Pepitos Mexican Restaurant

We came here about 4 years ago and didn’t have a good experience, so we hadn’t returned until now. This time, we were hungry, wanted something different, and didn’t feel like traveling far, so we gave Pepitos another chance. The restaurant itself is nice — it’s in a good shopping plaza, the inside has a cool vibe with plenty to look at, and the service was solid with no complaints there. Where things went wrong again was the food. We started with the guacamole and chips, but unfortunately, the flavor just wasn’t good, so we sent it back. Next, we ordered two carne asada tacos and a wet burrito. Presentation was decent, but the meat was extremely dry and tough — like it had been sitting in a warmer all day, even though we ate around 4 pm. It felt like chewing on rocks, and sadly, that was true for both the tacos and the burrito. We didn’t send the food back since we had already returned the guacamole, but it was disappointing to pay so much for that quality. Honestly, it’s hard to understand how anyone could serve meat like that and expect customers to have a good experience. My son took one bite and left his taco, and we ended up picking through the burrito just for the few tender pieces of meat. I wish them the best, and maybe others have better luck, but for us, this visit confirmed it’s just not the place for good Mexican food. Unfortunately, it was another letdown in an area that already lacks great options.

This place has the best service, the best food, the ambience to let you unwind. Orion, Natalie, Vanessa and Ruth are truly amazing servers. Our groups are usually five or more and they know how to handle it! We have been here over 20x and have nothing bad to say. We have had happy hour parties here, game day watches family time and lunch after church on Sundays and all was great. If you are in Riverside, make sure you come here!

The establishment was clean, our waitress was amazing but I've had better. There's not much to say about food that tasted very bland. My dad treated me to breakfast here. I tasted his food and my food. For the outrageous prices I expected better. I boxed my food and fed it to my dog (mixed it with his dog food).

I ordered the Carne asada plate. The meal came with a chimichurri sauce on top of the medium rare skirt steak, roasted jalapeño, beans, rice and tortillas. I added the bacon wrapped shrimp to the dish. The skirt steak cooked perfectly, it was very tender, easy to cut, juicy, and had a nice crusted seasoning, the chimichurri was not necessary but it added a little bit more savory flavor. I cut a piece of the shrimp and a piece of the steak and ate it in one bite and the flavor combination was fantastic. The beans and rice were nice, they were fresh, simple, and seasoned perfectly. We also ordered chips and guac……..that guac was so fresh and delicious! No bitterness. Just creamy. I’ll be back just for the chips and guac. The bean and cheese burrito my son had was delicious. It was a very large burrito that was perfectly priced. The service was sub par. We had a large party which means we are going to require more attention - the waiter did not get that memo. With 14 people there we all have different needs, we have many questions about the menu and options, we want different drinks and refills at different times. This waiter gave us our first round of drinks (before the food or appetizers), the appetizers, the meals, and he did not come back for refills until everyone was finished with their food. He did not come to check on us once. He only came to place our initial orders, bring the food and that was all. I eventually went down stairs and informed the staff that our service was lacking and rather disappointing. With that being said, I will definitely go back. The food was delicious. Hopefully we get better service. I would definitely recommend eating here, just keep in mind that you may have to flag someone down to get service.

Went there yesterday with family as a going-away last gathering. Great place. Good food and the Blue Moon is on draft and cold.

Abraham did a great job with us on a busy Friday night just before the holidays. Everything was made fresh and delicious and my parents and I really enjoyed our time. Shrimp cocktail looked and was outrageous so we tried it. Wow good stuff here. Thank you

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hands-Down the Best Bar Service in Town... Pepito’s Delivers! We stumbled into Pepito’s looking for a good meal, but what we got was a great experience. We sat at the bar where Orion, the bartender, was running the entire show drinks for the whole restaurant, nine four-tops outside, multiple high-tops, and a packed bar... and somehow still managed to deliver incredible service without missing a beat. Orion is a true professional, cool under pressure, friendly, focused, and somehow still managing to make every drink perfect and every guest feel personally taken care of. The guy was in the zone. Equally impressive was Raul, his bar back, who worked seamlessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. Attentive, efficient, and just as committed to making sure guests were comfortable, Raul’s hustle didn’t go unnoticed. Together, these two made us feel like VIPs. The food? Absolutely fantastic. From the starters to the entrées, everything came out hot, flavorful, and beautifully presented. But seriously.... don’t even think about leaving without trying the churros and ice cream. That dessert alone is worth the visit. Warm, crispy churros with rich vanilla ice cream? Yes, please. The energy at the bar was welcoming, the staff was top-notch, and the vibe was just right. Pepito’s nails it across the board. Final verdict: Amazing drinks, exceptional service, delicious food... and a team behind the bar that truly goes above and beyond. Huge props to Orion and Raul. We’ll absolutely be back!

