Came here with colleagues for our first dinner together after a work conference and Pepe's gives a classic, homey Mexican restaurant where the locals gather around for Cadillac Margs, friendly faces, and delicious food. No nonsense, just a good atmosphere. What's not to love? read more

One of my favorite Sunday brunch spots! There's only a few places that offer AYCE brunch and Pepe's has been perfecting it for years! I was able to go with a buddy to catch up on life and there was nothing better than talking about life over perfectly cooked bacon and cheese enchiladas. They have a variety of food available including waffles and ice cream at the end of the buffet as well as an agua fresca dispenser. Their agua de sandia was INCREDIBLE! I couldn't help but give it a try! If I was in Goleta every weekend, this is where you'd find me. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

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This place is great! Great food and customer service. Their happy hour is fantastic The price is great for the amount of food that you get. Everyone is super friendly and nice. The restaurant is nice too! read more

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4 for lunch today. 2 had chili relleno plates, one the #4 combo (burrito, enchilada, taco), one the salmon plate. All good. Rellenos are well-stuffed with queso fresco. The salmon plate was good, with a chili relleno, beans, rice and corn salsa. The fish was a wee bit over-cooked, but tasted fine. The corn salsa might benefit from mango or some sweetness to go on the fish. In any event we were happy and full, with lots of leftovers going home. read more

My best friend and I just had the worst Mexican food ever, in the form of Pepe's "lunch specials". Uniformly cheap, below par ingredients included grey, leftover tasting chicken in the taco, and an unpleasant chile relleno with off decidedly flavors. The hard taco shell tasted as though fried in rancid grease. My lunch was served on a dirty place. The service itself was shrill and completely unfriendly. Don't insult yourself by eating at Pepe's. read more

AVION IS THE BEST SERVER so fast and very attentive and anticipated things I wanted like more chips before I even asked made my first time here a great experience TY read more

Always so tasty! We love Pepe's. Great food and good service. Family friendly. Great rice and beans

Totally dirty. Table smelled of old rag, food on the floor dusty seats. Service was rude and slow with a 10 minute wait. Food was basic nothing to brag about. Not real authentic or fresh ingredients. Last time I visit. I will leave the bad food to the people who have no idea what authentic is read more

I had a very unpleasant and upsetting experience at Pepe's Mexican Restaurant. The manager, Hansel , told me he didn't care about my dietary restrictions and refused to let me microwave my own food so I could eat with my friends. He was extremely rude, dismissive, and degrading . Instead of communicating respectfully or trying to resolve the situation, he chose confrontation and never once offered an apology -- until the very end when I pointed it out myself . Only at the end did he suddenly claim it was due to "contamination." The waitress serving our table decided to follow his lead and was rude as well. She reminded me again that I wasn't allowed to microwave my food, and when I told her I had already heard it once, she snapped back, "I will not be talked to like this -- I'm going to get Lola." This made me feel unsafe, something I've never experienced in a restaurant before. I immediately packed my things and told my friends to collect the bill and not leave a tip. On my way out, I asked the bartender for the owner's name so I could follow up about how I was mistreated -- but the bartender refused to give it to me, saying it was "personal information." The food itself was also disappointing . The children's burger looked plain and flavorless, and the beans were mostly just cheese with very little substance. For the price, it simply wasn't worth it . As a Lifestyle Medicine Nurse Practitioner, I find this restaurant's behavior to be an absolute disgrace . It is harmful to anyone trying to manage their health, dietary needs, or food sensitivities. No one should be shamed or denied basic respect for advocating for their wellbeing. I highly suggest not eating here . There are so many other great Mexican restaurants nearby that actually serve good food and treat their customers with kindness and respect ‍. This one, unfortunately, is the worst of the worst . And to my patients and anyone living with dietary or health challenges -- I'm so sorry you, too, have to face people this mean, rude, and disrespectful . Please stay brave, keep advocating for your needs, and don't let encounters like this discourage you. You deserve understanding, compassion, and care -- always. read more

