- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Pepe's Hacienda & Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Pepe's Hacienda & Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Someone in Cali mentioned Al Pastor."
(in 5 reviews)
"...stock up on good fresh tortillas, fresh or dried peppers..."
(in 7 reviews)
"They also have freshly made tortillas in the store."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
21 reviews in English
-
Review from Ron E.
Jacksonville, FL
6/21/2011
The best damn tacos in Jacksonville. I've only had better in San Diego at Las Cuatro Milpas. The meat was full of flavor and the cheese and vegetables on top were fresh. A slice of avocado sits on top which is way better that guacamole. They serve mexican sodas and beers which match up with the food perfectly. I tried the chicken flautas and they were just ok. They could have put some more chicken in the tortilla. The rice and beans on the side were just average.
Half of the place is a little grocery store so don't forget to check it out. They have all the things you need to attempt to make your own mexican food. They even have a meat department. The baked good section is a self serve glass cabinet like you see at some convenience stores. They have some miscellaneous stuff in there to say the least. We tried the sugar donuts, sugar cookie, and this thing that is similar to Filipino otap. We killed all of it. Worth the trip just to go get some baked goods. They also have freshly made tortillas in the store. I will be sure to pick up some next time. We were the only ones in the place that didn't know how to speak spanish. Thank god for the little bit I remember from high school or I would have been confused even more. Good food and a good cultural experience right here in Jacksonville. Don't be intimidated or uncomfortable. Everyone was nice and the food was good. -
Review from HW D.
Jacksonville, FL
2/9/2012
Finally got a chance to check this place out. I would actually give the market part 4 stars as they are extremely well stocked for any latino foods you may wish the make.
The restaurant is pretty good. I tried the tacos con carne and two were actually enough. All the ingredients are fresh though the meet was a tad too salty. The burrito is HUGE! I mean mammoth. Again, all the ingredients were fresh but the meat was still alittle too salty. Service was extremely quick and the staff was pleasant. I will go back to try their other menu items. -
Review from Steve M.
Updated - 6/2/2011 10 photos
Hate to do this, but I have to knock them down a star-and-a-half. Went the other day and it wasn't nearly as good as it used to be. Service, while still very friendly was extremely slow. Or maybe it was the kitchen. Anyhow, the two tables who came in way after us received their orders long before we did ours.
Also, the food was not as good. It was decent and pretty authentic but it seems like they were skimping. My posole wasn't nearly as full of good stuff as the last batch I'd had there. Mostly broth. The rice that came with my mom's chimichanga plate wasn't that incredible rice I wrote about, it was merely orange colored rice and nothing more which tasted, well, like orange colored plain rice.
Couple of other things too such as under(or non?)grilled taco tortillas, but you get the picture. This is still an okay restaurant for authentically prepared Mexican food, but it ain't the place of glowing review I wrote about below. I'll be searching out the abundance of other authentic Mex joints in Jax next time I'm back.Listed in: ¿Comidas Mexicanas, Muy…, Steve M's Jax List
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/8/2011
4.5 stars, really. This has to be the absolute best Mexican restaurant I've ever eaten at in… Read more »
-
-
Review from M M.
Jacksonville, FL
2/21/2011
Okay, this will never be confused with La Nopalera or any Mexican chain restaurant, first, it is half grocery/department store and half restaurant. Few of the patrons speak English, although there was an older couple sitting in the next room.
My son ordered a taco and a burrito and loved them both. I noticed most of the locals were ordering soup, so I opted for the Fish Soup. It was adventurous and delicious.
Great find in an out of the way place. Crowded, but quick service and great wait staff. Why not five stars? For me that means linen table clothes or at least some ambiance. This is more of a diner, with great authentic Mexican food you cannot find elsewhere. So authentic, you may need a translater!
Hint: Try the soup, any soup! -
Review from Jesse H.
Palm Coast, FL
7/28/2011
Best Mexican food in Jacksonville. The tacos are great as are their Plates. They do get a bit busy at lunchtime and the wait can be long, but if you like authentic Mexican food then its worth the wait.
-
Review from Orrie H.
Jacksonville, FL
5/6/2010 1 photo
Do you like piñatas? The people at Pepe's Hacienda sure do. The dining room ceiling at Pepe's is covered in all manner of piñata. The last time I was there, we actually saw an unmarked truck unloading piñatas into the store. It was like a dream.
Pepe's isn't like other Mexican food in Jacksonville. It's definitely not like La Nopalera. They have outstanding taco stand-type tacos, meaning that your choice of meat comes all wrapped up in warm, doubled-up corn tortillas. I especially like their tacos al pastor and the tacos asada. The last time I went, my companions in gluttony ordered various steak entrees off the menu--the bistec ranchero was especially notable because it came bathed in a delightfully spicy red sauce. Another eating companion got a whole fish covered in onions, which looked frightening but apparently tasted great.
