Pepe’s Cantina
One of my favorite Mexican restaurants, in town, happens to be in Hannibal Square off Park Ave, Pepe’s Cantina. I was pleasantly surprised to find Pepe’s while browsing during an afternoon food hunt. Personally, I cannot wait to go back. There are a few Mexican restaurants in the area, but Pepe’s Cantina sure does give them all a run for their money.
Pepe’s Cantina is The Mexican Restaurant That You’re Going to Love
On my first visit to Pepe’s, I noticed how packed it was with customers. Even with a full house, inside and out, we were seated within 10 to 15 minutes. They have a fair selection of import beers and house cocktails like margaritas, the Mexican mule, and mojitos. Whenever I go out for Mexican food, I will usually order a few Negra Modelo’s with lime. My girlfriend ordered the Mexican mule and absolutely loved it. We’ve gone back a few times since, specifically to quench our thirst with one of their cocktails. You can check out their cocktail menu here.
Pepe’s Cantina isn’t a large place. It’s not a hole in the wall either but it is quaint. Personally, I enjoy that sort of atmosphere. Quaint and cozy is my speed. After being seated and ordering drinks, we were brought chips and salsa. If the chips aren’t made in house, they could have fooled me. Same goes for the salsa. It’s evident that they’re both high qualities. Queso fundido is my favorite appetizer, aside from just plain chips and queso, and Pepe’s does the fundido perfectly. It’s one of the best renditions I’ve had in this town.
Pepe’s Cantina is Doing Guacamole Justice
We also ordered guacamole; again, delicious. You can taste the difference in quality between Pepe’s and other restaurants and guacamole brands. The coolest part about their guacamole is that they make it from scratch, tableside. It’s a cool experience and provides me flashbacks of Kobe’s Steak House. They prepare it in a traditional way with all the fixings. Everything seems to be higher quality and fresher at Pepe’s. That’s probably my favorite part about eating there. Any restaurant that can combine the freshest ingredients, the appropriate seasonings, and maintain flavor profiles has got my vote.
A Wide Variety of Options
Aside from the traditional Mexican options that we all see on menu’s, Pepe’s has quite a few options that I haven’t seen many other places in the area. The two that stand out the most to me is the octopus ceviche and the mini octopus tostadas. Personally, I’m not a fan. Nothing against Pepe’s, but generally I am not an octopus fan. However, I am a foodie and having the option of octopus ceviche or mini tostadas is really cool to see on their menu. If you’re an octopus lover, you owe it to yourself to pop over to Pepe’s and give it a shot. Just make sure that you order a Mexican mule to wash it all down.
Our Favorite Dish on The Menu… The Chimichanga
My favorite dish on the menu, by far, is their chimichanga. If you’ve never had one before…, where have you been finding all your happiness? Because this is the epitome of happiness in food form. They have a ton of options to add into your chimichanga including ground beef, shredded chicken, octopus, grilled steak, barbacoa etc. I’m fairly traditional, in some respects, and this happens to be one of them. I always opt for the ground beef. The shredded chicken is great as well, I have tried that.
The chimichanga is served PERFECTLY fried and piping hot. It is smothered in queso and other than that I don’t know what else to tell you. It is so well prepared and put together you just have to go and try one for yourself. I’m sure you’ll love it. What’s not to love right? Juicy, seasoned, beef wrapped in a fried tortilla and covered with melted cheese. Yum! All in all, Pepe’s has won themselves another lifelong customer and if you give them a chance, I’m sure they’ll make you a believer as well. Also, if you enjoyed this review, head over and read my review on Fiddlers Green here. Check out Pepe’s Cantina’s website here.
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