Stopped in the last night of my trip to this highly recommended spot, and it did not disappoint! When traveling solo, it is fun to observe the flow of a restaurant as all the staff move with purpose. It was clear how much everyone trusted each other to make for a seamless customer experience. I ordered the jalapeño margarita to start, which paired beautifully with the chips and salsa provided. The heat and sweetness were perfect to get my taste buds warmed up. For my main, it was recommended I try the quesabirria tacos. The brisket was tender and juicy, and I had to remind myself to slow down and savor because I was quickly gobbling it up and ignoring my margarita. As I slowed my eating, I took note of the beautiful decor around the restaurant, particularly the bar area that is so perfectly designed for the space. I will definitely return to the restaurant during my next visit to try even more of their menu items (plus a few more cocktails)! read more

11/28/2025 we stayed with Hampton Inn & Suites in Peru, IL. We checked in around 5:30pm and were hungry for dinner. Jalapeño Mexican is across the parking lot so we ordered take out to bring back to our room. We team at Jalapeño we're on their A game from call in to pick u. Perfect service! The restaurant was festive, fun, busy and our dinner was one of the best Mexican dinners to date. Tony's nachos and a taco salad with the BEST jalapeño peppers ever! The portion size was nice and the pricing is comparable to other restaurants. If you find yourself on I80 near the Peru exit be sure and stop in. They are located in front of the Hampton Inn right off the hwy exit. read more

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My wife and I had lunch here yesterday and it was absolutely outstanding. The food was a 10/10 - incredible flavor, perfectly cooked, served fresh and hot, and the portions were spot on. Every bite was packed with authentic taste. The service was excellent - friendly, attentive, and welcoming without being overbearing. The whole place has a great vibe. It's clean, well-decorated, and just teels good to be in. On top of all that, the prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes you get. It was well worth the drive, and this will 100% be our go-to Mexican spot from now on. Highly recommend! read more

Jalapenos - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Delicious authentic Mexican food. The server was ON IT! the salsa really good. Chips n salsa complimentary. Beers and margaritas went down smoothly. The restaurant was clean and decorated nicely. Not bad prices. read more

Jalapenos - Barrios tacos. My first time having these. - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

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Coming in my expectations were low for the grub here. The plan was to have our 2 year old jump around on the bouncy houses and hear Ximena sing for Mex Indepencia 2024. We started with their House Margs on the rocks, we got the large size and snacked on some chips and salsa. The chips were bad and partly stale, not even salt could save them. The Marg was fine but it wasn't great as well. While I was saving my appetite for Rips Chicken, I had to try their tacos and share with my bro in law. By far, the Al Pastor was the best taco out of the 3 ordered. Juicy, flavorful and tasty are the words that came to mind. Please make sure to order your tacos with corn tortillas and onions and cilantro. The worst was the Asada. It was overcooked and bland. Actually the Carnitas wasn't too bad either. Is it authentic Mexican food? No. Is it good for the Illinois Valley? Yes. The staff was super friendly and courteous and I do hope they don't take split checks. Plenty of parking is available. read more

Jalapenos - 3 tacos - carnitas, asada? And Al pastor. - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Large menu plenty of things to choose from and delicious margaritas! I had the shrimp quesadilla, lunch combo and it was delicious. Service is fast and with a smile! The building is clean and well lit, and the staff is very kind. Bathrooms are also clean and well lit. read more

Jalapenos - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Service was quick beans rice salsa chips where a 10 carne asada tacos 8/10. Stayed next door was convenient

Ramiro!!!! BEST. SERVICE. EVER. Our family overtook their back room and he was hustling and smiling the entire time. I called ahead for a party of 14. It turned into 20 and the staff were so kind to us. The food here is outstanding every time we dine here. It's my brother's favorite place and it was his birthday. A friend requested the sombrero and Mexican ice cream for him, and the waitstaff clapped and sang Las Mananitas which was special. I ordered the vegetarian combo of a bean tostada and a cheese enchilada. Also got a big bowl of hot queso dip for the table. Mmm mm! Margaritas are very good, my cousin got the jalapeño Margarita and my husband got the traditional. The prices are reasonable and as I mentioned the service is outstanding. We even took a family pic with Ramiro haha he's great. read more

Best guacamole and michelada ever! Love the modern decor too. Excellent food, service and ambiance.

