Papalo

If I had to describe this incredible barbecue joint in a quick phrase, it would be "decadently delicious!"Ever since Papolo came to La Mesa, it has quickly become my number one go to barbecue spot. They continuously serve up flavors that surprise and Delight, with succulent Meats that are always tender and moist. The sides, which rotate every once in awhile, are some of my favorites- especially the beans, why do they taste so freaking good?! What mysticism is Chef using to make his beans taste like marshmallows?!I come here about once a week and almost always get the chicken mole. It's definitely my favorite thing on the menu if only because of that white mole sauce. It's unlike anything I've ever tasted and it blows my mind with flavor every single time, without fail. It is so good you guys, you absolutely have to try some. Everything on the menu is delicious, but God that mole is something so uniquely special that I will keep coming to get barbecue here for as long as they're around.The staff is also super friendly! Shelby, who I always find working behind the counter, is a giant ray of sunshine at the end of a long day. The interior is always exceptionally clean and well maintained, and the drinks never fail to refresh, especially during these hot summer days. Next time you go, be sure to buy a drink for the kitchen! It gets hot back there and those boys can always use a Frosty beverage LOL

I have no photos to share. I ate it all. This is not a run of the mill BBQ joint. This is high quality, thought-out BBQ that is elevated but not pretentious. The family and I tried all of the proteins and sides and were not disappointed. Their cherry glazed pecan ribs were awesome as was the slow cooked beef. My wife raved about the cornbread and my oldest walked out saying he could go back and eat their elote every day. I went here hoping for some good BBQ. I got that and more. I walked out feeling full and lucky to have eaten great food that was familiar but unique at the same time.We will be back!

We've been here at least 4 or 5 times. Each time the food has been great. Today, the food is still good, but what's up with the mole chicken quantity?? On the board it says 1/2#. I didn't pay attention to it because when I've gotten it in the past, it's been the 4 chunky slices of meat. Well, today it was a drumstick and thigh. Such a small serving. How do I know? I'm still hungry. The flavors were there, it was good, but the serving size is so small for the cost. I understand that there are product costs, etc. (that's why the mac & chz is no longer on the menu), but this serving size and change from the chunks of meat to a drumstick doesn't seem right/fair. That's my opinion. We also got the McPappa which was pretty freaking delicious. Unfortunately, for the drive here and costs, I'll stick to something closer to me until "prices come back down".~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thanks for reaching out. 1. Sometimes it takes an "off" experience to prompt someone to right a review; unfortunately that was the situation for me here. I still acknowledged that the food was great in my initial post.2. The one time you came by the table (not including when the food was dropped off), we were eating. The food was good; never insinuated that it wasn't. But it's human nature for most people to not be confrontational or want to call out smaller portions to the chef, especially in a public dining setting. 3. No one is asking you to cut down on quality. That is one thing that is great about your food: quality ingredients and taste. I get it: prices are not going down. For everyone. There will always be a debate on who the burden falls on more between the producer and the customer. In this situation, I didn't feel it was fair that the customer had to bear the majority of the cost for the quantity of the food. Other customers can make their own discernment. Most people will glaze over my review and do just that. Some people will appreciate the "heads up" on how far their dollar will stretch here. Take care.

The food here is delicious and it was a nice surprise! I usually find food around the La Mesa area pretty average, but Papalo exceeded my expectations. This restaurant serves up Sonoran style Mexican BBQ. The plates include a protein with your choice of two sides. We got a plate of BBQ Mole Chicken with chips and mac & cheese. And the other plate was Pork Shoulder, coleslaw, and cornbread. I don't like chicken much, but this chicken was one of the best I've had in a while! The chicken meat was juicy and tender. The mole bbq sauce was a good balance of savory and slightly sweet. The pork shoulder was nice and fatty. The pork shoulder portion was small but for good reason, it was satiating and I couldn't eat more. All the sides and sauces provided were amazing! Service was the usual. The staff were helpful and friendly. Overall, this was a great experience and I'm looking forward to coming back.

