Pappasito’s Cantina

Our favorite location… once. Now we just go there once in a month and only on Wednesdays. That is the only day you get what you pay for.

I came in today Monday after a long day & it was refreshing to see friendly service and a bartender who looked like she loved her job. Moriah was a such a great bartender she smiled the whole time she took care of us and the rest of the bar. She suggested we tried the pineapple & platinum margaritas they were yummy! I’ll definitely be coming back and sitting at the bar. Food was amazing as always really good place to try out if you haven’t.

I went with my boyfriend for a nice dinner outing. I usually go to the Sugarland location which is my favorite location. We decided to give Richmond location a try. We ordered a Shrimp and Crab Cocktail, Skinny Margarita, Pulled Pork Enchiladas, Combination Enchiladas, and a Strawberry Margarita. The food was ok, but nothing to brag about. My Strawberry Margarita came out runny and I had to send it back for a redo. This is the #1 location but they need some work. Maybe they should get some pointers from the Sugarland location.

Pappasito’s Cantina was once the première TexMex restaurant in Houston. Sadly, it’s beginning to rest on its laurels. There are far too many TexMex restaurants offering comparable, if not better food for far less. Our group of four went on a Saturday night. The place was packed. While waiting for our table, we ordered drinks. The beer on tap is fairly limited, but between DosEquis and the usual Lites you’ll find something that suits you. The frozen margarita was a different story. Just awful. All limeade. There may have been some tequila in there. I couldn’t tell.
Once seated, we ordered guacamole as a side. OK, but nothin fancy. And pricey at $ 9. Then there was the cerviche. Good texture, but over powered by lime juice. We also ordered bacon wrapped shrimp. They were so salty they were almost inedible. We had to bury them in tortillas to cut down on the seasoning. Very disappointing.
One positive. As busy as they were, the service was top notch. Fast, friendly and proactive.

With all of the Mexican restaurants around Houston, I don’t know why this place is still in business.
We went on a Monday right at noon. There were plenty of open seats, but also a large party right in the middle of the dinning room. When the hostess tried to seat us right next to the loud party, we asked to be seated a little further away from it. She promptly rolled her eyes at us and took us to a different area, which was fine. Didn’t see why she had to roll her eyes apart from the lazy beast not wanting to walk a little further before returning to her cage. Our waitress was fine, no issues there. The lunch menu was of a decent size with several options, which is why I gave it two stars. My parents ordered the lunch fajitas, my fiancée ordered a chicken burrito, and I ordered a lunch salad. The food came out quickly and all were of ample size.
The burrito was fine. Nothing special from other restaurants I have tasted. Didn’t justify the increased cost. The salad itself was ok other than it had waaayyyyyy too much salt on it and I couldn’t figure out which ingredient it came from, I think they just put salt over the top of it. The fajitas were actually very, very good.
When the bill came out, they had charged my parents $ 45 for the lunch fajitas?!? We verified this with the waitress who said it was correct. We asked for a menu back and showed her that the price was different in there. Should have been around $ 20. She said she would get the manager to look at it. About 5 minutes later, this horrendous looking snaggle toothed black girl showed up and said.“I’m one o’ Dee flo mangers here. Y’all got problems wit Dee beel?” Completely unprofessional and not what I would expect from a Mexican restaurant. Then she argued with us that we didn’t order the lunch fajitas when clearly we did. In the end, she took it off of the bill, but how unprofessional.
So…the bottom line. The food was overpriced for what it was and I’ve had far better experiences in many other Mexican restaurants (see my other reviews). The flavor just wasn’t there. Dear Pappasito’s I shan’t be returning in favor of a more authentic, flavorful Mexican dining experience.

Pappas family. If you’re gonna keep Richmond Sitos 1 open can you work on the operation. These super greasy chips are only the tip of the iceberg. This place needs operational work on many levels. I have had multiple problems with this location every time I come.

