This is an amazing taco stand with amazing food and staff. Parking can be a bit tough, since there is not a parking lot nearby, so snag street parking anywhere you can. If you have to walk a little bit, GOOD, it's worth it. I had the chicken machaca torta and it was nothing but delicious. My husband had 3 tacos (egg/cheese/potatoe, carne asada, chicken). We both had sides of salsa verde. Everything was great, no complaints. Staff is super friendly and they love doggies! read more

Love love love Papa's tacos. My favorite dishes. This is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Laguna.

Very expensive for what you get. Ordered a potato taco & there was no flavor. They are stingy with the salsa, which is completely tasteless. Also the guy taking the order had a very bad attitude. Skip this spot & find something better. read more

I have been coming to this location for years and it's hands down the best tacos in Laguna Beach! I always get the carne asada street style tacos with pinto beans. Not expensive at all and the servers are always super friendly. Cannot recommend this place enough! read more

A Yawn In A Burrito Vegetarians beware! We ordered a breakfast taco (yawn), potato taco (big yawn) and veggie burrito (coma time). The veggie burrito didn't have any veggies - except a few onions and Cilantro. Literally, no taste. I tried red salsa, no taste, green salsa, not even a little water necessary (and I'm not a spicy type) Oh! And the 'complimentary salsa' is limited, so don't ask for more than one or they charge you! Maybe if there was more flavor, we wouldn't need so much salsa. Not sure if the meat is better? But it's $6 for an unimpressive unflavored taco. $13 for a flavorless burrito. Save your money for salsa that makes you happy! read more

I love this little gem! The tacos and burritos are so good! They have a nice little outdoor seating area, very nice especially if your walking toward the beach! If you find this place, your in for a treat! read more

This place is awesome! Try it! Tacos are excellent ! Chicken quesadilla amazing! I had the veggie bowl it was loaded with fresh vegetables! Homemade salsa is magical! The owner is kind and professional and attentive! This place has been around 33 years! It is a cute little stop on your way to the beach! Fast and delicious! read more

We enjoyed our walk at Crystal Cove and had to drive to Papa's Tacos to have some tacos and their hot salsa. For Laguna Beach, great Mexican food. Tender asada taco and meat had 0 fat. Guacamole was fresh and delicious! read more

Disgusting generic Mexican food. Doesn't taste authentic at all. I guess my expectations are high because I live in San Diego but was truly disappointed with this overpriced Americanized MX food. The rice wasn't even Spanish rice and the carne asada nachos we got are pathetic at best. Picture attached. The service was horrible. The guy was giving my 16 year old sister an attitude. He asked her how many sauces she wanted and when she said 2 of each he responded back," That's a lot of sauces!" with an attitude. Then when he asked which ones she wanted, since we aren't from here she obviously had to ask what kind they had and he started making hand gestures at her like come on hurry up. Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone unless you like paying for overpriced, gross, Americanized Mexican food with shitty service and attitude. read more

Papa's Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Parking is a little crappy but snag a spot and you won't be disappointed. Street Taco with carnitas. Bomb!!!! So much meat per taco and it was crazy moist. Generous portions. Two tacos filled where plenty, but I took two more home because why the hell not! I'd say that's 5 oz of meat per taco or more! Crazy right!!! Definitely coming back to try the burritos. Some kids were eating burritos across from us and they looked amazing as well. They were all talking about how good they were and they looked giant! Carnitas was definitely the way to go!!! Big menu, something for everyone! Outside seating with a view of all the locals in swimwear and there is a pretty cool little beach across the street from this place so if there's no more seat's at the bench style seating outside, take your food to the beach and enjoy the view!! read more

Papa's Tacos - Not the best picture as these tacos rode in my motorcycle stuffed in my jacket home but damn do they taste amazing! - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Stumbled upon this place while we were walking to the beach and got a couple of burritos. They were AMAZING. read more

Papa's Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Purchased three tacos: fish, carnitas, pollo. All were wonderful, though I probably would ask for the fish taco without the cheese next time. We took the tacos, which are big, very generous w the meat, across the street, down to the ocean. The perfect ambience for an amazing beach taco meal. read more

