This restaurant is in downtown La Mesa seriously amazing. Probably the best burger I've ever had. I got to be the last burger before they sold out. it was so juicy but honestly this sauce they put on top has like southwest flavoring, and they have roasted poblano peppers on top of the burger. So much flavor but not falling apart. This place is clean, nice and the most accommodating staff. The owners were there and took care of us personally. It's definitely worth the line.
Nicole G.
Cute, fun, clean little place! Delicious meat but the sides did it for me!!! Cornbread, beans, slaw, pickle garnish were fabulous. Nice friendly staff even though busy. Will be back!
Jeff C.
Very tasty, small portions, good value. Consult the chalk board to see what's still available. Clean, nice place
R L.
AMAZING FOOD! Went here for lunch and had the beef and broccoli. It was so tender and delicious. Highly recommend.
Eric L.
I must say that I LOVE THIS PLACE. Honestly at this point I've tried almost everything on the menu, but luckily the Chef there keeps adding new things to their rotating menu. My personal favorite is the cheeseburger with the thick sliced bacon. It's a beast. The only thing is once you pick it up...it just disappears. Somehow I never seem to put it back on the plate. The flavors this place puts out are crazy good. I would have never thought of putting a cherry glaze on ribs w/nuts, but it works. The thing that gets me is the consistency of this restaurant. I've been numerous times and they never seem to have an off day. That's big for me. Surprise surprise...I'll be back. Keep putting out high quality eats.
Brian B.
Stupid good!! First time! Not a bad thing to say! Ribs are amazing! Cornbread was different but in a great way! Hey did I mention the ribs!?
Jon Luskin
It's good. And, the presentation of the food is beautiful.Pork ribs were good, but a little under cooked. Chicken mole was good - but the mole flavoring was a little too subtle for me. The chuck steak was phenomenal.Beans were good. Salsa was good. Slaw was good.I'll also note that I have been to more BBQ spots than I can remember, from Austin to Dallas to Kansas City to Los Angeles to Mexico to Vietnam, and of course, San Diego. And, I must say that this place has the smallest portions of any BBQ spot ever.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creamy Pinto Beans
D A
Honestly, I just took a few bites and I had to leave a review.The food smelled amazing upon arrival and I felt like a cartoon character being led to the aroma. Then after having some bites and tasting the drink, I had to leave a review.I am having the Pork Shoulder with rice and beans, and I have to get back to eating it…too good.Simply put, eat here!
Nate was very welcoming coming in. The establishment is very clean and inviting. The menu is not overwhelming, and that's a good thing. What they do, they do well! The chicken is super tender and flavorful, with a nice spicy kick. The gluten free cornbread was the best cornbread I've ever had, period, gluten free or not. And what's not to love about making greens like broccolini taste amazing?! My fiancé stopped talking to me because he was too busy devouring his food and stealing mine! The pork shoulder he got, we were informed, has a sage butter that gave it a unique and outstanding flavor we couldn't pinpoint ourselves. The rice and beans were simple, not over the top, and that was perfect as they only highlighted the main dish. Will be coming back...would come back everyday if budget allowed!
Nick Aristotle
The food looked great and tasted even better! It was absolutely delicious and definitely some of the best BBQ I’ve had in San Diego. The cherry glazed ribs and mole chicken are so good and flavorful it blew me away. The sauces and salsa were excellent too. I would definitely recommend checking this place out.
After eating at Papalo, I knew immediately that I had to make a rare (for me) yelp review. First, I can't fathom how this place doesn't have a solid 5.0 star rating. From the food (brisket, ribs and specials) to the casual, fun ambience to the excellent, knowledgeable and friendly service, Papalo is an absolute must for any San Diegan or lover of BBQ traveling through the area. I've been 3 times since they opened and I live 40 minutes away. Couldn't recommend this place any more. Michelin bib gourmand better be taking notes!
Marc Alldredge
Phenomenal flavors with sensational service! Already planning my next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Walpole
Maybe the hype is just too high, but this place really disappointed us. We had the ribs, and while the taste was interesting and good, the meat was tough as jerky and nearly impossible to pull off the bone. BBQ this expensive shouldn't be a chore to eat.The chips and salsa and beans were fine, but when you add in the prices being charged things just didn't line up.On top of it, the counter and wait staff were not overly rude, but no smiles or niceness at all. They gave us a buzzer, and thinking it would buzz, left it on the table face-down. The waiter brought us our food and chided us for not having it face-up. How were we supposed to know the buzzer wasn't being used properly?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
George Fahouris
I was invited to a private function at Papalo and they served a choice of birria, pork make your tacos or nachos and I think the birria was the best I every had. So good! All the sides were fresh and tasty as well as the drinks were the BOMB. I know they have a rotating protein menu so I must go back to try the regular options The staff and owner were very friendly. I can see this place being added to my regular places to eat in the Village
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leslie Stump
Papalo is unique, delicious BBQ. Some favorites include the cherry pork ribs with mole BBQ sauce, Cactus BLT, green pozole, broccloni, corn bread. La Mesa is lucky to have Chef Drew & his Sonoran spin on bbq.
