Le Papagayo

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.

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.

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.

I’m not from the area but this is not it. Not for the price. Maybe it’s just the area. Who is paying this for this sad amount of food and bad service. I even made the reservation because I thought, Saturday night will be super busy, didn’t even need to do that. I will commend them for having good bar service so you can get drunk while waiting an hour for food (If you could get drunk, the expensive drinks were weak and also expensive). Music was good. It wasn’t even busy enough for such slow service. It wasn’t as many fish selections as the reviews state. The only redeeming quality was the corn tortillas. Whoever is making their corn tortillas is their golden goose. The food was good but I guess designed for the sad rich people over here who like a breath of taste of their food.

We were staying in the area for our anniversary. We decided to stop here for breakfast on our way back home. We live inland. We got there about 11 am on Saturday. They seated us quickly and the wait staff got our drink and food orders quickly as well. The food came right out. The French toast was delicious. Very fluffy and perfectly cooked. The Loco Moco was alright. The gravy was obviously a mix and not made in house. The eggs were cooked nicely. The rice was a bit strange and very very hot relative to the rest of the stuff on the plate. So that made the whole thing a bit difficult to eat. Also just sort of an odd take on a Loco Moco. If I went back, I'd try something else. Overall a good place for breakfast.

We discovered this place last week and absolutely love it. Our favorite thing is that they don't use seed oils, they cook their amazingly delicious fries in tallow. We shared the Loco Moco and it was so good we practically licked the plate!

Recently seemed to have changed their portion sizes for the tacos, they used to be a reasonably good sized taco for price of 7.50 but now they are just basic tiny street tacos. Unfortunately this is the nail in the coffin for me after years of minor cutbacks. I've been coming here for 10 years and it just slowly diminished from a quality local restaurant to a tourist attraction.

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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 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!

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.

I've been here a couple hundred times over the years, and WOW the service the declined! The last 2 times was just awful! Last night I ordered the Wahine salad, which I've had dozens of times, and it was missing Mac nuts and avocado. I told the server when he finally came with our bill. His reply, "Let me look at your bill. Don't worry, you weren't charged for those items-- yet, they're supposed to come on the salad. The time before was twice as bad but too long to type. I think the place has finally been run straight into the ground.

Surprisingly, I've only been here a few times over the last years and have to remind myself to come back only because it's not in my regular pathway. I came on a weekday evening with family to celebrate a birthday. Everyone had different ideas about what they wanted and we generally found things we all liked. It's the kind of place that may have a south American theme but you find a lot of variety. I'm actually one of the few people who come for the food, not the music. If you do come when a live band isn't playing, it's still lively but a nice to be able to have a more intimate dinner. We tried the Hawaiian kalua pork, the birria enchiladas, shrimp scampi, and wahine salad to name a few. Everything was amazing.

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.

Papagayo has a great vibe. The bar is So cal with a Sports Bar feel with multiple screens. The outdoor seating is well done with both High tops and table seating. Each area has its own vibe while integrating nicely . Parking is found on site in the Public Parking lot .But enough of the design description . The menu is diverse and all dishes are well prepared and very tasty. I come for the food and am never disappointed Drinks are abundant and well prepped. Nice place as a go to when you want to be well feed and welcomed !

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.

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!!

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.

Old School Charm, but not a "first date"kind of place unless you are used to wearing board-shorts and flip-flops. Food was 7/10 and service was 8/10. Parking limited in lot, but can park in dirt near RR tracks.

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.

I love this place. Great service..live music every night. Awesome food. Izekio the bartender.. Ian the server. Almost makes me want to get back in the restaurant business. Um..almost but F no. Try the birria egg rolls. Off the hook. Check out my IG @MangoBlossomApiary

Decent spot, good vibes and live music. Has happy hour, but still kinda pricey for what you get.

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!

Woah !!!!!! First time trying thought I was at home should have got the bowl! Not the cup! Wow just wow Been coming here for 3 years. Luis was amazing such great customer service! Billy the Manager was great attendance helpful service!!! I will be back soon!

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.

This is the second time I've had dinner here with the same group of friends. The first time, several years ago, was lovely & the food was excellent. This time, we sat on the patio instead of indoors. The table was covered in flies when we sat down, but the hostess was lovely and apologized. The service was not great, but the biggest issue was the food. We ordered Mussels that were not cleaned and debearded. None of them were. After waiting for probably 10 minutes to flag down someone to send our server over, we explained that they were not clean/debearded & sent them back. They did remove them off the bill but it turned us off our dinners. I can't say we will be back.

The front host was awesome and he found us a table for two on a busy Friday night. The live music was great. However the wait time and food quality was poor. The strawberry and goat cheese salad was horrific. Poor quality and soggy.

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.

Super mid poke nachos, bad tacos. The first time we went we were drunk and that made it good

Le Papagayo is a charming, Latin-inspired neighborhood spot with quite a variety of offerings. Lots of starters, tapas, mains, and sides! Sometimes this can be overwhelming at a restaurant in my opinion, but everything is always pretty good here so you can rarely go wrong. The other night, we shared a Caesar salad, pozole, and tallow steak frites - yum!! Everything was great, and the live music is always a nice touch. The only thing is whenever we sit outside, we've seemed to be a bit forgotten about by our waiters. I sat inside once and didn't notice anything here, but it's unfortunate as the outside is such a cute area. Anyways, the food and good vibes will have me coming back for more.

Wonderful avocado toast! The balsamic and honey drizzle is amazing! Luis our server was fantastic. We sat on the patio on a beautiful Saturday morning! Will return for sure!

