Le Papagayo

Great spot!! Lots of outdoor seating and awesome atmosphere. We just ordered tapas and had plenty of food to try and share. Really cozy spot with something for everyone. The poke nachos were great and so was the coconut shrimp. Great place to hang out and grab some drinks for a while.

The Perfect Celebration Dinner for My Son's Engagement! 🥂 "We visited Le Papagayo right after my son, Anthony, and Kalin got engaged at Torrey Pines Bluff—it was the perfect, five-star celebration lunch! The service was excellent and truly made our special evening even better. The drinks were delicious, and the food was wonderful authentic Mexican cuisine; everything we ordered was outstanding. We really enjoyed ourselves and were delighted when they gave us a complementary dessert that was just spectacular! Highly recommend this spot for both a casual meal and celebrating special life moments."

A terrific dining experience along the walk in Carlsbad. Heat lamps enhance the ombiance, and most importantly, the service and food were very good. The menu is varied with everything from salads to steak, pasta, & Mexican food. The wine selection was also good. We had a great time and will be returning.

I love any place that supports local music before the AI takeover. :) Le Papagayo has been a mainstay in evenings out for many years, now, with consistently great staff and good food. The Swing Johnsons usually get me to visit.

First time here and this place is absolutely Incredible! Ian was our server as we enjoyed the atmosphere on the patio after a long day at the Encinitas street fair. The food 10/10 the music 20/10, perfect volume to enjoy the music and the conversation across the table. Dinner was amazing but can we talk about this amazing chocolate cake with ice cream¿

Papagayo used to be one of my favorite spots in town — I’ve lived here over 10 years — but it’s gone completely downhill. Last night’s wings were rubbery, not crispy. The mac and cheese was literally swimming in oil, and the pretzel bites were just “meh.” Overpriced, poor quality, and zero real customer service — when I pointed out the mac and cheese, the waitress said she would let her manager know and came back and just said, “Thanks for letting us know.” Not her fault but shitty management decision for sure! Not looking for freebies, just good food and decent service, and this place delivered neither. If you want drinks and music, maybe it’s still worth a stop, but for food? Hard pass.

Great food, kind staff. The tapas are really tasty, perfect portions. We had the calamari strips and the chicken satay. Even the desserts are a stand out. Casual atmosphere. Live music. Great place for a happy hour or dinner.

I loved the atmosphere and vibe. It had different corners to seat with different vibes, inside was louder because of live music (which was really good) and outside was quieter and better for talking. I had Sangria which was awesome 🍸Also the Pasta and burger also the fries were really good. And the staff were super nice.

Went to dinner here and immediately ordered myself a margarita with Mezcal! As someone who prefers Mezcal over tequila, I'm always glad when I have that option and it was a delicious drink! I got the Scottish salmon (blackened) and it was flavorful and I loved that the this dish had seafood risotto with it. They also gave a large charred lemon which paired well with the other parts of the dish. I love lemon so I'm glad it wasn't just a small piece or slice of lemon haha. This is a create restaurant to bring children to. There were some children in my party of 7 for dinner and I noticed that the server was super sweet to the kids which was awesome! They have live music which makes for a fun atmosphere.

Good: - Live music - Karaoke - Good service - Enough parking spaces - Happy hours - Good cocktails - Variety of food options. Mexican, Hawaiian, Seafood, Burgers, Sandwiches, Pasta...etc Bad: - Food was little salty Overall, good restaurant with good foods and cocktails. Also located in Carlsbad

I've been a loyal customer here for over two years and have consistently recommended Papagayo to friends and family. One of the main reasons I kept coming back was your commitment to not cooking with seed oils -- that alone set you apart from most restaurants and showed a real care for ingredient quality and customer health. I usually come in for brunch, and until recently the portions and value felt fair for the price. However, on my last visit I was genuinely surprised and disappointed. The skillet I ordered was noticeably half the size of what I've been served every other time. It felt like a clear downgrade in portion while prices remain the same. If this is a deliberate portion reduction, it would be disappointing not to see that reflected in pricing or communicated transparently. Loyal customers notice these changes, and it can feel like trust is being eroded when quality or value quietly drops. I truly like this place and want to keep supporting it, but this experience made me hesitate about coming back. I'm sharing this in hopes management takes it seriously and maintains the standards that made this spot special in the first place.

