Pepe’s Taqueria

Carnitas, Carne Asada, even Lengua!
I work near by so this is a frequent stop for lunch when I need to get my fix of a burrito or taco. My favorite burrito here is their Lengua Burrito. I won’t translate lengua for you because it might turn you off, but I assure you their carnitas and carne asada burritos and tacos are very tasty too. The beans are done right and the sauces are all good. You won’t leave hungry!

Huge burritos? Check.
Massive amount of meat? Check.
Dope selection of stuff to put in the burrito? Check.
Good salsa? Check.
Monster nachos? Check.
Beer? Check.
This spot checks out. Also the owner is a super nice dude. Dope burrito joint over all.

First time visit to Pepe’s. First off, I was overcharged. Second, the chicken was very dry and otherwise the burrito was not very flavorful. Given the wealth of other options in Rincon center, and the other Mexican places nearby, it’s safe to say I won’t be going back for a while.
Issue 1) A burrito is 7.75. I got cheese as well, which is 0.50 cents extra. The burrito was rung up at $ 9.52 before we were done adding ingredients and before I got the cash register. At first glance that seems within reason, but a quick mental math walking out of the center gives more than 15% above the menu price was charged. I know tax is high on food in the city, but it’s not more than 15%. The owner (at the register) added some additional charge hoped I didn’t notice.
Issue 2) Dry chicken, overcooked chicken speaks for itself. The rest of the overall quality was just generally poor. The other ingredients weren’t very tasty, and the tortilla was also dry and crumbly. Given that we are in San Francisco, you can really do much better. At lease the size was good.
Sorry Pepe’s. You would have be OK without the overcharge, but given how poor of form it is, I just can’t see myself recommending the place or going back.

Went here for the 1^st time today and to grab a breakfast burrito. Bad chioce.
Got there nobody was in line, the owner/​manager was there but kept doing whatever he was doing w out servicing me. After a few mins he said he’ll be w you sir. The short order cook took my order a few mins later «Chorizo breakfast burrito» I said.
I was watching all of this and the guy did whatever including handling things w out gloves especially the finished product after going in the fridge etc.
Got the burrito and took a bite it, all I tasted was salt and burnt char. The potatoes were burnt as well the chorizo. Worst breakfast burrito I’ve tasted, and I’m sure the rest of their items including what’s written on here shows how poor their food is.
Not recommended due to the poor service and food. There are plenty of other places around including Mexican.

Pepe’s in a nutshell: incredibly rude service and subpar burritos. In town on a work trip, I ate lunch here with a few coworkers, selecting the Pollo Asado burrito. When it came time to pay, I attempted to use my corporate card but was told that I had to enter a PIN. I’ve used it hundreds of time elsewhere and never entered a PIN, so I was confused and expressed this confusion to the cashier (who appeared to be the owner or manager). Instead of reacting in a nice or apologetic way, he proceeded to talk back to my coworker and me. We were simply wondering why he required a PIN, yet he told us we were wrong and that my card (a major corporate credit card) was «bogus.» His rudeness was both alarming and unexpected. Usually, small unassuming places like this have excellent, personal service.
The chicken in my burrito lacked flavor and was dry, as if it had been sitting around too long after being cooked. The rice, too, tasted bland and dry. The tortilla also was overly flimsy and did not hold the burrito well together. The only burrito I can remember having in my life that was worse (and I’ve had many) was at Chipotle.
I’d strongly recommend not giving your business to this questionable establishment.

There are a hand full of Mexican places to eat in FiDi. For someone like me, who could live on tacos daily, finding a good Mexican joint is a matter of survival. I guess beggars can’t be choosers. At least the staff could be a little more friendly. There was a special of the day happening; 3 tacos, hard or soft shell for $ 8.00. I love hard shell tacos, so I figured it wouldn’t be a significant rule breaking event to get 1 hard shell taco with rice and beans. I place my order and the reply was a grumpy «we don’t have hard shell tacos»! Me, with a smile replies, but your sign special says that you do. «We don’t anymore»! I remain silent while the other Lady J in my head said, well maybe you should update your sign, so people like me are not let down. Maybe.
As backup I ordered a small chicken quesadilla with all the fixings: salsa, cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole. The overwhelming amount of black pepper on the chicken was bewildering. Is this how your joint flavors the food? I couldn’t taste the guacamole, the tomatoes were watery and carried no flavor. What they thought was spicy about the salsa was beyond me, really it was just tomatoe juice. To accompany my petite quesadilla, I’d also ordered a side of rice & beans. Initially I was given a full side of beans. Although an easy correction, it is another check on a list of reasons why I will not be returning to Pepe’s

How much do I love Pepe’s Taqueria? Select one of the below:
A) I go once a week
B) I eat it every other day
C) I was visiting SF and was surprised with a breakfast treat by a friend. Knowing I don’t like burritos but was feeling adventurist, I dug into the bacon/​egg/​cheese/​potato burrito. I immediately thought that I was in heaven and this was God’s reward to me for waking up before 12PM. I made every effort for the rest of my trip to get it again but was able to. I left SF heartbroken and even begged a friend to bring me a breakfast burrito on their flight to me. No burrito arrived. I’m currently considering when my next trip to SF will be but I got to say: a $ 400 trip for a burrito is quite pricey but should be very much worth it.
Answer? C
For the true review:
I cannot speak on the joint’s ambiance, pricing, variety, etc. I can only speak on the bacon/​egg/​cheese/​potato breakfast burrito. Though I only ate half, it probably weighed just as much as a full burrito would of weighed at Chipotle. Yes, it probably is because of the potatoes (which are cubed up). They really did not flake on any of the ingredients. Every bite was full of flavor from each contributor.
I enjoyed my burrito with the green Tabasco sauce namely because I love all things hot. If you’re a fan of the zest and/​or Tabasco, I strongly recommend you put it on the burrito for a morning kick

I ordered a breakfast burrito not only were the potatoes burnt but the burrito itself was salty as hell! Breakfast burritos at McDonald’s are way better…

Order was up pretty quick but the chorizo y papas in my breakfast burrito were burnt pretty bad. I’m not picky n actually like a lil char but this was too much, Also hella salty. Hopefully they do better next time.

