After an extra long day at work, I was absolutely starving by the time we arrived late to Peppers for Cinco de Mayo. The place was completely packed, which honestly was expected for the holiday. We were originally told about a 20 minute wait, but after around 35 minutes, we finally went back up to check in and were seated at pretty much the only table available... right next to the DJ. At that point, though, I was so hungry that I honestly did not even care. We are more of an "old vibes" couple anyway, so we just rolled with it. The DJ even came over and let us know there were only a few more songs left, which I appreciated. Our waitress came over while dealing with what basically turned into a full dance party inside the restaurant, and she was honestly so incredibly nice the entire night. We told her we didn't mind the loud music at all because everyone seemed to be having a great time. She quickly got our drinks started, and honestly, I believe mine was some sort of pineapple and Hypnotiq margarita, but I was so exhausted that I completely forgot to take menu photos. For food, I ordered steak tacos with just cheese and tomato on flour tortillas, and wow... I genuinely think these were some of the best tacos I have ever had. We were seriously impressed. Overall, I would have easily given them five stars if it were not for the long wait, which honestly did not entirely feel like their fault considering how crazy busy the night was. I also would not mark them down for the vibe because, while loud, everyone was clearly having fun and celebrating. It was a long night, but the energy was great, the staff stayed positive under pressure, and I finally got to celebrate Cinco de Mayo the right way! PS Thank you for giving me an extra tee shirt! I'll be wearing it on our next cruise! read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Steak Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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After a day of hopping around various places in Gainesville, we decided to stop here to eat dinner at the recommendation of the local family we were spending the day with. They have eaten here previously, but this was my first time as I am not from the area! Peppers is located right on W Newberry Road in a shopping complex. It is a standalone building with dedicated parking. We visited on a Thursday evening in July, and had no trouble locating the restaurant or finding a parking spot. On this particular day, there were people eating in but it was not overwhelmingly crowded. When we entered, we were seated right away. There were five of us total in the group, and we sat in a booth in the rear part of the building. There is booth seating, tables, and a bar. Upon being seated, we were served complimentary chips and salsa for the table. We were served two baskets since it was a larger party, and we able to get refills upon request. Some us us took advantage of the special that was advertised on the white board near the host stand, which was 2 for 1 Drinks. This included House Margaritas, Draft Beer, Pina Coladas, and Daiquiris. My fiance and I ordered two margaritas - him the Mango and myself the Watermelon. They were good, especially considering they were BOGO. I am not sure if we had to specify, but I noticed that other tables had much larger glasses than what we were served. I thought that is what we were ordering, but it is not what came out. Not a huge deal, but if you are wanting the larger size it might be best to specify. All of our food came out extremely fast. I was quite surprised with this, and it makes me wonder what the actual process is for preparing the food. It was all hot and prepared as it should have been, but I doubt a lot of it is made fresh to order. Personally, I ordered the Make Your Own Combo with Mozzarella Chile Relleno, Shredded Chicken Enchilada, and the Beef Burrito. I thought this was one of the better bangs for your buck on the entire menu. My favorite of the three items was the Mozzarella Chile Relleno, but nothing was terrible. My fiance ordered the Carnitas. He liked it, but it was not anything over the top or special in comparison to other carnitas dishes. The others we dined with also enjoyed their meals! I thought the pricing here was somewhat high, but not anything crazy. They had a lunch menu, which might be a good way to save a few dollars if you are looking to try out the restaurant. They had several different weekly specials, including the drink one we participated in, so that is another way to make your dollar stretch. Our service was okay - it was not bad, but not spectacular. All of the staff that we interacted with were nice and helpful when needed. Overall, we had a satisfactory experience dining here for the first time. Personally, I did not think it was anything unique or exceptionally delicious that I would seek out to eat here on a regular basis. However, nothing was necessarily bad, and I would recommend stopping if you are in the area and wanting some Mexican cuisine! read more

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Walking into Peppers, you can see a full stock bar and booth seating. The place was brightly lite and clean. We were immediately greeted by a very friendly waiter who took our drink order and brought fresh salsa and chips. We ordered Queso fundido that was delicious and filling. My college little and I were so full from the queso, that we packed our meals and ate them later. They were really good leftovers! read more