Great food, we come here often! Great soups, especially the lobster bisque, awesome salad, wahini salad with hearts of palm, mango fresh mint dressing- so refreshing. Great flatbreads and entrees too. Service is always attentive with live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Oh and their sangria is the best in the city!!

I've been coming more often- for dinner, for happy hour, for a weekend brunch. And every time I am delighted. I've brought my husband here twice with the two of us and another time with my MIL and other times with the whole family or just friends. And everyone always finds something to discover and enjoy. Service is consistently good- the servers are knowledgeable about the menu and have good recommendations. Food is fresh, full of unexpected flavors, and offers a wide variety of choices. I saw the review from someone who called this "fancy food" and in many ways, it stands above so many more traditional choices but it's all very approachable too. You can come here for a coffee and pastry in the morning or a simple lunch and still get the 5-star treatment. While the live music is a great draw for happy hour, check out the vibe at other times as a calm place to enjoy a bite that awakens your senses.

This is a pretty fun place to see live music. You are more likely to find parking on the street than in their little parking lot. Definitely make a reservation as it can get crowded. The service is pretty good, but it does get busy on some nights. I found the food just OK. A friend and I shared the paella. It wasn't well seasoned and had tons of rice with no crust on the rice. Pretty basic. Good selection of drinks. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to go back, but I had a good time.

Good food poor service! Management is Terrible ! Great drinks good place to watch games.

I always passed this place but never went. Decided to do so for my grandma's bday and it was fantastic! We sat inside on a Saturday and it was rather busy so we were glad we had made a reservation. We all had a few different items but our favorite were the Papagayo Burrito and the chilaquiles. Guys, people mess up chilaquiles all the time but these were fantastic and crispy and very flavorful! I got it with a side of beans and highly recommend doing so. As for the burrito the French fries were so flavorful as was the meat (it's their version of a Cali breakfast burrito). Honestly though the thing that blew me away was the service. Aiko was our server and he went above and beyond and was tremendously patient. The manager Holden was even checking in on everyone and was super kind and courteous. Sincerely 10/5 stars on that front. There is inside seating (a few tables out by the parking lot) and a few on the side of it near the street. There's inside seating and a bar as well. Parking wise there is a small lot but not that many spaces. Even so it's never a problem when you can park across the street. All in all would highly recommend!

We came to Le Papagayo for a late lunch and were bummed to find out bottomless mimosas end at 2:00 We actually arrived at 2:10, and it's not posted anywhere (I looked!). Our server was sweet, and a veteran server did stop by after I asked about it, but it still felt like a letdown. Food-wise, we started with a margarita flatbread (tasty), my husband had a fresh beet salad, and I had the poke bowl, which was colorful and flavorful. I also tried the sangria which was fresh fruit and super refreshing. We sat outside with our dogs, which was nice, but the mimosa situation surprise definitely took the sparkle out of the visit.

This place is so cute and good! The drinks are delicious and the food is a bit on the pricier side but i would say def worth it!:) Not too busy on a Monday night so we got seated quickly.

Made a reservation for 7 people on a Saturday for brunch, and good thing I did -- this place gets packed! They have both indoor and outdoor seating, but no matter where you were, the waitstaff were super attentive and happy to help. I got the Shakshuka, and it was so filling. Something interesting they do here is that the base is potatoes, which made it much more substantial but there must have been three potatoes in this. The actual tomato and egg portion was very good -- the egg yolk was perfectly jammy, and the tomatoes were nicely roasted. I wish it came with more bread to dip into the shakshuka with. I also got the orange juice, which was pretty standard. The staff were super friendly and conversational, I can see why this is a popular neighborhood brunch spot. Great place to visit!

