El Tio Pepe Mexican Restaurant
12100 Amargosa Rd, Victorville, CA, 92392
El Tio Pepe Mexican Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Victorville for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Victorville for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
12100 Amargosa Rd
Victorville, CA, 92392 - Phone (760) 241-0811
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Megan J.
It's was one of the first real restaurants in Victorville. The food is good. Sunday brunch is a good deal, if they still offer that. Good salsa, warm chips, cool atmosphere. I think this is the only Mexican restaurant in Victorville with a nice atmosphere with low lighting(the neon lighting kills it at the other spots).
(4)Jaz S.
I didn't expect much from this place as...it's in victorville, but still hoped I might find a diamond in the rough. No such luck!!! The salsa was lacking season the chips lacked freshness and the water placed on our table tasted of soap. This was just the first 20 minutes here and so we knew we were in for quite a treat! We have given this restaurant 2 opportunities to change our personal review but have been dissatisfied every time. When will restaurants realize that putting a lot of cheese on a dish doesn't necessarily make it Mexican? Not to mention that cheddar cheese is hardly ever used in Mexico to begin with. Please Tio Pepe fans stop lying to America!! For the "wannabe" Mexicans that like it...are you really Mexican? were you born in Mexico? if not you are not Mexican you are Mexican-American which contains all sorts of new cooking rules!
(1)Stanley M.
Intentional Pathetic Service My husband and I have been going to El Tio Pepe for 10 years. Interestingly enough in these hard economic times, we received a coupon in the mail which was not good Mother's Day, Father's Day but good through 06/30/08. Tonight, June 20, 2008, I showed the waiter prior to the waiter taking our order this coupon. He said I should show it to the cashier when paying. We ordered our dinner (one of which did not include a salad so it would be paid for over and above what the entree would be. Our total would have been over $40.00 and would have qualified for the $10.00 off of the total. Instead our brilliant waiter decided to not bring our beverages without being asked for them, not bring our salad soup or the tortillas to go with my fajitas so that when the bill was brought, we were $.73 short of the $40.00 tab, thus "NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE $10.00 off coupon!" Pretty pathetic!!!!! They just lost the next 10 years plus of our business for their bad behavior. What goes around comes around! ENJOY
(2)J L.
I just dined here tonight upon a recommendation from a hotel clerk. Chips and salsa were good. I ordered the tacos de fajitas and got one each of beef and chicken. The beef taco was decent. The beef was marinated and soft, with flavor. The chicken, however, was dry. My entree came with a choice of soup or salad and I ordered the albondigas soup. The soup came out piping hot and had good flavor to it. The portions here are big, but I wasn't wowed by anything.
(3)Steven B.
I don't know anyone that likes the place. I don't think I have had horrible service or horrible food there. It was simply not good. What can you say about a Mexican restaurant that is sub par in a city where Mexican food places are dime a dozen. I can think of 12 other places within 6 miles that are better.
(2)Sam K.
they don't serve gringos
(1)Ashley L.
Decently priced... huge proportions.
(3)Joanna E.
I will never go back, I wish I had asked for my money back, however I was so disgusted all I wanted to do is leave... First thing that upset me was we the customers could not serve ourselfs, then omg. I went into the restroom filth, faucets broken, hand towel holder broken,a woman that worked in kitchen came in and said oh it's been broken for a while, then she played around and got some paper out, then I went into stall, NO PAPER, No SEAT COVERS, and the place looked like it had not been cleaned for months. The walk through the hall looked like a back alley, filth, cracked paint, real bad greese, food all over the place... I really felt like I needed. Shower after walking through their. Their was two women in the restroom they said they would never come back. The area where the waiters work was just as dirty, I walked over their two times to ask for something and as soon as one of them saw me they kinda blocked my view, now I know why, what I did see made me sick. Also they must have had 14 or 15 waiters, all running around, their was not that many people their to call for that many waiters, so is this a daily thing, if so that means we the customers have to pay for them to run round and do nothing, to look busy. I could go on and on, like the dimly lit dinning rooms, the paint pealing and just over all run down. The food, the saug. Bacon, was so over cooked it was all most black, and their again if I had been able to pick my own food, the reason people pay to go to a buffet,I could have maybe found some that was not black. Their we're no names on anything around the lousey salad bar, a bowl of brown wilted lettuce, and some hard as rocks canalope, honeydew ,like what was that stuff in those tall bottles ? Also where they had some very bad desert items, no names their either..... Their were very little for breakfast items, and what was their was not fit to eat. I guess I can say one thing that was cooked very well was the pinto beans, or charo beans that was over by the soup, however like all Mexican food they lost the salt shaker in the pot, I could feel my blood pressure going up as I ate it, but it was cooked so well, nice and soft beans, with a good flavor.oh after I came back to table, I looked around no silverware no napkins so I had to go get my own. I guess they have only been in business so long from freeway traffic only, one lady said they had pulled off to eat, and would never stop again when they pass by on the freeway. By the way this is the first time I have ever written anything about a food establishment. Their was more to say here.
