A friend recommended we try this place, and I'm so glad we did! We felt welcome from the moment we stepped in the door, and had the best service which was definitely a nice change of pace. Tried the Pepe's sampler and the stew meat tacos with rice and beans along with a rum punch and jalapeño margarita. So. Dang. Good. You're missing out if you don't try this place out! read more

Pepe’s Cantina - Pineapple margarita - Mexican Near Me - DeBary, Florida

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Nice ambiance and good service sometimes... not always. The drinks are truly good but the food is mediocre at its best & the prices are 100% higher than any other restaurant in town. When asked about that the server said "it is what it is" read more

We are new to the area and were looking for a go to Mexican restaurant. Tried Pepe's and it didn't disappoint. Great food, great service and a frozen margarita that you won't forget! read more

This place is just what DeBary needed! We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday. It was a beautiful day so we opted for the patio where there was enough shade to stay comfortable. The hostess and wait staff were quick and super friendly. The beautiful menu matched the beautiful décor of the restaurant and was filled with all the options you would expect at a Mexican restaurant. It even included weekday lunch specials and a vegetarian menu. The chips were fresh and the delicious salsa was filled with fresh tomatoes, onions, chilies, and a touch of cilantro. We opted for two shrimp dishes, the Telum Salad and the Shrimp Diablo. This entree included a generous portion of perfectly cooked shrimp in a mildly spicy tomato sauce, roasted rainbow carrots, and seasoned potatoes. All the ingredients were fresh and expertly prepared. The prices are a little higher than other Mexican restaurants around the area but the meal was well worth the price. We'll definitely go back. I suggest you to try it too. read more

We have gone here a couple of times the first few times have been amazing. The food and customers service was great. The past few times we have gonna the food hasn't has been the best and the prices seem way more expensive now than a couple months ago read more

Food is good , service is good, specials are good deals. Favorite chips & salsa & fajitas & tacos around.

Party of 2 dined at Pepe's about 5 months ago in early evening on a Wednesday, delayed posting this review. The atmosphere is modern cantina. Service was good. Peach margarita was good. Table side guacamole is disappointing, tastes nothing like fresh guacamole in Quintana Roo. Corn chips & salsa were good. The chicken quesadilla was excellent, with side of black beans & rice also good. Pork carnitas platter with refried beans & rice; didn't care for the orange & beer cooking sauce. The refried beans were runny, flavor ok. Flavors of food is average, is slightly overpriced. read more

Love Pepe's and the Debary location is convenient. My wife loves the vegan enchiladas with the chikin and I get the vegan burrito with "beef substitute". It is so good and we get great service at Debary friendly, fast and delicious! read more

A little heart broken. We have been coming to this restaurant since they opened. They just changed their menu on Monday and the price increase is ridiculous. A pitcher of skinny margaritas used to be $45 and now it's $65. You only get four margaritas with the serving. The single price for a glass is $14. So if we would have just ordered by the glass we would have only spent $56. So we lost $9 by ordering a pitcher which usually would save you a few dollars. The kids meal was almost double what it used to be and everything else was a few dollars more. So they raised the price astronomically on everything that wasn't the main entrees which is what most people focus on when ordering. I just don't know how you justify a 44% increase on a menu item. Needless to say even though we love the service and food we can't justify the price anymore. read more

My husband and I LOVE Mexican and a friend of ours told us about this "new" place so we decided to check it out! Wow, were we impressed! The food, the service, the atmosphere... only downfall (but not enough to take away a star) was it was a little hot inside. They said they need to put in insulation and they're working on it so at least they know and are making adjustments. But let's chat food! So, the queso was the white cheese-- a must at a Mexican restaurant. Delish!! Perfect size portion too where you're not going to fill up before your meal. I got the chicken quesadilla with veggies, refried beans and rice. Honestly, wayyyy better than Don Julio's! Super tasty and a ton of ingredients. My husband got the tacos for taco Tuesday and they did not look skimpy like most do on TT. He got the shrimp and pork and said the shrimp was the best. We ordered chicken nuggets and fries for our one year old son and they came already cut up which was a nice touch! Lastly, the margaritas were on point too - Spencer the bartender and our server was FANTASTIC. Very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. We will be back and SOON. read more