They were crazy busy, but we got seated quickly. I failed on photos! I got the smash burger with a gluten free bun; it was delicious! Definitely could not tell it was gluten free!! My friend got grilled cheese and took half home. It was loud because they were busy. Parking is available, which for the area is great. Staff was friendly. Would definitely recommend this to a friend!

This was my first time at Le Papagayo in Leucadia . We really enjoyed the ambience. We sat outdoors. There was a little mix of sand and fog. Beautiful restaurant with beautiful ambience. The service was amazing. Our server was nice . He chatted with us and told us all about the restaurant and the area . I will definitely come back again just to eat at this restaurant. PS you can bring your pups

Highly recommended brunch by my friends' coworker, and I can definitely put my stamp of approval on that. Ambiance: Cozy! My friends and I went for brunch, first at the door. Can you tell we are food enthusiasts? We were seated inside! Service: our server was a sarcastic but very welcoming older fellow! Our selfie together is still on my phone haha!!! Food: OMG.. my mouth is still drooling. I got the Papagayo breakfast burrito and that truffle that they put inside elevates this burrito to godhood. Even as a cool temp leftover the day after it was STILL delicious. I tried the chilequeles (sp?) and that was very good too. The corned beef hash skillet was also excellent :), I was a fan of the neat presentation. If you want a good time, share the coffee martini flight with friends. It seems like the flavors might rotate, if you see the coconut or the PBJ, those are instant must tries.

We choose Le Papagayo whenever we have friends visit for a casual, delicious meal. We enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. The menu is extensive, drinks are always good and the service is friendly and helpful. At dinner there is music, li ely, good atmosphere. Make a reservation.

Food was excellent. My entree has Spanish rice which I generally do not eat. One bite and found it so good that I ate the entire serving. The flourless chocolate cake was amazing. Loved the added pecans to the toppings.

Fantastic service, music, and food. We were seated quickly and had wonderful service. Love the layout and design of the restaurant a

Great spot for brunch. Fast Service and the servers were on point. Casual vibe, you can seat inside or outside .

TUESDAY HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHT I give this place a 3.5 rounding up to a 4 star. We ordered mostly drinks and a a soup and salads. THE GOOD: Martini's here are made well. Slightly icy with my favorite BLUE CHEESE OLIVES! Both Hendricks Gin and the Grey Goose Vodka ones were good. Expresso Martini Flight was a show stopper as they came out in a swirly holder! Each had a different flavor and they were delicious! Mac n Cheese side: we ordered this to share for our kids and they ate it up! Cheesy, al dente macaroni and bread crumbs. If it's for the kids don't put the parsley on top. THE BAD: Watermelon Sugar margarita needs to change the name to SPICY WATERMELON margarita because there wasn't a hint of sweetness. I thought they would rim the glass with sugar but nope just Tajin. I didn't like this at all. Pozoles here was just okay. The girl said it's really "authentic" but we lived in Boyle Heights and this was more like a tomato soup in a can w/ added pork and veggies! It didn't taste bad but it's not the usual flavor. Servers were all attention and friendly! Lots of heat warmers and fire pit tables outside. Live musician sang beautifully she was really good!

Local to Carlsbad however we love Encinitas La Papagayo - breakfast is sooooooo good! Bryan and Alonso always give us the best service too. Thanks for the suggestions and getting the game on for my football diehard husband

Stopped by for lunch with co workers while in San Diego for a conference. We're seated right away without a reservation on a Friday. We started with calamari and truffle fries as an appetizer. Everything was freshly fried and crispy. For an entree, I ordered the lobster roll that came with a choice of various fries or mixed greens. Went with the mixed greens since we already got the truffle fries for the table. The portions are healthy. The lobster roll was stuffed with lobster and plenty of melted butter to dip the warm , soft brioche bun. We ended our meal with the crème brûlée served with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Service was fast and friendly. No complaints.

