Delicious food, live music and a true taste of Puerto Rico! We loved it here! Service was Caribbean style - not quick - but worth the wait!

We stopped in at Don Pepe for dinner because they were super close to where our Airbnb was, and because they are a small local restaurant, so we wanted to see what they had to offer as far as Puerto Rican food! As soon as we arrived, we saw that they had a very large variety of different wines, which was cool, and a pretty nice menu offering all different types of Caribbean food! We went with our favorites, which were empanadas, rice and beans and mofongo! Service was great, and everyone was really friendly! Highly recommend! read more

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Two story building up top had live music Walking up to the building you can hear the live music made you feel like you were walking into the scene of a movie Food: waited a bit but I get it for the size of the pork belly that had to be fried My favorite would be the beans plantains and the rice just reminds me of home read more

Don Pepe - Chuleta can can - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Live and fun music upstairs. Glad they played after dinner cause it was loud. In a good way. Service is so lovely and friendly and helpful. House Tempranillo Wine pour good In the largest glass ever! Good spicy mezcal margarita but needed more mezcal. Chiccarones good a bit well done. Scallops with garlic sauce were very good with a side of rice and beans that were super flavorful yet a bit dry. Grilled chicken breast with onions was juicy!!! Their homemade hot sauce is HOT. And very good. They usually sell it for $8 per bottle but had no more. Bummer. Cheese flan (think cheesecake and flan mixed) was delicious. Along with cafe con leche and snifter of Don Q gran reserve anejo xo! Great evening read more

This was the best place we went to on the island! This small restaurant gave big punch with great service and excellent, authentic food. The fish was fresh and seasoned well. read more

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Be ready for a very long wait for your food! But it is good food but must wait long! Second floor was very loud, cannot have a good conversation We sat on the first floor first but the air conditioner was blowing like an arctic blast on us so we were moved to the second floor where it was deafening. read more

Don Pepe - Pulpo salad - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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Good atmosphere and live jazz music, the food was good, they had a good selection of authentic PR food

A fun local place to begin our adventure in Puerto Rico. I splurged on the red snapper which was deep fried . $50 seems like a lot of money for fish but it was fresh and flavorful. My husband ordered the three spicy crab and shrimp tacos. They were massive. He has a big appetite but could only finish 2! They were worth the $22 for sure. Another pleasant surprise was the sign for happy hour.. two beers for $7. When we asked the waiter when happy hour was he smiled and said it always is! Even better was being able to take one home. read more

Don Pepe - Shrimp and crab tacos - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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Came here first night in PR with my husband and two kids. Was sat immediately and service was amazing. We ordered the scallops in garlic sauce which ended up being a crème sauce, was good but unexpected - would have been better with some bread to dip into the sauce. Then kids had chicken fingers and french fries - chicken was a bit on the dry side. My husband order chicken mufungo and I got shrimp with rice. The chicken mufungo also came with the same garlic sauce, which helped offset the dryness of the mufungo. The shrimp and rice was by far the best option. Such a huge portion and tasted so good. Ordered with plantains, which may have been the best thing I've ever had! My only "complaint" is the place was pricier than I expected, especially since it seemed like a little hole in the wall off of a major road. Overall would recommend. read more

Don Pepe - Chicken mufungo with garlic sauce. - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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In our journey to avoid overpriced and icky resort food from the Hyatt Regency, we discovered this place super close by. The servers were very friendly and efficient, with the food being the main star of the show. We decided to order the fried fish, since we love that stuff, and found the flavors delicious (though we wish there was a little more acidity like limes/lemons). The rice and beans accompaniment was fantastic and honestly I probably liked the beans more than the fish. I would definitely highly recommend a visit. read more

Don Pepe - Fried Fish - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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Sports bar? Argentinian steak house? Criollo? Wine bar? Jazz club? It's whatever this guy wants it to be. Decent criollo food and steaks. Servers are nice good wine list, live music reasonable prices. Mix of locals and tourists. Street parking. read more

Don Pepe - Mixed seafood mofongo. - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

