The Pepper

Extremely overrated! The drinks are Mexican, the names of the foods are Mexican, but the food is not Mexican. The most Mexican things in the restaurant was the alcohol, myself and my Mexican friends who I was there with. Ordered the chilaquiles, and instead got a sloppy mountain of nachos with who knows what on it. The chips used were the same as the old chips they give the table. No one could finish more than half of what was on their plate, all we wanted to do when we got the food was pay and leave. But if it’s a Mexican themed bar you’re looking for this your place, as for calling it a Mexican restaurant… I don’t think so.

Good job, we’ll done. Wish their was more room, gets crowded real quick. Their taco salads are delicious, so is their black bean soup.

The margaritas here are fantastic, I usually join friends on Friday night to enjoy their house margaritas. They make their own mix and you can tell, they are so good. I order food sporadically and it is also pretty good.
The only thing that keeps me from 5 stars is that the food is inconsistent. It’s never been bad and I’ve never had bad sevice. There are just some times when the food is just really mediocre. More often than not the food is above average.

I don’t get why this place is popular. I guess it has to be the answer I get from everyone I tell how mediocre the food is. They all say, «But the drinks are so good.» I guess if you have a few drinks, you won’t care how bad the food is. If you are looking for a place to hang out after work and have a margarita with half of Plattsburgh, this place might be for you. If you are looking for Mexican food, go somewhere else. I’ve had Mexican food all over the country and Mexico. I have lived in southern Arizona and southern California. They use the term Sonoran for one dish that has no resemblance to Sonoran food. They also call something Oxecaen. I guess they meant Oaxacan. Even if that is the case, it is not Oaxacan style food. They prove that just because you call it Mexican, it ain’t necessarily Mexican.

Very busy for 6p on a Wednesday night. We walked in and got the last available table. Food came quickly once our order was in. Black margarita is excellent! Also loved the fish taco. Kid friendly. But very loud inside. Outside seating available.

Some of the best shredded beef I’ve ever had. Even the «basics» are delicious and seem special, from the chips and salsa to the rice and beans. Service is good, and the décor is cute without being tacky or kitschy.

We stumbled upon this place after a long day on the road. What a nice find for dinner. The owners were funny, friendly, and spent the evening in and around the restaurant interacting with customers. The food was quite good. We started with chips and guacamole, and then ordered the portobello chimichanga, an enchilada with chicken mole, and a kid’s chicken and fries. The salsa was great and the mole was exceptional. The chimichanga was filling and yummy.

Really good food, right down to the kid’s menu. Chimichanga was crispy and flavorful with tasty rice and beans, while quesadilla with portabella’s was interesting and delicious; nice twists on traditional Mexican. Biggest fault was the outside tables had no umbrellas, and at lunch hour on a sunny day, this would have been very welcome.

Friday night place was busy. We sat at the table at 8:00 pm. Table of four. We waited for the meal for an hour and a half. We finished our salsa and chips within the first 10 minutes and never got a refil. The problem was that when the food arrived, (2 mole’ chicken enchellatas, a burrito and a salad) the enchellatas and beans were burnt to the bottom of the plate, and the rice was dry and bland. My meal was credited, but i ended up having a liquid dinner. With all the choices within the Plattsburgh area to eat, I prefer to eat elsewhere.

I really wanted to like this place, it’s locally owned and a Chipotle restaurant is under construction nearby. The food was merely ok, however. Oddly, for a Mexican restaurant in a college town there’s not much for a vegan here and an indifference to accommodate one.
We were ignored at the door, eventually being motioned toward a table only an instant before we were going to give up and leave. We should have, a business that flubs greeting a customer can’t be expected to do much else right.
I rated it two stars only because I felt sorry for our server. She was incredibly overtasked, and had no help — not cool, given that she was expecting… and it was Mother’s Day eve!
Maybe the management will read this and avoid being extinguished when Chipotle opens. That would be tragic.

The Good: My friend and I were strolling downtown Plattsburgh and decided to get something to eat. We finalized on The Pepper after seeing how packed it was and looking through the menu which had many tasty looking offers — quesdilla, enchiladas, and turkey with mole. We had to wait about 40 minutes for a table for two on this busy Friday evening and after being seated by a pleasant waitress, and eating yummy chips with dip, we were ready to order.
The Bad: In the vibrant ambiance of laughter, music, and lovely wall art, I was happy to see my meal of chicken and asparagus enchiladas ($ 15) with rice and beans on the side (the waitress’ recommendation). It looked appetizing with two enchiladas with cheese melted on top. However it didn’t take me very long to realize that looks aren’t everything. Throughout the entire meal I was dousing my rice and beans with the hot sauces provided on the table. I kept dipping my chicken in sour cream. It wasn’t until I was nearly done with my meal that I realized I was craving salt! My dish was flavorless and dry — esp. the rice and beans. The enchiladas were average but tasted like the enchiladas you microwave by Lean Cuisine.
Conclusion: At the end of the meal I felt full but dissatisfied. For all the pomp and circumstance, the Pepper’s dish was not very appetizing and will leave you wanting more. My friend having a plate of seafood enchiladas ($ 17) concurred. Granted I need to give the pepper a second or third try but from first impressions, I was left disappointed.

