Totally stumbled across this gem of a taco and churro shop when we were walking by towards the beach. Loved how open the space was, saw a bunch of people enjoying tacos out near the sidewalk (plenty of outdoor and indoor seating), and I was like, I wanna try this place! And so we did! Got a churro to share (it was sliced into two pieces), no topping was necessary and it was deliciously crunchy and tasty. Fresh out of the kitchen and definitely did not taste commercial like other churros sometimes taste. The churro came out after a few minutes and the service at the counter was lovely and patient, even though the line started to get long! Will definitely come by to try their tacos next time! read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Menu - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Yum! This is a great place to go if you're looking for some street tacos. The casual dining restaurant has picnic tables both indoors and outdoors. You order at the cashier and then pick it up when they call your name. The 12-hour slow-braised Birria is a winner and this is also a go-to place for churros. Sometimes when we grab dinner elsewhere, we'll swing by Papi's for dessert. The food and churros might take more than a few minutes to prepare, but you can peruse at the Paper Source next door or enjoy the fresh air of the open-style restaurant. Delicious! read more

Good customer service. No bathrooms. Outdoor seating was nice. The lady working there was very friendly. Food: the birria was really good. So was the carne asada. The aqua Fresca (watermelon) was ok. I feel like we over paid but it was good. The Salsa was great. I would definitely order Birria if went back. The cosome was great too. I would definitely come back and give them another shot. read more

Papi has the best tacos. Now they are hot and there is not getting around that so I can't eat them. But my family loves them. The place is small, but very cute and comfortable. It is also kept spotless. The service there is fast and friendly. You order your food at the counter and pick it up. You can eat there, take it to go or have it delivered. They have Churros, which everyone loves, but even they are too spicy for me. So, if you need to eat mild food this is not the place for you. I can't even eat their beans. But if you like spicy you will love their entire menu. Their O.G. Plate is great and it has a lot of food for one. It has a taco, Quesataco, Mulita, Quesadilla, and Consome. Their Carne Asada which is mesquite grilled steak and chicken is also very good. read more

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One of my favorite spots in Santa Monica! Really flavorful tacos and the price is right too. Only downside is the lack of bathrooms at the establishment. Service is quite quick and friendly. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating which is a plus. The tacos are super flavorful and hold their own even without salsa (a rare feat). Their birria tacos are my favorite, crisp tortilla with tender birria meat inside. The salsas are spicy and flavorful which just makes the even better. The chicken and carne asada are also delicious. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Hidden gem in the heart of Santa Monica. The tacos are tiny but delicious and well worth the price. It hits the spot. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Menu - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Crispy on the outside and bursting with soup when you bite in! Definitely get the birria. I got the OG box to try a bit of everything, and the next time i need to try their burrito too. Also tried the churros with chocolate and it tasted freshly made. For thr price I think the OG box is a great deal too, wish it was closer to home! Just thinking about it makes me crave it again. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Og box - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Birria + Consume AMAZING! Slurped it up! Hits the spot! Recommend going at lunch it's way less busy '. Patio tables to enjoy tacos but also a convenient eating space indoors for the scorching weather. Street parking nearby makes it super convenient. Wanna walk off the tacos? It's a couple of steps from the board walk. read more

Coming from Northern California and the Bay Area, the first thing we did after getting off the free way was stopping at Papi tacos and churros, 1st? Incredible. The food came out and looked better than pictures could ever show, the service was quick and kind , and the vibe was incredible, friendly and fast paced, this is a must stop read more

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SUCH good birria here. I never knew about this spot until my friend showed me it, and I'm so glad she did! This spot specializes in Birria that they cook for 16 hours, and you can taste that it's authentic. The decor is super cute, and the staff was very kind and helped me choose what to order. I ended up ordering the Birria burrito, and every bite was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I especially liked the melted cheese in the burrito that really enhanced the flavor of it, and the sauce you dip it in that comes with it was amazing too. I highly recommend trying their Birria, but we aware it does get messy, so make sure to get tons of napkins lol. I will definitely be back and show this spot to others! read more