First, the food is really good. I got their best plate and it's a 4.5/5 for me! It's really good! Once I walked in, I didn't see anyone at the front waiting 10 minutes. Then I realized that they like to talk a lot.

Our waiter Orion was awesome! For my birthday today I had the shrimp cocktail. Good flavor but they threw in some "chopped" shrimp mixed in with a bunch of pico de gallo and a bunch of chopped cucumber. Very chintzy on the chopped shrimp. Everywhere I order this cocktail there's at least 12 full shrimps or more . On a better note, the rest of the people in my party were pleased with their foodie

Love love love the margaritas, but the bar tender was amazing Carolina was top tier. Not old did she make the best drinks but her personality was the best. I brought my friends from out of town to enjoy and they had the best time. The owner was also very friendly and fun to talk with. Pepitos's for the win always!!

Pepito's is our go-to lunch spot when my friend visits me. It's always a fun place with great service. We came on a Friday for lunch and were seated on their lovely patio. Javier took care of us. His service is always friendly and attentive. Complimentary chips never disappoint. The salsa has a nice kick to it. We ordered from their lunch special menu, the carnitas tacos and the carnitas fajitas. Both are reasonably priced, however, the fajitas appear to be the far better "deal," as the portion size, and particularly the quantity of the meat was way higher. We also had some skinny margaritas. They had a nice punch. Unfortunately, they are also quite pricey. If you can, they do have happy hour, M-F, 3-6pm, for better drink deals. Overall though, a great experience, and we will definitely be back!

Before I forget ...Paola is above and beyond! Thank you for helping these first timers have an excellent experience. This place is in a cute little shopping center in Canyon Crest with plenty of shopping and food and drinks! I had a carne asada burrito and my wife enjoyed a shredded beef chimichanga. We enjoyed everything and I hope you do too!

Service was really good. Our server was very attentive and service was amazing. The ambiance was nice not loud which was very good. The busboy was very very attentive and on point. We order the HH Nachos., the portion was perfect. We came yesterday and one the prices had change which I get it all is going up. But they should have kept the nachos at the same price or make it bigger. It seems the portions are less as well. Hmmm we will come back maybe but not really. The price is not the issue is the portions.

Food here is great. our server Ruth is great. She helpful and attentive making sure we are good.

Great food Great prices great service Server Ruth was on top of drink refills and chips and salsa refills.

I never write reviews but i had to for this trash ass place. Hands down one of the worst dining experiences I've had. The food was bland, overpriced, and absolutely not worth it. They messed up the receipts, never once offered a refill, and acted like basic service was optional. If you enjoy wasting money and leaving hungry, this is the spot. Otherwise, steer clear. Chilaquiles were so tiny

Celebrating National Tequila Day at Pepitos! Still time for you to join! The chips and salsa slay tonight.

The service is fast, the ambiance is warm and inviting, and the food is good as well! I especially love the drinks!

Jacob was our server and he was attentive and caring. It was our first time here and we told him it was our wedding anniversary and he brought us a little ice cream for dessert! How nice! The music is spot on. The food was delicious. If you are sensitive to cinnamon, I would not recommend the horchata as it is packed with cinnamon flavor. I asked for the "little flight" of margaritas and little did I know, they were not little lol

This place is phenomenal!! From the service , to the aesthetic to the food !!! They treated my party of 12 so well . Food came out fast and fresh. The ambiance of the place was so nice and definitely looks high quality . Will definitely be returning.

First time here and we weren't disappointed! Great lunch and my wife said the carnitas taco was the best she has tasted in a long time! Cooked and seasoned perfectly! Our server was great and fast! The decor inside takes you somewhere south of the boarder so you feel pretty good! The music plays all the time in the background!

My wife and I drove 13 miles to check out this new spot only to find them closing at 8:45 on a Saturday night. Update your hours on yelp!!!

The shrimp cocktail was pretty good, but the service was amazing with Abraham as our server. Very attentive, always came back to make sure if we needed anything. & had a positive attitude, highly recommend sitting in his section! Also being pregnant he saw everyone having a drink in our group & offered a virgin michelada. Again great restaurant & service !

First time at this location. They knocked it out of the park. The salsa was amazing, even bought some to go. Fajita plate had the BEST tasting meat, and the rice was perfection. Javy and Luis were friendly and attentive, putting the cherry on top of some really good food.

Went back to this restaurant after several years and I'm happy to say the food is still delicious. I'm absolutely in love with the Mango Margarita here. It's the best I've ever had and terrier it at several locations. This time I got the Carnitas, doesn't look like much but the taste is amazing. A must try.

