Papagayos Tex Mex Cantina

This place is one of my local favorites. The beer is always cold and the food is always fresh and hot. The Quesadillas are so amazingly good. The tortillas are so buttery. Mary is always our waitress, she already knows our drink order and for the most part she knows our food order. Support small local businesses. You can’t go wrong eating here.

Consistently good and convenient. The food is good for texmex, and the service is on point. No matter what time you go, food is fresh and servers are friendly. Overall 4 stars, but it's just odds and ends that would bump it up to five. I'd really like to leave 4.5 if I'm being honest. You get what you pay for, and in the case, it's a good thing.

Always a go to for great Mexican food and service! Mary was our server and she always watches and observes to see if there is anything we might need. Food was exceptionally good as always! Seafood enchiladas always have plenty of seafood! Appetizer of fried jalapenos...these are my favorite! I might get my own stuffed jalapenos appetizer...Shared this go around! Went on a Friday night around 6. They were busy, but not over the top. We were seated right away.

Food was top of the line. It was fresh tasty with all the flavors. I really enjoy the food and the service. Customer service was great and very active. I will be back.

Haven’t been here since we moved in the neighborhood back in 2003. I really liked it. The chips and salsa were hot and crispy. My mom ordered nachos with cheese and beans and they came out delicious. I’m a picky eater so I ordered some chicken enchiladas with just cheese on top and they didn’t mess up my order like they do at other places! My dad ordered the flautas plate and he said they were ok since he didn’t know it was chicken mixed with vegetables inside the flauta. My daughter ordered some quesadillas and they were cooked pretty good. Overall this place is a good place to eat and it’s convenient since it’s so close to our house. Very clean restrooms and the staff is very nice!

Haven’t been in years but still has great food and great service. The Seafood platter was not over fried but instead cooked perfectly. The only downside was the chicken tenders were so thin they were rubbery and the crawfish tales were very fishy almost inedible. So we tried the fried ice cream but it was lacking to. The coating on the ice cream was stale and no cinnamon on the bowl & therefore it failed to. The service though was awesome and she never let our drinks nor our food plates stack up. The atmosphere was not pleasant because there was a lady practically yelling through her phone so our conversations couldn’t be heard across the table. I would try it again, just sticking to the Mexican food.

No complaints, exceeded my expectations. My expectations are usually pretty low for Tex Mex places in general though. They weren't stingy though and our simple quesadilla with beef was very good, a lot of meat.

Good vhile rellano, rice had nice slivers of panlano, chunky warm salsa had character, reasonably good chicken soft taco.

Maria is an excellent waitress and we consistently sit in her area because the service is amazing. The green sauce is the best I've tasted. I haven't eaten anything here I don't love. This is our favorite Mexican food restaurant! Can't go wrong in my opinion.

If you're going to eat Mexican food, you better bring a lot of money if you go to Papagayos. It's pricier than you might realize. They charge tip on the tax. Uncle Sam doesn't need to be tipped! The food is average, and they don't put much meat in the chicken enchiladas To make more money, they cut back on the chicken, and the pieces are cut very small. So, what are you REALLY paying for? There's a lot of "FILLERS" in there. Since when do you put corn in chicken enchiladas? Don't think for a moment that you're getting a good deal. You're not. Most things on the menu are around $21. With tip and tax and NO alcohol, it's $27!!! Save money and eat somewhere else that doesn't give you a bunch of "fillers". I'm tired of restaurants raising their prices and giving you less meat.

Came in hoping to have a great beef or chicken soup but they don't have that here at a Mexican restaurant. Settled for a chicken tortilla soup in a bowl but it really was a small bowl. The amount of chicken was great, lots of cheese but to me it seems to be missing something. The chips and salsa were good. The sweet tea was good too. The ambience is casual with great music playing in the background. The service could have been better but I've had worse and it was only 11:30 am when we came in. This has only been y second time coming here only because I was in the area. I remember their adult drinks used to be good but it's been awhile. Their prices are up there for the amount served. 4 stars for amount served and $$

Nope horrible lunch i had with my best friend a couple of weeks ago, she found a rock or piece of glass in her food . The food made me sick ... we didn't complain we just paid and left.