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Food was amazing and service was okay. They asked if we wanted avocado, but we weren't notified it was an extra charge which was a little annoying. The food came out super fast, but the churros took 25+ min to be ready. I'd recc ordering the churros earlier to avoid waiting! OG Plate -- 10/10. Everything was super tasty and the birria was so juicy! The shells had a nice soft crisp to them Churro -- 9/10. Docking one point because they took forever to come out, but they were crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. Probably one of the best churros I've ever tried! read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - OG Plate - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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If you're looking for a new papi to take care of your hunger, papi tacos might be the best match for you. Simple but Loaded menu, includes churros with topping/dipping options, tacos galore, burrito and mulitas. The OG burrito is a mucho size, and the barria dipping soup/sauce is really good. The tacos were solid. Overall, above average and definitely would try again. Not many tables but indoor and outdoor options. Downtown 3rd street promenade for additional fun nearby read more

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How better to end your Third St Promenade promenading than with tacos and churros from Papi Tacos & Churros? To be honest, the items here were top tier among the variety of different foods we sampled throughout the promenade--but the pricing was significantly lower. Loved this spot, 10/10 would recommend. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Carne Asada Taco $2.75 excellent seasoning and salsa - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I wanted to take my husband to papi's because i heard it's halal and i heard about the good reviews. There can be a bit of a wait since they make the food FRESH. But it's worth it. In terms of taste and value, they have the juiciest meat we have ever had in tacos, perhaps EVER. On my first bite, the meat was so juicy that the juice from the meat squirted from my mouth to my husband's hand on the table!!! The food was gone in 2 minutes. The food was so good that after we ate the tacos we lined up and ordered again, this time getting a burrito (very filling) and another queso taco to share. The only drawback is that facilities are not always the best in terms of cleanliness and bathrooms. The staff is decent, not necessarily friendly nor do they go above and beyond; nevertheless, they do do their job and make good food. If you are looking for juicy and delicious tacos that are decently priced, come here. If you need to eat halal and want amazing food as well (options can be limited sometimes), this is an excellent option! read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Taco - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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These were the BESTTT carne asada quesadillas! My bf said the tacos were really good as well - they had a delicious smoky taste and the meat wasn't as tough as it usually is IYKYK. Both tacos and quesadilla had onions, guacamole, radish, and lime. I also love that they have the option of a small or large quesadilla. Their horchata paired perfectly as well! The server and staff were all SUPER SWEET especially an hour before they closed. Plenty of seating inside and outside for a group of friends. Will be back for some more!! read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Outside! - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Came here for the delicious birra tacos! I love a good grab and go meal. They have indoor and outdoor seating I will say the birria tacos & consume don't come together in a package so you have to order separately (only downside) Aside from that, I enjoyed the great flavor! The service was fast, clean, and provided advice to what to order. Overall, this place was perfect for some good Mexican food in the Santa Monica area while shopping read more

This place was great! I loved the design. It really stood out from the surrounding stores in terms of design, and I really liked the open seating. Service was okay. Looking at the food, I was told to get birria, and it for sure did not disappoint at all. From the taco itself to the consume and salsa, everything has a part to play in flavor that brings everything together. To preface, birria isn't typically my favorite meat when it comes to tacos, but when done right, it really hits the spot. Eating the burrito with the hot consume and salsa combined, you're getting the tenderness from the meat, followed by the warm, flavorful combination of the salsa and consume, giving it the homey and heartwarming taste, yet very layered in flavor. The quesabirria brought it to another level, bringing in even more flavor. As for the churros, they were okay, enjoyable, but nothing stood out. Not as airy or warm as some of the better ones I've had. Also not getting that airier feel and I would like more cinnamon and sugar, rather than the dough, which again was rather dense. Overall great experience on the tacos, and would definitely go again for birria. read more

