Robert K.

As several reviews have noted the guacolomy is prepared at your table and is excellent. The margaritas are excellent but a tad pricey. Have eaten there at least ten times and have never had a bad meal.

Anthony R.

Any place with table-side guac smashing is a place for me. I love the food here and the drinks are really good! I'm partial to the house margs and carona-ritas. The restaurant is really upbeat, lively, and fun and the tequila display is like a little museum! I think one of the best things about Papagayo is the location. It's Seaport/Downtown area on Summer Street is pretty quiet and there is a ton of street parking. It takes you away from the usual crowded areas that I'm used to. The wait can take a while, so it'd good to call ahead. I also found a HUGE dead seagull right outside the restaurant... I'd like to think that poor Scuttle passed away with a gut full of the best guac in town :/

Jennifer S.

Living in Dallas and Phoenix, I should have known better than to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Boston. The atmosphere was nice, the service was friendly, but the food is not authentic and not very good. The best part was the white sangria...that was tasty!

Jason W.

Guac is ok, probably not worth $10, but that is just because I can make a mean guacamole for about $3 at home. Fish tacos exceeded expectations, yummy. I should have taken a picture, it would BLOW YOUR MIND. I had the margarita of the day, which was pineapple jalpeno or something like that, holy fish tacos it was BAZZZINGA good (thats pretty good). F O U R stars, because it's a little pricey and they're a little pretentious about their lit up tequila room.

Jenessa C.

Hands down the best guacamole in Boston I've had. And the best fish tacos. Simply amazing. They also have some mexican sodas that are fantastic too. Good for groups at lunch.

Joe G.

Not good. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible either. Just not good overall. Boston is known for having poor Mexican food, and unfortunately Papagayo is no exception. Bland, boring, and in general pretty sterile. The one thing I can say for Papagayo is that they have an excellent selection of tequila. If you're going there to sip tequila on its own, they have all the staples and more, plus an impressive assortment of Mezcal. All are reasonably priced as well. It's a shame that all of the drinks are so poorly made. Even though they do use fresh ingredients, rather than the gross pre-packaged sour mix that haunts most margaritas in Boston, every drink was either unbelievably sour (tasted like pure lime juice), or sickeningly sweet (in the case of the strawberry jalepeno drink). Very disappointing. The food itself ranged from below average to slightly above average overall. The rice was awful. The chili relleno was smothered in a huge pile of what tasted like marinara sauce with a little bit of spice. The meat was too salty, and lacked any kind of authentic flavor. The cheese was the pre-shredded blend that you buy in a plastic bag from the supermarket. The menu was also a little weak in general, lacking key elements like mole and chorizo. The only food items that I did enjoy were the salsa, which was actually very good, and the guac, which was decent, but not amazing. I loved that it was made fresh, but it was a little bland (perhaps the avocados weren't ripe?) and could have used more lime. Although we ordered ours "medium", it wasn't even the least bit spicy. The chips were pretty good too, but would have been much better had they actually been served warm. If you haven't been here, I wouldn't bother going out of your way to check it out. I won't be heading back.

Thy L.

I came here for lunch with my coworkers, so needless to say I didn't drink any of their margaritas. I did, however, get a good taste of their menu. After we sat down, they basically gave us each a bowl of chips and dip. The chips were delicious and tasted home-made. The salsa had a nice kick and was very addictive. The first thing we ordered was the Table Side Guacamole. We asked for medium spicy and I have to say, I didn't taste any spiciness at all. I'm also not too crazy about the idea of table side guacamole. I know some people think it's such a fun and novel idea, but it's really not. It tests my patience when I have to see and wait for my food to be prepared in front of my face. I just want them to hurry up and let me eat it. Anyway, the avocado was fresh and the guacamole was good. I love that stuff, so it's pretty hard to mess up for me. Next, the Chili Dusted Calamari came to the table. It was bland. I didn't like the texture of the calamari. It wasn't as chewy as I would like. The batter also didn't hold up too well and was a bit mushy. Maybe it was out for awhile before it got to our table. I like that stuff crunchy and crisp. Fish Tacos were not bad, but there were parts of my tilapia that were burnt to the point where it tasted bitter. Torta Adobado (Seasoned & Seared Pork Sandwich) was probably the most flavorful thing I had the entire meal. The meat was very juicy, savory and yummy. If there's anything I would recommend, it's be this sandwich (and the free chips and salsa). Service was a bit slow considering it was lunch and there weren't many people there. We had to hunt down our waiter to get the bill. He was nice though. Overall experience was all right, but I probably wouldn't trek back since there wasn't anything that hooked me.

Alyssa S.

I"ve heard so many good things about Papagayo in Boston, and I was excited to try it out the other night. For a Wednesday evening at 7:30, the restaurant was PACKED, and the wait was 45 minutes for walk-ins. Once seated, I have to admit that the food was worth the wait! I'm always craving Mexican food and looking for a staple place to have it. I absolutely loved their margaritas-- I recommend the berry margie! Papagayo's service was decent, given the crowd. The restaurant is conveniently a 5-minute walk from South Station, which is a plus when using public transportation (which may be necessary after having their margaritas!). I can't wait to come back to try more of their menu and bring back some friends.

Barbara J.

I thought this was going to be a magical journey. It was a magical flop. The margs are way too sweet. Couldn't taste the tequila. The table side gauc earned this its two stars! Delicious and fresh. I had veggie fajitas. They were fine. Border Cafe's are way better and way cheaper! No way would I go back there for that. The server rushed us through our entire meal and basically told us to hurry up! I'll stick with Border from now on...

Yolande V.

I've been there several mondays now.i love it there def one of my favorite monday night margaritas and guacamole places. me and my friend always sit at the bar and get great service.the bartenders are very creative with the drinks and will make you something based on what you like but are'nt sure what to order. for food i've only tried the chips and salsa,guac and the best fish tacos ever. def a place worth checking out if you love tequila and guacamole

Lance J.

We had a large after grad party of 12 walking from the Conv. Center, this place was so convenient and well, Mexican in Boston..let's try it! The home made, table made designer guac was fantastic, they seated us immediately and the service was perfect. Food was great too! Loved the Relleno.

JD H.

Pretty decent mexican food and margaritas. The guacamole seems over priced although they make it fresh at your table and put quite a few avocados in. It is pretty spacious so it would be great for a big group of friends.

M K.

Came here on a Thursday night with my friend. We got lost walking from the ICA and by the time we got here, we were exhausted and hungry. We ordered guacamole, Alotes a la Parilla (grilled corn), and Carnitas De Lechon (pork belly). The food came very fast one by one but at a good pace. The guacamole was absolutely creamy and delicious. The corns had perfect amount of seasoning. Probably the highlight of my night. The pork belly just melted in my mouth. Soft and savory. The jalapeno cucumber cocktail was yummy too. We left this place content and satisfied. Definitely recommend.

Debra L.

I remember the old days (as in 4 years ago) when my husband and I would roam around the empty streets of our neighborhood and we'd think "It's coming, right? This whole Fort Point Channel/South Boston Waterfront scene we were promised. But WHEN and if it does come, what do we hope we'll get?" Aside from the "I hope we get a decent grocery store", the next response was always "a MEXICAN place!" And then, we moved away. The Gods must have heard us but they were slow and we didn't stick around long enough to wait for Papagayo. So, I trekked into the city, still grateful that I could find metered on-street parking, and met my best friend here last night. My 3 star rating is because I didn't have anything cooked. I planned on it but I was over-served guacamole and had no room left. For starters, the atmosphere was great. Loud, crowded, active, full of young hipsters - all things I miss having left the city. The space is great (is it the same location as that old Achilles-Persephone "shop for overpriced clothes while you drink" nightmare of a place?). Anyway, I loved it. Even though it was crowded we got bar seats next to a friendly young man who was trying to taste 100 tequilas (not all in 1 night, mind you) so he could win a prize - something the bar sponsors, and then were seated at a table very quickly. I had their version of the Skinny Margarita. I felt a little cheesy asking for it so I didn't say "skinny" I said "you know, low-sugar, not sweet" but the truth is once you start drinking the low-sugar version of a Margarita it's hard to go back to the sticky sweet kind. Now, I don't know if their house Margarita would have been sticky sweet or not, but I didn't want to risk it. My Margaritas (note the plural form of the word) were delicious and smooth, with silver tequila and sweetened with Agave nectar. My BFF loved her Sangria (red) as well. We started with the complimentary chips & salsa (really good salsa) and then we ordered the first 2 items on the menu. Tableside made ceviche & guacamole. The guacamole, as many have said before me, was really good. The only thing is, it was spicy. I LOVE spicy but my friend doesn't so we thought "medium" would be safe. We even explained our dilemma to the guacamole-maker when he asked and he agreed that medium was in order. What we got however, was definitely spicier than medium. I was happy, she was not. She politely commented on it being really spicy and he said "No problem, I'll take care of it" and basically mixed in another fresh avocado. Problem solved, deliciously I might add. By the time we received the final guacamole, we had already demolished our first bowl of chips and it did take a while to get a second one, but it was worth it. The second bowl tasted fresher and were lightly salted while the first bowl was missing salt, I think. The chips are the crunchy, hearty kind, like you get in Mexico and if I'm not mistaken they're made of flour tortillas, not corn (cut me some slack for not remembering, I drank Margaritas). I was a little disappointed with the ceviche. It came with shaved tuna and shrimp but I thought it tasted too sweet. I'm not sure what they put in it, but it was more than just lime juice. I don't eat a lot of ceviche around these parts but I once spent a week in Tulum, Mexico and I still dream about that ceviche - this was not like that. I really would have loved to try some of the cooked food, be it an app or an entrée, but we were just too full. Two bowls of chips, an obscene amount of really good guacamole, and an order of okay ceviche provided more than enough food for the two of us. I almost think they should offer 2 different sizes of table-side guacamole, depending on the number of people at the table. I'm simply not good about stopping eating when I'm full if there's still a huge pile of guacamole in front of me. I. MUST. KEEP. EATING.

Jennifer W.

Love Papagayo! Seriously do not understand the negative reviews here, especially the people who say it's too expensive. I think Papagayo is the best Mexican in the city, and the prices are very fair. Less than $17 for filet mignon fajita; and they are essentially giving you 6-8 ounces of filet! Plus rice and beans & everything else on the huge plate are all super yummy. Short rib taquizas are the best!!! Less than $20 and pretty much feeds 2. Also best guacamole in the city, agree with other reviewers who say it's much better than Rosa Mexicana. Their margs are always good, last night I had frozen watermelon marg, which was great, not the super sweet fake kind of melon taste, but real fresh watermelon. After going to Temezcal and Rosa, which are totally not worth the price, it reinforces my opinion that Papagayo is the best value for good Mexican food at a nice setting.

Heather C.

My coworkers and I come here a lot for group lunches (going away parties, etc.). Papagayo has the best fish tacos I've ever had. The tilapia is fresh and grilled perfectly. There is a great balance of sweet and spicy with the slaw, cilantro sauce, and spice. The hand hacked guacamole is one of the best in the area. I really love it. I like their enchiladas too, but the rice is a little dry sometimes. I really like the shrimp and avocado salad too. The only thing I didn't like there was the pork sandwich. In the summer it's pretty hot in there. For an upscale place, I think they need to invest in a better air conditioner. I wish I could speak to the drinks, but I've only been for lunch and never had any.

Jamie G.

OMG I love it here. Just had to come back. Discovered parking lot down the street where I parked for free because it was in the evening. I came on Valentine's Day with some girlfriends and got a great curved booth in the back. Got the guac again, and asked for carrots and celery to eat with it in addition to chips. Order a pitcher of margaritas- delicious and also shots of tequila- Maestro dobel diamond- delicious and smooth. For dinner had the Tacos Al Pastor - Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, Pineapple Salsa, Cilantro Crema and Verde Sauce-- absolutely superb. Would come back here again and again.

kaif t.

Great after-work bar. whether it's for drinks, apps, or sit-down dinner you'll enjoy yourself here 7 nights a week. Reasonably priced as Mexican food goes. Best guacamole in the city as far as I'm concerned. They make it at your table to order. I have a habit of surveying the menu and getting the salmon dish for dinner, every single time. Be prepared for a wait if it's after work Monday through Friday but they do have a large bar are and counter tops where you can score some elbow room. parking is tough in this stretch of South Boston with alternating meters and resident parking. Car pool.

Zev X.

A fun place to go after work for drinks and dinner. Love the table side guacamole and chips. The margaritas are good and are not made from a mix. Haven't had one that I didn't like. I had the taco salad for dinner and enjoyed it. I liked the edible bowl, lots of shredded lettuce, beans, cheese and chicken. It all tasted very good.

Alexis A.

Ugh, I wish I could give this place a better review. I realllllly do. I've been noticing these have been opening all over Boston and thought, they must be good if they are expanding this fast? Right? Wrong. We were sat right away and served a tasty margarita quickly, I'd give it a 7/10. Chips were stale and super greasy. Can't they make them there, would make things more authentic? Guacamole was awesome and made in front of you! Probably the best they have to offer. I had the fajitas, which were served luke warm and NOT SIZZLING. What gives? I hope they improve as time goes on...Have potential to be a cool restaurant!

Bethany F.

I don't know if it's called a Coronita or Margarono or what, but the margarita drink with the mini corona bottle sticking out of it is surprisingly delicious. 2 thumbs up for super fresh tasting ingredients in both their food and drinks. The table side guacamole is wonderful and perfectly seasoned. The quesadilla had the perfect amount of tasty cheese in it. The mango margarita seemed to have actual pureed mango in it (not fake flavoring, and for this I give them a virtual HIGH FIVE). Atmosphere is fun, a great place to go to after work with (fun) coworkers or a girls night out. We went on weeknight, so it wasn't packed, which was nice. I will definitely go back, and I will definitely consume more margaritas.

James B.

I've been here twice now -- second time they told us it would be a 90 minute wait, and it turned out to be 15. Waiters and bartenders are friendly despite how crowded and noisy it can get, guac is great, rest of the menu that I've tried has been really good and reasonably priced. There's something wrong if this place doesn't get Best of Boston for Mexican food.

Katelyn M.

I'm a fan. This was my third time there and I'm ready to weigh in. Excellent margaritas. Mucho excelente. Totally worth the trip just for the perfect margarita. But the good news is that I like to food too. The table-side guacamole is a must. The queso leaves something to be desired, but not too bad. Last, but not least, the verde enchiladas have great flavor, worth staying for dinner. I'm sure I will be back. Yum.

Christine V.

3rd time at blackout-gayo and this place never fails to accomplish just that! I mean, the food at this joint is great (tacos al pastor, guac, filet mignon fajitas, burritos, and quesidillas), but the real shining star are the margs! They taste so yummy (big fan of the simple house marg on the rocks) and go down so easily, but fast forward a couple hours - and I always fnd myself more than half in the bag. So all in all, a great place for a fun night out with friends looking to get some yunmy mexican food and delish tequila. Highly recommended.

S. W.

Papagayo has great made to order guac right at your table! The margarita's are a wonderful compliment to chips and guac! I've ordered the chicken fajitas off the menu and they're decent, could use a touch more flavor/spices. The atmosphere is great with a young feel and vibrant colors and decorations!

A P.

I was a bit leery when I looked Papagayo up on Google Maps and saw it was in the middle of that creepy block of architecture firms over that weird canal by South Station. However, there is, in fact, a good restaurant there! (I thought it was only offices.) They started us off with chips and salsa. The chips were fresh and the oil still glistened on their exterior, and the salsa was yummy and flavorful. Two of us ate three bowls of chips. They also sent a rolling cart over and made us fresh guacamole, which my friends loved. However, they didn't tell us that the guacamole had an extra charge, and we were surprised by a $10 charge on the bill at the end of the night. For dinner, I had a verde enchilada and my fiance had the red enchilada. Mine was delicious, though the refried beans looked unappealing so I skipped them. They tasted good though! I also had a house margarita that was the size of my head and very, very strong. I think I was solidly drunk for several hours after. The only thing I didn't like about my margarita was that it was too salty. The salt didn't just stay on the rim, it got absorbed into the liquor and made the whole margarita taste like something you'd gargle with a sore throat. Squeezing the lime into it helped diffuse the salt flavor, but I would definitely skip the salt on my next margarita. Overall, good deal. Definitely worth another visit.

Tony F.

From a guy that grew up and spent most of his entire life in Texas, I have FINALLY discovered a decent Mexican restaurant in Boston. Papagayo's has the best guacamole in the region (other than mine, of course). They have plenty of different margarita options, plenty of tequila, and a decent beer selection. The food in comparable to average restaurants back home in Texas, but in comparison to the other Mexican restaurants that I've experienced up here, this food blows everything else away. The restaurant has a nice and open feel about it, but it can get a little noisy when things get busy. Probably not a good place to bring someone on their first date. Otherwise, I have no complaints, and am pleased as punch that I finally got to sink my teeth into some really tasty food.

Lauren W.

Great food- you must have the fish tacos! Despite not coming with any side dish, they were very filling. The table side guac and chips I ate beforehand certainly didn't hurt. A round of drinks, guac, entrees, and dessert (tequila snow cones?? Hello!) for four, was a reasonable 40 bucks a person. And that's with leaving a sizeable tip. A couple of cons are that it's pretty loud (but I'm also old) and it's not really near anything else, at least not when it means walking in the cold. Though in some ways this is a pro since it made street parking on a Saturday night a breeze!

Lauren J.

Came on a wednesday night for an early dinner before heading to the blue man group later. The place was already pretty busy but we didnt have to wait for a table. My boyfriend and i were both very pleased with our margaritas, as their tequila options are vast. Delicious drinks to start off. We got the queso cheese dip as an app and it was great. Our entrees were big and our stomachs were small, especially with apps and drinks, but they were well worth the money and the force feeding. Will definitely go back. We had Great service too!

Karyn V.

I absolutely love Papagayo! It offers quality Mexican food at low prices in an upbeat atmosphere with amazing margaritas and table-side guacamole. When you walk into Papagayo, your mood immediately improves. The space is lively and colorful. There is also a huge bar stocked with over 100 kinds of tequila that spans almost the entire right side of the restaurant so there is plenty of room to hang out and drink at the bar while waiting for a table. On the menu, you will find a little bit of everything. There's a host of the expected fajitas, quesadillas, and burritos. There are also less-unusual suspects such as seviche, grilled corn with Catija cheese, and fish tacos. And, there is the sui generis - burgers with guacamole and pico de gallo, salmon with miso glaze and poblano potato gratin shrimp penne with tequila and ancho clam broth. For appetizers, our group of five ordered the table-side guacamole ($8.95), queso dip ($8.95), and a pitcher of margarita. For our entrees, we ordered the chicken fajita ($12.95), steak fajita ($12.95), burrito ($12.95), enchilada ($8.95), and fish tacos ($11.95). Everything was delicious and all of us had to ask for a goodie bag since the portions are quite large. I --the one who ordered the chicken fajita-- have actually been craving my meal all week so I will be returning very soon. Because there are so many new Mexican restaurants in Fort Point, this is how I rate each of them: 1.) Papagayo - Fantastic for groups and is my favorite out of the three. You honestly can't beat the food, margaritas, and prices. Plus, they take reservations on the weekend so you don't have to wait 2+ hours for a table if you plan ahead. 2.) Temazcal - My second favorite because of the view. I don't think the food is as good as Papagayo and it is more expensive. They also don't take reservations on Friday and Saturday nights which is extremely annoying. However, I do think it would be the perfect spot to bring a date. It is also good for groups. 3.) Rosa Mexicano - Yes, the food is delicious, but it is fru fru Mexican, something I wouldn't mind enjoying maybe once a year. I also believe their food is overpriced for what you get but that is just me. No matter where you go for Mexican, you won't do wrong in Fort Point. But, if you want a fun, fairly inexpensive, and very delicious night, try Papagayo. You won't be disappointed!

Greg D.

Consistently solid and reasonably priced, this is my neighborhood go-to Mexican place. Nice and clean, and I've always gotten good service. In fact, I'd even say the waiters are pretty friendly, which is quite the rarity around here and definitely contributes to the fun atmosphere along with the art and decor. The drinks have always been good, and the servers know what they're talking about and have been dependable for tequila recommendations (they have quite the selection-for example, Riazul, which I've barely even seen in liquor stores). This stands in stark contrast to a couple of places in the area where even the bartenders haven't tried much on the drink menu. The verde enchiladas are always a good choice, as are the flautas and the chicken and corn chowder. Also, you've got to try the tequila snow cones at least once. This is definitely somewhere that keeps me coming back, and I can't say that for a lot of places.

Type D.

Upon my first real night ever carousing South Boston, my friend, a local Dorchester thug, suggested Papagayo. Man, was I impressed. The first impression was: everything on this menu is affordable. That's a damn fine way to start the evening. Apps: the salsa had a kick to it that I usually don't expect without specifically asking for some heat. Kudos to that. Also, the guacamole was literally made right in front of us, next to our table. And it was effing magnificent. Never had better in my short, short tenure as a Mexican food enthusiast. Main course: I had the chicken enchiladas. My girlfriend had the chicken tacos. My boy had the chicken burritos. All were delectable and served with a heaping helping of rice and pico de gallo. I devoured mine post haste, and any morsels left on my girl's plate also ended up in my tummy. Drinks: the strawberry mojito was refreshing and tasty, even though that's far from the type of drink I'd normally indulge. But, hey, when in Mexico City, right? Bottom line: a top-notch south-of-the-border outing in South Boston.

Nicole C.

I have finally found flautas worth writing home about! They didn't have chicken like I usually order, but the beef was equally as good. Not too crispy with lots of toppings. Their guacamole is especially tasty because they don't overdo the lemon. Their chips and salsa were also great, freshly fried chips with spicy salsa. And finally, the frozen strawberry margarita was nice and strong, just the way I like it. :) Otherwise, the ambiance is lovely, their prices are reasonable, and the service was excellent. I couldn't have asked for any better. Highly recommended!

Krys S.

First experience of Mexican in MA. It was good but nothing to go raving about. I enjoyed the chips and salsa... The margarita was strong, which i appreciated but there was a little too much sour mix in it = heart burn central and I like to think I can handle my margaritas and spicy foods. My husband had their sangria which was real fruity and I would order the next time, because there will probably be a next time but would try something different.For dinner I played it safe and got the half steak half chicken fajita platter which comes with their re-fried beans and rice. The chicken was really tough but steak was very flavorful and cooked perfectly, so if you are kicking yourself over chicken or steak, go STEAK! the beans were yummy too and the rice just tasted very fast food-ish, like I said above nothing to rave about. My husband had the chicken burrito which he was happy it was actually filled with chicken instead of other places stuffing it with cheese or onions and no chicken. He did have to remove cheese from the top because there was just way too much, no one should be eating that amount of cheese. He didn't rave about his plate either. I think the concept of being a tequila bar is what makes this place different but the food is just A-OK. Sorry Papagayo = / visited August 10, 2013

Michelle S.

So far I've gone to Papagayo on two occasions. A very busy Saturday night and a very chill Tuesday evening. Both times service has been wonderfully attentive. On the very busy Saturday, my 4 person group preferred not to wait it out and actually ended up having dinner at their long tables toward the front of the restaurants (they were first come-first serve). This was fine for a group of 4, I would definitely not sit here with a larger group. But let's get to the food: Homemade guac = YUMM. I love that you can decide the level of spice. Their fajitas & enchiladas, enjoyed on separate occasions, were above average for a city lacking in good Mexican food. To Drink: Rona'rita = an awesome idea! A mini corona in a very well made margarita. I'm a fan for this drink alone.

Meg P.

This place is amazing. You have to try the queso and the Muchaka. Unbelievable.

Colleen H.

Yes, I love tequila. In every shape and form. Yes, I am a fan of Papagayo's Tequila club which awards you with free food every 25 tequilas you try. There's nothing better than people that understand me, and my love for tequila. This place is always hoppin' after work -- and I always see SOMEONE that I know. And then we drink tequila. I will say though, as far as authentic mexican cuisine goes, this place misses the mark. And if you want spicy guac, you REALLY have to get it in the guac man's head that you're not kidding. Too many times we've gotten mild instead of hot, and that my friends is just disappointing. Oh and another thing is...they charge you $1.50 for EACH person that asks for sour cream. Really guys? I'm pretty sure the entire container costs $1.50...

Becky C.

I really like the vibe of this restaurant and they have great margaritas. But the food and service can sometimes leave a bit to be desired. My favorite item there had been the guacamole, so when my family was in town, we went here for dinner before seeing a Cirque du Soleil show in the Seaport. We immediately started off with the guac, and our server comes back with the "guac guy" and says SHE wants to learn how to make the guac, so this is her first time. Long story short, it didn't go well. The avocados were completely unripened and so the guacamole was filled with huge chunks and lacked any flavor. Then, I ordered the taco salad w/o meat and cheese (I'm vegan and this is often what I order at Mexican restaurants) - the server convinced me not to do this, because it would be so lackluster and awful. I finally caved and got veggie enchiladas w/ no cheese, only to have them come out slathered in cheese. The server later came back and said she realized she could have subbed roasted veggies for meat on the taco salad, so that I should order that next time. What?! That's what I wanted all along. Sigh. Just all in all, not a great experience. And my other visits to this restaurant don't tell me that this was just a fluke. I'll go back for drinks and (professionally made) guac, though!

Jeffrey K.

Great food. Didn't mind waiting on a weekend evening. Only complain and hence the 4 stars, is because I didn't have a reservation and you told me 30-35 minutes and I asked after 30 minutes and I was told there was one party ahead of me. Some party after I was already waiting 50 minutes walking in the door with a reservation and was seated immediately before me. They couldn't wait 5 minutes? I was waiting for over 50 and you told me I was the next table. Food was good though...I would say if you go on weekend RESERVATION REQUIRED.

Michael C.

I didn't want to like Papagayo. I mean, half of all the new restaurants in Boston lately have been Tequila bars, do we really need yet another? Anyways, I signed up for some loyalty program by CaptureCode and I guess since Papagayo is run by the people that run Max & Dylan's, I got a coupon for a free entrée for my birthday. Between two of us, we had chicken fajitas and grilled salmon. Both were pretty awesome and a ton of food! The potatoes were a kind of Mexican style scalloped potatoes; pretty similar to the ones they have a Max & Dylans, which are cheesy deliciousness. The shots of their "house" tequila were very smooth. Even the scene was pretty happening considering it was a Monday night. Oh, and the bartender, Jen, was super-friendly and quick with the empty glasses. Highly recommended, and I'm coming back, even knowing that next time I might have to pay...

Peter M.

Strike three for Papagayo. Starved from a sunny st. Pats parade in South Boston we decided to take the party to Mexico on summer street. ... I hate writing these yelp reviews like a story so here it goes in bullet fashion: - horribly slow service. How long does it take to get two house margs (pre-fabricated mixture obvi), one sangria, a couple waters and a diet coke? Slowness shouldn't be blamed solely one the waiter, I've been here before and the bartenders flat out suck balls. I mean they really suck. ... Ohya forgot to mention our much need h2o never showed. - Apps were ordered too, nothing crazy, just a little queso and guac for the table to take the day drinking edge off. We must have done something awful in a past life because these simple apps just never showed. Although I shouldn't complain given that kids in Africa are starving and we were provided a stack of chips for the table. - "The Elite" - The most expensive drink on the menu... I'm not sure whether it was the mediocracy we were experiencing or the fact my friend is completely out of his mind but there was no talking him out of ordering it. - I think anyone who orders fish tacos gets what they deserve. My friend got exactly that, some frightfully authentic looking slabs of slimy fish laid on top of soft tortillas (I guess not what she was expecting??). Overall I think everyone else was satisfied with their entrees although my friend had to ask 3 different waiters for supplemental cheese. * In summary I wrote this to counter all the 3, 4 and 5 star reviews. The long waits only exist due too the areas lack of options and abundance of boozie young professionals. Papagayo is nothing more than conveniently sh!tty. *My girlfriend informed me she was not satisfied with her tacos; extremely soggy beef, skimpy on pico de gallo and lettuce.

Amanda G.

Finally! Papagayo! Went here with another couple, had a delightful Pom-margarita and the grilled salmon, which came with poblano potato gratin and seared greens. Mmm.... And not expensive! Drink was 9, dinner was 15. My beau had the fish tacos with a side of beans and rice, and the beans were so good, different, like kind of a smoky flavor to them. We hung around after for a bit to check the bar scene and it got packed! Lot of girls dressed up for the night out. Fun, colorful space with good music. Will definitely be coming back here with friends.

Ella B.

I confess, I've got a sorta crush on Southie so I'm determined to explore the area a little bit more. So I felt like it was time for a date night for me and the hubs, my criteria: Mexican food, drinks and in Southie. check, check and check for Papagayo. We drove b/c there's supposed to be parking near by, and there is, BUT be careful that you don't park in the GARAGE, but park in the LOT b/c they validate for the LOT but not the garage and we ended up paying $12 for parking for 2 hours!! WTF?!! anyway... a good dinner made up for it... Papagayo's guests are a good mix of downtown after work types and locals. All of their cocktails have tequila, so I ordered the sangria -- tasty and no tequila. :) We ordered drinks, apps: guacamole and sopes, entrees: tacos al pastore and chicken fajitas, total bill including tip about $75. A little spendy for (2) but the servings are huge so we had leftovers. The sopes were delish and well made. The guac was good and they make it at your table. The entrees were...eh..we weren't as impressed by the entrees themselves, but seriously, the service and apps were worthwhile. All in all a successful date night. :)

Jessica B.

Amazing!!! I have been to Papagayo's several times with small parties and have had a great time but nothing compared to last night!!! I organized my first bachelorette party and was very nervous about timing and accommodating everyone. The management and staff at the restaurant went above and beyond to make the dinner incredible! The food was fast and delicious... The drinks were, well, everyone was laughing by the middle of the first drink. The wait staff had the food and drinks out fast and empty plates/glasses out of our way very efficiently. Management was around to make sure that everything was taken care of and helped with pictures. Great, great time! The best part was we never felt rushed or hovered over like other restaurants. Fantastic place for all size parties!!! Thank you Papagayo's!!!

Glenda P.

If you're looking for a good Mexican restaurant, go here. I had dinner here the other night while visiting a friend that lives in Boston, and it definitely was busy when we walked in for our late dinner (at 10:00pm). The service was really good - I wanted a caparainha, but not the special that was on the menu, so my server said he'd talk to the bartender to see if he could whip up something special for me. Thank you Mr. Bartender :) My friend and I shared the empanadas as an app, and they were delish! I will say they were a little greasy, but they're deep-fried, so what do you expect? I ended up getting the verde enchiladas as my meal, and it was really good. Definitely had some kick to it, but I like spicy foods. I would definitely go back here if I lived in the Boston area, but now I know for whenever I go back!

Luna B.

Papa Gayos is GOOD food for a good price. The margaritas are amazing, try any of them and I'm sure you'll like it. The guac is great. The fish tacos are OK, a little bland. &The enchiladas (chicken and steak) are great.

Niko D.

Pretty sweet place overall. Great selection of tequila and they have homemade guac and salsa. Recommend sitting at the bar. First time I went in the hostess sat us and we ended up waiting for 10 minutes for the waitress to come, so we got up and went to the bar. The bar was much better than sitting at the tables which seem to be awkwardly placed away from everything. Heads up for Sundays, there is a buffet and no lunch is being served, only apps.

Shannon G.

I met up with some former co-workers here after work one night to catch up. We love Mexican and since we all had to catch trains at South Station this seemed like a good choice. We got there around 4:30 so it was pretty empty when we got there and were seated immediately. We were seated on a bench seat and the crack of the bench was where our table was, so I was sitting sort of crooked but I'm sure that isn't the norm. Our server came over to get our drink orders. We all ordered a drink (margarita on the rocks, no salt for me please) and waters with lemon. Our waters came, no lemon. Our drinks came, mine loaded with salt. She asked if we were ready to order and we decided to start with the guacamole while we looked over the menu. The guacamole is the reason this place got 3 stars from me. Made at your table and amazing! We couldn't get enough of it. As we ate our chips and chatted I looked at our almost empty chip bowl and realized we had been sitting about 20 minutes and our server hadn't been back to take our order. When she finally returned I ordered the enchiladas verdes. They were tasty and if I went back I would consider ordering them again. Our server never actually made it to our table until it was time for the check, so good thing we didn't want another drink! By the time we left the place was packed and we had to scream to hear each other. Overall the food and drinks were good, the service was poor, but I won't judge a place on one services and one server. Since I no longer work in Boston I don't know if I'll be back, but if I find myself around South Station with a wait time I would consider it.

Dara C.

I was convinced until about five minutes ago that "Pagagayo" was also the name of Kevin Federline's 2006 single but I've just been informed that was "Popozão," not Papagayo. Now I'm no longer wondering why someone would name a restaurant after a Kevin Federline single, but hey, someone opened up a chain of Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" and Restaurants, so weirder things have happened ... Glad we cleared that up. And while Papagayo's food isn't earth-shatteringly good, it definitely isn't "Popozão"-bad Papagayo is tucked away in the Fort Point Channel area, which has never been terribly convenient to any T stop, or really anything but high-end restos and the occasional gallery. The interior of the restaurant is half-clever and half-Mexican-chain: obscenely bright neon walls, odd fruit art, exposed brick and beams, mirrored bar. The banquettes are absurdly comfortable, but the sound of many voices bouncing off of the wood floors and walls is cacophonous. I wouldn't suggest taking a first date here, or really any occasion that merits talking rather than miming frantically across the table. (This could be a fun team-building exercise for business meetings, like The Human Knot but with significantly more guacamole.) Speaking of ... the guac is easily the best part of the meal. Yes, yes, it's made and served tableside, which is no longer novel but does lend itself to ultimate freshness. Spicy, chunky, and delicious, you wouldn't be faulted for skipping dinner altogether in favor of a bowl of guacamole and the above-average tortilla chips. The rest of the menu is uninspired but tasty, a handful of the usual banditos: enchiladas, burritos, tacos. Portions are generally massive and served on dinosaur-sized platters. The fish tacos were happily unbattered and unfried past the point of recognition, but the dish cried out for acid; the tilapia was bland, save for some pickled cabbage that could've used more time in the brine, and a garlic mojo that could have used more citrus and spice. A dish of short rib taquizas was better but also reminiscent of a wintry, hearty stew; the chipotle BBQ sauce was overkill, sweet rather than spicy. The spiciest thing I had was an outstanding watermelon-habanero margarita, served straight up in a cocktail glass. The habanero made the drink mind-numbingly hot, while the watermelon cut through to cool my scorching tastebuds. Each sip teetered on the brink of too-muchness, and yet, I ordered another. A plain pomegranate margarita was nothing to cry over either; tart, sweet, surprisingly strong, free of complexity and pretense. Papagayo also has a massive list of tequilas organized by type and flavor profile, but if you're anything like me, the only "note" you can taste in tequila is the tang of collegiate Cuervo-related shame. Service was a little hiccuppy. The menu, in addition to misspelling "habanero" (admittedly, a toughie) doesn't clearly note vegetarian offerings. A guest was served black beans made with chicken stock after asking if the dish was veg-friendly. The mistake was fixed with a new plate, but there was no vegetarian protein available; the beans were substituted with a second mound of rice. If you don't want to clutter up the menu with a leaf symbol next to veggie menu items, the servers should know beforehand to warn guests that their meal may not necessarily be free of animal bits. The manager was kind enough to remove that entree from the bill, and the situation was fixed quickly, but serving a vegetarian chicken is always a bit of a faux pas. The servers were all nice but a bit green, even for a casual place such as this. The bartenders were quick to make drinks, but paying sucked. I was trying desperately to flag someone down and the bartenders, though not busy, were standing with their backs to the bar itself. Odd form, lengthy process. Lengthy much like this review ... eesh. TL;DR: Papagayo's okay for a drink and a bite, don't miss the guac, and pee before you go; the bathrooms are located down the Road to El Dorado, after the Fountain of Youth, somewhere between A Galaxy Far, Far Away and the nearest T stop.

Captain C.

Sat at the bar around 830 on a Friday, a little busy, not overwhelming by any stretch. After 5 minutes or so, the tattooed hipster buffoon bartender wiped down the bar in front of us, and told us he'd be right with us. He wasn't. In the 10 or so minutes that we waited, the female bartender also working took drink orders from people who walked up behind us, but completely ignored us. After a couple more minutes of being ignored by both bartenders, we got the attention of the girl, and placed a drink order, and ordered some guacamole, which was pretty good. We totally planned on ordering some food, and a few more drinks, but we were never offered a menu. after seeing this kids stupid venus flytrap tattoo pass by multiple times. I flagged down the barback to get a menu, but after another 10 minutes of being ignored...our drinks were also empty at this time, we decided to give up. It even took a few minutes of holding my receipt in the air to get the female bartenders attention so I could pay, and get my credit card back. Tattoo boy continued to ignore us. If these guys were slammed, I would understand, but they were very clearly just talking with a few of their friends, about 5 feet from us. I've never been completely ignored like this in any restaurant ...frustrating. Service sucks, won't be back.

Courtney S.

So me and one of my friends went to brunch one Sunday after a long night of drinking. They have a make your own bloody Mary bar which was sweet and why we wanted to go. They open at 10 for brunch on Sunday's we arrived at 10:30 ... I don't know if no one knew they were open at 10 or if no one else was awake. We were the ONLY 2 people in there for about a half hour. Brunch is a buffet which is great pick what you want and i think it was like 14 bucks or something so not bad at all. Well we decided to get guac which is always great there and the guy that made it was super chipper! We are sitting there drinking our waters waiting on the waiter to bring back our glasses with vodka to go up and make our own bloody Mary bars when a guy straight outta the jersey shore comes from the back legit yelling!! Because he didn't like where the brunch items were set up. I assume he was the owner/GM ... Well he ripped the manager on the floor a new one who was probably the nicest person ever BTW. Then starts barking orders that he wants all the food moved. We are still the ONLY customers in the place i don't know if he didn't notice us or what but now we can't even go up and get food because he's making them rearrange the whole thing. So now we got waitresses and kitchen staff setting up tables and lugging the food to the new spot where the owner/GM feels it's necessary. So finally out waiter comes back over and we ask if it's safe to go up and get food and he says give it a few more minutes. So we politely wait and finally go up to grab food. The food was great all of it. I would deff go back for brunch but maybe not till noon so it's not so uncomfortable and maybe the owner/GM whoever he was will learn some manners and when there are paying customers not embarrass his whole staff and have some common sense.

Michelle B.

Well, it was nice knowing you, Papagayo. I came here for my birthday with a group of friends (13 of us in total) and had awful service. My friends all made it clear it was my birthday, and yet my dinner came out 15 minutes after the rest of my table's (with the exception of one other person who also had to wait an extra 15 minutes with no explanation or no excuse). Our server constantly forgot someone when he came to take orders and even when we tried to flag him down or get his attention, he frequently kept walking and ignored us. Since this is the second time I've come here with a larger group and had even worse service than the first time, I think it's safe to say that Papagayo can't (and shouldn't) handle groups. Just because you have cool-looking, big tables, doesn't make you capable of the juggling required in handling large groups. It took three tries to get a drink (just a beer!) brought over to me. Forget about having our dishes bussed... I was served my birthday dessert WITH A DIRTY DINNER PLATE STILL IN FRONT OF ME. Why not take the plate away first?? It boggles my mind. All I know, is it's a good thing they added their 18% gratuity to our bill. To his credit, the manager did come over and half-apologize, without really saying what the problem was and with only comping ONE dessert. I think that actually irritated me more - on a bill of close to $600, you take off a $12 dessert? And then you make bumbling excuses for your waitstaff that don't really make sense? Bah, now I'm annoyed again!

Christine P.

We went here today for an afternoon of tequila and mexican food to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was far from crowded when we got there around 2pm and we were seated right away. I had high hopes - atmosphere was good, and the chips and salsa they gave us right away was yummy. We also ordered the guacamole, which was incredible. LOVED it! We make it at home all the time though, so while it was good, it is something we can make ourselves. Service was good and attentive, but slow. Seriously it took forever to get our drinks. Every time. Even when the guys just ordered tequila on the rocks it took a while to get to us. This was really disappointing. For drinks we tried a ton of margaritas - strawberry/jalepeno, mango/basil, regular, Ronarita (with a Coronoa), and the coconut. They were all good and there was a good selection of tequilas. The sangria was just ok. Kind of weak and watered down to me. We had the tequila snow cones, which were probably more of a novelty than anything. The pineapple was good, but the rest were just ok. For food we had the empanadas, which were really good, and quesadillas which were fairly standard. No one really raved about their food and my dish was probably the best - I had the short rib make-your-own tacos. Two of the dishes were supposed to have chili-dusted fries and they were plain fries. And just so-so ones at that. I really enjoyed my meal though and while the food wasn't outrageously good it wasn't bad either. Mexican doesn't do a whole lot for me, except the stuff I've had in California, but I'd eat there again. That says something. Overall we spent a good amount of money here for a Saturday afternoon and while we enjoyed our time for what it was (an afternoon of debauchery), we wouldn't rush back. My husband and his friend had probably ordered about 6 or 7 tequilas straight up or on the rocks before the head tequila guy even came over to make recommendations. Isn't this what you go to a tequila bar for? Next time we want an afternoon at a tequila bar we'll make the drive up to Portsmouth, NH and hit Agave. Faster service and a much more interactive wait staff.

Karen D.

It was pretty good overall. The best things were the made to order guacamole and the margarita. Both were delicious. The service was very good as well. We got the fish tacos that were a little lackluster in presentation and a disappointment compared to the many places I've had fish tacos. The sauce on them was really good, but the fish itself tasted kind of salty and just a hair on the fishy side. The calamari was OK. A generous portion, but nothing outstanding in taste.The chili relleno was the best of the dishes. It had a very flavorful sauce.

Nico N.

Oh Papagayo I wanted to love you so bad....and there were certain things I did love. When we arrived (a group of 8) we were seated quite promptly. The first things we ordered were our drinks and water. After half of our table got their drinks, the other half watched as they sat on the bar only to be brought to us about 10 minutes later. Water took 2 different people asking. Our party of 8 was then given 2 teeny tiny bowls of tortilla chips and some salsa. We went ahead to order the "at table guacamole" and it was AWESOME, as was the guac maker, however we didn't know it was awesome for about another 10/15 minutes after we had the gauc while waiting for a chip refill- which we finally got from asking a busgirl cleaning the table next to us- at this point we were here for about 30 minutes, had finally received drinks, had guac and FINALLY chips to taste it, and just placed our food order. It took quite some time for the food to come (which was very good), and one member of our party (the one who wanted to try Papagayo in the first place) never got his food at all. He was offered a free meal but at that point we would have all been done (or had cold food) so instead of comping his drink or something else that would have been beneficial to him, the case was closed. Upon clearly waiting for our bill, our waitress (and several other young women) were hanging out in a little cubby with a computer talking and joking...we even asked for our bill and still saw socializing being more important. Finally we received the bill and one of the members of our party had a 25% off coupon. When she tried to use it she was told no, because it had been removed from its mystery envelope. We asked for a manger who turned out to be one of the young ladies socializing in the corner. She was inexperienced and unprofessional. There was no effort to please us as customers and in fact had a snotty attitude like a the high school girl, telling us how she shouldn't take the coupon but she will (wow a whole $5 off for 25%off ONE persons food). It should have been a NON issue. Overall, the food was good but I'm not rushing to go back. The staff we experienced was like the high school cheerleading team gone bad. It was being managed poorly, and there was no effort to make the customers happy. Social hour was the main priority. If there's anything I've learned from Restaurant Stakeout and Mystery Diner its how businesses are supposed to treat their customers...Papagayo you FAILED.

GP P.

Awesome food and drinks in a vibrant, fun atmostphere. I've hosted birthday parties and bachelorettes here and always had a fantastic time. The prices are way lower than the Temazcal and Rosa Mexicano nearby, the food is much better, and the service is excellent. Try the Ronarita!

Eva K.

Decent guacamole, ok quesadillas This place is just OK, and you probably pay for the decor more than the food. The guac was OK but nothing to write home about. Ditto for the quesadilla. The coconut margarita was pretty much a failure. The coconut shavings tasted good, but the texture was too weird to have as part of a drink. I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here.

Julie R.

Into Papagayo I came with my fiance on a lively Saturday night. The place was loud and hopping. After being offered an awful table cornered between 2 groups, we opted at the bar with many open seats. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable about tequila, which was a big plus when we wanted to try some good stuff. He suggested a Presidential flight, which came on a little metal tree with 3 tastings. I am not a tequila expert, so to me they were all great, my fiance enjoyed the comparisons more. The free chips were hot and greasy, perfect for the cold salsa. We started with the table side ceviche. A server in sombrero came right over and mixed it up. I was confused cause I didn't see him mixing any fish, mostly onions and tomatoes, then he put it on a plate with a strip of fish. It was just OK, we have had better. I prefer the fish cured into the mix. Next came out the fish tacos, really within minutes of placing the order. It was 3 tacos with large tilapia pieces in each. These were blah. I always get excited when restaurants have fish tacos cause I love them. The fish actually tasted like it was going bad. Then we got a beef quesedilla which was one of the items the bartender suggested. It was pretty good, huge and tasty. Dinner went really fast with the way the food flew out of the kitchen. The whole experience just OK. I probably won't rush back for dinner, it is a cool place for drinks or a party with a group.

H. G.

The last of the taco/tequila trilogy... Let's be truthful. Mexican food is like pizza. Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. Unless it makes you sick, then it's not good. But I've been here a number of times and never gotten sick as a result, so I would eat here again. But nothing I've had has stood out.... What does stand out: the margaritas. These aren't your store bought mix margaritas. These are light, fresh, inventive, and most of all, very tasty. The restaurant/bar is also very big and has a fun look and ambiance. If Drink is packed, this is a pretty great alternative for apres-work drinks in Fort Point Channel.

Amber M.

I come from Memphis, where we have plenty of great Mexican food. Papagayo was okay. They were americanized, of course, but they were really loud and really expensive....

Tyler D.

Great atmosphere, great margaritas, good food. Ask to sit in the back. It's bit too loud in the front, more of a bar atmosphere.

Yasa E.

This is one of my new favorite restaurants in the area. It's colorful, cute, has an awesome vibe to it. I just love it! There is this bartender Caitlyn that works there and she is like Mother Theresa behind the bar. I came in one Sunday afternoon, hungover, starving...basically feeling like shit. And my best friend wasn't in the best shape either. Caitlyn literally TOOK CARE of us. Bloody mary's, waters, snacks, amazing food (steak fajitas+tequila snow cones=BOMB), funny stories, jokes....custom made blackberry mojitos.... I mean, this girl lifted our spirits and turned a shitty hungover sunday into a full on Sunday Funday!!! Now lets talk about the male staff that works here. Holy Jesus. The barback was like 19 and looked like that rookie kid from Magic Mike. The guacamole cart boy was probably like 17 and I had the face of a supermodel. Even the couple of kitchen guys that I watched go by were hot!