A nice find. The homemade chips are pretty much perfect, with their delicious salsa complimenting it. My meal was completely amazing, The chimichanga was flavorful, and full of delicious potatoes and spices. They are also very generous with their portions!

Nice hole in the wall restaurant in downtown Plattsburgh good for those nights when you want some mexican food. They have great margaritas (With house mad sour mix) but I just wish they had a larger menu to chose from.

An adorable hole-​in-​the-​wall type place that’s makes a good sangria. We visited at 6 on a Saturday and didn’t have to wait to be seated. Sitting outside, we got complimentary chips and salsa to start. The salsa was obviously fresh and tasty, but really only for chunky style lovers; some of the tomato and onion pieces were at least a square half inch in size.
Service was prompt and friendly. My enchiladas came with a green sauce instead of the tomato-​based one that I’m used to, but were delicious. Portion and price were appropriate. I would be very surprised if we ever found ourselves in Plattsburgh again, but if we do, we’ll make another stop at The Pepper.

I’m writing this review four months after our experience, so, evidently, I’m still bothered. It was summer, and my girl and I scored a decent table outside. I mean decent only if not factoring the violent rocking that required a table foot wedge of the variety used on mining dump truck wheels. Of course, her glass of wine toppled and spilled. The waitress was considerate enough to offer us another glass, though too daft and devoid of any customer service skills to not charge us for it and while standing on wet pavement declare «I didn’t see you spill it.» Sure, she received her 15%, but it’s four months later and I’m still not without a grudge.

Margaritas were good but not many options on the menu is actual Mexican cuisine. Not to mention all meat is extremely dry over seasoned. Chicken and beef nearly taste the same. Specials like meatloaf, non-​Mexican flatbread pizzas, seared tuna with coconut wasabi cream… also watch out for the food poisoning and having to get your stomach pumped to find out the chicken you ate was rancid.

Very yummy margarita’s.
They’re chicken with asparagus & cheese dinner is my fave.
Small restaurant. Fun environment though.

Best margaritas in Plattsburgh! My roller derby team goes to the pepper after practice on Wednesday night and its always fun! The food is good too! Reasonably priced and they have specials every day during the week! The bartender is a great guy and super friendly! I love summer when there’s outdoor seating! The atmosphere is fun and lively!

I came here while visiting for the 4^th of July. I have to admit I was a little skeptical eating Mexican in upstate NY. I was pleasantly surprised!
We sat outside which was great. Our server was the bomb, I wish I remembered his name. Very friendly and totally on the ball. We had a party of 5 and he remembered everyone’s orders and special requests without writing down a thing. Everything came out exactly as ordered.
The chips and salsa were yummy and I had a margarita which was delicious. For dinner I ordered the scallop special. They were cooked perfectly. I tried all the other dishes and loved them all.
I will definitely hit this place next time I’m up in the North Country!

Why/​When I tried it
Visiting my girlfriend’s family in town and we decided to stop in for some dinner with a few of her friends on our last day in town.
Location/​accessibility
Plattsburgh, NY isn’t really a big city, so parking and access were not issues at all.
Atmosphere
Nice.
Menu/​pricing
I mean, it’s Plattsburgh, NY. However, the menu covers all the essentials for Mexican restaurants – burritos, enchiladas, margaritas, etc. so I can’t really complain. Plates hover at a little over $ 10 each. The delicious conqueso is $ 9.
Food
Definitely try the «conqueso!» It’s really just queso dip, but something about it makes it a really tasty appetizer! Maybe it’s the jalepenos they put in there… I also recommend the giant-​sized «Border Burrito.»
Service
We walked in and our party wasn’t able to be seated until our fourth arrived. I get it. Some restaurants have that policy to avoid confusion, but I can tell you this: customers don’t like to be told they can’t sit down when they can see plenty of empty seats in the restaurant. Also the constantly forgotten refills of drinks and chips made me think the waitress was new (I hope).
Grading
Overall, the Pepper is good, but not great. Worth a shot if you’re in town, though. Recommend.