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Went to Peppe's for dinner last night. Got there around 6:15 for a 6:30 reservation for 6 people that was made 3 days prior. When we arrived we were told there were no tables available inside so we would have to sit outside where the temperature at that time was still 89 degrees. I told her that was unexceptional. Manager then came over and told me it was outside or wait for a table inside to open up. I told him his attitude was very rude and he told me if I didn't like it I should go somewhere else. I then told him where he could stick his table and restaurant and went to LaHacienda where we were seated immediately and had a fantastic meal and service for what I understand was a third of the cost. Peppe's is off the list for this family forever. If that's the way they treat their customers they probably won't do well in Debary. read more

I only went one time, but it was great. Service was fabulous. The staff are very accommodating and helpful - several staff were happy to answer food ?s, drink ?s, and make recommendations. Seafood ceviche was really good. The shrimp I had added to the ceviche were not so great. I had 3 different drinks. They were all great. Salsa was uniquely tasty and the chips actually tasted like they're made with corn. Menu caters to vegans too, which is nice (even tho I'm a carnivore). XXL burrito will be on my list for the next visit. Looked amazing served to other people. read more

I've gone here many times and now have a good understanding of what to expect from this place and want to share. Every single time I've dined in, I've had to ask multiple times for things. Last time, I had to ask THREE TIMES for a sweet tea. Everyone at my table of four was brought their sodas and I had to ask multiple times just to get my drink. Same with salsa and chips - had to ask multiple times to get any on several occasions. The meals take 1+ hour to come out sometimes. A few times our queso wasn't brought to the table until our meal was delivered. ...So, we just started getting orders to go bc of the bad service. However, just picked up a take out order today where the meals are wrong, so I'm beyond frustrated. Asked for no cilantro and tomatoes and got extra... and no tortillas with my fajitas. Like, what is going on over there??? They don't listen and they don't care and it's over priced. It's the only place in town so they take advantage. If these things hadn't happened multiple times I wouldn't leave such a poor review. read more

Good drinks service and ambiance are all amazing. Not much more I can say. Chicken Quesadilla is amazing read more

Mexican is my favorite. There are quite a few Mexican Restaurants in the Debary area already, ranging from average to excellent. I would not rate any as outstanding. I really, really wanted to love this Mexican Restaurant, particularly based on the fact that this was an additional location. As an additional point, I assumed that this operation would benefit from the experience of management and cooking talents. I am sad to say that that Pepe's Mexican Restaurant's food is extremely average although slightly better than a Taco Bell. If this is what their original Pepe's locations is serving in Winter Park, then I must say the people in Winter Park truly don't know Mexican cuisine. I would suggest that the owner and management staff clandestinely visit their multiple competition in this area. Pepe's may meet/approach some of the others but is very subpar to the other better Mexican restaurants in our area. Pepe's, pick it up our your time in Debary will be short lived... read more

Very good food, drinks and service. This is my new favorite place. Really glad it's in DeBary, close, easy to get to.

I've been twice now on two separate Saturday nights. The first night at around 6:45pm they turned us away even though the restaurant was empty. The second time we gave them a chance they turned us away again and said a party of 8 was too big. We offered to sit at two separate tables since we saw that so many tables were open. This was the second time we were turned away in the same manner. The first time a young lady, maybe 16-20 years old, laughed and said we had to leave. The second time we were told by what seemed to be a manager that we had to wait maybe two or so hours and said we couldn't sit without a reservation and that the kitchen is totally backed up. Again the dining rooms were completely empty. I didn't even see anyone bussing and turning over tables with food left on them. There was no sense of urgency from any of the staff. Advice to the owners: get in there and run things personally for a while. The people you have running things now at the DeBary location are running your investment into the ground. I will not be back and people leaving your restaurant tonight were telling us the same thing as they left. While we stood in your parking lot deciding where to eat I watched about $800 worth of business get flippantly turned away. And no one I talked to was happy about having to leave and some turned away customers declared they would also not be back. read more

Highly disappointed with the quality of the food. The start was the food taking forever. I ordered mole shrimp enchiladas, the enchiladas had no flavor and the enchilada could barely stay together. Portion of the shrimp was skimpy for the price of them. The salsa they give you with chips were watery compared to any other mexican spot. What was a joke was the outdoor seating was "reserved" Lol. read more

Ordered 2 tacos and a cheese dip lunch menu 18.00 no sour cream, tiny sliver of lettuce in each taco. Did not enjoy and I will not return. Hostess and waiters were great but I won't be back. Food was nothing special very bland. I tried them twice and I won't be back. Too many other really good Mexican restaurants around read more