Leah T.

The food here is delicious and the portions are big. Try the guacamole, it's the best I've ever had and they make it fresh right next to your table. The drinks are also great - my favorite is the strawberry jalapeno margarita. Be careful though - it's extremely spicy! Watch out on Thursday and Friday evenings. Everyone goes after work and it gets pretty crowded. Still worth fighting the crowds though.

Mallory C.

Let's be straight: the guacamole gets six stars. They make it in front of you, so it's super fresh and as hot as you want it. The drinks are solid, although we only had a pitcher of white sangria this time around. When I go back, the mango / basil margarita is calling my name. The space is humungous - one of the biggest spaces I've seen in town. This place was made for gigantic groups. The big downside to Papagayo: the actual food. As a Californian, I am super snobby about Mexican food, but even the low prices couldn't make up for the blandness that was my meal. That said, definitely go for the drinks and guac - they will not disappoint!

Laura B.

I love the guacamole made to order at your table, and the margaritas are great too. One of my favorite places to do dinner and drinks with friends. Not too expensive

Diane H.

I LOVEEE THE DRINKS....mmm mm gooddd~ mango margarita..wow! The guac is made table side, and dont be like my manager who was too busy talking and had his back turned and miss it! He got another chance to see it as it's quite a popular dish!! YAY, Please skip the tuna ceviche..Gross..too salty with all the veggies and the fish tacos was nice but not my style... Bar closes way after kitchen has closed. FUN TIMES!

Lesley A.

Nothing to brag about. Chips were cold and salsa wasn't that great either. Plus they gave us about 2 chips each for a party of 4. Good drink menu, but the food came out slow and I know my dish was cold. I know they just opened so they must be working out some kinks. I may give it a second chance in a few months.

Kacie D.

I'm a big fan of Papagayo. The atmosphere and the vibe is really great and the food is delicious. Of course, the guacamole is hands down the best part of this restaurant. Made table-side, you can't get anything fresher than this! I also really love their chicken chowder. Their drinks can be a little pricey, but nothing outrageous. The only downside is that as it is so extremely popular, the wait time can be crazy and unfortunately, the bar area is usually crazy packed so it's hard to wait around for the 1-2 hrs at the bar for a table to be ready. Also, since it is kind of in an isolated area, there really isn't anywhere you can walk to that's close enough to put your name in, go grab a drink elsewhere and come back. I went once for happy hour right after work though and was able to get in immediately. If you're okay with waiting though, you should definitely check this place out!

Kristian B.

Here's the thing about Papagayo. It LOOKS inviting. It's in a nice spot, a little bit busy so you think their location would do them a lot of justice...but nope. It's nothing special. It reminds me of a Margaritas or the Border Cafe up on Rt 1 Saugus...For the price, location, and even the decor/sign outside....It really isn't anything to run home about. I tried one of their specialty margaritas and it was OK, but I wasn't overly impressed. The reason it gets 4 stars is because the service was very good. But good service doesn't complete a business, you need to have good products too! Get it together owners I might come back if the opportunity presents itself but I wouldn't rush here.

Jess K.

I came here on a Saturday night with a group of 12 friends. We were realistic in knowing that getting a reservation somewhere would be impossible so one friend suggested we take over a section in a bar and just order food as we pleased. That worked out amazingly well. We took over a long table at Papagayo (after I checked and the wait for a sit down table would be 2 hours) and it allowed us to mingle, eat and drink for hours. It was a stellar evening and one I would be happy to replicate. I suggest the margaritas. Mostly because I don't remember the quality of the food I drunkenly shoveled in my pie hole. My fiance enjoyed his enchiladas. I enjoyed his black beans. The guacamole was good but not wow. It is awesome that they make it in front of you on a wheely cart. Another Mexican restaurant is opening down the street (perhaps it opens this week, I believe) and that would be worth checking out too. I just REALLY love Mexican food so I would be hard pressed to have hated my experience anyway.

Jeremy W.

Update: Had their margaritas. Holy jeebus, it is amazing. From now on, definitely getting guac and margaritas from now on!

Ken S.

We were told to try the margaritas and the guacamole when we came to this place and both did not disappoint! They make the guacamole in front of you. We got spicy and it was very good. We had some extra when our dishes came, so some of us had it with our meals. I had the fish tacos. I expected more to come with the dish, but it was very tasty. Kind of a small plate, but it wasn't expensive. The other dishes were huge. Everything was delicious. Others had enchiladas and tacos al pastor. I recommend the tacos al pastor the most. I plan to return with other friends and family again.

First A.

The food came out so fast we couldn't believe it. I placed the order and a minute later the staff brought out delicious food. Great experience. Friendly and smiling bartender. Would go back.

Rob B.

Had a very nice experience here sitting in the Tequila museum. The very nice tall 8 top in the middle of the restaurant. Obviously appealing to the under 30 crowd, the drink menu was creative and the jalapeno, cucumber caipirinha was delicious. Table made guac was awesome but over shadowed by the table made cerviche. Finding interesting entrees to follow the apps was a bit more difficult. The house made chipolte/honey cilantro dressing on our salad was tremendous. Salmon salad nice but leave the empanadas in the kitchen. They were as bland as they looked. Perhaps the kitchen forgot the menu described chimichurri.

Annette A.

Papagayo is my favorite place for Mexican in the Fort Point area. The interior itself is fun, with gorgeous art and vibrant paint everywhere. The food is wonderful and the drinks are top-notch. This is going to be a killer place to get a hot-weather margarita. My only complaint? They've got to make a spicier hot sauce. For a Mexican restaurant, you've got to offer more than just a bottle of Chalula. Although, I really love that you guys offer Chalula.

L K.

Drinks were good. Food was awesome. Their refried beans are fantastic and I don't even like refried beans that much. They do an at-your-table guacamole preparation and the results were absolutely delicious. Service was pretty good. The staff was a little snooty for a Mexican restaurant and not especially considerate (ie. why are you shoving your way past me on the way to the bathroom, server dude?). The guac prep cart seems a little hard to handle and the chick pushing it around wasn't really paying attention to the far end because she was running over customers a bit. But I'll forgive her because the guac she made was top notch. tl;dr: Amazing food. Decent service from people who'd rather not. We will definitely be back.

Johanna P.

Did not like food. The complimentary chips and salsa were not tasteful. The chips were saturated in oil and cold. I ordered Tacos al Pastor and did not even get the tortillas. I had to ask the waitress for them. The pork was undercooked and bland. The service was not good either. Will not be returning.

Hospitality 1.

One of my go-to favorites! The service is always super friendly and the meals/drinks are consistent. The fish tacos are amazing! Some of the best I've had!

Ira H.

3.5 stars but rounding up. The scene is great for an after work Wednesday afternoon. The first Milagro Margarita was perfect. The second and 3rd margarita were not made with Milagro and tasted bad. It's strange that the bartender would do a switch... The table-side Guacamole was perfectly made. It was good but not great. The avocados weren't as ripe as I like them. The Fish tacos were awesome. Three decent sized soft tacos with Tilapia and veggies. I would definitely head back to this place.

Alexandra D.

I went here for Cinco de Mayo with some co-workers. The ambiance was probably a little bit more different in the restaurant for that day than normal but the service was great! We had two servers throughout the course of our visit, and both were so knowledgable, polite, and friendly!! I just wish I could remember both of their names! The food was also great. I loved the chicken quesadillas as well the tableside guacamole! SO addiciting. I would definitely recommend this place again and will be returning in the near future.

Anon E.

Meh, it's 'fine'. Tableside guac was bland, not bad, not amazing. Waiter rushed the order, asking us about the guac as soon as we sat down and it was in front of us before he took the drink order. Then the drinks and appetizers and main courses came at the same time. Couldn't enjoy the starters at all. Then....nothing. Nobody checked to see if we wanted more drinks (we did!). It took forever to then find him for the check. It wasn't super crowded when we came or when we left so I can't figure out why the massive rush (and then being ignored). F

Julie C.

Just had dinner + drinks for two for only $40. Delicious food, great service, reasonable price. Filling, but not in the "roll me out of here" kind of way. The fish tacos were outstanding, as were the margaritas.

Erin W.

Fresh Guacamole made to your liking. Try the Fish Tacos, amazing!

Richard D.

Very good service food was excellent will return.

Sheila B.

Great mexican food for Boston. Table-side guac- yum, fresh and to your spice liking. The food is fresh, quick and satisfying. The place is loud, be warned for evening dinners. The back however, is less noisy. Out of the 3 mexican joints in South Boston/FP Channel , this has the best price point, quality, service, and Parking options.

Christina T.

We waited an hour and a half for a table, ordered our margaritas at the bar and no one offered us free chips and salsa even though they gave the couple sitting right next to us chips and salsa. Down right grumpy and gave this place my "not impressed" face. We were so hungry, we decided to stay and suck it up. Anyway, we got a table, got the chips and salsa, ordered our food and inhaled it in 10 minutes. I barely remember it. Maybe next time, I'll come when it's not so busy.

Shannon S.

Loved this place.. Sat at bar and sampled a lot of tequila. Our bartender was awesome and very knowledgeable on all the different tequilas.

Kimberly T.

There are no words to express how satisfied I am whenever I go to Papagayo. I happen to work nearby and was among the first to check out this restaurant when they first opened. They've since worked out the little kinks that come along with any new place and I'm happy to say that I'm an extremely satisfied and frequent patron (both for work-related functions and personal get-togethers). 1 word - Guacamole. There is nothing like fresh, table-side guacamole. It is absolutely the first thing and sometimes the only thing I will order whenever I finally get seated at the table. The enchiladas, burritos, fish tacos (yummm) and anything else on the menu is just cooked perfectly. They do tend to be a little on the slower side should you come with a large party, but that's not enough to deter you from coming here. The staff is friendly and very understanding and patient with large groups (I've held baby showers to birthday parties to farewell parties here) and do a wonderful job of attending to everyone's needs. The margaritas are to die for and they are a fully stocked tequila bar as well. The decor is beautiful and the space (including dining and bar area) are large enough to accommodate all patrons so you are not on top of one another. Definitely see myself sitting at the bar again with a margarita with friends. Highly recommend this place!

laura W.

Went here for a Sunday brunch with m' ladies. I felt a little bizarre that we had a reservation when there were maybe five other diners in there (the size of the place is epic). Tumbleweeds were dancing through the restaurant and I'm saying "Reservation at 12?" But ....how were we to know? Waiting for my friends to arrive, I used the restroom which was very nice. However, it smelled worse than a gas stations', even though it was clean. Get an air freshener. Then, on the long walk to our table, I was confused when I saw the buffet. There are individual items listed for brunch on their online menu. Alas, a buffet is a viable option as I can dip and dabble in EVERYTHING! Ah, the food. The CORN -oh my sweet LORD- the CORN was delicious. Grilled corn with cotija cheese Other stand outs- Mexican Eggs Benedict and Empanadas. The only real duds were the Rice Crispy French Toast (limp and uncrispy), Quesadilla and Enchiladas (bland). The dessert was a wee flan... which was fine. There was also a Make Your Own Bloody Mary station. I would've hit that up if I didn't have issues with tomato-y drinks. They have an immense amount of tequila, margaritas and the like. I think this place has potential to be very fun and lively (especially if I've had a few bevvies). The real upside was that the buffet was $13. Not too shabby shab shab. This place didn't WOW me... but I am very interested in getting my Tequila on at a later date.

Connor J.

Most friendly servers I've ever had in Boston. Very quick service. I had the guacamole and fish tacos; they were both the best I've ever had. Highly recommended. The atmosphere is also very cool. I'll definitely be returning next time I'm in town!

Charles W.

Great fish tacos and while pricey (12 bucks) the guacamole was really good and super fresh!

Danielle W.

I was introduced to Papagayo by coworkers, and I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the restaurant, especially since there's not much else in the area. Pros: -Guacamole! They'll make it fresh right next to your table and make it as spicy as you want. I've gone to Papagayo's for nothing more than a drink and guacamole. The guacamole is definitely worth having. -Tequila! They have a very extensive tequila selection and their margaritas are excellent. I'm not much of a tequila person, but I'll never turn down a margarita here. Cons: -It gets packed pretty quickly on a weeknight. I've never been on a weekend, but I can only imagine that it's even busier. -The food is decent, but there's something in one of their spices or dressing that upsets my stomach. This is nothing to blame the restaurant for, and more a curse of my finicky stomach, but I figured I'd put it out there. The salads are usually fine for me, but any of the tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or whatnot have upset my stomach. No one else in my party has ever had the issue, even when ordering the same meal, however. Regardless of why you're there, you have to check out the margaritas and guacamole. It's worth making a trip just for those!

Bryan V.

The food and margaritas here were outstanding!!! We were hoping to get a good mexican meal and a couple of margaritas, but we found a fantastic spot!!! We told our server that we love spicy food, and he went back to the kitchen and asked the chef to whip up a special hot sauce for us. It was fantastic!!! We ordered the hand made guacamole, and it was fresh and delicious. My wife got the fish tacos and I got fajitas, both of them were absolutely fantastic. Summary: Great food. Great drinks. Fabulous service! We will definitely be going again.

Kelly B.

I'm actually surprised to see bad reviews on here, this place rocks! The table side guacamole is amazing, the ceviche is also super tasty, if you go there on a Friday night there is usually a long wait, but that can only mean the place sells good food and good drinks. It's a perfect place for a girls night, and the Margaritas are pretty stiff..the restaurant tends to get loud and the bar packed, so get there early! One of my favorite places in Boston.

Sara M.

Two friends and I went here for dinner on a Thursday night and the place was packed. We had the queso dip, fish tacos, enchiladas verdes and the chicken tacos and all walked out fat and happy. I thought the portions were reasonable for the price and the margaritas were VERY strong. Service was good, but the dining room is very noisy and the tables are very close together Overall, I had a nice dinner and will go back if I am ever on that side of town.

Phil O.

The food from what I've tried so far has been great, the Margaritas are top-notch, and the ambiance is definitely worth 5 stars. What I also like is that the guacamole is grinded right in front of your table, which is something I've never seen before.

Laura F.

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Matthew P.

I came here with friends looking mainly for their margaritas. I was told they were reasonably priced and were supposedly some of the best margaritas around this way. I would have to say that I was not dissapointed. The first time we came we each tried one of the regular margaritas. I splurged and went for the mango flavor. It was really good and surprisingly strong. Be careful though, it really doesn't seem like it. That's a good drink ladies and gentlemen. All four of us split the guacamole. It looks like its pricey but it's really not. You get a ton of guac. It's also not your standard pureeuntilitsliquid guac either. They make it in front of you and ask what how hot you would like it. We ordered it very spicy and it packed a little bit of punch. The entree's were all good as well. You won't be getting authentic Mexican food, but you should know this already. It is Boston... I ordered the fish tacos and couldn't even finish them. With all the guac and salsa and chips and margaritas, you certainly won't leave here hungry. On another note, we came here a second time and sat at the bar. I didn't think I would like the Margarita-rona, but it was surprisingly delicious. I'm not fan of Coronas but this definitely makes me want to come back just for this.

Lisa F.

Love the spicy fresh guac and the fish tacos (although I heard they used frozen fish for them). Portions are quite large here. The margaritas are delicious and strong. The large space makes it perfect for lunch, dinner, after work drinks, etc. The service is also very quick and everyone is very nice/attentive :)

Corey L.

I've been to this place a few times. It's big, has a lotta single ppl milling around, fresh guacamole they make in front of you, and the food is decent (fish tacos are good). I love the margaritas and drinks - especially the Ronarita, a margarita with a corona in it. Pretty damn good. The chips they bring are often like 4 hours old and suck. But the rest is worth trips once in a while.

Jen K.

Fun festive environment. Guacamole is excellent and food is very good. Great after work crowd. It can be very loud!

Mary N.

The best margaritas in the city!!! Fresh guac made tableside (I don't eat it) Chips and salsa on the table Fish tacos were excellent Everyone was freindly

Penny S.

For white person Mexican food in Boston, Papagayos does pretty well. And if the only Mexican food you've eaten has been in Boston, you'll probably enjoy this. But if you've ever eaten Mexican in California, Texas or... Mexico, you will be disappointed. The guac is awesome. No doubt. But the enchiladas are so-so. The bbq chicken salad is drenched in bbq sauce. nasty. The shrimp and avocado is salad is probably the best salad on their menu. The plantains as a side dish are unreliable - one time they were fantastic, and the other 3 times I've had them they were awful. A fun place to have in Fort Point just since we're hurting for places,... but when I add up my options for lunch, Papagayo always falls at the bottom of my list.

Lisa S.

We got a pitcher of red sangria which was enough for 5 glasses (hence the hefty $49 price tag). We ordered the guacamole of course, would definitely recommend. They also have a big gluten-free menu which was helpful for my friend. They also brought out gluten-free chips that weren't fried in the same oil as other gluten products. I got the shrimp/avocado/jicama salad- healthy, light and fresh.

Saige B.

I've come here a few times now and been disappointed every time. While I've only come on Thursday-Sunday nights, the place is oddly designed so it seems not too packed but everyone is smooshed at the bar; which is right in between the front of the restaurant and the back seating/bathrooms. I came here with a larger party once and kept having issues with getting a table even after all our party has arrived. The drinks were average and the margaritas were also average and overpriced. The atmosphere was cool but the place just gets crowded and makes it hard for you to enjoy eating/drinking/etc. The only reason Papagayo gets two stars is one star for the aioli cheese slathered corn-on-the-cob (not even close to Toro's but a solid stab) and the guac.

Shirah M.

Found this place while searching google maps for reputable restaurant near our hotel. This gem showed up only two blocks away. We were seated right at the bar and were given great advice on a tequila suitable for rocks. Service is excellent, food is excellent. It's a no brainer in a city filled with great dining.

Erin C.

I used to work in the Fort Point neighborhood, so frequent after-work drinks at Papagayo were a regular part of my routine. If I could give Papagayo 5 stars just for the margaritas, I would. But I can't ignore the fact that their food is mostly bland and in some cases kind of...bad. They have great table-side guacamole, delicious fish tacos, and generously strong margaritas (also available by the pitcher), but I can't recommend anything else here. The other entrees are all pretty bland, and many are totally overpriced. For an example of what I mean by "bland," the fried plantains are served all by their lonesome without any sort of dipping sauce, creme fraiche, what have you. Just sticks of fried plantains that actually taste more like a baked potato. Yuck. If you go to Papagayo, don't set your expectations too high, and it might be better to limit yourself to just drinks. The atmosphere of the restaurant is bright and fun (although always busy in the evenings, and your eardrums will be pummeled by overly loud reggaeton music), and definitely a fun hang-out spot. But the food...just....no.

Andrew R.

OK OK OK! I'll tell you all the super uber secret! Just back off a little - a man needs his space. The ceviche is to DIE for. You will not be disappointed. The dude whipping it up is amazing, and it's just about the greatest ceviche tableside preparation ever. It's almost like dinner and a show. Another not-so-hidden gem is the salsa. Eat it by the spoonful because you'll be craving it for days. It still calls me every now and then. Watching folks go nuts over a variety of tequila also has its hilarious moments. People watching - good for the body, mind, and soul.

Ben D.

Went here after going to the St. Patty's Day Parade. Was pretty decent. I expected a better beer list. Though to be fair it WAS St. Patrick's Day. Food was tasty, atmosphere was fun. Everything I was looking for when walking home from a parade :-D

Danielle P.

I noticed there were A LOT of staff standing around...doing nothing! Even managers were just hanging out...honestly making me feel uncomfortable, as I felt like they were staring at me! Drinks were great, chips free or not were so greasy - my server great and super helpful ... although she too was standing around - which made it almost impossible to get our check.

Bob S.

Went here Saturday night around 6:30 pm and the place was very busy. We were seated promptly and we had the best waiter I've had in a very long time......Jeremy. He didn't skip a beat the entire night. The place is very loud, that would my only complaint but not SO loud that you couldn't enjoy your company. The menu is typical Mexican and offer table made Ceviche and which was fun and adds a little to entire dining experience. The guacomole was outstanding, the chips, though good were too salty. I ordered Enchilada verde which came with rice and beans........it was very good. The three others in my party were all happy with their choices and we all proclaimed we'd be coming back.

Jackson D.

If you enjoy eating tasteless Mexican food amongst thousands of fruit flies, here's your place. No joke- the walls of the bar were covered with them. I read some reviews and heard someone talk about this place favorably once so I finally tried it after work. Met a friend there and we sat at the bar. I don't understand where the good reviews come from. The food was very sub-par- I got the tacos (listed on the menu under "Popular Dishes") and they were tasteless. The refried beans that came with them were a joke. How hard is it to screw up refried beans!? Or tacos for that matter? They found a way. Sadly, they've replaced the Max & Dylan's in Charlestown (which I actually enjoyed from time to time and would much rather have that back) with a Papagayo's and I've only heard bad things from there as well.

Josephine L.

The guacamole here is pretty tasty and so are the tacos and enchiladas. Their salsa could be spicier but it's decent. Now what you REALLY need to come here for is the tequila. I'm not just talking cocktails made with tequila. I mean they have a list of about 100 kinds of tequila and if you (and your buddies...or just you) can finish all of them, you'll get a free dinner for 10. So tequila-philes NEED to come here.

Tom D.

Awesome, awesome place. Drinks: Walk in. Say i want a coronarita, and dont think twice. Tastes good, super strong and has one of those cool little corona bottles (I'm pretty much an eight year old) Food: Guac is good and reasonably priced. I got the quesadillas for the main dish and they were very interesting in a good way. Not your ordinary chicken quesadilla...not sure what they did with them but i like it. Overall this is a really good mexican place that is MUCH more reasonable than the other mexican places in the area (looking at you rosa mexicana) Now go out and there and get weird with some midget sized coronas

Erin D.

The bartender is fantastic. Genuinely great at his job. The food was good. Can't beat the guac. The music is a complete buzz kill.

Juan R.

I stopped here for a quick meal during a conference. Delicious food, quick service. Their chili salmon salad makes a great healthy lunch.

Amy M.

Homemade guacamole, queso, chips - you need nothing else for a Mexican feed :) Loved it! Went with a party of 4. Got the above for apps. The other 3 got fish tacos and chicken tacos. I did not order a meal. No need to. The apps were HUGE and the servings of tacos were 3 per order. so I picked off plates. Otherwise the doggy bags would have had a meal and a half to take home. Drinks are food too - fun variety! Definitely get the Cornita Margarita - YUM YUM YUM.

Courteney M.

As someone who usually does not like Mexican food, I was unsure about what to expect visiting Papagayo (first time I went there, friends made arrangements). Let me tell you, this place knocks it out of the park in every aspect - fantastic food, amazing drinks, 5-star service and great atmosphere. The fish tacos are amongst my favorite dishes in Boston, the sangria is knock-your-socks-off good (goes down like kool-aid, so tasty), the margaritas are amazing and I can't even rationally discuss the guacamole (that they make fresh in front of you on their convenient guacamole cart). We were there last night for birthday celebrations, and I got a chance to try the churros (raspberry and chocolate, oh my!). I mean, they are so good they should be illegal. Top it off with excellent service on each occasion that I've been there, and you really would be foolish to NOT eat here. Interestingly enough, I got dragged to Rosa Mexicano the week after I tried Papagayo for the first time, and thought my visit there just emphasized how much better Papagayo is in terms of food, drinks and service (and guacamole, which was the upset of the century - having visited the Rosa Mexicano in DC, the bar was set very high). Papagayo will now be a regular in my Boston restaurant rotation :)

Cindy W.

Overall Papagayo is a great place to eat Mexican. Fresh table side guacamole is a nice touch but not unique. Margaritas was nothing to write home about but did their job on a hot summer night. The chicken enchiladas - it was good for Boston but didn't knock my sox off. My company got fish tacos that was different from any other place I've ever been to. Each taco was filled with LARGE pieces of fish and great toppings to accommodate the flavors of the sea. Great and friendly wait staff, service and the environment was very comfortable. This is a great place to have something else other than your regular fast food mexican burrito!

Panda G.

Thanks Wilbur! You made the best gauc. Hmmm spicy!

Stephanie L.

Amazing list of margaritas and table side guac! Need I say more? Papagayo has a permanent place in my after work rotation, one that is well earned. They have at least several dozen delicious margaritas, mojitos and other similar specialty cocktails, from the Rona-Rita (a Corona bottle in a special holder upside down pour into your margarita) to my favorite the Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita. There is also a ridiculously long tequila list. And NO sweet and sour mix used here, just fresh squeezed lime juice for the purists out there. :) No cocktail outing is complete without a serving or two of table side guac. The avocados are sliced and mashed right in front of you, and you can specify your precise requirements as to spicy level or leaving out certain ingredients. (Great for picky eaters with allergies.) Everything else I've tried on the menu has been made with fresh ingredients and turned out tasty- nothing I'd warn against to avoid. The only negative here is that after work it sometimes gets overly crowded in the bar area. There are many large tall tables in the front of the restaurant in front of the bar, and it can easily become elbow to elbow in this section. While an easy fix is to just grab a table instead, you still are greeted with this crowd to fight through from the front door.

Alyssa J.

I called into this place expecting a lot. My new company has been raving about this place and I obviously wanted to try it out.I called in for a to-go order with my credit card over the phone. I walked across the street after the alloted 10 minutes....and then waited at the bar for another 10 minutes hoping and praying that the sullen bartender would notice me. The hostess called him over a few times but he ignored her as well. Apparently doing nothing for no one is incredibly preoccupying. OH! GREAT! He has time for me! I told the Super Sullen Bartender that I had an order To Go and he said "Oh yeah...as I recall the fish sandwich?" I, as someone who didn't order a fish sandwich, said, "I hope not!" Super Sullen Barternder said, "HUMPHF" SSB shows up with my sandwich; throws it on the bar and says "You owe us $9.50". (This, friends, is when I got PISSED.) "Hey, You owe us $9.50" "Well, Actually, I paid over the phone with my credit card." -APJ-obvi "No, You didn't.-------Hey other bartender! Did this chick pay with her card????" "No!" ----Other Bartender SSB- Hey Manager, this girl is saying she paid for her chicken sandwich with her credit card! What a liar, am I right?!?! Manager-She did. Figure it out. SSB-Here you go Alyssa. Have a good night. Wow. So...I hope this place doesn't SUCK as much as it did in my first outing. I am planning on giving it a second chance, but I hope that the manager and the bartenders can realize that service is paramount. There are a million restaurants in Boston that serve REAL mexican food that have better service that I would rather go to. Bartenders with an attitude and no idea what the word service means are low on the totem pole of revisitation.

Nikki I.

This is my 3rd time back here and I was not as happy leaving as the previous few times. The guac was not as delicious and neither was the food... it seems like it has gone downhill in the past year. :(

Meg D.

Came here on a Wednesday night with some coworkers. No reservations, and yet we were able to snag some of the bar tables and eat and drink there. Great plus! Tableside homemade guac may very well alone make the 4 stars I give this place. Just the fact that you watch someone making the guacamole makes it seem pretty special. Now I want to buy a mortar and pestle for myself! Side note: I know how to make guacamole and it's fairly simple but this ensures just how fresh the guacamole is and that the restaurant didn't just buy guacamole, but that they made it themselves. Side note 2: They put cilantro in their guacamole. I like cilantro, but I do know some people that despise it. So cilantro haters should take care to ask for none. They had mild, medium, and spicy levels for the guac, and we got medium. Didn't taste anything that screamed spice to me, so maybe should have gotten spicy. Got the steak fajita and that was great. The steak was very flavorful, so happy camper. In regards to decor, it wasn't their bar, but Papagayo has a lighted section across the bar. A lighted section of tons of pretty alcohol on the wall. Random spotting: One of the guys spotted some hockey player with his girlfriend outside trying to get a cab. THAT was cool, even though I know nothing about the Bruins, being a DC girl and all...

Alvin C.

Yummygayo should be the name of this spot. The margaritas had an corona bottle sticking out which looked dramatic and intense. Guacamole was being made to order at various stations throughout the establishment. The place was packed, but the wait was not long at all. The yummy happened right when I tasted the guacamole and lasted throw the short rib tacos, and came to a close at some wonderful dessert that I was too full to truly eat.

Charmie S.

Listen, for $2, you can get the absolute BEST guacamole in this town. I ordered a side of the guac and some fried plantains. That was all, and it was one of the best meals ever. I did not go intending to have a big dinner at Papagayo. It was past my dinner time, and I just needed a little something. Now back to the guac. It was a tad spicy, but full of flavor. It's the real deal. If you order a bigger portion, they even make it right in front of you. If you are a guac connoisseur, please visit Papagayo. There's little competition elsewhere.

Alex A.

The first time I went here, I absolutely hated the place and the crappy service, but I went again last night to give it a second chance. Still shit. I parked a block away on the bridge and only had 1 quarter which gives me 12 minutes to get to Papagayo and get change for a couple of dollars which should have been plenty of time. Except I forgot how slow and inattentive the bartenders are here. I stood at the (uncrowded) bar for 10 minutes, making eye contact with the bartender, having cash in my hand, saying "Excuse me" a couple of times as they walked by....nothing. The two bartenders were just hanging out at one end of the bar, completely ignoring the other end. Even when they would be making a drink literally right in front of me, they wouldn't look up to see if I needed anything, as if squeezing a lime took too much of their brainpower they couldn't handle asking someone if they needed another drink. I will never come back here if I can help it and would rather go to Rosa Mexicano which is close by as well

Tiff D.

2 words Tequila Snowcones I havent eaten here except the guac which was seriously lacking any flavor. 4 stars based soley on the drinks.

Maria L.

I went to Papagayo on a Saturday night and the place was packed! But after tasting the food and experiencing the service, I now know why i was able to get a reservation same day (2 hours before actually). The food was average. The atmosphere was average (and very loud). The service was slow. As far as food allergies they weren't very accommodating. My server had the personality of a wet blanket. When I told her about my food allergy, she dutifully checked with the kitchen and told me that I couldn't have what I wanted and only had two choices on the menu. If you ask me, that's pretty lame. All I asked for were chicken tacos with no cheese. Anyway, I compromised and got the Fajitas, which came out slathered in cheese in the end! It took forever to get another meal, pretty annoying, since everyone's food at the table was getting cold. I'd say overall this place was average, or even a little below average....just sayin'!

Nicole V.

Alright Papagayo... I am now officially a fan. I have been here a handful of times. I feel as though there are certain things you need to know in order to fully love Papagayo: - guacamole - delicious, made to order, and usually table side (exception is during the busiest hours; then they have little stations where you can still see it being made). Huge servings of fresh guacamole win me over every time - drinks - get anything with tequila. It will be delicious. Though we are sworn enemies, I fall back in love with tequila here. The strawberry jalapeno is a recent favorite (thanks Bird). - the food will not blow you away. It is fairly average. With most entrees hovering in the $10 - $15 range, you are getting exactly what you should expect. Taco entrees will come with two well stuffed tacos and sides. Fish tacos come with three tacos and no sides. - staff is fantastic. I can't say enough about this. I once left my phone here and didn't realize for two days; not a problem for them. Recently I showed up post-beer fest (see also: three hours of binge drinking); still not a problem for them. Staff greeted us warmly and treated us well. Our server, David, was great. He joked around with us while never letting drinks or chip basket go empty. Also to be noted: this place is GREAT for groups. They are accommodating and flexible.

John I.

For a time, Papagayo had the best and freshest margaritas in town, easy. Lately, however, their margaritas have been salty, stale, and prefabricated. Perhaps it depends on the night. Their guacamole is consistently fantastic, but the rest of the menu is hit or miss. I want to love Papagayo, but I'd be lying if I said I did.

Andrea M.

Fail. This place is like the Mexican version of Boston Beer Works. So, if you think Boston Beer Works is "dining" then, you might love this place. But if you're offended by shredded lettuce, bland flavors and inattentive service, don't go here. Atmosphere: Huge, brightly colors walls, feels a bit like it's waiting for a college crowd to walk in from the South Shore. Service: Super slow and inattentive. Forgot drinks, barely talked to us, and everyone else who brought food kind of slammed it down on the table and then walked away. The manager came over at the end to thank us, and he was very nice, but, it kind of made me wonder what this white guy knew about "authentic" Mexican cuisine. Food: Bland. The tableside guac lacked lime and salt and we ordered it "medium" spicy and there was no spice at all. The vegetable enchiladas tasted like someone poured a bunch of verde on it and assumed that was sufficient. Chile rellenos weren't terrible, but there was a bizarre red salsa/pomodoro on it, and it's hard to go wrong with pepper and large amounts of cheese. Authentic is maybe the last word I would use to describe Papagayo.

Kerri S.

Before you get it in your head that you would like a frozen margarita----No Go. When I ordered one he told me they have no frozen drinks--"not a blender in the place." Major disappointment there but what can you do. The chips and salsa were delish and kept on coming. We had the guac made tableside-delicous! I ordered the filet mignon fajitas and my husband had the fish tacos. Both very good. The Fajitas did not come out on the skillet like you would expect, but came out plated -which was different but still good. Our waiter was great-very friendly and helpful with the menu.

Emily C.

If you think this place is terrible... GOOD. DON'T COME BACK. SAVE ROOM FOR ME AT THE BAR. The house margaritas are AMAZING. They use all fresh ingredients - no mixes - even in the fruit margaritas (which I usually hate) AND they're $8!!! At Lolita's in Back Bay you get half the margarita for double the price!! (No, really.) Some random ho said she liked the margs at Border Cafe better... once again... GOOD. STAY IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC WHERE YOU BELONG! (Keep in mind I love Cambridge too, btw.) But seriously... if you don't think these margs taste fresh and strong then you probably have a drinking problem... where all you want to drink is Boones Farm or MD 2020. This is a great place to go with a huge group of friends for apps and pitchers of margs. The food doesn't need to be five star, NYC Per Se quality... it just needs to be well cooked, tasty, and filling - which Papagayo does very well. The pork tacos are phenominal. The table side guac is double the portion and half the cost as compared to other places and it's amazing. The margs... well they need to get you wasted without spending a bundle... I would consider myself an expert on drinking and TWO margaritas gets me inappropriately touchy. ;-) Also I must say, as a professional in the luxury service industry, the customer service is top notch. The waitstaff is friendly, professional and attentive. When I recently booked my birthday party here, the staff was amazingly accommodating with the number of friends I have (not really kidding). Everyone is so pleasant I'm always excited when I get to come back. This place reminds me of Rosa Mexicana in NYC... except for half the price. Always tasty, always a good time, and always great service. Some people are complaining about waiting too long for a table... it's not that hard to pick up the phone and make a reservation. Maybe you shouldn't be complaining when you're too lazy to dial a phone number. *Whines* BUT IT'S NOT ON OPEN TABLE!!! Really? Good. Then you won't come, leaving tables open for me and my crew. Keep it up, Papagayo! These haters can keep overspending at Lolita's in Back Bay. You'll always be #1 for me.

Alicia S.

First of all I would give 11 stars to the guacamole if I could. Stopped in here while in town for a convention, the restaurant was mobbed because it was happy hour on a Friday and there was a convention down the street. They were very accommodating of the crowds of under-dressed convention attendees. My boyfriend and I both enjoyed our enchiladas, they were pretty good. I had the house margarita, he had one of their interesting craft margaritas, both were pretty good too. Over all I would recommend this restaurant, probably just for drinks and guacamole though.

H S.

Probably the best margarita I've ever had. Could barely taste the tequila but it was strong, so you know they're using good stuff. Tableside guac was awesome and the staff was stellar. I'll definitely be back!

Veronique L.

Service is ok. As my friend said, "It's not like he killed it," when we were discussing the waiter and his appropriate tip. For example, we didn't get refills. We didn't really get asked if we needed anything. He was meh. As for the food, it was fine. We got complimentary chips and salsa. Chips were on the greasy side, salsa on the watery side. Fish tacos were good but not the best I've had. I had enough to eat so that I wasn't stuffed. My share was $18.00 for the three fish tacos and a Sprite and tip. Seating is disorganized. We came in, said we wanted a table for two, and were told to wait. Others had received a buzzer. Nevertheless, we were seated within a few minutes. IMO, this place is overhyped. For Mexican food, it's OK. For service, eh. It's about 5 minutes to the South Station stop, and parking is hit or miss. When my friend and I came this past Wednesday, he was able to find parking right across the street.

Greg N.

Do you want to try some Mexican food with the authenticity of a Taco Bell but none of that pesky charm? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you not want to be burdened with the social niceties of interacting with a server by going to the bar to refill your own water glass? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you like guacamole but find tortilla chips a bore? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you think most servers are far to engaged in their jobs and need to take a more "hands off" approach? Papagayo is the place for you.

Jeremy K.

I'm surprised by the negative reviews here... having been to Papagayo for brunch, for lunch and dinner, and for drinks, every experience I've had there has been pleasant. And while some of the food isn't always great, but generally good (and affordable), this is definitely one of my new go-to places in the Fort Point area. There's many good things that this place has going for itself. First off, the location. It's a solid location with plenty of metered parking and just a small bridge away from being connected to South Station. Secondly, the atmosphere and space, which is large and decorated simply but effectively. There's simple paintings on the walls, some pastel-colored walls and some wood everywhere. There's also a display of their impressive tequila selection in a corner and a very large bar which does down most of the restaurant's length. Best of all, there's plenty of tables for everyone to sit down at. But enough about that, let's talk about what really matters, the food. It's affordable, sometimes a bit unique but it's also a fun, affordable menu. Whether you want their table-side guacamole, which is made to specifications based on how spicy you want it or want to grab a drink, or even some buffet-style brunch featuring various American-Mexican dishes, it's all available in the warmth and comfort of the establishment. Personally I wasn't crazy about their brunch. Aside from the simple salad of mixed greens (which was actually really simple and tasty), most of the dishes I had there were pretty dry, probably because they had been heated consistently for a few hours. A lot of them felt pretty greasy as well and few were awesome. However when you order dishes cooked the order, they all come out tasty and packed with flavor. I've had their tacos ($8), their salads, their enchiladas ($9) and each time I've been pleased, and the best part is that they are all affordable. And while few of the dishes are authentic, they still aim to please by offering bright flavors with bold ingredients that will leave your palate pleased. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and the service has always been near flawless. Another great touch is with their tequila selection which might be the biggest in Boston. A great thing about it too is that they don't have the crappy tequila here and only have 100% blue agave tequilas here. No fillers, no bullshit here folks, only the good stuff. Whether you have it mixed or as a flight, it's all worth it. Personally I'm a sucker for their Ronarita ($8) which is a frozen margarita with a Corona beer submerged into it. As you drink from it the beer slowly poors into it turning the whole thing into a lovely and tasty, boozy, alcoholic potion. Me gusta! Folks, honestly, I think that this place was long needed in the Fort Point area. Their hours are convenient, their food solid and affordable and their drinks are great as well. The ambiance is warm and inviting and there's plenty of seating. And while the food could be a bit more authentic, it's still a good choice for Mexican-style dishes. Whether you want a quick drink, a snack, lunch, dinner or brunch, this place can make it happen. Plus its easy to get to from South Station and there's plenty of street parking up the street. I totally dig it.

Khanh P.

Maybe I'm not a big fan of Mexican food but I did find the place to be A-OK. Went here for a friend's birthday last friday and I have to admit, you'll find a lot of Boston's young professionals crowding the whole entire bar area. It's pretty packed on a friday night but that's expected when they have yummy Coronaritas! Parking was not as difficult to find, we parked about 5 minutes from the restaurant. If you read the signs closely, you can find park at the commercial spots. Food & drinks: first thing I ordered was a Coronarita since I've always wanted to try one and it seemed like a popular drink around the table. A fun drink for a friday night, they use small Coronas anchored on top of the margarita glass. I decided on the fish tacos as I've always wanted to try it and why not at an official Mexican restaurant. The fish tacos comes in 3 and is nicely plated for you. I had expected the fish to be fried and they had placed some sort of sauerkraut in the tacos which kind of threw my tastebuds off. We had some guacamole which is highly recommended but on the pricier side since its made tableside, big deal in my opinion. My boyfriend did order one of their popular taco dishes and he wasn't that impressed with his platter. They serve it to you in a big dish with all of the ingredients nicely plated for you so that you can assemble the taco however you would like it. He did let me try one with lettuce, refried beans, steak pieces and I felt that it was missing something. The servers were highly friendly and nice and it was great service even for a table of 20 and with a packed restaurant. Ending note: Fun place to go for drinks, perhaps not for their fish tacos but I would like to give the place another go.

Jeff F.

We came in Saturday as skeptical as anyone can be of Mexican food of Boston. We left impressed. Ladies loved the Margaritas - Everyone enjoyed food: I had fish tacos I liked for the first time ever, Tacos Al Pastor were solid, Filet Fajitas were really good - great chips & guac (no need to bother with Rosa if you want to stay on this side of town vs go to the BackBay/Lolita). Ceviche was the only miss. Would absolutely come back.

Jessica L.

Great margaritas! Great table-side hand hacked guacamole! Great roasted salmon filet! A lot of great things about this restaurant! I've gone a few times, and the service is generally very good. There was just this one time when my friends and I got a pitcher of the house margarita and there was a fly in it. My friends had already poured some out of the pitcher before we realized there was a fly. We let the waitress know, and she brought it back to the bar. Instead of just giving us a new pitcher, we got back a de-bugged pitcher with the exact amount of margarita we had left in there. It made us wonder if they just took the bug out and gave us back the pitcher of margarita. Overall, I've had positive experiences here.

Curtis A.

Service was good. Food was mediocre. Best was guacamole made at table. The Coronita margaritas looked good but we didn't try one. With so many other great restaurants in the area, probably won't return.

John C.

Papagayo is a large Mexican sports bar, basketball on half the screens, baseball on the other half, or whatever. The screens are around the bar only, so it is possible to sit elsewhere and only be mildly annoyed by the flashing lights. The staff is mostly Mexican and follows set patterns of behavior indicating that they have been subjected to a well-honed training regimen. They are a little grim faced, but courteous and efficient. If you are some self-absorbed fatso who thinks the "servants" should fawn all over you and make fake sweet talk, you will not like it here. They are way too busy for that. The quality of the food is excellent for the price and the menu is more extensive than the typical Mexican restaurant. The proprietors have gone the extra mile to inject some creativity and quality into their items. For example, the fish tacos are small fillets, not the indifferent, mashed up cod you usually get. I have tried the "Tacos de Atun," which are tiny taco shells with diced sushi tuna, cabbage, chipolte and tortillas. It is a pretty interesting and creative dish. I find their soups to be consistently high quality and indicative of an energetic kitchen. Furnishings are spartan with a few isolated works of abstract art, everything in bright colors and well lit.

Jay C.

Nothing special whatsoever: Bland food, overpriced quacamole, and so-so service. Can't say I'd bother going back.

Amanda L.

My friends and I had dinner here this past Friday night. I wish I could remember our servers name because she was amazing. Great/quick service, she was soo sweet and attentive. As always the guac was to die for, same with the margs. Definitely bring a big appetite when you go here...food is delicious but soo filling!

Amy B.

Between the extensive and reasonably priced tequila list and the amazing fish tacos, there's much to like at Papagayo. As others have mentioned, tableside guacamole is a must. You can specify your spice level, and will be given a generous bowl of guac that easily satisfies four diners as an appetizer. As for entrees, I've heard good things about many of the menu items, but I've only ever eaten the fish tacos. I think they're excellent; they're garnished with mojo, guacamole, and pickled cabbage, and have just the right level of acid once you squeeze the provided lime wedges over the fish. An order nets you three tacos, no sides, so plan accordingly if you're jonesing for frijoles. The prepared drinks are good here, but I usually gravitate toward the tequila list to try a new variety. Papagayo actually has a tequila club that tracks your drinks and rewards people who try 100+ tequilas, but it has always been too crowded when I'm here to sign up. Maybe someday. Atmosphere is where Papagayo falls a bit short for me. It gets really crowded in here, and the acoustics can make it difficult to hear over crowd noise. There are also not enough restrooms for a restaurant of this size. One time when I was here I opted to walk to Biddy Early's to use their restroom rather than wait in the unbelievable bathroom line at Papagayo; anyone who's used the Biddy's bathroom should get a sense of my desperation. That said, I do like the cheerful and colorful decor at Papagayos and suspect it would be a fantastic happy hour joint, before it gets truly packed.

Rosa S.

My group of 7 visited Papagayo on a Thursday night around 8:30 and we were surprisingly seated immediately. The waiter was friendly and made some great drink recommendations, and even gave us a free drink when the bartender made an extra by accident! Our group started with the table side guacamole. I was a little disappointed that the guac wasn't a little more flavorful (we even asked for it be extra spicy), but nothing a little hot sauce couldn't fix. My girlfriend and I split a shrimp quesadilla as our meal and it was quite good! I've had some mediocre Mexican food experiences recently so this was a welcome change. I'm looking forward to returning again when I'm not so distracted (less people, less drinking) to try some of their different entree options.

Tim G.

Unique and spacious ambiance with decent Tex-Mex style cuisine. The price points are decent and comparable to other "South of the Border" spots in Boston. The guacamole, which is touted by many a reviewer, is super fresh and made by your table. I can't say that it's the "best" but you won't regret getting it. I liked the fish tacos entree, which came on a simple presentation. That's a great thing - it showcases the tilapia without masking it in heavy sauces. We went relatively early (at 6PM), and the service was top-notch. However, we were politely (but clearly) asked to leave around 7:45 when the restaurant got slightly busier. Maybe this is a new business model, but I have never heard of a restaurant that turns away paying customers willing to buy more drinks. All in all, this was a decent dining experience sunk by mediocre customer service.

Jon F.

It was fine, I guess.

Anadala B.

There was no soap in the ladies' room when I went to wash my hands before my meal, which I reported to a female employee. There was still no soap when I went after my meal! Gross.

John J.

After touring Harpoons brewery, we headed over for a little Mexican and we were not disappointed. The avocado drip was outstanding, the food and drink were great and the service was very friendly. We plan on a revisit next time we are in the area and itching for some Mexican and tequila too!

Laurel H.

The steak fajitas were amazing and melt in your mouth good. Loved the guacamole they make fresh right by your table. Great service!!

J D.

Excellent food. I had the salmon and potato dish with guacamole as a starter. Great environment as well.

JD O.

My fav mexican/tequila bar in Boston! Sit at the bar for best experience in talking to bartenders ab the different tequilas and prompt service. Table side guacamole a must. Great location, scene, service and food.

Ellie W.

