Taqueria Don Pepe

Honestly I’m not sure where all these great reviews are coming from, because my experience was nothing like these reviews… The «customer service» is less than mediocre, the food is less than satisfying– you can literally make better food in your own kitchen or just buy it from the taqueria at Vallarta and it will be a million times fresher and better. The guy that took my order literally rolled his eyes several times and made it seem like he was doing me the biggest favor ever by letting me order. I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m giving a business my money to keep there employees employed and there business open I expect to at least get a thank you or a hello or any sort of welcoming/​appreciative gesture. Literally non of that here. Honestly I felt like they were very discriminative. Very disappointing.

I loved coming to this place. The food was amazing, but today I very disappointed! We came to find that they changed owner and the taste is not the same! I ordered a torta and they gave it to me literally in pieces! Very disappointed!

I have been coming here for a couple of years now. I prefer this location to the other one on blackstone despite the fact that this location is much more updated, cleaner and they have great dog friendly outdoor dining area. Best things here are spicy shrimp dishes, shrimp and fish tacos are to die for, carnitas burrito and lengua is about the best I have had in Fresno. My only gripe is that this location does NOT have all the items at blackstone in particular the combination fish platter there pescado zarandeado

#250. I only came here because I ran out of food at home and this was like, three minutes away. SO glad I decided to try this place. I actually just finished their tacos a few minutes ago, but I had to write this review as soon as I got my hands on a computer.
I ordered the spicy shrimp taco, spicy fish taco, and a chicken super burrito. Grabbed some salsa and limes and went back to my place. I unwrapped the fish taco first. It looked very full, like it was going to pop out of the tortilla. Took a bite, and OMG. Full of flavor, juice, and spice! Loved how they included real avocado. My taste buds were clearly excited because I accidentally choked on the second bite haha. SO worth it though. The spicy shrimp taco didn’t disappoint either: crispy shrimp soaked in cheesy goodness. I don’t tolerate most spicy foods, but surprisingly, I was able to manage these tacos pretty well. This is definitely my limit.
Two tacos down and one tummy happy and satisfied. Saving that chicken super burrito for dinner. Taqueria Don Pepe puts the other Mexican food I’ve had to shame. I’m definitely going to have a difficult time finding something similar when I leave Fresno!
Edit: Just had that chicken burrito and I was so sad to find a piece of hair in it): –1 for inappropriate things in food. But I’m willing to give it another try.

Been coming here since college. I would hit this spot up twice a week. I love their burritos, tacos, shrimp cocktails, and specially their shrimp tacos. Their al pastor and lengua is bomb!
This place has that mom & pops mentality. Everything is fresh and delicious. Its like your pops is cooking it up for you. The staff is always welcoming and they are really cool. I become friends with Robert who always hooks it up with extra toppings or meat. Everytime I come down to Fresno I need to make a stop and get some grub.

Everything is good here. I finally tried something different from my regular and I was not disappointed. Freshest, cleanest shrimp in town.

Wow. All I can easily say is wow.
It’s all about the food here; the fresh, excellently prepared food.
We had been over at Fresno’s Underground Gardens, and when we finished the tour I asked one one of the docents if she could suggest any good to excellent Mexican places that weren’t necessarily «Mexican-​American», but that had excellent food. She suggested Don Pepe for shrimp tacos. It was a good 20+ minutes out of our way. Man-​o-​man am I glad we took the drive.
Shrimp. This place knows what it is doing with shrimp! I had two shrimp tacos. They were loaded with large, fresh, perfectly prepared shrimp, but it was the way they layer their offerings so that the tastes of all the ingredients compliment each other and meld into those «perfect bites» time and time again. From the salsa to the cilantro, the shrimp. PERFECT.
Their salsas at their salsa bar were also very fresh and inviting. I had one of their «spicy» beers (comes with a shrimp, and some spicy salts on the bottle’s neck (look at folk’s pictures of it here on Unilocal), and we also got some chips and guacamole.
If we lived anywhere near Fresno I’d be coming here at least once a week, but for now I will need to look for excuses to drive through Fresno on our way anywhere (heading north to Seattle? «yeah, I think we’d better go three hours south first to have some shrimp tacos at Don Pepe!»).
The dining room and atmosphere are basic; not overly inviting, but clean and serviceable. We enjoyed being able to sit outside in their small patio area. The staff was friendly and helpful. Again; it is all about the food. They know what they are doing, and their preparation, the freshness of the food sets them miles apart from other Mexican places.
I most highly recommend trying anything with shrimp, but it also seems that ALL of their food there is excellent.