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These were the best tacos I've ever had. They were absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend getting their matcha chicken street tacos, but there kind of small so you might want to get 2 or 3. The service kind of took awhile but it was okay because we were a party of 5. Just so you know it isn't a walk-in restaurant and you order through a window. read more

Amazing chicken tacos and salsa. Moist and delicious. Been eating here for over 20 years and never have had a bad meal! Eat two and the portions are huge! Highly recommend. read more

I got help buy cashier name Mike realy cool guy he was realy friendly when I came too order.. I coul wait too try it there food I got my food 20mt later was good in clean in there salsa was perfecto in the price was good not expensive if u ar in the area stop buy in try ur self in I always like too support small business keep up the good work thanks mike in hes stuff. read more

Papa's Tacos - I found my spot in Laguna beach - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Ehhhh, me thinks not. Visited Papas in my quest to find great tacos in the area. The reviews were mixed, but I usually witnessed a line of patrons whenever I drove by....so let's give it a try. I ordered tacos, carne asada / grilled chicken / mahi mahi. Service was somewhat quick, the portions were large, and the staff was pleasant. Prices appeared reasonable. First and foremost, it is a version of a taco stand, so there are not a lot of places to sit and eat....not a big deal though. Overall, I found the tacos flavorless and lacking any real "wow" factor. Carne asada was dry, lacking flavor and seasoning. Not saying they don't season, but if they do, it didn't show in the end product. Visually, the meat looked as if it had been sitting around for a while. It was garnished with a mix of white onions and cilantro of which one of them had a strange odor. The grilled chicken didn't appear to be grilled. It may have been, but if it was grilled vice cooked on a griddle, it mush have been over a gas grill as there wasn't any enhancement of being grilled. The chicken was completely bland and flavorless. It too lacked basic seasoning and the texture reminded me of frozen chicken from Costco. The grilled Mahi Mahi also found itself in the unremarkable crowd. Completely flavorless and lacking seasoning. What appeared to be cheddar cheese was added and did not add anything to the flavor profile. If cheese was being added for the salt content, my suggestion would be to add salt...Right!! It was garnished with plain cabbage. The fish also appeared to be previously frozen. Overall, not very exciting or satisfying. Even though I didn't experience any other entrée, I won't visit again. My advice would be for the establishment to re-evaluate their seasoning or lack thereof. A little salt and pepper, maybe a home recipe with cumin, citrus, onion, garlic, etc... They could probably reduce the portion size by a little if they used fresh protein and seasoned a bit. The tacos don't come with salsa of any kind or limes, you need to ask. On a positive note, the Salsa Verde was spot on and had great depth to it. It was made superbly. My take is that this establishment does serve a place in LB. It is probably a sufficient place to visit when you come off the beach from a day of being in the sun enjoying a few libations. It is also a good place for kids and high school students / athletes short on cash who need a gut filler. As a signature food establishment with fresh or savory flavors, it doesn't get my vote. Lastly, some may say the quest for tacos demonstrates a limited palate, but I think not. If you have experienced some of the great tacos around, you will take note that they can be extremely flavorful, healthy, and great examples of comfort food. read more

Amazing service and so sweet! Ordered a torta but wanted it without meat and they added beans, cilantro, onions, and jalapeños for me! The lady at the front counter made my day and the food was delicious! Will be visiting again, thank you!!! read more

Papa's Tacos - Strawberry Jarritos :) - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Papas Tacos is a lil taco shack/stand off of PCH and 2nd in Laguna that offers some good grub at a moderate price. I took the fam after a few hours at the beach and we were able to grab one of their papa deals - 10 mahi mahi tacos, pint of beans, rice, salsas and chips that made this the easiest order for my pain-in-the-ass family. It was easy. It was good. Maybe a little too good. Tacos were fresh although a bit weird for me. I have never put cheese on my fish tacos, but f*** it. We rolled with the flow. Portions were great. Salsa was weak but flavor was there. Guac was . Overall, this place delivered. We were able to chill on one of the two benches outside. It was solid. Next time your in the area, give them a shot. You'll be impressed. read more