This place is about as lively as a party in your p..... iñata (get your mind out of the gutter, kids). Tons of candy in a paper mache donkey? C'mon, if that ain't a party, then I dunno what is. I can almost imagine the Tootsie Roll and the Smarties bumpin' and grindin' all up in there. With margaritas being sipped to your right, a giant table surrounded by bright cases of of tequila (every kind you could imagine) to your left, a sweet, amiable man preparing your ceviche tableside, reggaeton blasting from the speakers, I have swiftly fallen for this place as if it were a hot latin lover. Not Marc Anthony-ish, though. He looks like a 3-month-old corpse. We started with the ceviche (which can be made from mild to spicy), which came with plantain chips, and devoured that with ease. Extremely fresh, and the plantain chips add just the right amount of edge to the standard ceviche. Then came what I think beats Toro's corn by a long shot: the Alotes a la Parilla! Toro was once upon a time my benchmark for delicious corn, and this was like discovering Brad Pitt has a far better looking, more charming, talented brother with a swoon factor of Brad to the 100th degree (exponents, yeah!). That part of me that thought the world made sense kind of died. Over discovering better corn. Grilled corn with aleppo pepper, lime aoili, and queso cotija: Incredible and somehow well worth spending the rest of the night looking like that idiot trying to suck out the leftover pieces of corn stuck between your teeth. We finished with a bang: the Fish Sandwich. fried tilapia, chipotle aoili, and melted cheese on what tastes more akin to a butter biscuit than a standard, tasteless, cruddy burger bun. I could've eaten the bun on its own, with its rich buttery flavor and perfectly toasted-to-flaky-perfection texture. Don't expect to get seated here anytime soon on a Thursday night, though. You'll have to fight the hoards of people who also came to down a healthy meal of corn and tequila.

Bridget D.

My boyfriend and I came here tonight because we use to love Papagayo. Our first night here, about a year ago, we were given a VIP industry card by a fabulous bartender named Barry due to the fact that my boyfriend and I both worked in the industry. We have been using this card on several occasions and have loved the perks and were always thankful for Barry's generous gift. Tonight we came in for dinner and tried to use out VIP card to discount our dinner. The bartender had never seen a card like this and asked for the managers assistance. The manager, peter, came over to us and informed us that this card had been discontinued even though there was no expiration date on the card. After saying this he just walked away. I am a manager at a popular restaurant on boylston street and I would NEVER handle a situation in this way. I unfortunately will never be returning to Papagayo due to this specific incident.

Andy R.

We decided to head here because it seemed like a decent place to eat. We walked in, and were seated quickly. We decided to sit at the bar instead, and the staff were cool with that. I ordered the classic burrito and my mom ordered the enchiladas. Both were tasty. Nothing mind blowing, but it filled us up and we were happy with it. The chips and salsa was a nice touch. The bill came out pretty cheap, too. And the person at the bar who was helping us out was friendly to boot.

Steve C.

As far as Mexican restaurants go this one is up there. I'm not much of a tequila drinker but my friends that were there say the selection is fantastic and margaritas are pretty good. I tried the empanadas as an app and found them a little greasey on the outside but the filling made up for any shortcomings. The meat was so good I had the burrito with the same type of filling, a delicious slow cooked beef. Burrito was excellent, it came wet which was ok for me as the sauce was delicious, refried beans were fresh as was the rice and the small side salad was crisp and also very fresh. Service was terrific, extremely friendly wait staff always greeting you with a smile, a real pleasure! Prices are comparable with other mexican places I've visited and are good value I think. I'm certainly looking forward to heading back and trying something else.

Lauretta L.

This is a fun place despite the average food. We came here for my bf's birthday dinner and had a blast! First off, strong margaritas. I recommend getting a Coronita :). The pitcher of Sangria is also deceptively strong. Let's just say that my bf was not walking straight after a Coronita and a glass of Sangria... The tableside guac was good overall, but the "spicy" is barely spicy. So if you like spicy, perhaps you should ask for EXTRA/SUPER/INSANELY spicy. Be sure to order the Ceviche, which was delicious! and spicier than the guac...the shaved tuna was amazing. The Sopas de Carne were no bueno. We were all starving and it still didn't taste good. My Fish Tacos were average and could have used more of the pickled red onions, garlic mojo, and cabbage slaw. The Short Ribs with Ancho Chili Glaze, Shiitake Mushroom Chips, Cotija, and Mashed Potato were okay, although not worth the price IMO. So all in all, I'd come here for drinks after getting some good grub elsewhere.

Elisha M.

This review is solely based on the poor customer service shown to me, so much I couldn't even bring myself to eat here, and probably never will. I called this Papagayo location on Monday, August 10th at 6:44pm to make a reservation for Friday, August 15th. I called this location and the person who answered the phone, a young woman who was very hard to understand and sounded like she didn't care to be on the phone asked what I wanted. I requested the reservation for two people at 7:30pm on Friday, she said "okay" and took my information. Friday at 3pm, I called Papagayo to confirm the reservation. I call the number and it's the same woman who took my reservation as I remember her distinct voice. I politely said I'm calling to confirm a reservation, she asked my name and I gave it. After about a minute she says "I don't have you on my list, and if I was sure it was this location" I said yes I'm sure, and she said well call the other lactation downtown as people make that mistake all the time and hung up. Knowing she was incorrect, I called the downtown location who didn't have my reservation either, so I decide to call this location back. The same woman answers the phone again and I said hi, yes we just spoke, and I am positive I made a reservation with you on Monday. And then the woman said "well what's my name then?" Very rudely, I was taken aback by her response, I said I believe it's Jeannine but I'm not sure because I didn't think I had to write it down. She then proceeds to tell me they are pretty booked up, and I said I know I made a reservation as it in my calendar and the number is saved in my phone as calling you Monday, the women laughed and goes well I don't work Monday nights so there, she then says she will try to put me on the list and starts to take my information even though the restaurant was "completely booked". I give her my name and I start to spell it, she stops me and says "I know how to spell it!" And I said ma'am how do you spell it "it's A-l-i-c-i-a" which is not right. She then proceeded to huff and puff and then interrupt me every time I tried to give her my information, so I asked to speak with a manager, and was told there was no manager. I again asked to speak with a supervisor and then Julie the manager got on the phone, I told her the situation. She apologized and I politely told her she lost my business this evening as I have never been treated with such disrespect. I never plan at eating at this restaurant after this.

Marie R.

I absolutely love this place. There guacamole is hand-smashed and so addicting. The refried beans and maduros are delicious. Perfectly seasoned. My favorite dish here are the fish taco. They have fresh flavors and are just right as far as portion size. Love love love this place

Craig S.

We came here for dinner and drinks on a Friday night and got a table no problem. The drink I got was really good (the boss) and the waiter was really attentive. We got the ceviche to start which was made table side and was tasty. We then got the fish tacos that were yummy and the Pork Al Pastor and that was great too. They have tons of different tequilas. We signed up on the app and got a free entree since it was a birthday month. I will go back to try something new off the menu. My new favorite Mexican mini chain.

Brian W.

We ended up here on a whim one night, but ended up being pleasantly surprised. The parking can be a bit of an adventure if you're trying to avoid paying to park in a lot. There are some street spots available if you don't mind walking a few minutes through the empty streets of industrial Southie. The absolute best part of the entire meal were the gluten free tortillas with the salsa and tableside guac. The gluten free chips are crispy and taste way better than the regular version. Even if you don't have a gluten allergy you should try asking for these and then you'll see what I'm talking about. They are very accommodating of gluten allergies so my wife was able to choose from many options. I ended up with the fish tacos and I was a little disappointed. They were very fishy tasting and I think I missed the fried fish that you usually get at other places. I would order something else next time, but I'll definitely be back at least for the chips and drinks.

Bryan R.

I'd give them 3.5 stars if I could but I'm not quite a fan so 3 stars it is. Pros: Cool space. Nice decor. Pretty good margaritas. Micheladas. Good crowd on weekdays. Biggest Pro: The guacamole is fantastic. The ingredients are rolled up on a cart and it's made in front of you. Has a good amount of kick to it. Cons: A little too crowded, a little slow, and a little overpriced. Biggest Con: Their takeout is 100% to be avoided. Ordered 3 different things and they were all terrible. Did not seem to resemble their in-house plates. Cannot stress this enough - do not get takeout here.

Walter G.

food's pretty meh all around. it wasn't BAD, per se, but i'd never recommend it. maybe a great spot for lunch if you work nearby, or for saturday night drinks for all the trendy channel people who like to dress up and pretend they're in sex & the city with their tequila cocktails and whatnot, but i just want some solid tacos and a few pacificos. and for that, papagayo isn't great. ALSO (and this should be common sense), rule #1 of hosting a large party at a restaurant is to seat them AWAY from the other customers if possible so they can be loud and let their kids run amok without annoying everyone else. especially when there are literally about 20 open tables at the other end of the restaurant. clean it up management.

Espy S.

Recent experience at new West St location. The food is cold and induced diarrhea in 100% of our party. Guacomole was bland and the queso was soupy. Drinks were weak, flavorless, and over priced. Avoid.

Lia M.

I thought the food was OK at Papagayo, and this is coming from someone who was drunk there so you know it's not getting better when I'm sober. Service, however, was awful. Our server seemed to forget about us and could not really explain many of the menu items. Lily G. and I decided to continue drinking (having headed here right after Drink). I had the Illegal Joven mezcal, as they were out of the two that I wanted. It was not bad, but I prefer the Illegal Reposado. We both liked the chips and salsa. I believe she had the Tequila Breezer, and that was quite good. I had the enchiladas and she had the verde enchiladas. They were well-filled, but I thought the meat was a bit dry and even with the salsa rojo, a bit lacking flavor. The black beans were tasty, though. I'd not rush back here, but if I were drunk, hungry, in the area, and looking for something cheap, this might fit the bill.

Kimberley S.

I have the benefit of working right next to Papagayo, so I frequent the place for lunch. The Mexican food is pretty delicious and there are some creative options on the menu. The raw tuna taco appetizer is spicy and fresh and delicious. I'm a huge fan of the cooked tilapia tacos. Other traditional Mexican stuff looks fairly standard, but I'm generally pretty impressed with some of the little extras like the mojo sauce and the side of scalloped potatoes. Getting take-out can be a little inconsistent. For example, I've gotten the fish tacos a few times. Sometimes it comes without pickled cabbage, sometime extra guacamole. I've been here a few times in a hurry during the lunch rush. The staff is not always the quickest or the most sensitive to simple special requests. But the hand-hacked guacamole is outstanding (even if mild, medium and hot are all the same. Which they are.) But overall Papagayo is pretty delicious. Come here after work and get the tequila slushies.

Kimberlee G.

Food was "meh". Not an ounce of authenticity. Service was as "meh". Came here tonight with my parents on vacation and we had been drinking all day so we all ordered waters and our server rolled his eyes and then basically did not returned for not much after that. When my mom asked (for my dad who was not feeling well) if they had any broth based soups in the back they could maybe make, the punk server replied "what you see is what you get!" I've been a server for 7 years and I've never wanted to not tip someone so bad. Of course, we didn't do that but it doesn't change the fact that it was rude service.... With a lack of any effort what so ever. As far as the restaurant itself, the atmosphere is loud but fun and trendy.

Andrew D.

Papagayo gets juuuuust over three stars in my book. The bad: So. Noisy. I'm talking shout-across-the-table noisy. The rest of my thoughts on the matter you probably won't be able to hear because it is so. Noisy. It also crowds up very fast. I've been here only at peak times, so I've not much room to complain. This is on my to-visit-again list for a Tuesday evening. On to the good: As others have said the tableside guac, while not a revelation, is delicious. Do yourself a favor and ask for a lime or two to squeeze over it. Much better right? You're welcome. The fish tacos here *are* a revelation. These are the fish tacos that other places' fish tacos aspire to be. They are not deep fried, which I thought was odd at first. Less so when I discovered how delicious they are. I'm afraid the rest of the food menu may as well not exist to me. If you're into tequila -- I'm not -- you'll dig this place. I stick to the cerveza and am always content. In my two visits service has been a notch above what I expected. Friendly and prompt. Don't be turned away by a long quoted wait time here. On a recent Friday night my foursome was seated after only 15 minutes of our 90 minute quoted waiting time had elapsed. We weren't even through our first round at the bar! If you can make it past the atmosphere, you'll enjoy Papagayo. Get the fish tacos.

Jessica C.

Like yelp says for 3 stars, A-OK. A little high on prices for what you get, but I may have a biased opinion after living in California. I really enjoyed the shrimp and mango salad. But..10 dollars for guacamole, really? Although, it was really delicious. Cant wait to go back to try a kiwi margarita. mmm.

KATHY N.

We went in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (July 20) recently. We were looking for a comfortable bar to catch a refresher before dinner. As we walked by we saw through the front window that this bar had seats available when another Mexican bar a couple doors down has a line to get in the door. That should have been the warning sign. It is a narrow 3 story restaurant with the bar on the first floor. The bartender was no where we could see. We sat for a few minutes with no one responding to us although there were 3 workers (greeter plus 2) standing at the door podium right behind us. Two tables in the window were also waiting for the bartender. Still the 3 at the door didn't move but stayed there chatting. The bartender came behind the bar after obviously running food. He did not acknowledge us but went by to attend to the tables in the window. Not even a "I'll be with you shortly." The bar top itself was dirty and had the remains of previous eaters before us. Still the 3 stood at the podium chatting and laughing. By the way, one was a female greeter, one was a female waitress, and one was a young man in a white shirt so he seemed as if he might be a manager-type. When we finally were greeted we asked to see a drink menu. I wanted a margarita but there were many different ones from which to choose. I needed the bartender to help me pick one out with recommendations but he was off delivering food again. I finally decided on one but had to wait for him to appear again. He was dealing with a family at a table around the corner. There were not many diners on this first floor but I gather he is responsible for those tables as the waiter. We got out drinks - 1 bottled beer and my $12 Margarita in a small highball glass. No coaster or napkin for the glass so I asked for one. No straw but didn't bother to ask. One of the tables in the front window wanted to check out but the bartender/waiter was again off to the family table. After several minutes the white shirted young man went over to them, picked up the check and handed it to the bartender in a disdainful manner as if he wasn't working hard enough. I wanted to SCREAM! We decided to leave at this point. I went to find the ladies room. It turns out it is on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator. I didn't need it but I wonder about those who are unable to climb stairs. There was a men's room on the first floor if I remember right but I wasn't looking for that one! As I left the 3rd floor I saw the white shirted manager in a corner texting as was a waitress. There is a nicer looking bar on the 3rd floor but the greeter didn't mention it when we said we were "only here for a drink". Can you tell I'm ticked off? I don't go into Boston much but I can't see how this place stays in business with this kind of service. The drink was very good, by the way, but do Bostonians really pay that much all the time?

Nicole B.

I came here for the "RonaRitas" (margarita + Corona) and was told I had to try to tableside-made guacamole. Unfortunately, I don't see what the fuss is about. The guacamole was nothing special and DEFINITELY not worth $10! The drinks were superb (and strong) and the food was delicious and a great value (huge portions, ended up taking home leftovers). My side was the chipotle potatoes and they were good, but not what I expected. They were large chunks of cut potatoes tossed in a chipotle BBQ-esque sauce. Pros: Waiter was really knowledgeable about the food and drink menu, the entrée portions were a great value, the drinks were expertly crafted. Cons: Guacamole was a rip-off and our raised table for 2 was kind of cramped and next to a huge pillar in the middle of the restaurant.

Ricky B.

Went here after a day at the BCEC for EB 2015. The portions were good for everything except the fish tacos, which was literally just three pieces of fish on three small tortillas. Yes, they were good, but I was expecting a little more than that. The margarita (Especial) was AMAZING (as a $15 margarita should be). This place was good, not great, and a little pricey. Would go again for that margarita.

Ladyjane S.

I've been here twice now. While the drinks are pretty good, sometimes great, the food is bad and overpriced. I prefer the "Mexican food" at Border Cafe to this place and that's really saying something. The chips are hard and stale-ish, the guac is flavorless and ridiculously expensive, and the enchiladas just plain suck. Your best bet is to come here for drinks and grab dinner elsewhere. There's SO many better options in the area.

C. James C.

Papagayo: 1; my digestive system: 0.

Dawn E.

Fish Tacos. That is all.

Kaitlin M.

We had a blast here the two times we went. The margaritas are perfect for drink night or Sunday fundays! There guacamole is a must for appetizers. I was also impressed with the vegetarian enchiladas. Our service was great, except for Sunday. Maybe our server had a little too much fun last night! I would recommend Papagayo to people that like tequila and fun group atmospheres!

Tracy B.

Co-worker had been bugging me to go for a while so I decided to give in & just go... Now I have pretty low standards when it comes to Mexican because I love it all... but I have a loyalty to the Border Cafe and I tend to compare everything to them... I know people say Im crazy, but I LOVE the Border... So I get there and its one of those "early Pregnancy - not feeling so well days" and I know I dont want to eat heavy... I order Veggie Enchiladas and anticpate their arrival.. I almost wished I was here at a different time be it feeling ok, or after work so I can relax and eat more... I wish I tried the Guac as they were making it all around the restaurant in different locations - FRESH Our lunch comes & Im instantly put off, I HATE Re-fried beans, guess I didnt notice that on menu... And the Enchilada is SOO mushy from all the Chili Verde sauce which was sooo tart & vinegary that I couldnt even eat it, I scraped it all off... The tortilla was mush from all the chili sauce and my whole plate had somewhat resembled soup... Just runny all over the place.. So bummed & my friend had said, "Ooh I guess that means we arent coming back here" and I actually cant wait to go back, because I soo want to try the Guac and want to actually eat something else... I will never just dismiss a place based on one try unless they are horrible! or the service sucks at life... So I will update once I re-visit, fingers crossed - wish me luck!

Brianna S.

This review is for the downtown location, not sure how to move it to there:: Beautiful restaurant! I loved the atmosphere. Our servers/hostess were very polite. The waitress had great knowledge of the food. I got the pomegranate mojito that was delicious. Complimentary chips and salsa were good although it would have been better with heated tortilla chips. Got their famous guac app and the way they talk about it I thought it would be better. Ours was very light on onions, cilantro, and lime. I would suggest getting it on the spicy side for more flavor. The guac that came with my fajita plate was better so maybe our batch was just on the bland side. Dinner portions are big which I love! I had the chicken fajita plate. I expected it to b sizzling...it wasn't, but it was still good. I wish there were grilled peppers with the chicken and onions. Overall my plate was really yummy! Check out my photo! I definitely plan on returning.

Aisling W.

Having heard many positive reviews from friends, I decided to try Papagayo. I kept an open mind. We ordered the guacamole to start. Some of the freshest I have ever tried! It was nearly impossible to not eat the whole thing before eating!! The person I was with ordered the fajitas. We were waiting a long time for our food, so eventually our waitress tells us that someone grabbed the fajitas we ordered, so the they were making another. Frustrated, we waited about 10 minutes longer for our food. The waitress didn't seem to feel that bad. I ordered the quesadillas with no black beans. There were black beans in my quesadillas. The waitress sort of just smiled at me and was like "Sorry, I can take it back if you want". After the incident with the fajitas, I wasn't going to wait any longer. I ate it anyway. So, to sum it up: food- pretty good, not excellent. Service- pretty bad. Atmosphere- great. Okay for a night out, but maybe stick to apps.

Anita S.

New street tacos. Not on the menu yet. They come as 3 of a kind. Maybe one day you can mix & match. $12.85 for the pork tacos (aka cochinita en pibil). Mothers are veggie, chicken, omelette- with egg, and shrimp. $10.95 to $14.95.

Alena G.

This place is awesome - the food is great (give queso dip housemade guac a chance, you won't be disappointed) and the margaritas are delicious and strong. Our waitress was a sweetheart, so that's definitely a bonus. Loved the interior and ambiance - very modern but at the same time rustic. Props to the decorator! The clientele is a mixed bag, but we managed to be seated at a table next to Jesse Bradford of Hackers, Bring It On, and Swimfan fame.

Emily K.

Papagayo has fantastic drinks (cucumber jalapeno mojito, I'm lookin' at ya), delicious guacamole made right in front of you to go with their tasty chips, and a good colorful atmosphere. That said, their menu is pricey and you don't get much food. I always have a hard time deciding on a dish from their somewhat limited menu. For me, it's more of an after-work-drinks type of place, rather than lunch or dinner. But I still love 'em for it.

Emily L.

Ronarita! Half margarita half corona! They also make fresh guacamole in front of you.

Lesley B.

I don't appreciate a restaurant that tries to trick you out of your money. The menu is completely deceptive... it says a pitcher of margaritas $42... Directly below this it says add $1 for a flavoring.... BTW they mean you should estimate that there's about 5 margaritas in the pitcher so actually add $5. We found this out after receiving our $47 bill ($50 with tax).Very misleading. Its only a couple of dollars.. but is that really how you need to make your money? Baiii

Nicole R.

Chips to start were cold and greasy. The salsa was nothing to write home about. I got the chicken tacos which were pretty bland and flavorless. The restaurant atmosphere wasn't too bad but the service left a lot to be desired. It took forever to get our food, drinks, and the check even though i told our server up front that i had a train to catch. Since this was the case i ended up missing my train and having to wait another hour for the next one. The server would just periodically disappear for no apparent reason. No bueno Papagayo! No bueno indeed!

Jay J.

Tacos al Pastor. Y'all need to look up the definition of how to prepare Mexican BBQ pork. Asked for hot sauce, all they had was cholula and an undisclosed chef's special spicy sauce. Well the 'spicy sauce' arrived along with fresh onion and cilantro (as I'd asked). Mixed that into the (now cold) pork and it saved it. #FAIL

Linda R.

This review is for the Papagayo located in Saugus. The food was good, the waiter was good but I have to complain about the dishes, napkins and silverware. I'm not even kidding when I say we had to get several changes. First I sit and my napkin was dirty with red sauce all over it, ok maybe something happen no problem, I get a new napkin. Then we get small dishes for dessert, two dishes grossed out with food dried food on them...get two new plates. The snoops are given to us and no lie, green soupy looking stuff on one spoon and salad left over on another spoon. Come on now! Was the waiter picking from the dirty dishes or what. One or two but all night dirty dishes, that's just gross. I don't think I want to go back if u have to look over every single thing I eat on, makes me wonder if my dinner plate was actually clean or not. So I'm giving this place a two. I'm heading back to border cafe or somewhere else.

Caitlin G.

This review mainly applies to the service. I have been going to Papagyos for years, and it remains my favorite mexican food in Boston. However, I met a friend at the bar last night and the service was incredibly poor and unprofessional. The 2 female bartenders were arguing the entire time, and they were not paying attention to the customers at all. We weren't given menus, and they were waiting on people literally in between arguments. It was so unprofessional. It took us over 45 minutes to order our food, and it was an incredibly disappointing experience. If there are internal disagreements, they should be handled off the floor- and if I was a manager here, I would be extremely disappointed.

Michelle T.

I just HAD to write another dinner review for Papagayo because I had such a wonderful experience here last night! It will be my go-to Mexican / margarita dinner joint for a fun night out with friends here in Boston until I can find another comparable place! Our reservations were for 6 on a Friday night at 7. When we arrived, we were seated right away (no need to wait for every member of your party to arrive before seating). The atmosphere was so fun, lively and young, I really loved the vibe of the restaurant. Just a bunch of friends, co-workers, people hanging out having a good time, eating good food and drinking darn good margaritas! I dived right into the drink menu and started myself off with the Berry margarita. Holy cow!!! How delicious. It is sweet, got muddled blueberries, high quality tequila, fresh squeezed lime, and agave syrup. The drinks are quietly potent and deliciously addicting. For $12, I thought my drink was well worth the money, especially for a Boston drink. Our table of 6 got 2 stashes of (free) chips and salsa. (And refill's of both) We started off with table side guacamole. The 1 order was about $11 and satisfied all 6 of us hungry women. It was incredibly fresh, flavorful and well-seasoned. Absolutely a must-order if you're out with friends! I went with the spice rubbed salmon salad for my entree. It was excellent! For about $13 you get a HUGE piece of spice-rubbed blackened salmon that is cooked to perfection. It has a little bit of crunch on the outside, yet the flesh inside is tender and melt-in-your-mouth. It is served abed a mixed green salad with baby tomatoes and sliced avocado, tossed in a light sweet 'n sour dressing. I was SOOO full from the guac and drink I didn't even get to finish my fish, though I did try REALLY hard. Our overall bill came out to be what I expected (About $35/person) including our shared app, a drink, an entree, tax, and 20% tip. I'll be back soon!!

Semaj H.

I've been to this place years ago and I have been to others in Boston, but this is definitely the best one. The guac is made to order table side and the margaritas are done right!

Christopher M.

I give Papagayo four stars as a tequila bar. They have a broad tequila selection, and I was able to try several very unique tequilas I'd never heard of but greatly enjoyed. The staff is excellent, and can speak intelligently about the tequilas and make strong recommendations. Big thumbs up to Dave. I'm still not sold on the guacamole, but I'll give them an A for effort. They'll make it table side, but they push a "hot" version, and in my humble opinion, guacamole just isn't meant to be hot (spicy, perhaps, but not just hot). I think it overpowers the avocado and makes it taste bland. Otherwise, I haven't tried the menu yet, so I'll withhold judgement of the kitchen. But for an after work drinks spot, or meeting location for groups (they have a huge back dining room), I highly recommend Papagayo.

Kameron S.

I went here after a conference with 6 co-workers. I called a few hours in advance and they reserved a table for us, which was awesome. We started with the guacamole, prepared tableside, and it was excellent. I recommend getting it spicy. Our server, Doug, was super friendly and knowledgeable. He gave great suggestions for drinks and food. My friends had margaritas and I had the red sangria. I know you're thinking margaritas at a Mexican place should be a no-brainer, but I can't do tequila and, as a sangria lover, I was impressed. Between the 7 of us we had enchiladas, quesadillas, and flautas. We all enjoyed our food and left very full. The food is very reasonably priced too. I would definitely come here again!

Kristina D.

I am giving this place 2 stars only because the food is adequately priced. I went in @ 5:30 right after work and the place was pretty empty and we still managed to get horrible service. We sat at the bar and all of the bartenders were gathered around talking and were more concerned with their own personal conversations then waiting on us. We waited 10 minutes to pay our check because the bartender was talking to the bus boy and ignored us. Also the food was bland and not exciting. Save your $$ and go someplace else!!!!

Gauravi P.

Pretty good Mexican food but the drinks here are my favorite! Delicious traditional margaritas that will knock your socks off. Also the chips and salsa and fresh guacamole here are addictive! The service was great as well. This place makes a great happy hour or group dinner restaurant!

Boris L.

I'm not sure how I felt about this place. There had been so much hype that I was excited to go in and try it. I was kind of hungover when I went, so take this review with a grain of salt. I ordered the fish tacos which were really good. The guacamole, however, was not. It had that generic factory-made aftertaste. I guess we should have taken advantage of the tableside guac service, but $10 for that and chips seemed like a lot. The restaurant is neat though so I guess check it out.

Marie J.

Margaritas were good and we were seated right away- food was not good, it's not good or even decent Mexican. Total chain and sucks you in since it's convenient. Service was fine too-- not the place to go for food try somewhere else.

Sarah W.

Had a pretty good dinner here while I was in town. The table-side guacamole was pretty stellar. My entree was good, but only Mexican restaurant down the street good. It wasn't make a special trip across town good. I might have gone 4 stars, but our service was a little too slow for a Monday night in a half-empty restaurant.

Denise F.

Wonderful dining experience! Excellent service, tasty apps, delicious margaritas!! Would def come back!!!

Heather B.

We had a very back-and-forth experience here. We would come back based on the quality of the food (and the very reasonable price of the meal), but were not impressed with the service in general. Good: we were quickly seated upon arrival. The overall atmosphere was nice - a little dark and mildly pretentious but comfortable. They play good music. Bad: The waiter came to the table and the first thing he did was ask if we wanted guacamole. As we clearly hadn't even opened our menus yet, I figured this was the equivalent of a waiter offering bread at a different kind of restaurant and said sure. My fiance then looked at the menu and told me that the guacamole was a menu item - and it cost almost the same amount as an entree. (We saw other tables getting it and it was *not* very sizeable at all, either - I'd expect a BIG bowl for $13!) This is just plain sketchy. It is super not okay to get people to order something, especially something so relatively expensive, by offering it in a way that implies it is complimentary. I had some difficulty enjoying the rest of our visit because of feeling pissed off about almost being scammed. The (small) upside is that when the waiter came back to the table and I explained that we hadn't realized we were ordering off the menu, not accepting an offer of complimentary food, he made no fuss about canceling the order and it did not appear on our bill at the end of the evening. But the concept that people might misunderstand his offer clearly was not new or important to him - we heard him continuing to pull the same trick with the tables around us. Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy. Good: The food came incredibly fast. Bad: I was initially brought the wrong order. Upside, our waiter quickly noticed that my food was incorrect and fixed the issue. Good: It was really delicious. It would take really good food for us to want to come back to a restaurant where our visit began the way this one did, and this convinced us to give this place another try. The bill was also very reasonable when it came. Mildly bad: I wouldn't even have noticed this in another place, but on our way out, the hostesses didn't even look up from the welcome station, let alone say goodbye or thanks for coming. They weren't helping anyone else; they just ignored us. Like I said, this would be no big deal to me most of the time, but after the guacamole thing and the kitchen sending out the wrong food to me, it was sort of the cherry on top indicating that this restaurant perhaps doesn't have the strongest focus on customer service.

Derek H.

I ate here with a coworker this past Sunday for dinner. This place is more of a hip Mexican restaurant rather than your typical Americanized Mexican restaurant. They have a variety of margarita's to drink, but I settled on the house margarita ($8.50). As with most all Mexican restaurants, they start you off with chips and salsa. I thought the salsa was good, but the chips were a bit cold. I like it when the chips come out nice and warm. Our server was very helpful and took time to explain both the drink and regular menus to us. I like when servers take the time to do this, especially if they know that you haven't been there before. Many things on the menu looked good, but I settled on the fajitas for my meal. I got the combination of the steak and chicken. Both the steak and the chicken were very juicy, and the flavors worked well with the rice, beans, sour cream, and salsa that came with the fajitas. I had 3 and I was stuffed! I passed on dessert, but they had a few items on the menu that looked good. I'll come back here if I'm in the area again.

Chris C.

I had high hopes for this place, having walked by it and liking the bright, fun, but not cliche interior. The reviews were decent, so thought we'd try it. Wow. What a mistake. From sitting down to paying the bill, we had TERRIBLE service. The joyless, unfriendly waiter seemed irritated to have to do his job. We waited a long long time to order, then when our guac was brought out (by another runner), we didn't get any chips for about 10 minute (they there were awful - see below). In the meantime, I'd run out of water, and no one refilled it. After eating some of the super-hot guac i needed water, so waited. and waited. and waited for our waiter. He never came back over, so i had to go to the bar and get water refills. He dropped off our entrees eventually without a word other than "here you go". No offer of more drinks, or water. He never checked back with us to see how things were. The wait for he check was similarly long. The food wasn't any better, with the dregs of the bottom of the chip container brought for our HELLISHLY hot guac. (So broken greasy chips...umm yuck!) My entree was something tamale-ish, i cant even remember, but it was sided with boring re-fried beans with some sprinkles of Mexican cheese on top and basically plain rice. The sauce was an extremely one-note vinegary green sauce that made my throat hurt. Forget the churros i would normally have gotten (i can't imagine how bad that would have been!) -- we bee-lined for South Station and got an Auntie Annie's Cinnamon Pretzel instead. Wow, this place was one of the biggest dining disappointments EVER. And that's saying a lot. My partner left a $2 tip, and a long note explaining why on the reverse. It takes a lot of being ignored and brought bad food to prompt that!!!

Norman L.

Can have amazing mexican food. But can be hit or miss with food or drinks. I love there trailer tacos

Tim A.

Great Dinner and a 'human' experience!! We walk to Papagayo about once a month or so and always end up waiting a good 45 minutes for a table for two. Tonight on a whim, we called before walking over and spoke to Tom who we told was our anniversary and we were on our way over. Graciously and generously, he added our name to the list because it was our anniversary. Once there, we waited less than 10 minutes, had the best guacamole in boston made table side, and were treated to dessert by Papagayo. In this world that is full of "no" and "we don't do that" it was great to be treated like a human and feel taken care of by them. I'm in the hotel industry and when you connect with people and make them feel special, you make a customer for life.

Fred M.

The idea of someone from Los Angeles eating Mexican food in Boston seems kind of absurd. We have so many great choices from the high end, Rivera, to the ubiquitous taco carts, and everything in between- most all very good. The chips, salsa, guacamole, and fish tacos were all very, very good. Surprised the heck out of me! Service was spotty and the kitchen wasn't great at delivering pieces of the meal in a timely manner, but this is still a great spot for a west coaster looking for a decent Mexican food fix after being satiated with great pizza, Italian, fried clams and lobster in Boston.

Xiao Z.

Ehh...It's a restaurant that teeters between 3-4 stars and having not tried any of the more popular margaritas and sangrias, I'm more inclined to give this place a 3 stars given the food was quite mediocre and slightly overpriced despite the large quantity. I had the torta, which was quite tasty, but the meat was much more fatty than I'm familiar with, and left a greasy aftertaste that lingered on shortly after I left the restaurant. The enchiladas were also moderate and really didn't leave much of a memory. Overall, the entire place has a generic, party-friendly vibe that I didn't find that appealing given I'm out to look for exceptional food with acceptable prices. But hey, this place is good for a crowd. Food: 3 stars Price: 3 stars Service: 3 stars

Luis V.

Great service, great food, great music. Manus did a great job attending to us. Worth every cent!!!

Naomi K.

This place welcomed us as kid friend but had no changing tables in either men's or women's bathrooms. At least they had a good selection of tequilas since there beers were not impressive. Got a nacho cheese dip, two chicken tacos which were tasty. There's three levels- the bar, the mezzanine- a very small dining section and a third top level with another bar and high tops. Again, not quite easy for kids to climb and no where to put the stroller. They did have nice stylish high chairs though. Our table had an abundance of floodlights on it, which was a little overpowering while the next table over was in the dark and had to use their cellphones to read the menus. Not quite sure of the design there. The table downstairs at the bar level, first floor seemed to almost close out the access to the men's bathroom with seating so close to the door it looked uncomfortable.

Alex F.

The place was very colorful when we walked in. They had amazing handmade guacamole that you could watch being made right by your table. They give you and needless stream of chips and salsa which was amazing. Our food plate was enormous and I couldn't even eat it all. My fajita was great and I liked the refried beans. Our waiter was really nice and very friendly.

Jeff P.

The food was good and we got a seat right away (pretty good considering we showed up with a large group). I didn't try the table-side made guac myself, but it got rave reviews from everyone else at the table. Oh, and if you download their iPhone/android app, you'll get $5 off your first meal, plus if it's your birth-month, you get an entree for free!

Shrikant P.

Good taquila, good food, great guacamole. I especially like Salmon Taco (taco shell is lettuce wrap). Negative: bad service especially in the night.

Lindsay M.

My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday right before the dinner rush. The service was great! The host was very friendly and showed us to our table where our server came over immediately to take out drink order. The margaritas were really good as were the complimentary homemade chips and salsa. I really enjoyed my enchiladas and my boyfriend enjoyed his fajitas. The only reason why I'm not giving this place five stars is because it's just not as good as Border Cafe on route one.

Kyle D.

Great tequila & margarita selection, beer selection could have been a bit better. As so many others have stated before me, the fresh guac is a must-try if you visit. The main entrees could have been better. I ordered the burrito and found it to be overloaded with grease and cheese. My buddy ordered the verde enchiladas with slightly better results. I'll give this place another shot at some point and will be sure to stick with the fish tacos.

Jacqueline C.

Love this spot! I have been twice and both times were fabulous. The food was reallly, really good. I highly recommend the fresh guacamole and the fish tacos. My friends had the chicken fajitas and loved them. The margarita menu is pretty hard core. My preference would be for some fruity fun ones... Which they sort of accolade by letting you add a fruit purée to any of their margaritas but it would be nice if the menu wasn't just ten margaritas with different tequila and different orange liquor. I love that then you get the fresh guard it is truly made table side and they give you plenty of chips. The first time I was there the server was awesome. We sat around for a loooong time and she was not acting annoyed at us and even accommodated our requests for hot tea at the end of the night (most annoying request ever....I know.) the second time we were there the server was a bit impolite. He was one of those interrupters who doesn't care that your involved in a pretty intense conversation, he'd just walk up and start talking over us. He was clearly annoyed at how long it took us and as much as I thought I'd ding the restaurant for that I can't because the atmosphere and food are so good.

Gregg S.

Great atmosphere, very colorful and cheery. Drinks are good, reasonably priced, and with some creative options (the Harvest, with Cachaca, St. Germain, lime juice, and apple cider is surprisingly delicious!). The house margarita is solid, if not special, while the watermelon habenero was innovative and tasty. The service was very friendly and generally attentive. Unfortunately, then we come to the major downside: the food. The first note was good, the chips being excellent (tasted like the were made in-house). The salsa was good, though nothing outstanding. However, for the main I got beef enchiladas with red salsa ( they were out of green salsa, along with half a dozen other menu items, but I'll chalk that up to opening weekend wrinkles to iron out). The red sauce was very dark and tasted bitter and burnt. The meat itself was good, although the tortilla was mushy and didn't really add anything. The rice was also overbooked and bland, and the refried beans could have been out of a can. The entire entree was a major disappointment. Overall, this place has lots of promise, and mostly has everything in place except for the food. I hope they can fix that issue, because this could be a very good restaurant.

Gerardo M.

Enchiladas were good, strong margaritas.... the churros SUCKED!!! They don't have anything to do with the original Mexican churros.

Bill G.

I enjoyed it here. Food, service, and ambiance was all good. The food did lack flavor, but I chalk this up to the fact that it's on the East coast, where you never get any spice type flavors in your food....

laura M.

Yum. This place is great. Have tried the shrimp and avocado salad, the salmon salad and the fajitas. The chipotle dressing is amazing, and everything else is very fresh. FYI - Fajitas are great, but do not come out sizzling. Sometimes its just as much the experience as the food. But if you can get over that, you will enjoy your meal. Would recommend as a go to Mexican sit down spot.

Chris D.

Went here on a Thursday night ~6:30 and the place was hopping with a serious 25-year-old bar crowd. My wife and I sat in the dinner area which is slightly removed from the bar. First off their house margaritas were quite good and substantial for the price - I can see why this place attracts a drinking crowd. We then ordered the table side guacamole. Now one of my big restaurant pet peeves is when you order something, and then other people are seated at tables after you, they order the same thing, and then they get served before you. Needless to say it took an unnecessarily long time to get our guacamole, although in the end it was pretty tasty. My wife had the fish tacos and I had the burrito - neither were anything to write home about, but they weren't bad either. Now if Papagayo was an expensive restaurant I'd probably pass on it in the future, but we got all of the above for about ~$51, which in the waterfront area is no small feat. So if I was looking for cheap eats in the area again I'd probably head back here.

Van N.

My first time here was with some friends and co-workers, fun place on a Thursday afternoon. LOVE the freshly made guacamole made by our table (with jalapenos mixed in!). I got the Ronarita (and a few more after)and admit it was pretty tasty, they're pretty strong ;) I went and had dinner there the other day and food is good, too! great place especially for the price and quality!

Meg V.

I went here with some friends for my birthday on a Tuesday night. I LOVE Mexican food and drinks. We had made a reservation and got seated immediately so I can't really comment on waiting. The place was really full, but no line out the door waiting to be seated. Our waitress was awesome. She was so nice and had a great sense of humor. We ordered the guac which gets made in front of you and tastes AMAZING. You can ask them to adjust the recipe however you like it. I'm not a huge raw onion fan so he put in a little less for me. We also had a hard time with drinks. You can order a pitcher of margarita, which we did, but then they give you these small glasses for them and you get about 4, maybe 5, margs with each pitcher. Each pitcher is pretty expensive (I think they were $40 each) and it kinda just tasted like a glass full of margarita mix. I think next time I'd suggest we each order our own separate margs. We had a group of 5 so we ordered a couple pitchers and I don't think it was worth the "bargain" We also ordered dinner and waited a REALLY long time for it. It didn't matter at the time since we were out for my birthday and it was more about the chatting and drinking, but once the food came we realized how long we'd been waiting. I think the place was almost empty by the time we started eating. It was good food, but nothing special. I got the fajitas and they tasted like Chili's fajitas, which are great, but not worth the cost. I had some of my boyfriend's enchiladas and same deal. Just tasted like chain food, but not bad! I will definitely give this place another go. The place is cool inside and we did have a fun night out! I would probably come back here just for drinks and apps, but our waitress was awesome and they really do have a huge drink menu! **3/13/11** I got an email from the owner after posting. Very cool that he's looking out for comments and this is how they make the margs: "We do make all our margs from scratch with fresh limes, simple syrup and agave nectar. " With that, I will say that I probably just need to try a different style of marg next time and I will definitely be back for another go! A+ to Brad the owner for reading all these comments!

Dominic K.

Service was a little slow as our meals came out at different times. This place certainly hits the mark on atmosphere (fun and vibrant), food (tasty and filling) and service is friendly but still growing. Overall, my fiance and I had a great time and enjoyed our meals and the reasonable prices.

South E.

Great spot for Mexican in Boston. I have been there at least 10 times and have used them for catering as well. Always very good. Big fan of their fish taco, they use grill fish not the battered variety. Only downside is that Sat evenings seem to be bachelorette party night, but the house does a nice job of setting the larger groups to a private table just off the bar in not really in the middle of other resturant section.

Katie D.

I've only really come here for the guac, plantains (mmm!!), and drinks... these are delicious and hit the spot after a long day of work!

Danielle P.

Wondered in here late afternoon on a Wednesday to grab a bite with my boyfriend. It was empty- but it was 4pm. we were going to go to channel cafe but there was something about this place that just made us want to step in- glad we did! We were greeted by a super friendly hostess and seated right away, our waiter was awsome- he knew so much about the menu and seemed genuinely happy to serve us. I started off with the house margarita made with fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar-$8 and the boy got a mexican beer at $4.50 a bottle. Both drinks were delicious- the margarita was HUGE. The drinks were well worth the money. For dinner I got the Fish sandwich with Chili dusted fries. The fried tilapia tasted so fresh and came out hot and perfectly fried- the ingredients just seemed so work really well together. the fries were yummy and the lemon aoli the sandwich came with was the perfect touch on the sandwich. The boy got the beef burrito, I didn't try it because I don't eat beef, but he loved it, and i tried the rice and beans and they were delicious. I'd love to come back here again, and would even consider coming out here with friends for drinks at the bar- the place seemed to have a great bar and I think boasts something like 110 different tequilas, they also have buckets of beer at a reasonable price. Looking to come back here some time soon!

Christine P.

Went here 2 weeks ago after some of my afternoon plans got messed up. Maybe that's why the place impressed me so much, I was so frazzled that when I got there, there was no place to go but up! This restaurant was recommended by a co-worker and she was spot on with the food and drinks. We were there on a Sat. afternoon, maybe 3pm and it was rockin'! The margarita I had, the original, was fantastic and very well made. No weak drinks there! I got the fish tacos which are my usual Mexican food staple. They were different than I expected, there were 3 soft tacos opened with 3 filets of tilapia lying on top of the tacos. But they were so good and I would definitely recommend this place. We also got the tableside guac and while it wasn't amazingly better than I've ever had, it was great!

Jennifer S.

Went here on a Friday night & it was packed. The bartender, Jay, was running he was so busy, but clearly knew what he was doing. He stopped to take the time to figure out what we wanted to drink & was incredibly knowledgeable - and shared that knowledge with the waiters & patrons alike. I was impressed with the attention to the clients & superb drinks on such a busy night. Food was great - fresh & as authentic as you can get with Mexican in Boston. The handmade guac at your table (or bar seat) was pretty cool. I'd go back every week!

Niko K.

Good food and drinks, but pricey considering it's nothing special. The atmosphere and design are a lot of fun, and the tequilla selection is fantastic. This place is best for happy hour or a group party. I can highly reccommend the fish tacos and the guacamole, while most other things are as you'd expect.

Lindsay P.

The last time I was there they charged me for my meal plus another table's meal. They told me they would resolve it but didn't and haven't. The guacamole is good but the service is consistently awful and the hassle of trying to get them to fix their billing error means I'll never eat there again.

Nathan M.

This review boils down to decent food, poor service, and one of the most unusual tantrums I have ever seen by an adult. First, the food was good. Not outstanding, but not bad either. The chips and salsa were decent. The guacamole made at the table was very good. The fajitas I ordered were good. They only came with 3 tortillas, but plenty of steak and chicken. They also came with plenty of cheese and pico de gallo. They also included onions that were coated in spice, which were excellent. The main reason for my 1-star review is the service. Our waiter, Mike, was very inattentive. We had to ask multiple times for drinks. At one point, we waited 20-30 minutes for a round of beers. He did apologize while pinning the blame on the fact that they only had one bartender. One order was brought incorrectly. We asked for extra chips and salsa, which were never received. My wife and I needed to leave before the rest of our group and the waiter informed us that they would not split checks. All of this added up to below average service, but it's what happened near the end of the night that will prevent me from ever recommending Papagayo to anyone. After finally chasing our waiter down (a difficult task), I asked if I could put a portion of the check on my card so that my wife and I could leave before the rest of our party. He said that was no problem. I did some quick math, and left what I thought was a larger portion than we owed because we were with some "friends of friends," and I wanted to make sure I had left more than my share since I wouldn't be there when everyone else received the bill ($70). After he ran my card I second guessed my math and worried that I might not have left enough, so I threw a $10 tip onto my check - just to make sure I had left more than enough. The waiter must have taken this as a slight (because $10 is 14% of $70 and he must have felt this wasn't enough). Now, I should have shorted him on tip due to the below average service we received, but that wasn't my intention. I was just making sure that I had chipped in my portion of the bill plus 20% at the very least. I signed my bill and walked back to the table. The waiter then looked at my receipt, shook his head, and complained to the bartender. After a minute he walked by, stared at me, shook his head and continued walking by our table. For a minute, I thought he might be upset about something else completely unrelated to me. But he walked by doing the same thing at least 4 or 5 more times over the course of the next 15 minutes. It's difficult to put into writing how angry his awkward passive aggressive weirdness was making me. I am not the type of person to complain about service. I dine out several times a week, and this is the only time in last 10 years I have complained about service. The manager was nice when we complained. He gave us a $25 gift card, which I will probably not be using. My poor experience was due to one employee, and clearly doesn't represent the average dining experience at Papagayo. On the other hand, I scrolled through and found plenty of reviews here that complain of poor service - specifically, arrogant and inattentive wait staff and bartenders. Boston has plenty of good restaurants, why choose one that hires and retains bad service employees.

Ebon K.

Customer Service review (I'm a vegetarian, also): I now work across the street from Papagayo, and the 2nd time I ordered the vegetarian enchiladas for pick-up, I somehow ended up with the veggie tacos, instead. I didn't care too much, so I took it and went back to my office. Then I noticed the refried beans smelled like pork and I called them and told them about the order. I went back 25 minutes later, and they had my original order, but it was still wrong. The manager told me that there's "vegetarian", and "true vegetarian". Meaning that the "vegetarian" dish that comes with black beans instead of refried beans, but it comes with mexican rice, which isn't truly "vegetarian". The mexican rice has chicken stock. The "true vegetarian" dish comes with black beans and salsa verde with shredded lettuce. At any rate, I waited a few minutes more and I got the correct order, and clarification on the difference between "vegetarian" and "true vegetarian". Hopefully this is useful infor for any vegetarians out there. They also comp'd the order and the manager gave me a $25 gift card. Can't beat that Customer Service. The "true vegetarian" enchilada dish is good, and slightly spicy.

Angelique S.

AWESOME Margaritas! The guacamole is unbelievable! Best I've ever had. It is made at your table, fresh ~ so delicious! Good place for the after-work crowd. Highly recommend this place.

sean m.

This was my first time here, came with a group of co-workers for lunch. The food was fresh and delicious, and the service was great. So many dishes on the menu sound great, I will have to come back to try them. I asked our server if they can make something gluten free and she said they will make almost anything on the menu gluten free! Wow, 5 stars for making things gluten free, and 5 starts for a server who knows about gluten. Thank you! I had the fish tacos on corn tortillas. What an experience: fresh tasting fish, tangy sauce and fresh guacamole. It was a great, simple dish. The place looks very nice on the inside. It was relatively quiet for lunch on a Tuesday, perfect for a mid-week lunch.

Kate C.

2 stars only because the drinks were strong. The food is AWFUL!! Well except for the chips/salsa/guacamole... pretty difficult to screw that up though. The enchiladas were dry and tasteless. The waiter was nice and the pitcher of margaritas and sangria weren't bad. Won't be rushing back anytime soon... probably ever.

Laura W.

Great food, great drinks, great service and great guacamole! I came here with a group of friends a couple weeks ago and can't wait to go back.

Lindsay L.

What I like most about Papagayo is the ambience. It's bright, colorful, and spacious with plenty of seating. That's a departure from many places around Boston. Plus I'm a tequila lover so this is one of my new go-to spots when I need my tequila fix. I can't give this place five stars though because my margarita was too strong. I typically pride myself in my tolerance for strong margaritas, but even Papagayo's was a bit too strong. If I wanted to have a strong drink, I would've ordered straight tequila (which I do quite often). When it comes to margaritas though, I need more sweetness. I think I'll just ask them to go light with the liquor in my margarita next time.

Liz W.

Ideally, I would give this place 3.5 stars... The ambience is both appealing and inviting. Exposed brick, colorful, eccentric art work, and an open floor plan make it a great spot for after work cocktails, a first date, or a dinner with friends. I went on a Friday night for a girlfriend's birthday. We called earlier in the day to see if a reservation was necessary and the hostess recommended we make one, as they planned to be busy that night. We made one for 7:30, arriving right on time. We were told it would be about a 20 minute wait, which was fine by us as the bar was calling and we didn't mind grabbing a drink before sitting down for dinner. Service: Once seated, we were promptly greeted by our server who was very enthusiastic and eager to talk to us about the menu and explain/recommend some of the drinks on the extensive cocktail and tequila menu-much appreciated as we were a little intimidated. Although he was energetic and knowledgeable, he seemed to be somewhat all over the place, though not appearing to have many other tables. He also stayed at the table an extra 15-20 seconds each time he came over, resulting in an awkwardness that we didn't quite understand, especially since he would not take away any of our empty beverage glasses even when his hands were empty(?) Even the manager who delivered some of our delicious bar concoctions refused to take these glasses away. Finally, once we started eating, we asked our server if he could please take them out of our way-Not a huge deal, but I think table maintenance (or lack there of) is worth mentioning. Food: The table-side guacamole was fabulous-definitely 5 star! Such a fresh and cool concept and if you go here, you must try it! I got the BBQ chicken salad as my entree, which was also delicious and both my friends ordered the tacos-they said they were fresh and filling, though somewhat soggy. We all tried a different margarita-which they make fresh by hand (no mixes)-makes all the difference! I also tried their jalapeno, cucumber caparinha which was an interesting combination of hot and refreshing-I very much enjoyed it! All-in-all, they use extremely fresh products in both their food and drinks, the atmosphere is funky, causal and cool, and the price points are very reasonable. I will definitely be going back again when I am in the mood for mexican!

Scott B.

We went here last night and I was pleasantly surprised. The margaritas were tasty (and strong), the tuna tacos were outstanding. Fresh quac made fresh right at the table, service was good, price seemed reasonable. If you like keeping an eye on sports they had sufficient TVs but not over the top. I'm looking forward to coming back.

Camille H.

We've gone to Papagayo twice, both times on a very busy Friday. The food is good and it's a fun atmosphere. It's VERY loud, so not a great place if you really want to talk.

Karen G.

Went to Papagayo recently for apps and drinks and loved it. The staff was very attentive! Had a margarita that was big and strong and the apps I had were amazing. I recommend the Tacos de Atun - Minced and Spiced #1 Tuna,Wonton Tortillas, Chipotle Crema with Cabbage Slaw. Can't wait to go back!

G H.

This place is pretty solid. The fresh guac was amazing. our margaritas were HUGE and pretty strong (not gonna EVER complain about that!) Atmosphere is good---pretty loud in there, but there were a lot of people and its fun.

D. M.

I actually ended up going to this place twice in one week. First time was for a birthday party, the 2nd for a friend's going away party. The birthday girl had made a reservation and although everyone arrived on time, we still ended up having to wait almost an hour before they were able to seat us. Our waitress was either overwhelmed or hasn't worked as a waitress for long because service was pretty bad. She looked less than thrilled to be there. It took her forever to get our food orders (she waited all the way until all our drinks were ready and on the table) even though we were all starving after having to wait so long to be seated. She never really asked any of us if we wanted refills. Individual members of our party had to tell her when they wanted a refill and then she wouldn't ask around the table. She would just walk away leaving the rest of us who wanted refills and had missed her brief stop at our table wondering why she couldn't ask if anyone else needed a refill. Isn't alcoholic drinks how they make money and the point is to sell more? And wouldn't that save her a few extra trips to our table? At the end of the night, instead of automatically adding tip to our bill (like every other place does for big groups) she didn't and then kept hovering around the table trying to make sure we gave her a good tip. Talk about pressure! At some point she actually told us it wasn't enough. The 2nd trip to Papagayo wasn't much better. The hostess was less than friendly and once again it took forever for us to be seated. She also gave us attitude because our reservation was made for one less person even though all they had to do was pull up another chair. The waiter we had that time was better but the whole place still seemed rather disorganized. Now onto food and drinks. The drinks were good. I had a frozen mango margarita the first time. It was too slushy but tasted good and strong. My friends got regular margaritas and sangrias and liked them too. The guacamole was good but WAY too spicy. First time, we asked for medium. We got really hot. The 2nd trip I made there, we got mild guac and it was still hotter than most of us would expect mild to be. The food is good. Nothing extraordinary but no complaints. Overall, it's worth going there for drinks and food but don't expect great service.

Amanda U.

Seriously delicious and great drinks. The two of us each got the 1/2 and 1/2 fajitas (1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak)- comes with rice, beans, salsa, tortillas. Everything was great! I thought the rice was could have had a bit more flavor, but we scarfed everything. The margaritas were top-notch-- made without the cr@p they call Sour mix, and with legit tequila. Service was very, very good. The only disappointment was the hot sauce they gave us-- the salsa that came as soon as we sat down was about 10x spicier than whatever hot sauce they served.

Sally F.

Ostiones Diablo - Grilled Island Creek Oysters, Jalapeno-Chorizo Butter (I give this 5 stars) but everything else was average. Had the guacamole chips and salsa - pretty good but I 'd like like to see it more spicy and flavorful. The fish taco's were ok. Fresh fish (not fried) with guac and pico. The drinks were very creative (watermelon/Jalapeno Martini) and tasty.

dan d.

Scene: 12 people for a 30th birthday party. Result: 12 happy full semi drunk people. Loved the tableside guacamole. Service was average but above given a Saturday night. Loved the chicken enchiladas. I'll try again when im in the area

Chuck L.

Well yelpers, it's 8:30 on a Friday night and granted Fridays are busy, but let me tell you about our experience at Papagayo. I write this as I wait for a table in fact, and we have been here since 6:30, if you do the math it's 2 hours. We called ahead at 4:00 only to be told they don't take reservations and still, we wait. A table fit for 10 just opened and we inquired, only to be told that someone had called ahead and made reservations? That makes no sense now does it. What to do? Well I guess write about the horrific experience for everyone to ponder. I've been here in the past as it near my office and relatively convenient, the food is just your average run of the mill faux Mexican, with an extensive list of overpriced tequila drinks. The attitude that the untrained staff emits is therefore completely uncalled for. Come here if you must, but be warned the food is mediocre and the staff is inexperienced. Also, it pains me to write this as I want to be excited about a new Mexican place close to work. Also take this with a grain of margarita salt as I am still slightly bitter about our 4 hour ordeal.

Alicia C.

Great food, love the guacamole

Diana P.

This restaurant was a ton of fun. I went here with my girls for a birthday celebration and we loved it. The only downside was that they don't take reservations and we waited atleast 40 minutes to get a table after the woman said that if we called ahead we should be fine. The drinks are quite tasty but all the drinks pretty much contain some kind of tequila...which I guess is expected. We all ordered something different, I had the filet of beef fajitas and they were quite tasty and reasonable ($16) just beware that it's about 5 small strips of filet so don't count on sharing this dish. The best part though was the guac man, YUP..they have tables that roll over to your table and make homemade guacamole at your table according to how spicey you'd like it. It was really good sized portions too of the guac. There was 6 of us and we ordered two dishes of it but only needed one. They had some desserts too that looked good that our neighbors had ordered but we didn't tackle it. The six of us split the bill and WITH drinks it came to $35 each, very reasonable. The atmosphere is nice but very bright...not the most romantic but great for a night with the girls!

holy f.

I really, really wanted to like this place. My friend and I ordered the guacamole and ceviche, both of which are made tableside. The guy who makes them (one of the guys) is fast and friendly, and does an awesome job. He said he was one of 3 guys doing the tableside guac thing that night and he alone had made 75 orders... seriously impressive. That was the only highlight of our dinner at Papagayo. Our server was so horrible that the only time she could be counted on to make an appearance was when it was time to collect payment. My friend ordered a mango margarita and was brought a house margarita (which has no added fruit flavoring or anything) and, when she finally caught our server's attention, was told repeatedly that it was the right drink; my friend asked for another one and was eventually brought the mango margarita she ordered in the first place. Look, I get it, it's 10:15 on a Saturday night and you've been busting your ass for 5 hours, but there's a certain standard of service you're expected to give if you work in the service industry! So once the drink situation was settled, and the guac and ceviche were made, our entrees were delivered (yes we ordered a ton of food and had to wrap a bunch of it). The problem, though, is that usually an entree is served as a second course, not 30 seconds after the appetizer is dropped. Again, this is a service issue. All in all, the restaurant area has kind of an interesting setup with a table for 2 placed awkwardly in the middle of the dining space. The drinks were just okay, my watermelon habanero margarita was served as a martini and was nothing special. It sounded like a cool idea, but apparently their hand squeezer must have been broken because there was so much pulp that it became more of a meal than a drink. The one sip of the house margarita (the initial wrong drink) my friend was served tasted overwhelmingly of sour mix, with only the slightest hint that tequila had ever entered the glass in the first place. The mango margarita was better, more interesting at least, but again, only the ghost of tequila remained. The appetizers were good, and the guacamole was way too much for us to finish. The ceviche was also pretty awesome. The entrees were pretty good, we shared the fish tacos and the grass-fed (!!!) beef taquizas, but the horrible service is a major deterrent from going back. Also, the entrees alone would not have been filling, so the appetizers were definitely a good idea. I read some of the reviews saying that the margaritas are pretty strong, so maybe the service bartender just messed up. We went with the intention of trying a few different drinks to try to get a feel for the place, but our server never bothered to ask if we wanted another round (or any water). I wish I could rate this place separately on food, drinks, and service. Unfortunately for Papagayo, our server, R., ruined it. Another mexican place just opened in the seaport, and it seems to be doing much better right out of the gate. Oh, and Papagayo's kitchen closes at 11, so even if you've been there for an hour (and looking for your server for 20minutes), don't expect to see a dessert menu. R. finally came back to our table, after we asked the host to find her for us, and informed us at 11:05 that the kitchen was closed so we couldn't get anything else. Really? You don't want to maybe check with your 2 tables at about 10:50, just in case? Hospitality is a funny thing, awesome service can make a mediocre meal great, and horrible service can make a great meal horrible. Too bad our server didn't know that. One kind of weird thing, when we asked to wrap up some of our food, our server came back with a container and started talking about how she couldn't pack it for us because she didn't think she should touch the food... what? Last I checked, you don't scoop food with your dirty hands, but okay, whatever, R. Despite all this, I kind of want to give this place another chance, kind of. TL;DR - Good drink concepts, poor execution. Good menu, but make sure to order an app or you'll be hungry. Horrible service, be prepared to wait seemingly endlessly and/or hunt your server down.

Owen G.

Stopped by on Sunday night after walking bean town. Decor: 5.0 - nicely decorated, clean and well laid out w/ high ceilings. Service: 3.5 - I sat at the bar by choice and was attended to by 2 bartenders. I thought, given the lack of crowd, that the 2 waitstaff behind the bar might have been more attentive. Food: 3.0 - the chips and salsa were lacking in quality. The salsa was passable, but the chips were old and tough. The fish tacos were made w/ tilapia (fresh water fish) that could have been made w/ a better grade of fish, considering this is Boston. I perused the tequila menu and found that libations were considerably overpriced. 8-13 $ for a shot of tequila that comes from a 12-30 $ (25 ounce) bottle of tequila is price gouging. In conclusion, I would probably take advantage of Boston's Irish pubs and leave the Mexican food to places south.

Brandon F.

Great food! Great place! I have been here 3 times now and love it. The staff is pleasant and the food is very good. I even sat at the bar with a coworker late one afternoon followign a meeting and had a great conversation with the bartender whom I cant reember his name... but he was very nice and talkative and even allowed us to taste a few of their more expensive smooth tequillas at no cost. What a great place. I will return! I would say this is the best Mexican I have had in Boston.

Philip C.

You've had a really long day at work, or worse yet, a really long week and you just want to unwind and glide into the weekend at a bright and fun place that serves up the right combo of fresh margaritas and Mexican food. The answer: Papagayo. I've been now for several occasions: dinner with friends, after work drinks, work event, food catered to the office. Each different time Papagayo has been awesome and I've had the opportunity to try a bunch of different margaritas, enchiladas, fresh guacamole made tableside, in-house tortilla chips and salsa and my personal favorite, the FISH TACOS! They consist simply but deliciously of grilled tilapia, guacamole, shredded radish and lime. This place has a wide variety of tequilas for the aspiring or seasoned conoisseur. I'm not the biggest tequila fan though I do enjoy a good margarita and Papagayo has those covered. Friendly staff, attentive service, popular Latin music playing in the background and a long bar. Solid place.

Angela D.

Thank you! Finally, a Mexican restaurant in the Seaport/Southie! The restaurant is brand new, so naturally there are some small kinks to work out...to be expected. So far, my experience has been wonderful. At the bar, Jay, Heath & Ray are becoming my favs. Attentive and super nice, these guys will bend over backwards to please their customers. My favorite foods to eat: chili rellenos, the guac, the grilled Island Creek Oysters and THE FISH TACOS!! These fish tacos are super yummy! I find myself craving them. The atmosphere is fun. Someone else mentioned it's too bright, um, it's a Mexican Restaurant....just saying....The atmosphere is lively and has energy. Check out the white wall of Tequila. There's a "private" table there, very fun. This is a fun choice for 2 people or a group. There are tons of seating options (tables, long bar tables, bar space). All in all, everyone needs to give this place a chance and I promise it will be one of your favorite hang outs! Me and my girls will be there Saturday night!!

C. W.

My husband and I live in Southie and were excited to have a new Mexican place open up nearby - so we tried out Papagayo in its first week open on Saturday night. I'm willing to be fairly patient and understanding with a restaurant during its first few weeks. Also, I am from Southern California, so I tend to judge Mexican by extremely high standards, but I know what I'm up against in Boston (i.e. terrible options) so I was prepared to judge Papagayo's by standards relative to the area, as opposed to San Diego or L.A. (which isn't a fair fight). With all that in mind, it was an overall positive experience, marked by growing pains and room for improvement. The Good: - Chips were delicious, salsa was better than average for the Boston area. Though portions on both were meager. - Queso fundido was faaaaabulous -- seriously, it was different (in a good way) from any thing I have ever had before. It was a dense chorizo packed cheesy dip, served inside a small cast-iron pot, along with several flour tortillas. The serving looked very small initially, but it was so thick and rich, the two of us actually couldn't finish it all. We both loved it and I will go back to Papagayo specifically to order this again. - Husband had the made-to-order Guac and liked it very much. - Fish tacos were also very much enjoyed by my husband. - The prices! It is so great to have an inexpensive/moderately priced restaurant in the Fort Point/South Boston area, especially in an under-served genre. There were a few entrees in the high teens, but it would be very easy to have a full meal with drinks and not pay more than $10-11 for any one item. Mixed: - I ordered the "frozen" pomegranate margarita and it arrived almost completely melted (after a very long wait for the drink). I pointed this out politely to the server and he said something to the effect that only the original, house margarita could really be made frozen. I (again, politely) suggested that that be made clear on the drink menu - because when I ordered a frozen margarita, as listed on the menu, I expected it to arrive frozen, not melted with one or two small ice pieces floating at the top. - That said, I took one sip of the drink and decided not to send it back (which the server took great pains to offer several times, to his credit) because it was so delicious. Plus, the wait had already been so long for my first, melted drink, I had no idea how long it would take to receive my replacement. I thought the house tequila was definitely a cut above what one usually receives in a standard order margarita at a place like this. Bad: - The service was extremely scattered. Our waiter was very polite and tried to be attentive but our orders were mixed up several times. I noticed that going on at all of the tables surrounding us as well - total confusion regarding which order was going to which table, etc. Sometimes our waiter would show up at our table to "check" several times in five minutes, then he would disappear for half an hour. - There were no salt/pepper shakers on the table. Which, okay, fine, I know some restaurants don't "do" that. But this isn't No. 9 Park, I expect to at least be able to get some salt & pepper upon request. I asked the waiter during our first course and he looked at me like he was shocked I would request such a thing. He said "We don't really have salt and pepper to provide, but I'll see what I can do" and returned to the table with an industrial-sized sea salt dispenser. It was so awkward. If they're not going to put them out on the table (and I really think in such a casual restaurant, that isn't too much to ask), they should AT LEAST have some in the back, available upon request. - My entree was way sub-par. I had the beef enchiladas and absolutely everything tasted like it came out of a can/jar/package. The rice, in particular was really bad. The enchilada sauce was bad. The beef inside was actually okay, but also nothing to be impressed by - just not as bad as the other elements. Like another Yelper mentioned already, I also requested the salsa verde (as listed on the menu) and was told they "wouldn't be offering it". Then they ought to update their menus ASAP, because that makes a very poor first impression. The "salsa roja" that ended up being the only option was terrible. HOWEVER, I am giving Papagayo an overall POSITIVE recommend because I think a place like this is good for the neighborhood. I really liked our appetizers, the drinks (save for the "frozen" misnomer), the prices and my husband loved his fish tacos. There were plenty of items on the menu that I wanted to try, so I will cross enchiladas off the list and move on to something else next time and hope for better results. I'm not ready to write Papagayo off for a few mis-steps in their first week. There's enough to love already and enough potential that I'm going to go back a few more times (after they settle in) and wish them good luck.

Brooke K.

Went here for a friend's birthday celebration back in March based on the reviews from Phantom Gourmet. Mostly because the margarita drinks with the Coronita bottles in them lol! Overall the drinks were good, but the food was lacking. We started off with some apps, some really good and some not so good. I'll start with the good. We loved the Cerviche with Tuna and Shrimp, and my personal fav was the Tuna Tacos, highly recommended as it was my favorite dish of the evening, and also the guacomole was prepared table side and very fresh (although compared to Mezcal in Worcester it doesn't come close). The bad was the Queso dip which you would think would be the easiest to make! It came out seriously lacking in flavor and extremely watered down, it was like soup! Definitely stay away from this app. For entrees we shared the two orders of Fish Tacos (which came highly recommended and shouldn't have been, there was just no flavor), and Braised short rib taco (meat was tasty). The waitress knew that we had a birthday so at the end she came up to me and asked which dessert we would like for the birthday girl, so we picked the churros and when we got the bill she had charged us for it. The fact that we had to pay for it isn't the problem because we would have gotten a dessert for her regardless, but the fact that the waitress made us believe otherwise was a bit sneaky! She implied that it was going to be taken care of. Overall the only reason I would come back is to sit at the bar to have a drink and share an app with a friend after work.

Kristin F.

This is a welcome addition to the area. Made a reservation for 8:30 on a Sunday night. Being a Sunday, it wasn't terribly busy, but be forewarned, the kitchen closes at 9 on Sundays. Server was a bit spacey, but sweet. Sangria was weaker than watered down kool-aid. I probably should have tried a margarita; the table next to us had clearly been enjoying a pitcher or two judging by the lack of inside voices and spontaneous dancing. Tableside guacamole took a long time to get to us, but was worth the wait. I think they are still working out the kinks in the service department. Fish tacos were fantastic; great quality talapia with pickled cabbage and guac...just the right portion and so yummy. Hubby was happy with his enchiladas; the portion was huge, and came with the standard (but flavorful) rice and beans. We'll definitely be back.

Victoria G.

i just love coming here on saturday or sunday afternoons and most of all i love the company of three very cool, fun bartenders who make outstanding tequila drinks. lindie, jay and keri are some of my favorite bartenders ever, they are why i keep coming back. i do love the food there, the kitchen makes very delicious chicken.

Karl R.

Excellent - brunch was very good, drinks were especially good, food quality was excellent, service was very friendly and attentive. I was very happy to find this upscale and trendy place to have Mexican in Boston without having to brave the overrated hype of some of the new places near Newbury St. I'll be back for sure.

Megan H.

This place has a margarita with a corona sticking out of it- need I say more? I have been here a couple of times- once with my girlfriends for my birthday, and another on a date with my boyfriend. Both experiences were great. For your birthday, they put a sombrero on you and the entire staff comes out and sings to you. Pretty funny, especially after a couple glasses on sangria. Great selection of food for all taste levels- even my picky eating boyfriend found a few options to satisfy him. Considering the options for Mexican in Boston, this place actually does a pretty good job at the spice-factor. Fun atmosphere, good food and drink. Prices and portions as pretty decent as well. Will definitely be adding this to my list of go-to spots!

Andrea A.

I wanna like this place. I really do. Fun atmosphere, always a good crowds. But I have yet to eat anything here that qualifies as decent Mexican food. It's all it bit tasteless, the flavors don't pop, and even the Margaritas have been a disappointment.. It's a fun place to hang, but go elsewhere if you want Mexican.

Johnny K.

i love this place! My only choices before were to walk to Salsa's no thanks or take the train in town. now i can drive right up to this spot or cab it and be there in 5 minutes. Great food! This bar is really cool and doesnt resemble a Boston bar at all which gives it a unique experience. I have been back twice now and wont be my last. The prices are really reasonable too.

Sarah O.

I love this place! Guacamole is AMAZING and a huge portion for $8! They make it right at the table and you can choose how spicy you want it. Dinners are inexpensive and drinks are moderately priced. Large menu. I tried the jalapeno strawberry margarita and it was delicious. It always seems to have a crowd despite the off the beaten path location.

Christina C.

My new fav Mexican restaurant in Boston!! ALways been an avid Border Cafe goer but this place is more swanky & has a better selection of tequila & enchilidas!!! love that they make custom guac at your table. The corn appetizer is superb & tasty. My only negative are the chips. I think they're a bit too hard & feel like they could be served warmer. Cant wait to go back for more ritas & try dessert.

John B.

This is a fantastic mexican restaurant. I went here with friends on a Friday night. We'd made a reservation a few days in advance and our table was ready when we arrived at 8. they have a very lively bar scene but the acoustics are good so it never seemed overly noisy. Really nice decor and well designed layout. the drinks are great and the food is delicious and surprisingly cheap given the fact that it's a "cool" place. they have a nice choice of standard mexican fare (e.g., chix burrito for $10) as well as some more progressive fair (e.g., build your own short rib tacos for $17). I went with the short rib tacos and was very pleased. The table side guac was also a hit. the service was solid despite the fact that the restaurant was very busy. We waited for a few minutes for our first round of drinks and the owner noticed us and must have known we were thirsty because he went to the bar and got the drinks himself and comped them for us. Overall, we all had a great experience and will be back soon.

Kim C.

Great atmosphere, fun decor and a big bar area. This is the perfect place to go with friends after work for some drinks. There is the fresh guacamole cart and you definitely want to order that, as nothing is better than fresh avocados. But end your food ordering there. The menu is small and uninspired. When a bar markets itself as a tequila bar you would expect the menu to be built around flavors that would blend and accent the tequila, as well as highlight authentic Mexican cooking. It is a standard Mexican menu - fajitas, tacos, burritos - and the food is okay, but not great. There are other places in the city where you can get Mexican food that is much more flavorful and authentic. The food just gets 2 stars, but the atmosphere and fun bar area with a great tequila selection push it up to three.

Em G.

My party showed up at 7:15 p.m. on a Friday night. They told us it would be a 1.5 hour wait because there was a private party coming at 8 that was taking up the majority of the restaurant's seating area. At 8:15 p.m., the party had not arrived. The hostess showed me a full page of people that were still ahead of us and said she could not give us an estimate of time left because no one had moved from their tables. We ended up leaving without even eating after having a couple of mediocre margaritas. If they are going to let private parties take up the majority of the restaurant, they should not do it on a weekend or they should figure out a way to be more efficient. Overall, a total waste of time and energy!

Meghan B.

Came by with my boyfriend to finish off date night w/ a few drinks after we attempted to get into Drink. Jay the bartender was more than attentive. He helped steer us towards tequila that we would actually enjoy and even tailored a tequila flight to what we were looking for. We didn't try the food but I'm hooked on the drinks and will definitely be back.

Just S.

Up front, I am not a fan of Mexican food, but this place may have changed that. Went there last night, and it was a holiday weekend so it was not that crowded, although it did start to fill up after we got there. Had a house margarita which was nothing special except large. Waiter did not hear my request for a Ronrita and I did not make a big deal of it. My second drink was a Ronrita and that got everyone around me ordering them. Although billed as a tequila bar, the food is very good. Started with Guacamole dip made at the table and salsa with what I think were fresh made tortilla chips. I had the fillet fajitas which were excellent, others had fish tacos and chicken tacos, all of which were devoured. Unfortunately we were too full too full to try the tequila snow cones, oh well we'll have to go back. Service was excellent, attentive, but not intrusive, and he offered suggestions on both food and drinks. Overall a very good restaurant.

Adrianna C.

Planned my company function here last month, and I am impressed! What a great, accommodating crew. I would definitely have it here again. Thank you, Charles for your help!

Joe J.

Expansive margarita selection, good service, and quality food. The food isn't spectacular, but they do it right and don't try to overachieve. Ceviche was good, but way too much of the non-seafood ingredients. Guac is made fresh by the table and taste great. Fajita plates are plentiful, and the grilled chicken was good. The beef was a little tough. The Carne Asada tacos were legit. Make your own and the meat was cooked perfectly. This place won't break the bank and give you a good start to a night out on the city!

Leesh F.

Visiting from the Bay Area, Ca. and the reviews and rating eeeeeehhhh, I'm trying to figure out how they got their ratings. Not the best. Rice tasted blah, black beans taste like they came from a can. You'll have to add your own special seasonings to your food. The chips weren't the best either. The service was good

Soqui M.

How the mighty have fallen... When it first opened, my husband and I were regularly coming in for lunch and dinners. Everything was fresh and flavorful. This afternoon was our first lunch there in a few months. It was packed. We were quickly seated. Our waitress was swift. Our drinks (the once delicious margaritas were now super sweet with only a hint of tequila) and lunch quickly arrived. Oh, bore... My chicken enchiladas were bland, rice and retried beans over cooked. My husband's fajitas were tasteless. Don't bother unless your tastebuds have left the building.

Eric G.

Pretty good spot for Mexican. I got the fish tacos and I enjoyed them. I also got a coconut margarita and -- after the waiter spilled it on me and brought me another one -- it was a good.

Helena Q.

Guac was pretty good, tacos were awful - the refried beans had a weird taste and so did the meat. (Not like it had gone bad, but a close cousin of that taste.) Pretty expensive, with nearly everything over 10$. I liked the salsa and chips though, so that gets a star.

Stev G.

Guacamole was nice but food needs some help from real Mexicans .. Obviously meant for people who only know Mexican food from Taco Bell -- it's awesome. Drinks were good.

Jeannette L.

I enjoyed a fantastic evening here on my first night out in Boston. This Papagayo location was close to my hotel, the Westin Boston Waterfront. My boyfriend and I took a nice stroll and got to the restaurant fairly quickly on foot. The place was bustling when we got there, and fortunately we did not have to wait to be seated right away. We were taken to an intimate, two-seat table tucked in a corner of the restaurant. The place has a hip, modern decor. There were some fancy looking people having dinner, but also more casual diners - it was a good mix of people. Everyone looked relaxed and like they were having a grand time - a very convivial feel. Our first night out in the city, and after driving for 6+ hours, it was a given that we would start off with drinks and guacamole. The table side prepared guacamole is amazing! It's worth the $10.95. It's delicious and made specially for the table (the preparer will ask you how hot you want it). We ordered the Jester Flight and Crystal Flight, the two median priced tequila flights on the menu. Both were very good and brought out in very dramatic looking shot glass holders with tomato juice palette cleansers. My boyfriend also had a Malbec, to which he gave an approving nod after the first sip. We ordered two vegetarian entrees - a fajita ($13.50) and an enchilada ($9.95). Both were delicious, but the vegetarian fajita was my preferred between the two. The enchilada was good, but heavy for a summer night. The fajita entree came with a mix of grilled and fresh veggies, which makes for a lighter meal fit for summer. To round off the meal, we ordered churros ($7). Also, I recently have become obsessed with churros, so as soon as I spotted it on the desert menu, it was a done deal... the churros were OK here. It was tasty and culinarily adventurous with "Boston" cream and fresh raspberry sauce, but it just was not the more authentic, Mexican churro that I prefer and was craving that night. Anyway, next time I am in Boston, I will definitely come back here for a great dinner and night out. I suggest you check out Papagayo, too!

Tia T.

This place is difficult to review as a restaurant since it feels more like a bar. All the tables are high top and there are full bars on floors 1 and 3. We went here for a weekend lunch and it was very quiet. We were greeted by the bartender who told us to follow the hostess who brushed by, taking us to the 3rd floor, dropping menus, and left - all without saying a word. Our waiter was pleasant and prompt though- no complaints. The food however . . . OK I was expecting north North American style Mexican food but this was so far from the border that it could have been in Alaska. The chips were stale, the salsa jarred, the greens iceberg lettuce, meats previously cooked and reheated, beans with an odd taste.and just about meh everything else. The guac was OK - fresh but a bit bland. I wouldn't recommend this as a place to satisfy your Mexican food cravings - it may be more interesting as a bar at night (when the dust won't show as much) - just don't order the chips.

Amanda M.

I ordered table side guacamole. It was made somewhere on the floor in the dining room but it was definitely not table side. The best part of ordering table side guac is to watch it being made. I asked for veggie enchiladas and double checked if there was cheese inside. She added me there was. When the food was dropped off, 5 min after we ordered, there was no cheese in it. She offered me a side of shredded cheese which I declined and asked for inside- melts. They brought it back with cheese melted on top. The black beans are soupy and full of onions. My daughter really liked her fish tacos.

Komal D.

I came here for a late dinner to celebrate a birthday. Place looked nice and still pretty packed. We ordered two sodas - completely flat.. We asked the waiter if he could get us new ones, but it was still flat. :( We didn't even get water, so we didn't have anything else to drink. On a positive note, they give complimentary chips and salsa... Too bad they were stale. Finally they brought out some water cuz the waiter noticed we hadn't touched our flat sodas. We ordered everything vegetarian. Tostada: Great. Only reason I'm giving this place two stars Fajita: unfortunately never showed up, but a mystery vegetarian burrito did. They waiter knew it wasn't what I ordered, but I was so hungry by that time, I just took it. The burrito was awful and filled with carrots and broccoli (In my Mexican food)...ew The place wasn't even busy cuz it was so late, yet we waited 40minutes for our check. And the only reason we got it was because I had to waive down the waiter. He never came to pick up my credit card to pay, so then I had to find cash and ask the birthday girl for some money because I didn't have enough... we just left it on the table and went to get some real food.

Lisa S.

We came here around 10-11pm on a Friday night because I had been craving a rona rita. The place was a bit dead, which was a bit awkward but also nice that we could get stools at the bar and talk. We ordered two rona ritas ($12 each). Unfortunately, our drinks were excessively sour and really difficult to drink. I'm pretty sure we were making faces while attempting to drink it, and I left more than half of the drink in my glass. I'm pretty sure the bartenders noticed, but they never checked to see if the drink tasted okay. The margarita batch appeared to be pre-made, and a few other people got margaritas while we were there and didn't seem to mind them, so perhaps we got a bad batch. The bartenders were somewhat friendly, but the staff seemed to be ready to call it a night. At one point, another group tried to order food, and there seemed to be some confusion over what time the kitchen closed and if any late-night food was available. Overall, a disappointing rona rita, but I'd give this place a second try to see if it was a fluke. I'd probably come back for dinner, as the place didn't have a great night vibe to it.

Lesley C.

If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is probably not your place. With that said, regardless of the lack of authenticity, the food was pretty good. I had the Grilled Chicken Torta with fries and thought the grilled chicken was perfectly well done- not too dry like it usually is- and the sauce-cheese combination was perfect. The fries were also very tasty, but by the time I was finished with the Torta and complimentary chips/salsa, i couldn't get through even half of them.

Emily T.

Initial service at the door was abrupt and ruse, but the waiter we got was lovely. Definitely get the guacamole - they made it fresh in front of us which added some excitement, and it was delicious. You can also choose the guacamole to be mild, medium or spicy. There was two of us and we got the guacamole, fish tacos and the pork tacos which was PLENTY of food! fish tacos were fantastic. Lots of drink choices too. The cocktail with grilled fresh pineapple was delicious.

Tamara W.

Came here on Cinco De Mayo aka Cinco De Drinko and it was really great. We arrived on the earlier side + the line moved really quickly. They did not take any reservations that night but we were seated quite promptly. The good: -amazing services. Francisco is an amazing server and was so attentive, friendly, kind, and funny. We loved him. He was the best. -great guac-- made right in front of you with fresh lime + avo. -Clean bathroom -great palomas although they get wayyyyyyyyyyy too sweet so i only recommend one :-) i did throw up all night 'cause i had just three but the sugar gave me the most killer headache, hangover, and stomach issues. The bad: -no reservations. -tilapia fish tacos in lettuce wraps: HUGE PORTIONS. not sure why they are massive -expensive. for three people it was $150.00 Overall a fun place. Probably won't ever go back since Loco in Southie and El Centro in South end are my go to places for Mexican, however it worked out well for the purpose of Cinco de Mayo and Francisco made it all worth it :-)

Le T.

Really like the atmosphere here. All staff are friendly and attentive. Their lobster guacamole is to live for. So so soooooo soooo good!!! Pricy but worth it!!

Helen L.

James was our server today for a group of 11 people and bless him! He checked in frequently to make sure we were all set with everything. Super friendly! He provided us with lots of food recommendations. Got the usual fish tacos and tried the corn and flan for the first time. The corn was very sweet. Delicious and I would definitely recommend them all.

Rachel P.

I work right across the street from Papagayo and my friend and I have made the Tequilla Club our mission. Usually we just go for drinks but we've had food a few times as well. Everything I've eaten has been really good. Great guacamole and fajitas (although it's the only place I've ever been to that doesn't serve sizzling fajitas). The service is always an issue, especially at the bar. I can't tell you how many times we've been ignored completely when sitting at the bar. And we order a lot of drinks. Overall, a solid menu for Americanized Mexican food (I'd compare it to Chili's). You're not going to get an amazing gourmet meal, but it will be solid. And the tequila selection is extensive and cheap. I've tried several tequilas at Papagayo and seen them at Sushiteq or Lolita for nearly twice as much.

Kyleen K.

Dying to try their brunch because I have never been disappointed with what I've had here. Perfectly good margaritas, fresh guacamole, and yummy plantains. Fun after work crowd, and if you really need to blow off some steam, they have 'Rona 'Rita's. Just be cautious parking and pay attention to the signs!

Kevin L.

wow I'm not usually a fan of chains, but oh boy. REALLY impressed. i came here for a birthday dinner 20+ people and they were really accommodating. Huge selections of margaritas, great service, great food. Their guac is fresh made and the queso was pretty decent. I ordered the fish tacos after looking at yelp reviews. Probably the best fish tacos I've found in Massachusetts. I highly recommend dining here =)

Jennifer G.

Great customer service! I made a reservation for Papagayo (meaning to choose this Summer St. location) but reserved instead at the Downtown location. Make sure which location you're calling when you reserve! They were very accommodating and understanding when I explained my situation to them, and they were able to set up a table for 10 people almost right away. What a relief! Very expansive food and drink menu, so I was pretty overwhelmed at first, given how indecisive I am. We ordered a bunch of apps and entrees for the table, but my favorite had to be the fish tacos. One order comes with three tacos, which is pretty filling. What's unique about this place is that they make their own guacamole. This is a must try! You can ask for mild, medium, or spicy and they'll pull up their cart with fresh avocados and make the guacamole right there in front of you. Also, unlimited refill on chips! But don't get too full from these, as tempting as it may be. Great drinks, as well. We had a pitcher of sangria for the table and I tried a Rona Rita for the first time - pretty sure that drink was as big as my head. This is a Coronita engulfed in margarita, for anyone who hasn't tried it before. Definitely worth it! Dan's 2¢: What it is, what it is yo. Let's get right into it. Fish tacos were BOMB mang. Them things were crispy and tasty, had me licking my lips and sucking on my fingers. And the guac? Definitely cop the spicy guac. And I know there are some of yall out there saying "Omg, I can't eat spicyyy", but trust me....you aint gotta worry about spicy in spicy out.. Oh yeah.... the drink Coronita lit me up, got me doing the two step on my way out.

Alexandra M.

We got too much food to say the least.... started with devils oysters and the table-side ceviche. I felt like the oysters still didn't taste like much (that's how I always feel, just a weird texture) but the ceviche was great. Just the right amount of lime and spice. I then had the veggie enchiladas which were interesting. Having squash in it threw me off but they were still good, especially covered in cheese...Can't remember what my friend got but he loved it too. Finished with the tequila snow cones which got us kind of drunk. Well, they were after a pitcher of original margaritas so....it was just like a kick to get us really going. Our server was awesome. We talked about Game of Thrones. He showed us how to pour from the huge pitcher with ease.

Greg S.

This place is amazing! Vegetarian Tacos. Reasonable single serve guacamole. OUTRageous margaritas. Try the Especial! Attentive and knowledgable servers. Love, love, loved it!!!

Danielle K.

My husband & I stop by Papagayo for lunch whenever we're in the South Station/Seaport area. (On Saturday - we were in the area to attend the Boston Christmas Festival at the Seaport Convention Center.) We've always enjoyed our meals. My favorite meal was the shrimp and avocado salad but the half & half fajitas I tried on Saturday were also tasty. The staff here is attentive. If you order guacamole, it's made tableside. I'd recommend Papagayo for a delicious lunch.

Portia J.

Went to Papaguayo with one of my best friends last year. The sangria we ordered was absolutely amazing. We had to order a pitcher. Phenomenal. The fish tacos were the best ive ever had in my entire life. The table side guac was life changing. I highly recommend. MAKE RESERVATIONS!

Julia K.

Maybe I'm a spoiled Texan that has had her fair share of TexMex, but I thought the food here was mediocre. The guac may be fresh, but it literally had no flavor except for the pieces of jalapeno. Rosa Mexicano and even Temazcal have better made to order guac options with crispier and thinner chips. It would've helped to add some salt to the guac or if the chips even had salt on them. For entree, I ordered the salmon salad, and to my surprise, the salmon was so spicy! The salmon must be coated with a lot of cayenne pepper because with every bite, I was left with a stinging sensation in my mouth. With that said, you do get a fairly large piece of salmon which is good, and the vinaigrette is slightly sweet. The food looks amazing, but I was left underwhelmed by the actual taste.

Andrea B.

They make fresh guacamole. Right. In. Front. Of. You. And oh my goodness, it is so creamy, so fresh, so amazingly delicious... you'll never be able to enjoy guac from the grocery store or anywhere else ever again. And those house-made tortilla chips that come with it... oh boy. I don't think there was a single second where I didn't have one of those suckers in my hand, or my mouth, or both. If that hasn't convinced you to come here, maybe the margaritas will. A group of us went here for Nandanie S's birthday (Papagayo is a great place for large groups, by the way), so we had pitchers of both the raspberry and the strawberry. Mmmm. Can't go wrong with either. I'm not a fruity drink kind of girl, but with margaritas that good, you'll find yourself evolving into a fruity drink kind of girl. Even if you're a dude. My steak fajitas were also amazing. And portion sizes were quite generous. I do wish they gave me a bit more sour cream to go with them, but alas. Not everybody is a sour cream freak like me. I understand that. One thing I'm not a fan of is beans, but my server was happy to accommodate my request of replacing them with some extra rice instead. Big smiles all around! The one thing that I was slightly less than smiley about was my leftovers that were packed up for me. When I got home, I was disappointed to see that they didn't seem to pack everything that was left on my plate. I had a lot of food left, which didn't quite match what I was given in my take out box. Frowny face. But let's go back to focusing on the positives, shall we? Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Imagine me typing those about five billion more times. That should give you an accurate picture of how amazing they are. If you haven't been to Papagayo, go! If you've already been, go back!!

A M.

Their desserts are good, and so are their drinks and guac, but the reason I am giving them two stars is because I believe their entrees are tasteless, and its important for a restaurant to keep up with their main dishes. I've tried their chicken fajitas and enchiladas, I swear it didn't have a grain of salt or pepper..nothing for flavor!! How do you make dishes with cheese, chicken, beans, rice etc..and it tastes like air?? Will not go be coming back anytime soon...

Bill Y.

I went here after the auto show at the convention center. Boy did I pick the right spot. Some seriously amazing fish tacos! Good vibe / atmosphere and wonderful service. My date and I also had two margs each, and wanted more, but alas it was unfortunately a Monday night after all.

Robert R.

After seeing a show at the ICA, this was nearby and I was STARVING. It's in a really large and brightly decorated space. Also, it is loud - everyone was yelling.This may be a result of 'margaritas by the pitcher' and really loud Puerto Rican reggaeton. This was a quick tip off that the food wouldn't be authentic, but I still intended to go face first into food. I ordered, shamefully, fajitas. I wanted to get something that even an idiot couldn't f@$k up. Food service tortillas and no sizzling fajita pan at this joint. It was more like 'here's some stuff, make your own tacos'. Again, I was hungry so I stuffed everything in my mouth. The highlight of this experience was a very friendly, quick and attentive, mind - reading waiter. One big star for that. Sub par food. Ridiculous noise levels. This is not someplace to have a quiet date. If you're looking to get roofied at a bar, it's probably a safe bet for you.

Amanda L.

For starters - I could eat Mexican food all day long. What's better than melted cheese?! Papagayo is pretty great. The margaritas are strong and delicious and the guac is prepared tableside (mild, medium or spicy). The salsa that they serve with the chips is phenom - I love the chunks of fresh tomato! Today I tried the Chicken Tostada Grande salad. I usually stick to the fish tacos (which are absolutely wonderful here), but tried something new and unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. The salad needed something. Maybe a lime vinaigrette, maybe guac, something to add a little acid. The chicken in the salad was tender and flavorful and was also shredded nicely. Overall, the salad was okay but the presentation is what really sold it for me. Service isn't spectacular here - although it certainly isn't terrible. We came during the lunch hour today with clients and our server was just 'eh.' We never caught her name and she almost seemed offended that I didn't want a Pepsi when she let me know they were out of Diet. I'm sorry? And although it's fantastic that they make the guac to order it was super annoying sitting near the front of the restaurant and getting bumped into repeatedly with the guac cart. Oh well. The food's fine and I'm never one to say no to Mexican so I'll probably be back!

Katie R.

Went on a first date here so I barely touched my entrée, with all the talking and the nerves, which was an unmemorable quesadilla which I blindly ordered because I didn't really pick anything out by the time the waiter came back. However the pumpkin margarita (It was October) was so freaking good and the guacamole made at the table was also amazing. The vibe was cool I liked the way everything was decorated.

Michael C.

Came in a year after my first visit with pretty much the same group of co-workers. I have to say that the service was pretty bad. Especially for a restaurant at this price point. It took a while for our pitchers of margaritas to arrive at our table. When they did it took another 5 minutes or so for them to finally bring glasses. The guacamole was still excellent. The other food items I had were either unmemorable. This place is for you if you are looking for Mexican appetizers at a bar in a nice atmosphere.

Amber X.

It is a little pricey here. House Margarita is very good! Their salsa sauce is really good- not very salty.

Kristina M.

Great establishment! Great food and drinks! We go there all the time after work! Thanks for the great service on a consistent basis!

Yelp Z.

Just don't go here. Came in for lunch today - around 130pm. There was entirely FOUR other groups of people dining. Some were parties of two - while others maybe 4 tops. 2 patrons at the bar. I went to the bathroom which is down a weird corridor that will ensure you walk straight into someone if anyone is coming out - and was able to take count. Seated immediately - and then waited 20 minutes for a server to approach. Seemed crazy when the place was so dead. Noticed two managers speaking with the host - seemed all worked up about something. Certainly not the quality of service their paltry amount of patrons were receiving. Anyway - the server finally made his way over and we ordered everything immediately for fear we'd never see him again. He was nervous, quiet and mumbled - he was respectful though and didn't bother me in terms of attitude. Ordered a margarita which came in a martini glass and was about the size of a shot. Tiny bowl of stale cold chips and some salsa came out. We ordered guacamole which another 15 minutes goes by (and one tiny bowl of chips and all the salsa eaten w/cocktails) then arrives. Another tiny bowl of stale cold crappy chips accompanies it. The guac was mild and dull. Shortly thereafter we are served the party of four nearby's lunch. I said I didn't order a veggie taco - and the food runner pulls it from the table and leaves it behind us and walks away mumbling. This is a reasonable response? Later someone else comes out and serves them. Our entrees come out and they are mediocre. The bill is $65. The temperature on a 64 degree day is hot as BALLS inside an empty restaurant with AC on. Please put people who don't know how to communicate in the kitchen cooking, prepping or cleaning. Not running food and serving. You can tell this place is as shitty as Max and Dylans ever was. Have fun opening bad restaurants in bad locations and running them into the ground. The whole experience was really disappointing. You can feel how little anyone cares about this place.

