Pappasito’s Cantina

For a Jersey guy, this chain tex-​mex place rocks. And by the amount of business Pappasitos does in non-​aiport locations too, it can’t be just because I’m 1500 miles from the Rio Grande.
The menu is what you’d expect. As you’ve read, portions are big, so that makes up a bit for prices that are a bit high — even for an airport. Last time in I went for the steak quesadilla and was a happy traveler. This was the most stuffed quesadilla ever! Could have used a little more guacamole and sour cream, but that’s minor. Chips and salsa brought to the table were fresh and a welcome start.
5 stars are really for the peanut butter milkshake that still is #1 on my list anywhere. I traveled from terminal E to A for the shake. I considered taking a connecting flight in Houston for that shake before I found out there’s a Pappasitos in DFW. That makes me sound like a nut, but don’t judge until you try that shake…

I had a long layover in Dallas, so I decided to have a nice, relaxing dinner. You can’t go wrong with Tex-​Mex, right? Absolutely! Wow! The salsa was different, but delicious. I ordered the fajitas and I must say they were the best fajitas I’ve ever had. Muy Bueno!!!

I had some time to kill between flights, so I stopped in and ordered a Corona and the Spicy BBQ Ribs appetizer. I asked Josiah, the bartender, if the ribs were any good, fully expecting the standard «Of course! Everything on the menu is good!» line.
He didn’t lay that garbage on me. He said they were great, and that he made a copy-​cat recipe at home all the time.
I trusted him. It was trust well placed. The ribs were very sweet, but spicy and delicious. The beers were cold and were served without delay. Brian was also working the bar, so between the two, they tag-​teamed their way into an awesome layover lunch-​stop for me. The next time you’re in DFW on a layover, stop in and grab a seat at the bar… Josiah and Brian will take good care of you
Oh yeah, the warm chips and salsa did not suck, either!!!
I’m stuffed and happy. Kinda hard to say about most airport eateries!

Excellent front service. Excellent bartender (Araceli R). Deliver your food instantly and well prepared drinks. The place to go for good food, speed and service.

Four stars for a good airport meal and experience. We had about four hours to kill, so we returned to Pappasito’s since it was about five or six years since we last ate there. It was as we remembered, good food at a decent price (for an airport). I ordered a massive margarita which was very tasty and we split the two-​person fajitas. Pappasito’s does that stupid thing were they charge you for sour cream, so we splurged and ordered a side of that. The guac came with the meal, fortunately. All were good.
Some of the menu items seemed pretty pricey but the fajitas were good. Our waitress was very friendly and quick to offer her suggestions on the menu. Bonus points for her willing to separate the adult drink from the rest of the receipt.
Next time we have a huge chunk of a day to kill at DFW, we’ll likely stop by. Thanks!

Just had to write about this place. I’ve got gluten and dairy allergies and I’m avoiding all grains as well… which is super hard to manage while traveling. The staff here has been AMAZING! The chef came out
To ask what my allergies were and came out both to follow up and to dial me in on exactly what was in this outstanding mango salad. I have been in a lot of places that find my food «Dont’s» to be a real hassle and I felt like a problem. Not this place. The bartenders Chris & Travis were great and they involved the chef (named Issac) all of them treated me like gold and worked to advise me as to what they could serve me without gluten, dairy, grains or MSG. I LOVED the salmon and mango salad and am walking away without any allergic reactions — so they really know their stuff! Thanks to all! Xoxo d

I just had a drink here waiting on my flight but it was great. I had a ruby mule (ruby vodka in a Moscow mule.)
Also, I saw several other people’s food and I wished I had come across this place earlier so I would have been able to try their food. It came out pretty quick too.
If you are going to be in terminal A and don’t have a lot of time, they do have a take out window as well.
I like good Mexican food and theirs looked really good. While I was having my drink, a guy at the bar said he used to be from Texas and went to Pappasito’s all the time. He had to stop and get some in the airport. He asked the bartender if they still make their own tortillas and apparently they do but not at the airport location (they make them off site and bring them over.)
I would say if you have a longer layover, stop in here for a bite to eat, or grab a take out container to bring to your gate.