We were staying at the Hyatt Regency and this restaurant was one of the closest restaurants with good reviews serving Puerto Rican food so we decided to give it a whirl. We came in around 8:30 pm on a Wednesday, so it wasn't too busy. The server offered water and we said yes. It came out in a bottle and was $6.95. I was a little surprised by that since that was the first time we had been charged for water on our trip. We started out with the grouper bites which my husband loved. Those arrived before our two drinks from the bar which seemed a little odd. Drinks followed and ended up taking about 10-15 minutes after ordering them. My daughter is a vegetarian (which we mentioned to the server) and ordered a side of rice and chickpeas for her meal. The chickpeas came out with a large piece of meat in them so she wouldn't eat them. I had them and they were absolutely delicious, but I wish the server would have told us about this. For our entrees we had mofongo (amazing!) and steak and rice. It was also really good! The portions were huge. I feel like we probably could have shared as neither of us was able to finish everything. Our server was friendly, but service was really slow. We were tired and hungry and were all a little frustrated with how long everything took, but overall would definitely recommend. read more

Don Pepe - Mofongo - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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Can give - minus stars to this restaurant. Took 40min to get kid's order chicken nuggets and wings, after 1 hour we asked for our order 2-3 times we were told 5mins, 1 and half hour later our order dint come, they came back with a check saying our order will take some more time so they just billed for kids order. Worst service. Go at your own risk. read more

Not pictured - sangria 4/5 Chicharron 4/5 Food 4.5/5 - If you like soup please try the beef soup. It was the soup of the day and tasted like LIFE! Incredibly delicious. So was the snapper filet. Fresh caught with garlic sauce and vegetables were everything! Arroz con pollo so fresh and tasty Drinks were 3.5/5. Margarita was on the tart side Service 5/5 - Server extremely attentive, helpful with suggestions and answered questions Ambiance 4/5 - Sports fan dream bar. A integration of American/PR sports memorabilia. Very cool Overall 2 thumbs up. Would certainly return read more

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Drinks are pretty good, but the food we ordered was overcooked. For the price we paid it was an overall disappointing experience. We ordered carne frita and the chuleta kan kan and both were definitely served fresh but the meat was very tough to chew and overcooked. read more

I wasn't super hungry but my husband was. So I ordered two empanadas. One was Ropa Vieja and the other was seafood. I thought they were quite pretty. And the taste was "ok". Until I added sauce from my husbands meal and it made them taste so much more flavorful. He had the pork loin. And it came with a red sauce. But they also brought out a creamy garlic one, which is what I used. So glad they did. He really enjoyed his meal. Service was fairly slow. But we weren't in a rush so it was ok. It was fairly pricey given what we ordered. But it's near the national forest so to be expected. read more

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Absolutely delicious! Went on a recommendation from a local shopkeeper after a rainy day at El Yunque and was not disappointed. Rice and beans are fantastic, chicken cooked any way is top notch. Will be coming back on our next visit! read more

Service is excellent and food was yummy! I ordered the pork belly pork chop, it was huge! Could have fed 2 people. Beers are ice cold as well as the AC. Great spot for dinner! read more

This place is incredible. We were sat almost immediately last night for dinner, as they put two tables together downstairs for us. My daughter was like, "man, this place doesn't look so great." She's too young to understand that a "hole in the wall" can serve the best food. And after dinner, my wife said "I would never have even walked into that place" since it doesn't look like much from outside. Honestly, it's not a "hole in the wall" and certainly not a dive. The place just has the feeling of a restaurant that has served thousands and thousands of incredible meals. The interior is decorated with local art depicting Puerto Rican pride, and the only new looking furniture us the mini-split air conditioner (that thing was a BEAST, blowing right on us... had us freezing cold, which was my only complaint). The server was upbeat, friendly and attentive. I think her name is Krizia. She and the bartender Carlos take care of the place with the confidence of a team who has been working at this place for some time. My frozen strawberry daiquiris (all 3 of them) were spectacular, my wife's mojito was great. We really enjoyed the fried Grouper Bites... so moist and soft. The sauce was ok. To be honest, I thought it was even better with the garlicky sauce left over from our Stuffed Mushrooms, which were delectable! We waited a while for the main course (or maybe it just seemed like a long time because we were cold? And the frozen drinks didn't help that problem but they were too good!), but it was well worth the wait for the quality. My daughter had shrimp in garlic sauce. They were big shrimp, so soft and the garlic based stuff that it came in was incredible. I got the Bacalao con Garbanzos (codfish over chick peas), which is served in a lot of it's own garlicky sauce, spectacular. It contained a couple of pieces of sausage, which went so well with the dish. I used the sauce to finish up my wife's Chicken Mofongo, which tasted very good but was kind of dry. It was our first mofongo, so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be dry like that. We were impressed by the look of the tacos and a whole fried fish that went to another table, and if we return, my wife and daughter will likely get the tacos. I would gladly get the Bacalao again or even the shrimp in garlic sauce. read more