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Love this place. Alway get the OG. Gave 4 stars because it sometimes tastes like it's been sitting... like they have the boxes premade or something... But I still love it and I still order it often because it's super yummy and satisfying! read more

Came here on a work trip. Didn't have to wait that long, even though our team of 6 ordered a bunch of things. I went with the 3 steak tacos. They're street sized, so you can probably order more than you think. The meat was really flavorful, and tortillas tasted really fresh. The churros were also really good. Nice and crispy. I would definitely visit again. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Steak tacos - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Solid birria spot. If you're a Teddy's Red Tacos fan this will feel familiar, and that's a good thing. The quesobirria is the move, and I love that you can get a multi-plate with a bunch of options. Service was slow though, worth knowing before you go. Also no churros when I visited and no sink to wash your hands, which felt like an oversight for a taco spot. But the food delivers. read more

The food was mid as hell everyone genuinely hyped this shit up just to be funky as hell. The Ramen tasted like water and meat no flavor with chunks of chilies. And the Coke isn't even Mexican Coke it's offbrand Coca-Cola. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - This shit was so fucking nasty. The ramen is 14 bucks for no flavor it tastes like water and meat... ofc everyone over hypes everything. . - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I am still thinking about the food we had here. We got the OG Birria plate and it's a great size to share between 2 people if you need a quick bite while shopping and don't want to eat super heavy. The flavor was so rich and tasty. It wasn't busy inside but it was a bit of a wait to get our food. They offer indoor and outdoor seating and is in a convenient spot if you're shopping around The Promenade. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - OG Plate - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food was so tasty we were hungry and forgot to take a pic. I had the ramen noodles and they were really good. Lots of beef. You order on the counter and they will call your name. Decor is cute. You can sit outside. Only thing. Their menu is printed in a very old piece of paper. I'd suggest to print it again and laminate. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Wall decor - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food here is really good! I had the birria and the chicken, and both were incredible. OG Plate: 10/10 I got this with birria and it was perfect. It gets soggy fast, so I wouldn't recommend taking it to go. Burrito: 11/10 So filling and so much great flavor! Birria ramen: 8/10 Burris and consome are good but the noodles aren't ramen. I wouldn't recommend this dish over the others. The salsas are both spicy but flavorful if you want spice. Would recommend coming here! read more

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Waited around 25 minutes for my order, which was a little unusually slow for a fast-casual taco restaurant. Since I waited that long, I thought the food would be piping hot and fresh, but it was room temperature and underwhelming. There was no apology for the wait either. I didn't get warned about the $2.50 avocado surcharge, and the total came out to $30. It was too expensive for the experience I got. I would avoid this place. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Churros $4 - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Delicious food and excellent service. Hands down, their chicken taco is the best I've ever had. Their birria is out of this world, smoky flavor and not too rich. Def on top of my list for tacos! read more

All I can say is WOW! The birria is supreme, the consome is so rich and flavorful. I love the OG plate because I get to try a little bit of everything. Great service, wonderful vibes near the beach. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - OG plate - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Don't think just go! My daughter and I shared the OG plate, it was just enough for us but these tacos were so good I wanted more. The taco Papi absolutely knows what he is doing, being from Texas this is hard for me to admit but the green salsa was the best salsa I've had in my entire life. Please let me know when I can buy a jar of it bc it's the best. I think about it every time I put salsa on my food. The churros were also a great add on. Nice environment, clean spot and friendly staff. 10/10 recommend. read more

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Sadly, this restaurant was underwhelming. It is highly priced for mediocre food. The quesatacos were significantly small. They were okay. They took care of the craving I was having, but it wasn't remarkable. The consomé was piping hot & I burned my tongue. That was on me for not waiting for my food to cool though. Honestly, I'll doubt I'll be back. Nothing personal, I've had better elsewhere. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Almost an 1 hour for 3 tacos is insane, I even pre-order it. I'm no longer coming here. Idk why management has not looked into this. And certain cashiers seem to be not happy to work here. read more