Papa's Tacos - Mahi mahi tacos ... yummm! - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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My friends said that we should eat at Papa's while at Laguna Beach. I will admit that I love Mexican food, but I'm not the biggest taco fan. However, I found this small taco stand shop to be a really cool place to check out while on the go in the Laguna Beach. I ordered three tacos: the carne asada street taco, Mahi Mahi fish taco (without the cheese), and the carnitas taco. The carnitas and carne asada tacos came with onions and cilantro, while the Mahi Mahi fish taco came with cabbage. The Mahi Mahi fish taco was by far the best -- the fish was fried to perfection. The carne asada taco was kind of bland, and I felt that the carnitas were pretty dry. However, when paired with guacamole and their salsa verde, it was significantly better. The guacamole was extra (I just ordered a small 2 oz. side), but the salsas were free. They had three options: pico, salsa verde, and a hot salsa. I'm not a huge salsa verde fan, but I found it to be the best. Their pico was pretty standard, but the hot salsa was just not it. Overall, Papa's was a pretty cool, lowkey place to grab Mexican food while in Laguna Beach. Located just across from Coyote Grill, it's more of a fast pick up and go to the beach option -- but nothing out of this world in my opinion. read more

If you are from the area I guess this might be one of your better taco options? If you have had anything half decent from areas with a lot more Mexican food choices then you will be sorely disappointed. The service was good. The pricing was high which is expected for the area. The carne asada in my taco was in desperate need of seasoning. The beef machaca was decent. The mahi mahi taco was incredibly underwhelming. Cheddar cheese? Bland seasoning? No special sauce for the fish tacos? The red salsa tasted like not one sprinkle of salt was added to it. The green salsa had a lot more flavor because it had tomatillo to finally add some missing acidity to the food. You are making Mexican food. You need to balance fat, salt and acidity. When none of it is there what do you have? I could make a better taco at home on a lazy day and that's ultimately what makes this place so mediocre. There is nothing done here that you couldn't do better yourself in your kitchen. I could have spent my $16 a lot better elsewhere. I generally wouldn't want to write a poor review for a place unless I absolutely hated it. I didn't hate this place. The employees seemed like good people. The gentlemen at the window even offered me samples. I just want someone else to avoid making the same mistake I did based on other yelp reviews. read more

I come here quite often because I work two blocks away. The food is flavorful, tasty, and always loaded up. The homemade sauces are delicious and the staff are always so sweet with smiles on their faces. The prices are great and you always get a good portion of food with whatever you order. Some of my faves are the potato and carne asada tacos. Along with the chicken taquitos! read more

This place is no where near being authentic Mexican food, my friend and I got a chicken quesadilla and burrito that was horrendous. No flavor at all and not worth coming here. The food is simply just not good. read more

I've had realistically about 50 different cali burritos from LA to SD and boy is this spot cali burrito top 3. Super fresh and tasty. customer service is great. definitely will be coming here again. read more

What is my first time visiting papa's tacos it was delicious we had the beef taquitos with rice and beans their beans were delicious the texture of the rice was on point and red salsa was the best I recommend everyone to try it read more

Amazing service. I got the California burrito but with shrimp. Sooooooo freaking good. Best food after a long day at the beach. read more

Papa's Tacos - the front of a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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I really wanted crispy, hard shell tacos. Ordered through DoorDash and got soft tacos. They were good but they didn't satisfy my craving for hard shell tacos BUT I had also ordered taquitos. Best taquitos I've ever had beside my homemade ones. The guacamole was fresh and delicious. Come for the tacos, return for the taquitos. read more

Love this place! Fish burrito (Mahi Mahi) is grilled to order and is freggn' fantastic. Andrew the manager, was chill and totally gets "good service" -- makes you feel welcome -- the guys who cook there came up from Mexico and have been there since the beginning... so the food is so authentic and tastes GREAT! I just moved here from Santa Monica so am stoked to have a local place to get my Mex food. read more

Just do it. Come here. The folks who own this spot radiate a kindness that's not invasive but chill. I ordered 3 big tacos. Machaca beef, vegetarian and carnitas. I forgot to ask for the flash friend Serrano in salt and they threw it in for me. (So so gracious.) This little spot that's situated across from the Allstate building off the PCH won me over from the second I approached the window. Locals would walk by and staff would wave and say hello. 2 tacos in the gentleman who took my order popped his head out to ask how the tacos were and to chat about the serranos. Solid tacos great pick and I loved the serranos. Also---vegetarians, if you order their veg taco without cheese and sour cream, you'll be a happy camper as it's loaded with rice and beans and veggies. read more

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best. taco. spot. hands. down. 1000/10. there aren't enough good things i can say about papas. from the quality of the food, to the amazing people who work there. read more

Customer service was great and the food slapped after a beach day! Good pricing, as well!

