Pepitos | Mexican Restaurant

Pepitos is awesome! It’s everything you want when looking for a quality, sit down Mexican restaurant. First of all it’s beautiful inside. There is some really great original artwork. There is sit down inside, an outdoor patio and a bar (cantina?) I had the ranchero burrito and it was amazing! The shrimp in the cocktail and salad are huge! Everything is fresh made, creative recipes with great flavor. The owners pride themselves on seeking out genuine, home made recipes to present, and it shows. I highly recommend Pepitos and I look forward to returning again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Unfortunately I will not be coming again after the experience I had. I Was served other people’s dishes twice, I was so fed up after the second time I asked for it to go on the third. I should’ve checked it before leaving, spent $150 on 3 drinks, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees (technically 1 since 1 was never fulfilled correctly since when are beef enchiladas stuffed with beans??), and 1 kids dish. Crazy. & after being served the adult entrees they took an additional 10mins to get the kids nuggets out which then came out ridiculously hot, definitely not quality service if any service at all. Will definitely be spreading my negative experience so others don’t bother wasting money here.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Holy smokes!!! Our server JAVI! Absolutely amazing! I ordered an Aztec margarita and let me tell you the whole mix was a pleasant balance of flavor a strength. The food and everything was tasty! Ambiance and music complemented everything as well as the homeliness even the art… this place is WELL WORTH THE VISIT!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best Mexican restaurants in Riverside! They start you with fresh chips and salsa and everything from start to finish was delicious. Our server was super friendly.... wish I caught their name. The quesadilla had just the right balance of meat and cheese. Not too salty, and the carne asada burrito was tender. Portions were generous and we had enough to take home. Definitely worth coming back!

Recommended dishes: Chile Relleno Plate, Chips and Salsa, Taco, Burrito

This is an amazing restaurant to eat, it was beautiful sitting outside and Abraham who was our server was exceptional and provided great service. I highly recommend this place!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a milestone birthday party for my wife at Pepitos. We had the entire upstairs reserved with a dedicated waiter, Abraham, who took great care of our group. The manager, Luis, made the planning process easy and ensured everything went smoothly. The food was fantastic, soft drinks were included with the menu, and their margaritas were some of the best I’ve ever had — and I’ve tried quite a few at different restaurants.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

jonathan pintos made a special meal just for me

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Best margaritas in town!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Me and my husband went to this restaurant for lunch. The food was great. The salsa was amazing. The servers were attentive
The drinks were expensive. But... we will go back. I'm glad I found it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a large party for my birthday and Abraham went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of and happy. He always had a great attitude and a smile on his face and because of him we will be returning to this restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Came for Taco Tuesday, everything was fresh and delicious. Loved all the salsas and condiments to choose from. Even had a nice bean soup to accompany my tacos.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great experience and the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating! Our server, I believe her name was Jen and she looked like Amanda Cosgrove 😊, did an outstanding job and made wonderful suggestions. Our food was good, however, my son ordered a steak and it was a little tough and not very seasoned, but other than that everything was very good.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Really good food and wonderful service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Carolina rocks!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We came here about 4 years ago and didn’t have a good experience, so we hadn’t returned until now. This time, we were hungry, wanted something different, and didn’t feel like traveling far, so we gave Pepitos another chance.

The restaurant itself is nice — it’s in a good shopping plaza, the inside has a cool vibe with plenty to look at, and the service was solid with no complaints there.

Where things went wrong again was the food. We started with the guacamole and chips, but unfortunately, the flavor just wasn’t good, so we sent it back. Next, we ordered two carne asada tacos and a wet burrito. Presentation was decent, but the meat was extremely dry and tough — like it had been sitting in a warmer all day, even though we ate around 4 pm. It felt like chewing on rocks, and sadly, that was true for both the tacos and the burrito.

We didn’t send the food back since we had already returned the guacamole, but it was disappointing to pay so much for that quality. Honestly, it’s hard to understand how anyone could serve meat like that and expect customers to have a good experience. My son took one bite and left his taco, and we ended up picking through the burrito just for the few tender pieces of meat.

I wish them the best, and maybe others have better luck, but for us, this visit confirmed it’s just not the place for good Mexican food. Unfortunately, it was another letdown in an area that already lacks great options.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 5