There's a Mexican grocery store adjacent to Pepe's that contains, you guessed it, even more piñatas. They've also got a neat assortment of meats, cheeses, spices, and produce. Hot tip: On your way out, make sure to grab something from the bake case that's hidden the right side of the exit door. -
Review from Peter C.
Fort Worth, TX
7/9/2010
I found this place at the recommendation of a nearby business owner and was quite impressed. Just looking at the color of the Cilantro in the Salsa screams freshness. Their chips, from tortillas made in-house, have great grainy flavor and are especially thick (about 1/8"). The portions are generous for the price, which makes Pepe's a good deal for the budget.
The ambiance is not always the standard Mexican restaurant fare of painted walls and fútbol or banda on the TV. I have occasioned to come across a Mariachi band in the dining room and find it a treat to watch the Tortillas being made.
The hacienda connected to the restaurant is also worth checking out for a better selection of items than one might find in the "ethnic foods" aisle of the normal grocery store. The only downside is that the bathrooms are a little rough, but I generally have found Pepe's to be a place worth bringing people to for the first time. I only wish I had found the place before my last few months living in Jacksonvlile. -
Review from Julie A.
2/15/2009
Someone in Cali mentioned Al Pastor. I thought they had a religious experience during their meal, but they were really talking about the meat in their taco. Pork marinated in sauce that has seeped into the juices of the meat further infusing its fibers with extra flavor. That is Al Pastor.
I had half a burrito Al Pastor-style without the special salsa sauce they packed with my lunch. The burrito itself was packed huge -- about the same size as the burritos at Burrito Gallery. But even without the salsa the burrito was already booming with flavor. The salsa just added an extra kick. I think it's the same sauce they marinated the pork in.
Their Tres Leches cake was light and spongy. Kind of like the texture of a feather. I think it was the best Tres Leches that I've had so far.
For my drink, I decided to try their freshly made Jamaica drink, which kind of reminds me of a flowery tea minus the tea flavor. Lol. I can't really explain it.
Also, I have been feening for a churro lately, but I was kind of disappointed in the churros I saw here (they are in the market section, not the menu). So sad. I'll come again, though. Their filling burrito and delicious tres leches cake are worth another visit (and another, and another, and another...).Listed in: Because of Yelp, Que Rico!, Pot Luck
-
Review from Jay L.
8/23/2007
After Steve's blazin' review I had to try this place for myself.
I dunno, I don't really think it's 4 stars myself, but I truly appreciate the existence of such a place in Jax. I love a place where I feel they'd rather me order in Spanish. The grocery is a very typical Mexican grocery and they have all kinds of meats and produce. Not sure what grade the Department of Health would give them but it's cleaner than the mercado in Mazatlan, sin duda. Oh and there are a bunch of pinatas hanging from the ceiling. Wanted to bang them all down.
Let's see, I had a beef torta...now, for me, the pinnacle of these Mexican sandwiches is King Torta in LA (see mucho reviews about it on yelp) so they had a lot to live up to. Steve again is right...it needs beans or guac or at least something to hold the finely chopped beef in the bread. Gimme some hot cheese or something...
It was tasty, but I added some beans from the Glabella's plate. Not somehing I'd get again.
Glabella had some chicken tostadas. Not as good a Rosy's.
I guess also, something to pick upon was that the beans and rice (although tasty), were not hot...only lukewarm.
Oh, the chips were the bomb. Really thin, crisp and not too laden with oil. The salsa was nice too.
I will go back, but I'll try something else. Oh...I wish they had pollo asado.Listed in: How to Get Out of Jax While…
-
Review from Nancy W.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
3/5/2011 5 photos
I'm a San Diego girl transplanted in Jax - and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pepe's Hacienda. Tastes like home! If I didn't know better I'd swear my auntie Alicia was back there in the kitchen making those excellent tacos and the BEST chile relleno in Jax. GREAT market too - so when I'm done snacking I can stock up on good fresh tortillas, fresh or dried peppers and lots of hard-to-find produce items.
-
Review from kathryn h.
Jacksonville, FL
11/24/2008
My husband and I visited Pepe's for the first time last friday night as a recommendation from a good friend of ours. We walked in and took our seat near the back of the restuarant and waited to be served. Our waiteress came over and politely asked what we would like to drink as we looked over the menus. She came back 1 minute later with our drinks and a huge basket of freshly made chips and fabulous salsa.
