Papi Chulo’s

Sad to say, the place has changed again and not for the better. Margaritas are weak, salsa is bland, service is slow and inaccurate. Much better fare elsewhere.

6÷24÷16− closed down. Called there number because I thought it was a mistake and got the «this number is not in service» so sad I loved their food!

Not opened. On Taco Tuesday at dinner time. The inside looked like it hadn’t been used in a while.

The first time I went they had an excellent menu. The new menu was half of what it had been. Service was bad and the margaritas tasted like lemonade.

They were completely dead the day we went in. Our server took forever and she even had a minion following her around. The food wasn’t very good and came out cold. I’m not even sure how this is possible considering they were DEAD. I don’t think we will be back. The food taste like you are eating straight cilantro. I like cilantro but not that much.

I came here with a girlfriend after we left the movie theater. To our surprise, the Bob Marley taco and the Shrimp Bang taco’s were delightful. I did a check-​in with another app and I received a free margarita. I had the frozen mango with sugar. It was in a cool glass and it was good. There was a band loading into the place. They play around 10:00 tonight. I wished I could of heard them play. I finally got this one off the bucket list and I will come back again. We sat inside because it was hot out. Next time I come, it will be at night and I will sit outside. Kudos to the Owner, General Manager and staff! Job well done. I would like to suggest that they fix the ladies’ bathroom door.

I’ve been to this place twice and I can’t have enough of their food. The bang shrimp taco was perfectly cooked and the nachos was so good that I had to finish even though belly had no more space to store food. Our server was funny and kind. Will definitely come here again. Keep up the good work!

Just got a margarita which is a-​mazing! 2 – 1 … Love it. Waiter very friendly funny and accommodating. So far so good!!!

This place used to be nice. I will never go back. Menus were printed on regular paper with staples, and most of the meals and cocktail that my husband & I enjoyed are no longer offered. Our waitress didn’t know the menu at all & needed to return to the kitchen to retrieve answers to all of our questions. It took a long while to just receive our drinks. We had guests with us & were embarrassed to have brought them to this place — we shared an appetizer and left to complete our evening elsewhere.

Disappointed in the direction this restaurant is heading. It used to be a favorite until recently. I was aware of the new management, but didn’t realize the major changes that would take place as a result. The menu is tiny, confusing and just weak. The quality of the food also did not reflect prices and was sub-​par. Only positive was my waitress was very friendly and accommodating. Sad to say that I will not be returning.

Ownership changed hands and we believe that they are going down hill! Menu is half as it used to be, all of the soups were not available as well as no steak was available on a Saturday night. They had pretty decent music playing when we got there but after 3 or 4 songs, they switched to country music until we finally left. If it wasn’t for Jordan, our server, the visit would’ve been a bust. He seemed sympathetic to our surprise of the changes.

I will make it a point to visit this restaurant every trip we make to Jacksonville if at all possible. Mikey met us at the door with a smile and great personality and Amber took care of us with great attention at our table!

2015 — five visits: Awesome food and great times. Totally wonderfully «Street Corn». We will be back! Everything was great! Love the music and the trivia night.
2016: New management and staff… I love my Bob Marley burrito. Service was a bit wonky (not enough servers). I will give you one more shot. we love Mexican food. Wish you the best.

Love this place the food is great and so is the service so far so good!!! Just stay consistent and keep the place clean and they will be around for a while
This place is under new management the food is not the same at all please don’t go if you use to like it like I did just lost a customer!!! food wasn’t good at all! Maybe the old management were better chefs!

After reading the lukewarm reviews on Unilocal,I was giddy at how much I LIKED Papi Chulo’s!
Was it the FREE Margarita upon Unilocal check in? I am sure that helped a lot ^_​^
The salsa and chips were free and had a VERY nice oregano flavor! The tacos weren’t horribly expensive and were lip smacking tasty!
I got their «Bang Shrimp» ($ 5.50). The wining recipe does not depart from Taco Lu’s or Bone Fish Grill really. The battered shrimp is fried and then tossed in a sauce made of Sriracha, mayo, and sweet chili sauce. The cabbage in the taco gave an additional pleasant CRUNCH to it!
I also ordered their Southern Bell ($ 4). The taco had fried chicken, cheese, avocado and ranch, and what they described as «Mahogany» sauce. I don’t know what the Mahogany sauce IS but it tied it together in a scrumptious manor!
On my first visit I got their Don Juan ($ 4.25). While it was NOT BAD at all, I wanted to branch out and try something better on my next visit. Personally, I think Corner Taco makes a better Chorizo taco.
The Buddah’s Belly burrito was HUGE! My friend could only eat half so I eagerly had a delicious lunch the next day! It really reheats well and the teriyaki pork shone among the sweet cabbage slaw, pineapple, and lime sauce!
The interior used to be the old Urban Flats. The floors look ROUGH! The concrete looks incredibly scuffed up like they have Transformer cage fighting on the weekends. However, they DO have outdoor seating and it’s wonderful to feel the cooler weather and sunshine while on break from work.
I really wish I could use that free Margarita on EVERY visit! I can’t wait to go back for the «All you can eat Taco Tuesday for $ 12» special!

