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    Pepe's Mexican Restaurant

    3.8 (289 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Pepe's Mexican Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

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    PEPE'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Casual
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Pepe's Mexican Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken Avocado Salad
    Jon R.

    Extremely excited for the grand reopening of Pepe's Mexican Restaurant!!! The remodel looks amazing inside and the bar area looks like a great spot to grab beer with friends! As of today, the patio is still being worked on but was told that it will be open soon. With t The food is just as good as before and look forward to future visits!!!

    Rajas con Pollo
    Angela R.

    Time to update my review and welcome back Pepe's! It's been roughly two years since they closed due to a kitchen fire, and it's wonderful to see them open again. This restaurant is located in Old Town Goleta, and was established back in 1958. It's one of those places that families are raised on, such as my son whom I've been bringing here since he was able to sit in a high chair and eat solid food. He always loved their rice and beans, and as he got older he started ordering the cheese enchiladas. To this day, that is what he still orders and they taste the same as he remembered them to be. The one disappointment we had on our latest visit, was their red salsa that they serve with complimentary tortilla chips tasted different and not how we remembered it to be. It was lacking salt and something else that we couldn't pin point. It tasted more like canned tomatoes. Maybe they have a newer staff that prepares the salsa, but it just wasn't as good as it used to be. I asked for their spicy salsa, which is upon request and it was very watered down. Hopefully they will work on their salsa game! I usually order their chicken enchilada suizas, but I decided to change it up this time and try their rajas con pollo. This came with flour or corn tortillas, and it was served nice and hot. I really enjoyed my meal, along with their rice and beans. My friend ordered their tri-tip sandwich and crinkle fries. She was pretty satisfied with her meal, and enjoyed her crinkle fries with a side of ranch. The changes to the inside bring a nice bright environment as opposed to when it used to be darker. There's plenty of seating with booths, and tables in the middle of the room. I noticed they no longer have their buffet set up in the middle like they used to, but I believe they are still doing Sunday Brunch. Their bathrooms have been upgraded and have a high-tech sliding door. Pretty cool compared to the old restrooms. Overall, the staff did an amazing job tending to us, and I'm happy to see Pepe's back in action again. Despite the underwhelming taste in their salsa, we will remain loyal customers and keep our tradition of dining here.

    Burrito Traditional
    Savannah P.

    First time trying this restaurant and it was soooo yummy! I can confidently say this is my favorite burrito of all time. Only gave 4 stars because my gf did find a piece of plastic in her beans:(. But the waiter took it off our order. Would absolutely go again.

    Caesar salad with added chicken & avocado
    Vanessa J.

    Enjoyed my recent visit to Goleta! Started the evening off at Pepe's after reviewing them on Yelp! They didn't disappoint. The space itself is clean, spacious, and casual. It's family friendly and they have a lot of food options. I really enjoyed the food quality and the customer service. Everyone was kind and attentive. I recommend this local spot 100%!!

    Menu
    Sylvia K.

    Lived in SB and never tried this place before. Loved it!!! Food delicious, salsa fresh and service was friendly. Seemed clean, proves very reasonable. Good family restaurant. Parking a little crowded on side street just off old town but definitely worth a try. Service was a little slow but nice. French fries :)

    Tostada Grande
    Shelby S.

    I love Pepe's! Such a staple in Goleta. It's an awesome location and a huge restaurant, so I never have to wait when I'm going in to eat. They have your traditional Mexican fare and everything always tastes fresh. Their service is great! I am a big fan of the salsa that comes with their chips and I appreciate that they have hot sauce already on the table, so I don't have to ask for it. The grilled chicken on their salads is cooked perfectly and I love their cilantro ranch. Great space to meet up with people and enjoy a meal.

    Ground beef hard shell taco
    Lisa L.

    This is a little late. Had lunch with a friend at Pepe's on Monday this week and it was wonderful. Starting with the attentive staff, clean dining room and the ambiance was relaxing. My friend had the Pobrecito ground beef burrito. This is easily a two meal burrito. Stuffed full of meat, cheese, rice and beans, enchilada style with guacamole and crema. I had the ground beef taco with garden salad and cilantro ranch dressing. Taco was perfect and had a nice portion of each meat, cheese, lettuce and topped with a few tomatoes. Garden salad was wonderful, loaded with fresh produce. The cilantro ranch was the big deal of the day. Perfectly blended and complimentary to the salad. I am so happy to see this place has reopened and the food is just as great as it has always been. If you like Mexican food and your in the Goleta area, I would recommend Pepe's.

    Burrito Ranchero (asked for it wet)
    Erika V.