Came here recently for taco Tuesday, bidding farewell to a friend who is moving out of state. They have awesome deals for their tacos, but be mindful that it's kind of like an open salsa bar. You order from your waiter and they give you tickets to go up and grab the tacos yourself. Selection: they have your basic carne asada, Al pastor, shrimp, chicken, fish etc for your meats. I chose fish, Al pastor and shrimp. I liked the shrimp the most, wasn't the biggest fan of the pastor and the fish was kind my least favorite. Tacos on Tuesday start at $2.99 which is a steal, especially eating with large groups. Though, they are nothing like their more specialized items on the menu. The interior is really nice and warm and so are many of the amazing waiters that work there. Parking: it's a little tricky coordinating parking with big groups in this plaza, people can be parking on opposite ends of the restaurant because it's more of a walk-up establishment.

Great food, great staff I would highly recommend! Happy hour prices are great. Not too busy on a Friday which is nice! This was happy hour time

Relaxing environment to enjoy a delicious meal served by friendly waiters and waitresses. A must visit if in the Canyon Crest area of Riverside.

Pepitos has really gone downhill in the last 6 months. I'm sad to no longer have a quality Mexican spot near my house. The prices are high and the quality is subpar. The food is often not fresh as it could be. Service is sometimes awkward and inconsistent. It's a beautiful restaurant but it should be cleaned more regularly.

Excellent service. We had a party of nine and even when we arrived early they tried their best to seat us early too. Great big portions of food!!! I got the nachos with chicken and they were fine. The chicken didn't seem seasoned itself. But hit the spot.

Our favorite date night place. We also did teacher training here and they accommodated us at lunch in the beautiful upstairs patio.

First of all the service is amazing ! The staff is very attentive. I enjoy the environment although the food left me disappointed. I can understand the food may be suited for people with dietary restrictions and preferences. Missing that authentic Mexican flavor.

Kat, Abraham and Vanessa are amazing Thank you for making our experience amazing They were so fun and personable

We love pepitos! Esme was an awesome server, she was attentive and very friendly! The taco bar has so many great options and salsas to choose from. Highly recommend, we will definitely be back.

We used Pepitos restaurant after a memorial at Riverside National Cemetery for a reception of 50 guests. From the time I called the restaurant and spoke with Eduardo they were extremely accommodating. He made suggestions on a buffet lunch for a very reasonable price. The food was plentiful, fresh and delicious. The servers assisted our guests with chips, salsa, guacamole & drinks. If you need a restaurant which has a separate room and two outdoor patio's this is the place. Friendly, accommodating & great food. Several of our family members live nearby and enjoy this restaurant all the time. You can't go wrong with Pepitos!

Abraham took care of our group of 18. He got all our drinks and orders correct and kept checking to be sure we were ok. We had privacy on the patio, and the heaters/warmers were great! Thanks Abraham for the great service.

Let me start off by saying the location is in a cute shopping center. Ppl eating ice cream, a cute stream, pizza place, olive oil store which was closed. The food at pepitos was not good. We ordered the chicken taquitos, egg rolls, my son ordered garlic shrimp with rice and beans. The rice was okay and beans were rosarito can beans if not taste exactly like em. The chicken taquitos did not taste good, the tortilla was tough and chicken tasteless. Service was like the food, not great. We had a young girl that walked away after someone ordered something even though the rest of the party still needed to order lol. It took our server a bit to walk over and get our drink order to begin with, then this type of service. My son ordered a tea for a drink and she walked away before getting my husband and I drinks. Then she returns and we order the appetizers and walked away but again we were not done ordering. I decided not yo order anything else after tasting the quality of the other food items ordered. It's been a challenge trying to find authentic tasting mexican food.

Great food, amazing staff and our waiter VANESSA was EXCEPTIONAL !!!! Definitely going back asap !!!

Miss Ruth was amazing! Coming for Taco Tuesday couple times every month! Usually very friendly personnel! Yesterday Ruth was taking care of our party, she came to check us multiple times during our visit, we were very impressed with her service and enjoyed our tacos and drinks! Thank you !

Pepitos has a clean, friendly environment with a great menu. Super easy to make a last minute reservation. Will come again!

After tonight's experience I would never come back. From the start it was a red flag. we were told the wait was 10 minutes ended up being over 30 minutes. We finally got seated and that's where the issues started. The waiter took our order and we waited over a hour for our food. We were a party of 5....about 15 min after we had our order taken the waiter said I'm sorry but a party of 25 is ahead of you and the kitchen is working on there food first. (We should have left then). We stayed had a drink and then finally we asked how much longer and they told us kitchen has completely closed and is still strictly working on upstairs orders. At this point we decided we were tired of waiting over a hour and got up to leave. As soon as we got up our food came out... What makes me mad is if the kitchen is backed up why are you still seating people? If it's backed up why aren't you being honest with wait times? The manger only offered a 15% discount and took off one plate and two drinks. WHAT A JOKE. Terrible customer service. We won't be back and definitely wouldn't recommend.