I pride myself in my understanding of SF, and particularly FiDi, breakfast burrito offerings. Pepe’s is phenomenal and I’m disappointed in myself for taking so long to try it. I’ve only had the Chorizo burrito so far, but it was great. Good size, melted very nicely and lots of flavor in every bite. They also offer breakfast quesadillas which I will try next time. Definitely recommend this place… new favorite down here.

bomb, fresh Mexican food. Chipotle-​style but more authentic. Chile verde or pollo asado burrito… seriously can’t go wrong

Recommendation: From what I’ve seen so far, Pepe’s offers the best value for your money and the tastiest burritos in the area.
It was my first opportunity to visit Pepe’s Taqueria today for lunch with some friends. I ordered a Carnitas Burrito with sour cream and cheese. It was a tremendously large burrito, and I probably could have only eaten two thirds of it if I had been trying to fill myself. Instead I ate half, and saved the rest so I could have two moderately sized meals. The staff was nice, but the glass wall is quite high so you really have to shout in order for them to hear you. Service was lightning fast and easy to follow, as you could clearly see and choose from all the ingredients added to your meal. My burrito came foil-​wrapped in a little paper serving bowl with a napkin, which made it super easy to grab and go.
The burrito was excellent! I thought there was a good mix of everything, but the lettuce was a little lacking. Also, charging $ 0.50 for a dollop of sour cream and another $ 0.50 for some cheese pushed my price up to almost $ 10. I think I’m going to give the burrito food truck a try to see what I can get for the same amount of money.
Regardless, this establishment makes excellent burritos and I wouldn’t mind coming back!
Edit: After getting to sample some other taco/​burrito offerings, I have to say this is my favorite of the bunch. With the amount and proportions of ingredients on the burrito, the speed of the service, and the price, it’s definitely one of the best of the lot. Yet again, the burrito was the size of a small child, and I wasn’t even able to finish half this time.

I went here for the first time on Wednesday and got the Carne Asada Plato Especial. The portion was pretty large, and I could only eat about half of it. Overall, it was okay, but overly salty, and the rice was kind of bland and mushy. It’s a decent place to stop by, but nothing special.

I love the lengua burrito. They give you so much lengua! I added guac but a scoop of guac is $ 1.25. Other than that, the burrito price is totally worth it. Still came under $ 10!

Ordered the carnitas burrito today. It’s huge. I think it’s still a little pricey and they charged 50 cents for a little sprinkling of cheese. Which I thought was tacky.
Service was pretty aloof and gruff.
We did like the flavor but I think there are better burritos elsewhere, but this place seems good enough if you are in area and have a hankering for Mexican food.

Awesome staff and their tacos are yum! Do get their El Pastor!
Opt for the fully loaded, so you can have the bomb diggity flavors spazzing in your mouth!
They have burritos, but tacos for the win here!

I hit this taqueria up at minimum once a week. Pepe’s is my go to place when I’m craving their carne asada plato or carne de cerdo chile verde (which is DELICIOUS), also the breakfast burrito is AWESOME. There are many other platos and menu items I haven’t tried, but I’m sure they are just a delicious.
As for the customer service — what can I say I’ve been coming to Pepe’s for years and I guess, unlike a few others here on Unilocal complaining, I am greeted with smiles from all, the service is quick and precise. The owner is a very nice man who engages in conversation with his regulars and always has complementary things to say.
As for the most recent review about them ‘slopping’ things on the taco — I ask you sir, how many Taquerias do you frequent? This is a common practice and pretty standard of all Taquerias. As with the counter being messy, I’ve never seen it messy, even on a busy day.
Would I recommend Pepe’s — ABSOLUTELY!

The tacos were a sloppy mess and the service was rude.
We figured we would try some tacos, at $ 4.50 with tax they were a little expensive, even for FiDi.
The folks behind the counter we snappy and did not help with any of our questions. Behind the counter was sloppy with spills and not organized.
They were not busy, but the ingredients were just slopped on to the tortillas, which were barely toasted, so ended up so wet and soggy at to be inedible.
Definitely not a recommend. Good thing there are 12 more taco joints in walking distance.

The carne asada tacos are seriously the best!!! Get it with both hot sauces and you’ll be blown away by the flavors. Yummm.
There is another Mexican restaurant closer to where I am but I like this one better. It is clean and the food is made with love.
When I told the owner his food is great, he said he uses the freshest ingredients and nothing with fat. He makes everything fresh daily (salsa, guac, etc).

I will keep this brief…
The carne asada was mushy, flavors were mundane, portion of meat was minuscule
Beans were bland and lacked seasoning
Overall Thoughts
The Taco Truck on Spear and Folsom (Los Compadres) is so far still the best place to grab Mexican for lunch without spending too much