(2)Corinne G.
Love this place! Friendly staff, decent food and great drink prices! My family and I always have a great time. I don't recommend staying after 1030 on Fridays; it can get a little wild.
(5)Brittany M.
The only reason I am even giving this restaurant one star is because the chips and salsa were okay. Before my visit yesterday it had been 10+ years since I had been to El Tio Pepes. Food used to be good! I'm not sure if there is a different owner, or what changed, but I was completely dissatisfied with the entire experience. To start, I ordered a Pepsi to drink and it was completely flat and tasted old. I ordered a shrimp cocktail for my entree and I could barely even eat it. It was extremely bland and had no flavor at all. There were small shrimp inside the cocktail that were oddly colored and looked uncooked. I tried to just eat around them. I only took a handful of bites but I just couldn't stomach it. I can't believe how many reviews this place has with people saying they got sick after eating there. I have had a stomach ache and food poisoning like symptoms since yesterday after eating there. It wasn't until after I ate there that I saw all the reviews! I should've looked first. The service was bad, the food was bad, I didn't even want to pay for that experience. Complete waste. Save your money, heed the warnings.
(1)Fritzinato R.
Cons: The waiter straight out told us the guacamole is made from a powder. The salad that came with my meal was swimming in water. The classic margarita was ok. It was clean but terribly worn and in need of a remodel. Pros: The staff was friendly.
(1)Frank N.
This has to be the most amazing Mexican restaurant I have been to. Succulent meats, well crafted drinks, amazing service. Absolute top notch service. If you want a clean restaurant, helpful servers, amazing food, this IS spot. I highly recommend this place. From Vegas to LA if you are within 50 miles of Victorville, this is where you're eating.
(1)Michael B.
I've been a fan of El Tio Pepe for many years. If I want delicious, authentic Mexican food in fine dining setting at a budget price, this the place to go. Quiet ambiance, comfortable seating, helpful wait staff. These guys are great. And they are consistent. Well done, highly recommended.
(5)Matthew G.
Ok for starters we should change the name of this restaurant to El greasy throw up taste O begin the atmosphere makes you feel like you're back in the seventies it's basically just water they give you a cabbage salsa that tastes like plastic the food itself is so greasy even a soft shell taco I have to. And somehow must be deep fried for all the grease that was still in the soft shell taco I don't know what Jorge is doing but he needs to learn how to cook a little bit better and not get people so sick
(1)Willy O.
I've come this place a several times in the past and always had great food, but this time around was way bad. My two guests and myself came here today just after the Sunday Brunch rush to avoid the crowd. One of my guests had mentioned they had been to the restaurant a couple of times recently and the food and service was not up to par from past experiences. She mentioned that she thought that they may have changed ownership. Anyways, we got seated right away. Waiter came over and took our drink orders. Another person came with the chips and salsa. Then our waiter was back to take our order. Food came out really quick. There were three of us and only two place settings and utensils on the table. We had to ask for the additional set up. I had already started to use the chips to eat my food with. Then our waiter seeing that we were not eating the salsa and chips takes and walks off with the salsa but leaving the chips. The meat in my tamale was so dry that I could have used that salsa to add some flavor for my food. My taco was unedible. It was soggy and didn't taste right. I was barely able to get down half of it. The meat for my one guests tamale had a burnt taste to it. My iced tea never got refilled and my one guest stopped and asked one person wondering around for a refill of water, yet the waiter and some other guy were circling the tables like a pair of sharks ready to go in for a kill and never asked if we wanted our iced teas refilled or how everything was. My other guest almost had her plate taken away before she was even finished with her meal. We even stopped one of the circling sharks and asked if they had new cooks. Thinking that that may be the reason for the bad food. Thinking about it, I almost feel like we were served the left overs from the Sunday Brunch. From the time we ordered our food to the time it came out was within 5 minutes. Bad food on top of bad service made it very difficult to leave any tip at all. It's going to take a lot for me and any guests to go back.
