Hot Out The Oven: @papi's cafe

"Another Colombian coffee shop? That can't be right." I thought to myself as I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram at one in the morning during a slow evening at work. Keeping my finger on the pulse of the DBQ food scene is a sleepless and grueling job, my only reprieve being photos of animals up for adoption at the humane society. A month ago I had just visited La Venta's Specialty coffee, the first colombian coffee shop I'd seen in DBQ. Another one opening in the span of a few months? Interesting to say the least. I knew I had to investigate further.

Digging into the menu, I was astonished. Arepas?! I only had them once before in college when my friend made some and let me try one. I had dreampt of them ever since. The photos on their Instagram let me know this was no joke. They looked incredible. Immediately, I made plans to go as soon as they opened.

This cafe had taken over what used to be the old Habits, right across the street from the library. Never found out why they shut down. I remembered the building being small and I had seen some comments on @papi's page about the lack of a lot of sitting room. They were certainly correct about that. One bar by the large window with four (very cushy) spinning bar chairs and exactly one booth. I didn't plan on staying long so I didn't mind.

A very nice gentleman was making another customers drinks while I looked at the menu. I'm not too into coffee but their prices were very good. I didn't see any drink that was over six dollars. Something incredibly rare nowadays. The food was fairly priced too. They offered mini donuts, arepitas (small arepas), and empanadas. My only gripe was the lack of a hot chocolate. It's my personal belief that every coffee place should have a hot coco because it cannot be more difficult than a macchiato. If you have a mocha on the menu there's no reason to not have a hot coco. They had just opened so I'm giving them a pass on the lack of wonderful chocolatey drinks without caffine.

I decided to order the donuts in three of their flavors, three of the arepitas, and some of the colombian candy they had by the register. The employee told me that the food might take a bit, but my donuts came out very quickly. They're the classic Habit's style of mini donuts and they were perfectly fluffy and delicious. All three of the flavors I tried were phenomenal and I wished I ordered more. I got the cinnamon sugar, the powdered sugar, and the sweet and condensed milk flavor of mini donuts. They were all so good I couldn't tell which flavor I liked more. 

The arepitas took a bit longer but that's to be expected if they're freshly cooked. By time I got them, some other people had entered the small building and I decided to take my arepitas to go, just to free up some more chairs.

When I got home, I opened the (very cute) cardbord to-go box and was amazed by the smell. They were still nice and hot after the drive, the smell of warm cornmeal and cheese filling my dining room. I took a bite and had to close my eyes for a second to fully appreciate the absolute wonder of culinary achievement in my mouth. It was to die for, warm and perfectly cheesey. When I say the perfect amount of cheese, I mean it. Not too overpowering, just perfect. Heavenly.

It's been almost a week since I had those arepitas and they're still on my mind.

Coming Back For Seconds:

I always try to not base my reviews on only one visit so that's why I found myself back on @papi's doorstep. The first time I was there, the employee let me know he didn't have the stuff yet to make one of the limeades I saw on the menu. They had just opened so I understood. This time I was set on getting a drink. If a few more arepitas were purchased in the process then oh well.

While I waited for my order of three arepitas and a sugarcane limeade, I took in my surroundings a bit more. I managed to get there right when it opened so there was only two other customers in the shop. One of the two left to wait outside after ordering, which is probably the only way to counteract the glaring problem of space in this tiny coffee shop.

The space issue is obviously out of @papi's control, but it's arguably their only major setback as a coffee shop. I didn't see any outdoor seating so the indoor area can probably hold a max of nine people comfortably. When you take into account the 10-15 minute wait time for their (delicious) food, it raises some concerns. With it being in such a prime location, I can see it becoming a major issue for them later. I can't imagine what they'll have to do in winter when people are out by the library and decide to stop in for a warm drink.

Speaking of drinks, the Sugarcane Limeade was incredible. It had a very nice honey flavor that harmonized with the lime beautifully. It felt very healing in a way, which is exactly what I want after a graveyard shift. It was also incredbly well priced at less than $5.

Final thoughts:

I think @papi's is exactly what DBQ needed. No offense to all the others, but @papi's is the only coffee shop I'm excited to go to again. Something new that isn't just another coffee shop with the same drink menu, the same food options, and the same vibe. It reminds me of when Suntea opened. Suntea was a hip authentic boba shop when DBQ was getting overrun with the same old pyramid scheme boba shop clones. I think that's what @papi's feels like to me. Something that isn't the same as the rest. Something worth stopping in for.

I highly recommend them if you want a fresh experience with great food and great drinks. If you do visit, write something nice on their wall, like a funny message or "Go to @mnskdbq on Instagram for awsome food reviews", it's up to you. Don't forget to grab me an arepita while you're there ~*

RATINGS:

Space: 5/10

Service: 10/10

Pricing: 10/10

Food: 10/10

Drinks: 9/10

FINAL SCORE : 8.8/10

*This review is not sponsored, just my opinion*