Had a ball here with fellow Unilocalers! They are good for specials at specific times and days. Specific ratings: The Service was 4 – 4.5 (good & friendly wait staff), Facility 4.5 (nicely kept and decorated), Food 3.5−4 (good on taste; portions are ok), Price/​cost 3.5 (comparatively priced with competitors but a lil pricey overall).
Summary: Definitely recommended.

Worst meal in a long time. I went to try a new local restaurant. Don’t waste your time or money. The taco and queso are not tasty but you can be your own judge. There are better places to spend your money!

I was so impressed with this last visit that I had to update. When a friend first suggested going here, I was going to skip out on the whole dinner. Somewhat last minute, my inner sloth tells me I won’t have to cook if I go. I enter and immediately this place has upgraded. I heard bachata!
Unlike last past visits, I was greeted at the door. Then asked if I was joining a party. I couldn’t see anyone so I waited. Host made sure to check on me and offered me a menu to place a drink while I waited.
We get salsa and chips — I doubt that was offered in the past. Not sure if I was THAT hungry or was the salsa THAT good. I was trying not to devour that while roaming the menu. Past memories gave me a bad taste for most of the menu but I settle on a shrimp burrito after I hear what everyone else orders. I wanted to make sure that several options were at the table. Our staff member was in all black and had a friendly smile that made her easy to talk to and identify.
Favored margaritas were all over the table. I sipped on a refreshing frozen peach. And chatted up with new folks.
Cheese Quesadilla — I can’t get excited about it as a dish. But it was good.
Guacamole — Much improved. Great chunky mix with perfect balance of heat.
Veggie Enchilada — tasted as good as it looked
Camarones — This was so good! This burrito was filled with giant seasoned shrimp. The sauce inside the burrito was everything. Nicely seasoned without overpowered heat. The burrito was huge! Outside of some needed sour cream this was great.
*Temporarily given up meat so wasn’t able to try the other meat dishes.
I was pleasantly surprised by décor, service, food, and bar. I’ll wait to see if this change was a fluke or the new standard.

It’s not terrible. It’s a definite «meh».
2 for 1 margaritas were watered down. You sort of expect that to happen since its a BOGO but honestly it was so devoid of tequila I would’ve felt fine letting my 17 year old have one.
The cerviche was fine. My husband’s chimichanga was actually a burrito overstuffed with rice – way too much rice. The brisket they used was flavorful and really well seasoned but it was overpowered by the rice. He was very irritated that he ordered a chimichanga and got a burrito. Did they seriously not know the difference?
The kids’ chicken flautas were okay.
We were really bummed that the taste and quality just wasn’t there. We’d heard good things about it but we were extremely unimpressed. With so many other good Mexican places out there, this one doesn’t compare. I’m not saying we wouldn’t return, I’m just saying there’s no reason for us to.

I had been to Papi Chulos for a special event before but hadn’t written a review on it, mainly because I don’t believe the treatment would be the same as if I’d just walked in any old time. A friend announced that she’s going to Happy Hour and asked if anyone wanted to join her. 2 for 1 Margaritas? $ 2.50 street tacos? How could I resist?
We had a sizable group with us and towards the back on the entrance. I really wasn’t in the mood for tacos because I had my eye on something I had previously, the New England Guacamole. Man oh man, who would have thought to use crab (note that it’s crab with a «c» and not a «k») in guacamole? Add in roasted corn and old bay seasoning and you got yourself a tastebud trip from Mexico to New England. Absolutely fab! I was challenged to finish the entire dip and while I did struggle a bit at the end, I did it. Yay me!
I also ordered the Taco Fries based on my last experience but a friend told me it was changed a bit. When I first had it, it were topped with steak pieces but now it’s topped with beef picadillo. No problem. It also came with shredded cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, and a huge dollop of sour cream. Between the people sitting on my end of the table, we could not finish it all and left about half of it.
We ate, drank, and laughed well into the night and our server Kirsten was great. Next time I will definitely get some tacos on Taco Tuesday.