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    Mama’s Papas

    4.6 (57 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated a few days ago

    Mama’s Papas Photos

    MAMA’S PAPAS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Mama’s Papas

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    Crispy quesatacos with kalua pork (keto style)
    Annabelle R.

    This vendor can be found at different locations throughout the bay area, including Birdhaus Beer Garden in Union City and Mid-Week Mercado at Salesforce Plaza in SF. They post their calendar on social media at the beginning of each month so you can view where to find them, however it's not always accurate so beware if you are expecting them to be at a specific event. I visited their food stand at Temescal Brewing in Oakland this past Sunday. It was easy to order for takeout at the self-order kiosk, but they also had QR codes at each of the tables in the brewery's outdoor beer garden to conveniently place orders. Staff was friendly, and my order was ready in just 10 minutes, packed neatly with napkins and utensils included without me having to ask. I got the crispy quesatacos with kalua pork, keto style. I was a bit disappointed as the entire taco including the kalua pork filling was dry and not cheesy at all despite the crispy cheese shell. The sauces that came on the side didn't help. Perhaps it was slightly overcooked or maybe just the keto version is this dry, but that's unfortunate since it actually costs more to get it this way. It wasn't terrible, but I didn't feel it was worth a pricey ten bucks apiece.

    Menu
    Adam B.

    Was nice to see a little fusion at Mercado Wednesdays at the Salesforce Tower. Though the fusion is basically Hawaiian kalua pork in place of more traditional slow cooked pork. Adds a nice earthy smoky flavor. Crispy Quesatacos - Kalua Pork: Really appreciated this fusion. The viral crispy cheese taco, overflowing with crispy cheese well past the edges, meets the smoky Hawaiian slow cooked pork. Much more flavorful than carnitas! There was salsa for dipping sauces, but kinda wished they had consommé instead. Crispy Quesatacos - Chicken Tinga: Not really fusion. Still tasted great with marinated tender Mexican chicken against the crispy cheese. Fusion Pupusa - Kalua Pork & Cheese: More fusion, thanks to the smoky Hawaiian pork mixed with cheese in a Salvadorean pupusa. Also, nice tangy and crunchy curtido to pair with this. Not as memorable as the quesataco, but still nice Fusion Pupusa - Cheese & Jalapeño: Didn't seem like fusion, since I've seen this flavor are regular Salvadorean restaurants. Was still yummy.

    Evelyn M.

    They are located at the outdoor location near/next to Birdhaus garden. They are in a shared space and my friend and I came to chill and drink. She ordered food and I got drinks. She shared with me for us to snack on while drinking and I must say that the Kalua papusa was so good!! The fries my friend ordered couldn't be made that day due to their fry machine acting up but Tracy was so kind to bring us something different to try and was even sweet to send $$ back for the fries order. I complimented her on how delicious everything was and asked for another she didn't charge us for it but I did hand her some cash because she was so sweet bringing the food to where we were sitting. They are available for catering and I would highly suggest them Prices are definitely affordable and for the amount and service well worth it. I'm not always in this location but when I come visit my friend I will for sure come by again. Parking is a bit hectic due to it being on a busy street with other locations to check out but definitely make a stop here first I believe the Kalua papusa was limited so when I come again I'll be trying something new and can't wait till next time!!

    4/3/25 FYI. Side dishes
    Lee D.

    My wife said 5 stars. I gave them 4 stars. My daughter said 4 as she felt it was very oily. 13/3 = 4.33 stars. Sorry, I rounded down to 4, but I can see on my next visit it becoming a 5 star visit. Quality/Quantity - The food was good, a Latin fusion. The service was entertaining... Sorry, this is probably one of my least descriptive reviews, as I was probably too focused on my delicious beers... Crispy Quesatacos - So good, I mean so good!! Pupusas - Just okay. Pupusa Bombs - Just okay. The green sauce is really spicy, just the way I like it. The red sauce was just okay. Atmosphere - Pop up. At the local brewery, beer garden. A few tables indoors, but plenty of space at the beer garden. Single clean unisex restroom. Plenty of street parking but of course we got here at 3pm.. Service - The team was extremely happy... They were gossiping non stop, not in a negative way. 2-3 team members. Price - $33 + ???? My wife or daughter paid, I think my mind was still in the beer garden drinking my double IPAs... Overall reasonably priced for what we got, but I was really on a liquid diet this night, lol. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your successes with your pop up model at so many different breweries.

