Front Beach will soon be missing an iconic restaurant and authentic Mexican flavor when Papi’s Taqueria closes on Nov. 2. The decision came less than two months after celebrating their seven-year anniversary.
“It’s bittersweet about closing, but we were purchased – the entire building and business were sold to the same local group,” said Eric Evaul, Papi’s owner and director of operations. “It’s bittersweet and has been a really great few years, but the time is right for everyone to move on to the next thing.”
Since opening in 2018, Papi’s has become known as one of Front Beach’s summer hot spots. Featuring a full-service event space and party room, the restaurant offers traditional, fresh Mexican cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, music nights and outdoor dining with breezes and views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Whether it was a Mexican Cuban sandwich, a Shakira torta with pickled jalapeno and black bean spread, a Shem Creek shrimp taco, a Mt. Pleasant fish taco or just a classic street taco paired with a Mexican draft beer or Argentinean wine, Papi’s was the exotic place to unwind and enjoy an evening by the ocean.
While the next use for the building is not yet public knowledge, at least one integral part of Papi’s is staying: Cachita’s Kitchen. Beginning as a food truck, then solving an employee retention problem for Papi’s by running the kitchen during COVID-19, Cachita’s Kitchen will relocate and continue to offer its south of the border cuisine.
“We’re all excited about the future and what it holds,” Evaul added.
By L. C. Leach III
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