This place is a sold 4 stars. We have bean coming here since the beginning but it has probably been about 3 years since we came here last. First of all, I don't remember their salsa being so amazing! The salsa recipe is the best I have had in a long time. In general I order typical American Mexican dishes and all the Mexican restaurants are pretty similar in my opinion. I typically don't think that there is one that is remarkably different than the others. This one is a solid choice. read more

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My family has been coming to this location for many years. It is always clean, bathrooms are clean. We are always greeted with smiles. We love the staff, our service is always outstanding. We have been to many other mexican restaurants but to me, no where can compare to Pepe's. Quality food that is consistently great every single time. Never a bad meal! read more

Family went here for Father's Day...very good experience. We had chicken fajitas, tacos, shrimp enchiladas & steak fajitas. Good service and reasonable prices! We will return! read more

We eat here a lot! I will reiterate these are cheap drinks! They have 2 for one Margareta's on weekdays. We have eaten here for years so we know several people who work here, but I have witnessed them being welcoming to all! My new thing is their cheese Chile Relleno!! It is delicious! It is batter dipped and fried to perfection! I love the light and brightens of the dining room and the bar. read more

One of the most consistent Mexican restaurants in Lexington. Love the outdoor patio and bar area. The staff has always been friendly and welcoming. I order something different every time. I love the ability to try different things and know they're going to be good. Today I had lunch, poblano pepper quesadilla. Very good lunch item perfect amount of heat great portion and perfect price. Definitely a solid choice to grab a beverage or food! read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Poblano pepper quesadilla Lunch - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Everything else was good, but the ground beef tasted as if someone boiled it and put a pound of salt and nothing else. 60 dollars down the drain. read more

Worst place on the planet. Enchiladas tasted like a can of chef boy r dee raviloi. Worst enchiladas ever. On top of this, the server tried to make me pay someone else's bill. Scam alert. Watch out​ read more

We had dinner at Pepe's and I must say, I was a little apprehensive after reading reviews from others. Some friends invited us to join them for dinner, and I'm glad that we went! I had the Super Chimichanga which was stuffed with grilled steak, jalapeños, pico de gallo, and cheddar jack cheese then topped with a generous serving of their cheese dip. The meal also included lettuce with pico, sour cream, rice and beans. This was a fantastic dish and the prices were VERY affordable. My wife had the regular chicken chimichanga platter which had 2 regular size chimis, topped with cheese sauce (the regular does not have jalapeños or pico inside them) again with rice and beans, etc. Both of our friends had the fajitas. One had chicken, the other had steak. Both had very generous portions of meat with them. The restaurant was not very crowded (which was a surprise to me). Our waiter was very attentive, but not over bearing and we had not only a delicious meal, but a great experience here. We will definitely return again! Hopefully next time, I remember to take photos of our food! Don't be fooled by previous reviews, this is a great place! read more

During Covid we've had to be very careful due to our daughter being medically complicated. That has meant a LOT of marginal take out trying to support local joints that just don't exactly know how to do takeout right. Pepe's is NOT one of those. Their service is always 15 minutes. The food is 100% on point. The value for portion size is great and we order once a week now because we trust it to be good! We like Pepe's so much that we drive across town even though Mi Mexico is 2 minutes from us! Pepe's is totally worth the drive. Superior food, quality and quantity! Highly recommend them over and over!! Their food is literally so good we don't even stop to take pics! ‍‍ ETA: writing this review made us crave Pepe's so we ordered takeout and remembered to take pics before we started inhaling our food!! LOL read more

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Stopped into this establishment for lunch and was very happy I did. This restaurant is obviously a family owned establishment as the service being as personable as it was reflected that fact. I ordered the chicken fajitas, which is typically my favorite for Mexican restaurants and my signature entree I like to compare one from the next. The salsa and chips were very good, homemade chips and a thicker salsa makes for a great snack prior to lunch. The fajitas were prepared very well, there was plenty of chicken and vegetables cooked to perfection. Rice, refried beans and salad with sour cream accompanied the entree. I was offered additional tortillas and was checked up on to ensure everything was fine. This was a very good choice for lunch and the price point is spot on. Cheers! read more

Probably the best Carne Asada in town. Very weak margaritas.Mainly sweet and sour mix.