Been a local in north county over 20 years now? Been going to le papagayo a long time now and they've always been a staple and a great choice for family dinners and good tunes. But as of recently, their food has just been hitting! It must be new chefs menu, it's so amazing, highly recommend 10/10 experience

I take people to the Encinitas location because the service & food are the best! The server, Rebecca, is great, friendly & feels more like a friend! All of the staff there are amazing. The manager is always welcoming & willing to step in to help with his staff. I love that! The artichoke bottoms are to die for.. the burgers , can't go wrong! Had a bit of bad luck with the Chicken piccata, but they were on it and gave me a gift card & cheesecake to apologize.. I mean who does that?!? Papagayo.. I've turned many many friends onto this little gem and they've all commented on what a great place this is! Music, food, best service & drinks! Go you'll love it! Thx staff you guys are great, see you soon!

Food was fantastic and the service was amazing. My nephew suggested we come here and I'm so glad that he did. We had a great time. You probably have to wait depending on the day, but it's worth it. We will definitely be back again and try other things, but I have to say the bloody Maria was so good the best I've had

The service here is great, the waitress was very nice. I enjoy outdoor seating and this restaurant has plenty of it to soak in the sun. The food was good, I have to say the tacos were my favorite. I got a lobster roll but I didn't really care for it too much as there was a certain spice, maybe thyme, that was just way too overbearing and overpowered the flavor of everything else. I know it's a popular menu item so I'm sure some people love it, I just didn't personally. The bacon mac and cheese on the other hand was delicious! I'm honestly not a cheese person but I always love to get Mac n cheese, I know that's weird lol, but this was was just so perfectly made and sooo creamy, and the bacon had an amazing flavor so I loved it! I'd definitely like to come here again and try another menu item, maybe one of the beef items.

What a great restaurant! I've been wanting to try this place for several years. I menu has a nice eclectic mix of menu items. My friends and I each ordered something different. I had the Birria skillet which was recommended my our server Shawn. It was cooked in a cast iron skillet with cheese on tbe bottom beef Birria smothered on top with rosemary potatoes. The ratio of beef and potatoes was perfect. There were three eggs on top. A tortilla on the side and a cup of consomme. It was so much food I took half home. Others in my group had poke nachos, arugula flatbread and a thick rueban sandwich. My friend said it's the best she ever had in San Deigo. Shawn was patient with us and made great recommendations. Ryan the manger stopped by to check on us. Great food, large portions in a beachy setting. Looking forward to returning and trying more.

Nice small chain to eat a different take on Southern California coastal cuisine. Drinks were a nice twist, food was quite good, probably a 6.5-7 range. Ambiance is fun being so close to the ocean and getting that breeze.

summary: stopped by for a "quick trip" before hitting legoland and was sadly a bit disappointed by my overall experience. Service was slow, outside seating was a bit dirty/sticky, and the food felt underwhelming. The food itself: the short rib birria meat tasted tender and tasty, but most of the dish was comprised of cheese and potatoes, so it felt like there was an imbalance of flavors going on. I had a coffee and there was a bit of a weird aftertaste in it. All of the tables/chairs felt like there was a layer of stickiness to it. I would probably skip out on it for a different spot in the future, but there did seem to be some cool newer outside seating for events.

3.7/5, but rounds up to 4. We came here for brunch/lunch on a weekend. There is a very large menu with a lot of selections!!! You can have brunch and lunch at the same time. The food was tasty but a bit on the pricer side for casual dine in. People were very nice and attentive. We loved the tacos and Ceaser salad. Would come again if I was in the area but wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to come because while the food was good, it was a bit basic. Overall had a good experience!

Wife and breakfast birria skillet and cinnamon roll pancakes - the pancakes could have had more of a bite to it lacking flavor my breakfast was awesome even the left overs were great. The problem was the service took a very long time and we went when no one else was there in the morning. We were literally the only table and the food took forever as of the server didn't ring it in but it happens. That's the reason for 3 stars it was barely acknowledged that it was so late no attempt to make things right very unfortunate. May not come back and try the other dishes just because of the service and no attempt to even ask if that was ok. Cute place ambiance is nice.

Great spot! GREAT GREAT! Couple of locations nearby and always a hit! Calimex for the win!

Overall: okay food, high prices, slow and not welcoming service, lots of cute looking options for indoor and outdoor seating, but the inside was stinky and the outside was sticky. Multi-stall gendered restrooms Went for brunch. I can see how it would be a much cooler place at night. They have lots of lights and fire pits and cool outdoor seating options. The outside was pretty sticky and the inside smelled like a college bar. The side of fruit and side salad were awful quality and a ridiculous price. The entrees were fine as far as taste, quantity, and quality go, but nothing I would return for. Our server, Alonso, was super short with us and not super friendly or helpful. The place didn't look busy but it took a while for the food to come out.

A week before Mother's Day, I did a Yelp search on awesome Sunday brunches. This place popped up as well rated with a great brunch - with a special menu for Mother's Day Brunch. Sounded awesome, made reservations, and on Mother's Day, my beautiful wife and I headed down to Encinitas. Walking in, it's got a VERY cool vibe to it - it's "real life" is more of an evening bar with live music, and it just has that feel to it. For Mother's Day, however, not so much. On the upside, all the moms got a rose before they were seated. BUT.....this was not a Mother's Day Brunch by any definition. The menu had two options - breakfast, or lunch. Strictly speaking, just a standard menu, pared down quite a bit. That said, the food was quite excellent - we both got scrambled eggs - with my wife getting sweet potatoes (first I'd seen that as a breakfast item), and I got a fruit plate (which my wife promptly stole). Bacon was crisp, coffee was hot, service was good - albeit SLOOOOOOOOOOWWWW once you placed your order. Tons of waiters, I suspect the kitchen was just understaffed. Overall, great place, we'll definitely go back for evening music - just not exactly what we hoped for in a Mother's Day Brunch (but, keep in mind...to each his/her own).