I grew up on Papagayo's, and they've never missed. Only thing that has changed is the prices and that's really no complaint. Loyal servers with great hospitality, same good ass charros and same yummy salsa. I used to live for a big ol' bowl of charros and an order of flour tortillas. Crispy tacos, beef enchiladas, spinach enchiladas are all so good. Pretty sure my uncle still goes faithfully every week some time for lunch. I'm greatful for all the years they've been around and served our community.

Best margaritas around! Grand Gold especially. I continue to love this place. My go to are the cheese enchiladas with he cream sauce. It's off menu but our sweet waitress always knows what I want.

The stuffed jalapenos is something you can't get anywhere else in Houston! Its a spicy little jalapeno stuffed with slightly cheesy chicken, battered and deep fried. Served with some cool ranch to balance. Absolutely mouth-watering!

This review is based on a single weeknight visit during Happy Hour. Yay! I usually don't think that cheaper means better, but tacos, tostadas and other handheld Tex-Mex treats can be had here for merely a song during the early evening hours. And the food is actually good! (Red salsa served warm, and that's a no-no in my book. But most people like it, so you're probably in luck.) The beer and other drinks were also flowing at much-discounted prices. Bottom line: When you can grab some legitimate eats and drinks for the same price as the drive-thru mega burger chain down the street, it's a no-brainer.

Good price. Good food. I really like their warm salsa too. Service was quick and accurate.

The staff here is BEYOND the friendliest & very fun. My favorite items on the menu are the flautas, the chimichanga, and their green salsa is soo good. It is very Tex-Mex & very good. The drinks are always good & their bartender Rolan is phenomenal.

I started with a Grapefruit Fizz cocktail which was really good and refreshing. I'll order it again. For dinner last night I had the Shrimp Chimis with rice and refried beans. I never thought I'd say this but they were too cheesy. I ate most of 2, but couldn't eat the third. The rice and beans were really good but I didn't finish either. My son ordered food he liked and gave me a taste of his borracho beans which were yummy! We like this place and will be back soon!

Enchiladas Americanas, salsa Never disappoints. Close to home, fast service, food is good

Before the fire I didn't come here to eat at all, even though I lived in the area most of my life. The best thing about this Mexican restaurant that is different from most restaurants like this is that fact that once you become a regular here, you start to be treated like family. Your favorite waiter and waitresses will make you feel right at home. They start to remember your name, what you last ordered, and what's your favorite drink was. My family's favorite waiter is Ian. He is nice, personable, attentive, and well groomed. Its quite interesting actually. Another good thing is the food. It tastes a lot better than most Mexican restaurants and also they don't just have ordinary dishes like most places. They have their own specials that are worth trying, for instance Seafood Burrito. The seafood burrito is a whole fish without bones, stuffed with Spanish rice, wrapped in a tortilla that is covered in crab meat, shrimp, and cheese. So delicious! The whole fish is fresh and it tastes like it is. Deliciously yummy! I tend to dream of the taste when I sleep at night. Also, another good thing is Thursday night special which is a chicken breast covered in cheese and shrimp with a side of fresh vegetables. This is the only Mexican restaurant in the area that I can count on with the food being so fresh and the service is top-notch. The staff speaks and understands English and don't pretend that they can't comprehend the American language. Which is a major plus!! The restaurant itself has a bar, and on the right side that's where most of the families sit to eat. On the right side you can find a TV and booths. The restaurant is always clean, free of odors, and vermits. The parking is a whole lot that is shared with all the neighboring businesses.

I have eaten Tex-Mex all across the state of Texas, and New Mexico. I will tell you hands-down this is some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. I have been here four different times and tried different items and everyone of them has been stellar. I give high ratings to the southwest chicken, beef chimichanga, and they have some of the best tacos. I don't know what they do to their Spanish rice but it is the lightest, fluffiest and flavorful rice I have found, I believe anywhere. Anyone who is a Tex-Mex connoisseur needs to stop by this place and judge for yourself. They never fail to satisfy.

I think this food was just okay. It was my first time here, maybe I just got the wrong dish (Chile Rellenos). I LOVE Mexican food, but I know that sometimes restaurants are a hit or miss. This one, can't fully tell yet. The Chile's Rellenos we're large, and even had onions and tomatoes on the top. They tasted okay, kinda wish they didn't have the tomatoes in the topping mixture. My dad ordered the Las Poblanas. His looked really good! I kept wanting to taste his, and he was loving the dish. I'll have to try that next time. I also ordered a Texas Burrito to-go for my husband. The to-go order came with a bag of chips and some salsa, that was nice. It was a decent sized burrito too, though there was plenty more room for rice., I should've take a picture. They have a decent sized margarita menu, looking forward to trying the pineapple margarita in the future as I'm sure I'll be back, it's very close to my Dad's house. I'll write an update review then.

