Castro Cantina Papi Rico Will Open With a Bang on Cinco de Mayo

Papi Rico, a new Castro Mexican bar and restaurant that’s been teasing the neighborhood since last Fall, will arrive just in time to serve a billion margaritas on Cinco de Mayo. The new business comes from the team behind nearby tavern Finn Town, Rick “Daddy Rick” Hamer and Bill Vastardis (who are calling their business group the Bay City Boyz), and they’ll be slinging more margs every night thereafter at 544 Castro between 18th and 19th Street.

The brightly-colored Papi Rico space, formerly Dante’s Table, will call to mind Puerto Vallarta with fierce murals and a backyard patio decorated with tropical plants. Passersby have already noticed the cheery new paint job on the facade: There’s much more where that came from inside the bar and main dining room, plus a private event area dubbed the Gecko Lounge.

Connor Bruce

A menu of empanadas, tacos, and ceviche will channel the Mexican seaside. And for dessert, expect sweets like churros and tres leches. Finn Town bar manager R.M. Richards will pour Mexican beer and mix cocktails including playas conchas (tequila, lime, grapefruit bitters), sayulitas (sotol, pineapple, hibiscus), and frozen options like a garza blanca (made with rum and horchata).

As if the business needed incentives on opening day beyond the existence of Cinco de Mayo, they’re promising free chips and salsa from 3 p.m. till close. After that, Papi Rico’s hours will be 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday to Friday and 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on weekends, though the kitchen will close at 11 p.m. and the patio at 10 p.m.