This restaurant is very new so I didn't expect much. My Pina colada was poorly made very watery. They could buy a bag of coconut shreds and throw a pinch in it. The red sauce for the chips is very watery and had no taste. I had the steak fajita my wife the shrimp tacos. My steak was over cooked and very charred with no flavor at all a-little greasy . The shrimp tacos were ok due to the square on them. They had plenty of servers but I guess they need help in the kitchen as we waiting very long to get fed. We moved from the bar to outside tables. The inside and out needs a woman's touch for decoration. It really needs things to make it look more Mexican. Since it's new I'll give them another shot but at this time it needs a better cook in the kitchen. read more

They did a great job hyphening the restaurant up, Just Okay food.. came back to give second chance ...way Over price for food and drinks. Stick with Hacienda and save yourself money. read more

Placed a pick up order and included an appetizer of Jalapeño Poppers. We got home and I noticed there are four, smallish poppers in the container. I called the restaurant and asked if it was a normal order order. They said yes and I asked if they really feel that charging $10 for four poppers was a fair order. The manager stated "thats the way it is". Hung up the phone. Wont be back. read more

Pepe’s Cantina - Mexican Near Me - DeBary, Florida

Went for first time party of 6. Every meal and appetizer was amazing. Service was beyond anything I've experienced in a long time

Great Mexican food! The best dish by far, however is the guacamole prepared table side!

Good food and good service. Have been there several times. I highly recommend it. Go early because it gets crowded.

I have been here several times and every time it's outstanding. The margaritas are delicious and strong and food is to die for. Highly highly recommend. read more

Delicious food the queso frito was amazing definitely recommend you trying it out..........

Excellent Authentic Mexican food. All the food was so fresh! The staff was so friendly and very attentive to the table. Refilled the chips and drinks when they noticed they were low. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very good. read more

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Unfortunately we have been back a few times and the service has been spotty. Too bad as we love the restaurant in Winter Park, sorry that the one closest to us is so inconsistent. read more

Don't waste your money at Pepe's Cantina in Debary, FL. My GF and I had dinner at Pepe's Cantina in Debary last night (July 28, 2023). We had perused the menu and prices before selecting this restaurant; given that finding good Mexican cuisine in the immediate Deland/Orange City/Debary area is difficult, I hoped their exorbitant prices suggested a decent ambiance and a quality meal. I was disappointed. The restaurant is sizable, but has that old-town 'Daisy May's Cafe' look and feel - cheap tables and chairs, and a handful of booths - no ornate decoration, just the typical too-loud Mexican music blasting. It was only moderately busy for 7:30 on a Friday night - not a good sign. A small basket of chips and salsa appeared; the salsa was not striking - I've had much better out of a jar. I ordered their $15 premium margarita, expecting a sizable and tasty treat served in the typical margarita goblet - what I received was delivered in a small drinking glass with a flower and was far from the best I have tasted at half the price. I also ordered the $25 steak fajita, and selected the refried (vs black) beans option. The meat/onions/peppers arrived in the expected tantalizing, sizzling cast-iron skillet; the meat was excellent - no problem there. Tortillas, sour cream, and guacamole were provided (I declined lettuce and pico), but there was no shredded cheese. The guac had 'way too many chopped onions in it to be appealing; this went uneaten. The refried beans were abhorrent; some kind of brown, creamy mush that had a hint of refried bean flavor, but was seemingly mixed with something else that robbed it of the typical texture and flavor. I asked for shredded cheese and received a small portion in one of the same small metal cups the sour cream and guac had arrived in - just enough for a thin layer under the meat for one 6" fajita, partial coverage for the next. After fixing a couple of fajitas, I asked for another, received the same portion size in another cup. My GF had the chicken taco bowl; it was reported to be mostly what she had expected. When it came time to pay the bill, I discovered that I was being charged $2 each for the two miniature shredded cheese portions I had asked for - I wasn't told there would be an extra charge for these upon the request. Total bill was around $61 dollars for what was the most underwhelming meal I've had in a while. I added the tip - the service was acceptable, not the waitress's fault the meal wasn't to my liking - and got out for $71.00. We won't be returning to Pepe's. Recommendations: refresh your decor, up your game with the salsa and chips, replace that refried bean recipe with something that has some authentic taste, buy some (medium and large) margarita goblets, hire a better bartender, and stop charging for condiments that should have been provided in sufficient quantity and without request to start with. read more

Screw found in my food. I've had Pepe's cantinas food several times (overall good flavor). Recently I had the chicken fajitas and found a short metal screw in my food. Thank God we did not choke or swallowed it. Can't even imagine the consequences of eating/swallowing a screw. I do not understand how this was included in my chicken fajitas. I'm very sadden to say I will never eat at this place again. I thank God we found it because a screw can harm your health big time and imagine how much a HOSPITAL bill would be to remove it. read more

