Pepino’s Mexican Grill

I love pepinos! The cashiers are nice, the food is good and affordable, and they’re always quick! They have a great little salsa bar where you can choose which one you’d like to eat with your generous helping of free tortilla chips!

I’ve been here a few times, but this last time was the worst. The food was NOT good. We got fish tacos, and it tasted awful. The fish was fishy and probably old. Couldn’t even eat it. The quesadilla was nothing remarkable. Other times I’ve been here I’ve not been very impressed but not like this.
The prices are very good. Cheap only $ 4ish for a big quesadilla. Couple dollars for a taco.
The ambiance is really cute, colorful, and bright. They play Latin music and it’s a fun environment. I do love that they have a salsa bar where you can get whichever hot sauce you want.
The staff seems very nice, although this is not a place where you get waited on. You order at the counter.
Won’t be back again due to the food. It made me sick.

Ordered the Baja Fist Tacos, they were soggy & greasy… Very little fish & all batter. They forgot the onion & cilantro, a very disappointing experience. Definitely won’t be going back.

This place rules, that salsa bar is top notch, i’m salivating just thinking about this place.

I live really close to here so I have not written a review because it is a place that I frequent all the time. But I realize if you’re reading this, you don’t necessarily frequent this place. It’s a very upfront, no-​frills Mexican restaurant. It’s not a fusion flavored place or fancy like other Mexican places that are perhaps near it. But it has generous portions and is pretty good when you are craving good classic Mexican food.
I get their grilled shrimp tacos and their grilled fish tacos and I love the chipotle sauce they put on them. Two of them fill me up just fine. I would choose the shrimp over the fish though, if you are choosing one.
Sometimes I get a burrito and again, it’s pretty big and I can’t eat all of it in one sitting. They have a lot of different options for burrito flavors and styles, and I’m pretty boring when it comes to my burrito tastes, so I’ll just encourage you to try what sounds delicious to you.
They have a salsa bar that has some pretty tasty salsas. There’s one that’s really smoky that I’m not a fan of, but I bet if you are a smoky salsa person, you will love it.
I think you can order online or on an app, so that seems to be something that they are promoting. They have really cheap margaritas at happy hour for only $ 2.50, but they seem pretty sweet to me with not a lot of alcohol, so I wouldn’t really spend my money on that. I would definitely buy chips and salsa or guacamole over a $ 2.50 margarita.
Also, the people who work there are consistently very nice people. I always try to thank the cooks because they are just nonstop working all the time. There’s usually a line and lots of people in there, and on Tuesdays kids eat free, so that adds even more people. And always, all of the people who work there are still friendly and kind. I appreciate that in an establishment.

The cashier was very friendly. Had the chicken tamale plate tonight, which is my usual. Even though I came right at peak for their dinner rush, the wait was only fifteen minutes from the time I ordered to the time I received my food. Not bad!

This place rocks. Very authentic! My husband and I love coming here! The chicken burrito supreme is an excellent choice. If you want something not so loaded I suggest the verde salad! Refreshing and light! The salsa bar has 4 choices and they are all excellent!

The poor reviews scared us, but we saw the chalkboard sign out front for the $ 5.95 two taco/​chips/​drink combo and tried it anyway. Our cashier was very sweet and prompt, and the food wasn’t bad at all! Sure, I’ve had better, but it was still yummy. We had one steak and one chicken taco. The salsa is BOMB, too. I’d eat here again.

The staff are very friendly and the atmosphere is nice on a sunny Portland day. That’s about all I can say about this place.
I had the Taco & Enchilada plate. The steak taco was OK. Basic flavors but totally edible. The enchilada sauce tasted more like spaghetti sauce than it did enchilada and the beans… dear god the refried beans. I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say that they tasted like boiled cardboard that had then been watered down. I have never tasted anything so bland in my life.
Also Pepino’s, if I order a large side of guacamole, give me some chips for god’s sake.

It’s amazing food. Amazing service. And unbeatable prices. I’m coming back more and more!

Always super delicious, affordable, and quick. Loved the veggie tamale and the nachos. If you’re ever looking for something to fill you up before a show at the Hawthorne, this is a great option.

I’d give this Pepino’s 3.5 stars. Popped in for lunch and had a carnitas burrito (me) and carnitas tacos (wife). Also had chips & salsa. Thought the food was pretty good, though my wife felt that the Pepino’s in NW serves hotter & fresher food with more meat in the tacos. The ambiance is nice and the staff were really friendly. But the next time I’m over on this side of town with a Mexican craving, I would probably opt for Por Que No.

