Papa Nachos

Rating: 4

Cost: ~ $10.99 Full, $8.79 Half

Location: Albuquerque (NE Heights)

Customized: No

Website

Located on Louisiana just south of Paseo, Papa Nachos is a small little Mexican restaurant far from the other competition. Having discovered it thanks to rave reviews in Urbanspoon, I decided to check it out. How could I in good conscience, as a Nacho connoisseur, not try out a place with my very passion in the name.  This place is small and easy to miss when driving by, but the inside is set up nicely with plenty of attractive paintings.  The menu is long, and the prices are good, with a selection of Mariscos to boot. 

Papa nachos offers two kinds of nachos: The adorable Nachitos for small cravings, and the Papa nacho.  The Papa Nacho can be ordered as both a half(8.79), or a full (10.99). These nachos are comprised of a body of chips, covered in refried beans, beef, shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend, lettuce, tomato, and sides of guacamole and sour cream.

What was most interesting about this nacho is the heavy amount of shredded lettuce on top. You don’t see this often because people tend to hate it. I, on the other hand, love lettuce, and saw this as quite acceptable. The nacho itself is a good size by itself, but I was a little weary due to the $11 price tag.   However, I found where all this money went after taking my first bite.  The first flavors to hit my tongue were the beans and meat. They were cooked and prepared to perfection. The multi-cheese blend was also well done. I was surprise at how well mozzarella worked on a traditional nacho. This Nacho was easy to eat, and I found myself gorging myself far more than my stomach would have liked. I will admit that these nachos had some flaws. I felt that the beans were a bit overdone. They weren’t overpowering, but I think they could cut back on them a little. In contrast I feel that the cheese was Underdone, and should have been placed more liberally. I really enjoyed the excess of lettuce, but I know many people will hate it. I can’t stress enough how important it is for restaurants to put the sides in to-go ready disposable containers. Thankfully, Papa Nachos was one of the smart eateries to actually do this. Its minor flaws keep it from being a 5, but trust me when I say these Nachos are a high 4. I recommend these to anyone near the area, and to those willing to drive.