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Great lunch specials. The street tacos are very authentic. The service and ambiance were great. I will be back . read more

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Very spacious restaurant. Service was great and the food was delicious. The best cheese dip. read more

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HELLOOOO!! Just came to peppers for my friend's birthday and had the seafood burrito. It was FANTASTIC!! I will absolutely be getting this again. I feel like i need to come back tomorrow and get it again. I also got the fries cheesecake and that was incredible as well. Best Mexican here in Gainesville!! read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Pelusa Texana - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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It was a pleasure to eat at Pepper's this afternoon. The restaurant has a quiet atmosphere for lunch and is clean. Our waitress was helpful too. My favorite part of our meal were the chips and salsa. The salsa has a nice kick to it. Melted queso is available upon request if spice isn't your thing. I ordered the wet burrito. The taste was nice, but be aware that you need to ask for the rice and beans if you want it on the side. Overall I would recommend this restaurant, and I look forward to visiting again. read more

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Great service and ambiance! The new location near butler plaza is a vibe too! The chicken tacos weren't the best I've ever had but good! Quesadillas amazing tho! Margs too good esp awesome with 2-4-1 deal! read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Nice casual family place. Nice wait staff. Had chicken a la carte tacos which were very flavorful. Also had the barria wrap which was excellent. Had never heard of the meat preparation but it was so good. Would def recommend. Chips & salsa were excellent. Would have loved to have one of the giant margaritas but was traveling and had many more hours to go. Will for sure stop here when passing through read more

We stopped on our way to Louisiana from Miamis y was the best choice. The food was really good and Jaime was awesome.

Yummo!! We had a stop over in G-ville Fl., and saw this place, tucked seat, of the main rd. Cozy ambiance, clean, and colorful decor. We had the shredded beef tacos plate and fish (pescadaro) taco plate. They were great! Seasoned well, hot, served with a genuine smile. And the bigo frozen margaritas were excellent. Refreshingly not too heavy, yet right on point in taste and balance. Great job Peppers :D read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Beautiful n yummy Margherita! - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Great meal and great service. Food comes out extremely quickly. Order was correct, and food tasted fantastic! read more

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The food here is amazing. And they're buying get 1 Margarita's are 2nd to none here in town.Their seasoning on the chicken is just right.and their rice and beans is amazing the Staff is right there if you need anything. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in Gainesville, but this 1 is 1 you will not want to miss. read more

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Peppers is very standard Americanized Mexican. Their prices like everywhere else have gone up due to inflation so don't be surprised to pay $20 for a burrito with rice and beans. A large queso is a standard white queso for $12. Their drinks are very basic margaritas, super sweet and not fresh pressed juices or bougie. It's rocks or frozen, flavor or regular. Not to say they're not good if you're looking for 2 for 1 on a flavored marg, but they're not anything you couldn't make at home with a master of mixes, liquor and ice in a blender. I enjoy their birria tacos. They're always decent. The juice is lack luster but I opt for the lime and some hot sauce on it. They're also way better there and not a Togo item or good as a leftover. All in all, it's good for what it is. If you want fancy Mexican or farm to table stuff though, pick another spot. read more

Peppers has become our Friday favorite. The Mexican food is SO good... but wait, there's more. The margaritas are the best I've ever had- they come as great BOGO deal from 3-5 (the cherry on top) Sitting at the bar is our favorite, they have two nice sized televisions with the latest sports on. The staff is super friendly and attentive. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Mango Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The food was great! The salsa is epic here! The service was fast and the team attentive. Family oriented and so the Ambiance was perfect and very much like many Mexican . Restaurants. read more

We had an event here in their event space at the back of the restaurant. It holds 40 people and we i reflowed to a whole other table. Daniel, our server, was amazing and everyone's food came out perfectly. So many people raved about the birria tacos and of course the margaritas were wonderful. I was so impressed by the staff and the food for this special event. Thank you! read more