Ordered nachos at the DFW airport papasitos. Hey, I was hungry! Didn’t finish it all. Mexican doesn’t always make me feel so good. Quite pricey too. Nachos were $ 16 before tip. But then again, it’s airport food, although im sure they have other locations. Was really tempted to have a margarita.

Food was great! First time here on our way back to Portland OR and our waiter Jesus told us a little bit about the place which was nice :)
Our food took longer than expected but we didn’t mind the wait. The manager came over to our table to apologize about the wait and took it off our tab which was very generous of him :)
The drinks where great too! :)

This was one of the much better restaurant’s I’ve had at airports and lived up pretty close to the mini-chain’s normal places.
Of course the chips and salsa. Hard to go wrong here.
Add in a margarita and we’re on the right track.
But then I had the fish tacos. Delicious. They were a little messy but the fish was tender without being try and wasn’t overpowered by the other ingredients, which included a little sweetness.
Service was prompt and I would not hesitate to go back again when flying through DFW. Definitely a winner.

For airport food, DFW has some of the best, and Pappasito’s Cantina was pretty good. The prices are quite reasonable and comparable to what I would pay at the restaurant. You can either dine in or take it to go.

We came here during a layover from Puerto Rico to Sacramento… I was in a bad mood and tired and wanting to get home and it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We had an early diner here and everything was delicious. What made our experience amazing was our waiter Michael. He had outstanding customer service skills. I watched and he treated each table as if they were his only customer and top priority.

Pappasito’s is my favorite place for a pit stop when transiting through DFW. Although my tex-​mex cravings are admittedly starved living in Hong Kong, the food here is consistently fantastic to my mind. And who are we kidding? Nothing beats a big, ice-​cold Miller Lite immediately upon hitting US soil. Except perhaps the massive American-​sized portions, which surprise me every time. As an appetizer the queso is quite good, but with a few too many chunks of veggies for my taste — I prefer a smoother blend, though I still always order it.
The combo fajitas (chicken/​beef) are excellent, with the meat served tender and juicy, perfect for fajitas and never chewy. My wife loves the chicken enchiladas with a sour cream sauce, though I can’t vouch for them personally. The waiter today also suggested a great new twist on my regular fajita order — the Matamoros platter, which includes just about the same amount of beef and chicken, along with half a rack of ribs for the same price as the combo fajitas (hellooooo three-​meat fajita!). I ordered the Matadoros for the ribs out of curiosity and based on the waiter’s recommendation, and boy am I glad that I did. They were fantastic! Tender meat, slightly spicy sauce and a good char from the grill made them the best part of the meal (other than the beer — Shiner Bock is also on tap for those of you who want to make sure you know you’re in Texas).
Pappasito’s is so good you’d never remember you were in an airport if it weren’t for the luggage jammed against you in their bit-​too-​small booths and tables. It will continue to be my number one stop when I’m passing through DFW!

Pappasito’s is normally the gold standard of Tex-​Mex in DFW. At the airport, it’s pretty good. Probably the best Tex-​Mex in the airport, but it didn’t seem up to the standards I’d expect at other locations.
I will say though that the nachos were AMAZING. Whatever seasoning/​spices they used, I’m a fan. The next time I’m at the DFW airport long enough to grab lunch/​dinner, I’m coming back for the nachos!

For airport food, this is one of the best that I have had to date!
Complimentary salsa and chips came out, shortly after we sat down. The chips were fresh and hot, and the salsa had nice flavor, enough to taste the roasted peppers.
I got the chicken fajitas which came with rice and beans. The food came out hot and fresh, along with the tortillas which also came out fresh and hot.
Would return whenever I am in the Dallas/​Ft Worth airport