The food was excellent. I love their chips and salsa. They have great Quesadillas and the Beef burrito is AMAZING! Their service is super friendly and on the ball. The restaurant always looks inviting and the atmosphere is fun and engaging. read more

Had the Accupocco Chicken over rice - cooked with green and red peppers and onions- very savory. Huge serving! Bloody Mary hit the spot, friends margarita was tasty, chips were good and salsa fresh and spicy. Servers were friendly. Will visit again. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Acapulco Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Twice in as many weeks, I've eaten their stuffed chicken tacos. If it wasn't such a pain to go to Lexington Cemetery and haul my mom from her everlasting resting place, I'd do it and smack the heck out of her. It is that good! But listen, I'm fat, on oxygen and I don't want to conjure up her angry spirit to sneak up on me in the dead of night. I've used up 8 of my 9 lives, I can't risk it. The ONLY reason I gave them a 4 despite my glorious experience with a dead chicken, some pico de gallo, and some of the best salsa verde you'll ever have on a taco? The salsa. No no. Not the salsa on my meal. The table salsa. It needs some work. And some cumino. And a dash of salt, a lot more cilantro and a hefty squeeze of lime. I usually judge a Mexican restaurant solely on their salsa. Luckily, I didn't this time. And I won't the next either. read more

I say it is a pretty good restaurant but the food and margaritas are very expensive, it had good workers but it was just too expensive. It had good food but it was just too expensive. The ambiance was good but not to good. read more

Wow! The atmosphere is great at Pepe's and a packed house at a Mexican restaurant is always a good sign, which was the case when we went there on a Wednesday! I have to say the most surprising thing to me was not the crowd, but how incredible the American food is, specifically the hot wings. I consider myself to be a wing connoisseur and have tried wings all across the states and have to say, as far as classic hot wings go, these are the best. No contest. My only regret is getting only one order these wings as an appetizer. Next time I go I will get several orders for my entree as well. I will be back for the wings alone, never thought I'd say that at a Mexican restaurant but these wings are a MUST if you are in Lexington! Ask for the hot, you will not be disappointed!! They didn't even taste like penguin M whatsoever! read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Best wings in the state!! - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Basic asf, waitress wasn't very friendly. Food was ok. Atmosphere sucked. Nothing but mediocre and wouldn't waste time and money here.

The food has no flavor. I don't get it. Even the salsa needed salt and seasoning. My food was over cooked, covered in cheese sauce and still didn't have flavor. Make a different choice if you want Mexican style food. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We use to come here all the time and loved it. This time We ordered the Hawaiian fajitas and it was awful. 1st of all no one is welcoming at this restaurant. They never seem happy to see you unlike other Mexican restaurants in Lexington. So the chicken and shrimp had ZERO flavor, the rice was old with a film of hard rice on top. The beans were also old. Flaking apart like powder or something. Was over all not a good experience. We're gonna stick with El Patio for now on. Also make sure you check your bill. They charged us with 2 queso dips so we had to get that fixed. read more

This place was recommended by a local friend who hails from Mexico. I thought the food was cut above and a bit tastier than the typical Mexican restaurant in town. Prompt and friendly service at reasonable prices. Nice colorful furnishing and clean overall. We'll definitely be back! read more

I admit I'm not much of a Mexican food person, but my husband definitely is. He enjoys Mexican food whenever he's traveling or lunching without me. I ordered a side salad and shrimp soft shell tacos which were delicious! The salad greens were fresh and crisp. The house made salsa and chips were impossible to quit munching on. Not too spicy, though it was just ever so slightly too mild. Didn't stop us from chowing down on it though. Husband had the Shrimp Quesadilla meal which came with refried beans and fried rice which he said wasn't as good as he's used to from a Mexican place. Our waitress was friendly and checked on us often. When it came time to pay for the check, we were not sure if the waitress took care of it or if we pay at the register. After sitting for a few, we went to the register and waited for a few more minutes before paying. Our cashier was very friendly and apologized for the wait. In all, I'd give them 3 1/2 stars, but since I can't I gave 4 stars based on my tacos which I thought were absolutely delicious. read more

Stopped here for lunch with my Mom & daughter after an appointment. Love this place! The decor, the atmosphere, service and food. We were warmly welcomed when we entered and our server greeted us promptly. She was super nice & very efficient. Mom had Lunch 2 and I don't recall what that was. I had the poblano pepper quesadilla with shredded chicken, it was excellent. My daughter had Lunch 4, two tacos (easier to recall ). Food was delicious. Arrived timely, temperature perfect. We will definitely return! read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Poblano pepper quesadilla with shredded chicken, refried beans, rice & sour cream. Yummm - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This place is pretty good. Very clean and friendly staff. You can't miss the big orange building. I had steak nachos and they were pretty good. I really liked the flavor their steak has. It would be awesome by itself. It didn't seem too busy when I was there but it was like 1:30 so maybe we missed the lunch rush. Coworker enjoyed his meal as well. Only issue I had was to getting my lemonade refilled. read more

