Pepe and Lela's Eatery — Restaurant in Burlington

What a cute little Mexican place near my house. I used to pass by it al the time and it’s at the bottom of a senior residential building I assumed it was the lobby of the senior building.

One day I passed by and saw people sitting in the patio area and they served food. So I decided to Google the place and saw so many great reviews and decided to make reservations with my daughters. I didn’t write a review the first time but loved it. This is my second visit with a friend.

The seating is not huge inside so make sure you make reservations! Luckily in the summer there’s a cute patio seating area with lots of umbrellas. It was a perfect day to sit outside today but was super windy and my menu kept flying away so we decided to seat indoors instead.

The ambiance is warm and inviting with vibrant colours to represent the Mexican culture. The owner came by our table when we came the first time and told us about how he came about naming the restaurant Pepe and Lela. It’s actually his 2 daughters names. So cute! It’s family owned and they serve fresh, organic ingredients. The menu was limited but I love that! Stick with limited items and be great at those dishes!

Service: Our server’s name was Bradley he’s fantastic. He’s so nice and patient and made some amazing recommendations for us to try. We were there for over 3 hours and with time limit at most restaurants these days they didn’t kick us out which was appreciated.

Based on Bradley’s recommendation we had the mango margarita which is made with fresh mango juice. Omg it’s was so tasty and dangerous since I can have 10 of these if I wasn’t driving!! We started off with the fresh tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. So good. Then we couldn’t decided what tacos to get it came in pairs. Between 2 of us we ordered 3 orders of Tacos and had 3 tacos between us. It was super filling but super yummy. My fav in order was the steak skirt tacos, then the fried fish tacos it was lightly battered and crispy and then finally pull chicken tacos. All was excellent!! I wish my belly was bigger so I can have the soup and sweet potato fries or the cheese dip!

We had just enough room for dessert. We ended our meal with what Bradley recommended the Trea Leche strawberry cake to share. Omg it was amazing. I wouldn’t say the price was cheap for tacos but for the quality it’s well worth the price. We spent around $170 for both of us with tax and tip.

All in all love this place so much and will be coming back over and...

Pepe and Lela’s Eatery is definitely the best places for Mexican food in the hamilton/Burlington/Oakville/Niagara area. In reference to service it is definitely the best hands down. The service at other places similar to this is not even close.

The restaurant is very clean and there is plenty of individuals who are working there in a positive environment. The washrooms are also very clean.

The food is fantastic. The Ontario lamb tacos were my personal favourite. The fish was the most popular at the table and was a close first. The steak was excellent and cooked perfectly to medium rare. The guacamole, chips and salsa had a delicious fresh taste to them. They do have a habanero sauce you can get on the side, definitely worth trying and is house made.

Some feedback. We found the guacamole I bit sour due to the amount of lime we are guessing. The steak needed more seasoning. The tacos are awesome but you get three of the same. I’d love to pick and choose. I was lucky we ordered three plates of different tacos to try. You would think it’s not enough food but these things are packed and you’ll be full.

There is another level where the exceed expectations. They fully understand Gluten Free. They go beyond that fully understand Celiac disease. This to me is just above any other restaurant I have reviewed today (Sept 17, 2022). No one has come close to this where I didn’t have to explain a thing. To me a well informed staff is exactly what you want to see. People who care about the menu, understand people and want to deliver a great product. They also come see you multiple times despite being busy and with a smile.

Dress nicer here. I will say that it’s not like some other taco joints as it’s definitely finer. Not that you’ll be turned away. Parking is at the back. Don’t order right away either. Let your server come and you’ll be introduced to a really awesome appetizer and entree not on the menu. We ordered right away (app) but I wish I waited.

I wasn’t able to take all the photos but I hope this is enough. Enjoy...

Feb 22/25 - I'm adding to a previous old review b/c Google won't let us add a 2nd new one! Who knew? We haven't been here for a while. Now that we have gone, we will start coming back way more often! The standards are as high as ever. We went with our son and his wife last evening. How we all love this place! Our son is a confirmed Toronto-lover, but it's one of his fav' spots, too. A family-owned spot (Sue and Ricardo are the delightful owners and they are usually there). Family-owned is our favourite kind of restaurant. It's so attractive, the vibe is so good. The service was exceptional - Bradley was our server. All the food was delicious. We started the meal with their homemade chips, fantastic guacamole, and a great salsa. (I thought of re-ordering just that and having that as my own meal, they were so good!) I had the fish tacos - awesome. We shared a couple of desserts - the chocolate cake was especially good. The cold drinks were all excellent - we 2 had the Virgin Mojito. Bradley thoughtfully organized a b-day song (by several staff) and a birthday platter. My husband was so touched by that. Thank you. Again!

Helen and Ed K.

5 years ago - All we can say is Wow! A very attractive setting. Elegant, yet casual, too. We went on a Tuesday evening, and yet, it was quite busy. The pleasant and very personable owners, Sue and Ricardo, help with serving. Both take the time to chat with all of the customers. Service was prompt, but we never felt rushed.

A family run spot serving wonderful food made on site. No artificial ingredients.

The Mexican beer was amazing and I had an interesting and refreshing Virgin Mojito. Our entrée dishes were delicious - with subtle flavours that we both enjoyed.

The highlight of the evening, however, was an awesome Coconut Cream Tart. Served with very fresh and tasty decaf' coffee. I'm a very good home cook and my mother and aunts were great old school home cooks and bakers. Yet this tart was likely THE BEST dessert that I have ever had in my life. Sincerely,...