We sat outside on the patio and had the best carne asada and tri tip street tacos. Light fresh chips and tortillas made in-house. They have a chile verde queso that is to die for Also a green spicy salsa and nopales pico de gallo delish! I would highly recommend for authentic Mexican food. I'll be back for sure. Manager Lalo was the best read more

This is our favorite restaurant. The service is always great. We go there so often that some of the staff even remembers our orders. The food is always great. Pepe's has the best pozole in town! Highly recommend this place. The renovations done in the last few years really made it nicer of the inside too. read more

Really good foood , love the service and especially the birra here , always a good time here

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!!! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Traditional - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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%!! read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Caesar salad with added chicken & avocado - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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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 :) read more

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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. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Tostada Grande - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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Pepe's has been in Goleta for years and is an iconic Mexican Restaurant in Old Town. My family loves to eat here for their great menu selection and service. My 98 year old mother and I ate dinner there recently and our server Arno was so sweet, attentive, professional, humorous and engaging. He has served us before and is always fantastic. Our hostess was also a hard worker and personable. The steak fajitas are some of the best I've ever had anywhere. Great flavor and portion , I have leftovers. The meat and vegetables are cooked perfectly. My mom gets the same ground beef taco and cheese enchilada every time and it must be good because she comes back for more. The Chips and salsa are great too. I would highly recommend Pepe's to anyone. read more

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. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Ground beef hard shell taco - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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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. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Ranchero (asked for it wet) - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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Pepe's is the BEST Mexican Restaurant for many years in Goleta Ca. I have never had a bad plate. Their goodies authentic and ingredients are fresh. Have a tasty meal!!!!! read more

We go to Pepe's in Goleta at least once a week for lunch, and if there's a better Margarita and Nacho lunch in Pepe's Bar in Goleta, I'd be amazed. Their house Margaritas are unusually tasty, and a plate of cheese nachos for two is surely something a dietician would recommend. I think of a Pepe's lunch as a lovely mini Fiesta. read more

Great food, good selection of products. Very friendly staff, willing to help. Only issue is in takeout, where it always seems to come in a slightly different format. But easily one of the top Mexican restaurants in town. read more

I love this place! Great vegetarian options, sopes, and delicious and cheap margaritas. The prices, service, and house salsa are all great reasons to stop by. In the era of quarentina Aguilera safety is a real concern, but the outdoor patio is charming and safely spaced for a nice dining experience :) read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

This restaurant is a gem! Very nice patio and employees were very friendly. You can also sit inside if you want but remember they have limited seating available because if the pandemic. Service was great and food was delicious. Try the Chili Verde Bean Dip...more like a soup really but still delicious. I ordered it with extra chili verde [additional cost $1.55] just in case there wasn't a good amount. Definitely try their margaritas. The cucumber margarita was very good. Not sure the $16.50 Cadillac was worth the cost but the other margs are just $9.25. You can add a shot of grand marnier for $3.95. I'm not a huge fan of using top shell tequila for anything but shots. The food and ambience of the place is great! Definitely worth your time to come by and enjoy a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner! read more

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Impressive Mexican restaurant tucked away in old town Goleta. Second time here and the food was as superb as I remember. I can't believe I forgot about this hidden gem. If your looking for authentic Mexican food in an old Aztec setting. This is the place to go! Great food, great service! read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Pork Pozole - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

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Great staff! Always friendly We love the food. We order to go or dining in the newly renovated restaurant. Good prices on lunch specials too read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Christmas decorations - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Order 1 shrimp burrito and 2 orders of fish tacos to go. Over $60. Very pricey fish tacos!!! Payed $10 per taco with nothing extra on it!!!! Was expecting rice and beans with it but it wasn't there. In my opinion Baja Fresh has way better flavor in their shrimp burrito and fish tacos. Have not tried anything else at this restaurant read more