(1)Jeanne W.
I have eaten here twice. Both meals were good. I REALLY enjoyed the shrimp fajitas. I found out that they have karaoke on Tuesdays so I go for that, too. Not a lot of people at the show, but I hope it grows. It gives me something to do when I am in Victorville, as I come from Bakersfield for work. I have had good service, for the most part. There was a couple of times that I had to ask for a refill, but I could tell that the server was busy.
(4)Eddie V.
Great Sunday brunch. The coldest beer in town. Their sea food dishes are awesome will come back.
(4)Nancy A.
Awful food and pricey for simple dishes Creepy staff hover over you yet don't refill your drinks Guacamole was artificial supermarket stuff and had a strange texture
(1)Ted Z.
This place is not visually impressive or aesthetically pleasing, inside or out, but their food is good, and they make a great Michelada, so they're OK in my book! This building is run down from the outside, and it's not much better on the inside. The only thing it really has going for it in that department is the location, which is excellent. It's literally right next to the RT 15 ramps, and right next to the Victorville mall as well...and it's all about location, they say. The food is surprisingly good, especially at a very modest price. What you don't get to enjoy in atmosphere, you make up in low prices due to low overhead. The dishes are also huge...so you can either share, or you'll certainly have leftovers. The dishes seem pretty authentically Mexican, so if that's important, you'll prob like the menu here. The chips and salsa they serve is very good, too. The service here seems fine. The entire staff speaks Spanish as a primary language, so if you speak it, that will probably help your cause. They are nice, attentive people, though. I've never had a problem here. Overall, if you're looking for reasonable, good, authentic Mexican food, this is a good choice. The restaurant won't impress you on looks, but you won't leave hungry or dissatisfied with the food or service. 3.5/ 5 stars
(3)Kelly M.
Nasty food. My soup tastes old or canned. My boyfriend's burrito was bland. Salsa was weirdly sweet and they only give you a tiny bit. Chips weren't fresh. Everything was overpriced. We waited a long time for the check. Idk man, it was gross.
(1)D W.
Great food. Great service. Roberto takes good care of us. Margaritas, chips and salsa!, enchilada, tacos yum! Cheers!
(5)Dr. Mel J.
4 stars instead of 5 stars only because it is notably more expensive here than other Mexican restaurants in the area. I was there yesterday evening. It was my 3rd visit. The food is fantastic; service is phenomenal. I really like the fact that they take a team-approach toward table service. As different servers would walk by they would comment or question "Do you need another drink?" or "How is your meal?". Very kind staff. As far as ambiance goes - it is very clean. Yes, it's a bit older, but I wouldn't describe it as run-down...just older. The seating arrangements easily allow for more intimate meals/dates, although it has always been very noisy when I've been there. I do find it a bit peculiar that there are very few female employees. I always see just one, in a little booth area by the front door. That's not a complaint - just an observation.
(4)Brian L.
Went with wife and 5 year old daughter. it was a friday night and they put us next to the bar where it was loud and obnoxious. that was bad enough. the food was so so. after living here for a decade and driving past it each week, pretty anti-climatic. anyways, we all got sick, I mean all of us at the same instant, on the drive home, all of us nearly crapping our pants as we raced like hell to make it to our three bathroom home. it was close. we just barley made it, each of us running in different directions once the front door opened. it was like the gate lifting at a horse race, cause once it was opened, we all just bolted to the different bathrooms. worst.dinning.experience.ever.
(1)Grace A.
Meh, recommended to come here by the hotel staff. The place was easy to find and is quite a nice looking building. The staff was great, very attentive and polite. Refills of beverages, chips, and salsa were quick. The food, was just OK. The chips were great, but the salsa had little flavor. I ordered a burrito dish which came with beans and rice. The rice was OK, but the beans had a fishy taste, like they were made with bad oil. The tortillas were a little gummy. I gave it 3 stars mainly for the service and ambience, but agree with others that it is very bland food.