Peppers is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Gainesville. They are constantly adding new items to their menu and revamping the place, keeping it fresh and clean always. Their servers are lovely and accommodating. I feel that they use high quality ingredients which makes a big difference. Their food is pretty consistent, every once and a while something will be off but I do go there more than the average person so whenever something is wrong, if ever, they will fix it right away. I like their 2 for 1 margs way better than las margs. They have an amazing mango margarita for some extra flavor. Among the years I've tried to brand out and try some new things on their menu. A few of my favorites are the quesadilla, Popeye, vegetarian burrito, carnitas sandwich, steak and shrimp street tacos and their flaming queso. Yum! I've made myself hungry again writing this! read more

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They got the Bar down - or they call it a Cantina. This place would just be a good bar that serves Mexican food. For those who just need a drink, the Bar looked nice, well-kept, and seemed like a good selection of spirits. Bar Deals are every day 2 for 1 house drinks. But, we came for the food. This was our first experience at this Mexican Restaurant. We went here about 8pm on a Wednesday, seemed decently busy, but not packed. The overall ambiance had the immediate visual potential to be really good; plenty of options on the menu. Queso and chips were traditional and seemed the same as any other places, good though. Let's get to the food: The menu pictures are fun and appetizing. The food was tasty and overall hard to mess up. Sadly underwhelmed. I got a Torta with braised meat. Let me start by saying, Torta construction must be very challenging. This torta was definitely a knife and fork style sandwich; very messy. Pick your side of the sandwich correctly, it comes uneven with item distribution and weight. Whatever you do, don't pick up the torta. Actually, do better, it's just a torta - try to make it look like your pictures. On the other hand, The Shrimp chimichanga leaves you wondering if it's the kid's portion. Cutely nestled in the middle of a pico de gallo, refried bean, rice, guacamole, and sour cream, you will find a chimichanga. It is full of delicious shrimp, but not sure if 7-9 shrimp is a suited dinner portion for this dish. 3 Stars... Meh, mediocre Mexican at Peppers Mexican Grill... standard food with 100% forgettable service. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Pick your side correctly, one has filling. Torta poor construction at Peppers Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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It is not my first time eating there, rather it is my third time. It has always been very good, but this time the waitress was not very friendly. We were a group of 7. And the food arrived on time and hot, no complaints left about the food, it was delicious. The truth is that I would return again, but with another waitress. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Love everything about this place! The service, the food, the ambiance, the 2 for one margaritas in every flavor. Will definitely be coming back!! Thank you to Maria who was our amazing server! read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Berria tacos and mango margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Peppers is above and beyond! We tried it for the 1st time based on recommendations on Facebook. We were not disappointed. They have an extensive menu, home made guacamole & homemade tortillas. We started with the quest fundido which was literally on fire and ohhhh soooo good. Then we got the carnitas fajitas and carne asada. Both were amazing, flavorful, juicy, and not over cooked. We just found our new favorite Mexican place. We will be back. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Empty plates because the food so good, we couldn't stop eating!!! - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I was here last night for dinner with some friends and as we were sitting waiting to order, we saw a roach crawl out from one of the panels in the wall behind us. We mentioned it to our server (who was more than willing to accommodate us by moving our table). We asked if the manager would be able to do anything about it and the manager declined to do anything because the roach was "not on the food or table". Someone in my party ended up having to kill it. If I were you, I wouldn't take the chance. read more