La mesa bbq SONORAN STYLE BARBECUESmall seating areaLarge linesFast service Mole bbq sauce RibsCorn breadBarbacoaDifferent from American bbq Worth to try

This place was BUSY on a Sunday lunch. We came at 12:30 and there was a line out the door. It probably took 20 min to order and then another 20 to get our food. The guy at the counter did mention they were short staffed but they were still very friendly and helpful with answering any questions we had.I got the smoked chicken sandwich which comes with a smoked chicken thigh dipped in their white BBQ sauce and a slaw. All sandwiches come standard with chips and beans. The sandwich was AMAZING. Sooo flavorful with a good amount of smoke. The texture from the slaw added a nice crunch and tang. The chips were very good and of the thicker variety. The beans were different than normal. More blended. But good flavor as well.My partner got the rib tips with a side of slaw and the cornbread. He thought the rib tips were a good flavor and it was different having salsa Verde on it. A good acidity. The only meh was the cornbread. They do warn you that it's gluten free but it just ate realllllly dry and the flavor was just mid.

One of the best bbq places in San Diego! Everything was delicious and definitely has a very unique flavor. Our favorites were the cherry glazed ribs and the mole chicken. They were both cooked and seasoned perfectly and paired wonderfully with the citrus slaw and cornbread. The white sauce was also amazing and complimented the meats perfectly. Would recommend coming early as it does get pretty busy. We waited about 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon but the food came out piping hot and fresh and was worth the wait!

Visited 5/3/2024Hi Foodies.Well it was time yesterday to try this place out.It has a lot of hype and sounded good.The menu isn't large and inconsistent form day to day.They seem to serve whatever they feel like serving on any given day.Their #1 Seller The Smoked Cherry Pecan Glazed Pork Ribs sadly are only available now and then and they are said t sell out early.One local told me it took four visits before he got to try them and he was there when they opened. He did say they were Amazing.I got there Friday thinking because it was a weekend they would have the top dishes for a Weekend. Sadly no.I ordered a platter with all the Meats of the day and no Sides. $40.00 Enough for two without any sides.Everything is extra. The Beef of The Day. (Beef Birria) Very Good. Tender and Juicy.The Pork of The Day. (Brazed Carnitas). My Favorite of the Day. Wonderful. Would order again for Sure as well as The Birria.The Chicken of The Day. (Mole BBQ) Tender yet still Moist and Tender.And The Morita Salsa Pork Ribs. (My least favorite. I can't Recommend)Wish I could have tried The Smoked Cherry Pecan Glazed Ribs.Why they don't make Their Number #1 Dish Every Day boggles my mind especially on Weekends. ‍‍‍It's a nice little place and everyone is friendly.They have Tasty Food but bring a fat wallet as everything cost extra.Not sure if I'll take the drive again without Calling First to see what They Think you should Eat That Day. I Had to try it because it sounded Good and what I had Was except the Ribs. I hear the Sides are very good.Perhaps I'll try them someday.\I Suggest You Call first so you know what your getting that day.

Blessed mother cherry pork ribs are from another planet of deliciousness. The ribs are bursting with amazing flavors I can't even recognize. We WILL be back to try their other offerings. We kinda thought oh another bbq place to try, but no.... this is unique. Try the ribs and your taste buds will thank you.

What a phenomenal gem! Can't wait to come back in to try more of that Sonoran-style #bbq Here's what we had ~ Pork Ribs in Salsa Verde Smoked Beef Birria Thompson Heritage Ranch Whole Hog Carnitas Ground Beef Bacon Cheeseburger Citrus Pickled Slaw Mac n Cheese Pinto Beans Mexican Saffron Red Rice Chips & Molcajete SalsaIf you haven't checked out Papalo yet, you're missing out! @life.of.felina#sandiegobbq #sandiegodining #sandiegodrinks #sandiegofood #sandiegofoodie #sandiegofoodies #sdfood #sdfoodie #sdfoodies #foodblog #foodblogger #foodbloggers #foodiesofig