So my business partner loves this place and I can see why. Consistant quality and service! Nothing fancy here but you feel like someones abuela (grandmother) is in the kitchen cooking for you. Very homemade and comforting flavors. Chips and salsa are on point. The margaritas are good and service is superior!

Came here for lunch. Great flavor, reasonably priced and best of all... it was so clean! Appreciated the attentive customer service. Will be back when I am on that side of town!

Great for families... good food and service! Great menu, with different options! Very good margaritas and happy hour from 3 to 7 everyday!!

I have been to Papa Gayo's several times... I have friends that live near there, and when I am visiting... and we don't want to drive very far... we go to Papa Gayo's. The food is excellent. I usually stick with the same thing... and it has always been WONDERFUL. Last time I went... I ordered their green sauce of the appetizer menu. That stuff was so good it was all I could do to not grab the bowl and start drinking it. Thank goodness I showed some restraint. =) So, if you are ever in the neighborhood, Papa Gayo's is well worth a try.

The chips and salsa and creamy green sauce are the bomb. Also love the fajitas, especially the beef. Poblanos Enchiladas with fajita beef is one of my favorite things to get. I also order the beef fajita quesadillas and the grilled bacon wrapped shrimp often. And the shrimp cocktail is amazing. My favorite Tex-Mex restaurant!

My friend is there and the food he makes is SOOO good his name is Daniel and he the the best person in the world.

5 Star: I love the quality and serving size of their meals. I always have enough for later (lunch or dinner the next day). I have tried the Chicken Chimichanga, Shrimp Chimichanga, and Crazy Nachos. All were very well seasoned and well prepared. 2 Star: customer service can be hit or miss. I'm trying to figure out if it occurs when it's kinda of busy, short staffed, or just not knowledgeable that a smile and small talk helps go a long way for encouraging newer patrons to become returning customers. The location is conveniently close to home, so I'll continue unless I have a very negative experience. I hope that's not the case because I really like their food.

We have eaten here a lot, but tonight the food was horrible. The crawfish soup was diluted down and there were 6 crawfish in the bowl. Their spinach and chicken enchiladas where lukewarm the corn tortillas weren't cooked..The chicken was dry. And they were out of milk. The manager just kept making excuses. He did absolutely nothing to try and make our dinner better. We drove 25 miles 1 way to eat there, We will not be back.

You go to the bar to order "to go". It was very busy on a Friday night and took more than a few minutes for someone to even ask me if I needed help. Nothing to write home about. It was good. I don't know if I'll be back again.

I lived in the area for about 2 yrs and just now visited this place. I ordered the California burrito. Let me tell you i ate my fair share of birriotos and nothing special about it. Not taste nor size. I was expecting a big burrito but got one that o can make with any 12 in tortilla. I opened half of my burroto and counted 12 pcs of chicken and a whole lot of tortilla. I can make better at home. Left home hungry and cheated. 2 stars for service

I keep trying to like this place, but i can't . Each time I come, the food is cold. How can it be cold? On the last visit, the service was incredibly slow, and then, when we did get the food, it was cold. Tonight, the service was good, but the food was cold again. So sad, I used to love this place. I won't be back.

I went in here for lunch the other day and it was very good customer service and the food was amazing. Hot fresh and yummy. I ordered the Carne Guisada and the Charro beans were really flavorful.