We arrived prior to 5 PM. The menu says the dinner entrées are not served until 5 PM. We were still able to order since our food arrived just after five we could get what we want, but I think it's important to note this information in the review. Before 5 PM you can order tapas, salads, and cocktails. They have good choices for tapas. it was fairly quiet when we arrived around 4:30 PM. But the restaurant filled in quickly. Before we left, the live music started the speakers are very loud, even in the bathrooms. So if you're not sitting in the live music area you are hearing the live music throughout the restaurant. The volume was a little bit overwhelming, and made it more difficult to converse with our friends. We enjoyed the food we ordered. The cocktails have clever names and are tasty. We tried different salads. All were good. I had Papagayo flatbread. It was just ok. However, the arugula prosciutto flatbread that my friend ordered was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this. We also tried the tacos and the steak frite. Those entrees were very good as well.

La Papagayo is a total win. The food is bold, fresh, and packed with flavor--every dish hits like it's supposed to. The atmosphere is lively but relaxed, perfect for a date night or a laid-back dinner with friends. Service was on point from start to finish: attentive, friendly, and dialed in without hovering. Solid drinks, great energy, and consistently good food. I'll be back--no question. And there's always great music

Came by on a whim and had no problem getting a seat and a delicious meal! Great and quick service. They had a few vegetarian choices and I opted for the burrito bowl. It was not only tasty but VERY filling. Of note the house made tea and lemonade! The lemonade was perfect for a sunny day.

Tried this place for the first time a few weeks ago, and we really had a great time! It's perfect to sit outside and soak up some sun, while people watching and having some cocktails! I had the Cobb salad, which I 100% would come back for! It was super tasty!!!! My husband had the birria, also highly recommended, the meat was super tender and delicious! The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is for the slightly slower service. We had to flag down the server when looking for refills on our bottomless drinks, but otherwise we had a great time. Looking forward to our next time here!

Le Papagayo had fabulous food, wonderful service, and was dog friendly. Recommendations from our server Ian were spot on, and his service was exceptional. The quality of the dishes from appetizers to main courses to dessert were all outstanding.

Clean place, great vibe, good portions, fresh well prepared and seasoned food. May need to come back for a dinner and a drink-that bar was well stocked

Went here for a late lunch after walking by this place numerous times. Sat outside on the patio - around the corner from the entrance- with our doggy. Didn't even know this patio existed! Pretty area and tables close enough to say hi to your neighbors! Split beef birria nachos that were superb! Very flavorful and nicely presented. Also ordered a single carne asada taco but that seemed to cause confusion because there apparently aren't ' sides' of tacos until dinner time . The discussion whether this could or could not happen took awhile but I finally received the taco after we finished the nachos. Again, food was very nicely flavored and worth the wait. Usually go to another restaurant for brunch but will seriously consider this restaurant next time we are in the neighborhood!!

We had the most wonderful breakfast here after our proposal. The food was delicious and truly authentic--the flavors were incredible! The service was beyond excellent, and the drinks were fantastic. The staff was so sweet and even surprised us with a celebratory dessert. Thank you for a perfect start to our engagement! Le Papagayo in Leucadia is a must-visit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Five stars!

Went for happy hour, tried duck, asada tacos, Mac/cheese and filet chili, was ok but would not order again. Chili was missing the filet or if it was ground the flavor was not there!!

Came here for a weekday lunch with a very large group of 15. We had a reservation and were seated around 4 minutes after checking in. As long as you have a reservation, this is a great spot for a larger group of 10+ for lunch. Our server was efficient and attentive. He circulated frequently to make sure our drinks were topped off. We did have to ask for our water pitchers to be refilled but this is understandable given how large our group is. I was feeling very hungry and ordered the carne asana steak and eggs as well as an açaí bowl. Portion sizes are huge! I ordered my three eggs over easy. The carne asada was well-seasoned, juicy and not over cooked. The tortillas were piping hot and the hash brown sides nearly stole the show with perfect exterior crispness and soft warm potatoe goodness inside. The açaí bowl drew ooohs and ahhs from my friends with its scale and presentation. Taste was on point. I brought the leftovers home and enjoyed them for dinner. I'll have to come back during dinner time at 6:30 pm to hear the live music that Le Papagayo is known for!

