Pepe's Tacos — Restaurant in Town of Highlands

Although I am ranking this location with 3 stars I want to start by saying how the staff is honestly very nice and this restaurant has lots of potential. I’ll list the pros and cons from my experience. And to the owners, I understand that sometimes you may not even notice certain things that should be updated or enhanced because you’re busy behind the scenes, but that’s why we have reviews to provide constructive feedback. I work in marketing so this is coming from a helpful place.

Pros: The chicken chimichangas were delicious and very affordable, especially for New York.

The staff was nice.

Areas for improvement: The menu is confusing, with multiple versions of the same items at different prices. A single, consolidated menu would help reduce confusion. Also, design and create a fun menu that goes with a tex-mex theme!

-The guacamole needs more flavor and should be served in a bowl, not in a plastic lid.

-Customer service could use some attention to detail—greetings, checking on meals, and offering refills or dessert were missed. A simple up-sell or offering additional items could help increase revenue. I ordered a soda and I was brought the can but no cup. I prefer to drink anything canned out of a cup, but if there’s no cup then at least a straw.

It seems there may be staffing issues, both in the kitchen, as well as, on the floor. As my waiter was hosting, she was also handling the register, unfortunately leading to long waits and mistakes. From what I saw there were only two waiters working the floor. One for my room and another for the other room. I had to wait almost an hour for my food and during that time some customers got up and left because of the wait. I myself got up to ask about my guacamole appetizer which was forgotten. The waitress did refill everyone’s chips and salsa in the meantime. However, there was never an apology for the wait or an update on how much longer our food would be. It wasn’t until I was ready to pay when the owner apologized for the delay.

-I didn’t get an itemized bill to double-check my order, and there was no gratuity recommendation. These small details could improve customer experience.

-Lastly, the dining hall. I didn’t get a look at the other room but from what it looks like, this place, although is small, has lots of potential to look nice and inviting! It just needs the owners to invest in the look and aesthetic. The room is very cramped, the tables and chairs need to be replaced, there is space that can be used but taken up by either a big tv, or large tables, the decor is outdated, the a/c is hanging on by a thread with duct tape, the list goes on. Again, all respect to the owners, but you are doing yourself a disservice by allowing your restaurant to look like this. If it’s a Tex-Mex restaurant, then transform your space into that theme. Give the walls a good paint job, get new art or have a painter come in and provide some fun Tex-mex designs on the wall. Get rid of the tv and play some spanish music. Or hang the tv on the wall and show some Spanish music videos. Add some cafe style tables and chairs to maximize seating. There are so many options and it can be done with a little creativity.

This restaurant is what we call a hole in the wall, which is a great compliment in my opinion. I look forward to coming back soon and hopefully will be able to see new improvements. These are just some observations that I would like to relay....

New to town but a huge street taco fan so decided to step in. First look at the outside we realized there’s a pizza place in there too - Roman’s! Best of both worlds.

We stopped in on a Thursday night and were the only ones dining in, but both the pizza owner and taco owner blew us away with service. Kind and attentive and making sure we were accommodated!

Onto the food - we ordered:

(Free) Chips + salsa Guacamole Birria tacos w/rice and beans Al pastor tacos w/rice and beans small pizza, half cheese/half pepperoni

The tacos were exactly what we pictured and super tasty. They came with two hot sauces, a more mild green, and a chipotle red.

Rice and beans were seasoned well

The guac was some of the best we had in awhile

and lastly, the pizza. Almost a classic bar pie. Tasted fresh, the dough has good taste on its own, and the sauce was bright and flavorful.

We will be back - and you...

You can really appreciate the hustle the staff displays. Pepe’s is connected to the Pub next door supplying the food orders. During our visit there was zero wait therefore were immediately seated, dinning area is small and seats about 20 guest. Before paying at the register be sure to calculate your bill before hand. Cashier adds it up in their head and can make a math error.

Ordered the steak tacos, wings, and pizza slice.

Tacos came out hot which was awesome cause I love my food hot. Anywho tacos are so-so I know street tacos and what is served is not that. Would’ve loved if taco meat was cooked “a la plancha” prior to serving. Added the rice and beans, those needed more flavor at a minimum salt. Enjoyed the salad and cucumber with Tajín that’s served with the tacos. Wings were nothing more than bar food nothing special. Slice of pizza no comment just that it does suppress...