Had dinner here last evening. My wife's quesadilla was huge and stuffed well, and the flavor was just OK. My shrimp cocktail was plentiful with large fresh shrimp, but the sauce was very 'liquid-y' and not tasty. The jalapeño poppers we shared for an appetizer were tasty, but not even warm - the cheese stuffing was not even melted. The ambience is definitely 'Mexican bar'. So it all combines for an "OK" place, but not really enticing to return. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant is a fine place to grab lunch or dinner. It's the kind of Mexican spot that's brightly colored, with the painted carved wooden booths, and they cover everything on your plate in queso! So, if you're looking for a truly authentic Mexican meal, this isn't really it, but the service is quick and the food tastes good. Plus, I like my food covered in queso! And, if you don't, they have a huge menu, so there's plenty to choose from. I love this type of Mexican food, and I think Pepe's is a fine place to get it! read more

Ordered curbside for dinner and they have a very efficient process. When placing the order I was told it would be ready in 10 minutes...so they are very fast. Someone immediately came to our car, got our info and had our food to us within a minute. The food was good. However, we had paid for an extra order of chips and salsa but got no salsa at all. They'd probably get a bit higher rating had our order been correct so I will definitely try them again since the food is tasty. read more

This place was super good ! Me and my man went on a date together and he chose to eat Mexican so I picked Pepe's. When we first walked in our experience was pretty good. However, I felt that our waiter was a little slow, we sat there for almost ten mins before we actually got asked what we wanted to eat.... I literally had to ask a different person to take our order and he told us to wait. I was like.... we were just waiting. But ! The food was really good I got the chicken chimichanga platter with Spanish rice it was BOMB. Other than that we had a good time. read more

One of my favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in Lexington. It's covers all your basics and has drink specials! Fast friendly service, even though it was packed. Queso came out fresh and tasty. The food also came out relatively fast and everything looked good and tasted better. The steak wasn't too chewy and had good seasoning. The chicken was cooked well and had great flavor too. Margaritas were cheap and the experience was awesome. I recommend anyone who likes Mexican food to try this place out. read more

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Hate to post negative but...went in on "Taco Tuesday" with hopes of quick and easy "combo" Mexican food. Service was quick but the hard shell was stale, rice undercooked and noticed a torn sugar packet in the bottom of my my soda. The server took it, apologized and returned with a new. I was surprised when I got my check I was still charged for the soda considering but I guess they wanted their $2. The chips and salsa was delic but I think I'll chose elsewhere next time unfortunately. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant By Parham P Baker Another cold, wet winter day, and I am again in the mood for something warm and tasty for lunch. Thought I'd give Pepe's a chance. Pepe's used to be a different Mexican restaurant (Mi Mexico) , and I confess to not have eaten there, so cannot draw a comparison, but... read on! The exterior of the place is colorful, and there is an outside patio for those much missed balmy fall days. As I came in I was pleasantly greeted and, walking past the full bar area to my left, was seated at a booth in a truly colorful and festive dining room. The brilliant colors and motifs are at once what one would think would be distasteful and so over the top, but well, somehow it really works. My table was colorful and covered by a piece of (cracked in a few places) acrylic, showing the wood carving below. Before I could even open my menu chips and salsa were there and my drink order being taken. I had barely cracked the menu and my drink appeared. I took my time wandering through the menu. A very nice assortment! My waiter did stop by a few times but never seemed to be rushing me, just being attentive. The chips I enjoyed while reading were nice and warm, and the salsa fairly good, but not exceptional. I settled on a combo with a beef taco, a chicken enchilada (you can choose beef or chicken on each) with rice and beans, the "Speedy Gonzales." (Why do I keep wanting to say "¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!" ?) It is a VERY reasonable $5.99. I had no sooner finished looking at the dinner menu (REALLY good looking) than lunch was served with a very warm smile. Everything was hot and looked and smelled so very appealing. The taco, well, taste-wise it was a taco. Not awe inspiring but good. Likewise with the beans. But the rice (and I'm not usually one for rice except for fried) was very good and the enchilada, wow! I think the cooked peppers (seemed like pablanos) really kicked it up. One unusual thing for a Mexican restaurant is that there were no sauces available on the table or nearby. No Chohula, Tapatio or my favorite, Chipotle Tobasco. The taco and beans would have been excellent with just that little extra kick. Honestly, the service, the atmosphere and the attitude made the food even better... if you understand what I felt. This is not gourmet Mexican, but dern solid. Again, the server was always attentive (my Diet never went below half full) and always had a smile and a laugh. I noted other servers there with the same great attitude. So... FOOD - 4 SERVICE - 5 AMBIANCE - 4 Yep, I'll return. Probably not an "A" lister but excellent value, good food and excellent service. *** When I review and rate, I'm comparing this particular place to others in what I perceive to be its "niche." I would not compare a Waffle House to the Commanders Palace, but I'd certainly rate them both. Joe's Pancake Palace might get a 5 and the "Five Star 'A La Palacio Bon'" get a 3. Apples to Apples for where in the culinary world or the travel world the venue fits. Bon Appetite and Happy Wanderings... Parham B *** read more

