle. Overall I enjoyed the juxtaposition of flavors and textures in this dish but in the realm of my experiences with chicken and waffles it did not hit the mark for me.
Sides: Fried Green Tomatoes/​Mac and Cheese/​Hushpuppies/​Cornbread OG
Overall the sides could have been executed better. The Hush puppies were my favorite they had nice flavor and were very crispy. The fried green tomatoes were bland and the batter did not adhere to the tomato after my first bite, which was disappointing. I also had the cornbread which came highly recommended by Jeffrey S. so I looked forward to trying it but when I did i found it very dry and not very flavorful As well as the mac and cheese and cornbread were nothing special.
Cut to the Chase:
Unilocal deal (10 for 20) made it worth the price
Met my expectations but did not exceed them. Definitely not a meal I could eat regularly but I want to return to try some of the other main dishes and sides (catfish/​pulled pork/​sweet potato pie).

4 cities in 2 weeks… and truly the only thing memorable was papao’s fried catfish.
let me clarify. THE BEST FRIED CATFISH EVER!!!
4 stars only because i paid $ 10 for a 6″ stick of fish. that’s just wrong.

I came to Papa O’s for lunch recently and while the food was good, the overall experience was unremarkable. I think I would go back if it was closer to my home, and I might anyway, but I’m not in a big hurry to do so.
I was greeted by a very personable cashier who talked to me a little bit about the menu. He explained what was on the menu, let me know what wasn’t being served, and told me some of his preferences. I liked him! I ordered fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. I am crazy about macaroni & cheese, you guys, and PapaO’s is definitely getting it right. Same with the chicken. Delicious, crispy, and seasoned to perfection. I warmed up to the mashed potatoes after a few bites, but they really weren’t excellent. A mini-​loaf of cornbread came with my order, and it tasted too dense and was almost clammy. I was weirded out. I got a Coke, but PapaO’s also keeps pitchers of sweet tea and strawberry lemonade next to the soda fountain.
Even after a good meal, I just wasn’t that excited about PapaO’s. Maybe it’s because the restaurant is located in an impersonal strip mall and lacks the divey atmosphere and undeniable personality of the soul food restaurants I’ve visited in the South. Maybe it’s because I didn’t REALLY want fried chicken. I don’t know. But since the problem most likely rests with me, you should probably still try it out. There’s a good chance you could love it.

Food was AWESOME!!! The restaurant was and service was okay. Will definately return for Lunhd.

Cornbread. Lots of cornbread. That’s what I want to order the next time I’m in. And they have a few to choose from so it merits much more investigation.
I was here over the weekend and was pretty excited to finally try it. Being a good boy, I went with the baked chicken. In hindsight, I have to wonder who goes to a soul food restaurant and gets the chicken baked instead of fried. It was tasty, but just get the stuff that’s fried.
I was digging on the sides, that’s for sure. As previously mentioned, I felt like the cornbread was the star. It comes in that cute lil’ mini loaf format, and it was moist, dense, and sweet.
I chose the collard green and mac n’ cheese. Collard greens are some of my favorites no matter where I am, and the slightly bitter greens here made for a nice complement to the sweet cornbread. The mac n’ cheese is also pretty unique. Be sure to stir it around a little when you eat it so the crumbly top gets re-​moistened. That’s a hazard of a restaurant that should be busier than it was, but easily fixable.
Prices are very reasonable, especially with the amount of food you get. Plus each day has its own special so you can save the bucks. I want to head back for something a little more classically southern like ribs or catfish. But no matter what, I’m getting the cornbread to go with it.

Will definitely return again! This time we had the chicken & waffle, catfish, fried green tomatoes, lima beans, mac&cheese, okra and sweet potato/​jalapeño cornbread. The food was mostly great! The only reason why I didn’t give them a 5 star rating is that some of the sides were a tad salty. The smothered pork chops sounds yummy!

Wow this place was good! If this is what the south tastes like I wouldn’t mind living there ;)
We got the fried chicken, catfish, hush puppies, blueberry cornbread, Mac n cheese, potato salad, red beans and rice and collard greens. It was all amazing! My fav was the fried chicken but the catfish was really good too. All the sides were great too and the staff was super friendly. This place is new and I really hope it sticks around! We will be back for sure.

Hallelujah! A «Meat and Three» has finally come to Utah!
This is the real deal. This is true Soul Food, served in the traditional way. This is my favorite style of cooking in the entire world. This is my bliss.
Just like the restaurants that sustained me as a youth in Georgia and North Carolina, Papa O’s provides lip-​smacking, finger-​licking, stick-​to-​your-​ribs southern comfort food, in a casual, diner-​style atmosphere.
This ain’t no Utah knock-​off. This is as authentic as it gets. The line cooks are all African American, with roots in the south, and if you think that doesn’t matter, you don’t know what soul food is, where it comes from, or who created it.
They got fried chicken, meatloaf, pulled pork, ribs, turkey wings, pot roast, catfish, pork chops, and fried shrimp. For sides they got collard greens, lima beans, baked beans, mac and cheese, grits, cole slaw, candied yams, black eyed peas, red beans and rice, green beans, corn, okra, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fried green tomatoes. They got hushpuppies, biscuits, and several kinds of cornbread. They got classic desserts like peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and bread pudding. They even got homemade sweet tea. It’s all here, folks.
I’ve already been several times, and everything I’ve had has been delicious. I don’t pretend to have even put a dent in the vast menu, but I will. God help me, I will.
I am ecstatic. This is a true event, and a milestone for the dining scene in Utah. Order at the counter, take your styrofoam container filled to brim with southern delights, sit at a table with a bottle of hot sauce, take out your plastic fork, and eat until you are in a beatific stupor.
This is it.

Great tasting southern food! Their menu has so many great options from catfish to fried chicken and waffles. They also have a good variety of sides and breads including hushpuppies, cornbread, cheesy grits, collard greens, candied sweet potatoes, and fried green tomatoes.
Their portions sizes were large and everything that I tried was delicious. I felt like I was transported to the South.
I would definitely recommend the chicken and waffles and the cheesy grits.

Just found this place today. I’m not aware of anyplace that serves fresh fried catfish other than Papao’s. The catfish was worth the trip. I got mac and cheese and red beans for sides. Both seemed below average. The mac and cheese looked and tasted reheated but the catfish and the chicken are great. Maybe I’ll get different sides next time.