Great food and drinks, but a little spicy.
We’d never heard of Pappasitos before, but it was dinner time and we wanted to sit down and have a nice meal between flights. Our waiter, Michael, was very nice, and gave us a little history background on the restaurant, and then pointed out their signature items.
I had a Sangria and my hubs had a margarita. I found the sangria to be a little sweeter than my preferred, but it was still good. My hubs said the margarita was good.
We started with a chile queso and their homemade chips… Yes, they make their chips. This appetizer is delicious. I could eat it as a meal. Throw some meat in there and you’re good to go. The chips are perfect; super thin, warm, and perfectly crunchy. (Why don’t we have this restaurant in Miami?). The chili queso was amazing too, and not spicy, which is a plus for me.
For the main course, my husband has the quesadillas, which he said were great. They came with some ‘fixings’ like guac and sour cream. I had the chicken enchiladas, which came with rice and refried beans. Spicy. I knew there’d be some kick, but it was more than I expected — I should have topped it with the sour cream sauce or the queso chile to make it more mild I guess, but I chose salsa verde and the red sauce. The chicken inside the enchilada was cooked very well, nice and juicy.
Great spot to relax and have a good meal during a layover! Food and service was great, and quick, so if you’re in a hurry just let them know.

For airport food, it was pretty decent.
I had a lot of time between flights and decided to go with one of the «nicer» places vs. a grab’n’go. Right now, this area of Terminal A is under construction but Pappasitos and Pappadeaux are both open.
The menu is pretty standard Tex-​Mex, with tacos, burritos and enchiladas aplenty. Portions appear to be very generous and I wasn’t starving so I went with the Tamale app with a side of guacamole. My two tamales arrived steaming hot and full of good quality meat, and the guac was fresh and flavorful. It’s not the best Mexican I’ve eaten but it certainly was nowhere near the worst.
Service wasn’t super — my food did arrive quickly but my server spent most of her time chatting it up with friends at the bar, so drink refills didn’t happen. All in all though, you can absolutely do worse for a meal at DFW, as I well know.

Stuck on a lengthy layover in the Dallas Airport, I stumbled upon this spot pretty close to my gate while extremely travel worn and hungry for a meal somewhere between breakfast, brunch and lunch.
After looking over the many options this airport had to offer, my friends and I settled on Pappasito’s Cantina simply because we were on vacation and their bar was already serving drinks when we arrived at 10am. Sign me up for the massive margaritas and fancy drinks with 3 – 4 oz of booze in it. Yep
Add on to that the stellar Huevos rancheros and friendly service and my weary travel moodiness definitely improved.
So with all these seemingly positive experiences, why the average review. Well, it was a chain restaurant in an airport… need I say more? The décor was tacky stereotypical Mexican and everything was kinda, OK. I think being hungry and tired just made this place appear better than it was, but after having some time to digest my experience (literally), I’m able to give it a more realistic review.
Eatcrest Out

Wanted to try this place out before our next flight home.
The service was very friendly and nice and was seated promptly. The chips n salsa were kinda nasty, not sure what was going on there but the salsa just didn’t taste normal. Maybe they added something to overpower it and to scare the customers from asking for more?
The fresh strawberry lemonade had so much sugar in it I couldn’t handle it.
All is not lost, the Superior combo had a chicken tinga enchilada, and chicken tamale, and steak taco. That was all very delicious. The chicken was very juicy and nicely seasoned and flavorful. The steak had no gristle in it, was very tasty and had juices running all down my shirt and on the table. :-)
Wouldn’t mind coming back to try our other items as long as there are no chips n salsa or fresh strawberry lemonades.

This review is for the TO GO side:
Overall much better than I expected… airport food is so hit and miss. I used to live in DFW but had never flown through the airport given that it was always my starting or ending destination. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality ground beef soft corn tacos I noshed on while waiting for a flight. I knew it would be expensive (decent ap food always is) and I wasn’t wrong…$ 16 for 2 tacos and a side of rice and beans each. The beef in the tacos was well-​seasoned and a touch of piquancy. I’m not usually a big fan of soft corn tortillas but these weren’t too gritty or mealy. Plus they were my only GF option. :) The tacos were topped with plenty of fresh crispy lettuce, white cheese of some sort (not cotija but who are we kidding), and just a couple of finely chopped tomatoes. Exactly what I wanted.
I didn’t know my tacos would come with the sides of rice and beans. I tossed them both… the rice was dry and the refried beans looked pretty suspect. But even so, it was worth it to get these two little gems… yum!
Overall the 5 star rating may seem high, but considering the circumstances and location, I say it’s well-​deserved.