Came in and got the chilaquiles with carnitas and green salsa and it was amazing. Our server was incredibly helpful and accommodating. He was very friendly and the back patio had a great atmosphere. The patio is dog friendly which was a plus.The carnitas came out so crispy and flavorful, definitely the star of the show. The salsa they bring with the chips is okay, but they did have a spicier salsa that they brought out. It was still pretty mild but had good flavor.In all I would come back and definitely recommend it for a good place to go eat, next time I'll have to try out one of their margaritas. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Chilaquiles with carnitas and in green salsa with your choice of eggs I went with scrambled. This was the perfect breakfast/brunch meal - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Pepe's has always been my son and mine favorite Mexican restaurant from years and years and many moons back. I'm so glad they are back open. The food is still good and the service is where you can find some of the best. The staff is friendly, welcoming, attentive, and go above and beyond. They make you feel like family and especially for a younger generation. Management should be commended for the training and the staff should be commended for a job well done. Bristol Farms staff in Santa Barbara should be trained under Pepe's management on friendly customer service. Thank you, Pepe's!! read more

Staying local in the area for the weekend and decided to give this a try. Service was some of the best we've had in along time! Food was good and we all (2adults 2kids) left full and satisfied. The staff was amazing! We got checked in on multiple times everything was quick and fresh , the staff really outdid it for us! Great job to them!! read more

Bottom Line: Pepe's is back! My wife and I headed over here for the first time since Pepe's opened back up again. We were really bummed to hear about what happened and were excited to learn they had opened up again. We sat down during the lunch rush, ordered nacho fried to split and sat back to chat and relax. The food was decent - nothing super crazy. We did wait about 45 minutes to pay and leave. The service wasn't fantastic, if I'm honest. Ive always liked this place but it's pretty middle of the road, IMHO read more

We were shocked! The 2 parking lots were overflowing with cars. The line was long to be seated. Somehow we got a table with a small 5 minute wait. Our server Samantha was AMAZING! You could tell she had been doing this for a while. She was quick and attentive. She has worked for the owners for 20+ years and you could tell! Our food came out quickly. We got a 1 item combo plate, Birria taco, and the arrachera plate. The food was delicious. You could tell it was fresh and homemade. It felt like one big happy Goleta family in the restaurants. Tables knowing other tables. People saying hi! The only thing that would be cool to add is some carpets or sound boards on the walls. Everyone talking made the ambiance a little loud. We didn't mind it made us happy! We are so happy that Pepe's is back in business! Well be back!! read more

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I've bin going to Pepe's for years but haven't bin back since the re-opening. They have definitely made some improvements. The Restaurant was clean an felt like a Friday night dinner with the family! Our food was delicious, I cleaned my plate.. Sal our server was wonderful with great recommendations. Margaritas are also fantastic i recommend the blood orange, upgrade to the pitcher it's under $20. I'll absolutely be back. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Macho Combo #3 - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

So glad to have this place back open. It's a place where I feel very comfortable. Both the bar side and the restaurant side have been updated and remodeled. While the menu has some slight changes, and I did not see the infamous bar menu, the drinks and food were delicious. I did ask about the well known buffet, and that is not an option quite yet. I always share that whatever you order, make sure chili verde is somewhere in the order. It's the best! Also, I love the new marg glasses. read more

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So excited they are back!! Food is better than ever. Get the bean dip. Looks almost the same. :) Acoustics of space does need some work, it's a little loud in the dining area. Toddler we were with was a little bothered by total volume level. I think with the changes after the fire there are more total reflective surfaces. Hopefully they add some acoustic diffuser baffles. read more

Went to see the reincarnated Pepe's. It looks about the same but I thought the food was even better. Don't worry, the salsa is the same Recommend read more

The Torta is soooo good!!! The staff is great! They treated me very nice on my birthday!

Excellent food and service, very friendly and clean. Large portions and very reasonable. I would most certainly come again next time I am rolling through Santa Barbara. read more

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California