Samantha A.

Our concierge recommended this place for its great atmosphere. He was on point about that and it would be a great place to meet up for drinks. However, I would definitely not recommend just going for dinner; the food was underwhelming. You can get better Mexican food (and cheaper!) basically anywhere else.

John S.

Had a great experience! Alana did a great job serving us! Love the chips and salsa. We told them we had to be out in thirty minutes and they moved quickly to accommodate us!

Elizabeth R.

Met a Boston friend for a quick lunch - but restaurant-table-service quick, not fast food quick - between buses from the Cape to Logan and my flight home. We discovered Papagayo after just a short walk and we were really glad we did. I bet this place is packed at cocktail hour but on this Thursday lunchtime it was surprisingly empty. Food was delicious, service was excellent, and anyone who finds themselves in this part of Boston should check it out. Wish we'd had more time there.

Danae K.

They have very nice drink options. Ideal to go after work, and enjoy chips with guacamole. This place is also very large, so it's ideal to come with a big group of friends. But, it's a chain nonetheless.

Joanna F.

Attended an engagement party here on Saturday and the event was done beautifully. We had four tables set up in the bar area, and there was an endless supply of delicious, fresh guacamole, salsa, and passed Mexican appetizers. The buckets of Mexican-ish beer (Corona, Dos Equis and Bud Light), margaritas and sangria were a nice touch. The service was spectacular. All of the servers were really enthusiastic and helpful. This event definitely made me want to go back and try an entree at some point. And the atmosphere was beautiful and really fun. The coronarita looked like the most fun drink ever (even though I don't like tequila)!

robert a.

GREAT tequila selection, monumental, stellar, insane good, one of the best. Food was acceptable, white people Mexican food. prices were a little much for their food. Staff at your table was ok, staff at the door are hipster assclowns. In the afternoons the place has a meatmarket for suits vibe, pretty pathetic.

Kathryn R.

Was generally pleased with my visit. Good atmosphere, food and prices. Legitimate guacamole made to order, table side and kind wait staff. Stopped in out of convenience. Would recommend if you're craving some good sit down Mexican.

Jason B.

fish tacos yes please.

Lady J.

Were here on a Thursday evening so we were here with the "drinks after work" crowd. That was not us, however, we were in Boston visiting the Boston Children's Museum & had our two kids with us. The hubby called ahead to make sure kids were "welcome" here & yelp claims this is not a good restaurant for kids. They said yes, they even have a kids menu, & explained it can get pretty loud on a Friday & Saturday night so that may be why so many people claimed this was not a good spot for children (although to blanket cloak a restaurant as not kid-friendly simply because it gets rowdy on a Friday & Saturday night - when children wouldn't be here anyway - doesn't really make any sense, but whatever). Our server was super-friendly, service above & beyond. My eldest & I couldn't decide between two fish dishes so we ordered both & switched half way through the meal. I'd asked if the dishes were dairy-free: no cheese, sour cream, etc. I've never seen cheese in fish tacos but I wanted to make sure there was no dairy in the sauce as fish taco sauce varies widely restaurant to restaurant. She came back & asked if I had a dairy allergy, I said yes. She explained that she had asked the kitchen & they said there was a tiny bit of milk in the fish batter but they could make it without for me. I said a tiny bit of milk was okay, I won't die if I have a little bit of it, but it was definitely nice that she asked & that the kitchen offered!! The guacamole-guy was super friendly too. Not in a fake way either but genuinely seemed to enjoy just chatting with people. The white sangria was yummy & I tasted the hubby's margarita which was tasty as well! This is NOT an expensive place to eat, not even just for Boston, in general this is not expensive at all. If this was closer to us (Keene, NH area) I'd say this same thing - for the amount of food you get, the quality of the food & service, & the fun atmosphere, this is a very reasonable spot. Now if we only lived closer to Boston. ;) I can see this place getting loud. We were here 5-6-ish on a Thursday evening & as we were leaving it was picking up. Definitely would not stop by with the kids next time we're in Boston if it was later in the evening. Still, highly recommend!! Great service, food, & drinks!

D C.

Keeping it short and sweet. Papa gayo is decent food. Terrible margaritas. And an alright overall feel. My server was very condescending and more or less rude in his very own ignorant and un-hilarious way talking to my group of friends. Overall the food.. Verde enchiladas were very good and it seemed everyone else's food was satisfying. Yet, I cannot help but leave with a bad taste in my mouth by the over salted margaritas and terrible humor of our server.

Alicia A.

The chips, guac, and sangria are not to be missed. I have never been impressed with the entrees here, so I usually stick with apps which have never disappointed. Service has never been remarkable...not bad, but not too good either. Temezcal has much better service but Papagayo definitely has less of a "scene" than Temezcal.

Sarah D.

I am wavering between 3 and 4 stars for Papagayo. If I was grading it just as a restaurant it would have to be a 3, because the food is just not that great. But as a bar, it would be 4 or maybe even 5 stars. I'm gonna go with 3 but I could easily move this up to a 4 on a tequila-fueled whim. So, as I said, the food isn't great. It's fine, they use decent ingredients and nothing was bad, it just wasn't great. The Tacos al Pastor served up a large portion of sliced pork with which to fill the 3 tortillas they provided, but the seasoning on the pork couldn't really hold up with the other ingredients. For me, tacos are all about the meat; anything else you put on there should complement it, not cover it up. I mostly wound up tasting the mango salsa. My date had the steak fajitas; the steak was a bit overdone/dry and again not seasoned enough. The guacamole is good. It is also $9. But you get a portion big enough to last through pretty much as many chips as you want and still have enough left to add to your entree if that's your style. Tableside guacamole may not be an original concept at this point but that doesn't mean it isn't a great way to make sure people are getting fresh guacamole every time. Now onto the good stuff. The cocktails are awesome. I started with the El Diamante margarita, which is made with some reverse-osmosis tequila that I know nothing about. So good. It was totally smooth going down but had a really satisfying burn. The Watermelon Habanero margarita was also really great. It doesn't seem very margarita-ish, as they serve it "up" in a martini glass, but it is refreshing and has a great kick from the habanero. The Oaxaco (mind my spelling) is Mezcal based with ginger beer and is delicious and pretty intense. Our waitress was basically perfect. She checked up on us at all the right times. Whenever I had about an inch left of my drink she would magically appear to ask if I'd like another. She also seemed knowledgable about the menus (drinks and food) and was super friendly. So, my conclusion is that this would not be my first choice as a dinner destination, but for drinks and snacks it is excellent. I will definitely be back for more tequila and chips.

Andrea P.

So my first experience with Papagayo was on a Thursday night, tried to go with my team from work and realized quickly how popular this place was. Without a reservation on a Thursday night it was impossible to get it. The atmosphere seemed really cool so we decided to try back the following week on a Monday. Much less crowded and we were able to get a table for ten rather quickly. I think my favorite part of the entire meal was the table side guacamole. It was absolutely delicious, best I've had in a while. We ordered a few other appetizers for the table including queso and calamari. Everything was very tasty. The meal itself was pretty standard however satisfying. My least favorite part of my meal was my drink, not sweet enough and lacked flavor. Overall the experience was alot of fun the staff was friendly and the music was great. Definitely looking forward to my next trip to Boston so I can go back to this restaurant!

Laura M.

Fruit flies everywhere! Overcrowded, very loud bar on a Thursday night- not a nice place to wait 45 minutes for a table. Once you're seated you basically have to shout in order for anyone at your table to hear you. The guacamole wasn't that good- just a mushy, salty avocado. The calamari tastes like fried nothing and is very greasy. The short ribs taste like pot roast and the fish tacos are also very greasy. Two stars for yummy drinks, even though they are way overpriced.

Travis D.

The guacamole is so dang good that I would sit down and eat an entire bowl of it. The ceviche that they make at the table is decent, but I was hoping it would meet the lofty standards set by the guac... it didn't. The house margaritas are also pretty terrific, but service was spotty. I feel like I could come here again and maybe get a 5-star experience, but you have to earn it Papagayo!

Jackie S.

I went here for lunch with some co-workers for my birthday. The guacamole was really good, as it was made fresh right in front of our table. They even let me have my own little dish of it since I hate cilantro! (ick) I don't understand why they put the guac and the chips int he same sized bowls, we had to ask for refills. The chip bowl should def be larger than the guac bowl no? Two ladies got margaritas which smelled really strong = a good thing. I got the fish tacos. Meh, they were kind of cold and not that good to be honest. The atmosphere was fun and the music added to the flavor of the place. Also, the re-fried beans were made with pork *bummer* so it's a good thing I asked because I didn't see that on the menu. I would go back for drinks after work but not so sure about a meal again.

Giang N.

Delicious fish tacos. Very spicy and tasty cheese dip. The usual stuff was all very good (guacamole, salsa, margarita, mojito). I would consider going back here if I were in this part of Boston again.

Craig L.

Not a person to yelp bad reviews, and Papagayo is better than Rosa and Tezmecal but was annoyed when told the wait would be 30 minutes and ended up waiting an hour and twenty minutes. Meanwhile there were open tables everywhere and when I asked the hostess after an hour how much longer it would be she sat with arms crossed and said it would be another 15 minutes.

Tony G.

I'm a really big fan of mexican food and this place is one of the best for a reasonable price. Try the fish tacos, fresh made guac and the enchilidas. A pitcher of Margarita is $40 but trust me its worth it. No sour mix, just fresh squeezed lemon and lime. You'll be feeling good after.

Mags R.

I hosted my graduation party at Papagayos and all I can say is Thank you! The food was great, they accomodated every request I had for me and my 40 guests. Drinks were great and everyone loved the atmosphere! I am def going back again and again! They were extremely nice!!!

Dan B.

Food: The guac. is tremendous, made to order at the table. Fan of the fajitas and tacos too, simple and good. Drinks: Very good. Some interesting and creative margaritas. Atmosphere: Good service / fun / big happy hour crowd at the bar. Other: Long waits, so make reservations on weekends.

Gonzalo B.

Example 432(b) that Boston needs more restaurants. Back in the day, people went out for dinner for 'special' occasions. Anniversary, birthday. Now, people are out eatin', drinkin' pretty much every night, it seems (even in this 'ahem' 'bad economy' - thanks, media!). This place is a good example. We walkled in, and I wondered if there was a sign outside we'd missed for Free Food. You'd think the Starvation Police had just released some inmates. We've had different experiences here. One Saturday night we felt like we'd hit Powerball because They Had A Table!!!! How Lucky for us! yay!The waitress was very nice, and good. We loved the grilled oysters - though why they serve 5 of 'em, I dunno. Two people, 2 each...who gets the last? An even 1/2 dozen would b nice. I could down 20 of these suckers. Are they really Island Creeks? Don't know, but that sauce and oysters combo make for some mighty good slurpin'. If you want tacos and don't want 'em made from something that had hooves earlier in the week, too bad. They's all Hacked, Braised, and Grass Fed (presumably earlier in the rotation).Check dat - fish tacos (not great) is in the offerng later in da menu. Caesar Salad should be passed on in this incarnation, nothin' 'especial' about it, bland, basic croutons, bland, basic dressing...nothing here jumps. A takeout spot like Viva Burrito could learn 'em some. I did really like the fish n' chips, a generous serving and well-done all around. Not so much fish tacos. They could take a nod from a big chain like Margaritas which does these right. The fish, sauce, everything just...blah. Another letdown, the shrimp/penne. Mistake ordering a pasta at a Mexican I know - this penne was overcooked to almost shredding. The few shrimps had the tails on which makes 'em look bigger but makes 'em a task to eat. The whole dish was a mushy miss. If you want a draft beer, you're reduced to two -2!! - choices both negra modelo, a mezza-mezza at best. Guys, there's a brew revolution going on. Get on board - it's...fun! Harpoon is 3 minutes up the street - have them roll some barrels around the block. So. 3 stars. Better deal than the other couple mexicanos in the 'hood, by a bit. This place is part of the group that has Scollay Square, Max n' Dylans...decent, not set-the-bar-high kinda spots. I'd go back for some groovy guac and grilled oysters - 2 orders, please.

Sarah M.

Mmmmm mmmm good. In case you couldn't tell yet, I heart tequila :) And this place has watermelon habanero margaritas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So. Delicious. I also tried some of my friend's mojito, which was very good, as was their sangria. Seriously though. Try the watermelon habanero margarita. Tequila, a little watermelon sweetness, and the kick of the pepper. You'll thank me :) The shrimp and avocado salad (minus the avocado since I hate it) was very very good. Light and refreshing but enough to fill you up. I didn't try the guacamole since I despise all things avocado, but my friends adored it. I would give this place 5 stars for their food and drinks, but the waitress was ridiculously slow. I know it was a Friday night, but it wasn't that crowded.

Robyn R.

Had to update my review, still not impressed with the food - sorry! Maybe it's just what I got (enchilada verde) but they were just not good. My friends both had the chicken tacos and were quite happy. My wine was delish, and the gauc was on point this time!! I loved it. But my enchiladas were very dry, very little sauce, and pretty small....the tortiallas were not good either. Oh....how I wanted better. I will try again since the atmosphere is great. Maybe I'm just a Mexican food snob?

Christie L.

3.5 stars. We had reservations for 8pm with some friends on a Friday night. We got seated right away and the first thing I noticed was the NOISE. This wasn't just normal loud conversation or loud music - I can't remember the last time I was at a restaurant and literally couldn't hear anything the other people were saying! We started with the guac (just ok) and the chili dusted calamari which were decent - not too spicy and the tomatoes on the plate were great. I ordered a mimosa and the fajita platter with half chicken and half beef. The mimosa was pretty bad, but I'm never one to turn down a drink. The fajitas came with only chicken that seemed a little burnt tasting. I had refried beans, rice, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, and carmelized onions to wrap in my tortillas and with all that, I could still only taste the chicken due to the strong taste. My bf had the pulled pork sandwich which he said was very good, but despite being warned of the heat, only two bites were even remotely spicy. The other two in our party got fajitas and enchiladas and seemed happy, but since we couldn't talk, I don't really know! Our office is considering having a party here, so hopefully I'll have another opportunity to try it out and raise my review. For now, it's just ok.

Alyson G.

After reading that Papagayo would be opening soon in the space where the Achilles Project was last (a cool concept I was sad to see go) I could not wait to try this place. It took longer than I hoped, but it was worth the wait. I bellied up to the bar and opened up the huge cocktail menu. I think they have like over 100 tequilas, but since I'm not a huge tequila drinker I decided to try the Pecado, a cocktail with gin, tequila and grapefruit juice, mainly because I love gin and grapefruit juice. It was different, and strong so I even asked for more grapefruit after having a few sips. The bartender was nice and even brought a bottle over my friend had asked about that was unique, basically two tequilas combined in one glass blown bottle inside a bottle. Soon we had chips and salsa in front of us and our friend had requested guacamole from the made to order guacamole cart. The chips were sprinkled with salt and still warm and the salsa was not your typical watered down mild salsa. Instead it was a thicker, blended, spicy salsa that was oh so good. We had plans for dinner, and after requesting our table ended up over at the tequila table, surrounded by every kind of tequila I had never seen. My latest obsession is short ribs, so I had decided to abandon my go to carne asada and try the short rib taquizas. We also ordered the ceviche made with shrimp and tuna table side. It was served with plaintain chips, so fun to watch being prepared, and so delicious. Our chips had been refilled a few times by now, I was convinced the guacamole was a never ending bowl and my friends were working on tequila flights. We had the sweetest waitress that was attentive and so nice. By the time our entrees came out most of us had filled up on chips and guac, salsa, and ceviche. But now we had fish tacos, steak and chicken fajitas, and my short rib taquizas. Loved the presentation, 1/4 kilo of short rib in a little box, with onion, cilantro, guacamole and bbq sauce on the side with tortillas. I added a little cholula (so happy they had my favorite hot sauce), salsa, cheese and sour cream and it was amazing. Papagayo is definitely high on my list of Mexican places in the city. Fun place for cocktails and Mexican cuisine, with a little creativity thrown in.

Mike S.

Really wanted to like this place, the neighborhood really needs some more options. I know they're very new, but the service was pretty bad. We went in there twice, onece to sit down and once to take out. The first visit we ordered the tableside guacamole, which was bland and amateurish. We had to ask for more salt to give it a little bit of flavor, as it was basically just some smashed avacados. One of our orders was mixed up, although they did credit us for the missing dish. The second time we got takeout, and ordering was extremely hard. The person on the phone did not seem to understand what we wanted, and sure enough our order was messed up when we got there. The manager must have overheard us, because he credited us for the mixup, which was nice. But, when we got the food back to the office about 5 minutes away, it tasted like it had been cooked for at least half an hour, with dry rice, plasticky cheese and old beans. We gave the place a couple tries, but we're going to avoid it from now on. The tequila selection is great, but if you want good mexican food you're probably better off going over the bridge to Chipotle (seriously). Maybe they'll work out the service kinks, but the mediocre quality seems baked in.

Samantha J.

I ate at Papagayo last weekend - we called ahead for reservations and were told they had no availability until after 9:30 so we decided to try our luck at the bar. When we arrived there were plenty of open tables. The location and ambiance are great. The food was okay. The service...horrible. We sat down and ordered drinks. Three times the server brought me the wrong cocktail. We ordered guacamole (which was super salty) and a few entrees. It took almost an hour for our entrees to come out, and when they did come out the order was wrong (my friend ordered two chicken tacos....one beef, and one chicken arrived at our table). I ordered a chicken quesadilla with no beans....and got a quesadilla with beans. At one point we tried to flag down our waitress, she was unfriendly, she did not apologize but instead blamed the kitchen. I've worked in restaurants for many years....I dont expect excellent service wherever i go...but this was sub-par.

Kalif M.

I think folks need to cut this restaurant a break with service. They are less than a week old! I found my server knowledgeable and enthusiastic both concerning the tequila and the food. The food is very pedestrian Mexican American though and I had hoped it would be otherwise, but it was not. There is hope though as the management is eager for feedback. More spice and more risks with the food would be great. I think the neighborhood could welcome it. I loved the tequila flights! They do make guacamole at table side and though I did not order it, it smelled wonderful!

Milly M.

Fantastic place to meet for drinks, however it tends to be over-crowded on Fridays and Saturdays so be prepared to wait. Fish tacos and guacamole are fabulous, as well as the tequila selection/flights of tequila.

Nicole R.

SOOOOO disappointing. I had been dying to try this place. Friends said it was good, it's close by to my neighborhood and I love Mexican. Really cool space, love the look and the tequila wall. Nice and big with lots of tables and a big bar. The appetizers were very good, got the empanadas, the corn, the fresh guacamole and the queso fundido. After that it all went down hill. Our food came out piecemeal for a party of eight. The first round of entrees came out on the luke-warm to cold side. And after waiting for the next round of entrees at least five minutes after less than half our table got their entrees we discovered the man-of-honor (birthday boy) never even got his entree. The server came by and said it would be right out, offered no apology, and then he waited a good ten minutes for them to make his entree and FINALLY deliver it. When he asked what happened after neither the server nor runner offered no explanation, the runner said the ticket got messed up in the kitchen and didn't print his order. *I knew this was untrue because when I looked at the receipt his entree was the last entry on the bill and I know from being a server, the order you enter things is how they appear on the bill. I had to send my grass-fed skirt teak fajitas back because they were so fatty they were inedible. I know it's skirt steak and it's going to be on the tougher side, but I could chew this enough to even get it down. The server graciously accepted it back, apologized and took it off the bill. The server never came back during our entrees to offer another round, I had to ask the runner to send her over so I could order another drink. They only cleared three out of eight plates and as we sat finished, with plates in front of us-the server offered us dessert menus. We went in for dinner on a Sunday, which is no excuse for the service or food to be lacking but may account for some of it......unfortunately I will not go back.

June Y.

their drinks are too bad, but the food, is a different story. Guacamole is pretty good, but all the main entrees are mediocre at the best. they also have the rudest maitre d' during the lunch hours. myself and friends at three different instances tried to make reservation for over 6 people. their responses were " we don't take reservations. if you want a table, you'll have to get here before 12pm". on top of that, they require everyone of the party to be there or they won't seat us. Definitely go somewhere else for lunch in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood .

J J.

Yes, I agree. This place is awesome. Happy to be in eating true or as close to authentic Mexican this side of the country. This comes a close second the El Farolito in San Francisco's Mission District. And talk about strong margaritas? With fresh fruit? Amazing!!! Freshly made guac with variety of intense heat at your table, amazing!! Definitely coming back!

Chris S.

I agree with the other review that it is 3.5 stars; she gave it 3, so I gave it 4... Overall, a very solid and respectable establishment. The prices were reasonable, beer selection good, and of course the tequila selection is unparalleled. Don't let that fool you, though. The food was mighty tasty - especially the guacamole! So why not higher, you ask? Well, the service was a bit slow and the chips. I would say a good 1/3 of every bowl was soggy and they all had a slick sheen to them. Additionally, the table salsa was good, but very runny. All in all, I would definitely say I will visit again. The dishes are not too adventurous, just basic fare, but quite tasty!

So S.

This place rocks! Its pretty good Mexican. The entrees are not as good as the appetizers which are amazing and unique. This place is fun and great for large groups. The reasons why I will be going back are: Grilled corn: They know how to do this 'cause its' a Mexican tradition. Toro should learn from them. Baked Creek Oysters: Damn good and tasty Freshly made Guacamole: HELL YEAH! I am not a fan of most guacomole but this is by far the freshest and tastiest guacomole I have ever had. Best thing is that they make it right at your table. I believe this is the only place in boston that does this. Damn good table chips and salsa Snow cone margaritas were pretty tasty and cute Drinks are huge and very very strong!

Amy R.

Had dinner with my family at Papagayo last Friday night. My sister had been raving about this place - what she described as a "hole in the wall" - but that is hardly the case. I had a couple of Patron margaritas on the rocks w/ salt. No complaints. They were made well and with what seemed to be a little extra Patron... score! We all split the fresh, made-at-the-table, guacamole to start. How can you go wrong w/ freshly mashed guac? Seriously! The kid that made our guac was super sweet and very engaging with our group. We ended up giving him a tip for being a good sport! For dinner, I got the fish tacos... it came with three street like tacos with small filets of Talapia, shredded red cabbage, and guacamole. They were tremendous. I recommend getting the garlic mojo sauce on the side... maybe it's just me... it's more of a fear of having bad breath thing for me. Everyone was extremely satisfied w/ their meals too. My sister had the filet mignon fajitas, mom got the chicken fajitas, dad got the beef burrito, and boyfriend got the chicken & beef fajitas. The table was silent during feeding time, which is always a great sign, right? :) The only reason why I gave this a 4 was because I'm such a huge Ole Grill (Cambridge) fan! But, I do recommend Papagayo if you're in the South Boston/Fort Point Channel area and you're craving Mexicana!

Joe G.

Been here a few times and the ambiance is spectacular, always a good crowd, portions are perfectly sized, and price is fair, just quality all around.

Chris S.

I'm still not sure how the food arrived so quickly. And before our appetizer, even - but the food was quite good. The spinach dip was a great app choice but I would still like to go back and try the 'table-side' guacamole. I had the veggie enchilada - which was tasty but not fiend-able. I was meeting someone here for lunch the day after drinking a bit too much so I held-off from any cocktails - which makes another good reason to come back here. I work down the road so I'm sure I'll be back for a margarita sooner rather than later. Great spot for lunch - but I wasn't blown away on my first visit. Update to come!

Michelle N.

I went here with six of my friends for drinks and food. The drinks and food were pretty decent, but the service was awful. Once the restaurant got "busy" our waiter was no where to be found (espec when we wanted to bill) and again after we gave him the credit card(s) for the bill. I would not recommend this place based on the service alone. On the plus side: it is a nice big restaurant with lots of open space and a cool drink menu.

Dan W.

I have been here twice so far. The 1st time I was here, the service was so slow. I'm glad I gave it a 2nd chance bc it was so much faster the 2nd time around. If you like tequila, this is the place to go to. The bar is really cool and classy. Their mixes are fresh so if u want a regular, strawberry or raspberry margueritas, they use real fruit. They have every tequila seems like ever made. I like 1800 silver. The staff is very friendly also. And order the guacamole. They make it right in front of you. I like this trendy Mexican tequila bar. The space is roomy and just a better vibe than the typical mexican restaurant. Parking is easy to find also.

Elise P.

Cara, my good friend Sarah and I arrived at Papagayo a little after 8pm Saturday evening. We were told that the wait for a table for 3 would be 1.5 hours, so we headed to the bar to get a drink and hoped we would be able to find an opening for three at the bar so we could just eat there. I was really impressed by the size of the bar as well as additional bar seating. The place was definitely packed but it was not claustrophobic, and there were plenty of places to stand around the bar. Luckily just as we had settled on a little nook just big enough for 3 a party of two left their bar seats and there was an extra chair that was cast off to the side that we grabbed. With a little maneuvering and polite requests for our neighbors to scootch down a smidge we were all able to have a seat at the bar. We perused the drink menu, which was quite extensive. Sarah settled on one of their margaritas while Cara and I were instantly drawn to the "RonaRita" which was a Coronita (a baby-sized Corona beer) engulfed in a frozen margarita. The menu describes it as "refreshing from the start". It certainly was. I had never been to a restaurant before that served this genius marriage of two of my favorite drinks, but I had seen a magazine where Snooki was drinking one. And anything that Snooki gives her stamp of approval is something that I want to get involved with. I fully enjoyed the RonaRita. I actually liked it the most once I had drank some of the frozen margarita, allowing enough room in the glass to pour some of the Corona in. Next up was food. We settled on splitting an order of guacamole, the verde enchiladas and the fish tacos. The food probably took about 30 minutes to come out after it was ordered. And my biggest complaint of the night was that our guacamole came out last, after we had already finished the two main courses. I don't fault the bartender at all because he was totally aware of the situation and kind of yelled at the guy in charge of the table side guacamole making station when he realized how long the guacamole was taking. I thought that the verde enchiladas were delicious. The ingredients tasted fresh and the Mexican rice was tastey. The filling wasn't as creamy as some enchiladas I have had, but it worked. The fish tacos were also delicious-not much to look at but light and refreshing, especially with some lime squeezed on top. Papagayo makes their chips fresh at the restaurant, and they were warm and salty, perfect with the guacamole-some of the best I've ever had. I really appreciate places that make guacamole table side like Papagayo does. It really adds an important element of freshness to the guacamole, and you know it's not just coming out of some big commercial tub that has been sitting in the back in the refrigerator for days. I also have to give a shoutout to our bartender. When we first got there he seemed a little cocky, and Cara said something along the lines of "He's full of himself". But the man was super busy, and still very attentive and on top of his game. There was an alarming moment when he announced to the bar that he couldn't make anymore RonaRitas at the moment because they had run out of the margarita glasses for the RonaRita. I was just finishing up my first drink and had been planning to order a second. Naturally I panicked, and with a very concerned look on my face turned to Sarah and Cara and said, "Do you think he could make another one for me since I already have the glass from the first one?" The bartender was about 10 feet away from me tending to other customers. A few minutes later he stopped to check in on us, saw the distress on my face, and said "I can make you another RonaRita since you already have the glass. I heard the plan. I got it." Amazing that he heard me from that far away in a loud and busy bar. Makes me wonder what else he overheard...including Cara's comment about him being full of himself. But we made up for it in the tip. Another thing I appreciated about the restaurant is there was a huge sign hanging that said "Banos" (bathrooms in Spanish) pointing to where the restrooms are. This was very helpful because I often find myself in restaurants awkwardly poking my head around corners trying to find their hidden bathrooms. Good work, Papagayo. At the end of the night our bill totaled $90 for the three of us. Not bad at all for 2 drinks each plus 2 entrees and one appetizer. I really think the RonaRita is a great bang for your buck. It's $11 for the drink, but it's basically two drinks in one. I give Papagayo two thumbs up, and I will definitely be back soon! They do take reservations, which is a big plus in my book. I think it's my new favorite Mexican restaurant in Boston. It's all about the margs and guac.

Kathe T.

they had me at "tequila club"... Aspiring to one day reach the level of El Presidente, I have found myself here a number of times over the past month. Though I have never had an awful time, I would really like to see some more consistency in the way of service. I've had some amazingly attentive service at the bar, complete with tequila education and great suggestions. Sadly, I have also sat at the bar for 10+ minutes without being acknowledged while one of the bartenders checked her phone/texted right in front of me - seriously? Table service has also been hit or miss. Reservations are pretty much a necessity; it's always been busy & a seat at the bar can be hard to come by. Service aside - the fresh table-side made guacamole has become a craving of mine. Everything I have tried has been fresh and tasty, but the guacamole keeps me coming back. Obviously, tequila is their "thing", taking all sorts of forms- including snowcones. The sangria is also yummy and they seemed to have a decent selection of beer. All in all, I like this place... the prices are reasonable- food is cheap, the money is spent in trying to become El Presidente. Yes, there are some rough spots, but some minor tweaks will make a world of difference.

Elizabeth G.

went here on a wednesday for a coworker's send off party. drinks were pricey and weak (house margarita was plenty strong though...) and the service was pretty pushy once we sat down. i was told our party MUST order from the server and not at the bar (somewhat unnecessary since it hadn't happened) and we were essentially begged to pay in cash (which was already the plan.) the guacamole was excellent, the beers were cold and the bathrooms were clean. other than that, it was a solid medium.

Punit S.

The good: The Mojixo was good and fairly strong too. We also had the Alotes a la Parilla which were basically corn smothered in aioli. This was pretty darn good. The food was priced right, three of us had a total bill of about $60 with three meals, two appetizers and one drink. The bad: The guacamole was made on the spot, kind of like rosa mexicano but even though we asked for the spiciest, it was about as bland as a glass of water. The vegetarian meals were all filled with the "standard" veggies Carrots, Squash and Zucchini - blech. My friend had the fish tacos but found it wasn't cooked properly, he was only able to eat two of the three tacos. Not sure I'd return unless it was for the drinks

Tiffany T.

Wonderful ambiance, truly inspiring walls of tequila, and the fantastic service made me want to come back. The overpriced, fairly lackluster faux Latin American food caused me pause. I couldn't believe I was going to pay $9 for quacamole as the words left my lips, but you can't get fresher out and about if it's made tableside. In terms of the entrees, which really should be the stars of the show, I actually liked the fries more than a torta and an enchilada dish. Yikes. I want to go back, but likely not to eat a full meal unless this place either drops prices or upgrades in the kitchen.

Kate C.

Seems that more and more Mexican and/or tequila bars are popping up around the area. Have had the opportunity twice recently to pop into Papagayo. The Summer Street block on which it is situated is not as busy as most other city blocks after work, so meter parking is usually plentiful - big perk! Both times I was there, I wasn't famished and ordered the guacamole, which as several reviewers have noted, is made table-side. I'm not an overly spicy kind of girl and found that the mix we requested was perfect for my palate. The chips are thick, crisp and the right amount of salty. The second time I also had the fish tacos, which were delectable and that perfect portion, not leaving you feeling overly stuffed. Also had the watermelon margarita, sans habenero as advertised on the menu, which was strong, sweet, tart and salty. They're the kind of drink that will kill your taste buds after one, but it's almost irresistible to order the second.

Andrea T.

Terrible bar service. Second time going and both times the bartenders have been totally inattentive and unfriendly. Not a good vibe overall. Plus, the chips are awful and the salsa likely Pace Picante.

Alan M.

Friendly service, nice bar... food's expensive and not so good. Fish taco was under the heat lamp too long... which is disturbing since I was one of the first there for lunch. The Empanadas were horribly greasy and not very flavorful...

Katie M.

Great food, appropriate prices and amazing drinks! I've been several times and never had a bad experience.

Henry H.

Holy smokes: hands down the BEST steak filet fajitas I have ever had and I lived in Houston for 8 years. The marinade and grilled onions were delicious and very flavorful (on the verge of being overpowering) but the fresh tortilla, fresh veg, rice, bean, and sour cream filler made it enjoyable. I didn't get enough tortillas to consume all the ingredients nor did I ask for more; instead I ate the remaining meat straight up like steak... which is what it was. What mexican place lets you pick how much (rare, medium, well) to cook the fajita meat: Papagayos does! On the downside the $10 alcoholic drinks are a little pricy but the Oaxaca cocktail I had was comparable to the last place I had it, as in very good. Another downer is that the queso left something to be desired because it was so thin; the chips were good and probably would have paired much better with the freshly made guac. We sat at a side bar which was fine since we still had access to the whole menu and plenty of space for our food. Waiter was nice but was busy. Try the steak filet fajitas. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Christine S.

When our office moved from the financial district, across the bridge to Fort Point, I was pretty dissapointed. Papagayo is definitely one of the few perks of the move. I've been here for after drink cocktails twice now and finally for lunch. After work bar scene has typically been really crowded so it can be hard to get a drink. The service has been pretty good though, and the remainder of the restaurant has been packed to the brim with a solid crowd of professionals. Lunch here was great - the service was impeccable, greeted like royalty, short wait and attentive waitstaff. I ordered the fish tacos and to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan. I had two bones in my last taco and I found them to be kind of bland. Needed some seasoning and some salt and pepper for sure. I also wished there was something on the side as portions were small, even if just a vegetable. Regardless, the service was so great, I didn't even care. I will absolutely come back here, but next time I'm ordering a burrito!

Ethan L.

1st of let me say i am not a fan of mexican. but the food here was pretty good. the chips and guacamole are pretty good. ( i usually do not like guac ) then the pork belly soft tacos. pretty good too. the drinks were strong and good. the atmosphere is good but my only complaint is that it is pretty loud. overall i was happy with my 1st time here and would go back.

Julie T.

I've been to all the mexican restaurants in the waterfront area and this guacamole is the best of them all. My most recent trip there was highly disappointing. We sat at the bar for a couple drinks, ordered apps and then our bartender disappeared to tend to waht seemed to be the drink orders for the restaurant, leaving 5 or 6 couples at the bar. He was replaced by an inexperienced bartender who was clearly in over her head. I clocked 22 minutes before we were even asked if we needed anything and she was making the drinks for everyone right in front of us. We got the check and got right out of there. It will be a long, long time before I go back!

Kitty L.

So, I have to say....immediately upon posting my negative review the manager/owner reached out, apologized profusely and invited my back in to try it again. Very unexpected and this type of outreach goes a long way in my book. TOTALLY different experience the second time around. The bartenders were lovely - engaging and attentive! Not the same sullen grump from the first time. These two women couldn't have been nicer! The drinks and food were excellent - guac was fantastic and fish tacos were great. My friend loved her meal as well and we've both been back. UPDATE: Went back again (3rd time) and same grumpy bartender as the first time. Food was good, but the bar service just isn't worth my money.

Ariel E.

Sometimes, we go just for guacamole and chips. And when we do branch out, everything is delicious.

Debra G.

I have been here twice now. Both times it was a little on the dead side, maybe 5 tables occupied and was on a Sunday. The food has always been really good and the decor is interesting to look at. It can be really quiet in there on a sunday and both times i went (same young girl both times) she was a bit on the slow side. Would take about 10 minutes just to get to our table never mind getting the drink. Once you finally order than you are all set of course but to just get there, she seemed less than enthused to be at work and took it out on her customers by taking her sweet @SS time. I don't mind a slow waiter but when you are waiting 10-15 mins just to see your waiter, can kind of be annoying. Other than that everything was great, she was indeed nice, and the food was fantastic, just took her time doing everything. Hopefully you get a different waiter/waitress :)

Sindhu R.

I second all the great things said about this place. Have gone there for lunch 3 times in the past week, I am absolutely addicted. The chips and salsa are delicious, and the Cerviche keeps me coming back for me. Service is also outstanding! Definitely don't miss.

Kyle R.

Great table-side Guac really good sangria red and white (red is better) whit e is really sweet if you like that Fried fish sandwich was very good with chipolte mayo Fries were surprisingly good and awesome seasoning for Mexican pretty busy after work scene for drinks. been many times and will go back many more!

L. G.

Love this place. I work near by so I frequent Papagayo for lunch and cocktails. I've never had a bad experience here. The drinks are fantastic! Strong and tasty. They are all freshly made with real fruit, fresh juice etc. If you like a little spice, try the Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita. It's amazing. The table-side guac is awesome, and it's usually pretty quick. (Although, once or twice when it was really busy we did have to wait a while for them to get to us.) I've tried the taco salad, chicken & steak tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, and the mexican burger. The only thing I wouldn't order again were the verde enchiladas. They were a little bland and boring. But everything else I've had was flavorful and delicious. Rice and beans are delicious too! The only real negative about this place is that the service is inconsistent. I've had really good service on some occasions and relatively poor service on others. One time, a waitress kept staring awkwardly at my (female) friend--a little strange... But other than that, love Papagayo and would definitely recommend it!

Bill M.

Had some drinks at Papagayo last night after a work thingy and was pleasantly surprised that a) there is a Mexican place in the Seaport area and b) it didn't suck! I don't know why my expectations were so low when I found out we were going to a Mexican place around there, but I wasn't expecting much... Didn't eat much but what I did have was good. (vague review is vague) The staff was amazing. A big crowd of us showed up late on a Wednesday night and before I could find a place for my jacket I had a drink in my hand and chips on my plate. And its wasn't because there was no one in the place, it was rather busy. At least two private parties were going on and the bar was full but they still gave us their full attention the whole night . A+ on service. Ill be going back to have a more relaxed meal asap.

Emily A.

The food took a while, although our waitress was fantastic and very attentive in filling our drinks and seeing how we were doing. The drinks were overpowering (I know, that sounds funny because that's the point of ordering margaritas, but sometimes they're just too darn strong). The made-to-order guac, chicken enchiladas, and fish tacos were all tasty and good, but not worth the price tag or particularly stand-out. We weren't left impressed other than the service -- overall the experience was rather average. There are better - and much cheaper and quieter (it was super loud!) options for Mexican food.

A M.

Until recently, I was part of the Fort Point lunch crowd that has very limited choices within a close range. A coworker recommended Papagayo and we decided to try it out one afternoon. The atmosphere is bright and fun, and their wall of tequila is certainly tempting! The chips and salsa they provide at the table appear to not be everyone's favorite, but I really love them. I usually order the enchiladas with chicken - I personally did not really enjoy their muchaka meat but the chicken is very well made. The ingredients are fresh and delicious, and I've never received a sub-par meal. As someone who can be completely judgmental of a restaurant's waitstaff, I honestly have to say that Papagayo employees have the most attentive, polite demeanor that I've encountered in Boston. I've been there when it's both incredibly busy and almost empty, and each time I received the same high level of service. That alone makes me want to return each time - I know that I can sit down with friends, have some chips and a beer, get some great Mexican grub, and not have to worry about anything, really. I read a review that said the bar staff was very disrespectful, but I have never encountered anything but spectacular service on any of my trips. I can't say it's my all-time favorite restaurant and OMG you have to try it. I can say that it's decently priced, very well made, and has a great atmosphere. I visit each time I'm in Fort Point and have never been disappointed.

Michele G.

Been here several times now -- guacamole is among the best in the city, so I'll keep coming back for that. What really irritates me about this place is that they never, ever change the music, so you'll be listening to the same thumping in your head for hours after you pay the bill. Wish the chips weren't so damn greasy and that they didn't charge $1 for a substitute of carrots and celery, but just the fact that they have that option is awesome. I love the mango/shrimp/avocado salad with it's big chunks of avocado and the spicy dressing. The shrimp can smell a bit fishy, however. And I do enjoy the freaky dog/giraffe-looking animal paintings in the labyrinthian hall on the wall to the bathroom, especially when I'm tipsy.

Chris O.

Hands down, my favorite Mexican place. It actually might be my favorite restaurant in Boston. The food, drinks, atmosphere, service is amazing. The muchaka meat is to die for.

Deidred A.

Papagayo is very close to earning a five star rating. The atmosphere is wonderful, the crowd is classy, and the tequila bar is straight out of Mexico. A lot of pluses but some big errors bring the rating down. First off the service is very bad. We did not get silverware until about the third time we asked. Our waiter was aloof. He did not know the menu and struggled when we asked him about the tequila. I will blame it on the restaurant being new for now. The food is a bit of a minus too. It is good, but for a designer Mexican restaurant with $12 tequilas the food has to be great. Papagayo has a lot of potential and can make a lot of money, but unless the service gets better, the menu more robust, and the food a bit better they will become old hat fast.

Khemara K.

Came here with a group of friends on a friday night. Made reservations ahead of time so didnt have to wait. I had the 1/2 chicken 1/2 steak fajita plate and it was great... for a fajita. Chicken was moist, steak was tender, and all the sides (rice, refried beans, pico de gayo) were fresh and delish. Waitress was attentive and made sure our drinks were full. Tableside made-to-order guac is always a plus. Drinks are big and strong (try Sangria) and reasonably priced. Downside? Menu could be a little diverse than your basic taco/fajita dishes. -Khemara

Luis And Nicole S.

We had such high hopes when we walked in: the place was packed, great vibe, and such a fun decor. Our waitress,Megan, was GREAT, she sets the standard of what a good waitress should be. The drinks were great, spectacular variety of tequilas. If only the review stopped here, they would of received 5 stars. The food was NOT good.We have been fortunate to experience great Mexican food in the past, locally and abroad, and the food here just does not stand up. The first sign of our night going down hill was with the table side made guacamole. It was SO salty that we had to ask for additional limes and and add the complimentary salsa to it to make it edible. The queso fondido lacked any queso, except for the burnt, hard layer on the top.(normally we love burnt cheese, but this was like a hockey puck) Under the burnt layer was all chorizo, again NO cheese, just lukewarm sausage, which when gets even a little cold, just tastes like grease. The flautas were the best of the appetizers, but unfortunately the shredded beef was dry, and the tacos shells were over fried, which made them way too hard to enjoy. The entrees were another disappointment. The cooks have such a heavy hand with the salt that we could not even eat the short ribs tacos. The tacos al pastor, again disappointing, pork was rubbery and pineapple was under ripe. Fish tacos, again too salty, but I will say they did create a nice crust on the fish. The filet mignon fajitas were the only items that seemed to miss the kitchens seasoning bowl, they actually needed some salt. The desserts were much better, the sopaillos, hope I am spelling correctly, were very good. Little pillows of fried dough, very light, not greasy all. The fruit sauce was just the right amount of tart vs. sweet, which was greatly appreciated after the salt attack on our taste buds. The fried banana "egg rolls", sorry cannot remember the exact name, were also good, but we have had better. The frozen tequila snow cones were fun and quite tasty, only wish that all of them were actually snow cones. 2 out of the 4 were already melted by the time it got to our table. Again, service and drinks were top notch, but this a food review.

Lesley B.

I have been here twice to eat, once with a group of friends on a work night and the second time this past valentines day (probably the only place in Boston where you could call a few hours before you want to eat and place a reservation for that night on Valentines Day!) This place is great in many ways. The Guacamole cart is a MUST! It is made right in front of you to your liking and so fresh! For dinner the first time I had the Enchilada's with the Muchaka Meat (steak) and it was excellent, to die for, soooo yummy!!! The second time I tried the Classic Burrito with Muchaka Meat, again so good (although very very similar to the Enchilada, its not a typical eat with your hands Burrito). I would have given this place 5 stars, but I was a bit disappointed with the margarita's. My mom ordered a frozen margarita and it came in the traditional margarita glass, I ordered one on the rocks and it came in a small drink glass (like one for a vodka & coke, or water) and my boyfriend ordered a signature margarita and it came in a cosmo glass. Otherwise this is a great new restaurant, that takes reservations (although during the week you probably wouldnt need one cause its a big place), and has amazing food! I already want to go back!!!

Bill S.

I'm giving 5 stars for the bar at Papagayo. Their selection of tequila is world class. Really enjoyed a glass of a little known, but masterfully tasty tequila: Siete Leguas Añejo. Try it neat, it will blow your mind. Although I don't usually drink frozen margaritas, I was convinced to try a bit of the "Prickled Pear", which is fantastic and highly recommended. The bar tenders really care about a high quality experience.

Yoli D.

My new favorite restaurant in Boston. The drinks are amazing. The restaurant is gorgeous. The food is delicious. This is a nice spot for large dinner parties or for just hanging out at the bar for drinks and apps with a couple of buddies. It's been open for 1 month now and I've been there 4 times already and have plans to go back with a group of around 10 after the first of the year. I've tried a few of the margaritas and straight tequilas (to be sipped and not taken as a shot). Each was really nice. I've tried the salmon w/potatoes, table side guacamole, empanadas, tuna tacos, spinach dip (w/ chicken in it - yum), the breakfast tacos (for brunch), and the rice crispy covered french toast w/banana (brunch) and ALL were surprisingly delicious and enjoyable. The short ribs were just okay, but I would order them again because I hear that the cooking technique has changed and they are wonderful now. My FAVorite are the fish tacos, not to be confused with the atun (tuna) tacos, the fish tacos are made with tilapia and are cooked and seasoned perfectly. Of my 8 friends that have come to Papagayo with me, 5 (including myself) have tried the fish tacos and we all love them. The owner is friendly has pays amazing attention to detail. He is truly concerned about the total experience that each guest has. My friends and I have fun and amazing food each time we go.

P K.

I expected a lot more, especially after being there for their soft opening over a year ago. A+ for their fresh guacamole, but food, the kudos ends there. It is definitely a fun place to hang out for drinks on a Thursday or Friday night - I love that they have Negra Modelo on tap - but Papagayo misses on providing a very good Mexican cuisine.

Mariana G.

I love this place!!!! From the margaritas to the guacamole to the yummy yummy fish tacos and the amazing deserts!!!! Service also, very personal- surprisingly refreshing. Can't wait to go again and try the salsa dancing. Great Job Papagayos, keep up the great work!!!

Andrew H.

Went here on a weekend night for the first time. The place was packed and the atmosphere was great. Although we missed out on reservations, and waited a bit for a seat, I didn't mind because of wide selection of drinks at the bar. The food was solid and the price was definitely right. Would definitely recommend. Beer of choice: Negra Modelo on tap

Luke P.