    My friend and I had lunch today at Pepe's and the service and food was stellar. We got there at 1PM on a Wednesday and the place was full. However, most parties were leaving, so it looked like we just missed the rush. We were seated promptly and were served the yummy complimentary chips and salsa. After a few minutes of reading the menu (many options), she ordered the Burrito Ranchero and I ordered the quesadilla with chicken. Our food was served in a timely fashion and at a perfect temperature. We were checked on throughout our meal and my friend's iced tea was also refilled without asking. I have not been to this establishment in years, but I definitely recommend trying it out if you haven't yet. They recently reopened and the place looked fabulous.

    Margarita

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    Pepe's has the best vibes and amazing service. When I eat the Pobrecito it's the peak of my day. Coming back whenever I can.

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    Page 3 of 8

    Pepe's Mexican Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pepe's Mexican Restaurant

    What is the happy hour schedule?

    Is there a date set for reopening after the fire?

    Pepe's is OPEN now (12.8.23)

    Will yous be reopening?

    Pepe's is Open!

    Why do they have shrimp quesadillas and burritos BUT NOT TACOS?

    We do have shrimp tacos! Not as street tacos but we offer two large shrimp tacos with rice and beans. Just order the ‘Dos Tacos’ and ask for shrimp, it’s a small up-charge but very delicious! Thanks!

    Do they serve breakfast?

    IF I remember correctly they open at 10:00, I'd say yes if you're like me and like Taco's or a burrito for breakfast? Seriously, "Do Brunch" you'll be full, as well as happy!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Centennial Beer Hall

    Centennial Beer Hall

    4.6
    (30 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Great little taproom. Has on old dive vibe but done nicely. Great tap list. Small but chill back…read morepatio. May be the best taplist around Santa Barbara area.

    As a beer snob (ahem...chasing 5k unique beer check-ins on Untappd, the Yelp of beer) I have to say…read morethis place is great. Great service, met the owner, nice guy, well curated beers on tap (I think they generally have 16 on tap) ranging from a few from overseas if you are in to Belgians or what have you and then a well chosen selection of great beers from all over - maybe a bit California heavy but there is a helluva lot of great beer in California. I hate going in to a so-called taproom and I can't find anything I have never had on tap. Why go to a place with a bunch of variety of there is nothing new? Typical corporate or beer-illiterate taproom: "Well we have this great IPA from Lagunitas, its their IPA have you heard of Lagunitas? What about Sam Adams? Oh and we have Guinness if you are into *throws finger quotes* dark beers. Oh we also have Sierra Nevada Pale I think it comes all the way from NorCal!" Ugh. Again - great rotating selection here...and a bonus couple of coolers where you can score some cans and bottles to go of some more great craft beer. Ambiance is local bar/brewery, they have food some nights (had a great smashburger from Goodland Grillers tonight) and trivia on Thursdays. There I included the word ambiance are you happy Yelp? Cheers.

    Photos
    Thirsty break
    Thirsty break
    Centennial Beer Hall
    Centennial Beer Hall

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    The Ellwood

    The Ellwood

    3.9
    (268 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    Entrees were delicious- we did steak and lobster pasta. Mashed potatoes and broccolini were also…read moreoutstanding. Appetizers were just alright, though. The ahi tuna poke was disappointing; it just mostly tastes like soy sauce. The service was good, and they comped our dessert since it was an anniversary dinner.

    What does The Elwood, Holiday Inn, truck stop coffee, and any movie with Kevin Bacon, have In…read morecommon? They're all meh. Are there worse restaurants, hotels, coffee and movies? Absolutely. But there are a lot better ones, and as far as The Ellwood is concerned, a better place is worth going to. The entire waitstaff looks like Abercrombie and Fitch models, which isn't a bad thing, but it's clear this is their first time working in a restaurant. Our waiter sat us, then returned when we were about finished and asked how everything was. It would have been better if I didn't have an empty glass of iced tea for most of my meal. Also, I have never seen smaller beverage glasses. 4 ice cubes and they're full. There was no salt, pepper, or any other condiment on the table, which is odd for a place where seafood is the main fare. Also, no bread or butter was offered. I got fish and chips which were pretty average, but the portions were small. My partner got a tuna melt which was better than mine, but still on the smaller side of average. If all you want is to sit at the bar and watch the surf with small drink, go to The Ellwood If you're 20 something and Tinder isn't ur thing, go to The Ellwood If you want a full meh experience, The Ellwood is the place But if you want good seafood brought to you by people who know how to serve, go anywhere else.

    Photos
    Golden Hour
    Golden Hour
    He couldn't stop eating the au gratin clam chowder long enough for me to get a photo.
    He couldn't stop eating the au gratin clam chowder long enough for me to get a photo.
    Where else can you see a view of a pier with this perspective while enjoying a bottle of Hundred Acre?!

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    Where else can you see a view of a pier with this perspective while enjoying a bottle of Hundred Acre?!

    Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated August 2026

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