After finally deciding on what we wanted to eat, our server came over and took our orders. I got a chicken burrito, it was stuffed with lettuce, tomato, gaucamole, rice and beans and was topped with mole sauce and a generous amount of cheese. Along side the enormous burrito was a huge helping of the best bean and rice I have ever put in my mouth. This was the best mexican dish I had ever had hands down. I ate for 3 days! Best of all about the dish was that it was 5.99.
After dinner we opted for a slice of Tres Leche, words cannot describe this dessert, other than dreamy and decadent, IT WAS HEAVEN!
All together we spent 20 bucks on two meals, two drinks, and 1 dessert. The service was great and the food was out of this world. -
Review from Edward J.
Daytona Beach, FL
12/10/2008 3 photos
Hit Pepe's today with the little women. It was great. Authentic and tasty. The bill came to $27 for four. My little chicas split a burrito, it was huge. I tried lengua for the first time! The cerviche shrimp tostada was great. Everything else was damn good. The only reason I'm not giving it a five is the salsa. It was OK, just not 5-star salsa that's all. Otherwise I loved it.
Real casual and friendly. I'll be back for sure. -
Review from Lisa B.
New York, NY
2/9/2008
Ventured to Pepe's for the grocery store, and was nothing but impressed. It was complete with carniceria, a mini panaderia of sorts, a selection of dried peppers and more. I brought my friend who is unfamiliar with Mexican groceries and he was pretty excited when we found the fresh chicharrones - he's eating them as I type this, haha. We purchased numerous items for just about 20 bucks. so certainly reasonably priced.
Atmosphere brought me back to the groceries my grandma would take me to as a kid with Mexican music playing as people chit-chat. The restaurant has a pretty good space to sit and eat, and had quite a few tables filled with families. I'd like to make it back there next time to try the food. We did grab a bag of the tortilla chips to go, as we bought things to make queso blanco and naturally we needed those as well. The chips are pretty tasty.
So all in all, great experience. Look forward to trying out the restaurant side. And yes, tons of pinatas everywhere! -
Review from Debbie B.
Jacksonville, FL
7/4/2008
Reasonably priced food. Many spanish/Mexican groceries and more.
I come here for the tacos. -
Review from JR M.
Jacksonville, FL
11/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not bad. Went with the pastor burrito. Decent flavor and great price. Home made chips were great. Would get something different next time.
-
Review from Mel N.
Jacksonville, FL
7/17/2009
This was our second time eating here. Our first time was awail back, right when we first moved here (about 6 months ago) so I don't remember what I ordered or if it was any good.
Anyways I was craving those little tacos that you can usually get at like taco stand in CA and my husband remembered they had some at this place so I was like okay lets go.
We got there a little big after 11am and sat down. The restaurant has pinatas all over the ceiling and they were playing mariachi music, my kind of Mexican Restaurant.
Anyways I order six tacos, three carne asada and three al pastor. You can either get corn or flour tortillas and they are covered with onions and cilantro. It comes with limes as well. The server brought a red and green sauce that you can have with your tacos.
As for a drink, we love horchata and thats exactly what we got. So good!
Theres other things on the menu as well, but all I am interested in are the tacos. -
Review from Charlie H.
Jacksonville, FL
5/24/2011 41 Check-ins Here
This place is fantastic, I am not kidding. The first week I discovered this place I ate there 5 times, no exaggeration. Fast, authentic and unbelievably cheap. My girlfriend and I can eat lunch here for $10 when we order the awesome burritos (al pastor and carnitas burritos are our faves). Pepe's is known for the soup, so I went on a weekend to try menuedo, I'd never had it before, but figured this would be a good place to try for the first time. I liked it a lot, but another day I tried the beef soup because it was a lunch special and it was 'so-so'; good not great. I pretty much always get the burritos for lunch now. If i have the time i like looking through the grocery store. I've heard this is a good place to get special cuts of meat, but don't have any personal experience. I did see marinated pork (al pastor) which I'm dying to take home and cook myself. Anyway, enough rambling - just give this place a try.
-
Review from Callan C.
11/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
Wow! This place is great. Authentic Mexican food next to a great little Mexican store. The atmosphere is very casual. My meal and drink were affordable, the service was great, and I enjoyed sitting back and watching Billy Madison in Spanish.
-
Review from Chad M.
Jacksonville, FL
2/6/2011
Very authentic, chips are thicker than we care for. very helpfull staff.
-
Review from Jason K.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/19/2009
I was born and raised in Southern California and just moved out here a couple of years ago. The entire time I've been out here I've looked for an authentic mexican place. This is hands down the best in Jacksonville. Amazing food, cheap prices, and just all around great experience. I just found my new favorite restaurant.
-
Review from f M.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2008
It reminds me of a California taqueria. The salsa and food is very fresh, and tortillas are delish. They have plenty of pinatas so don't worry about having to bring your own.