Mexican style restaurant located right by the beach. We came here for brunch on a Saturday. We were hesitant to come at first, because we were not able to get a reservation even for two people on OpenTable. Once we arrived, we saw that there was plenty of seating. The hostess told us OpenTable is only used by the restaurant for large reservations. She said they usually have room for smaller parties. There is a bottomless mimosa option on Saturdays and Sundays for $25 each. The mimosas are poured by the bartender. The orange juice does have pulp. For my meal I had the Loco Moco. It was OK. My spouse had the giant burrito. They came with a green sauce and chips as well. I stole about half of his. It was absolutely delicious. Our waitress was super nice and friendly. There is indoor seating, as well as outdoor seating in the front of the restaurant and the back of the restaurant. Even on an August day, all of the windows and doors were open and it felt fantastic.

Great food! Liked the offering of quality food and ingredients. Of course the Tallow Truffle Fries were a must for our table. The portions were generous which was fitting because my husband was looking forward to that carne asada and eggs plate. Laid back vibes. Parking is difficult though. Easiest to park in the nearby dirt lot or walk if you live nearby.

We came during happy hour and it was not as busy as I'd expected. The calamari and shishito peppers are battered and fried. They were so tasty! The Brussels sprouts were amazing! The smash burger was good. Try the sangria for sure! Patio looks beautiful.

Had a meal here on Saturday night , I ordered the poke bowl , there was possibly 10 tiny pieces of tuna with very poor flavor and the bowl was so small . Exceptionally poor value as the cost was $26-00 I will not be returning to this restaurant

Stopped in for a late lunch and the staff was lovely, making sure they got my order in before the kitchen closed. I ordered a chicken pesto sandwich with sweet potato fries and it was delicious. The bread was crusty and fresh, chicken was well seasoned and all of the flavors worked great together. Definitely had a kick to it, yummy peppers. I ate outside and it was really relaxing -- will definitely be back!

Went for lunch today and very much enjoyed our dining experience! Had the smash burger, chips and salsa, and my grandma had the French dip. All the food was extremely good, my only qualm stemmed from our missing waiter. Took around 20 minutes to get our diet cokes :) no other notes, food was very good.

Great choice for lunch following a 4th of July evening and cruising the scene in Encinitas! Huge menu with offerings to meet everyone's desires and taste across breakfast and lunch combined. The brunch place! Fusion menu! Mexican, Italian, Californian, Hawaiian Influenced Asian. Multiple seating options! Curbside, garden, indoor, terrace, and bar counter. Selected and shared the Grilled Maha Mahi Tacos with Chips & Salsa, and the Prime Rib Melt Sandwich with Au Jus and Fries paired with a crisp, cold, IPA. Everything was perfect! The beef was juicy, tender, and flavorful. The Mahi Mahi in the tacos was grilled to perfection and tasty Great customer service provided by Aiko! Highly recommend for a date or great meal.

A very cute place & I was there for a private party re: "a celebration of life". Not sure if the menu we had is universal through the restaurant (but I'm sure everything on this available) it was great. Portion sizes were wonderful as well. What I observed though throughout watching the restaurant was it was well staffed to handle all the business they had. Our server was on top of our group top notch (and that was on top of getting cocktails that were not included in our prefix). Now, anything that I would consider negative would be parking is at a premium in this area so plan on a little walking & the flies were a constant annoyance outside. But with that said, I'd still go back!

