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    Papi's Barbacoa

    4.5 (45 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 1:00 pm

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    All meat Barbacoa on corn tortilla
    Matthew Z.

    I wanted to try a new barbacoa spot, so I stopped by Papi's this morning. I ordered the all meat barbacoa with salsa and corn tortillas. Barbacoa (3/5) The barbacoa here was a bit more dry than ones I have had in the past (Rio's, a few places in Laredo). The flavor was still solid and what I expect from good barbacoa, but it was noticeably less tender. Salsa and corn tortilla (2/5) The salsa was a bit too watery for me, and the corn tortillas were paper thin. The tortillas tasted like ones I would get from the store compared to corn tortillas I've had at other establishments (including taco joints). They still got the job done, but I've had better. Pricewise, the above costs about $18 after tax. I would personally stick to rios barbacoa for your barbacoa fix or try a different spot. It's possible maybe I came at too late a time or should have ordered menudo or tamales instead. However, even if it was as good as barbacoa places I've been to in the past, being a few dollars pricier for the same thing makes it not really worth it in my opinion.

    The tamales I opened and paid 15$ dollars for dry and gross

    Food was dry maybe even stale and given in a messed up tin foil wrap and it cost 15$. Don't go much better places nearby

    a car parked outside
    Erika J.

    It is a hole in a wall Barbacoa. The batbacoa is very good, but the flour tortilla was a little dry. People are nice. Still I would recommend this place.

    All Meat, corn tortillas and green salsa
    Edna C.

    Best to go barbacoa. I got half of All Meat, corn tortillas&green salsa. I got complementary beans. Everything tastes so good!! Great staff, very friendly. 100% recommended!

    All meat, finely shredded! They didn't have refried, beans, so ran over to TC's for that!
    Dave L.

    I used to go here all the time when it was Arturo's. This was my first barbacoa I tried when I move to SA in 1998, and it was delicious! Guess what, it's almost even better now under new ownership! I got the all meat, which is seriously finely shredded, little fat, and amazing! Their corn tortillas are a bit thin, and they don't serve refried beans like they used to, but for a little more than $15 for 1lb ALL MEAT, 12 corn tortillas, and green hot sauce, I'll be back!

    Initial press of a fork.

    Tried Papi's for the first time on the recommendation of a friend. He had good reviews but nothing that stood out. I went there as soon as they opened, 0630, and purchased the Spur Special All Meat selection, a packet of flour tortillas and another pound of All Meat. The rice was higher than I expected compared to my usual establishment CMM. But not one to give judgement without trying, I paid the higher price, over $35. I found the All Meat to have much more grease than CMM. I do expect some grease but this was to the point when I pressed it with a fork, I would get excessive drainage. All in all, I was disappointed with my first visit but I will give them two more visits before making a final decision on further patronage. For the time being, I will continue to go down CULEBRA for a few blocks more and get my usual All MEAT Special at that particular MARKET. Strike One.

    Tamales have meat so tasty! Not a lot of masa!

    Hands down the BEST Barbacoa in San Antonio! I love their specials. Food taste so good. Corn tortillas are so soft! Tamales are on point! Not like some that have more masa & less meat! I'm sorry I didn't take a pic of the Barbacoa but it is NOT greasy at all!! When it says ALL meat, that's what you get!! The staff is friendly. This place use to be Arturo's Barbacoa. The former owner had a friendly staff & always took care of his customers. I'm feeling like this new owner is also taking care of his customers. I've never been disappointed!! I've tried many places & nothing compares to Papi's!!

    Barbacoa with avocado, fresh green salsa on a home made corn tortilla. And charro beans on the side!

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    Ask the Community - Papi's Barbacoa

    Review Highlights - Papi's Barbacoa

    The charro beans are perfect for a cold day out eating them in a cup while freezing out in front of a bonfire.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Domingo

    Domingo

    4.0
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    Whenever I travel, I make it a point to visit unique restaurants and experience what a city has to…read moreoffer. Domingo was one of those places that completely exceeded my expectations. From the moment I walked in, I could tell this place was special. The atmosphere is beautiful, upscale, and inviting. The architecture and design throughout the restaurant are absolutely stunning. Even the restrooms were impressive and reflected the same attention to detail found throughout the entire establishment. The food was outstanding. Every dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. This isn't your typical restaurant experience--the menu is creative, unique, and offers something different. You can tell a lot of thought goes into both the preparation and presentation of every plate. What really made the experience unforgettable, though, was the customer service. My waitress, Kreizon, was absolutely amazing. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely made me feel welcome throughout my visit. Great service can make a good meal even better, and she definitely elevated the entire experience. The outdoor dining area is also beautiful and creates a relaxing atmosphere that's perfect for enjoying a meal and taking in the surroundings. If you're looking for a restaurant that offers exceptional food, incredible ambiance, unique architecture, and top-notch customer service, Domingo is a must-visit. This is more than just dinner--it's an experience. Highly recommended, and I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in San Antonio.