I had Taco Pedaler put together a very large to-​go order (60 tacos, 30 dillas, plus chips, guac and salsas.) The owner, Melanie, was awesome and we worked the whole order out via email. Came to pick it up and everything was piping hot and she packaged it so it would stay warm despite the 30 degree weather we were experiencing.
The Beef Tacos are absolutely amazing and everyone loved the food. Definitely a step up from greasy cheap Mexican chains, the food was fresh and flavorful. Not to mention the tortillas were about as authentic as I’ve experienced, and I grew up with a Mexican grandma!

I’ve eaten at the Pepino’s location on NW 23^rd many times and I love it there, but today was the first time I had been to the location on SE Hawthorne. My hope was that both places would be equally good, and I was not disappointed. I ordered what I always order, a Pepino’s Taco with al pastor meat, and it was just as tasty as what I usually get on NW 23^rd. The meat was nice and browned and the taco was totally loaded with ingredients: pork, pinto beans, salsa, and shredded jack cheese. It was so loaded that I couldn’t pick it up.. .I needed to use a fork. Nice to see consistency between the two places.. .especially if it’s GOOD consistency!

Hey it’s ok.
If they raise the prices anymore I’m out, though.
Also I wish they’d bring plates back.

This place took a nose-​dive. First, my wife stopped coming so I would make a special trip to get her something if I was getting Pepino’s. I then noticed a difference in how my food was being made. I was turned-​off to a couple of things I had purchased before but shrugged it off, telling myself that my «El Cheapo» would remain the everlasting standby, impervious to any changes they could make. But even that, somehow, has been ruined. Hard to put my finger on it but I’ve ordered it now three times tasting «different.» They won’t put on as much sour cream when I pay over $ 1 for «extra.» They stopped giving me as many chips also, until today, when they told me chips that no chips came with my dish. Besides this being the first I’d ever heard of chips NOT coming with a dish at Pepino’s, I wasn’t told of this fact before hand. Before I ordered and walked away with the line doubling behind me.
I’ve been trying to eat this baja bowl but it is inedible… I’ve wasted $ 10 on something that tastes worse than Taco Bell. When I paid for a small drink, the cashier gave me a water cup. Chipotle’s bowls are ten times better, plus cheaper. I just wish we had some more in close-​in PDX, so independent mom and pop establishments couldn’t just take everyone’s business for granted. Let’s see, we have some rice and beans plus two kinds of cheeses. I added steak for 3.50, which tastes horrible, and I added lettuce, which retrospectively was a huge mistake.
Months ago, I would have complained that Pepino’s seemed under-​staffed. Now it seems like every time I go into the Hawthorne location, I’m dealing with someone new while someone else that’s new makes the food. The last three times I’ve been, I’ve had dismal experiences and find it hard to find an excuse to go back. Sad, because Pepino’s once had good food, served in a fun environment.
Very poor quality. There are a multitude of better options nearby.

Do I have unreasonably high expectations about food? I don’t think so, I recently split a box of hamburger helper with my wife (actually splitting might be a lie, I took most of it and she was all, I’m still hungry. And I’m like hey?! Me too! What bunch of fools didn’t put enough noodles and powder sauce in this here box for my babe?) and I may have eaten a moldy sandwich that I made in the dark and didn’t realize it. Actually I remember enjoying it more than usual sandwiches.
But hey! I know a good burrito when I see one. Or at least I know a bad burrito when I see one, and I can tell you, you know this burrito was a no-​gooder when I only ate ¾ of it.
Are you listening to me? I RECENTLY ate a free bacon wrapped big bite that someone had left on the counter in a 7-​Eleven for 8 hours next to the free penny dish, so you know people had been near the thing, maybe talking a little too loud at the cashier and getting spittle on it all day. After all that it may or may not have fallen to the floor after I loaded it up with FAKE CHEESE, and I ATE THE WHOLE THING.

Yum! Late night Mexican! Yes please! I got the fish tacos and they were pretty dang tasty! It was a bit of a late night encounter but the staff was friendly and the prices were reasonable. I will for sure come back.
This place actually had flavor!

I am a fan, I come here often as I love burritos and it’s across the street from where I work.
It’s pretty decent in a burrito category, but where they shine is the baja style fish tacos.
They give you a bunch of chips even for take out and I can’t complain about that.
They are super fast as well.

Win-​win, everytime!
This is a great place with more than decent menu. Variety galore. Fish taco, El Cheapo, bean and cheese… for me, but you can try out as much carne as your meat eating ass likes.
Tuesdays children eat for free. :)