There are not enough words for how good the food is here! The service even better. The staff gave us great recommendations and were so helpful in answering all of our questions. Ambiance is chill and laid back. A GREAT local spot for traditional PR food! read more

Don Pepe - Tres leche and flan de queso. BOTH DELICIOUS! - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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This is one of our favorite restaurants close to the San Juan area. Took us about 40 minutes from Isla Verde, but always worth it! Service is great and the food is amazing! There's live music so the vibe is exciting! We will definitely be back! read more

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Decided to try this place for lunch so glad we did, The soup I had was so flavorful and seasoned perfectly, The grouper nuggets were lightly breaded and so tender and very tasty, The scuttlefish I had was cooked perfect and seasoned perfectly, The service was fast and friendly we had a great lunch. read more

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Two words: coconut Arepas. Aside from everything being perfect, I am still dreaming about them ( you can make an order of frozen ones and take them with you, hint hint). I came here three nights in a row. Spoiler: I ordered the same thing over and over the first line I added the arepas as a side dish, and the next time we ordered them as an appetizer because everyone was obsessed with it. The mofongo was perfectly prepared and seasoned. Whether you order Carne Frita or steak, you will be happily satisfied. They also have a country fried steak , but unfortunately, the taste is a little bit bland. However, I recommend that you add a garlic sauce and he will be delightful. On the second night, we were seated on the second floor - make sure to check out the servers that are carrying ALL THE FOOD from downstairs. They had live music on the second floor, which was a nice touch . So far, my favorite restaurant on the East Coast . read more

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This restaurant was recommended by a local. The restaurant is very nice and cozy. The people were very welcoming and super nice. Queso frito (fried cheese) is a MUST to try. It quickly became my favorite appetizer in PR. Both my boyfriend and I had the churrasco (skirt steak) and the meat practically melted in your mouth. It really was the best steak I've had. Such great food, such great service. read more

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My family and I visited Don Pepe based on a couple of recommendations from some locals; we visited on the night of 2/10/2024 (Saturday). The restaurant was busy, but they were able to seat our party of five upstairs in the restaurant without us having to wait. We were greeted pretty promptly and all of us ordered water and a couple of my family members got drinks. We were brought out bottles of water after a short wait. Soon after this, we noticed another nearby table was given water in cups, this had us pondering why we were given water bottles ($) vs cups of water (free). We were not provided an option, so we assumed the restaurant only had bottles of water, we kind of felt like we may have been taken advantage of as Americans there vs. locals. We did inquire about it, but were offered little by way explanation. For our meals we got: fried pork chop with rice and beans (my hubby), beef filet with rice and beans (my mom), Angus burger (my dad), cod filet in chickpea stew with rice and beans (me) and pork shin with fettuccini (my brother). The standouts were the pork shin with fettuccini, it was outstanding, the pork shin was so tender, you just had to shake the bone a little and the meat would fall off, the pasta in alfredo sauce was creamy and flavorful and overall this hearty meal was a show stopper. My cod filet in chickpea stew was also great, perfect textures and flavor and my mom's meal was really good, the beans were also really good. Everything else was just okay, my husband's pork chop was overcooked and tough and my dad's burger was nothing special. The atmosphere at this restaurant was also really nice, there was a woman singing with a male partner playing instruments and they were awesome, particularly the singer. She had a beautiful voice and vibe! All in all, this was a cool spot worth visiting, get the pork shin with fettucini! read more

Returned to this place after several years and found they have improved their menu in a very acceptable manner. I went for the fried snapper filled yellow rice and crab. It was delicious. I coupled that with a natural coconut juice. They really know how to satisfy people with these amazing plates. Another member of our group went for a churrasco with mampostao. Although pricey like much of the restaurants in PR, this is a place worth visiting. You will also enjoy the deserts they make. read more

Great Mofongo (I ordered crab). No fishy taste, sauce was seasoned perfectly & plantains had crunch on the outside- tender on the inside with sautéed veggies in the plantain cake. Steak mofongo was also good but any beef I've had on the island so far has been ok-good. I recommend trying the crab. The server recommended the lobster/ steak mofongo but we did not try it. Service was good and our server dealt with our Spanish-English limitations very well. Margarita was strong and cold but heavy on the sugar. Great location near el yunque and very strong AC that was needed after zip lining through the jungle. Interior was simple and they also sold cigars. Outside has chickens and roosters running around which added an authentic touch. Definitely would come back again when I'm in the area. read more