I will never eat at Pappasitos again… Their TexMex used to be pretty decent… 15 years ago. I ate here a few months ago and swore I would never go back… Well, last night I did… Only to be completely disappointed with my decision.
Let me start by stating the obvious… Going for Mexican can be expensive… For 2 adults and a child… I doled out over $ 60 for Fajitas for 1 and a child’s plate nachos, small queso, 3 sodas, side of jalapeños, side of sour cream. thank god I skipped the Margarita.
Every part of our meal was just disgusting. The $ 10 queso was super salty. The tortillas were doughy. The chips were super salty. The red sauce tasted almost like BBQ? And their latest version of the green sauce looks like sour cream, water and chopped up cilantro (loaded with salt). The fajitas were edible. rice was chewy, hard and greasy. We asked for some jalapeños and sour cream… Only to get the whole jar of jalapeños on a plate and the entire container of sour cream on a plate… Go a charge of course… What a waste.
Thanks again Pappasitos… we all felt bloated with disgust for the remainder of our evening.
If you went to Pappasitos in the 1980s or 1990s (or even up to 2008) — then hopefully you agree… Pappasitos used to be so much better than it is today :!(

Awesome steak fajitas, real quality meat and you get unlimited toppings with it, we honestly shared a 1 pound fajita between four people but it probably would not be enough with 4 starving people, the margarita on the rocks was delicious and not too strong, the server was very kind to us in having to pack us fresh rice and beans and a brand new bag of nachos to take home
Will come back to try their other fajitas

We are from out of town. This is the first place we eat and the service was great! The people were very nice! Fajitas was half off. The beef was sooo tender and delicious!

We came to this Pappasitos Cantina location, on the recommendation from the hostess at the Little Pappasitos location, which was packed with very long wait times on a Wednesday night (½ price fajitas special). Compared to the Little Pappasitos location, this restaurant was bigger and had less people. There was ample parking here too. The Little location had cramped parking, and towing was strictly enforced there, to the point that we couldn’t park in the parking lot next to it without towing signs and presumably cameras everywhere.
There was a group of nine of us, which included 3 kids, one of whom was celebrating his 18^th birthday. We were seated at a big table in less than 20 minutes, and were greeted with heaping baskets of complimentary chips and two types of sauces. One was a creamy, green sauce, and the other was a thin, smoky, red salsa. Both were delicious! My friends and I just ripped through several baskets of those chips. Our waiter was great, and kept our supply coming out crispy and warm.
Since it was ½ price fajitas night, we ordered the all beef fajitas version. Now, this special only applies to the large orders, which supposedly feeds 2 – 3 people. Well, my sister and I finished this without a problem. The medium and family size versions are not part of the special. So, just keep that in mind if you’re in a large group. Our friends ordered the beef and chicken, or shrimp fajitas version, which they said was delicious as well. Our other friend always orders their flautas. So, if you’re not into fajitas, give that a shot.
Their drinks are huge and strong! We got margaritas, and other mixed drinks. So, for the price, it was worth it. And if it’s your birthday, the wait staff will don a sombrero hat on you and sing you happy birthday! Our friend’s 18 year old son was embarrassed, but on a deeper level enjoyed the birthday song! Even then, I think there was a mariachi pair playing songs all night to get you into a happy mood!
All in all, I really like this Pappasitos location much more than Little Pappasitos because of its size, parking, and delicious Tex-​mex food/​drinks. Please come here on Wednesday nights, GNO, birthdays, or other occasions. You will enjoy yourself for sure.

Wednesday is half price fajita night. The only day of the week we go. You can get a large order for the same price as the small order. Of course you still have to pay extra for cheese and sour cream — I do but I hate having to pay extra for stuff that should be included.
The have really good fajitas though. The onions are cooked in the juice of the meats and are not burnt. There is enough meat for two people to have three fajitas. Guac and pico included. Rice and charro beans come with it. Each person — if you order the large which serves 2 to 3 — gets their own rice and beans. Made in house tortillas.
Get there during happy hour and get the house margarita for $ 7ish. Decent sized. Potent. The watermelon margarita is good too. But I just get a regular ol’ margarita.
Their chips and salsa are basic. Nothing other than a time fill til the food gets here.
Outdoor seating is right on Richmond. Kinda set off by a wall but still… right on Richmond. There is also a party room in the back that can be closed off for private events.
Reasons for 3 instead of 4 stars: The strolling musicians. Stop this! Just do! Few people really like them coming up to their table when they are on a date or trying to calm kids or just trying to eat.
There is always a funky smell at the front of the restaurant. It’s not overwhelming but I can’t sit up front because of it.
It’s good, standard, unassuming Tex-​Mex. This one does not get as loud as other locations.

If I could describe the flavor here in one word, it would be CUMIN.
I think that there are baby angels sprinkling cumin out of salt shakers from the ceiling. Almost like confetti blasts and bubble machines raining down happiness at a concert… Except that I can’t get into the moment since everything just tastes like cumin– even the salsa, and the chips aren’t seasoned when they come outta the fryer.
Tortilla machine? YES. If it’s possible to pack tortillas with extra gluten, I think they have here. Probably the best thing about this place. Not a Weight Watchers-​approved food, but so good.
Vibes are great. Seriously, too cute. Who doesn’t love Christmas lights… inside?
Biggest kicker– Entrees on average are $ 20, and really… Los Cucos tastes so much better. My brother agreed that the food isn’t worth the price tag. Likely won’t be back since I can’t figure out how food can cost so much when it tastes so mediocre and generic. Are we in Texas or what?!

The food was great and the servers were very accommodating seeing as how we came in 30 minutes before closing. The only reason I didn’t give five stars was because some of the workers were being a bit too playful and unprofessional while patrons were still eating, but I guess it was the end of the night for them and they were just ready to be off, no biggie.

After almost 4 months, still no response. Here was an immediate follow up email what I thought a good management, but Pappasito’s never made up their mistake:
Romeo,
We regret that your dining experience was so disappointing. The General Manager will be made aware of your comments. Please be assured we will make efforts to utilize your feedback. We would like to follow up formally in the mail, but do not have your mailing address. If you would share that information, we will happily send a gift card to you. We would appreciate you giving Pappasito’s Cantina another try, on us.
Sincerely,
Cris Reed
Guest Relations Manager
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cris,
Thanks for reaching out and having listened to our experience. I filled out survey on the same day but no response.
My office address is — — — — — — — — — –, Houston, TX — – .
Regards,
Romeo Meltz

The food here is great, but seating and service could be improved.
I came for dinner with my family, and we ordered a chicken & beef fajita platter for 2 – 3. Or at least we thought we did… until the bill came. Apparently, they had given us the family-​sized platter for 4 – 5 people instead. An odd mistake, given our very clear order and the fact that there were only 3 members in our party. We were also seated at a small, round booth that was clearly meant for two people only, so the entire meal was quite a squeeze. We ended up having to put some dishes and drinks on the counter behind us.
But onto the food: The starter tortilla chips are thin and crisp, and they come with a queso chile dip and a spicy salsa dip. The grilled fajita beef and chicken from the fajita platter surpassed my expectations. Both were juicy and flavorful. They came with an addictive melted butter sauce. The flour tacos were fluffy and warm and the pico and guac were delicious as well. The grilled veggie side, substituted in for refried beans, was very yummy as well and included red and green bell peppers, squash, zucchini, eggplant, and whole jalapeños. The platter was (unsurprisingly) quite large, though between the three of us, we managed to finish it all. I’m writing this, four hours later, still feeling quite full.
The meal would have been absolutely A+ had it not been for the unpleasant surprise that hit us when the bill came. An unanticipated extra $ 10 really puts a damper on the mood. Still, I’d recommend this place. It’s great for some tasty Tex-​Mex with family and friends.

Shrimp butterflied and chicken fajitas. Shrimp were great except for the shell they leave on one side, it pulls away very easily but it seems like it wasn’t needed. The fajitas were done right but the guacamole had one large chunk of avocado. We beat the lunch crowd for Father’s Day so there wasn’t any excuse for the guacamole not being blended up correctly. The food tasted great but at this price there should not be any extra work for the customer.