We decided on Peppers one night for dinner because every time I drive by it seems to always be crowded with people. This night was no different and it took awhile for our server to even first make it to the table. I ordered the Fajitas Choripollo and it was a great combination of chicken, chorizo, onions, and fresh pineapple. It came with the typical platter of beans, rice, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and a spoonful of guacamole. Plenty of leftovers to take home to eat the next day. The three enchiladas filled with spinach and cheese were very plain, I wouldn't order them again. With so many other Mexican restaurants in Gainesville to explore, I think I will wait before coming back to Peppers again. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Fajitas Choripollo - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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EDIT TO MY REVIEW FOLLOWING MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE PEPPER'S STAFF IN GENERAL 3/5/25: I spoke with our favorite bartender tonight, being he was mainly the reason why we were missing out on peppers. Every time we sit at the bar, Eduardo and staff are more than welcoming and make Peppers a place you want to eat at. We have not attended Peppers following my review down below, but clearly it is hard to cut something out of your routine (Pepper's being one). The only reason we decided to come back was because we could sit at the bar tonight. We expressed our concern to Eduardo, and he immediately got the manager. We were able to speak with the manager and he listened to our concerns, and was sincerely apologetic. As we stated, and he re-iterated, our experiences with Virginia do not reflect the atmosphere & reason why we come to Peppers. I have changed my review back to 5-stars based on the sincere intention all employees (but Virginia) at Peppers have shown to provide a good & welcoming experience to their customers. This waitress was always the only problem we have encountered at Peppers. Peppers provides a happy, welcoming place to eat with your family and friends. There has not been a single dish I have disliked, and not a single thing to complain about other than the odd-ball Virginia, severely hurting the reputation all other employees at Peppers work hard to preserve. All in all, Peppers is a nice place to sit back and enjoy BOGO margs (any size), chips & salsa & guac. If Eduardo is on duty at the bar, then you're even more in luck. Could not praise Eduardo for his service, friendliness, & entertainment enough; he makes the peppers experience special for all patrons. read more

I have never been excited to come here and now I see why. I came close to 5pm for 2x1 drinks. I thought that if I came before the dinner rush, I would have a better experience. Mistake. The service here is beyond poor. It literally took 9 minutes for a server to bring me water. There were only two tables and me. It then took another 10 to get a beer. I'm not joking. When I asked for the second beer, I could not find my server so I asked another person. My server finally came, told me she was sorry that she was "busy". This treatment was not just mine to bare. A couple next to us literally got up, walked to the kitchen to request their server. Chips and salsa are good though. Establishment is clean. And the draft beer and margarita were decent. With poor service and mediocre food, it's not even worth the 2x1. Even more disappointing than expected. read more

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While I am not usually a fan of chain Mexican restaurants, Peppers was a pleasant surprise while visiting Gainesville this weekend. Crispy chips and salsa (free), a pretty big menu and excellent drink specials will bring me back once I'm the area again. We ordered house margaritas (which are 2-4-1 all day, every day) and you can choose your size of small/medium/large. These were very tasty and not overly sweet. For food we shared the Nachos Peppers and the Tacos Al Pastor. Both portions were fantastic and the amount of meat piled on those nachos was insane! Came home with plenty of leftovers. The staff was very friendly and the restaurant is very clean. I really enjoyed this place. Excellent value and quality! read more

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Cinco De Mayo celebration here was like a massive party. Everyone was singing together, food and drinks were incredible.Everyone on the staff was very nice, it felt like a real family! Mojitos and margaritas were really really good. Enchilada were delicious read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Large Queso DIp Fresh Homemade Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We love peppers! First time since pandemic. We live closer to blue agave but every now and then when we want a switch up, we will do peppers! Their drinks and service is always good! Our waiter was nice(I wish he was wearing a mask) but nevertheless he was really attentive and nice! I got the chicken and shrimp fajitas with a martini and both were yummy! The hubs got tacos with a coronarita; we got our food and was so hungry, we were eating in silence it was so yummy! Definitely come to peppers! It's a must, I wish it was closer I would eat it more! Another plus is that they have Coke products and not Pepsi so peppers is a Mexican fave! read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Chips, salsa, coronarita and fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Decided to go here with my boyfriend because I had a $5 off coupon for the fajitas for two from the gator bucks booklet. The experience started out well, I called ahead to ask for an estimate of the wait time for two and they said 15-20 min. When we got there we were given the same wait time but our table was ready within 10 min. It was a little loud for my personal preference, but it was Saturday night so it's to be expected. They had a karaoke playing popular pop songs. The staff was friendly and fast in general. We ordered the al pastor fajitas with extra guacamole. Overall it was a lot of food as it comes with the meat, sides, and tortillas. However, the protein portion not enough for the two of us to share comfortably and I would've liked a bigger portion (looked big at the beginning but it didn't feel like enough). The pork was very well flavored and all the sides were fresh and tasted delicious. It was a good experience, good food, but nothing extraordinary. At the end, our bill came and they had charged us for a side of guacamole instead of the extra option on the menu that I ordered. We tried to talk to our waiter but he was not very receptive and starting to get rude and in the end we let it go. Could've offered better service on that end, but we also understand it was peak rush hour. I wouldn't drive out here again for the food and service. read more