Don Pepe - Crab mofongo - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Don Pepe is authentic PR food located just off the main highway on your way to the el yunque national forrest. We visited Don Pepe on a Monday night. The restaurant was decently busy, however we were sat quickly. I see several reviews mentioning how cold the AC was, however we weren't affected. The service was quick, but definitely not the friendliest we have had. The food was OK. The portions were Large and definitely matched up with the larger prices. However, I wish that they had smaller meal options for those with lighter appetites. The skirt steak and chicken were extremely overdone and chewy. The flavored rice was delicious and the rice with beans were extremely flavorful. I also liked the complimentary sauces to add a little bonus flavor. There is plenty of parking, but know that the parking area does not have any lights. read more

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All the food is awesome Excellent staff, got a reservation for 12 same day We sat outside, it was cold inside as most indoor places are in PR read more

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Amazing food. Love the steak DIDNT like the lobster but it was still so good to get 5 stars! read more

Don Pepe - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

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Stopped at Don Pepe on our way back from the rainforest. I think this was the best local food we consumed. We ordered Churrasco, garlic chicken, and grilled chicken. All of the meat was tender and each dish was super tasty. It took a little while to get our food but it was totally worth it. read more

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Food here is some of the best you will ever eat. As if Grandma is doing the cooking. Service was prompt even when busy. Nice casual and cozy place for some nice wines and food. read more

We arrived at 6:30 PM and found plenty of available seating. By 6:45 PM, we had placed our dinner order. However, by 8:30 PM, we had only received our drinks--nothing else. After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes, our 7-year-old began crying from hunger. When we asked about our food, the waitress assured us it would be out soon. Meanwhile, a nearby table of 12, who ordered after us, had already been eating for 15 minutes. After nearly two hours of waiting, we decided to leave, as our child couldn't wait any longer. When we went to inform the staff, we found both the waitress and the manager chatting near the kitchen. The manager said he would cancel our order, and we agreed. However, he abruptly stormed into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned and asked again if we wanted to cancel. I confirmed and offered to pay for our drinks. He simply said "okay" and went back into the kitchen. Confused by the interaction, we left. As we were walking to our car, the manager ran after us, insisting that he thought we were going to pay for our drinks. We had ordered one Michelob, one fruit punch, one Perrier, and two waters. He told us the total was $18.60. We handed him a $20 bill, and he walked away without another word. In the end, we essentially paid $20 to sit hungry for two hours. We were really excited to try this place, but left wholly disappointed by terrible service. read more

We came in after a day in the rainforest on a busy Wednesday night. We got greeted by a nice woman and she showed us to our table. The band on the second floor was energetic and lively. Our server came out immediately and asked us if we wanted water or another drink. Then we ordered our food. We got appetizers and for my dinner I got the Red Snapper Fillet. The wait was a little long. They gave us samples before the food came. The Red Snapper Flillet was pretty good, the plantains were descent, but the rice and grouper were on another level. My mom thought the margaritas were amazing. Everybody in the restaurant was nice and we had a great time. I do recommend coming if you have more than 1.5 hours of time. read more

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Came in on a Tuesday and was welcomed by an amazing live band! So talented and added to the ambiance! Food best I've had on the island... seafood fresh and delicious! Customer service the best... if you think service is slow believe me it's worth the wait! read more

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Great food, service, nicely priced and the passion fruit mojitos are to die for! Will always go out of my way to go to Don Pepe when on this side of the island. read more

Great food and ambience. Good first place in PR if you are in the Rio Grande area. Cost of the meal could surprise people for the location and quality. read more

Do yourself a favor and sit at the bar if Josh is working. Had the swordfish and it was delicioso! We are locals and came here straight from the airport. Josh doted on us and made us passion fruit margaritas with fresh jugo de parcha del país. Ambiance is casual and chill. He's my son's age and was so wonderful he got hugs on our way out. ¡WEPA! read more

My wife and I came here with our two children ages 2 and 5 for dinner while on our first visit to Puerto Rico from New York. It was recommended to us by a couple staying at our hotel. The food and service was amazing. 5 out of 5 hands down most delicious meal I've had in some time. They also had a lovely trio playing some jazz tunes. Very chill and talented group! Prices reasonable as well for the portion sizes. Appetizer, 2 entrees, dessert, and two beers for just under $100! read more

Don Pepe - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

The sancocho is amazing you have to try it, it's a must have. The flavor is as good as it says and looks. All the other treats here are well made and ritch in delightful local spices. There is a second floor air-conditioned with live music. This place is a must visit. Come and try this location they are about 40 minutes from the airport. read more

Don Pepe - Wide local beer selection...all from Puerto Rico!!! - Latin American Near Me - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico