Celebrate Summer! Try Pepe’s $5 Menu Today

Somebody slap me! I deserve it for waiting so long to try Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant (2272 Honolulu Ave., www.pepesmontrose.com). I am blown away!

So what makes Pepe’s different? Well, let’s start with the whole premise. The Bugarin family that started Pepe’s in 1970 showcases regional Mexican cuisine from the Zacatecas area in central Mexico, where their family is from. Just like Italy or the U.S., each region has its own flavors and ways of doing things. Pepe’s is like “gourmet” Mexican without the gourmet prices.

It was so fun talking with manager Rolando Casas as I got to taste the food. Rolando has been with Pepe’s 24 years. Growing up in a family that currently owns six restaurants in Mexico, Rolando is an expert on authentic Mexican cuisine. I especially enjoyed his story of one of their best selling items, potato tacos. In Central Mexico restaurants are not open much at night. If you are coming out of the movies and want a snack, the women of the town set up little stands and make potato tacos right in front of their homes. Pepe’s is doing this the authentic way with mashed potatoes and cabbage with a special light tomato sauce on the taco. A must try especially on Tuesdays when all tacos are only $1.50.

I had the pleasure of taste-testing the newest special of Pepe’s chef Salvador Cruz’s. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best chili relleno my husband and I have ever had. It’s a large, mild, poblano chili stuffed with tuna, coated in a light batter, fried and served with fresh avocado and seasoned sour cream.

There is so much I can write about Pepe’s that I can’t fit it all into this article. If you have never tried it before I suggest you go there today. Why? Because every Thursday they have a $5 menu of 16 items that they serve all day. The ceviche tostadas, with fish and shrimp, are so fresh on a warm summer night. Especially when you have it with “Javi’s” Tamarindo margarita served in a big, beautiful glass, slushy, and dusted with tamarind chili powder. It’s an experience!

So please – do yourself a favor and discover for yourself this treasure right in the Montrose Shopping Park. When you see Rolando be sure to say “hi.”

See you next week with more Montrose “insider” news.