I crave Don Pepe about every other day. I always order the asada tacos with no beans and then put a little pit of onions/​cilantro/​salsa on them and they’re amazing. The tortillas are very fresh and soft. I also order a side of beans and rice that are also amazing. Overall, I can get 2 big asada tacos with a hefty portion of beans and rice for under $ 10… awesome. They’re also very quick at preparing your food and extremely polite. Other reviewers have talked about the spicy shrimp tacos, which I’ve tried as well. They’re also very good, a unique flavor, but I always end up going back to the asada. I do wish they offered desserts though.

Great food with reasonable pricing. They have pretty big serving sizes which no one should go home hungry. One of my favorite places to have lunch.

Salsa variety is plenty and good! Super Burrito is great tasting! Whatever meat you get, the build of it is very pleasing! The meat portion is generous, but wish it was grilled with some crisp! Love how they toast the tortilla’s to a crisp and soft on the inside. The burrito is one of the best in town without the grease!

As an outsider from Detroit, I can say it’s very good food. Everyone is right, get the spicy shrimp taco. I got a spicy shrimp and a reg fish. The fish was very bland and not that great. I also ordered 2 coronas, which came with a few pours of hot sauce and a shrimp. Kinda strange, but when in Rome…

Best and healthiest fish tacos and shrimp tacos in all of Fresno and maybe even California, and this establishment is the real deal authentic taqueria and totally unique, only one of its kind, meaning its not a chain (they only have one other branch in north fresno I think) Other than being phenomenally good with those two tacos, this taqueria is by far my favorite, the menu is simple (not overwhelming), the servers are relatively friendly and speaks good english (despite hitting the Spanish with me sometimes), the establishment is clean, the other food selection taste amazing, fresh ingredients used, price is affordable and cheap ($ 4-​$ 12), portion is generous, and finally the location near fresno state made it such a convenient off campus location for lunch. If your ordering these 2 tacos, try spicy because it is out of this world, and try one each because believe me one is not enough.
The fish tacos $ 3.50 oh my god where do I even begin, its so amazing Im craving for it right now while writing this review. Anyways term and conditions before you read this, I must say this fish taco might not appeal to those who are used to the beer battered fried version because they grill it here, and then quickly pan fry it with a delicious hot sauce. In my opinion, the way they grill it and cook it in the sauce really makes it taste better than most deep fried version that I’ve had in San Diego and LA. I think even if someone loves and have a cling on relationship with the deep fried version, give this version a try, because really it taste so good and so fresh. So the fish tacos is grilled boneless tilapia that is then quickly pan fried with their special hot sauce. The fish itself is wrapped around a warm tortilla with finely sliced cabbage, lettuce and diced tomatoes. I love how they neatly wrap the tortilla with all those ingredients and then tuck it tightly with a white paper make it all snug and easy to eat. When you think the fish tacos was done with flavor, they drizzle it with a dollop of sour cream. The first bite itself is ecstatic and out of this world, it has a blend of slight sourness, hint sweetness, touch of spiciness all tangled up within this small fish taco and the texture is so soft yet warm, the taste of the fish is so fresh and perfectly cooked not dry so texture again was soft yet firm and literally makes you want to have one more. The fish is always generously portioned in this taco, and the balance of the vegetable is also perfect. The taco just like any taco is not big, so order 2 for lunch to get full.
The shrimp tacos $ 3.50 is also a heavenly treat, just like its fishy twin, this taco always makes me want more. The shrimp taco is really a gastronomic experience, the first bite I could taste the perfectly cooked shrimp with firm yet soft texture not overcooked. The shrimp is cooked with the same special hot sauce and delivers a punch of heat with a hint of sourness. Then the flavor of grated Mexican cheese and some lettuce will make you question, whats in this, its so good. Some people may disagree, but this taco os really good, lets just agree to disagree. The shrimp tacos is also wrapped around a warm corn tortilla and tightly wrapped around a white paper making it really easy to enjoy this fantastic taco in your hand without all the mess.
Their other dishes is also good, maybe not perfect to some mexicans, but it really does taste authentic, it clearly satisfy my taste for food south of the border. My other favorite is the supper burrito with your choice of meat for $ 6.70 and their combination plates for $ 10 is really hugely portioned, and worth the price paying. They also have torta and sopas, I can go all day giving this place a review. But the best thing here is the shrimp and fish tacos.
The style of ordering here is, order at the counter and you pay for it, and you find a seat, with some miraculous harry potter magic they will find your order and know your order, it normally takes them 3 – 10 minutes after ordering to deliver your food depending on how busy they get. Try to avoid lunch rush, because this place has such a long line.