Eight of our family members just ate at Jalapenos for Sunday lunch. We've enjoyed eating here many times and keep going back. I had a combo of a tamale and a chili relleno lunch. It was so delicious and very generous in size. To top it off, we shared a dessert: a large wedge of chocolate cake garnished with fresh blueberries, along with fried ice cream with a drizzle of fresh strawberry sauce. The cake was decadent yet light and fluffy. It wasn't overly sweet, which we really enjoyed. The entire dish looked beautiful and I recommend you give it a try. read more

I have eaten here at least 30 times in the past. my wife and I had lunch there yesterday at 2 pm. I had the Texas fajitas, which were tasteless, and I didn't finish. my wife had the chicken gordita, which came with a large bone in it. luckily, she found it before ingesting it. we usually love eating here when we shop in Peru, but I think those days are finished. maybe it was an off day for the staff because i used to enjoy dining there. read more

Great service and food. Love the table guacamole. Servers are helpful and courteous.

Quality service, great food, I would highly recommend this restaurant for your margaritas fix as well.

This was a great lunch experience. The best tableside guacamole I've ever had. The decor is modern Mexico, gorgeous mural and glasswork. Worth a visit! read more

Excellent food and service! Authentic Mexican ! We had a pitcher of margaritas. The Jalapeño's signature fajitas- (little light on meat) but taste was wonderful! Ambiance was as good or better than traditional Mexican! Service excellent as well!! A family of 5 ( children & grandparents)! Authentic Mexican Travelers! read more

First time dining here and everything was lovely. The young boy was assisting his family with seating guests to their tables. His family must own the restaurant. He was really pleasant and very attentive. Franco was our server, and he was very pleasant and attentive. My husband ordered a beer, steak, scallops, beans and rice. I ordered corn on the cob and steak and shrimp fajita. For my drink, I ordered pink lemonade. The food was seasoned perfectly, and so delicious. They give you a lot of food, so I had plenty of leftovers and so did my husband. The decorations for the restaurant was really nice. I love the large sunflower arrangement when you walk in the restaurant. Very festive. We will definitely be back soon. read more

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Love the Food!! Good Clean Restaurant Love the Service Would Recommend to Anybody new in Chicago read more

Jalapenos - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Service was good, seated promptly despite being a busy time. We had a grilled veggie plate served with a bowl of cold corn and a amount of salad. It was a good mix of veggies but way too salty. read more

This was my Favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. This past Friday evening: Small tasteless portions of salsa for the chips. Wife ordered the refried beans which came as a childs portion. I ordered the egg battered stuffed pepper. tasted terrible.. Not going back there. Service was great as usual. but food really has made a turn for the worst read more

Great food, great service. The food came out pretty quick. There is no bar area, just tables. Walking distance to the Hampton Inn and other hotels. read more

We were there on a Saturday afternoon. There was plenty of free parking but the restaurant was crowded and the tables were close together. There appeared to be an area that at some point had outdoor seating but it was not usable when we were there. The staff seemed very preoccupied and not real friendly. It was loud in there and our server was soft spoken so it was hard for us to hear and understand what was being said so there was a lot of repeating on both sides. The gentleman who was running food to the tables was loaded down and ducking around staff and patrons with 4 to 5 plates on one arm which he ended up dropping several full plates luckily no one was hurt. The food was your basic Mexican food. One order was chicken tacos and they were enjoyed by the one who ordered them, one order was a beef chimi meal but one end appeared torn so that bit tasted burned. The filling was pretty bland but was better after the hot salsa was added. The third meal was a chicken and pineapple meal, it was good and a little different than what is found elsewhere. The restroom was clean and roomy but it was odd that the partitionhad a huge gap making it awkward to use. read more

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Highly recommend the Jalapeño Margarita, delish! Food good and Flan even better! Get the FLAN! read more