Fresh and tastes real good. Serving size is enormous. The menu choices are quite elaborate and enough to satisfy an entire party. And super friendly folks. read more

Papa's Tacos - a blue and white building - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Consistency! Consistency leads the path to happiness - whether it relates to food, people, relationships or things. The carnitas here has consistently been amazing. For probably 10 years coming here, that's pretty solid. I always get the large carnitas taco and it's totally loaded and worth everything. It's juicy, crunchy and chunky. Chunky like my future body if I keep eating like this. They wrap the tacos in foil, so it's perfect for on the go or on your way to the beach. Get the carnitas! read more

Papa's Tacos - The BEST carnitas. - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

What's all the hype about? You have basic ingredients that you put together and you can pretty much know what it'll taste like. I ordered the album pastor burrito. It was fine but the pastor meat was very dry and the burrito was put together sloppily so it fell apart at bite #2. . The salsa was very very oniony. Like that was the only flavor I got. Not balanced. I think it's great to have options on the beach but as a tourist visiting, I'm sad I wasted a meal here read more

Papa's Tacos - Grilled seranos with salt - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Yup. 5 stars. I'm all in on this place. I ordered the mahi mahi bowl with black beans and a little cheese on top. I want to eat it again RIGHT NOW. And again tomorrow. Oh, so filling. I ate fast to make sure I could jam it all in my face. Every bite was orgasmic. I want to rent the apartment upstairs so I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have to go back to Laguna Beach in a month and you, yeah you reading this, better not be in my way. I'll probably bite you. They have 30 minute parking right in front (long green curb) and that is 25 more minute than I needed to shovel this epically delicious, hugely proportioned meal into my pie hole. I think I am going to buy a house in Laguna.. not for the ocean, but for the delicious mahi mahi it serves up to the wonderful chef at Papa's Tacos. I wish you were my papa. read more

Papa's Tacos - Mahi Mahi bowl. Never order this. If I go and it's sold out because you ate the last one, we're going to have a problem me and you... - Mexican Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Meh. The chicken tasted like it was boiled in water. It makes Pollo Loco seem like a culinary experience. We ate half and tossed the rest.

Excellent food and service! My husband and I usually get their carnitas and machaca beef quesadillas which are delicious. We crave them. Today we also ordered huevos rancheros and chicken enchiladas- delicious also! The prices are very reasonable as well. Highly recommend! read more

I was raised on AMAZING Mexican food & this is fresh like HOME COOKED AMAZING Mexican cuisine!! You can sit at a picnic table, see the ocean, breathe fresh ocean air, & have the most amazing pulled chicken tostada & chicken tortilla soup I've ever had in So Cal!! & the staff are fantastic, warm, friendly folks who remember me & what my favorites are from their menu! I promise you will LOVE this place!! They're FABULOUS & fun!! read more

(3 1/2 stars) but I'll give this place the benefit of the doubt because the service here is impeccable, at least for my visit, and the food here, imo, a little better than average. I got the breakfast burrito here and other people got the California burrito and when other people's review said that their burritos was huge...it was just average lol The flavor itself was just as you'd expect it base off of the ingredients inside. People, in order for you to make it taste better get the PICO or green sauce. They have a red sauce that's "spicy" but it straight up taste like booty then like nothing. You'll eat it and be like "wtf is this." Would I come here again? If and only if I'm nearby. And I'll get something new. read more

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Best California burrito you can find around OC. I'm traveling a lot for work and besides San Diego this is the best one locally I could find. Must try and then sit on a secluded Laguna Beach and enjoy the sunset. read more

Super authentic. About as good as it gets north of the border. Ate here almost 3 days in a row while on vacay. Love, love, LOVED this place! God's most perfect food -- the street taco. And they, dear friends, do it well! read more