    Menu at entrance.
    Victor G.

    Mama's Papas pops up every Sunday 11:30-4:30 @Birdhaus. Their station located at the right of the entrance. A standing sign shows the menu. Offerings (Latino Fusion): fusion pupusas, crispy quesatacos, pupusa bombs, island sliders, fries. Ordered. Pd. Food ready in 10ish minutes. Bites: Hawaianas (Kalua Pork & Cheese) with pineapple curtido (6) -masa crust moist not firm as traditional pupusas. Kalua pork vibrant, juicy. cheese melty bland. Crust breaks easily, melting away as a feature, revealing bold flavas within. Jalepeno & Queso with pineapple curtido (6) jalepeno spiceness shone thru "thin" pupusa transparency. Queso bland. Curtido complimented Not overpowering pupusa. Pineapple bits & flava very subtle. 4.5 stars delightful pupusas. Both had same flava profile. Should have skipped jalepeno one & ordered a quesataco. Only decor was the hanging signage in the background. Prompt, courteous, efficient service. Bites individually cooked to order.

    Shrimp Tacos!
    Destiny R.

    Mamas Papas never misses! I've tried everything on her menu so it's hard to decide what's my favorite. She is a pop up vendor and rotates her menu occasionally . If you get a chance to try one of her specials I promise you will be back for more . This Latin women owned business can be found all over the Bay Area. Follow her instagram to catch where she will be next ! Message for the chef - Thank you for bringing Latin fusion food to this side of the bay. Every time I've come out to support your business you are always killin it! Can't wait to see you at future events !

    Top: Crispy QuesaTaco Right: Pupusa Ball Bottom: Carne Asada Street Tacos Left: Jalapeño Cheese Pupusa
    Adrianna A.

    Great food! Reasonably priced Red salsa can be a tad more spicy! Green salsa was my favorite! Can't wait for them to come back to Birdhaus Beer & Garden

    Loco Moco plate. Classic comfort food.
    O C.

    Trace has always and is still making the best fusion dishes. I haven't tried anything I didn't like. And now Mamas Papas is inside cooking in the Birdhaus kitchen. They're doing big thangs. Get out here and check them out!

    Kalua Pork Bombs
    Jay G.

    I have been familiar with Mama's Papas, but I could never catch them at a popup in time. Luckily, I saw one near me and went for it! Birdhaus in Union City is one of their popups. Follow their Instagram, _mamaspapas_ , for their current events and popup locations. Mama's Papas offers Latin/Hawaiian fusion dishes. When arriving at Birdhaus, I went right when they opened (at 11am), since they so get busy. No lines were formed. Some to the menu items I wanted to try weren't available, but I was able to knock some off my "to try" list! The items that I ordered were: - Kalua Pork Quesotacos - Kalua Pork Bombs Since they were just setting up for the day, my order took some time to prepare. Once everything was done, the food was piping hot! Tracie and Juan were very friendly and accommodating. My orders didn't disappoint! The Kalua Pork Quesotacos were crispy and the pork was tender. Paired with the pineapple hot sauce and slaw, very flavorful and delicious! The kalua pork bombs were very tasty as well. Very cheesy and full of meat. If you haven't tried Mama's Papas yet, I suggest you should when you're nearby their popups!

    Pork quesataco....bomb

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    3 months ago

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    26 days ago

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    10 months ago

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    4 months ago

    The food was great and they are just nice people. The tomatillo salsa was the best I've ever had.

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    Mamas Papas make the best pupusas I've ever had in my whole entire life! Highly recommended!!! A++++++++

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    11 months ago

    Incredible Papusas! La Bamba has been the Papusa king for so long but Mamas @ Papas now have the best around!

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Such a fun concept. Garlic shrimp tacos were great! Cheese pull on the pupusas was on point.

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    2 years ago

    Everything taste Really fresh and is Filled with Flavor. You can order anything on the Menu & you will not be disappointed.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Mama’s Papas

    Are they still at birdhaus every Sunday?