This is a horrible place to eat. There service is horrible and nobody seems to know what's going on. Today we went there and it was horrible. Got the owners number to complain about service and manager on duty and she was more concerned about how we got her private number and the person probably wanted to tell on Quentin the manager

OK, so I visited this place when I realized I'd overdone the Vietnamese food this week and needed a change. I usually don't do Mexican for lunch, but yesterday I decided to stop by the place after seeing it from the outside. I'm glad I did - now I have a new place to visit! Papagayos is at the end of a strip center. The atmosphere is nice and quiet - even at 12:30 pm. The place is quite clean - and the bathroom was immaculate, which is also usually indicative of the kitchen's cleanliness. So far, so bueno. The menu covers the usual Tex-Mex fare: chalupas, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos et al. What I really enjoyed was the Lunch Menu's selections of smaller entrees at lower prices. $6.99 for a combo plate, with all the fixings? Ole! Unlike what other commenters have said, the real joy was the chips and salsa. I have NEVER had such fresh chips in my life! They must have come straight from the pan, because they were light and crisp without a drop of oil. The red salsa was pretty good. They didn't have the green tomatillo sauce, which I was dying to try. In fact, the chips were so good I kept on eating them right through the meal! I don't even do that at "upscale" Tex-Mex places! (Pappasitos, I'm looking at you.) I had the enchilada/taco combo. The flavors were nice - in fact, it kind of reminded me of plates I'd enjoyed in cantinas located in Mexican mercados. The refried beans were so fresh that they were actually on the runny side. Again, shades of Mexico. Portions are generous, too. Now for the minuses: for starters, they had Sunny 99.1 as background music. Again, I'm not being picky, but why not have some authentic nortenio or tejano music on in the background? Even mariachi music would have been a welcome relief from hearing the J. Giles Band in the background. Also - I usually ask for authentic Mexican salsa picante (hot sauce) to zest up my food. It's one of my particular endearing qualities. The server comes out with Tabasco. Uh, no Cholula? No Tapatio? Not even any Taco Bell salsa? Nope. Oh, well, another star gone. I wish I'd tried the margaritas. Two older women were having a couple and they looked delicious. And from the way these ladies were sucking 'em down, they must have tasted good too. In reality, the place is three-and-a-half stars. If you are in the neighborhood, try Papagayos out. But it isn't really a place you need to seek out unless you are in that part of town. If you like Cafe Adobe, you'll like Papagayos.

My first time and I wanted to try the seafood burrito. I love that cream sauce the douse over the burrito. Everything was good except for the fish, tasted a little muddy but the sauce covered up this taste. Very fast and attentive servers. They were busy but I had three servers hovering around eagerly asking how my food was and clearing anything I'm done with. Will come back and order this dish again.

My family visits this restaurant quite often. We all enjoy the food, especially the chips and salsa (served warm the way I like it!). The service isn't all that great. they try but I think they are understaffed and sometimes they don't understand what you are saying to them. If you are lucky enough to get a good waiter or waitress, you will enjoy your experience. I don't like that they have a smoking section as I hate to smell smoke while I am eating. The happy hour always seems to be hopping. Margaritas are really good so give them a try! We've had the regular, peach and banana, all on the rocks and all were really good! The chili con queso is kind of bland but I mix it in a small bowl with some of the (red) hot sauce and that makes it nothing short of awesome!

Yum Tex Mex. -----06 Oct, 2012----- Pretty good eats, at pretty fair prices.

Fantastic , convenient authentic Mexican food. They use fresh ingredients, homemade tortillas , entrees with a gourmet flair. Reasonable prices on dishes, drinks . Wonderful friendly service. They make you feel right at home.

I love this place. I work right around the corner, too! I am always seating quickly, and served within 5-10 minutes of ordering. They have a lot to offer on their lunch menu. The Veracruz is AMAZING! Tons of food for $9.99 and it's fresh. They have a large non-smoking and small smoking section. There's quite some space between the two areas. I've sat myself in the non-smoking section and didn't smell any smoke. I'm a smoker, but I appreciate the two areas. I haven't tried any of the drinks, but the bar seems relatively busy during lunch time. The waiters and waitresses are all very friendly and professional. The only thing I've had here that wasn't great was their plain Jane ceaser salad. Other than that, this tex-mex joint is on point! (See what I did there?)

This is my "go to" place. They have never failed to satisfy my hunger. Awesome tortilla soup! I just wish they served it in a bigger bowl.

The hubby and I went to dinner here last night. We have lived in the area for a very long time and have eaten here both before and after the fire. We have tried pretty much everything on the menu and are always happy with the dish that is delivered to the table. Drinks from the bar are consistently good as well. The customer service is out of this world. Mary is the absolute best!! Her smiles and warmth and welcoming attitude have us asking for her section whenever we go. She remembers that my hubby can be picky about some items and always makes sure that it is the way he wants it before it comes out of the kitchen.