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We had the best dining experience at Pepe's the recipes are outstanding, fresh ingredients perfect blend of spices, serving staff was well trained, the restaurant was clean and inviting and in a very convenient location to my home. I am happy to say Pep's Cantina is a wonderful addition to our city of Debary FL, I will be returning again and again. See you soon your good neighborhood friend Vickee Merrill read more

One of our favorite places to go! We know that if we are coming here to eat we are going to always get excellent service and amazing food. No matter what you get you're going to be impressed!! There's times where we are here multiple times a week because it's so delicious. Definitely recommend!! read more

Yes sir! It finally opened! And it looks like they've pretty much gotten most of the first day blues under wrap. Thursday afternoon 2:50pm. There's a good number of people there already and the parking lot filled up fast. We were informed by the waitress that lunch was over @ 3pm and that dinner prices (and portions) were being served. We paid almost double for the same dishes we would have had for "lunch". Chips & Salsa, ok. Salsa was very runny & not much flavor. 1 Sangria & 1 Margarita, please. $40 dollars for a water size pitcher was a bit much. And I had to question if there was any alcohol in the Sangria. That's ok. It was still very good. But ~~ the 'Rita was kickin' it! Ordered Pepe's Platter for the appetizer. Hell yeah! That was awesome! AND FILLING! I then ordered a steak Taco Salad & my husband ordered a Burrito. OMG! The burrito was HUGE! AND PACKED WITH STUFF! I had the Taco Salad with steak which was the same size and price for lunch or dinner. Not a HUGE size but it didn't matter after stuffing that appetizer down my face. Needless to say, neither one of us finished our entrees. I would give it an A- (5 stars) still. I hope this place lasts longer then the other places that have been in this spot. Debary needs a good Mexican restaurant and Pepe's Cantina is it! read more

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Today was my first time coming here. The Hubster and I came for lunch. It's a very nice and clean restaurant and rather spacious inside. There's also some outside seating and a nice bar inside the restaurant. We chose to sit in a booth. First of all, the salsa that they serve with the complementary chips was wonderful. Very nice and thick with a nice flavor to it. I ordered the Chili Rellenos. That was one Chili Rellenos with some interesting sauce on top and red cabbage and sour cream. Along with that was served roasted potatoes and rainbow carrots. Oh my! Those roasted potatoes were so good. Perfect portion size! I'm not a big fan of potatoes but with those were good. Rainbow carrots are evidently just different colors when raw . These were just roasted carrots that just sort of tasted like carrots. So yummy! Those three items together were a perfect complement to each other. My husband got the soft beef tacos served with his choice of refried beans or black beans and some Spanish rice. Again his portion size was perfect. We both ordered the regular flan for dessert. They also have chocolate flan. The flan was some of the best I've ever eaten! Atmosphere was great! Service was great! The food was great! I will be back! This restaurant is a super addition to the neighborhood. read more

Came for dinner and took them almost 20min to seat us. Sat down for another 15min without any contact from anyone other than the chips and salsa being dropped off. No water. No waiter/waitress even said hello. We finally stopped the hostess and she said the waitress had two big parties. The hostess said if no one came after a bit longer then she would get another waitress to take over. We were told "we're busier than we expected to be tonight". At least they could have stopped to introduce themselves and get water for us.No excuse to at least do that much for customers. We were given a small basket of chips and a tiny bowl of salsa that needed seasoning. It was fresh made, but salt or something was missing. We got up and left without ever being greeted at our table. read more

This was my third time at Pepe's in DeBary. We were excited they were coming to the area because we had been to the Winter Park location which was great. Unfortunately the DeBary location is lacking. I was honestly surprised that the prices were the same as WP, especially as that location is right by Park Ave. The quality is not as good. Food is noticeably greasy, too much oil and not as fresh. It's ok but for the price, I expect better. read more

Jane and her mother served us and they are so incredibly sweet and kind and the food was so amazing, I enjoyed all the food especially the Steak and Eggs, to DIEEEE FOR. You will not be disappointed coming to this restaurant, and their Mimosas are so good. Make sure to get the Strawberry one, absolutely amazing read more

Food was no all that great, everything on the menu, way over priced....better food can be had at a better value elsewhere.

Edel our waitress was amazing! She made the best strawberry margarita I've ever had and her service was excellent! Pepe's is delicious as well- new favorite! read more