Made Wednesday. Rested overnight. Thursday pickup, 5–9 PM · Pleasant Grove, Utah →
Papa's Hot Sauce round product labelPapa's Hot SauceEst. in Papa's kitchen · 40+ years
SMALL BATCH · BIG STORY

A little heat.
A lot of history.

A treasured Mexican restaurant family recipe. Forty years of getting it just right. One remarkable sauce, made by Papa and meant to be shared.

Get your bottle Discover the story
Fresh every week · Local pickup only
Illustrative food photograph of deep red salsa in an earthenware bowl with chiles and corn chips
Papa's original label
40+ yearsIn Papa's kitchen
Generations oldThe recipe's roots
Every WednesdayFresh batches
Thursday, 5–9Local pickup
THE STORY BEGINS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO

Some recipes are too good to forget.

Years ago, a friend who owned a Mexican restaurant entrusted Richard Mortensen with something special: a closely guarded hot sauce recipe that had been passed down through the friend's family for generations.

Richard started making it at home. He kept at it through years of small adjustments, learning the right balance of chiles, tomato, spice, and time. It became part of the meals his own family grew up with.

After more than four decades, the result isn't a sauce made to chase a trend. It's the one Papa has been making for the people he loves.

Read the full origin story
Dried red chiles, ground chile powder, fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic arranged on a rustic table
A cherished recipe.
His own touch.
Every layer of flavor has a story
NOT JUST HOT. THOUGHTFUL.

Flavor first.
Heat that stays in balance.

Papa's starts with familiar ingredients, but the character comes from how he chooses his chiles—and how much patience he gives them.

01 / THE SPARK

Chile piquín

Tiny peppers, distinctive warmth. Papa sources chile piquín from small producers for the particular heat and character it brings to his sauce.

02 / THE DEPTH

Red chile powder

Carefully selected red chile gives the sauce its earthy depth, richness, and lingering flavor beneath the initial kick.

03 / THE PATIENCE

Time to mellow

The chiles are allowed to age until some of their sharper edge has softened. It's about keeping the flavor and warmth without letting heat overwhelm the meal.

Tomato, onion, garlic, lime, herbs, and spices make up the familiar foundation. The rest is Papa's careful balancing, learned over countless batches.

What goes into it
SMALL-BATCH BY DESIGN

There's a reason
we wait until Thursday.

Papa makes the sauce on Wednesday, but it isn't ready the moment he finishes. A day of rest gives the ingredients time to mingle and the flavors a chance to come together.

01

Choose the chiles

Start with the distinctive peppers and red chile powder that give Papa's its character.

02

Make the batch

Combine the tomato base, onion, garlic, spices and chiles in Papa's Wednesday kitchen ritual.

03

Let it rest

Give the sauce the next day to settle so the layers of flavor can mingle.

04

Pick up Thursday

Collect your confirmed order between 5 and 9 PM in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Illustrated portrait of Richard 'Papa' Mortensen giving a thumbs up
MEET THE MAN BEHIND THE SAUCE

To his seven grandkids, he's just Papa.

Richard Mortensen is originally from southern Colorado. Today, he lives in Utah with a lifetime of family memories, nearly 50 years of marriage, three children, seven grandchildren—and one very well-loved hot sauce.

For more than 40 years, he's made this sauce for his household, long before it ever had a product label.

Get to know Papa ↗
THE ORIGINAL

Bring a little Papa home.

Made fresh every Wednesday. Rested for flavor. Ready for pickup Thursday evening once Papa confirms your order.

Original circular Papa's Hot Sauce label
PAPA'S HOT SAUCE / ORIGINAL

The sauce that started it all.

Deep tomato flavor, fragrant herbs, and patiently mellowed chiles. Equally at home on a taco, beside eggs, or with a bowl of chips.

$9.99 / 16 oz container

✓ Small-batch · Made on Wednesdays

✓ Thursday pickup · 5–9 PM

✓ Local only · Pleasant Grove, Utah

✓ Please refrigerate; ask Papa for handling guidance

PREORDER FOR PICKUP

Save your bottles.

Order any day. Papa will confirm which Thursday your order is ready for. Payment is handled separately through Venmo.

1
Your order total$9.99
Pickup: Thursday, 5–9 PM at 503 N 1350 E, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062. Papa confirms the pickup week after checking your order and Venmo payment.

This sends an order request, not a paid order. Your email and phone are used for order/pickup updates, including text messages if you choose that option. No marketing signup is included.

WHEN & WHERE

Thursday is sauce day.

Papa makes each batch Wednesday and lets it rest overnight. Once your order is confirmed, come by between 5 and 9 PM on your designated Thursday.

Thursday · 5:00–9:00 PM
503 N 1350 E
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
Pickup details & directions ↗
GOOD TO KNOW

A few things
before you order.

Papa's keeps things simple: one original sauce, a fresh weekly batch, and local pickup.

Can I order any day of the week?

Yes. You can place an order anytime. Papa confirms which Thursday's batch your bottles will be included in, based on availability and production timing.

Why is pickup on Thursday?

The sauce is made Wednesday, then rests overnight so the spices and chiles have time to mingle. Confirmed orders are available for Thursday pickup from 5 to 9 PM.

How do I pay?

After submitting an order request, you'll see the exact total and Papa's Venmo username, @richard-mortensen-1. Payments are not checked automatically; Papa verifies them manually.

Do you ship?

Not at this stage. Papa's Hot Sauce is available for local pickup in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

How will I know my order is ready?

Enter your email and mobile number when ordering, then choose whether you prefer a text or email. Papa will contact you once your order and pickup week are confirmed.

How should I store the sauce?

Keep the sauce refrigerated and follow the storage instructions Papa provides with your order. It is currently a fresh, locally picked-up product, not a shelf-stable shipped sauce.