5 stars for now because this is my favorite place to get Mexican-inspired cuisine in the city right now. The food is fantastic. I've only been twice, but both times I was extremely impressed. The shrimp and avocado salad I ordered last time was bursting with a myriad of sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. Just a delicious salad overall. Countless other reviews have mentioned the table-side made guac. It's very good. I think I can make a better one, but probably not for $9. I'm pretty sure it would cost just about that much to make it from scratch so it's a great value. They will give you a ton of it, so it's best to order with parties of 4 or larger in my opinion. My one complaint would be to give you a larger bowl of chips. They will get refills of course, but the size of the chip serving relative to the bowl of guac is totally off.

Jordan C.

Food was good, little pricey for my likey but service was great! My co-workers and I came here for after work drinks and dinner, and even though the place was extremely busy, drinks were flowing, food was out on time, and service was pleasant. Even when my friend ordered me the wrong beer, the female bartender overheard our convo, suggested switching it for me before I even said anything, its always admirable to come along employees who care about the establishment as a whole!

Travis R.

Food and drinks are amazing. Only negative is they only have 2 vegetarian options on a huge menu.

Julie G.

I went on a Thursday night around 7pm for dinner. While the restaurant was busy, there was no wait and we got seated right away. The hostess was extremely personable and chatted us up as she walked us to the table. Our waitress was bubbly AND knowledgeable about not only the food but provided my friend and I with great tequila recommendations. My friend, who is lactose intolerant, unknowingly ordered a salad that had cheese on it, and when she asked for a new one and admitted that she overlooked the mention of cheese on the menu, the waitress happily brought her a new one asap. The margaritas and tableside guacamole were out of this world. My friend and I both ordered salads for our entrees, which were also tasty. I can't say enough about how great the service was. I can't wait to go back and try something else on the menu.

meredith k.

Let me start by saying that I am not a lover of spicy food but after friends raved about Papagayo, I had to try it out. Overall, it was a wonderful meal and experience. The bartenders were extremely helpful in pouring absolutely delicious drinks and in recommending menu items that I wouldn't find too spicy. My only complaint would be about the chips that are served with the salsa and guacamole, they are way too greasy. I felt like I was eating wings because I had to wipe my hands after each chip. About 50 napkins later, I got my order of chicken fajitas. Absolutely Delicious. The chicken was tender and grilled to perfection, plus the serving size of everything was very generous. I really enjoyed the upbeat, energetic atmosphere and I will definitely be back.

Ben F.

Solid Mexican in Fort Point! The food was good, the service: prompt, the prices: very reasonable. The space is beautiful. I can't speak to the drinks, but the drink portions looked fine. We'll be back. (Apparently they have been open for four weeks. Perhaps they've started to smooth out the service issues others have mentioned?)

Katelin T.

Muy Caliente!! I went here on Saturday night FINALLY as I have been dying to go since it opened. The place is great, small but great! Our group got there about 7:30 and it was pretty packed (1 - 2 hour wait for dinner just an FYI). We decided to put our name in and wait at the bar with some pitchers of margaritas! The pitcher ran us about $40 which gave us roughly 4 margaritas which were strong, but not my favorite, my stomach was telling me too much sour mix. So after one I switched over to the homemade red sangria which was MUCH better! (They also have pitchers of sangria which personally I believe is a better deal). It was fruity, but not too sweet which I love. While at the bar, all around me people were ordering mojitos. They have about 4 on the menu which I regrettably didn't try. They must have been amazing through because about 90% of people were ordering one. The thing that caught my eye: they really do muddle the mint which is the signature of a good mojito. Onto to the food.... Once seated, we had the guac station rolled over to us (yes, you get it made right in front of you, even the avocados are cut right in front of you) and we ordered a bowl with way too many jalapenos! I love spicy, but after a few bites my mouth was on fire which in turn made me down my sangria (maybe that's their ploy). But honestly, it has to me one of the best orders of guac I have ever had. It's pricy at $10 per order, but its super fresh, you can have it anyway you like it, and it's a rather large portion so...WORTH it. We also ordered the Calamari which our waitress said was small (she wasn't joking), but it was good! The main dishes were excellent and large with rice and beans as sides. I ordered the chicken enchilada which had just the right about of cheesy chicken deliciousness. So happy I came here! Staff was great, very friendly. It can be difficult to get a drink at the bar as the night goes on, when I left at around 10 it was pretty packed and took a while to get my tab, but if you wiggle your butt in and are aggressive you won't have a problem! Enjoy!

Maia C.

another not so great experience. not worth the money. Unfortunate considering the greatness of the guac

Sarah R.

By far my favorite for mexican food in the seaport district. The drinks are pretty good, could stand to be just a little stronger. The guac is SO good!! And I'm a fan of the queso. Chicken enchiladas were really good. Portion was huge.

Jay W.

This place was very crowded when we went so the service was pretty good considering that. The food is a nice attempt at more upscale Mexican. The Ceviche was good (not great) and the short ribs were nice. Overall it was a good experience, and I would return if in the area.

Joanne H.

My husband and I have gone to Papagayo a bunch of times and we always have a good meal. The guacamole made right at the table is a no brainer - chunky and fresh and delicious and made just the way you want it! The portions are huge and the tequila list is obviously enormous. The sangria was "ok" - not the best that I've had but good enough that I have ordered it more than once. The service is good - especially at the bar. We haven't had "awesome" service sitting at tables but then again, it wasn't terrible either... If you like Mexican food (and I assume you must if you are reading this review!) then it's a solid choice.

Erica B.

I so want to give Papagayo 5 stars...I really do. I'm eating my roommate's leftovers right now and they are SO good! Overall, I really enjoyed this place. Great food, great drinks. The things that are making me feel like I can't give all 5 stars: 1) guacamole was $10!!! What? Was it good? Yeah. Was it $10 good? I don't think any guacamole is. 2) this is the main reason...I got fajitas, which usually come with all the fix-ins, cheese usually being one of the most important! I was impressed with how big my dish was, but there was, maybe, a tablespoon of cheese sprinkled on top of the lettuce. I asked the server if I could get some more cheese, and he said no problem. And it wasn't, til I got the check and saw I was charged extra (and my roommate was charged for sour cream! He'd ASKED her if she wanted any without telling her it was extra)!!! I figured I'd mention to the server that it would've been cool if he'd let me know it was going to be extra. When I pointed it out, he said that in all the years he's worked there, nobody's ever complained about it (maybe they didn't notice?) but he'd tried to see what he could do. Then he came back and told me he'd gotten it taken off my check and that he'd "tend to agree with me but cheese costs money." Uh yeah, but that's usually included in the cost of the meal. Hmph. So overall, delicious food, delicious drinks, prices/policies...seems a little skeevy.

David G.

I had hopes for Papagayo. We had a reservation that seemed to get lost, so they stuck us in a corner (literally). They apologized profusely and got us a decent table and offered to buy our first round (which didn't happen when the bill arrived) , when we brought this to their attention, they took them off the bill and returned to tell us they automatically charge 18% gratuity for a party of 6 or more (understandable), but we got the bill the second time, we were charged a 28% gratuity. Again off to bring it to their attention and got that finally fixed. The service was horrible, the second round of drinks we ordered were not what we got. It took 20 minutes to get a soda (which they charged us twice for), the water we requested never arrived. The food arrived cold, the "table Side" guacamole was not worth $8.95

Meredith P.

Today, I took a friend to lunch for his birthday, and had the brilliant idea (truly, it was brilliant) to try the new Mexican restaurant down the street from my office, Papagayo. Let me start by saying that I have nothing but the highest praises for this establishment. Everything about our visit was superb, and before I start gushing, let me tell you all about it. We opened the door and were met with bursts of bright colors, festive music sung in the native Spanish language (a bunch of songs recognizable from my Zumba class!) and a bustling atmosphere. The hostess was very friendly and led us to a table immediately. The atmosphere in this place is intoxicating - it just makes you want to be in a good mood. In fact, I would describe it like this: It feels like vacation! :) Our waiter, Hector, came over momentarily to take our drink orders, and he was so attentive throughout our meal! We ordered our drinks, and before we had even ordered meals, he'd already refilled them as well. The menu has much of the traditional Mexican fare, as well as some updated, modern twists, along with quite a few healthier options as well. I chose to go with the Pan-Seared Shrimp Penne (tequila lime reduction, ancho clam broth, baby spinach and roasted peppers), while my friend decided on the Shrimp and Avocado Salad (pan-seared achiote marinated shrimp, avocado, mango, jicama and chipotle vinaigrette). Once our orders were placed, Hector brought us some chips and salsa. I can pretty much guarantee these chips were homemade, along with the salsa, and they were both delicious! They also offer a table-side guacamole on the menu, and as we were leaving, I happened to notice one being ordered. It looked fantastically fresh, and I will be trying it next time! Our meals came in a nice amount of time - we had time to chat while we were waiting, but we weren't checking our watches either. The service was very well-timed. Both of our meals were delicious, perfectly sized, and very appetizing to look at as well. My friend's salad was vibrant and fresh-looking. My pasta was cooked al-dente, the shrimp were cooked correctly, and the broth was decadent without being rich. The clam broth really added a lovely thickness to the broth, without overpowering the other flavors in the dish. Because this was a lunch, and I had to go back to work, I couldn't sample the drink offerings, but this establishment does pride themselves on their tequila selection. There is a large floor-to-ceiling display case, boasting many brands of tequila. They mean business! Scattered among the bottles, you'll find those Day of the Dead skeleton dolls, a touch that I find very endearing in Mexican restaurants. I just love them! I will definitely be frequenting this restaurant on a regular basis. I love the ambiance, and the food is delicious. The portions were perfect as well. We both finished our plates, and felt perfectly satisfied - neither overly full, nor still hungry! I also think this would be a great place to gather for happy hour and will be checking out the scene in the near future! Well done, Papagayo! WELL DONE!

Chris C.

The tableside guacamole was over the top. I'm still thinking about it more than a week later. It is worth the trip for this dish and Margaritas alone. Service was very friendly and attentive. We will go back for the tableside ceviche next.

Mark A.

guess i got the wrong stuff here. chips were stale, salsa was from a can, sangria was from a mix. seems to be good reviews about guac and margaritas.....

Patrick M.

Excellent. Wait staff was friendly and attentive. Food was fantastic with very good portions. Ambiance was very good. We had a party of 5 and the food came quick and hot on a Sunday night.

Liz D.

so this place is awesome. I've been a few times, service has always been good, food's good and it has a fun and modern decor inside. Guac is amazing, i strongly suggest it. one thing- Their margaritas are out of control. they are the strongest margaritas I've ever had, and they don't even taste that strong. My friend and I each had four. I was refused entry to a Kesha concert and my friend woke up on a front porch the next day. INSANE. Be careful! The margs are dangerous. if you're not a heavy drinker, proceed with caution!!

Melissa M.

Yay! I'm a fan... of the margaritas. They are incredible, strong and delicious. The guacamole is a dream come true. Too much for two people, but good for three or four. The chips. They're a fail. I think they're homemade but they're super greasy - you can actually see it glistening off the chips. EW! I wish they would just get normal tostido like chips! I've been there twice. My first meal was awesome - Verde enchiladas. I highly recommend. My second meal a few days later was beef and chicken fajitas. I thought they were boring and tasteless... a little more spice and flair would've been nice. Overall, I like this place. I don't love it, but will be returning often for drinks, guac, and enchiladas... Do you think they will notice if I smuggle in my own grease-less chips???

Emma T.

I'm giving this place 3 stars because the chips and guac were absolutely amazing! I could eat just that for dinner with a margarita. Both SO good! However, aside from the fabulous app and drink, I was kind of disappointed by this place. It was five of us who went and had a reservation for 7, but didn't end up sitting down until almost 8, which was just crazy. Why have a reservation?! Menu looked good, but the food was just OK. Waitress was super sweet but kind of daffy and really not paying attention. Don't try to remember all the orders if you can't...it's okay if you have to write them down. No shame in that! just sayin..I'd definitely go back to this place for the chips and dip again, and for the atmosphere - great after work place. But aside from that, I'd eat first and then go.

Jack M.

Holy confused server, Batman! I was here again last week. The mixed drinks are unusually strong, the tableside guacamole is good, but WOW our server was just.... from a different planet! I've never seen a waiter so befuddled by simple requests. We had someone in our group request a non-alcoholic drink and it totally threw him for a loop. Took forever with more chips for the guacamole. Even sending over the guacamole-maker-guy took forever. It was very strange. We got kicked out because they had reserved out table for a group that was coming later, which we thought was odd as there was a TON of empty tables around - seat them THERE, maybe? I've only been here once before but I gotta tell you, I wouldn't want to go back for drinks: you'll find me at Lucky's for that. The food is good - from what I've tried so far. Good luck!

sylvia k.

Came on a Sunday night. Guacamole was great, chips tasted a little stale. Didnt get to try the margaritas but will be back to try. Corn was great ( pretty comparable to Toro's!). Fish taco's were great but wish they came with sides. Had to order rice and beans separately. Tried the banana taquitos for dessert..... Wish there was a little more caramel and ice cream. Overall, food was good, service great. Great atmosphere for parties or even small groups and families.

Allison S.

Love this place for a fun business lunch or after work. The food is really good, I love the Fish Tacos, and the guac smashed table-side is excellent. This place is frequented by locals who work in the area, and gets very busy, so plan accordingly. Either way, it's a much deserved restaurant for the growing South Boston waterfront.

Erica H.

I honestly can't believe what a wonderful experience I had here last night. I met up with a friend who is a huge tequila fan - he ordered a flight of Don Julio tequilas, and I had a couple of margaritas made with an aged tequila. The bartender remembered both of our names after looking at our ID's and repeatedly checked in on us to make sure our drinks were filled. We ordered some food (a chicken sandwich and a quesadilla), which came out pretty fast - but they accidentally brought out a chicken salad instead of sandwich. Not a huge deal - the server and bartender were on it right away. We were enjoying our drinks anyway, so we didn't complain. Then the manager came out to check on us, apologize, and she took the sandwich off the bill. And THEN! The bartender offered my friend a shot of some fancy tequila to enjoy while he waited. All in all, we only had to wait an additional 10 minutes for the sandwich, it really wasn't an inconvenience, but they really took care of us. Not to mention the food was awesome once we did get to it - the quesadilla was made with a pulled chicken that melted in my mouth, and my buddy said that his sandwich was really great too. I have stayed away from Papagayo because I've heard how absolutely packed it gets in there after work, but the bartenders managed the crowds very effectively with super fast and attentive service. I will absolutely go back for a fun atmosphere, great drinks, great food, and the absolute best customer service I have ever experienced in my life!

Jonathan M.

I really wanted to like this place. I had two friends who have been and liked it so I wanted to give it a try. Usually for this kind of Mexican cuisine I go to Mexico Lindo or Border Cafe which both are excellent. But since I live in Boston, this is closer than both of those places. We went last night (Friday) and the place was packed. Very lively and fun atmosphere. Both host and waitress were very friendly which was great but besides the House Margarita which was very tasty, the food just didn't stack up. Appetizers -Complimentary Chips/Salsa-POOR small bowl of some soggy, some hard chips with no flavor, we had to ask for a side of salt, and the chips had a weird pita like texture. small ramekin of salsa -Guacamole-VERY GOOD best thing we got -Queso Fundido-AWEFULL picture a small crock pot with a corned beef hash like mixture with congealed cheese on top. couldn't even eat it it was that bad. -Fish Tacos-GOOD I've had better a local taco places at half the price and was surprised they didn't serve rice and beans. -Shrimp Salad-GOOD She said it was ok but nothing fantastic. So if your looking for a place to go get Margaritas I would go but for the food do yourself a favor and head up Rt 1 to the Border Cafe...

Timothy O.

Great surprise..... Had a friend in town and we tried to get Into Drink .... But the wait was 2 hours.... So we looked on yelp and found papagayo...... A great evening out..... They had a 45 min wait but we found a spot by the bar ..... We had a couple apps and drinks...... Very enjoyable and the bonus was great service ...... Jenny was our waitress and she was exceptional ..... Not only will I be back but I will request Jenny

Dan R.

Surprised my wife for Valentine's Day lunch and took her to Papagayo. The food was good, the fresh guacamole is awesome and its a good value. A great place for a nice dinner with the wife or an after work drink. It was not my first time but as usual thoroughly enjoyed, and the wife was happy too!

Niki B.

We went to Papagayo on a Friday night at 9 for dinner. It was well worth the 30 min wait. The kitchen is open til midnight. The bartenders had great recommendations and the food was excellent. The guacamole was the best I've had.

Pam M.

From beginning to end our experience at Papagayo was top notch. The atmosphere is laid back and we visited on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted immediately upon entering and invited to take a look around the restaurant as it was our first visit. We were able to select our own seat, as it was not too busy (probably around 3p). Our waitress, Michelle was super helpful and knowlegeable about the menu and on top of it all around. The food was super...chips were excellent..salsa very good...queso/great! You also have to try the corn app...will definately have us coming back for more! The pork belly taquizas were very flavorful, I loved them. My husband said the spin they put on the fish tacos worked for him and he would order again..The GM stopped by our table and could not have been nicer or more welcoming. 5 star experience for us !!

Tulsi D.

There aren't many good Mexican restaurants in Boston and this restaurant doesn't help that. The environment is fun and the decor is nice but the food is okay and bland. When you ask for spicy, it isn't spicy. The waiter seemed like he was half asleep during our lunch experience. It is however, a good place to bring a large group or just to quickly stop by with some friends before a meeting. The drinks were delicious though!

Lynda M.

I came here with friends last night, luckily my friend suggested making a reservation because this place is pretty popular. I arrived at 5:10PM, and the place was already jammed. Its a cute space, but very loud. If you want a cozy dinner or drinks with easy conversation, this is NOT the place. I was shocked how many couples showed up with babies in tow, maybe they figured if the kid screamed no one would hear?? Seriously, my ears were ringing when we left that is how loud it was. Anyway, the host was very friendly, the homemade gauc made in front of us was really nice, and we enjoyed the salmon salads. Cool drink menu, many tequila and wine choices. By the time we left it was difficult to get to the back of the restaurant to use the bathrooms, so they are doing something right. If I was a 20 something chic, this would be the place to be single and mingle.

Melissa K.

The worst service I have experienced in over 10 years. The food was ok. So we ordered the guac app as soon as we sat down. It ended up coming after our entrees arrived. At least what should have been our entrees. My food was ok, but my husband got chicken enchildeas when he ordered veggies which he discovered after having a bite (we are both vegetarian), and potatoes when he order plantains. We had to wait a while before the waiter returned . My husband decided to just keep the potatoes so he had something to eat, and by that time we were stuffed on chips and guac and sides so he canceled his entree rather than have it corrected. At that point I would expect an apology and some sort of accommodation, the next round of drinks etc., but no nothing. Not until we were presented with a check for everything (minus the chicken) was any kind of apology given. we will not be back.

Marina M.

Great atmosphere, food, and service. Very reasonably priced and the food is delicious. Even on a Tuesday night the place was buzzing and busy, but we were able to still get a seat. Yummy sangria, awesome ceviche, LOVED the fish tacos.

David G.

Went for the first time last Wednesday night. Not to crowded. The table side guacamole is awesome. The staff was professional and attentative. The chicken fajita was delicious and was served quickly. I definitely plan to eat there again.

Dana S.

This place was amazing. I went with my family for lunch and brothers family. We took my 2 year old son to the kids museum around the corner and needed to eat after. The fish tacos are really good. Simple with out adding a lot of stuff to it. WOW. I had the fish and chips. I was really good. My son eat half of the fried fish. That says something that a 2 year old was eating fish and gave me back the fries. I read on yelp about the watermelon habenaro margarita. but there were out of habenero so it was made with Jalapenos instead. It was still really good. I live in NY and will return next time I am in town.

Maggie C.

Papagayo, what happened? One word can describe my most recent experience here and it's "SOUPY." We ordered the queso dip and basically had to eat it with a spoon. It was so thin and liquidy, it really looked like a big bowl of soup, not like the thick, creamy dip that I expected. We then got our margaritas - 1 frozen mango margarita, and 1 frozen raspberry margarita. Apparently at Papagayo, frozen means soupy & cold, with a few chunks of fruit in them. I would've sent it back but this was already the waiter's second try since he brought us the completely wrong drinks the first time. Bottom line, if you're looking for Mexican in Boston, don't go here. Try Zocalo or even Lolita instead.

Susan A.

Very good food. I have been for lunch many times and it is always good. The guacamole is awesome and made right at your table. The fish tacos are my favorite meal....3 good size pieces cooked perfectly.

Emily P.

the greatest guac ever. the fish tacos are phenomenal. order the pitcher of margaritas and you won't be sorry. one of my favorite places in boston!

Luke B.

Papagayo is great. Tequila selection could require years of consistent patronage which I'm totally cool with. Great food, freshest guacamole north of Tijuana. Jay, i think he's the lead bartender or bar manager is really cool, personable & knowledgeable, i thought I knew about tequila before i talked to him. They have some great mezcals here which are hard to come by sometimes. the food deserves some kudos, chips are awesome, my favorite style of salsa, really good corn chowder, great enchiladas, actually everything I've had has been great. Great staff, knowledgeable servers. Awesome design and aesthetic to the dining room and bar, not tacky like a lot of Mexicans joints tend to be, very well thought out a sheik and modern in an unpretentious way.

Meghan M.

I have been back and had a much better experience....Thanks for stepping up!

Mark T.

Good food. Good drinks. Guacamole a little pricey.

Hilary F.

Love the atmosphere and they have the best guacamole! Salsa is great too, nice and spicy. Regular menu is pretty good, not the best, but good.

Danielle F.

If it were based on the food alone, I'd give it four stars. The table-side prepared guacamole is very good and would definitely recommend it as a starter. It is a good sized portion, so it can fill you up pretty well prior to the arrival of the entrees. Went in a party of four and were seated relatively quickly on a Saturday night. Two things stood out as negative elements to the restaurant: 1. the tables in the dining area are pretty close together, almost too close for comfort and 2. in the rear dining area, possibly due to the large number of patrons in a limited area, it was a bit warm back there. I had the tacos al pastor, which were quite tasty. After dinner, we hung out at the bar for a few drinks. The bar area is much more open and in retrospect, I think I'd rather sit at the bar for apps and drinks (including the guacamole). Definitely a welcomed addition to the seaport district.

Stephen C.

Five star margarita, 2.5 star food.

Billy W.

Great place for a great group. If you love tequila, you will love this place! Wait staff was fun and energetic, we had a crazy bunch, and they were very welcoming. Appetizers were awesome, I had the Verde Enchillada for dinner, was in a huge plate, and the portion was small. Everything over all was fun. Cant really complain at all about this place. Great place for any crowd!

Kevin F.

Decent place place to bring a date. Food is decent. Margarita's are made to order with lots of tequila to choose from. Bar staff is all male, nice dudes, not arrogant rock stars, but still I wouldn't leave my date alone with them at the bar.

Tinkerbell T.

Weeeeeeeeee!

Billie M.

The truth is, Papagayo has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it's only about 70% up to par right now. We'll keep our fingers crossed that the opening kinks will work themselves out and this will become a much need non-pub grub spot in this sorely lacking area. To start, the service is polite and attentive, if not a bit lacking in menu knowledge. Actually, it's not that the servers lack menu knowledge, it's more that the menu lacks menu knowledge. Various items listed are no longer available, and as mentioned in other reviews, the cocktail menu is worded so that when a dining companion ordered a frozen strawberry margarita she was looked at like she was a bit slow as the waiter explained that they didn't do frozen margaritas. Even though they appear to be offered on the menu. I understand they hit the ground running, but the multitude of menu mishaps caused considerable ordering confusion on multiple occasions. The restaurant group that owns Papagayo has enough experience to not really justify these issues. How can you decide a few weeks in to no longer offer a number of menu offerings and not think to reprint the menus? Or even have the waitstaff inform the tables that the menu is only a loose translation of what is actually being sent out of the kitchen prior to the ordering process? Either way, our party was left feeling very awkward when the ordering was over. That being said, the food that was eventually decided upon was enjoyable. The table side guacamole was fresh, delicious, and spicy. The woman making ours asked multiple times if we wanted it spicy and as we continued to say yes, she delivered a superb product. The homemade chips were good but needed salt. And I agree with other reviewers, I found it strange that salt and pepper weren't offered on the table given the very mid-level ambiance of Papagayo. After being (politely) denied various House Specials, we settled on tacos, a muchaka meat burrito, and chicken fajitas. Pretty standard fare, but the meat was all juicy, the refried beans were a shining point, and the portions were enough to satisfy without inducing a food coma. The price point seemed about right, 2 beers, 2 cocktails (the sangria had an unpleasantly overpowering taste of lime, ensuring that it would not be ordered again), an appetizer and 3 entrees came to just shy of $70. We will certainly visit Papagayo again, if even just for the guacamole and a beverage at the (very large) bar, but I really hope they can iron out their opening issues, because this three star place really should be a 4 star place.

Heather R.

Only about half full, but really loud in there. That's ok, was carrying out, not staying. I really should have known better by now, but yet another disappointing order: NO TORTILLAS were included with my FAJITAS, the chicken was overcooked, and the refried beans had what I thought an odd "liquid smoke" flavor. The chips and salsa were generous, if typically underwhelming. Wish I'd gone for that fine-looking mojito I watched the bartender mix, instead! Yup, I might go early for a drink, but I'm definitely done with their food.

A H.

Food was good, but the service left a lot to be desired. I was with my brother in law and sister in law who have been in before and said they haven't experienced great service on those occasions either. As I worked as a servers for many years at one time in my life, I am usually pretty forgiving but it was one thing after another when we were in there yesterday. First problem was when drinks were brought out the server forgot my dad's beer and it took so long for the server to come back that my dad told him not to bother at that point. When a table orders appetizers, after you put the order in, the very next thing you should do is bring them side plates so that when the apps are brought out your table isn't hunting you (or someone else) down looking for side plates. My brother in law said the side dish thing was an issue the last time they were in also. We finally got the side plates AFTER we finished the appetizers. The dirty appetizer plates and empty glasses were left on the table after we finished the apps. No attempts at busing the table was made. My sister in law didn't get the side dishes that came with her meal until well after she finished eating. Our server also didn't take our menus after we ordered. So the food and margaritas were good, but the wait staff needs to step up their game.

David C.

It was ok. Service was very good. I had the fish tacos which were better than most in the Boston area. The rest of our food was so so. It's worth a try but nothing I'd do over and over.

Bill G.

I enjoyed it here. Food, service, and ambiance was all good. The food did lack flavor, but I chalk this up to the fact that it's on the East coast, where you never get any spice type flavors in your food....

laura M.

Yum. This place is great. Have tried the shrimp and avocado salad, the salmon salad and the fajitas. The chipotle dressing is amazing, and everything else is very fresh. FYI - Fajitas are great, but do not come out sizzling. Sometimes its just as much the experience as the food. But if you can get over that, you will enjoy your meal. Would recommend as a go to Mexican sit down spot.

Chris D.

Went here on a Thursday night ~6:30 and the place was hopping with a serious 25-year-old bar crowd. My wife and I sat in the dinner area which is slightly removed from the bar. First off their house margaritas were quite good and substantial for the price - I can see why this place attracts a drinking crowd. We then ordered the table side guacamole. Now one of my big restaurant pet peeves is when you order something, and then other people are seated at tables after you, they order the same thing, and then they get served before you. Needless to say it took an unnecessarily long time to get our guacamole, although in the end it was pretty tasty. My wife had the fish tacos and I had the burrito - neither were anything to write home about, but they weren't bad either. Now if Papagayo was an expensive restaurant I'd probably pass on it in the future, but we got all of the above for about ~$51, which in the waterfront area is no small feat. So if I was looking for cheap eats in the area again I'd probably head back here.

Van N.

My first time here was with some friends and co-workers, fun place on a Thursday afternoon. LOVE the freshly made guacamole made by our table (with jalapenos mixed in!). I got the Ronarita (and a few more after)and admit it was pretty tasty, they're pretty strong ;) I went and had dinner there the other day and food is good, too! great place especially for the price and quality!

Susan A.

Very good food. I have been for lunch many times and it is always good. The guacamole is awesome and made right at your table. The fish tacos are my favorite meal....3 good size pieces cooked perfectly.

Emily P.

the greatest guac ever. the fish tacos are phenomenal. order the pitcher of margaritas and you won't be sorry. one of my favorite places in boston!

Billy W.

Great place for a great group. If you love tequila, you will love this place! Wait staff was fun and energetic, we had a crazy bunch, and they were very welcoming. Appetizers were awesome, I had the Verde Enchillada for dinner, was in a huge plate, and the portion was small. Everything over all was fun. Cant really complain at all about this place. Great place for any crowd!

Kevin F.

Decent place place to bring a date. Food is decent. Margarita's are made to order with lots of tequila to choose from. Bar staff is all male, nice dudes, not arrogant rock stars, but still I wouldn't leave my date alone with them at the bar.

Tinkerbell T.

Weeeeeeeeee!

Meg V.

I went here with some friends for my birthday on a Tuesday night. I LOVE Mexican food and drinks. We had made a reservation and got seated immediately so I can't really comment on waiting. The place was really full, but no line out the door waiting to be seated. Our waitress was awesome. She was so nice and had a great sense of humor. We ordered the guac which gets made in front of you and tastes AMAZING. You can ask them to adjust the recipe however you like it. I'm not a huge raw onion fan so he put in a little less for me. We also had a hard time with drinks. You can order a pitcher of margarita, which we did, but then they give you these small glasses for them and you get about 4, maybe 5, margs with each pitcher. Each pitcher is pretty expensive (I think they were $40 each) and it kinda just tasted like a glass full of margarita mix. I think next time I'd suggest we each order our own separate margs. We had a group of 5 so we ordered a couple pitchers and I don't think it was worth the "bargain" We also ordered dinner and waited a REALLY long time for it. It didn't matter at the time since we were out for my birthday and it was more about the chatting and drinking, but once the food came we realized how long we'd been waiting. I think the place was almost empty by the time we started eating. It was good food, but nothing special. I got the fajitas and they tasted like Chili's fajitas, which are great, but not worth the cost. I had some of my boyfriend's enchiladas and same deal. Just tasted like chain food, but not bad! I will definitely give this place another go. The place is cool inside and we did have a fun night out! I would probably come back here just for drinks and apps, but our waitress was awesome and they really do have a huge drink menu! **3/13/11** I got an email from the owner after posting. Very cool that he's looking out for comments and this is how they make the margs: "We do make all our margs from scratch with fresh limes, simple syrup and agave nectar. " With that, I will say that I probably just need to try a different style of marg next time and I will definitely be back for another go! A+ to Brad the owner for reading all these comments!

Dominic K.

Service was a little slow as our meals came out at different times. This place certainly hits the mark on atmosphere (fun and vibrant), food (tasty and filling) and service is friendly but still growing. Overall, my fiance and I had a great time and enjoyed our meals and the reasonable prices.

Danielle P.

Wondered in here late afternoon on a Wednesday to grab a bite with my boyfriend. It was empty- but it was 4pm. we were going to go to channel cafe but there was something about this place that just made us want to step in- glad we did! We were greeted by a super friendly hostess and seated right away, our waiter was awsome- he knew so much about the menu and seemed genuinely happy to serve us. I started off with the house margarita made with fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar-$8 and the boy got a mexican beer at $4.50 a bottle. Both drinks were delicious- the margarita was HUGE. The drinks were well worth the money. For dinner I got the Fish sandwich with Chili dusted fries. The fried tilapia tasted so fresh and came out hot and perfectly fried- the ingredients just seemed so work really well together. the fries were yummy and the lemon aoli the sandwich came with was the perfect touch on the sandwich. The boy got the beef burrito, I didn't try it because I don't eat beef, but he loved it, and i tried the rice and beans and they were delicious. I'd love to come back here again, and would even consider coming out here with friends for drinks at the bar- the place seemed to have a great bar and I think boasts something like 110 different tequilas, they also have buckets of beer at a reasonable price. Looking to come back here some time soon!

Christine P.

Went here 2 weeks ago after some of my afternoon plans got messed up. Maybe that's why the place impressed me so much, I was so frazzled that when I got there, there was no place to go but up! This restaurant was recommended by a co-worker and she was spot on with the food and drinks. We were there on a Sat. afternoon, maybe 3pm and it was rockin'! The margarita I had, the original, was fantastic and very well made. No weak drinks there! I got the fish tacos which are my usual Mexican food staple. They were different than I expected, there were 3 soft tacos opened with 3 filets of tilapia lying on top of the tacos. But they were so good and I would definitely recommend this place. We also got the tableside guac and while it wasn't amazingly better than I've ever had, it was great!

Jennifer S.

Went here on a Friday night & it was packed. The bartender, Jay, was running he was so busy, but clearly knew what he was doing. He stopped to take the time to figure out what we wanted to drink & was incredibly knowledgeable - and shared that knowledge with the waiters & patrons alike. I was impressed with the attention to the clients & superb drinks on such a busy night. Food was great - fresh & as authentic as you can get with Mexican in Boston. The handmade guac at your table (or bar seat) was pretty cool. I'd go back every week!

Niko K.

Good food and drinks, but pricey considering it's nothing special. The atmosphere and design are a lot of fun, and the tequilla selection is fantastic. This place is best for happy hour or a group party. I can highly reccommend the fish tacos and the guacamole, while most other things are as you'd expect.

Lindsay P.

The last time I was there they charged me for my meal plus another table's meal. They told me they would resolve it but didn't and haven't. The guacamole is good but the service is consistently awful and the hassle of trying to get them to fix their billing error means I'll never eat there again.

South E.

Great spot for Mexican in Boston. I have been there at least 10 times and have used them for catering as well. Always very good. Big fan of their fish taco, they use grill fish not the battered variety. Only downside is that Sat evenings seem to be bachelorette party night, but the house does a nice job of setting the larger groups to a private table just off the bar in not really in the middle of other resturant section.

Katie D.

I've only really come here for the guac, plantains (mmm!!), and drinks... these are delicious and hit the spot after a long day of work!

Ebon K.

Customer Service review (I'm a vegetarian, also): I now work across the street from Papagayo, and the 2nd time I ordered the vegetarian enchiladas for pick-up, I somehow ended up with the veggie tacos, instead. I didn't care too much, so I took it and went back to my office. Then I noticed the refried beans smelled like pork and I called them and told them about the order. I went back 25 minutes later, and they had my original order, but it was still wrong. The manager told me that there's "vegetarian", and "true vegetarian". Meaning that the "vegetarian" dish that comes with black beans instead of refried beans, but it comes with mexican rice, which isn't truly "vegetarian". The mexican rice has chicken stock. The "true vegetarian" dish comes with black beans and salsa verde with shredded lettuce. At any rate, I waited a few minutes more and I got the correct order, and clarification on the difference between "vegetarian" and "true vegetarian". Hopefully this is useful infor for any vegetarians out there. They also comp'd the order and the manager gave me a $25 gift card. Can't beat that Customer Service. The "true vegetarian" enchilada dish is good, and slightly spicy.

Angelique S.

AWESOME Margaritas! The guacamole is unbelievable! Best I've ever had. It is made at your table, fresh ~ so delicious! Good place for the after-work crowd. Highly recommend this place.

sean m.

This was my first time here, came with a group of co-workers for lunch. The food was fresh and delicious, and the service was great. So many dishes on the menu sound great, I will have to come back to try them. I asked our server if they can make something gluten free and she said they will make almost anything on the menu gluten free! Wow, 5 stars for making things gluten free, and 5 starts for a server who knows about gluten. Thank you! I had the fish tacos on corn tortillas. What an experience: fresh tasting fish, tangy sauce and fresh guacamole. It was a great, simple dish. The place looks very nice on the inside. It was relatively quiet for lunch on a Tuesday, perfect for a mid-week lunch.

Kate C.

2 stars only because the drinks were strong. The food is AWFUL!! Well except for the chips/salsa/guacamole... pretty difficult to screw that up though. The enchiladas were dry and tasteless. The waiter was nice and the pitcher of margaritas and sangria weren't bad. Won't be rushing back anytime soon... probably ever.

Nathan M.

This review boils down to decent food, poor service, and one of the most unusual tantrums I have ever seen by an adult. First, the food was good. Not outstanding, but not bad either. The chips and salsa were decent. The guacamole made at the table was very good. The fajitas I ordered were good. They only came with 3 tortillas, but plenty of steak and chicken. They also came with plenty of cheese and pico de gallo. They also included onions that were coated in spice, which were excellent. The main reason for my 1-star review is the service. Our waiter, Mike, was very inattentive. We had to ask multiple times for drinks. At one point, we waited 20-30 minutes for a round of beers. He did apologize while pinning the blame on the fact that they only had one bartender. One order was brought incorrectly. We asked for extra chips and salsa, which were never received. My wife and I needed to leave before the rest of our group and the waiter informed us that they would not split checks. All of this added up to below average service, but it's what happened near the end of the night that will prevent me from ever recommending Papagayo to anyone. After finally chasing our waiter down (a difficult task), I asked if I could put a portion of the check on my card so that my wife and I could leave before the rest of our party. He said that was no problem. I did some quick math, and left what I thought was a larger portion than we owed because we were with some "friends of friends," and I wanted to make sure I had left more than my share since I wouldn't be there when everyone else received the bill ($70). After he ran my card I second guessed my math and worried that I might not have left enough, so I threw a $10 tip onto my check - just to make sure I had left more than enough. The waiter must have taken this as a slight (because $10 is 14% of $70 and he must have felt this wasn't enough). Now, I should have shorted him on tip due to the below average service we received, but that wasn't my intention. I was just making sure that I had chipped in my portion of the bill plus 20% at the very least. I signed my bill and walked back to the table. The waiter then looked at my receipt, shook his head, and complained to the bartender. After a minute he walked by, stared at me, shook his head and continued walking by our table. For a minute, I thought he might be upset about something else completely unrelated to me. But he walked by doing the same thing at least 4 or 5 more times over the course of the next 15 minutes. It's difficult to put into writing how angry his awkward passive aggressive weirdness was making me. I am not the type of person to complain about service. I dine out several times a week, and this is the only time in last 10 years I have complained about service. The manager was nice when we complained. He gave us a $25 gift card, which I will probably not be using. My poor experience was due to one employee, and clearly doesn't represent the average dining experience at Papagayo. On the other hand, I scrolled through and found plenty of reviews here that complain of poor service - specifically, arrogant and inattentive wait staff and bartenders. Boston has plenty of good restaurants, why choose one that hires and retains bad service employees.

Liz W.

Ideally, I would give this place 3.5 stars... The ambience is both appealing and inviting. Exposed brick, colorful, eccentric art work, and an open floor plan make it a great spot for after work cocktails, a first date, or a dinner with friends. I went on a Friday night for a girlfriend's birthday. We called earlier in the day to see if a reservation was necessary and the hostess recommended we make one, as they planned to be busy that night. We made one for 7:30, arriving right on time. We were told it would be about a 20 minute wait, which was fine by us as the bar was calling and we didn't mind grabbing a drink before sitting down for dinner. Service: Once seated, we were promptly greeted by our server who was very enthusiastic and eager to talk to us about the menu and explain/recommend some of the drinks on the extensive cocktail and tequila menu-much appreciated as we were a little intimidated. Although he was energetic and knowledgeable, he seemed to be somewhat all over the place, though not appearing to have many other tables. He also stayed at the table an extra 15-20 seconds each time he came over, resulting in an awkwardness that we didn't quite understand, especially since he would not take away any of our empty beverage glasses even when his hands were empty(?) Even the manager who delivered some of our delicious bar concoctions refused to take these glasses away. Finally, once we started eating, we asked our server if he could please take them out of our way-Not a huge deal, but I think table maintenance (or lack there of) is worth mentioning. Food: The table-side guacamole was fabulous-definitely 5 star! Such a fresh and cool concept and if you go here, you must try it! I got the BBQ chicken salad as my entree, which was also delicious and both my friends ordered the tacos-they said they were fresh and filling, though somewhat soggy. We all tried a different margarita-which they make fresh by hand (no mixes)-makes all the difference! I also tried their jalapeno, cucumber caparinha which was an interesting combination of hot and refreshing-I very much enjoyed it! All-in-all, they use extremely fresh products in both their food and drinks, the atmosphere is funky, causal and cool, and the price points are very reasonable. I will definitely be going back again when I am in the mood for mexican!

Scott B.

We went here last night and I was pleasantly surprised. The margaritas were tasty (and strong), the tuna tacos were outstanding. Fresh quac made fresh right at the table, service was good, price seemed reasonable. If you like keeping an eye on sports they had sufficient TVs but not over the top. I'm looking forward to coming back.

Camille H.

We've gone to Papagayo twice, both times on a very busy Friday. The food is good and it's a fun atmosphere. It's VERY loud, so not a great place if you really want to talk.

Karen G.

Went to Papagayo recently for apps and drinks and loved it. The staff was very attentive! Had a margarita that was big and strong and the apps I had were amazing. I recommend the Tacos de Atun - Minced and Spiced #1 Tuna,Wonton Tortillas, Chipotle Crema with Cabbage Slaw. Can't wait to go back!

G H.

This place is pretty solid. The fresh guac was amazing. our margaritas were HUGE and pretty strong (not gonna EVER complain about that!) Atmosphere is good---pretty loud in there, but there were a lot of people and its fun.

D. M.

I actually ended up going to this place twice in one week. First time was for a birthday party, the 2nd for a friend's going away party. The birthday girl had made a reservation and although everyone arrived on time, we still ended up having to wait almost an hour before they were able to seat us. Our waitress was either overwhelmed or hasn't worked as a waitress for long because service was pretty bad. She looked less than thrilled to be there. It took her forever to get our food orders (she waited all the way until all our drinks were ready and on the table) even though we were all starving after having to wait so long to be seated. She never really asked any of us if we wanted refills. Individual members of our party had to tell her when they wanted a refill and then she wouldn't ask around the table. She would just walk away leaving the rest of us who wanted refills and had missed her brief stop at our table wondering why she couldn't ask if anyone else needed a refill. Isn't alcoholic drinks how they make money and the point is to sell more? And wouldn't that save her a few extra trips to our table? At the end of the night, instead of automatically adding tip to our bill (like every other place does for big groups) she didn't and then kept hovering around the table trying to make sure we gave her a good tip. Talk about pressure! At some point she actually told us it wasn't enough. The 2nd trip to Papagayo wasn't much better. The hostess was less than friendly and once again it took forever for us to be seated. She also gave us attitude because our reservation was made for one less person even though all they had to do was pull up another chair. The waiter we had that time was better but the whole place still seemed rather disorganized. Now onto food and drinks. The drinks were good. I had a frozen mango margarita the first time. It was too slushy but tasted good and strong. My friends got regular margaritas and sangrias and liked them too. The guacamole was good but WAY too spicy. First time, we asked for medium. We got really hot. The 2nd trip I made there, we got mild guac and it was still hotter than most of us would expect mild to be. The food is good. Nothing extraordinary but no complaints. Overall, it's worth going there for drinks and food but don't expect great service.

Amanda U.

Seriously delicious and great drinks. The two of us each got the 1/2 and 1/2 fajitas (1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak)- comes with rice, beans, salsa, tortillas. Everything was great! I thought the rice was could have had a bit more flavor, but we scarfed everything. The margaritas were top-notch-- made without the cr@p they call Sour mix, and with legit tequila. Service was very, very good. The only disappointment was the hot sauce they gave us-- the salsa that came as soon as we sat down was about 10x spicier than whatever hot sauce they served.

Sally F.

Ostiones Diablo - Grilled Island Creek Oysters, Jalapeno-Chorizo Butter (I give this 5 stars) but everything else was average. Had the guacamole chips and salsa - pretty good but I 'd like like to see it more spicy and flavorful. The fish taco's were ok. Fresh fish (not fried) with guac and pico. The drinks were very creative (watermelon/Jalapeno Martini) and tasty.

dan d.

Scene: 12 people for a 30th birthday party. Result: 12 happy full semi drunk people. Loved the tableside guacamole. Service was average but above given a Saturday night. Loved the chicken enchiladas. I'll try again when im in the area

C. W.

My husband and I live in Southie and were excited to have a new Mexican place open up nearby - so we tried out Papagayo in its first week open on Saturday night. I'm willing to be fairly patient and understanding with a restaurant during its first few weeks. Also, I am from Southern California, so I tend to judge Mexican by extremely high standards, but I know what I'm up against in Boston (i.e. terrible options) so I was prepared to judge Papagayo's by standards relative to the area, as opposed to San Diego or L.A. (which isn't a fair fight). With all that in mind, it was an overall positive experience, marked by growing pains and room for improvement. The Good: - Chips were delicious, salsa was better than average for the Boston area. Though portions on both were meager. - Queso fundido was faaaaabulous -- seriously, it was different (in a good way) from any thing I have ever had before. It was a dense chorizo packed cheesy dip, served inside a small cast-iron pot, along with several flour tortillas. The serving looked very small initially, but it was so thick and rich, the two of us actually couldn't finish it all. We both loved it and I will go back to Papagayo specifically to order this again. - Husband had the made-to-order Guac and liked it very much. - Fish tacos were also very much enjoyed by my husband. - The prices! It is so great to have an inexpensive/moderately priced restaurant in the Fort Point/South Boston area, especially in an under-served genre. There were a few entrees in the high teens, but it would be very easy to have a full meal with drinks and not pay more than $10-11 for any one item. Mixed: - I ordered the "frozen" pomegranate margarita and it arrived almost completely melted (after a very long wait for the drink). I pointed this out politely to the server and he said something to the effect that only the original, house margarita could really be made frozen. I (again, politely) suggested that that be made clear on the drink menu - because when I ordered a frozen margarita, as listed on the menu, I expected it to arrive frozen, not melted with one or two small ice pieces floating at the top. - That said, I took one sip of the drink and decided not to send it back (which the server took great pains to offer several times, to his credit) because it was so delicious. Plus, the wait had already been so long for my first, melted drink, I had no idea how long it would take to receive my replacement. I thought the house tequila was definitely a cut above what one usually receives in a standard order margarita at a place like this. Bad: - The service was extremely scattered. Our waiter was very polite and tried to be attentive but our orders were mixed up several times. I noticed that going on at all of the tables surrounding us as well - total confusion regarding which order was going to which table, etc. Sometimes our waiter would show up at our table to "check" several times in five minutes, then he would disappear for half an hour. - There were no salt/pepper shakers on the table. Which, okay, fine, I know some restaurants don't "do" that. But this isn't No. 9 Park, I expect to at least be able to get some salt & pepper upon request. I asked the waiter during our first course and he looked at me like he was shocked I would request such a thing. He said "We don't really have salt and pepper to provide, but I'll see what I can do" and returned to the table with an industrial-sized sea salt dispenser. It was so awkward. If they're not going to put them out on the table (and I really think in such a casual restaurant, that isn't too much to ask), they should AT LEAST have some in the back, available upon request. - My entree was way sub-par. I had the beef enchiladas and absolutely everything tasted like it came out of a can/jar/package. The rice, in particular was really bad. The enchilada sauce was bad. The beef inside was actually okay, but also nothing to be impressed by - just not as bad as the other elements. Like another Yelper mentioned already, I also requested the salsa verde (as listed on the menu) and was told they "wouldn't be offering it". Then they ought to update their menus ASAP, because that makes a very poor first impression. The "salsa roja" that ended up being the only option was terrible. HOWEVER, I am giving Papagayo an overall POSITIVE recommend because I think a place like this is good for the neighborhood. I really liked our appetizers, the drinks (save for the "frozen" misnomer), the prices and my husband loved his fish tacos. There were plenty of items on the menu that I wanted to try, so I will cross enchiladas off the list and move on to something else next time and hope for better results. I'm not ready to write Papagayo off for a few mis-steps in their first week. There's enough to love already and enough potential that I'm going to go back a few more times (after they settle in) and wish them good luck.