    Hi. Unfortunately we are no longer at The Birdhaus every Sunday, but still vend that The Birdhaus on select Sundays when their on site restaurant is closed. You can find our monthly schedule with all our other locations on our Instagram & Facebook… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Final Thoughts: 4.50/5…read more It's not often that I'm in the Fremont area, but I was today, so I decided to take advantage of that and go out for a dinner with my friend after work. After some filtering and choosing, we decided on Korean food. Truly always my go-to choice. The food here really did not disappoint and hit the spot after a long day. Overall, will be a 5 star from me. Food: Spicy Braised Beef Short Rib + Cheese and Rice Cakes: 4.5/5 This was their beef short rib with onion and potato. We always get it with the rice cake and cheese on top because those are truly a must for this dish. The braised beef short ribs are super tender and you could cut though it with a spoon. Their meats are nicely marinated into the sauce and super tender. The sauce is really the star of this dish and they seasoned it really well. There's some kick to it, sweet, salty, and umami. I would eat this sauce alone with rice or noodles if I had the choice. The rice cakes are a little too soft for me and I would have preferred for it to have more of a bite. Again, not really complaining because the sauce made up for it. For the cheese, it's mostly just piled on top of the dish. They're not like other places where they torch the cheese to melt it for us. We just mixed it into the sauce and it melted all the way through for that cheese pull. There's no smokiness, but not a big concern for me. It melted well into the sauce and made it taste amazing though. Fried Chicken (8 Pieces) - Soy Garlic + Hot and Sweet Sauce: 4.3/5 This was more of our side dish/appetizer dish. The sauce is a little too salty for my taste, but honestly, I wasn't really complaining. Something I do like is the consistency of it. It's like this sticky sauce that coats the crispy coating of the chicken well. This dipped into the spicy braised short rib sauce was such an amazing combination too. My preference was the soy garlic. The flavor is just so classic. Hot and sweet is good too. There is a good kick to it and a nice balance of flavors overall. When the chicken came out, it was piping hot. Very juicy and I could feel that when I tried to take a bite out of it. Crispy on the outside and nicely cooked all the way through. Banchan: Good variety They provide kelp noodle salad, kimchi, edamame, mashed tofu, Korean yellow pickled radish, and fish cakes. I actually liked all of these expect for the kimchi. I have a specific preference for kimchi, so definitely just a preference in taste kind of a thing. Lovely textures for all of them. The tofu confused us initially, but it's very good protein for me and I'm not complaining about my foods being mechanically altered. --------- Quality: Made to order Their meats seem to be of optimal quality. That or the cut is just really good and they've been braising it for hours now. Super tender and will just come off the bones. The meats are cut into pretty large pieces, so I would cut it into about four pieces. This was doable with a spoon, which says a lot. Of note, we could hear the fryer sound in the back. Crossing fingers that was to freshy fry our chicken. Items also came out piping hot, which is just how I like it. The short ribs was inside of a stone pot and it was just boiling and bubbling away. Always a plus to see. Price: Typical Bay Area Prices The price ranges will depend on what you get. For the two items that we got today, it was around $60. Seems fair for the portion sizes provided. We also had leftovers to bring home. Again, the prices will range from about $15 to $25. Typical Bay Area prices. Service: Fairly Fast My friend and I were actually the only two people there. Honestly, I'm not complaining for us. I'm actually not sure why they're not more popular because their food was made really well for us. Side note, but if I had it my way, I would probably inhale the remainder that we took home with us. Their food was made to order because we did hear the food being cooked. They did come out with the food fairly quickly. Service was alright and they were quite nice about everything. Ambiance: Late Night Eats Vibes This place really gives me the late night eat vibes. They do sell the items that I see in the Korean dramas where they would go out for a drink and some food. They do have nice options for dinner though. Of note, they do stay open quite late, which I am totally here for. Interior is spacious and their music choice is straight from my playlist, which I really like. Location/Parking: Long Plaza This place is a little farther for me, but I still like exploring around as some food places are worth driving a little farther for. This place is on Cedar Blvd and its quite a long plaza. There's like multiple connections in this plaza along with their entrances. They do have some other shops and restaurants here too. Parking didn't seem to be an issue for me at all. They seem to have enough spaces around for this scale of an area.

    Photos
    Tonkatsu
    Tonkatsu
    Spicy rice cake w noodles
    Spicy rice cake w noodles
    Assorted meat stew

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    Assorted meat stew
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    Main plate, only $20!
    Main plate, only $20!
    Jollofxtra
    Looks like there's only a little bit of rice, but the rice covers the whole plate underneath.

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    Looks like there's only a little bit of rice, but the rice covers the whole plate underneath.
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    Food truck menu 09/2023
    Food truck menu 09/2023
    Jalapeno beef bao inside
    Jalapeno beef bao inside
    Braised pork belly bao inside

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    Braised pork belly bao inside

    Mama’s Papas - latin - Updated June 2026

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