The birria is the way to go, no question. The carne asada was fine but pales next to the birria. I would have gotten more tacos but wanted to save room for churros, which were perfectly fried and chewy on the inside. It's a casual spot to drift in and out but there isn't a restroom. The cashier was very friendly. If there was one critique, it would be speed of service. There was only one person cooking and it seemed they would only make one order at a time instead of scanning the orders and make all of the same type of items at once (more efficient). Would definitely go back and give them another shot. read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Norris taco and carne asada mulita - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The good - flavorful freshness tacos. - great prices and portions for Santa Monica area. - both inside and outside seating always clean and pets friendly. The bad - no restroom available and that's why I gave them 3 stars,you just can't fully enjoy the experience with the full bladder and dirty hands! read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Esmeralda was great helper in helping us decide what to order. So we ordered 2 burritos asada 5 birria tacos and 3 crunchy tacos and for dessert 3 orders of churros with strawberries ice cream. Everything was delicious. read more

Was amazing! Was looking for a hole in the wall type taco place and this did not disappoint. My son got the OG box because he wanted to try a few things and loved it all. I got two quesatacos one chicken and one beef and both were delicious. Did not disappoint. If you love tacos this is a must. read more

Wow, these are some seriously delicious tacos and burritos. As someone who grew up in San Diego and moved LA five years ago i still find it very hard to find Mexican food that tastes as good as back home but I would say that Papi's is a LA spot that is definitely worth visiting. Everything that we tried was honestly surprisingly good and the churros were also fairly good as well. I have had better churros recently so would say that their savory items are the main reason to visit. It can get quite busy depending on the time of day, but usually your order is made very quickly. The portion sizes are large and hearty too. We chose to do takeout for our meal so I cannot speak to in person dining. Pricing is fair and I definitely was not hungry after finishing my meal. Since it was our first time we chose to do a few different items. We ordered the OG Burrito and the OG Plate because they both seem to be the most popular items ordered. The burrito was honestly terrific and the birria inside was juicy and very flavorful. I especially liked the coating on the tortilla and the ratio of ingredients inside it was exactly what I expected. The OG Plate was also very good and I especially liked the street sized versions of all the different items that they offer. I would highly recommend and I plan to be back in the future to try more items. read more

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"Vine por el burrito de Papi Tacos y salí fascinado. El tamaño es perfecto, pero el secreto está en bañarlo con esa salsa roja; tiene un sazón auténtico y el nivel de picante exacto para resaltar la carne. De lo mejor que vas a encontrar en el Westside si buscas sabor real. ¡No se olviden de pedir extra salsa!" read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Carne de res frijoles arroz cilantro cebolla queso salsa jalapeño y crema - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Love this place. Loved the food and the price is on point for the area and how good it is. Definitely recommend it read more

I got 8 tacos and it did not come with any salsa. When I asked for salsa they gave me two tiny containers. And when I asked for more because I got EIGHT tacos it was going to be extra. The tacos badly needed it too because the asada was dry. For spending 31 dollars and dry tacos. I would not be back read more

Papi Tacos & Churros - Tacos Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Quick service, hot food. Ordering O.G. Plate; Taco, quesataco, mulita, quesadilla and consomé (taco dip) says for 1 but was enough for two as a snack. Jamaica drink was delish! Street seating on a warm day. read more

My quesabirrias were so good the consommé needed a moment of silence. I mean the quesabirria was terrible -- if you hate happiness. Honestly, I came to Papi expecting a normal SoCal taco truck experience, not a full-blown emotional meltdown. The quesabirria was so good it made me rethink every life choice that led me to eat lesser tacos before this. The consommé? Basically a warm hug for my soul. Eat. Here. read more

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