Brooke K.

Went here for a friend's birthday celebration back in March based on the reviews from Phantom Gourmet. Mostly because the margarita drinks with the Coronita bottles in them lol! Overall the drinks were good, but the food was lacking. We started off with some apps, some really good and some not so good. I'll start with the good. We loved the Cerviche with Tuna and Shrimp, and my personal fav was the Tuna Tacos, highly recommended as it was my favorite dish of the evening, and also the guacomole was prepared table side and very fresh (although compared to Mezcal in Worcester it doesn't come close). The bad was the Queso dip which you would think would be the easiest to make! It came out seriously lacking in flavor and extremely watered down, it was like soup! Definitely stay away from this app. For entrees we shared the two orders of Fish Tacos (which came highly recommended and shouldn't have been, there was just no flavor), and Braised short rib taco (meat was tasty). The waitress knew that we had a birthday so at the end she came up to me and asked which dessert we would like for the birthday girl, so we picked the churros and when we got the bill she had charged us for it. The fact that we had to pay for it isn't the problem because we would have gotten a dessert for her regardless, but the fact that the waitress made us believe otherwise was a bit sneaky! She implied that it was going to be taken care of. Overall the only reason I would come back is to sit at the bar to have a drink and share an app with a friend after work.

Kristin F.

This is a welcome addition to the area. Made a reservation for 8:30 on a Sunday night. Being a Sunday, it wasn't terribly busy, but be forewarned, the kitchen closes at 9 on Sundays. Server was a bit spacey, but sweet. Sangria was weaker than watered down kool-aid. I probably should have tried a margarita; the table next to us had clearly been enjoying a pitcher or two judging by the lack of inside voices and spontaneous dancing. Tableside guacamole took a long time to get to us, but was worth the wait. I think they are still working out the kinks in the service department. Fish tacos were fantastic; great quality talapia with pickled cabbage and guac...just the right portion and so yummy. Hubby was happy with his enchiladas; the portion was huge, and came with the standard (but flavorful) rice and beans. We'll definitely be back.

Victoria G.

i just love coming here on saturday or sunday afternoons and most of all i love the company of three very cool, fun bartenders who make outstanding tequila drinks. lindie, jay and keri are some of my favorite bartenders ever, they are why i keep coming back. i do love the food there, the kitchen makes very delicious chicken.

Karl R.

Excellent - brunch was very good, drinks were especially good, food quality was excellent, service was very friendly and attentive. I was very happy to find this upscale and trendy place to have Mexican in Boston without having to brave the overrated hype of some of the new places near Newbury St. I'll be back for sure.

Megan H.

This place has a margarita with a corona sticking out of it- need I say more? I have been here a couple of times- once with my girlfriends for my birthday, and another on a date with my boyfriend. Both experiences were great. For your birthday, they put a sombrero on you and the entire staff comes out and sings to you. Pretty funny, especially after a couple glasses on sangria. Great selection of food for all taste levels- even my picky eating boyfriend found a few options to satisfy him. Considering the options for Mexican in Boston, this place actually does a pretty good job at the spice-factor. Fun atmosphere, good food and drink. Prices and portions as pretty decent as well. Will definitely be adding this to my list of go-to spots!

Andrea A.

I wanna like this place. I really do. Fun atmosphere, always a good crowds. But I have yet to eat anything here that qualifies as decent Mexican food. It's all it bit tasteless, the flavors don't pop, and even the Margaritas have been a disappointment.. It's a fun place to hang, but go elsewhere if you want Mexican.

Johnny K.

i love this place! My only choices before were to walk to Salsa's no thanks or take the train in town. now i can drive right up to this spot or cab it and be there in 5 minutes. Great food! This bar is really cool and doesnt resemble a Boston bar at all which gives it a unique experience. I have been back twice now and wont be my last. The prices are really reasonable too.

Sarah O.

I love this place! Guacamole is AMAZING and a huge portion for $8! They make it right at the table and you can choose how spicy you want it. Dinners are inexpensive and drinks are moderately priced. Large menu. I tried the jalapeno strawberry margarita and it was delicious. It always seems to have a crowd despite the off the beaten path location.

Christina C.

My new fav Mexican restaurant in Boston!! ALways been an avid Border Cafe goer but this place is more swanky & has a better selection of tequila & enchilidas!!! love that they make custom guac at your table. The corn appetizer is superb & tasty. My only negative are the chips. I think they're a bit too hard & feel like they could be served warmer. Cant wait to go back for more ritas & try dessert.

John B.

This is a fantastic mexican restaurant. I went here with friends on a Friday night. We'd made a reservation a few days in advance and our table was ready when we arrived at 8. they have a very lively bar scene but the acoustics are good so it never seemed overly noisy. Really nice decor and well designed layout. the drinks are great and the food is delicious and surprisingly cheap given the fact that it's a "cool" place. they have a nice choice of standard mexican fare (e.g., chix burrito for $10) as well as some more progressive fair (e.g., build your own short rib tacos for $17). I went with the short rib tacos and was very pleased. The table side guac was also a hit. the service was solid despite the fact that the restaurant was very busy. We waited for a few minutes for our first round of drinks and the owner noticed us and must have known we were thirsty because he went to the bar and got the drinks himself and comped them for us. Overall, we all had a great experience and will be back soon.

Kim C.

Great atmosphere, fun decor and a big bar area. This is the perfect place to go with friends after work for some drinks. There is the fresh guacamole cart and you definitely want to order that, as nothing is better than fresh avocados. But end your food ordering there. The menu is small and uninspired. When a bar markets itself as a tequila bar you would expect the menu to be built around flavors that would blend and accent the tequila, as well as highlight authentic Mexican cooking. It is a standard Mexican menu - fajitas, tacos, burritos - and the food is okay, but not great. There are other places in the city where you can get Mexican food that is much more flavorful and authentic. The food just gets 2 stars, but the atmosphere and fun bar area with a great tequila selection push it up to three.

Em G.

My party showed up at 7:15 p.m. on a Friday night. They told us it would be a 1.5 hour wait because there was a private party coming at 8 that was taking up the majority of the restaurant's seating area. At 8:15 p.m., the party had not arrived. The hostess showed me a full page of people that were still ahead of us and said she could not give us an estimate of time left because no one had moved from their tables. We ended up leaving without even eating after having a couple of mediocre margaritas. If they are going to let private parties take up the majority of the restaurant, they should not do it on a weekend or they should figure out a way to be more efficient. Overall, a total waste of time and energy!

Meghan B.

Came by with my boyfriend to finish off date night w/ a few drinks after we attempted to get into Drink. Jay the bartender was more than attentive. He helped steer us towards tequila that we would actually enjoy and even tailored a tequila flight to what we were looking for. We didn't try the food but I'm hooked on the drinks and will definitely be back.

Just S.

Up front, I am not a fan of Mexican food, but this place may have changed that. Went there last night, and it was a holiday weekend so it was not that crowded, although it did start to fill up after we got there. Had a house margarita which was nothing special except large. Waiter did not hear my request for a Ronrita and I did not make a big deal of it. My second drink was a Ronrita and that got everyone around me ordering them. Although billed as a tequila bar, the food is very good. Started with Guacamole dip made at the table and salsa with what I think were fresh made tortilla chips. I had the fillet fajitas which were excellent, others had fish tacos and chicken tacos, all of which were devoured. Unfortunately we were too full too full to try the tequila snow cones, oh well we'll have to go back. Service was excellent, attentive, but not intrusive, and he offered suggestions on both food and drinks. Overall a very good restaurant.

Laura W.

Great food, great drinks, great service and great guacamole! I came here with a group of friends a couple weeks ago and can't wait to go back.

Jason B.

fish tacos yes please.

Chuck L.

Well yelpers, it's 8:30 on a Friday night and granted Fridays are busy, but let me tell you about our experience at Papagayo. I write this as I wait for a table in fact, and we have been here since 6:30, if you do the math it's 2 hours. We called ahead at 4:00 only to be told they don't take reservations and still, we wait. A table fit for 10 just opened and we inquired, only to be told that someone had called ahead and made reservations? That makes no sense now does it. What to do? Well I guess write about the horrific experience for everyone to ponder. I've been here in the past as it near my office and relatively convenient, the food is just your average run of the mill faux Mexican, with an extensive list of overpriced tequila drinks. The attitude that the untrained staff emits is therefore completely uncalled for. Come here if you must, but be warned the food is mediocre and the staff is inexperienced. Also, it pains me to write this as I want to be excited about a new Mexican place close to work. Also take this with a grain of margarita salt as I am still slightly bitter about our 4 hour ordeal.

Alicia C.

Great food, love the guacamole

Diana P.

This restaurant was a ton of fun. I went here with my girls for a birthday celebration and we loved it. The only downside was that they don't take reservations and we waited atleast 40 minutes to get a table after the woman said that if we called ahead we should be fine. The drinks are quite tasty but all the drinks pretty much contain some kind of tequila...which I guess is expected. We all ordered something different, I had the filet of beef fajitas and they were quite tasty and reasonable ($16) just beware that it's about 5 small strips of filet so don't count on sharing this dish. The best part though was the guac man, YUP..they have tables that roll over to your table and make homemade guacamole at your table according to how spicey you'd like it. It was really good sized portions too of the guac. There was 6 of us and we ordered two dishes of it but only needed one. They had some desserts too that looked good that our neighbors had ordered but we didn't tackle it. The six of us split the bill and WITH drinks it came to $35 each, very reasonable. The atmosphere is nice but very bright...not the most romantic but great for a night with the girls!

holy f.

I really, really wanted to like this place. My friend and I ordered the guacamole and ceviche, both of which are made tableside. The guy who makes them (one of the guys) is fast and friendly, and does an awesome job. He said he was one of 3 guys doing the tableside guac thing that night and he alone had made 75 orders... seriously impressive. That was the only highlight of our dinner at Papagayo. Our server was so horrible that the only time she could be counted on to make an appearance was when it was time to collect payment. My friend ordered a mango margarita and was brought a house margarita (which has no added fruit flavoring or anything) and, when she finally caught our server's attention, was told repeatedly that it was the right drink; my friend asked for another one and was eventually brought the mango margarita she ordered in the first place. Look, I get it, it's 10:15 on a Saturday night and you've been busting your ass for 5 hours, but there's a certain standard of service you're expected to give if you work in the service industry! So once the drink situation was settled, and the guac and ceviche were made, our entrees were delivered (yes we ordered a ton of food and had to wrap a bunch of it). The problem, though, is that usually an entree is served as a second course, not 30 seconds after the appetizer is dropped. Again, this is a service issue. All in all, the restaurant area has kind of an interesting setup with a table for 2 placed awkwardly in the middle of the dining space. The drinks were just okay, my watermelon habanero margarita was served as a martini and was nothing special. It sounded like a cool idea, but apparently their hand squeezer must have been broken because there was so much pulp that it became more of a meal than a drink. The one sip of the house margarita (the initial wrong drink) my friend was served tasted overwhelmingly of sour mix, with only the slightest hint that tequila had ever entered the glass in the first place. The mango margarita was better, more interesting at least, but again, only the ghost of tequila remained. The appetizers were good, and the guacamole was way too much for us to finish. The ceviche was also pretty awesome. The entrees were pretty good, we shared the fish tacos and the grass-fed (!!!) beef taquizas, but the horrible service is a major deterrent from going back. Also, the entrees alone would not have been filling, so the appetizers were definitely a good idea. I read some of the reviews saying that the margaritas are pretty strong, so maybe the service bartender just messed up. We went with the intention of trying a few different drinks to try to get a feel for the place, but our server never bothered to ask if we wanted another round (or any water). I wish I could rate this place separately on food, drinks, and service. Unfortunately for Papagayo, our server, R., ruined it. Another mexican place just opened in the seaport, and it seems to be doing much better right out of the gate. Oh, and Papagayo's kitchen closes at 11, so even if you've been there for an hour (and looking for your server for 20minutes), don't expect to see a dessert menu. R. finally came back to our table, after we asked the host to find her for us, and informed us at 11:05 that the kitchen was closed so we couldn't get anything else. Really? You don't want to maybe check with your 2 tables at about 10:50, just in case? Hospitality is a funny thing, awesome service can make a mediocre meal great, and horrible service can make a great meal horrible. Too bad our server didn't know that. One kind of weird thing, when we asked to wrap up some of our food, our server came back with a container and started talking about how she couldn't pack it for us because she didn't think she should touch the food... what? Last I checked, you don't scoop food with your dirty hands, but okay, whatever, R. Despite all this, I kind of want to give this place another chance, kind of. TL;DR - Good drink concepts, poor execution. Good menu, but make sure to order an app or you'll be hungry. Horrible service, be prepared to wait seemingly endlessly and/or hunt your server down.

Owen G.

Stopped by on Sunday night after walking bean town. Decor: 5.0 - nicely decorated, clean and well laid out w/ high ceilings. Service: 3.5 - I sat at the bar by choice and was attended to by 2 bartenders. I thought, given the lack of crowd, that the 2 waitstaff behind the bar might have been more attentive. Food: 3.0 - the chips and salsa were lacking in quality. The salsa was passable, but the chips were old and tough. The fish tacos were made w/ tilapia (fresh water fish) that could have been made w/ a better grade of fish, considering this is Boston. I perused the tequila menu and found that libations were considerably overpriced. 8-13 $ for a shot of tequila that comes from a 12-30 $ (25 ounce) bottle of tequila is price gouging. In conclusion, I would probably take advantage of Boston's Irish pubs and leave the Mexican food to places south.

Lindsay L.

What I like most about Papagayo is the ambience. It's bright, colorful, and spacious with plenty of seating. That's a departure from many places around Boston. Plus I'm a tequila lover so this is one of my new go-to spots when I need my tequila fix. I can't give this place five stars though because my margarita was too strong. I typically pride myself in my tolerance for strong margaritas, but even Papagayo's was a bit too strong. If I wanted to have a strong drink, I would've ordered straight tequila (which I do quite often). When it comes to margaritas though, I need more sweetness. I think I'll just ask them to go light with the liquor in my margarita next time.

Brandon F.

Great food! Great place! I have been here 3 times now and love it. The staff is pleasant and the food is very good. I even sat at the bar with a coworker late one afternoon followign a meeting and had a great conversation with the bartender whom I cant reember his name... but he was very nice and talkative and even allowed us to taste a few of their more expensive smooth tequillas at no cost. What a great place. I will return! I would say this is the best Mexican I have had in Boston.

Philip C.

You've had a really long day at work, or worse yet, a really long week and you just want to unwind and glide into the weekend at a bright and fun place that serves up the right combo of fresh margaritas and Mexican food. The answer: Papagayo. I've been now for several occasions: dinner with friends, after work drinks, work event, food catered to the office. Each different time Papagayo has been awesome and I've had the opportunity to try a bunch of different margaritas, enchiladas, fresh guacamole made tableside, in-house tortilla chips and salsa and my personal favorite, the FISH TACOS! They consist simply but deliciously of grilled tilapia, guacamole, shredded radish and lime. This place has a wide variety of tequilas for the aspiring or seasoned conoisseur. I'm not the biggest tequila fan though I do enjoy a good margarita and Papagayo has those covered. Friendly staff, attentive service, popular Latin music playing in the background and a long bar. Solid place.

Angela D.

Thank you! Finally, a Mexican restaurant in the Seaport/Southie! The restaurant is brand new, so naturally there are some small kinks to work out...to be expected. So far, my experience has been wonderful. At the bar, Jay, Heath & Ray are becoming my favs. Attentive and super nice, these guys will bend over backwards to please their customers. My favorite foods to eat: chili rellenos, the guac, the grilled Island Creek Oysters and THE FISH TACOS!! These fish tacos are super yummy! I find myself craving them. The atmosphere is fun. Someone else mentioned it's too bright, um, it's a Mexican Restaurant....just saying....The atmosphere is lively and has energy. Check out the white wall of Tequila. There's a "private" table there, very fun. This is a fun choice for 2 people or a group. There are tons of seating options (tables, long bar tables, bar space). All in all, everyone needs to give this place a chance and I promise it will be one of your favorite hang outs! Me and my girls will be there Saturday night!!

Giang N.

Delicious fish tacos. Very spicy and tasty cheese dip. The usual stuff was all very good (guacamole, salsa, margarita, mojito). I would consider going back here if I were in this part of Boston again.

Craig L.

Not a person to yelp bad reviews, and Papagayo is better than Rosa and Tezmecal but was annoyed when told the wait would be 30 minutes and ended up waiting an hour and twenty minutes. Meanwhile there were open tables everywhere and when I asked the hostess after an hour how much longer it would be she sat with arms crossed and said it would be another 15 minutes.

Tony G.

I'm a really big fan of mexican food and this place is one of the best for a reasonable price. Try the fish tacos, fresh made guac and the enchilidas. A pitcher of Margarita is $40 but trust me its worth it. No sour mix, just fresh squeezed lemon and lime. You'll be feeling good after.

Mags R.

I hosted my graduation party at Papagayos and all I can say is Thank you! The food was great, they accomodated every request I had for me and my 40 guests. Drinks were great and everyone loved the atmosphere! I am def going back again and again! They were extremely nice!!!

Dan B.

Food: The guac. is tremendous, made to order at the table. Fan of the fajitas and tacos too, simple and good. Drinks: Very good. Some interesting and creative margaritas. Atmosphere: Good service / fun / big happy hour crowd at the bar. Other: Long waits, so make reservations on weekends.

Christie L.

3.5 stars. We had reservations for 8pm with some friends on a Friday night. We got seated right away and the first thing I noticed was the NOISE. This wasn't just normal loud conversation or loud music - I can't remember the last time I was at a restaurant and literally couldn't hear anything the other people were saying! We started with the guac (just ok) and the chili dusted calamari which were decent - not too spicy and the tomatoes on the plate were great. I ordered a mimosa and the fajita platter with half chicken and half beef. The mimosa was pretty bad, but I'm never one to turn down a drink. The fajitas came with only chicken that seemed a little burnt tasting. I had refried beans, rice, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, and carmelized onions to wrap in my tortillas and with all that, I could still only taste the chicken due to the strong taste. My bf had the pulled pork sandwich which he said was very good, but despite being warned of the heat, only two bites were even remotely spicy. The other two in our party got fajitas and enchiladas and seemed happy, but since we couldn't talk, I don't really know! Our office is considering having a party here, so hopefully I'll have another opportunity to try it out and raise my review. For now, it's just ok.

Gonzalo B.

Example 432(b) that Boston needs more restaurants. Back in the day, people went out for dinner for 'special' occasions. Anniversary, birthday. Now, people are out eatin', drinkin' pretty much every night, it seems (even in this 'ahem' 'bad economy' - thanks, media!). This place is a good example. We walkled in, and I wondered if there was a sign outside we'd missed for Free Food. You'd think the Starvation Police had just released some inmates. We've had different experiences here. One Saturday night we felt like we'd hit Powerball because They Had A Table!!!! How Lucky for us! yay!The waitress was very nice, and good. We loved the grilled oysters - though why they serve 5 of 'em, I dunno. Two people, 2 each...who gets the last? An even 1/2 dozen would b nice. I could down 20 of these suckers. Are they really Island Creeks? Don't know, but that sauce and oysters combo make for some mighty good slurpin'. If you want tacos and don't want 'em made from something that had hooves earlier in the week, too bad. They's all Hacked, Braised, and Grass Fed (presumably earlier in the rotation).Check dat - fish tacos (not great) is in the offerng later in da menu. Caesar Salad should be passed on in this incarnation, nothin' 'especial' about it, bland, basic croutons, bland, basic dressing...nothing here jumps. A takeout spot like Viva Burrito could learn 'em some. I did really like the fish n' chips, a generous serving and well-done all around. Not so much fish tacos. They could take a nod from a big chain like Margaritas which does these right. The fish, sauce, everything just...blah. Another letdown, the shrimp/penne. Mistake ordering a pasta at a Mexican I know - this penne was overcooked to almost shredding. The few shrimps had the tails on which makes 'em look bigger but makes 'em a task to eat. The whole dish was a mushy miss. If you want a draft beer, you're reduced to two -2!! - choices both negra modelo, a mezza-mezza at best. Guys, there's a brew revolution going on. Get on board - it's...fun! Harpoon is 3 minutes up the street - have them roll some barrels around the block. So. 3 stars. Better deal than the other couple mexicanos in the 'hood, by a bit. This place is part of the group that has Scollay Square, Max n' Dylans...decent, not set-the-bar-high kinda spots. I'd go back for some groovy guac and grilled oysters - 2 orders, please.

Sarah M.

Mmmmm mmmm good. In case you couldn't tell yet, I heart tequila :) And this place has watermelon habanero margaritas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So. Delicious. I also tried some of my friend's mojito, which was very good, as was their sangria. Seriously though. Try the watermelon habanero margarita. Tequila, a little watermelon sweetness, and the kick of the pepper. You'll thank me :) The shrimp and avocado salad (minus the avocado since I hate it) was very very good. Light and refreshing but enough to fill you up. I didn't try the guacamole since I despise all things avocado, but my friends adored it. I would give this place 5 stars for their food and drinks, but the waitress was ridiculously slow. I know it was a Friday night, but it wasn't that crowded.

Robyn R.

Had to update my review, still not impressed with the food - sorry! Maybe it's just what I got (enchilada verde) but they were just not good. My friends both had the chicken tacos and were quite happy. My wine was delish, and the gauc was on point this time!! I loved it. But my enchiladas were very dry, very little sauce, and pretty small....the tortiallas were not good either. Oh....how I wanted better. I will try again since the atmosphere is great. Maybe I'm just a Mexican food snob?

Lisa S.

We came here around 10-11pm on a Friday night because I had been craving a rona rita. The place was a bit dead, which was a bit awkward but also nice that we could get stools at the bar and talk. We ordered two rona ritas ($12 each). Unfortunately, our drinks were excessively sour and really difficult to drink. I'm pretty sure we were making faces while attempting to drink it, and I left more than half of the drink in my glass. I'm pretty sure the bartenders noticed, but they never checked to see if the drink tasted okay. The margarita batch appeared to be pre-made, and a few other people got margaritas while we were there and didn't seem to mind them, so perhaps we got a bad batch. The bartenders were somewhat friendly, but the staff seemed to be ready to call it a night. At one point, another group tried to order food, and there seemed to be some confusion over what time the kitchen closed and if any late-night food was available. Overall, a disappointing rona rita, but I'd give this place a second try to see if it was a fluke. I'd probably come back for dinner, as the place didn't have a great night vibe to it.

Lesley C.

If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is probably not your place. With that said, regardless of the lack of authenticity, the food was pretty good. I had the Grilled Chicken Torta with fries and thought the grilled chicken was perfectly well done- not too dry like it usually is- and the sauce-cheese combination was perfect. The fries were also very tasty, but by the time I was finished with the Torta and complimentary chips/salsa, i couldn't get through even half of them.

Emily T.

Initial service at the door was abrupt and ruse, but the waiter we got was lovely. Definitely get the guacamole - they made it fresh in front of us which added some excitement, and it was delicious. You can also choose the guacamole to be mild, medium or spicy. There was two of us and we got the guacamole, fish tacos and the pork tacos which was PLENTY of food! fish tacos were fantastic. Lots of drink choices too. The cocktail with grilled fresh pineapple was delicious.

Tamara W.

Came here on Cinco De Mayo aka Cinco De Drinko and it was really great. We arrived on the earlier side + the line moved really quickly. They did not take any reservations that night but we were seated quite promptly. The good: -amazing services. Francisco is an amazing server and was so attentive, friendly, kind, and funny. We loved him. He was the best. -great guac-- made right in front of you with fresh lime + avo. -Clean bathroom -great palomas although they get wayyyyyyyyyyy too sweet so i only recommend one :-) i did throw up all night 'cause i had just three but the sugar gave me the most killer headache, hangover, and stomach issues. The bad: -no reservations. -tilapia fish tacos in lettuce wraps: HUGE PORTIONS. not sure why they are massive -expensive. for three people it was $150.00 Overall a fun place. Probably won't ever go back since Loco in Southie and El Centro in South end are my go to places for Mexican, however it worked out well for the purpose of Cinco de Mayo and Francisco made it all worth it :-)

Le T.

Really like the atmosphere here. All staff are friendly and attentive. Their lobster guacamole is to live for. So so soooooo soooo good!!! Pricy but worth it!!

Helen L.

James was our server today for a group of 11 people and bless him! He checked in frequently to make sure we were all set with everything. Super friendly! He provided us with lots of food recommendations. Got the usual fish tacos and tried the corn and flan for the first time. The corn was very sweet. Delicious and I would definitely recommend them all.

Rachel P.

I work right across the street from Papagayo and my friend and I have made the Tequilla Club our mission. Usually we just go for drinks but we've had food a few times as well. Everything I've eaten has been really good. Great guacamole and fajitas (although it's the only place I've ever been to that doesn't serve sizzling fajitas). The service is always an issue, especially at the bar. I can't tell you how many times we've been ignored completely when sitting at the bar. And we order a lot of drinks. Overall, a solid menu for Americanized Mexican food (I'd compare it to Chili's). You're not going to get an amazing gourmet meal, but it will be solid. And the tequila selection is extensive and cheap. I've tried several tequilas at Papagayo and seen them at Sushiteq or Lolita for nearly twice as much.

Kyleen K.

Dying to try their brunch because I have never been disappointed with what I've had here. Perfectly good margaritas, fresh guacamole, and yummy plantains. Fun after work crowd, and if you really need to blow off some steam, they have 'Rona 'Rita's. Just be cautious parking and pay attention to the signs!

Kevin L.

wow I'm not usually a fan of chains, but oh boy. REALLY impressed. i came here for a birthday dinner 20+ people and they were really accommodating. Huge selections of margaritas, great service, great food. Their guac is fresh made and the queso was pretty decent. I ordered the fish tacos after looking at yelp reviews. Probably the best fish tacos I've found in Massachusetts. I highly recommend dining here =)

Jennifer G.

Great customer service! I made a reservation for Papagayo (meaning to choose this Summer St. location) but reserved instead at the Downtown location. Make sure which location you're calling when you reserve! They were very accommodating and understanding when I explained my situation to them, and they were able to set up a table for 10 people almost right away. What a relief! Very expansive food and drink menu, so I was pretty overwhelmed at first, given how indecisive I am. We ordered a bunch of apps and entrees for the table, but my favorite had to be the fish tacos. One order comes with three tacos, which is pretty filling. What's unique about this place is that they make their own guacamole. This is a must try! You can ask for mild, medium, or spicy and they'll pull up their cart with fresh avocados and make the guacamole right there in front of you. Also, unlimited refill on chips! But don't get too full from these, as tempting as it may be. Great drinks, as well. We had a pitcher of sangria for the table and I tried a Rona Rita for the first time - pretty sure that drink was as big as my head. This is a Coronita engulfed in margarita, for anyone who hasn't tried it before. Definitely worth it! Dan's 2¢: What it is, what it is yo. Let's get right into it. Fish tacos were BOMB mang. Them things were crispy and tasty, had me licking my lips and sucking on my fingers. And the guac? Definitely cop the spicy guac. And I know there are some of yall out there saying "Omg, I can't eat spicyyy", but trust me....you aint gotta worry about spicy in spicy out.. Oh yeah.... the drink Coronita lit me up, got me doing the two step on my way out.

Alexandra M.

We got too much food to say the least.... started with devils oysters and the table-side ceviche. I felt like the oysters still didn't taste like much (that's how I always feel, just a weird texture) but the ceviche was great. Just the right amount of lime and spice. I then had the veggie enchiladas which were interesting. Having squash in it threw me off but they were still good, especially covered in cheese...Can't remember what my friend got but he loved it too. Finished with the tequila snow cones which got us kind of drunk. Well, they were after a pitcher of original margaritas so....it was just like a kick to get us really going. Our server was awesome. We talked about Game of Thrones. He showed us how to pour from the huge pitcher with ease.

Greg S.

This place is amazing! Vegetarian Tacos. Reasonable single serve guacamole. OUTRageous margaritas. Try the Especial! Attentive and knowledgable servers. Love, love, loved it!!!

Danielle K.

My husband & I stop by Papagayo for lunch whenever we're in the South Station/Seaport area. (On Saturday - we were in the area to attend the Boston Christmas Festival at the Seaport Convention Center.) We've always enjoyed our meals. My favorite meal was the shrimp and avocado salad but the half & half fajitas I tried on Saturday were also tasty. The staff here is attentive. If you order guacamole, it's made tableside. I'd recommend Papagayo for a delicious lunch.

Portia J.

Went to Papaguayo with one of my best friends last year. The sangria we ordered was absolutely amazing. We had to order a pitcher. Phenomenal. The fish tacos were the best ive ever had in my entire life. The table side guac was life changing. I highly recommend. MAKE RESERVATIONS!

Soqui M.

How the mighty have fallen... When it first opened, my husband and I were regularly coming in for lunch and dinners. Everything was fresh and flavorful. This afternoon was our first lunch there in a few months. It was packed. We were quickly seated. Our waitress was swift. Our drinks (the once delicious margaritas were now super sweet with only a hint of tequila) and lunch quickly arrived. Oh, bore... My chicken enchiladas were bland, rice and retried beans over cooked. My husband's fajitas were tasteless. Don't bother unless your tastebuds have left the building.

Eric G.

Pretty good spot for Mexican. I got the fish tacos and I enjoyed them. I also got a coconut margarita and -- after the waiter spilled it on me and brought me another one -- it was a good.

Helena Q.

Guac was pretty good, tacos were awful - the refried beans had a weird taste and so did the meat. (Not like it had gone bad, but a close cousin of that taste.) Pretty expensive, with nearly everything over 10$. I liked the salsa and chips though, so that gets a star.

Stev G.

Guacamole was nice but food needs some help from real Mexicans .. Obviously meant for people who only know Mexican food from Taco Bell -- it's awesome. Drinks were good.

Julia K.

Maybe I'm a spoiled Texan that has had her fair share of TexMex, but I thought the food here was mediocre. The guac may be fresh, but it literally had no flavor except for the pieces of jalapeno. Rosa Mexicano and even Temazcal have better made to order guac options with crispier and thinner chips. It would've helped to add some salt to the guac or if the chips even had salt on them. For entree, I ordered the salmon salad, and to my surprise, the salmon was so spicy! The salmon must be coated with a lot of cayenne pepper because with every bite, I was left with a stinging sensation in my mouth. With that said, you do get a fairly large piece of salmon which is good, and the vinaigrette is slightly sweet. The food looks amazing, but I was left underwhelmed by the actual taste.

Katie R.

Went on a first date here so I barely touched my entrée, with all the talking and the nerves, which was an unmemorable quesadilla which I blindly ordered because I didn't really pick anything out by the time the waiter came back. However the pumpkin margarita (It was October) was so freaking good and the guacamole made at the table was also amazing. The vibe was cool I liked the way everything was decorated.

Michael C.

Came in a year after my first visit with pretty much the same group of co-workers. I have to say that the service was pretty bad. Especially for a restaurant at this price point. It took a while for our pitchers of margaritas to arrive at our table. When they did it took another 5 minutes or so for them to finally bring glasses. The guacamole was still excellent. The other food items I had were either unmemorable. This place is for you if you are looking for Mexican appetizers at a bar in a nice atmosphere.

Amber X.

It is a little pricey here. House Margarita is very good! Their salsa sauce is really good- not very salty.

Andrea B.

They make fresh guacamole. Right. In. Front. Of. You. And oh my goodness, it is so creamy, so fresh, so amazingly delicious... you'll never be able to enjoy guac from the grocery store or anywhere else ever again. And those house-made tortilla chips that come with it... oh boy. I don't think there was a single second where I didn't have one of those suckers in my hand, or my mouth, or both. If that hasn't convinced you to come here, maybe the margaritas will. A group of us went here for Nandanie S's birthday (Papagayo is a great place for large groups, by the way), so we had pitchers of both the raspberry and the strawberry. Mmmm. Can't go wrong with either. I'm not a fruity drink kind of girl, but with margaritas that good, you'll find yourself evolving into a fruity drink kind of girl. Even if you're a dude. My steak fajitas were also amazing. And portion sizes were quite generous. I do wish they gave me a bit more sour cream to go with them, but alas. Not everybody is a sour cream freak like me. I understand that. One thing I'm not a fan of is beans, but my server was happy to accommodate my request of replacing them with some extra rice instead. Big smiles all around! The one thing that I was slightly less than smiley about was my leftovers that were packed up for me. When I got home, I was disappointed to see that they didn't seem to pack everything that was left on my plate. I had a lot of food left, which didn't quite match what I was given in my take out box. Frowny face. But let's go back to focusing on the positives, shall we? Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Fresh guac. Flavored margaritas. Imagine me typing those about five billion more times. That should give you an accurate picture of how amazing they are. If you haven't been to Papagayo, go! If you've already been, go back!!

A M.

Their desserts are good, and so are their drinks and guac, but the reason I am giving them two stars is because I believe their entrees are tasteless, and its important for a restaurant to keep up with their main dishes. I've tried their chicken fajitas and enchiladas, I swear it didn't have a grain of salt or pepper..nothing for flavor!! How do you make dishes with cheese, chicken, beans, rice etc..and it tastes like air?? Will not go be coming back anytime soon...

Bill Y.

I went here after the auto show at the convention center. Boy did I pick the right spot. Some seriously amazing fish tacos! Good vibe / atmosphere and wonderful service. My date and I also had two margs each, and wanted more, but alas it was unfortunately a Monday night after all.

Adrianna C.

Planned my company function here last month, and I am impressed! What a great, accommodating crew. I would definitely have it here again. Thank you, Charles for your help!

Kristina M.

Great establishment! Great food and drinks! We go there all the time after work! Thanks for the great service on a consistent basis!

Robert R.

After seeing a show at the ICA, this was nearby and I was STARVING. It's in a really large and brightly decorated space. Also, it is loud - everyone was yelling.This may be a result of 'margaritas by the pitcher' and really loud Puerto Rican reggaeton. This was a quick tip off that the food wouldn't be authentic, but I still intended to go face first into food. I ordered, shamefully, fajitas. I wanted to get something that even an idiot couldn't f@$k up. Food service tortillas and no sizzling fajita pan at this joint. It was more like 'here's some stuff, make your own tacos'. Again, I was hungry so I stuffed everything in my mouth. The highlight of this experience was a very friendly, quick and attentive, mind - reading waiter. One big star for that. Sub par food. Ridiculous noise levels. This is not someplace to have a quiet date. If you're looking to get roofied at a bar, it's probably a safe bet for you.

Amanda L.

For starters - I could eat Mexican food all day long. What's better than melted cheese?! Papagayo is pretty great. The margaritas are strong and delicious and the guac is prepared tableside (mild, medium or spicy). The salsa that they serve with the chips is phenom - I love the chunks of fresh tomato! Today I tried the Chicken Tostada Grande salad. I usually stick to the fish tacos (which are absolutely wonderful here), but tried something new and unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. The salad needed something. Maybe a lime vinaigrette, maybe guac, something to add a little acid. The chicken in the salad was tender and flavorful and was also shredded nicely. Overall, the salad was okay but the presentation is what really sold it for me. Service isn't spectacular here - although it certainly isn't terrible. We came during the lunch hour today with clients and our server was just 'eh.' We never caught her name and she almost seemed offended that I didn't want a Pepsi when she let me know they were out of Diet. I'm sorry? And although it's fantastic that they make the guac to order it was super annoying sitting near the front of the restaurant and getting bumped into repeatedly with the guac cart. Oh well. The food's fine and I'm never one to say no to Mexican so I'll probably be back!

Joe J.

Expansive margarita selection, good service, and quality food. The food isn't spectacular, but they do it right and don't try to overachieve. Ceviche was good, but way too much of the non-seafood ingredients. Guac is made fresh by the table and taste great. Fajita plates are plentiful, and the grilled chicken was good. The beef was a little tough. The Carne Asada tacos were legit. Make your own and the meat was cooked perfectly. This place won't break the bank and give you a good start to a night out on the city!

Yelp Z.

Just don't go here. Came in for lunch today - around 130pm. There was entirely FOUR other groups of people dining. Some were parties of two - while others maybe 4 tops. 2 patrons at the bar. I went to the bathroom which is down a weird corridor that will ensure you walk straight into someone if anyone is coming out - and was able to take count. Seated immediately - and then waited 20 minutes for a server to approach. Seemed crazy when the place was so dead. Noticed two managers speaking with the host - seemed all worked up about something. Certainly not the quality of service their paltry amount of patrons were receiving. Anyway - the server finally made his way over and we ordered everything immediately for fear we'd never see him again. He was nervous, quiet and mumbled - he was respectful though and didn't bother me in terms of attitude. Ordered a margarita which came in a martini glass and was about the size of a shot. Tiny bowl of stale cold chips and some salsa came out. We ordered guacamole which another 15 minutes goes by (and one tiny bowl of chips and all the salsa eaten w/cocktails) then arrives. Another tiny bowl of stale cold crappy chips accompanies it. The guac was mild and dull. Shortly thereafter we are served the party of four nearby's lunch. I said I didn't order a veggie taco - and the food runner pulls it from the table and leaves it behind us and walks away mumbling. This is a reasonable response? Later someone else comes out and serves them. Our entrees come out and they are mediocre. The bill is $65. The temperature on a 64 degree day is hot as BALLS inside an empty restaurant with AC on. Please put people who don't know how to communicate in the kitchen cooking, prepping or cleaning. Not running food and serving. You can tell this place is as shitty as Max and Dylans ever was. Have fun opening bad restaurants in bad locations and running them into the ground. The whole experience was really disappointing. You can feel how little anyone cares about this place.

Samantha A.

Our concierge recommended this place for its great atmosphere. He was on point about that and it would be a great place to meet up for drinks. However, I would definitely not recommend just going for dinner; the food was underwhelming. You can get better Mexican food (and cheaper!) basically anywhere else.

John S.

Had a great experience! Alana did a great job serving us! Love the chips and salsa. We told them we had to be out in thirty minutes and they moved quickly to accommodate us!

Elizabeth R.

Met a Boston friend for a quick lunch - but restaurant-table-service quick, not fast food quick - between buses from the Cape to Logan and my flight home. We discovered Papagayo after just a short walk and we were really glad we did. I bet this place is packed at cocktail hour but on this Thursday lunchtime it was surprisingly empty. Food was delicious, service was excellent, and anyone who finds themselves in this part of Boston should check it out. Wish we'd had more time there.

Danae K.

They have very nice drink options. Ideal to go after work, and enjoy chips with guacamole. This place is also very large, so it's ideal to come with a big group of friends. But, it's a chain nonetheless.

Heather B.

We had a very back-and-forth experience here. We would come back based on the quality of the food (and the very reasonable price of the meal), but were not impressed with the service in general. Good: we were quickly seated upon arrival. The overall atmosphere was nice - a little dark and mildly pretentious but comfortable. They play good music. Bad: The waiter came to the table and the first thing he did was ask if we wanted guacamole. As we clearly hadn't even opened our menus yet, I figured this was the equivalent of a waiter offering bread at a different kind of restaurant and said sure. My fiance then looked at the menu and told me that the guacamole was a menu item - and it cost almost the same amount as an entree. (We saw other tables getting it and it was *not* very sizeable at all, either - I'd expect a BIG bowl for $13!) This is just plain sketchy. It is super not okay to get people to order something, especially something so relatively expensive, by offering it in a way that implies it is complimentary. I had some difficulty enjoying the rest of our visit because of feeling pissed off about almost being scammed. The (small) upside is that when the waiter came back to the table and I explained that we hadn't realized we were ordering off the menu, not accepting an offer of complimentary food, he made no fuss about canceling the order and it did not appear on our bill at the end of the evening. But the concept that people might misunderstand his offer clearly was not new or important to him - we heard him continuing to pull the same trick with the tables around us. Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy. Good: The food came incredibly fast. Bad: I was initially brought the wrong order. Upside, our waiter quickly noticed that my food was incorrect and fixed the issue. Good: It was really delicious. It would take really good food for us to want to come back to a restaurant where our visit began the way this one did, and this convinced us to give this place another try. The bill was also very reasonable when it came. Mildly bad: I wouldn't even have noticed this in another place, but on our way out, the hostesses didn't even look up from the welcome station, let alone say goodbye or thanks for coming. They weren't helping anyone else; they just ignored us. Like I said, this would be no big deal to me most of the time, but after the guacamole thing and the kitchen sending out the wrong food to me, it was sort of the cherry on top indicating that this restaurant perhaps doesn't have the strongest focus on customer service.

Rob B.

Had a very nice experience here sitting in the Tequila museum. The very nice tall 8 top in the middle of the restaurant. Obviously appealing to the under 30 crowd, the drink menu was creative and the jalapeno, cucumber caipirinha was delicious. Table made guac was awesome but over shadowed by the table made cerviche. Finding interesting entrees to follow the apps was a bit more difficult. The house made chipolte/honey cilantro dressing on our salad was tremendous. Salmon salad nice but leave the empanadas in the kitchen. They were as bland as they looked. Perhaps the kitchen forgot the menu described chimichurri.

Tyler D.

Great atmosphere, great margaritas, good food. Ask to sit in the back. It's bit too loud in the front, more of a bar atmosphere.

First A.

The food came out so fast we couldn't believe it. I placed the order and a minute later the staff brought out delicious food. Great experience. Friendly and smiling bartender. Would go back.

Amber M.

I come from Memphis, where we have plenty of great Mexican food. Papagayo was okay. They were americanized, of course, but they were really loud and really expensive....

Yasa E.

This is one of my new favorite restaurants in the area. It's colorful, cute, has an awesome vibe to it. I just love it! There is this bartender Caitlyn that works there and she is like Mother Theresa behind the bar. I came in one Sunday afternoon, hungover, starving...basically feeling like shit. And my best friend wasn't in the best shape either. Caitlyn literally TOOK CARE of us. Bloody mary's, waters, snacks, amazing food (steak fajitas+tequila snow cones=BOMB), funny stories, jokes....custom made blackberry mojitos.... I mean, this girl lifted our spirits and turned a shitty hungover sunday into a full on Sunday Funday!!! Now lets talk about the male staff that works here. Holy Jesus. The barback was like 19 and looked like that rookie kid from Magic Mike. The guacamole cart boy was probably like 17 and I had the face of a supermodel. Even the couple of kitchen guys that I watched go by were hot!

Leah T.

The food here is delicious and the portions are big. Try the guacamole, it's the best I've ever had and they make it fresh right next to your table. The drinks are also great - my favorite is the strawberry jalapeno margarita. Be careful though - it's extremely spicy! Watch out on Thursday and Friday evenings. Everyone goes after work and it gets pretty crowded. Still worth fighting the crowds though.

Mallory C.

Let's be straight: the guacamole gets six stars. They make it in front of you, so it's super fresh and as hot as you want it. The drinks are solid, although we only had a pitcher of white sangria this time around. When I go back, the mango / basil margarita is calling my name. The space is humungous - one of the biggest spaces I've seen in town. This place was made for gigantic groups. The big downside to Papagayo: the actual food. As a Californian, I am super snobby about Mexican food, but even the low prices couldn't make up for the blandness that was my meal. That said, definitely go for the drinks and guac - they will not disappoint!

Laura B.

I love the guacamole made to order at your table, and the margaritas are great too. One of my favorite places to do dinner and drinks with friends. Not too expensive

Diane H.

I LOVEEE THE DRINKS....mmm mm gooddd~ mango margarita..wow! The guac is made table side, and dont be like my manager who was too busy talking and had his back turned and miss it! He got another chance to see it as it's quite a popular dish!! YAY, Please skip the tuna ceviche..Gross..too salty with all the veggies and the fish tacos was nice but not my style... Bar closes way after kitchen has closed. FUN TIMES!

Lesley A.

Nothing to brag about. Chips were cold and salsa wasn't that great either. Plus they gave us about 2 chips each for a party of 4. Good drink menu, but the food came out slow and I know my dish was cold. I know they just opened so they must be working out some kinks. I may give it a second chance in a few months.

Kacie D.

I'm a big fan of Papagayo. The atmosphere and the vibe is really great and the food is delicious. Of course, the guacamole is hands down the best part of this restaurant. Made table-side, you can't get anything fresher than this! I also really love their chicken chowder. Their drinks can be a little pricey, but nothing outrageous. The only downside is that as it is so extremely popular, the wait time can be crazy and unfortunately, the bar area is usually crazy packed so it's hard to wait around for the 1-2 hrs at the bar for a table to be ready. Also, since it is kind of in an isolated area, there really isn't anywhere you can walk to that's close enough to put your name in, go grab a drink elsewhere and come back. I went once for happy hour right after work though and was able to get in immediately. If you're okay with waiting though, you should definitely check this place out!

Kristian B.

Here's the thing about Papagayo. It LOOKS inviting. It's in a nice spot, a little bit busy so you think their location would do them a lot of justice...but nope. It's nothing special. It reminds me of a Margaritas or the Border Cafe up on Rt 1 Saugus...For the price, location, and even the decor/sign outside....It really isn't anything to run home about. I tried one of their specialty margaritas and it was OK, but I wasn't overly impressed. The reason it gets 4 stars is because the service was very good. But good service doesn't complete a business, you need to have good products too! Get it together owners I might come back if the opportunity presents itself but I wouldn't rush here.

Jess K.

I came here on a Saturday night with a group of 12 friends. We were realistic in knowing that getting a reservation somewhere would be impossible so one friend suggested we take over a section in a bar and just order food as we pleased. That worked out amazingly well. We took over a long table at Papagayo (after I checked and the wait for a sit down table would be 2 hours) and it allowed us to mingle, eat and drink for hours. It was a stellar evening and one I would be happy to replicate. I suggest the margaritas. Mostly because I don't remember the quality of the food I drunkenly shoveled in my pie hole. My fiance enjoyed his enchiladas. I enjoyed his black beans. The guacamole was good but not wow. It is awesome that they make it in front of you on a wheely cart. Another Mexican restaurant is opening down the street (perhaps it opens this week, I believe) and that would be worth checking out too. I just REALLY love Mexican food so I would be hard pressed to have hated my experience anyway.