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My first visit to Pepe's was good. The atmosphere is very cozy and themed as one would expect of a Mexican restaurant. The staff were friendly and prompt. I ordered the lunch fajita with chicken and steak. The meat was a bit bland for my liking, maybe it wasn't cooked with the veggies but cooked separately and added to the veggies later. However it was cooked, it wasn't the best fajita I've had but not the worst. I will definitely be trying Pepe's again. read more

We will absolutely be back here! We got the poblano quesadilla and I literally can't wait to go back and get it again. Drink selection is great as well. I had them do a "jalapeno margarita" - which wasn't on the menu but they were very accommodating & it was AMAZING. What a nice way to have a "date night" without breaking the bank!! read more

I was hoping Pepes wouldn't fall into the rest of the fray with bad takeout service but... usually they're pretty good but not this time. Our order was explicably not warm, crunchy tacos fell apart, ordered extra cheese sauce and got none, no receipt too see if we were charged. Please step it up Pepes!!, it was so good before! read more

All right. So all along I have wanted to try this restaurant and today I have set aside a time to go and see what the buzz is all about. Growing up in California, I have a taste and expectation of what Mexican food should taste like and I would definitely like to get an enchilada in me before I forget what one tastes like. Pre-game: Doing some pregame preparation, I just looked at the menu and there are so many price traps, a potential consumer could be put in. Since I am a rate of investment kind of guy when it comes to food, I am hoping that the portions will be generous. The two entrees I hope to take out will be the Enchilada Supremas and Shrimp and Fish Tacos. I say price trap because take Enchilada Banadera for example, three enchiladas for $8.25; however, Enchilada Suprema, you get four enchiladas for $7.99 The Fuq? Play by play: -Got to this place and no one was there. Perfect time to indulge and have all the staff to my disposal. -Met the bartender and we talked about where I and he were from. He's apparently from Mexico City, which is a nice touch to the overall theme of the restaurant. -Ordered tequila and found out I knew nothing of tequila, there are so many! -Order my Enchilada Suprema and Fish Taco entrees. -He started me off with chips and salsa. No cost and even upgraded my salsa to the spiciest one he had. -I ate down the whole variety of enchiladas and 1 fish taco. Carried the rest home. Now I am back home and thank lord was able to drive back after the tequila. Bartender had made sure I downed two glasses of water before I walked out. Haha Post-recap: All in all. Very light. Very tasty. But I would say still pretty pricey! With a buy one get half of the next order, I spent $25 with tip. It was good though. 4 stars! read more

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I'd give the food a 3-star rating. Not bad, but there are a lot of better Mexican restaurants in the area. And I felt the dinner prices were too high for the quality of the meal. Likewise, the guacamole dip we ordered was adequate, but overpriced. They get the extra star for having a patio & 2-for-1 happy hour margaritas (and let's be honest, I care more about the margs than the food). Service was good. The menus were clean (dirty menus are a pet peeve of mine). I'd go back for drinks & an appetizer. read more

I have been to this restaurant several times and never had a bad experience. Last time I went I had chicken enchiladas which were delicious. Quest is very good. Friendly service with a smile. Only complaint is that the salsa is a little spicy. read more

Great food and drinks plus service is always good. We enjoy it each time we have visited

Delicious food ! Been going for years and love their drinks ! Great atmosphere and delicious enchiladas!

Just enough lunch, excellent service. When in town near there, will def go again! Thank you!

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Lexington. Their enchiladas are fresh and taste wonderful and the margaritas are amazing. I highly recommend checking this place out if you are in the mood for good authentic Mexican cuisine. read more