Benjamin was an awesome bartender... Very professional... .. Great experience... He's definitely a people person.... If you ever come here please ask for him....

The food is excellent We went on Valentine's Day and tonight on my Birthday and they make you feel very special. Thanks Abraham for an excellent and wonderful Birthday Pepitos should be your choice for family gatherings,Special occasions and just a nice relaxing, peaceful , enjoyable evening! And the Guacamole made fresh at your table is very good!!! Hats off to the cooks,servers & bartenders .

FYI. Food was fine. Service was fine BUT. Tall domestic draft 14.99. Small 10.99. Bottle 7.75. Go figure. Never ordering a small draft again. IF I return.

Went to Pepitos Mexican Restaurant and had the best service her name is Esmeralda she was good. Make sure you ask for Esmeralda.

We haven't been to Pepitos in a while because our favorite chicken tortilla soup didn't taste as good the last time we were here. Menu has gotten smaller but prices have increased. Soup wasn't hot, still not at the same level as a few years ago. $19 carnitas burrito was a huge disappointment. At first my daughter was happy to see all meat but then we discovered excessive amount of fat included. Last time coming here.

Sooo good. I triedthe new Savor margarita. I loved it. The bartender Kat made it with all fresh ingredients and made it table side. Side note you can get top shelf Tequila at no extra charge. Our Server Vanessa was amazing so welcoming , friendly and attentive. Food was hot and delicious We will definitely be back!

Service is always good here, but unfortunately we probably won't be having our happy hours here anymore. It's not about the money, but when you go from $8 margaritas to $12... how exactly is that happy hour? Seems like someone got greedy. For $12, you can go anywhere and have a margarita, not to mention ALL the prices went up by a 1/3. Must be the tariffs... we'll drop in from time to time, but not as much as before. Sorry

We used to come here a lot and decided to go back for happy hour for the outside seating. Things have really gone down since the last time we were here, both in service and quality. All new servers/bartenders and menu has a new look. We were sat and it took 20 minutes to get our drinks. We were a party of 3 and were sat with 2 place settings. When drinks came out, we were then given 1 straw as if they were deleting people each time something was brought to our table. We had to ask for these things multiple times. During this time, a party of 3 picked a table that had not been bussed yet, and of course, they asked for it to be cleaned. They put all the dirty dishes on another table and finally the gentleman had to literally get the server inside to buss the table (at least 30 mins.) of sitting on someone's dirty table. We placed our order and waited at least another 30 minutes. We contemplated leaving and we really should have. It was told to us that they were "between shifts", which I've been told every single time we've been here, and it's always during happy hour but has never taken this long. It took forever to get basic things like refills on water (on a hot day and sitting outside) or more chips while we waited for food. The food was mediocre and the quality has really gone down. The chicken tasted like it's from a can and has that distinct smell. Last time I was here, they had a good grilled chicken that was used. This was sent back as I couldn't get over the taste or the canned smell. The shrimp were a great size but rubbery, so overcooked. Lastly, the bill came and we were charged for a drink we never ordered. The waitress tried to tell me my father got that drink which wasn't true. She fixed it but the whole experience was extremely time consuming and embarrassing. Spent over $100 on an experience we will never be back for.

Esmeralda was an amazing bar tender! She provided great service, was super charismatic and let me and my better half have an amazing time! Would definitely come back if she is one!

One of the best carne asada I have ever had! The platter comes with shrimp, corn, and chimchurri. Unbelievably good! Oh and Kat the bartender was super attentive and played an unbelievable old school playlist that rocked!

Visited Pepito's Mexican restaurant Was served by bartending by Esmeralda wow!!! what service she has a wonderful personality and was very educated on all her drinks. We definitely will return.!!!

This is specifically for taco Tuesday. It is $3.99 per taco and you must purchase a drink in order to get this price. Although the tacos are tasty, I think it's more expensive than any other track Tuesday specials. We were seated outdoors and basically ignored. We didn't get checked on until we were done with our meal. Most likely won't be back but to their credit, the tacos are tasty and includes beans and toppings.

Esme was a fantastic server, the food was great and the service was even better. I would recommend this place, and her as a server if you end up coming through!

Taco Tuesday was great! There is a lot of choices for tacos and tortillas are homemade. Service was great as well. Sat outside ambiance was nice.

Always great food along with great service. We have asked for reservations for our family birthday dinners and the manager Luis has always accommodated us. Definitely one our families favorite spots!!!

I loved it here. We came after my son's track meet yesterday. As soon as We walked in there was a beautiful picture of Frida! Frida pictures are always a plus for me. The ambiance was pretty and modern. We got seated right away and the hostess was nice. Our server was Daniel he was really nice and attentive. All our food was great. The salsa was tasty. I enjoyed it. I would definitely come back.