Jeremy W.

Update: Had their margaritas. Holy jeebus, it is amazing. From now on, definitely getting guac and margaritas from now on!

Ken S.

We were told to try the margaritas and the guacamole when we came to this place and both did not disappoint! They make the guacamole in front of you. We got spicy and it was very good. We had some extra when our dishes came, so some of us had it with our meals. I had the fish tacos. I expected more to come with the dish, but it was very tasty. Kind of a small plate, but it wasn't expensive. The other dishes were huge. Everything was delicious. Others had enchiladas and tacos al pastor. I recommend the tacos al pastor the most. I plan to return with other friends and family again.

Annette A.

Papagayo is my favorite place for Mexican in the Fort Point area. The interior itself is fun, with gorgeous art and vibrant paint everywhere. The food is wonderful and the drinks are top-notch. This is going to be a killer place to get a hot-weather margarita. My only complaint? They've got to make a spicier hot sauce. For a Mexican restaurant, you've got to offer more than just a bottle of Chalula. Although, I really love that you guys offer Chalula.

L K.

Drinks were good. Food was awesome. Their refried beans are fantastic and I don't even like refried beans that much. They do an at-your-table guacamole preparation and the results were absolutely delicious. Service was pretty good. The staff was a little snooty for a Mexican restaurant and not especially considerate (ie. why are you shoving your way past me on the way to the bathroom, server dude?). The guac prep cart seems a little hard to handle and the chick pushing it around wasn't really paying attention to the far end because she was running over customers a bit. But I'll forgive her because the guac she made was top notch. tl;dr: Amazing food. Decent service from people who'd rather not. We will definitely be back.

Johanna P.

Did not like food. The complimentary chips and salsa were not tasteful. The chips were saturated in oil and cold. I ordered Tacos al Pastor and did not even get the tortillas. I had to ask the waitress for them. The pork was undercooked and bland. The service was not good either. Will not be returning.

Hospitality 1.

One of my go-to favorites! The service is always super friendly and the meals/drinks are consistent. The fish tacos are amazing! Some of the best I've had!

Ira H.

3.5 stars but rounding up. The scene is great for an after work Wednesday afternoon. The first Milagro Margarita was perfect. The second and 3rd margarita were not made with Milagro and tasted bad. It's strange that the bartender would do a switch... The table-side Guacamole was perfectly made. It was good but not great. The avocados weren't as ripe as I like them. The Fish tacos were awesome. Three decent sized soft tacos with Tilapia and veggies. I would definitely head back to this place.

Alexandra D.

I went here for Cinco de Mayo with some co-workers. The ambiance was probably a little bit more different in the restaurant for that day than normal but the service was great! We had two servers throughout the course of our visit, and both were so knowledgable, polite, and friendly!! I just wish I could remember both of their names! The food was also great. I loved the chicken quesadillas as well the tableside guacamole! SO addiciting. I would definitely recommend this place again and will be returning in the near future.

Anon E.

Meh, it's 'fine'. Tableside guac was bland, not bad, not amazing. Waiter rushed the order, asking us about the guac as soon as we sat down and it was in front of us before he took the drink order. Then the drinks and appetizers and main courses came at the same time. Couldn't enjoy the starters at all. Then....nothing. Nobody checked to see if we wanted more drinks (we did!). It took forever to then find him for the check. It wasn't super crowded when we came or when we left so I can't figure out why the massive rush (and then being ignored). F

Julie C.

Just had dinner + drinks for two for only $40. Delicious food, great service, reasonable price. Filling, but not in the "roll me out of here" kind of way. The fish tacos were outstanding, as were the margaritas.

Erin W.

Fresh Guacamole made to your liking. Try the Fish Tacos, amazing!

Richard D.

Very good service food was excellent will return.

Sheila B.

Great mexican food for Boston. Table-side guac- yum, fresh and to your spice liking. The food is fresh, quick and satisfying. The place is loud, be warned for evening dinners. The back however, is less noisy. Out of the 3 mexican joints in South Boston/FP Channel , this has the best price point, quality, service, and Parking options.

Christina T.

We waited an hour and a half for a table, ordered our margaritas at the bar and no one offered us free chips and salsa even though they gave the couple sitting right next to us chips and salsa. Down right grumpy and gave this place my "not impressed" face. We were so hungry, we decided to stay and suck it up. Anyway, we got a table, got the chips and salsa, ordered our food and inhaled it in 10 minutes. I barely remember it. Maybe next time, I'll come when it's not so busy.

Shannon S.

Loved this place.. Sat at bar and sampled a lot of tequila. Our bartender was awesome and very knowledgeable on all the different tequilas.

Kimberly T.

There are no words to express how satisfied I am whenever I go to Papagayo. I happen to work nearby and was among the first to check out this restaurant when they first opened. They've since worked out the little kinks that come along with any new place and I'm happy to say that I'm an extremely satisfied and frequent patron (both for work-related functions and personal get-togethers). 1 word - Guacamole. There is nothing like fresh, table-side guacamole. It is absolutely the first thing and sometimes the only thing I will order whenever I finally get seated at the table. The enchiladas, burritos, fish tacos (yummm) and anything else on the menu is just cooked perfectly. They do tend to be a little on the slower side should you come with a large party, but that's not enough to deter you from coming here. The staff is friendly and very understanding and patient with large groups (I've held baby showers to birthday parties to farewell parties here) and do a wonderful job of attending to everyone's needs. The margaritas are to die for and they are a fully stocked tequila bar as well. The decor is beautiful and the space (including dining and bar area) are large enough to accommodate all patrons so you are not on top of one another. Definitely see myself sitting at the bar again with a margarita with friends. Highly recommend this place!

laura W.

Went here for a Sunday brunch with m' ladies. I felt a little bizarre that we had a reservation when there were maybe five other diners in there (the size of the place is epic). Tumbleweeds were dancing through the restaurant and I'm saying "Reservation at 12?" But ....how were we to know? Waiting for my friends to arrive, I used the restroom which was very nice. However, it smelled worse than a gas stations', even though it was clean. Get an air freshener. Then, on the long walk to our table, I was confused when I saw the buffet. There are individual items listed for brunch on their online menu. Alas, a buffet is a viable option as I can dip and dabble in EVERYTHING! Ah, the food. The CORN -oh my sweet LORD- the CORN was delicious. Grilled corn with cotija cheese Other stand outs- Mexican Eggs Benedict and Empanadas. The only real duds were the Rice Crispy French Toast (limp and uncrispy), Quesadilla and Enchiladas (bland). The dessert was a wee flan... which was fine. There was also a Make Your Own Bloody Mary station. I would've hit that up if I didn't have issues with tomato-y drinks. They have an immense amount of tequila, margaritas and the like. I think this place has potential to be very fun and lively (especially if I've had a few bevvies). The real upside was that the buffet was $13. Not too shabby shab shab. This place didn't WOW me... but I am very interested in getting my Tequila on at a later date.

Connor J.

Most friendly servers I've ever had in Boston. Very quick service. I had the guacamole and fish tacos; they were both the best I've ever had. Highly recommended. The atmosphere is also very cool. I'll definitely be returning next time I'm in town!

Charles W.

Great fish tacos and while pricey (12 bucks) the guacamole was really good and super fresh!

Danielle W.

I was introduced to Papagayo by coworkers, and I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the restaurant, especially since there's not much else in the area. Pros: -Guacamole! They'll make it fresh right next to your table and make it as spicy as you want. I've gone to Papagayo's for nothing more than a drink and guacamole. The guacamole is definitely worth having. -Tequila! They have a very extensive tequila selection and their margaritas are excellent. I'm not much of a tequila person, but I'll never turn down a margarita here. Cons: -It gets packed pretty quickly on a weeknight. I've never been on a weekend, but I can only imagine that it's even busier. -The food is decent, but there's something in one of their spices or dressing that upsets my stomach. This is nothing to blame the restaurant for, and more a curse of my finicky stomach, but I figured I'd put it out there. The salads are usually fine for me, but any of the tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or whatnot have upset my stomach. No one else in my party has ever had the issue, even when ordering the same meal, however. Regardless of why you're there, you have to check out the margaritas and guacamole. It's worth making a trip just for those!

Bryan V.

The food and margaritas here were outstanding!!! We were hoping to get a good mexican meal and a couple of margaritas, but we found a fantastic spot!!! We told our server that we love spicy food, and he went back to the kitchen and asked the chef to whip up a special hot sauce for us. It was fantastic!!! We ordered the hand made guacamole, and it was fresh and delicious. My wife got the fish tacos and I got fajitas, both of them were absolutely fantastic. Summary: Great food. Great drinks. Fabulous service! We will definitely be going again.

Kelly B.

I'm actually surprised to see bad reviews on here, this place rocks! The table side guacamole is amazing, the ceviche is also super tasty, if you go there on a Friday night there is usually a long wait, but that can only mean the place sells good food and good drinks. It's a perfect place for a girls night, and the Margaritas are pretty stiff..the restaurant tends to get loud and the bar packed, so get there early! One of my favorite places in Boston.

Sara M.

Two friends and I went here for dinner on a Thursday night and the place was packed. We had the queso dip, fish tacos, enchiladas verdes and the chicken tacos and all walked out fat and happy. I thought the portions were reasonable for the price and the margaritas were VERY strong. Service was good, but the dining room is very noisy and the tables are very close together Overall, I had a nice dinner and will go back if I am ever on that side of town.

Phil O.

The food from what I've tried so far has been great, the Margaritas are top-notch, and the ambiance is definitely worth 5 stars. What I also like is that the guacamole is grinded right in front of your table, which is something I've never seen before.

Laura F.

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Matthew P.

I came here with friends looking mainly for their margaritas. I was told they were reasonably priced and were supposedly some of the best margaritas around this way. I would have to say that I was not dissapointed. The first time we came we each tried one of the regular margaritas. I splurged and went for the mango flavor. It was really good and surprisingly strong. Be careful though, it really doesn't seem like it. That's a good drink ladies and gentlemen. All four of us split the guacamole. It looks like its pricey but it's really not. You get a ton of guac. It's also not your standard pureeuntilitsliquid guac either. They make it in front of you and ask what how hot you would like it. We ordered it very spicy and it packed a little bit of punch. The entree's were all good as well. You won't be getting authentic Mexican food, but you should know this already. It is Boston... I ordered the fish tacos and couldn't even finish them. With all the guac and salsa and chips and margaritas, you certainly won't leave here hungry. On another note, we came here a second time and sat at the bar. I didn't think I would like the Margarita-rona, but it was surprisingly delicious. I'm not fan of Coronas but this definitely makes me want to come back just for this.

Lisa F.

Love the spicy fresh guac and the fish tacos (although I heard they used frozen fish for them). Portions are quite large here. The margaritas are delicious and strong. The large space makes it perfect for lunch, dinner, after work drinks, etc. The service is also very quick and everyone is very nice/attentive :)

JD O.

My fav mexican/tequila bar in Boston! Sit at the bar for best experience in talking to bartenders ab the different tequilas and prompt service. Table side guacamole a must. Great location, scene, service and food.

Curtis A.

Service was good. Food was mediocre. Best was guacamole made at table. The Coronita margaritas looked good but we didn't try one. With so many other great restaurants in the area, probably won't return.

Greg N.

Do you want to try some Mexican food with the authenticity of a Taco Bell but none of that pesky charm? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you not want to be burdened with the social niceties of interacting with a server by going to the bar to refill your own water glass? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you like guacamole but find tortilla chips a bore? Papagayo is the place for you. Do you think most servers are far to engaged in their jobs and need to take a more "hands off" approach? Papagayo is the place for you.

KATHY N.

We went in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (July 20) recently. We were looking for a comfortable bar to catch a refresher before dinner. As we walked by we saw through the front window that this bar had seats available when another Mexican bar a couple doors down has a line to get in the door. That should have been the warning sign. It is a narrow 3 story restaurant with the bar on the first floor. The bartender was no where we could see. We sat for a few minutes with no one responding to us although there were 3 workers (greeter plus 2) standing at the door podium right behind us. Two tables in the window were also waiting for the bartender. Still the 3 at the door didn't move but stayed there chatting. The bartender came behind the bar after obviously running food. He did not acknowledge us but went by to attend to the tables in the window. Not even a "I'll be with you shortly." The bar top itself was dirty and had the remains of previous eaters before us. Still the 3 stood at the podium chatting and laughing. By the way, one was a female greeter, one was a female waitress, and one was a young man in a white shirt so he seemed as if he might be a manager-type. When we finally were greeted we asked to see a drink menu. I wanted a margarita but there were many different ones from which to choose. I needed the bartender to help me pick one out with recommendations but he was off delivering food again. I finally decided on one but had to wait for him to appear again. He was dealing with a family at a table around the corner. There were not many diners on this first floor but I gather he is responsible for those tables as the waiter. We got out drinks - 1 bottled beer and my $12 Margarita in a small highball glass. No coaster or napkin for the glass so I asked for one. No straw but didn't bother to ask. One of the tables in the front window wanted to check out but the bartender/waiter was again off to the family table. After several minutes the white shirted young man went over to them, picked up the check and handed it to the bartender in a disdainful manner as if he wasn't working hard enough. I wanted to SCREAM! We decided to leave at this point. I went to find the ladies room. It turns out it is on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator. I didn't need it but I wonder about those who are unable to climb stairs. There was a men's room on the first floor if I remember right but I wasn't looking for that one! As I left the 3rd floor I saw the white shirted manager in a corner texting as was a waitress. There is a nicer looking bar on the 3rd floor but the greeter didn't mention it when we said we were "only here for a drink". Can you tell I'm ticked off? I don't go into Boston much but I can't see how this place stays in business with this kind of service. The drink was very good, by the way, but do Bostonians really pay that much all the time?

Nicole B.

I came here for the "RonaRitas" (margarita + Corona) and was told I had to try to tableside-made guacamole. Unfortunately, I don't see what the fuss is about. The guacamole was nothing special and DEFINITELY not worth $10! The drinks were superb (and strong) and the food was delicious and a great value (huge portions, ended up taking home leftovers). My side was the chipotle potatoes and they were good, but not what I expected. They were large chunks of cut potatoes tossed in a chipotle BBQ-esque sauce. Pros: Waiter was really knowledgeable about the food and drink menu, the entrée portions were a great value, the drinks were expertly crafted. Cons: Guacamole was a rip-off and our raised table for 2 was kind of cramped and next to a huge pillar in the middle of the restaurant.

Corey L.

I've been to this place a few times. It's big, has a lotta single ppl milling around, fresh guacamole they make in front of you, and the food is decent (fish tacos are good). I love the margaritas and drinks - especially the Ronarita, a margarita with a corona in it. Pretty damn good. The chips they bring are often like 4 hours old and suck. But the rest is worth trips once in a while.

Jen K.

Fun festive environment. Guacamole is excellent and food is very good. Great after work crowd. It can be very loud!

Mary N.

The best margaritas in the city!!! Fresh guac made tableside (I don't eat it) Chips and salsa on the table Fish tacos were excellent Everyone was freindly

Penny S.

For white person Mexican food in Boston, Papagayos does pretty well. And if the only Mexican food you've eaten has been in Boston, you'll probably enjoy this. But if you've ever eaten Mexican in California, Texas or... Mexico, you will be disappointed. The guac is awesome. No doubt. But the enchiladas are so-so. The bbq chicken salad is drenched in bbq sauce. nasty. The shrimp and avocado is salad is probably the best salad on their menu. The plantains as a side dish are unreliable - one time they were fantastic, and the other 3 times I've had them they were awful. A fun place to have in Fort Point just since we're hurting for places,... but when I add up my options for lunch, Papagayo always falls at the bottom of my list.

Lisa S.

We got a pitcher of red sangria which was enough for 5 glasses (hence the hefty $49 price tag). We ordered the guacamole of course, would definitely recommend. They also have a big gluten-free menu which was helpful for my friend. They also brought out gluten-free chips that weren't fried in the same oil as other gluten products. I got the shrimp/avocado/jicama salad- healthy, light and fresh.

Saige B.

I've come here a few times now and been disappointed every time. While I've only come on Thursday-Sunday nights, the place is oddly designed so it seems not too packed but everyone is smooshed at the bar; which is right in between the front of the restaurant and the back seating/bathrooms. I came here with a larger party once and kept having issues with getting a table even after all our party has arrived. The drinks were average and the margaritas were also average and overpriced. The atmosphere was cool but the place just gets crowded and makes it hard for you to enjoy eating/drinking/etc. The only reason Papagayo gets two stars is one star for the aioli cheese slathered corn-on-the-cob (not even close to Toro's but a solid stab) and the guac.

Shirah M.

Found this place while searching google maps for reputable restaurant near our hotel. This gem showed up only two blocks away. We were seated right at the bar and were given great advice on a tequila suitable for rocks. Service is excellent, food is excellent. It's a no brainer in a city filled with great dining.

Erin C.

I used to work in the Fort Point neighborhood, so frequent after-work drinks at Papagayo were a regular part of my routine. If I could give Papagayo 5 stars just for the margaritas, I would. But I can't ignore the fact that their food is mostly bland and in some cases kind of...bad. They have great table-side guacamole, delicious fish tacos, and generously strong margaritas (also available by the pitcher), but I can't recommend anything else here. The other entrees are all pretty bland, and many are totally overpriced. For an example of what I mean by "bland," the fried plantains are served all by their lonesome without any sort of dipping sauce, creme fraiche, what have you. Just sticks of fried plantains that actually taste more like a baked potato. Yuck. If you go to Papagayo, don't set your expectations too high, and it might be better to limit yourself to just drinks. The atmosphere of the restaurant is bright and fun (although always busy in the evenings, and your eardrums will be pummeled by overly loud reggaeton music), and definitely a fun hang-out spot. But the food...just....no.

Andrew R.

OK OK OK! I'll tell you all the super uber secret! Just back off a little - a man needs his space. The ceviche is to DIE for. You will not be disappointed. The dude whipping it up is amazing, and it's just about the greatest ceviche tableside preparation ever. It's almost like dinner and a show. Another not-so-hidden gem is the salsa. Eat it by the spoonful because you'll be craving it for days. It still calls me every now and then. Watching folks go nuts over a variety of tequila also has its hilarious moments. People watching - good for the body, mind, and soul.

Ben D.

Went here after going to the St. Patty's Day Parade. Was pretty decent. I expected a better beer list. Though to be fair it WAS St. Patrick's Day. Food was tasty, atmosphere was fun. Everything I was looking for when walking home from a parade :-D

Danielle P.

I noticed there were A LOT of staff standing around...doing nothing! Even managers were just hanging out...honestly making me feel uncomfortable, as I felt like they were staring at me! Drinks were great, chips free or not were so greasy - my server great and super helpful ... although she too was standing around - which made it almost impossible to get our check.

Bob S.

Went here Saturday night around 6:30 pm and the place was very busy. We were seated promptly and we had the best waiter I've had in a very long time......Jeremy. He didn't skip a beat the entire night. The place is very loud, that would my only complaint but not SO loud that you couldn't enjoy your company. The menu is typical Mexican and offer table made Ceviche and which was fun and adds a little to entire dining experience. The guacomole was outstanding, the chips, though good were too salty. I ordered Enchilada verde which came with rice and beans........it was very good. The three others in my party were all happy with their choices and we all proclaimed we'd be coming back.

Jackson D.

If you enjoy eating tasteless Mexican food amongst thousands of fruit flies, here's your place. No joke- the walls of the bar were covered with them. I read some reviews and heard someone talk about this place favorably once so I finally tried it after work. Met a friend there and we sat at the bar. I don't understand where the good reviews come from. The food was very sub-par- I got the tacos (listed on the menu under "Popular Dishes") and they were tasteless. The refried beans that came with them were a joke. How hard is it to screw up refried beans!? Or tacos for that matter? They found a way. Sadly, they've replaced the Max & Dylan's in Charlestown (which I actually enjoyed from time to time and would much rather have that back) with a Papagayo's and I've only heard bad things from there as well.

Josephine L.

The guacamole here is pretty tasty and so are the tacos and enchiladas. Their salsa could be spicier but it's decent. Now what you REALLY need to come here for is the tequila. I'm not just talking cocktails made with tequila. I mean they have a list of about 100 kinds of tequila and if you (and your buddies...or just you) can finish all of them, you'll get a free dinner for 10. So tequila-philes NEED to come here.

Tom D.

Awesome, awesome place. Drinks: Walk in. Say i want a coronarita, and dont think twice. Tastes good, super strong and has one of those cool little corona bottles (I'm pretty much an eight year old) Food: Guac is good and reasonably priced. I got the quesadillas for the main dish and they were very interesting in a good way. Not your ordinary chicken quesadilla...not sure what they did with them but i like it. Overall this is a really good mexican place that is MUCH more reasonable than the other mexican places in the area (looking at you rosa mexicana) Now go out and there and get weird with some midget sized coronas

Erin D.

The bartender is fantastic. Genuinely great at his job. The food was good. Can't beat the guac. The music is a complete buzz kill.

Juan R.

I stopped here for a quick meal during a conference. Delicious food, quick service. Their chili salmon salad makes a great healthy lunch.

Amy M.

Homemade guacamole, queso, chips - you need nothing else for a Mexican feed :) Loved it! Went with a party of 4. Got the above for apps. The other 3 got fish tacos and chicken tacos. I did not order a meal. No need to. The apps were HUGE and the servings of tacos were 3 per order. so I picked off plates. Otherwise the doggy bags would have had a meal and a half to take home. Drinks are food too - fun variety! Definitely get the Cornita Margarita - YUM YUM YUM.

Courteney M.

As someone who usually does not like Mexican food, I was unsure about what to expect visiting Papagayo (first time I went there, friends made arrangements). Let me tell you, this place knocks it out of the park in every aspect - fantastic food, amazing drinks, 5-star service and great atmosphere. The fish tacos are amongst my favorite dishes in Boston, the sangria is knock-your-socks-off good (goes down like kool-aid, so tasty), the margaritas are amazing and I can't even rationally discuss the guacamole (that they make fresh in front of you on their convenient guacamole cart). We were there last night for birthday celebrations, and I got a chance to try the churros (raspberry and chocolate, oh my!). I mean, they are so good they should be illegal. Top it off with excellent service on each occasion that I've been there, and you really would be foolish to NOT eat here. Interestingly enough, I got dragged to Rosa Mexicano the week after I tried Papagayo for the first time, and thought my visit there just emphasized how much better Papagayo is in terms of food, drinks and service (and guacamole, which was the upset of the century - having visited the Rosa Mexicano in DC, the bar was set very high). Papagayo will now be a regular in my Boston restaurant rotation :)

Cindy W.

Overall Papagayo is a great place to eat Mexican. Fresh table side guacamole is a nice touch but not unique. Margaritas was nothing to write home about but did their job on a hot summer night. The chicken enchiladas - it was good for Boston but didn't knock my sox off. My company got fish tacos that was different from any other place I've ever been to. Each taco was filled with LARGE pieces of fish and great toppings to accommodate the flavors of the sea. Great and friendly wait staff, service and the environment was very comfortable. This is a great place to have something else other than your regular fast food mexican burrito!

Panda G.

Thanks Wilbur! You made the best gauc. Hmmm spicy!

Stephanie L.

Amazing list of margaritas and table side guac! Need I say more? Papagayo has a permanent place in my after work rotation, one that is well earned. They have at least several dozen delicious margaritas, mojitos and other similar specialty cocktails, from the Rona-Rita (a Corona bottle in a special holder upside down pour into your margarita) to my favorite the Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita. There is also a ridiculously long tequila list. And NO sweet and sour mix used here, just fresh squeezed lime juice for the purists out there. :) No cocktail outing is complete without a serving or two of table side guac. The avocados are sliced and mashed right in front of you, and you can specify your precise requirements as to spicy level or leaving out certain ingredients. (Great for picky eaters with allergies.) Everything else I've tried on the menu has been made with fresh ingredients and turned out tasty- nothing I'd warn against to avoid. The only negative here is that after work it sometimes gets overly crowded in the bar area. There are many large tall tables in the front of the restaurant in front of the bar, and it can easily become elbow to elbow in this section. While an easy fix is to just grab a table instead, you still are greeted with this crowd to fight through from the front door.

Alyssa J.

I called into this place expecting a lot. My new company has been raving about this place and I obviously wanted to try it out.I called in for a to-go order with my credit card over the phone. I walked across the street after the alloted 10 minutes....and then waited at the bar for another 10 minutes hoping and praying that the sullen bartender would notice me. The hostess called him over a few times but he ignored her as well. Apparently doing nothing for no one is incredibly preoccupying. OH! GREAT! He has time for me! I told the Super Sullen Bartender that I had an order To Go and he said "Oh yeah...as I recall the fish sandwich?" I, as someone who didn't order a fish sandwich, said, "I hope not!" Super Sullen Barternder said, "HUMPHF" SSB shows up with my sandwich; throws it on the bar and says "You owe us $9.50". (This, friends, is when I got PISSED.) "Hey, You owe us $9.50" "Well, Actually, I paid over the phone with my credit card." -APJ-obvi "No, You didn't.-------Hey other bartender! Did this chick pay with her card????" "No!" ----Other Bartender SSB- Hey Manager, this girl is saying she paid for her chicken sandwich with her credit card! What a liar, am I right?!?! Manager-She did. Figure it out. SSB-Here you go Alyssa. Have a good night. Wow. So...I hope this place doesn't SUCK as much as it did in my first outing. I am planning on giving it a second chance, but I hope that the manager and the bartenders can realize that service is paramount. There are a million restaurants in Boston that serve REAL mexican food that have better service that I would rather go to. Bartenders with an attitude and no idea what the word service means are low on the totem pole of revisitation.

Nikki I.

This is my 3rd time back here and I was not as happy leaving as the previous few times. The guac was not as delicious and neither was the food... it seems like it has gone downhill in the past year. :(

Meg D.

Came here on a Wednesday night with some coworkers. No reservations, and yet we were able to snag some of the bar tables and eat and drink there. Great plus! Tableside homemade guac may very well alone make the 4 stars I give this place. Just the fact that you watch someone making the guacamole makes it seem pretty special. Now I want to buy a mortar and pestle for myself! Side note: I know how to make guacamole and it's fairly simple but this ensures just how fresh the guacamole is and that the restaurant didn't just buy guacamole, but that they made it themselves. Side note 2: They put cilantro in their guacamole. I like cilantro, but I do know some people that despise it. So cilantro haters should take care to ask for none. They had mild, medium, and spicy levels for the guac, and we got medium. Didn't taste anything that screamed spice to me, so maybe should have gotten spicy. Got the steak fajita and that was great. The steak was very flavorful, so happy camper. In regards to decor, it wasn't their bar, but Papagayo has a lighted section across the bar. A lighted section of tons of pretty alcohol on the wall. Random spotting: One of the guys spotted some hockey player with his girlfriend outside trying to get a cab. THAT was cool, even though I know nothing about the Bruins, being a DC girl and all...

Alvin C.

Yummygayo should be the name of this spot. The margaritas had an corona bottle sticking out which looked dramatic and intense. Guacamole was being made to order at various stations throughout the establishment. The place was packed, but the wait was not long at all. The yummy happened right when I tasted the guacamole and lasted throw the short rib tacos, and came to a close at some wonderful dessert that I was too full to truly eat.

Charmie S.

Listen, for $2, you can get the absolute BEST guacamole in this town. I ordered a side of the guac and some fried plantains. That was all, and it was one of the best meals ever. I did not go intending to have a big dinner at Papagayo. It was past my dinner time, and I just needed a little something. Now back to the guac. It was a tad spicy, but full of flavor. It's the real deal. If you order a bigger portion, they even make it right in front of you. If you are a guac connoisseur, please visit Papagayo. There's little competition elsewhere.

Alex A.

The first time I went here, I absolutely hated the place and the crappy service, but I went again last night to give it a second chance. Still shit. I parked a block away on the bridge and only had 1 quarter which gives me 12 minutes to get to Papagayo and get change for a couple of dollars which should have been plenty of time. Except I forgot how slow and inattentive the bartenders are here. I stood at the (uncrowded) bar for 10 minutes, making eye contact with the bartender, having cash in my hand, saying "Excuse me" a couple of times as they walked by....nothing. The two bartenders were just hanging out at one end of the bar, completely ignoring the other end. Even when they would be making a drink literally right in front of me, they wouldn't look up to see if I needed anything, as if squeezing a lime took too much of their brainpower they couldn't handle asking someone if they needed another drink. I will never come back here if I can help it and would rather go to Rosa Mexicano which is close by as well

Tiff D.

2 words Tequila Snowcones I havent eaten here except the guac which was seriously lacking any flavor. 4 stars based soley on the drinks.

Maria L.

I went to Papagayo on a Saturday night and the place was packed! But after tasting the food and experiencing the service, I now know why i was able to get a reservation same day (2 hours before actually). The food was average. The atmosphere was average (and very loud). The service was slow. As far as food allergies they weren't very accommodating. My server had the personality of a wet blanket. When I told her about my food allergy, she dutifully checked with the kitchen and told me that I couldn't have what I wanted and only had two choices on the menu. If you ask me, that's pretty lame. All I asked for were chicken tacos with no cheese. Anyway, I compromised and got the Fajitas, which came out slathered in cheese in the end! It took forever to get another meal, pretty annoying, since everyone's food at the table was getting cold. I'd say overall this place was average, or even a little below average....just sayin'!

Nicole V.

Alright Papagayo... I am now officially a fan. I have been here a handful of times. I feel as though there are certain things you need to know in order to fully love Papagayo: - guacamole - delicious, made to order, and usually table side (exception is during the busiest hours; then they have little stations where you can still see it being made). Huge servings of fresh guacamole win me over every time - drinks - get anything with tequila. It will be delicious. Though we are sworn enemies, I fall back in love with tequila here. The strawberry jalapeno is a recent favorite (thanks Bird). - the food will not blow you away. It is fairly average. With most entrees hovering in the $10 - $15 range, you are getting exactly what you should expect. Taco entrees will come with two well stuffed tacos and sides. Fish tacos come with three tacos and no sides. - staff is fantastic. I can't say enough about this. I once left my phone here and didn't realize for two days; not a problem for them. Recently I showed up post-beer fest (see also: three hours of binge drinking); still not a problem for them. Staff greeted us warmly and treated us well. Our server, David, was great. He joked around with us while never letting drinks or chip basket go empty. Also to be noted: this place is GREAT for groups. They are accommodating and flexible.

John I.

For a time, Papagayo had the best and freshest margaritas in town, easy. Lately, however, their margaritas have been salty, stale, and prefabricated. Perhaps it depends on the night. Their guacamole is consistently fantastic, but the rest of the menu is hit or miss. I want to love Papagayo, but I'd be lying if I said I did.

Andrea M.

Fail. This place is like the Mexican version of Boston Beer Works. So, if you think Boston Beer Works is "dining" then, you might love this place. But if you're offended by shredded lettuce, bland flavors and inattentive service, don't go here. Atmosphere: Huge, brightly colors walls, feels a bit like it's waiting for a college crowd to walk in from the South Shore. Service: Super slow and inattentive. Forgot drinks, barely talked to us, and everyone else who brought food kind of slammed it down on the table and then walked away. The manager came over at the end to thank us, and he was very nice, but, it kind of made me wonder what this white guy knew about "authentic" Mexican cuisine. Food: Bland. The tableside guac lacked lime and salt and we ordered it "medium" spicy and there was no spice at all. The vegetable enchiladas tasted like someone poured a bunch of verde on it and assumed that was sufficient. Chile rellenos weren't terrible, but there was a bizarre red salsa/pomodoro on it, and it's hard to go wrong with pepper and large amounts of cheese. Authentic is maybe the last word I would use to describe Papagayo.

Kerri S.

Before you get it in your head that you would like a frozen margarita----No Go. When I ordered one he told me they have no frozen drinks--"not a blender in the place." Major disappointment there but what can you do. The chips and salsa were delish and kept on coming. We had the guac made tableside-delicous! I ordered the filet mignon fajitas and my husband had the fish tacos. Both very good. The Fajitas did not come out on the skillet like you would expect, but came out plated -which was different but still good. Our waiter was great-very friendly and helpful with the menu.

Emily C.

If you think this place is terrible... GOOD. DON'T COME BACK. SAVE ROOM FOR ME AT THE BAR. The house margaritas are AMAZING. They use all fresh ingredients - no mixes - even in the fruit margaritas (which I usually hate) AND they're $8!!! At Lolita's in Back Bay you get half the margarita for double the price!! (No, really.) Some random ho said she liked the margs at Border Cafe better... once again... GOOD. STAY IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC WHERE YOU BELONG! (Keep in mind I love Cambridge too, btw.) But seriously... if you don't think these margs taste fresh and strong then you probably have a drinking problem... where all you want to drink is Boones Farm or MD 2020. This is a great place to go with a huge group of friends for apps and pitchers of margs. The food doesn't need to be five star, NYC Per Se quality... it just needs to be well cooked, tasty, and filling - which Papagayo does very well. The pork tacos are phenominal. The table side guac is double the portion and half the cost as compared to other places and it's amazing. The margs... well they need to get you wasted without spending a bundle... I would consider myself an expert on drinking and TWO margaritas gets me inappropriately touchy. ;-) Also I must say, as a professional in the luxury service industry, the customer service is top notch. The waitstaff is friendly, professional and attentive. When I recently booked my birthday party here, the staff was amazingly accommodating with the number of friends I have (not really kidding). Everyone is so pleasant I'm always excited when I get to come back. This place reminds me of Rosa Mexicana in NYC... except for half the price. Always tasty, always a good time, and always great service. Some people are complaining about waiting too long for a table... it's not that hard to pick up the phone and make a reservation. Maybe you shouldn't be complaining when you're too lazy to dial a phone number. *Whines* BUT IT'S NOT ON OPEN TABLE!!! Really? Good. Then you won't come, leaving tables open for me and my crew. Keep it up, Papagayo! These haters can keep overspending at Lolita's in Back Bay. You'll always be #1 for me.

Joanna F.

Attended an engagement party here on Saturday and the event was done beautifully. We had four tables set up in the bar area, and there was an endless supply of delicious, fresh guacamole, salsa, and passed Mexican appetizers. The buckets of Mexican-ish beer (Corona, Dos Equis and Bud Light), margaritas and sangria were a nice touch. The service was spectacular. All of the servers were really enthusiastic and helpful. This event definitely made me want to go back and try an entree at some point. And the atmosphere was beautiful and really fun. The coronarita looked like the most fun drink ever (even though I don't like tequila)!

robert a.

GREAT tequila selection, monumental, stellar, insane good, one of the best. Food was acceptable, white people Mexican food. prices were a little much for their food. Staff at your table was ok, staff at the door are hipster assclowns. In the afternoons the place has a meatmarket for suits vibe, pretty pathetic.

Kathryn R.

Was generally pleased with my visit. Good atmosphere, food and prices. Legitimate guacamole made to order, table side and kind wait staff. Stopped in out of convenience. Would recommend if you're craving some good sit down Mexican.

Lady J.

Were here on a Thursday evening so we were here with the "drinks after work" crowd. That was not us, however, we were in Boston visiting the Boston Children's Museum & had our two kids with us. The hubby called ahead to make sure kids were "welcome" here & yelp claims this is not a good restaurant for kids. They said yes, they even have a kids menu, & explained it can get pretty loud on a Friday & Saturday night so that may be why so many people claimed this was not a good spot for children (although to blanket cloak a restaurant as not kid-friendly simply because it gets rowdy on a Friday & Saturday night - when children wouldn't be here anyway - doesn't really make any sense, but whatever). Our server was super-friendly, service above & beyond. My eldest & I couldn't decide between two fish dishes so we ordered both & switched half way through the meal. I'd asked if the dishes were dairy-free: no cheese, sour cream, etc. I've never seen cheese in fish tacos but I wanted to make sure there was no dairy in the sauce as fish taco sauce varies widely restaurant to restaurant. She came back & asked if I had a dairy allergy, I said yes. She explained that she had asked the kitchen & they said there was a tiny bit of milk in the fish batter but they could make it without for me. I said a tiny bit of milk was okay, I won't die if I have a little bit of it, but it was definitely nice that she asked & that the kitchen offered!! The guacamole-guy was super friendly too. Not in a fake way either but genuinely seemed to enjoy just chatting with people. The white sangria was yummy & I tasted the hubby's margarita which was tasty as well! This is NOT an expensive place to eat, not even just for Boston, in general this is not expensive at all. If this was closer to us (Keene, NH area) I'd say this same thing - for the amount of food you get, the quality of the food & service, & the fun atmosphere, this is a very reasonable spot. Now if we only lived closer to Boston. ;) I can see this place getting loud. We were here 5-6-ish on a Thursday evening & as we were leaving it was picking up. Definitely would not stop by with the kids next time we're in Boston if it was later in the evening. Still, highly recommend!! Great service, food, & drinks!

D C.

Keeping it short and sweet. Papa gayo is decent food. Terrible margaritas. And an alright overall feel. My server was very condescending and more or less rude in his very own ignorant and un-hilarious way talking to my group of friends. Overall the food.. Verde enchiladas were very good and it seemed everyone else's food was satisfying. Yet, I cannot help but leave with a bad taste in my mouth by the over salted margaritas and terrible humor of our server.

Jason W.

Guac is ok, probably not worth $10, but that is just because I can make a mean guacamole for about $3 at home. Fish tacos exceeded expectations, yummy. I should have taken a picture, it would BLOW YOUR MIND. I had the margarita of the day, which was pineapple jalpeno or something like that, holy fish tacos it was BAZZZINGA good (thats pretty good). F O U R stars, because it's a little pricey and they're a little pretentious about their lit up tequila room.

Jenessa C.

Hands down the best guacamole in Boston I've had. And the best fish tacos. Simply amazing. They also have some mexican sodas that are fantastic too. Good for groups at lunch.

Robert K.

As several reviews have noted the guacolomy is prepared at your table and is excellent. The margaritas are excellent but a tad pricey. Have eaten there at least ten times and have never had a bad meal.

Joe G.

Not good. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible either. Just not good overall. Boston is known for having poor Mexican food, and unfortunately Papagayo is no exception. Bland, boring, and in general pretty sterile. The one thing I can say for Papagayo is that they have an excellent selection of tequila. If you're going there to sip tequila on its own, they have all the staples and more, plus an impressive assortment of Mezcal. All are reasonably priced as well. It's a shame that all of the drinks are so poorly made. Even though they do use fresh ingredients, rather than the gross pre-packaged sour mix that haunts most margaritas in Boston, every drink was either unbelievably sour (tasted like pure lime juice), or sickeningly sweet (in the case of the strawberry jalepeno drink). Very disappointing. The food itself ranged from below average to slightly above average overall. The rice was awful. The chili relleno was smothered in a huge pile of what tasted like marinara sauce with a little bit of spice. The meat was too salty, and lacked any kind of authentic flavor. The cheese was the pre-shredded blend that you buy in a plastic bag from the supermarket. The menu was also a little weak in general, lacking key elements like mole and chorizo. The only food items that I did enjoy were the salsa, which was actually very good, and the guac, which was decent, but not amazing. I loved that it was made fresh, but it was a little bland (perhaps the avocados weren't ripe?) and could have used more lime. Although we ordered ours "medium", it wasn't even the least bit spicy. The chips were pretty good too, but would have been much better had they actually been served warm. If you haven't been here, I wouldn't bother going out of your way to check it out. I won't be heading back.

Heather C.

My coworkers and I come here a lot for group lunches (going away parties, etc.). Papagayo has the best fish tacos I've ever had. The tilapia is fresh and grilled perfectly. There is a great balance of sweet and spicy with the slaw, cilantro sauce, and spice. The hand hacked guacamole is one of the best in the area. I really love it. I like their enchiladas too, but the rice is a little dry sometimes. I really like the shrimp and avocado salad too. The only thing I didn't like there was the pork sandwich. In the summer it's pretty hot in there. For an upscale place, I think they need to invest in a better air conditioner. I wish I could speak to the drinks, but I've only been for lunch and never had any.

Thy L.

I came here for lunch with my coworkers, so needless to say I didn't drink any of their margaritas. I did, however, get a good taste of their menu. After we sat down, they basically gave us each a bowl of chips and dip. The chips were delicious and tasted home-made. The salsa had a nice kick and was very addictive. The first thing we ordered was the Table Side Guacamole. We asked for medium spicy and I have to say, I didn't taste any spiciness at all. I'm also not too crazy about the idea of table side guacamole. I know some people think it's such a fun and novel idea, but it's really not. It tests my patience when I have to see and wait for my food to be prepared in front of my face. I just want them to hurry up and let me eat it. Anyway, the avocado was fresh and the guacamole was good. I love that stuff, so it's pretty hard to mess up for me. Next, the Chili Dusted Calamari came to the table. It was bland. I didn't like the texture of the calamari. It wasn't as chewy as I would like. The batter also didn't hold up too well and was a bit mushy. Maybe it was out for awhile before it got to our table. I like that stuff crunchy and crisp. Fish Tacos were not bad, but there were parts of my tilapia that were burnt to the point where it tasted bitter. Torta Adobado (Seasoned & Seared Pork Sandwich) was probably the most flavorful thing I had the entire meal. The meat was very juicy, savory and yummy. If there's anything I would recommend, it's be this sandwich (and the free chips and salsa). Service was a bit slow considering it was lunch and there weren't many people there. We had to hunt down our waiter to get the bill. He was nice though. Overall experience was all right, but I probably wouldn't trek back since there wasn't anything that hooked me.

Jamie G.

OMG I love it here. Just had to come back. Discovered parking lot down the street where I parked for free because it was in the evening. I came on Valentine's Day with some girlfriends and got a great curved booth in the back. Got the guac again, and asked for carrots and celery to eat with it in addition to chips. Order a pitcher of margaritas- delicious and also shots of tequila- Maestro dobel diamond- delicious and smooth. For dinner had the Tacos Al Pastor - Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, Pineapple Salsa, Cilantro Crema and Verde Sauce-- absolutely superb. Would come back here again and again.

kaif t.

Great after-work bar. whether it's for drinks, apps, or sit-down dinner you'll enjoy yourself here 7 nights a week. Reasonably priced as Mexican food goes. Best guacamole in the city as far as I'm concerned. They make it at your table to order. I have a habit of surveying the menu and getting the salmon dish for dinner, every single time. Be prepared for a wait if it's after work Monday through Friday but they do have a large bar are and counter tops where you can score some elbow room. parking is tough in this stretch of South Boston with alternating meters and resident parking. Car pool.

Zev X.

A fun place to go after work for drinks and dinner. Love the table side guacamole and chips. The margaritas are good and are not made from a mix. Haven't had one that I didn't like. I had the taco salad for dinner and enjoyed it. I liked the edible bowl, lots of shredded lettuce, beans, cheese and chicken. It all tasted very good.

Alexis A.

Ugh, I wish I could give this place a better review. I realllllly do. I've been noticing these have been opening all over Boston and thought, they must be good if they are expanding this fast? Right? Wrong. We were sat right away and served a tasty margarita quickly, I'd give it a 7/10. Chips were stale and super greasy. Can't they make them there, would make things more authentic? Guacamole was awesome and made in front of you! Probably the best they have to offer. I had the fajitas, which were served luke warm and NOT SIZZLING. What gives? I hope they improve as time goes on...Have potential to be a cool restaurant!

Bethany F.

I don't know if it's called a Coronita or Margarono or what, but the margarita drink with the mini corona bottle sticking out of it is surprisingly delicious. 2 thumbs up for super fresh tasting ingredients in both their food and drinks. The table side guacamole is wonderful and perfectly seasoned. The quesadilla had the perfect amount of tasty cheese in it. The mango margarita seemed to have actual pureed mango in it (not fake flavoring, and for this I give them a virtual HIGH FIVE). Atmosphere is fun, a great place to go to after work with (fun) coworkers or a girls night out. We went on weeknight, so it wasn't packed, which was nice. I will definitely go back, and I will definitely consume more margaritas.

James B.

I've been here twice now -- second time they told us it would be a 90 minute wait, and it turned out to be 15. Waiters and bartenders are friendly despite how crowded and noisy it can get, guac is great, rest of the menu that I've tried has been really good and reasonably priced. There's something wrong if this place doesn't get Best of Boston for Mexican food.

Katelyn M.

I'm a fan. This was my third time there and I'm ready to weigh in. Excellent margaritas. Mucho excelente. Totally worth the trip just for the perfect margarita. But the good news is that I like to food too. The table-side guacamole is a must. The queso leaves something to be desired, but not too bad. Last, but not least, the verde enchiladas have great flavor, worth staying for dinner. I'm sure I will be back. Yum.

A P.

I was a bit leery when I looked Papagayo up on Google Maps and saw it was in the middle of that creepy block of architecture firms over that weird canal by South Station. However, there is, in fact, a good restaurant there! (I thought it was only offices.) They started us off with chips and salsa. The chips were fresh and the oil still glistened on their exterior, and the salsa was yummy and flavorful. Two of us ate three bowls of chips. They also sent a rolling cart over and made us fresh guacamole, which my friends loved. However, they didn't tell us that the guacamole had an extra charge, and we were surprised by a $10 charge on the bill at the end of the night. For dinner, I had a verde enchilada and my fiance had the red enchilada. Mine was delicious, though the refried beans looked unappealing so I skipped them. They tasted good though! I also had a house margarita that was the size of my head and very, very strong. I think I was solidly drunk for several hours after. The only thing I didn't like about my margarita was that it was too salty. The salt didn't just stay on the rim, it got absorbed into the liquor and made the whole margarita taste like something you'd gargle with a sore throat. Squeezing the lime into it helped diffuse the salt flavor, but I would definitely skip the salt on my next margarita. Overall, good deal. Definitely worth another visit.

Tony F.

From a guy that grew up and spent most of his entire life in Texas, I have FINALLY discovered a decent Mexican restaurant in Boston. Papagayo's has the best guacamole in the region (other than mine, of course). They have plenty of different margarita options, plenty of tequila, and a decent beer selection. The food in comparable to average restaurants back home in Texas, but in comparison to the other Mexican restaurants that I've experienced up here, this food blows everything else away. The restaurant has a nice and open feel about it, but it can get a little noisy when things get busy. Probably not a good place to bring someone on their first date. Otherwise, I have no complaints, and am pleased as punch that I finally got to sink my teeth into some really tasty food.

Christine V.

3rd time at blackout-gayo and this place never fails to accomplish just that! I mean, the food at this joint is great (tacos al pastor, guac, filet mignon fajitas, burritos, and quesidillas), but the real shining star are the margs! They taste so yummy (big fan of the simple house marg on the rocks) and go down so easily, but fast forward a couple hours - and I always fnd myself more than half in the bag. So all in all, a great place for a fun night out with friends looking to get some yunmy mexican food and delish tequila. Highly recommended.

S. W.