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Can't go wrong with carne asada fries and a variety of enchiladas. We go here for quick non traditional Mexican meals that are sure to fill you up and leave you satisfied. Service is hit or miss at times. Worth for quick service and predictable menu items sure to get your fix. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Food is great, service is good, but the ambiance leaves something to be desired. The music is simple and consistently too loud. It is always busy, which is good, but everyone has to talk louder over the music, which makes for a noisy unpleasant experience. Not recommended if you want to talk to the people you are with or with seniors. read more

Love the food it's always fulfilling it's hard to find a good Mexican place out here so for this is the best. Me and my wife always order the brirria fries and pizza and we enjoy it everytime. The drinks are deadly lol so be prepared to leave feeling nice! read more

Stopped by to try their 1$ Monday tacos! We received chips and salsa for free and tacos only $1 each. I tried chicken and ground beef tacos. I'd say groundbeed was better and had more spices and falvor. The staff is friendly and they speak Spanish if you prefer. The restaurant is nice and clean with a big bar and they have good drink deals too. Would love to come back and try more food here. read more

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My boyfriend and I came here to meet each other for lunch during our break. We were seated immediately and got out orders taken right away! I had a classic burrito. I ordered it with a steak up-charge of only $1! I thought that was a steal! The burrito I had also came with refried beans and Mexican rice! A total of 7 dollars, definitely got a bang for my buck! My boyfriend got a burrito supremo and wow it's double what I got still for a good deal! The chips and salsa were good! The chips did have a bit of grease on them. Our server did take forever to come back though after our food came out. We needed our checks but once she came and we asked for it immediately, she brought it out to us. This was a good experience with good food. read more

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Peppers is truly delicious! I work near this restaurant so I frequent this restaurant quite often. It does not have a gimmick or real thrills but it is just straight up good mexican food. I usually get the lunch burrito order but the pro tip is to sub out the refried beans for the black beans. The black beans are incredibly delicious!! I would go here just for the beans if I am being honest! The entire menu is delicious and they even have a full bar! read more

Service and seating was fast and respectful. Salsa was immediately at the table. Drinks were good. Food was served fast and tasted great. Tamales were a hit as well. Price is a little higher compared to other Mexican restaurants, but service made up for it. Bathrooms could have used more attention but otherwise a good meal! read more

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Stopped by in the way home from the UF Game. Service was quick. My Tacos were delicious I wasn't quite a fan of the rice and beans to me they were not that flavorful but the drinks were cheap and delicious and what person doesn't love endless chips and salsa. I deft recommend if you need a quick bite to eat that's not fast food. Also the esthetic of the place was beautiful. read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - The Murals on the wall are gorgeous - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I loved Pepper's Mexican Grill. I went on a Sunday afternoon with friends at about 1:00pm, and there was plenty of seating, quick and friendly service, and GREAT food. Did I mention that margaritas were BOGO? I had the speedy gonzales because it was inexpensive ($5.99) and sounded good. I got one taco, enchilada, and my choice of rice or beans. The food did not disappoint! My husband ordered lunch fajitas ($9.99) and he loved them! My huband is not one to enjoy tex-mex, but after eating at Pepper's, he said that we could go back ANY TIME! :) read more

Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina - Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I wish I could give this place a four star rating. It's about a 3.8 on my scale. Not my favorite Mexican restaurant in town but has one of the best salads. Place is clean, decor is typical for this type of restaurant and the menus quite extensive. As with most Mexican restaurants, the prices are ridiculously cheap for the amount of food that you get. read more