My husband and I stopped here on our way from Mono Hot Springs, its not far from the freeway, 180.
Its a great little Mexican fast food joint. The grilled fish taco (s) and quesadilla are amazing!
The patio is dog friendly, because its gets hot in Clovis.
I will be stopping here again!

Super burritos are the best in town. Lots of meat in carne asada burtito. Chips are handmade and crispy.
My only negative is the salsa… it’s pretty good but not on the same level as the burritos and chips.
If they perfected the salsa, this place would be unbeatable. Seriously, burritos and chips, so very good.

I have been coming to this place specifically for their lengua for years now. It’s really soft, and had a nice flavor to it. The service has always been really fast, and I haven’t had a problem with pricing either. It’s a very convenient place for college students that want good Mexican food, rather than the usual Robertitos carne asada fries.

Food was excellent. Service was quick and efficient. Seating is somewhat limited. Good experience overall.
Tip: if your vegetarian and order a beer ask for no shrimp.

I have been a fan of Don Pepe’s since college I would come here for burrito breaks with friends between cram sessions around finals. I had one mediocre experience in my 5 years of frequenting this place but I have never had a bad experience. I think when I had a mediocre experience the cook was having an off day but I never give up on a place if all my other experiences have been positive.
My favorite things to order are the burritos with el pastor and the shrimp tacos. What I love about Don Pepe’s is that there is nothing commercial about this place and it’s always full of pleasant people. The customers and the actual workers are always nice to be around.
I love that they have a nice selection of sides, salsa, verde, lime, cilantro, onion etc… The horchata is to die for and the Auga de jamica is just yum!!! For the individuals that had bad experiences here I do empathize with you. There is nothing worse than having your expectations of a place shattered. However coming from a person that has lived in Southern California, Northern California, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, Don Pepe has pretty solid food.
However, how individual feel about food is very subjective. Thus how you feel about Don Pepe or any other food establishment is going to depend on your own personal taste. I personally like Taqueria Don Pepe and will be visiting again and would recommend.

Beans in my tacos? Surprisingly good and I can get used to it.
Tripas tacos was a little crunchy on the outside and not chewy. Asada had decent seasoning and fish taco was good size battered fish and tasted good.
Self serve salsa bar is definitely an A+ in my book. Service resembles a cafeteria style dining, which isn’t bad considering its a little taco spot. Oh yeah, 3.5 stars to be exact and the .5 is for having mandarin jarritos, my choice of drink when having tacos, when not in mood for beer.

I’ve been here a few times for a carne asada burrito. While the burrito is good in terms of taste and ingredients the size of the burrito is smaller than the competition and overpriced… In other words, you’re paying more for less. This place is over rated in my opinion. I’d rather drive a couple extra miles south to get something far more tastier, bigger, and cheaper.

My homie, Don Pepe is a great all around guy. There’s several locations, my favorite and original site is located at Gettysburg and Blackstone… but I love this convenient location near Fresno State. Go Bulldogs!!! Go Studying!!!
When I’m need a break from living at the library, I go to see my amigo, Don Pepe down the street and he hooks me up, gewd. He makes me vegetarian tacos and is gracious with the salsa bar. The place can get a crammed when it’s busy around lunch and dinner time… but for good reason. The salsa is a little plain though, I would have to say and probably due to location. It’s not spicy and kind of plain… but no biggie. I fix it up and add spice, lemon, onions, and cilantro to my own batch… and voila! I’m full. Tanks, homie.

OMG! This place is amazing! My friends and I eat there almost everyday! Very good! So far I tried their tortas con pollo! Muy bien!!! I want to try the rest of their menu but the chicken torta is just fantastic! It gets very crowded during the lunch hours but your order is served up fast! I recommend this place!!! It’s very GOOD! OhhAlso I tried their tacos yummm!