(3)Judy D.
Was here yesterday ... And I gotta say I was a little off about this place just because it looked so non convincing .... But the food is really good , the interior decor is a little dim inside. ... Maybe just adding a little more lighting. But. Seems like that is their style ..... The service was really good and our waiter was very consistent with checking up with us every few minutes and. Refilling our drinks ... We started with appetizers and we got the beef flautas... Oh my they were so good. Crispy and just right ... I also got the enchiladas suizas and a chile relleno... The chile relleno was great loved it . This is the closest to homemade Mexican food and it's hard for me to say cause I'm Mexican and I think my mom is the best cook ... So saying this is close to homemade its a lot... I really loved this place ... I think it's better than pancho villa. Plus is a little more quieter .. Highly recommend this place.. Just heads up it's a little pricey but worth it.....
(5)Alvina H.
Best fajitas in the area. Sunday brunch is also delicious with complimentary champagne. My only complaint is the chile verde. Used to be better - not sure what they've done different. Friendly all-male waiters who always great you with "good evening, Amigos!".
(4)Cari B.
Stopped on the road back to Vegas from LA. Hungry and tired wasn't expecting such a fabulous meal from a freeway side Mexican Restaurant but Wow were we surprised! The salsa is home made, spicy and full of flavor. As is the cabbage they serve yum! The special was shrimp avocado enchiladas. Superb!!!
(5)stephanie r.
Food is great, staff is friendly, all the chips and salsa one would ever want and the drinks are amazing.
(5)Debbie P.
New manager there the brunch is amazing the champagne keeps on flowing very happy very satisfied haven't been there in a long time but will be going back and they're supposed to remodel the place finally
(5)Erin B.
Came in on Easter morning with a big group of family. While looking over the menu an older gentlemen came to collect our drink order. He skipped over taking a few of our drinks and turned to walk away as if he had all our orders when two of us halted him to give him our orders. He heard us and instead of turning around and walking back over to our table to get our orders he just stood back by the the table behind us where we had to talk over the people behind our table to tell him our drinks and then without looking at us he nodded acknowledging he wrote down our drinks. My mother, who ordered her drink before he turned, had clearly asked him for a mimosa and we watched him scribble it down on his notepad, he brought us all our drinks except for my mothers mimosa. After he gave us our drinks and took our orders, 10 minutes went by and he came back to check on us and my mother asked him about her missing mimosa, it was then he said "We don't sell mimosas!" Then he said "but I'll make you one" after that my husband and I were a bit bothered by his poor attitude and chose to pay for my ice tea and go eat elsewhere on our way home.
(2)Cindy M.
Harresses at the door! Wow! Thanks over a hat? And chain wallet?!! Come on! Bouncer walking around with a dirty look looking at me. Last time I'll be here!
(1)Dylan P.
I love El Tio Pepe. The staff have been there for years and care about the tables they are working at. I've tried most things on the menu and have not been disappointed yet, so I suggest giving it a try.
(4)Peter H.
Uncle Pepe does a few things well and the rest you can skip. I like that Mexican people actually eat here. That's a good sign. Look at P.F. Changs - do you see any Chinese dudes eating there? The basic ingredients that are good are the shredded meats because the flavor has opportunity to work its way into the meat. Examples of really good: Shredded beef dishes like machaca beef with scrambled eggs, shredded beef tamales. Shredded chicken dishes like the enchiladas are tasty and tender. Also good is the albondigas soup. Thing to avoid: dishes with chunks of beef like the steak picado. It's dry and tough. Thing to try: Guacamole is fresh made, chunky avocado fantastic. It goes particularly well with the also thick crispy delicious house tortilla chips. Thing to avoid: Camarones. You won't get sick or anything like that. They are just overcooked and rubbery. Thing to try: hard tacos or anything with a crispy fried tortilla like a tostada or the chips and guacamole. Finally, chile relleno is good. Rice and beans are neutral and as good as other Mexican restaurants.
(4)Nikki V.
Hands down the BEST champagne brunch ever! The food was out of this world and the selection endless! Keep it up guys, you're doing phenomenal!
(5)Crystal O.