This restaurant is in downtown La Mesa seriously amazing. Probably the best burger I've ever had. I got to be the last burger before they sold out. it was so juicy but honestly this sauce they put on top has like southwest flavoring, and they have roasted poblano peppers on top of the burger. So much flavor but not falling apart. This place is clean, nice and the most accommodating staff. The owners were there and took care of us personally. It's definitely worth the line.
Cute, fun, clean little place! Delicious meat but the sides did it for me!!! Cornbread, beans, slaw, pickle garnish were fabulous. Nice friendly staff even though busy. Will be back!
Very tasty, small portions, good value. Consult the chalk board to see what's still available. Clean, nice place
AMAZING FOOD! Went here for lunch and had the beef and broccoli. It was so tender and delicious. Highly recommend.
I must say that I LOVE THIS PLACE. Honestly at this point I've tried almost everything on the menu, but luckily the Chef there keeps adding new things to their rotating menu. My personal favorite is the cheeseburger with the thick sliced bacon. It's a beast. The only thing is once you pick it up...it just disappears. Somehow I never seem to put it back on the plate. The flavors this place puts out are crazy good. I would have never thought of putting a cherry glaze on ribs w/nuts, but it works. The thing that gets me is the consistency of this restaurant. I've been numerous times and they never seem to have an off day. That's big for me. Surprise surprise...I'll be back. Keep putting out high quality eats.
Stupid good!! First time! Not a bad thing to say! Ribs are amazing! Cornbread was different but in a great way! Hey did I mention the ribs!?
It's good. And, the presentation of the food is beautiful.Pork ribs were good, but a little under cooked. Chicken mole was good - but the mole flavoring was a little too subtle for me. The chuck steak was phenomenal.Beans were good. Salsa was good. Slaw was good.I'll also note that I have been to more BBQ spots than I can remember, from Austin to Dallas to Kansas City to Los Angeles to Mexico to Vietnam, and of course, San Diego. And, I must say that this place has the smallest portions of any BBQ spot ever.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creamy Pinto Beans
Honestly, I just took a few bites and I had to leave a review.The food smelled amazing upon arrival and I felt like a cartoon character being led to the aroma. Then after having some bites and tasting the drink, I had to leave a review.I am having the Pork Shoulder with rice and beans, and I have to get back to eating it…too good.Simply put, eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creamy Pinto Beans, Saffron Rice
Nate was very welcoming coming in. The establishment is very clean and inviting. The menu is not overwhelming, and that's a good thing. What they do, they do well! The chicken is super tender and flavorful, with a nice spicy kick. The gluten free cornbread was the best cornbread I've ever had, period, gluten free or not. And what's not to love about making greens like broccolini taste amazing?! My fiancé stopped talking to me because he was too busy devouring his food and stealing mine! The pork shoulder he got, we were informed, has a sage butter that gave it a unique and outstanding flavor we couldn't pinpoint ourselves. The rice and beans were simple, not over the top, and that was perfect as they only highlighted the main dish. Will be coming back...would come back everyday if budget allowed!
The food looked great and tasted even better! It was absolutely delicious and definitely some of the best BBQ I’ve had in San Diego. The cherry glazed ribs and mole chicken are so good and flavorful it blew me away. The sauces and salsa were excellent too. I would definitely recommend checking this place out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chips & Salsa, Pork Ribs
Restaurantji Recommends
After eating at Papalo, I knew immediately that I had to make a rare (for me) yelp review. First, I can't fathom how this place doesn't have a solid 5.0 star rating. From the food (brisket, ribs and specials) to the casual, fun ambience to the excellent, knowledgeable and friendly service, Papalo is an absolute must for any San Diegan or lover of BBQ traveling through the area. I've been 3 times since they opened and I live 40 minutes away. Couldn't recommend this place any more. Michelin bib gourmand better be taking notes!
Phenomenal flavors with sensational service! Already planning my next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maybe the hype is just too high, but this place really disappointed us. We had the ribs, and while the taste was interesting and good, the meat was tough as jerky and nearly impossible to pull off the bone. BBQ this expensive shouldn't be a chore to eat.The chips and salsa and beans were fine, but when you add in the prices being charged things just didn't line up.On top of it, the counter and wait staff were not overly rude, but no smiles or niceness at all. They gave us a buzzer, and thinking it would buzz, left it on the table face-down. The waiter brought us our food and chided us for not having it face-up. How were we supposed to know the buzzer wasn't being used properly?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
I was invited to a private function at Papalo and they served a choice of birria, pork make your tacos or nachos and I think the birria was the best I every had. So good! All the sides were fresh and tasty as well as the drinks were the BOMB. I know they have a rotating protein menu so I must go back to try the regular options The staff and owner were very friendly. I can see this place being added to my regular places to eat in the Village
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Papalo is unique, delicious BBQ. Some favorites include the cherry pork ribs with mole BBQ sauce, Cactus BLT, green pozole, broccloni, corn bread. La Mesa is lucky to have Chef Drew & his Sonoran spin on bbq.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creamy Pinto Beans, Cornbread GF, Broccolini