Jalapenos - Jalapeño Margarita, delish! - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Good Mexican food can be found outside of Chicago! My family of 6 found Jalapenos through Yelp and were pleasantly surprised we did! The staff were kind and professional. They knew what they were doing! The restaurant runs like a well oiled machine as the entire establishment works well together. We started with the "large" margarita. And large it was! I swear it was the size of a sink, and tasty to boot! The chips and salsa were most excellent! I went with the Chille Rellano meal which included rice and beans. It was not the way I prefer my Chille Rellano, but more Tex Mex like. However, it was tasty enough even though I gave it to my husband, ha ha! The husband had Shrimp Tacos and said they were absolutely delicious! The large avocado slices on top solidified the taste. My eldest son had a cheese enchilada and it was very good. My eldest daughter had a beef tostada and claimed it was yummy! I was so happy we stumbled upon Jalepenos! We will be back once we return to the Starved Rock area! read more

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Best Food (and drink!) in the Illinois Valley! Best service too! We have enjoyed Mexican food across the US and it all falls short compared to Jalepenos! read more

Love the Food!! Good Clean Restaurant Love the Service Would Recommend to Anybody new in Chicago

I was staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites and decided to try this restaurant as it was right beside the hotel. I arrived about an hour before closing and decided to do take-out. The staff are very friendly. Because it wasn't busy the evening I went (Sunday), the food was prepared in good timing. I ordered the Chilango Burrito and it was very delicious! I was also given a side of chips and salsa which was good to snack on. Definitely would recommend this restaurant. read more

Jalapenos - Chilango Burrito...takeout order. - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

We ordered the seafood chimichanga, takeout. It was soggy and undercooked, ended up throwing it away. It was awful.

the chicken was supper thin, almost as if they were trying to get 3 times the meals out of it, otherwise it was good. probably will go back

Authentic and the food is delicious! It was a pleasant surprise. I would come here again if I'm in the area.

This is a family favorite. Menu has so many selections. We were greeted at the door and started our lunch with warm chips and salsa. Jalepenos are known for their great Margaritas. We enjoyed our lunch and we did not feel rushed. Fried ice cream is a favorite for our granddaughters. If you go there for your birthday, they will put a sombrero on you and the waiters will sing to you. Prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend Jalepenos. read more

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Our hotel attendant recommended this local establishment and it did not disappoint! The cilantro in the salsa added to the deliciousness of this complimentary item with chips. My chicken zucchini was scrumptious with tons of veggies. The spouse's taco salad was smaller than expected but an adequate amount for the super reasonable price. Nice music, clean restaurant with friendly staff. Highly recommend! read more

Jalapenos - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

The food is delicious and the service is great! My friends and I were staying at the Holiday Inn for our trip to Starved Rock and chose this place for dinner. Our server was attentive and kind. He has a great sense of humor and always noticed when we were running low on chips and salsa! Jalapeños is also VERY generous when it comes to portions, so keep that in mind before you order multiple items. If I wasn't extremely hungry and active during the day, I wouldn't be able to finish the entire plate. read more

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Out in Peru for work. This was my second time here and the service was fast and the customer service was excellent. The Quesabirria did not disappoint! read more

Jalapenos - Quesabirria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

I love Jalapeños all the time, but they have seriously been amazing during this pandemic! So many businesses could take pointers from them. Covid aside, their service is phenomenal. I love every meal I get there, but I highly recommend the Enchiladas with Mole sauce, the table side guac, and of course their margaritas! read more

Jalapenos - Mango/strawberry swirl margarita - Mexican Near Me - Peru, Illinois

the customer service is amazing, we walked in and were immediately seated, and the staff group was extremely polite and friendly. the food came out quick I had tamales and they tasted amazing, i could tell everything was fresh, the chips were warm and the pico de gallo was fresh. Love this place and would come here more often if it were closer read more

Was in the mood for some Mexican food and I was not disappointed, it was very good ,fresh and hot , the service was great and very friendly atmosphere, will definitely be back again soon read more

One of the worst experiences eating Mexican food, ever. Nothing was fresh. No flavor. Vegetables covered in some sort of oil. Place was filthy. Chips tasted stale. Salsa was ok. Yuck. read more

05/10/23 Ordered a popular taco plate from the menu and the food was tasteless and poorly served. It was a disappointment and unpleasant experience, The chips and canned salsa didn't help with the overall experience... read more

I tried this place 2 times. The 1st time the food and service was bad. The 2nd time the food was still bad, but the waiter was attentive. This place is very crowded, but I don't know why, this isn't good Mexican food at all!! read more

The food is very disgusting. I have tried to eat there 3 times and all 3 times the taste of the food and quality was gross. I will NOT go back!!! read more