This is my first time writing a review on a restaurant. I ordered shrimp tostada and shrimp cocktail. I waited a long time for my order! My order finally came out and the tostada was soggy my shrimp cocktail tasted like if it was shrimp with ketchup. I asked my waiter if I can speak to the manager because I was not going to eat the shrimp cocktail anymore and that it just tasted like ketchup. But I would still pay for the shrimp tostada that I ordered. He goes and speak to the manager and the manager says that I have to pay for both items because I ordered them. I proceed to tell the manager that I didn't like The Shrimp Cocktail because it tasted like nothing but ketchup. He proceeds to tell me Sorry but I cannot NOT charge you. So I say okay do you give Military Discount he proceeds to say no sorry. All I'm trying to say if you're in town and you see this restaurant don't stop! try something else even if it is fast food! It will be better than this place this place is garbage!
(1)Veronica B.
Hard shell beef tacos are good...rice & beans are really good.... dont I repeat dont get the horchata pure sugar its so gross!!! u just see all the sugar on the bottom yuck!!!... chips are good homemade salsa is good too!!!!!
(5)Micheal R.
Great place for brunch. Lots of yummy choices, but my favorite is the menudo. Its pull of goodness, if you are into that kind of stuff. The service is also very good.
(4)Brandon D.
Warm chips, great salsa, super good guacamole amazing salads with homemade dressing, and the food is great. I always get.Zarapes which are amazing. Our favorite server is Victor, he always makes us feel wanted and taken care of, and always remembers us and our orders lol. Overall my favorite Mexican restaurant for sure. Only complaint would be the rice is kinda bland. But if you add some salsa it's good. The deep fried ice cream is amazing as well. Definitely recommend this restaurant. I don't drink so I can't comment on the alcohol here, but the weekends are always super packed in the bar so they must be good
(5)Cindy R.
Came here for breakfast. I got the Huevos con Machacha ( eggs with shredded beef and bell peppers). It was really good. Place is a little dark but clean. Didn't get a chance to check out the restrooms but the staff was VERY nice. Coffee is weak but food was excellent.
(4)Laura L.
This was without a doubt the worst restraunt experience I have ever had. We had just had our food delivered and had started to eat when I noticed a chewed piece of gum folded in the liner of our tortilla chip bowl!! I demanded to see the manager and he apologized saying that they are supposed to change the paper in the chip bowl every time. Not wash the bowl every time but change the paper!! So disgusted!!
(1)lucy h.
This is a great spot for people stopping by on their way to and from Vegas - but as a local you have many other Mexican food options - don't make this one. The food is eh, the drinks are pricey, and the last time I was at the bar after 10pm - there was a huge fight that broke out with some cholos fighting over some chick on the dance floor. The cops were called and everyone bounced. Avoid.
(2)Green And G.
I am amazed at the ratings for this place. As many other reviewers, we tried this place on our way home from Vegas. It was late and we did not want to eat fast food so we tried this place. The food was not good but what upset me more is that my son got sick after eating there. Not going back.
(1)Gabriel S.
Meh. Over cooked meat in my tacos al carbon=dryness. Wait staff just attentive enough, however it took fifteen minutes for the waiter to come over. Overall, below average. Probably would come back for a happy hour in the bar area, but not to dine.
(2)Linda J.
Went at 2:00 in the afternoon. Party of six. Everyone loved the tacos. Good cheese enchilada and chile relleno. Excellent service, very friendly waiters. Will definitely go again.
(4)Jenn M.
Always enjoyed the food and happy hour prices but the service was a little bad. They have made some changes and the service has improved greatly. If its been a while since you have been there, given it a try.
(4)JR C.
This is rural Los Angeles, so you should expect smaller mom and pops scattered all over the place. This place is a bit bigger than your standard mom and pop. Think El Toritos but not as franchised. Nothing too impressive about the interior other than a huge bar area that didn't look busy at all. A place like this looks like it could have potential, but it's just not doing the job. -=-Shrimp and chicken enchiladas-=- split these since I was more or less having a tour de sample of the area. It was not the greatest anything. It was palatable food, so I won't go around saying I didn't get my fill here. There's always the drippy complimentary salsa and chips to treat yourself to. I didn't taste the shrimp as much but maybe the chicken was just too overbearing. The sauce and cheese made this plate what it was, but sometimes you just need to have a bit more flavor in other areas in order to call it good food. Pass on this plate, try something else.
