As soon as I walked in, I felt like I had wondered outside of the ATL city limits and onto the pages of a Cleveland high school yearbook.  Even when I was greeted by the owner - Brenda Carter - I slightly ignored her words because I was so engulfed with my surroundings. From the LeBron James Cavaliers jersey display to the pictures of Brenda’s friends, family, and local celebrities back home to the three (3) framed list of celebrities that hail from Cleveland (who knew Halle Berry, Gerald Levert, and Dave Chapelle were all from the C-L-E??), it was more than evident that Brenda goes HARD for her beloved hometown!

After a few pleasantries were exchanged, Brenda suggested that I try a few of her signature menu items that really personified Cleveland's Bite Life (note to self: that might be a good show idea).  First up - the Corned Beef Sandwich, prepared with thinly sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, and mustard.  Very simple but, surprisingly, very tasty.  Typically, you'd expect a good sandwich to require much more than that but it's lack of complexity was part of the appeal.

Corned Beef Sandwich

Next up - the Polish Boy.  a beef polish sausage topped with coleslaw, french fries, and BBQ sauce.  OMG!!!  This was absolutely my favorite item!!!  And, YES, it is as messy and delicious as it sounds!!!  Brenda says that this concoction is a true Cleveland staple.  It's been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel's Man vs Food.  One bite and you'll understand why.  The funny thing is, I'm normally one of those people that HATES for my food to touch.  But, the crispy fries, sweet BBQ sauce, and creamy coleslaw was truly a match made in foodie heaven!!!  Now, keep in mind, this is a $5 menu item.  But, IT'S WORTH EVERY SINGLE CENT!!!

Polish Boy

Finally, there was the Better Than Sex Cupcake.  A name like that sets the bar pretty high before you even take a bite.  But, while it didn't top the dirty deed, it definitely came close.  You'll find yourself doing a lot moaning after each spoonful.  Yes, spoonful.  The BTS Cupcake doesn't come out in the traditional way.  It's a chocolate cupcake served in a small, roughly 8 oz cup, topped with what seemed to be chocolate chips and more crumbled chocolate.  Ladies, this dessert is for you!!!  But, Brenda mentioned that this is a hit among a lot of the male police officers in the area.

Name: Papi's Grill aka Papi's On Ponce
Cuisine: Cuban, Caribbean
Neighborhood: Old Fourth Ward
Address: 216 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 607-1525
Website: http://www.papisgrill.com/
Menu: http://www.papisgrill.com/Our_Menu.html

So, at the recommendation of ATL Bite Lifer Shannon, I ventured over to Ponce in the middle of the afternoon a few weeks back to grab a bite a Papi's.  It was a very random trip.  But, I go through these random feelings fairly often nowadays.  I've grown so bored with chicken and burgers that I'll search Scoutmob or ask friends on Twitter for suggestions on something new.  Today's taste was Cuban.  Now, prior to this day, I'd NEVER had Cuban food before.  But, I'd heard about it, it seemed interesting, so I went.


There are 2 entrances into the restaurant (I didn't know that til later).  One on the Ponce De Leon side and the other on Myrtle St.  I parked at a meter on Ponce and entered from that side.  I walked up and this place seemed very small which confused me at first.  I had heard stories of people coming in and sitting down and enjoying lunch here but it seemed kinda impossible given the space in front of me.  As I was just about to order something to go, a waiter led me downstairs to a bigger dining area with tables and a bar.  This was more of what I expected.  However, as I'm sitting at my table, I notice that this place is getting busier and busier and there really weren't enough seats to accommodate the crowd.  And, since there was no real lobby, people just ended up standing by the Myrtle St entrance door and hovering over nearby tables.  I definitely wasn't crazy about that.



Let me say this - the food wasn't bad.  It just wasn't what I expected.  When the food hit the table, it smelled heavenly.  However, the sandwiches were pretty tame.  Nothing really jumped out at me.  And the rice and beans were just. . .  rice and beans. Maybe my expectations or assumptions were off but I felt a little cheated of my "Cuban experience".  In the end, I finished half of both sandwiches and ended up leaving the rest there.  My server was really nice and he told me to come back another time and try something else.  I think I would come back.  I think there's something there on that menu that I would really like but it wasn't on my plate that day.

If any of you have been there and had a good experience, let me know.  Tell me what I should've ordered.  For some strange reason, I wanna give Papi's another chance.


Grade: C+
What's Great: Service, Prices, Portions
What Ain't: Seating, Parking
Ideal For: Change of dining pace