They have the best enchiladas around! Myself, I can't get away from the Tex Mex enchiladas (basic cheese)! They are SO good! My husband always gets the Enchiladas Americanas (chicken fajita w/queso)! That's his favorite. When we want to treat ourselves, we get Papagayo's. We love their chips and salsa too. The guacamole is really good as well. Our extended family loves the tamale dinners, as well as the beef fajita enchiladas. We all just love Papagayo's! They year they were closed down due to the fire they had was a seriously LONG year! So glad they are open again! :-)

The chicken Veracruz was good, I had good service as well. The restaurant isn't too fancy, but it's clean and I enjoyed my visit. Will come back

I love this place! The people are so nice and there is one dish that no one else can compare to. It's chicken with crawfish and a yummy creamy white wine sauce. Very quick service, I think with it being so close to the hospital, they almost have to, there are a lot of hospital staff that I've seen here. I don't know what the oine star rated was about, maybe it was a bad day and they were off, but it is a VERY good restraunt, definitely won't dissapoint!

Went to visit my sister and decided to pick up some take out...amazing! I make another call trip on the way out!

I go to Papa Gayos often because it is close by and it is cheap. The food is decent and I like how they serve their salsa hot (temperature). My only complaint is that they seemed to be understaffed. Each time we have gone there has been a total of 3 waiters covering the dining room. We have gone back and our recent experiences have been disappointing. The food has gone down hill.

Prices have gotten higher and quality of food and service has gotten nothing but lower. The service is the worst. Tortillas are the worst ever, corn or flour...doesn't really matter. Queso is like nothing but microwaved Velveeta with a few chips of onion or something. At one time before they rebuilt back after the fire, they seemed pretty good. Waiter we had today was lucky he got 10%. Throw a couple of drinks on the table, throw the food down and disappear until you have to wave anyone down to get a check. Then he wants to act all friendly and interactive. Not the way it works earners.

I have always been a fan of Papagayos until today!! 5 of us walked in for dinner one drinks, waited for 20 minutes and no one came to help us. I walked up to the manager on duty Quentin and asked if someone could help us because no one had even taken our drink order, he said ok and came past my table to clean off a table (there were about 5 tables taken and all the rest were open) then he came back by with a piece of paper in his hand, I assumed he was going to take our order, he didn't, he walked to the register. I asked him about the managers, he stated that the other 2 managers were out of town. I got the owners number and called her and she was more concerned about me having her personal number than about the service at her restaurant.. I will never support Papagayo's again!! Worst service ever!!

First visit since the reopening and wouldn't you know it they got my order wrong. Forgot an entire entrée. There isn't much more to say about this. Will give it one more try before I put them on my do not visit list.

My boyfriend and I frequent for dinner/happy hour (I've never been for lunch because I don't work in the area). They have nightly drink specials and their house margaritas are better than the other Mexican restaurant in the area. We've always had quick and attentive servers when we go. I recommend the veracruz chicken, yum!

One of my favorites places, been eating here for 18 years. I like you will like it. The owners is friendly and her staff remembers you. Go eat here tell them I sent you.

After coming here for so many years a d recommending this restaurant to so many friends it has gone down to @#!%. I don't know what has gone wrong but the food quality is not there anymore. My wife and I were sitting down and I noticed that the couple on the next table starred at their food and made a comment like not wanting to eat it. Anyway my wife ordered the Carna Gisada and I ordered the pasta dish. What my wife received was a plate of beef stew with beans and rice and the flour tortillas were raw. They were just placed in a tortilla warmer and microwaved. My pasta dish came with shrimp and they smelled. The excuse form the waitress was that their Carna Gisada is different. I then pointed out that I've never seen it with clear liquid, carrots, squash, corn, potatoes and cabbage besides the beef. That will be the last time we go back and I will definitely be telling my friends and family about our experience.

Back open, and still have the .99 cent tacos, and 2.50 16oz beers for happy hour (3-7). The place and bathrooms were clean and had a friendly staff. Say hello to Mary and Roland (bartenders), and Bree (waitress), who are always cheerful and very attentive. Fresh food and a bunch of good people. I will definitely continue to come here.

Food is average. ..i wouldnt recommend unless u are desperate.....i usually go during lunch time and service is very slow..i had better mexican food before .......the crowd is an average crowd....the parking is plenty....