    The restaurant is on the river walk, and right under a hotel, so it's very accessible. The…read morerestaurant itself leans more towards a modern experience. Electronic dance music pulsed quietly in the background. The toilets were all individual unisex stalls that were classy, mine had run out of hand towels. Also, the entire restaurant is very dimly lit. I had to use the flashlight on my phone to read the menu, but I have poor eyesight so there's that, but it might explain the quality of the photos I took. The Paloma drink was amazing. It had a great spicy zing in the back of the throat after every sip. Queso was... kinda plain. It might have been better with the add chorizo option. It was very thick. Shrimp cocktail was big, but we started fighting over the shrimp pieces. There was plenty of onion and tomato left over after the batttle. Pollo Asado was a great flavor and the chicken was juicy. Grilled squash that was on the side was good. Chicken enchiladas were good and had freshly sliced jalapeños, which is always a welcome detail. I wasn't able to taste the quesadilla but my daoughter said it was "really good". Fried Chicken sandwich had a great flavor and the bacon was actually pork belly if I'm not mistaken. Sadly there was more batter than chicken. The seasoned fries were delicious and crispy.

    Photos
    Ceviche dish
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Ceviche dish Photo by Amanda Spencer
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    Views of the River Walk Photo by Amanda Spencer
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    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    3.8
    (303 reviews)
    18.3 mi
    $$

    Surprised the wife with a trip to Pan Fila for her favorite hot chocolate and concha. We started…read morewith the Pan Fila Conchota combo that is a combination of the two that is 1/2 gallon of hot chocolate made using a base of Abuelitas with additional cinnamon, and cocoa along with something special. It was delicious! The concha was soft, buttery and flaky, with just the right sweetness. We took home the majority of it and it stayed nice and soft instead of turning hard like so many others. We decided to try several appetizers to go along with our concha to get a wider taste of their food than we would by just ordering a couple entrees. Let me tell you, this was a great idea! We ordered the Tosti-Ceviche Verde, Panela Asado, Mexican Street Corn, and their Spicy Bean Dip. The Ceviche Verde was excellent, the freshness of the fish and shrimp was wonderful with the chipotle mayo and avocado. We chose to have it on the salsa Verde Tostitos and it was all great combination. The Panelo Asado was a completely new dish for us and was extremely good with a savory flavor from the salsa Tlaquepaque that mixed well with the Panela cheese. Their tortillas though not made in house, are made for them and taste like mom made them. The Mexican Street Corn was great and had the perfect bit of char taste from the corn. It was creamy and flavorful, we did think it could use just a tad more lime juice though. The Spicy Bean Dip was very good. You can't go wrong with Oaxaca, Chorizo, and pieces of pork mixed with some mildly spicy beans. Our server was fantastic. She had great recommendations for us, and was quick with checking on our drinks and generally helping us throughout our dinner. The food was prepared quickly, was hot, tasteful and refreshing. We definitely will be going back, and recommend Pan Fila to all of you.

    This rather unassuming and unique cantina, was certainly a diamond in the rough. They split the…read moreplace with an Italian restaurant. Not sure if the Italian side and the cantina side share the same kitchen, but we will remember to come back and try that side as well. If the Italian menu and preparation is as unique as the cantina's, it will be a worthy adventure. For our appetizer we got the cheese dish pictured. I can not recall the name, but the cheese is a cool light cheese served in a warm tomato-based sauce, topped with slices of fresh avocados and chicharones and was served with flour and corn tortillas. Very delicious! As mentioned in the opening...the menu, preparation, and presentation at Panfila is unique. For our entrees my wife got the chile Relleno and I got the Milanese con Mole. The chile Relleno was served in a bowl with just an absolutely fabulous sauce and stuffed and covered with nicely melted cheese. The Milanese con Mole was absolutely decadent! The tender pork was lightly fried and covered in the most delicious mole that I have ever eaten. The chocolate was a little more prominent in the flavor profile than I am used to; and I wouldn't think that I would like that, but it was perfect! I enjoyed every bite and used the extra tortillas from our appetizer to finish off the mole. Highly recommend anything on the menu that incorporates that mole!! Fantastic place!

    Photos
    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant
    Chicken Milanesa torta
    Chicken Milanesa torta
    Chips and salsa

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    Chips and salsa

    Papi's Barbacoa - mexican - Updated July 2026

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