Pappasito’s are very quick and efficient with their service. After leaving from a really bad experience at Buco De Beppo, we came here to an oldie but goodie. Was seated within seconds, food ordered within 5 minutes and brought out hot and ready to eat within 10 minutes. That’s how an efficient and effective restaurant is supposed to be run. My guy actually used to write software for the Pappas corporation. Their restaurants always has really yummy food. You can’t go wrong with any of their restaurants to be honest. My sister ordered the white queso for my nieces as an appetizer and I ordered the shrimp and crab coctel which was so yummy! I went back the next day to eat this again for lunch. I also had the mahi mahi fish tacos with black beans and rice. The food was delicious. I’ll always keep this place as a staple.

I enjoyed my dining experience here when I came in a few weeks ago. I sat at the bar with my girlfriend and we ordered a few appetizers. The bartender was very helpful and attentive. My friend ordered the hibiscus tea thinking it would be good but it was a bit too concentrated with lemonade and hibiscus syrup. The bartender was nice and tried to add a bit of Sprite to mellow it down but it didn’t help. I suggested to pour half in another cup and then add more sprite or club soda and she did as well. The manager came over and offered to make a whole new drink for free which was nice.
I loved the fried zucchini and shrimp & crab cocktail. We ordered the mini nachos as well and the shrimp tacos. We got full very quick since we scarfed down chips and salsa as well. I would definitely come back and try other things.

In a town with an abundance of Mexican restaurants it can be a difficult decision when it comes to choosing where to eat when you’re craving great Mexican food and not familiar enough with the local offerings. So as a rule a safe play is to choose a place associated with the Pappas Group of restaurants, rarely do they disappoint.
Pappasito’s Cantina is no exception this group understands the restaurant business like no other whether it’s Mexican, seafood, bbq or any of the nine different types of restaurants operated by Pappas chances are you’ll have a great experience, but like many have stated it comes at a price and as you should expect you have to pay for quality this isn’t a mom and pop one store business model and its not cheap to consistently deliver this kind of a dining experience.
The customer service starts as soon as you walk through the door, tonight the wait time was minimal that wasn’t due to a lack of customers it’s was filled but they have plenty of tables and staffed to accommodate the massive number of customers that flock here and a kitchen that performs night after night. So what’s the attraction you ask, it certainly has nothing to due with the lack of restaurants this is Houston and there are thousands of choices but not many can offer consistently good food of this quality.
Tonight we were seated and within a minute or so our server greeted us with a basket of fresh chips and several different salsas and took our drink orders. It was only a few minutes until our drinks arrived plus large glasses of ice water for everyone. The menu is filled with the typical selections along with some not so typical chef specials so if you want to step up and order something you won’t find at many Mexican restaurants they have it or will make it for you. I chose the Pappasito’s Grill which is filled with ample amounts grilled chicken, shrimp and prime steak served with several dipping sauces and fresh home made tortillas, pineapple salsa and grilled vegetables. I skipped on the rice and beans and glad I did it would of be wasted after seeing the portion size.
The service was great as well not overly attentive but we never waited on anything the drinks were filled as needed as well as the basket of chips and bowls of salsa. This definitely was a great choice for dinner and as much as I like to try new and different restaurants this one earns multiple repeat visits in the future.

The Pappas food chain doesn’t disappoint. I think this is the last Pappas restaurant I have not been to until earlier this evening.
Service was excellent. We were seated quite quickly. Drinks came out just as fast. I ordered the strawberry rita. It was pretty strong and quite delicious. I actually originally ordered the watermelon frozen rita but was told it was only seasonal. Go figure. I’ve been told that they serve stellar drinks here all around. Can’t wait to come back to try their other drinks.
Appetizer consisted of complimentary chips and salsa with cilantro ranch (I believe). We also ordered the shrimp and lump crab meat ceviche which came highly recommended from our waiter. It was tangy, fresh, and had lots of seafood. Great value and would definitely order this again!
For entrees we had fajitas. Mine came with beef and shrimp wrapped with bacon stuffed with crab meat and cheese. Absolutely delicioso! It came with a hefty side of guacamole and pico de gallo. The portions were so huge; the server had warned us that we might have to take some food home and he was right! =)
Would come back again. I’m surprised I’ve been missing out on great Tex Mex and delicious ritas from Pappasito’s!