Papamigos {Photos by Han Okcuoglu}
Papamigos has been sitting in my backyard all these years as I’ve watched them go from a simple taco food truck to a full-blown gastropub.
They’ve been consistently great since 2021, and that shows since they’re one of the few restaurants to survive the turnover in the Regency Lakes Village Center plaza all these years. Except for the day I came to review them.
There is actually a fairly interesting story behind Papamigos because it is not trying to be a traditional Mexican restaurant, sushi bar, or seafood restaurant. The concept was built around what the owners call a “Mexi-Crasian” fusion, blending Mexican, Asian, and South Florida coastal influences into a single menu.
That explains why you’ll find birria tacos sitting next to sushi rolls, poke bowls, ceviche, oysters, and seafood dishes.
This location is tucked away in the corner of the plaza, and, like many a gastropub, it has TVs showing sports, metal chairs, a bar, and occasionally live music on its limited patio on weekends.
Inside Papamigos.
We went for the Dip Trio ($18) and opted for Guacamole, Mango Salsa, and Hot Queso. The guacamole was fresh and citrusy. They don’t skimp on the cilantro either, which I love.
The Mango Salsa was growing on us as we ate. We were expecting a wetter texture; we would have preferred it if they had mildly blended the mangoes instead of chopping them rough. It eats more as a garnish than a salsa. But the flavors are there, and they are fantastic. Another burst of cilantro on top. The Hot Queso needs no notes. It’s perfect.
Dip Trio
We came for Sunday brunch, and in addition to their regular menu, they had a special brunch menu with 5 unique items, $1.50 oyster and drink specials.
Gordito Sangwich
Then we ran into disaster. For the first time in years of going there, I tried the intentionally misspelled Gordito Sangwich ($17). It was supposed to be tender carne asada, blanketed in mozzarella and authentic Mexican cheese, accompanied by pico de gallo, an egg cooked over easy, and a zesty verde sauce, sliced avocado, and smoky Chipotle mayo. Sounds great, right?
The problem is someone did not clean the grill that morning, and all dishes with carne asade were basically infected with the taste of chalky asphalt. This overpowering bitterness seeped into the sandwich and the blackened grill marks on the eggs. It was bad.
Carne Asada Quesadillas
Even my wife’s carne asada quesadilla ($16) was an unlucky victim. The portion is normally huge, filling (and delicious), with 4 giant quesadilla wedges. But something was off this Sunday. The cheese-to-meat ratio was severely unbalanced, and it became a bloated mess.
We’ll chalk this up to a bad cook day because normally things are excellent.
Spicy Tuna Taco
Thankfully, the rest of the meal was saved once the staff replaced those items. The spicy sushi tacos ($13) are one of the more unique items on the menu. Spicy tuna, jalapeno, avocado, cucumber, rice, spicy mayo, eel sauce, Sriracha, with sesame seeds and masago sprinkled on top of the rice “shell”. Delicious.
Despite the first couple of items I reviewed having no spice level, most of the menu is really spicy, like this taco. Prepare accordingly. We went back for their tried-and-true Lala’s Street Corn ($14). Roasted corn, sour cream slathered, queso fresco, topped with tajin, Chipotle mayo, Sriracha again, and fresh cilantro. Highly spicy but excellent as usual.
Despite the hiccups that day, the years that my friends and many other happy patrons have spent eating here and gushing about the food should outweigh the risk of an occasional kitchen misstep.
Papamigos isn’t trying to be the most authentic Mexican restaurant in South Florida. Instead, it embraces a distinctly South Florida identity, where birria tacos, sushi rolls, ceviche, oysters, and margaritas coexist on the same menu without apology. And they’re definitely not apologizing for the spice levels either.
Papamigos
954-422-9464
6370 N State Rd 7 #120, Coconut Creek, FL 33073
Sun – Mon. – 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Wed – Thurs – 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tues, Fri, Sat – 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
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