We've been here more times than I can count! Their cocktails and food are amazing. Their menu has changed but this is one of the few places I can state, everything is good! We like to come for breakfast on weekends. Service is great, everyone is friendly. Dinner on weekends there is live music which can be loud if you aren't prepared for the experience. One of our favorite places.

I stopped by for lunch around noon on a Monday and found plenty of seating available. Parking was convenient, with a great lot right across the street. Our waiter greeted us right away, took our drink orders, and offered helpful food recommendations. My friend ordered the Reuben with fries, which were some of the best I've ever had--perfectly thin and crispy. I went with the Wahine salad topped with shrimp, and it was absolutely delicious. While the prices are on the higher side, that's expected for this area. Overall, it was a fantastic meal and a great dining experience.

Ehh. Unfortunately, disappointed. This used to be a great place for quality dinner. The vibe is wonderful - cute decor, nice ambiance .. the live music was wonderful. Service pretty much sucked! It started out to be decent. Our server Ian was friendly, however served my husband the wrong beer, had to be flagged down for refills. Tip percentage started at 23% lol Food was mediocre, at best. I had the artichoke bottoms - they were just alright. The lobster bisque was inedible - orange in color, thick as pudding and sweet. I left it basically untouched, server didn't even ask about it! Birria egg rolls were just okay. Husband's poke nachos were the best thing we ordered, but nothing spectacular. I would go back for the live music and wine specials ($10 for a 9oz pour!) ... don't recommend the food.

What a terrific place to go for dinner! The food was excellent and atmosphere outside was nice and warm (outdoor heaters). Our server, Ian, had great beverage and meal recommendations (which we followed). When the music got too loud for us to have a conversation, we asked if we could change tables. Ian said he would take care of it and within less than a minute the volume returned to its previous background level. We really appreciated Ian's excellent customer service. Although we live out of the area, this was a return trip to this restaurant. Could not have been more pleased. Highly recommend!!!

Used to be a favorite restaurant of mine and they have made changes to their menu and their signature dish (Mussels) they decided to ONLY offer at dinner. Came here for my wife's bday and she was excited to have the mussels only to find out that they wouldn't offer their signature item that everyone comes for, 2 hours before switching to dinner. Awful move for patrons and would heavily encourage that this change. It also appears they still have their same awful service with servers that check on the table once every 15-20 minutes while serving tiny water glasses and don't care about good service. It's truly a shame that this place used to be packed and now it clearly doesn't have the same level of enjoyment it once had.

We came here for a birthday weekend brunch with my husband and our puppy, and we loved it! We sat outside on the back patio, which had such a cute and relaxed vibe. The food was incredible, and everything we saw coming out to other tables looked just as delicious. I did feel a bit forgotten by our waiter at times -- he seemed pretty busy, but it might have just been an off day. That said, we'd definitely come back!

I have lived in Encinitas since 1997- I have disappointed with the quality of the food so I really don't eat there however I went there yesterday and ordered the chicken curry appetizer then had the steak tacos- please do not EVER take these off your menu

Great food, drinks and service! (I personally recommend their old fashioned cocktail ) staff is friendly and accommodating.

I mean, come on! This place is so good and the breakfast burritos are fantastic! Love the vibe and atmosphere. Service is top notch and everyone is friendly.

Regretfully experience was extremely unpleasant. We had a party of 5 traveling far to visit with each other and 1.5 hrs into our dinner were told we have 30 min before we need to leave for next reservation. This is absolutely unacceptable! Not ever have we heard of this and have been there several times before! We were offered a table inside (there is a reason I reserved outside patio because the music is too loud) or we had to leave! The manager was extremely unapologetic and we were told that's the restaurant industry. We've never heard of this. Lived in San Diego 30+ years! We're patrons too! I made mention that it wasn't stipulated at time of reservation or when we were seated. If that's so important there should be updates to the reservation system as well as being informed when seated. Regardless, we will not be back! And spread the word of our unpleasant experience! The manager should have a class in minding her manner! She had a complete attitude! Read less