(3)Bridget P.
This place has been around forever. It was one of the "fancier" restaurants in the HD before Restaurant Row was around. Basically, you come here for the atmosphere, location, and familiarity because you've ALWAYS gone here, not for the food. The inside is dark, old school, and very detailed. You can tell not much has changed in the decades they've been around. We were seated in a back booth with cushions that were graduated in size, so we sat the taller people on one side of the table and the shorter people on the other side so we could all be around the same height. I liked the cute paper "Mexican Fiesta" placemats that taught you Spanish phrases. The server spoke to my mom in Spanish the whole time, so we just let her handle everything. This isn't the best Mexican food in Victorville. The tortilla soup was okay and had mozzarella cheese in it, but I'm never one to complain about cheese. My mom's tostada salad was a simple one with avocado, lettuce, olives, tomato, and not much else, with no dressing. The shrimp and avocado enchiladas I split were just okay, but a little dry. I didn't even care about taking the rest home with me. Service was friendly and this place is a well-known landmark, but no one really comes here for the food. They always have drink specials, and a separate cantina with salsa nights (Tues and Thurs, I believe) and a DJ on the weekends.
(3)Robyn L.
Delicious food. Good service. Convenient on/off freeway. I had Pepe's burrito and it was delicious. Healthy portion of food.
(4)Maria B.
I am not from the area. I stopped here after accompaning my boyfriend for a job he had in Victorville. We were lucky enough to step in for Sunday Brunch! It's an all-you-can eat Mexican-food buffet! Plus you get a bottle of champagne along with your brunch. We loved it! Friendly, helpful, and funny staff!
(5)Shari H.
Looking for a place to eat on the drive to LA, this one was selected by a friend. One look at the condition of the restaurant and the not-very-clean interior and I was searching the menu for something "safe" to order. I decided something fried might be my best choice, but after literally one bite I thought starving would be the best option.
(1)Chuck F. C.
The place is pretty dark. The carnitas plate I ordered was good my wife's shrimp plate was a little to sweet with the addition of the pineapples. The service was on point, very attentive.
(5)Cindy M.
I'm only giving this place two stars because of the nice waiter, the tortilla soup, & the chips with salsa. The food was horrible & expensive! If you want to have a couple drinks with some chips & salsa then this is the place but I don't recommend any of the food. I just moved to the High Desert and have been craving some good Mexican food but can't find the place! I'm getting ready to just fly my mom over to cook some real Mexican food!
(2)Todd P.
Imagine a restaurant that served Mexican specifically for old people. Most of the food was pretty bland. The chips and salsa (after salt) were pretty good, as was the flan, hence three stars instead of the 2 that a "meh" restaurant deserves. Everything else I got (flauta, mini burrito, tostada, and zarapes) had very little flavor.
(3)Cheryl Y.
I don't care what any body say, my hubby and I came here to eat on our bday in 2012 and got really sick ! In 2013 we decided to give it another shot, ordering the same food. We got sick AGAIN !......first off, the food came Super. Fast, and was Microwave Hot !. So I'm convinced that the Pathogen Bacteria was high otherwise what could it be. NEVER NEVER Again. I have to put a rating to post, so 1 Star.
(1)Vanessa O.
Never again will we eat here. Terrible food. The beans were burned the rice was salty.. It was not good food at all. Would not recommend anyone to eat there.
(1)Randy B.
Very surprised at the low overall ratings -- it's a great place! I've been here about 8 times, and have had consistently great service, warm food, and enjoyed it each and every time. Donato is a great server who seems to always be there...and I would recommend that you ask for his area to dine in. On Sundays, their buffet brunch is fantastic! A long table setup with both hot and cold foods...and during football season, they have numerous flatscreens in the bar area. If that's not enough, their fajitas are not better anywhere else I've been. I don't understand why other reviewers have rated El Tio Pepe so low. Growing up in SoCal where mexican food is a large part of our regular diet, I feel I know what I am talking about! Plus, in an area like Victorville with a large latin population, they have to be doing something right to be in business for so many years! In my opinion, this is a great place to stop in the long drive between LA and Vegas, and I look forward to dining here again!
(4)Bre N.
I was a little worried when I saw the "B" inspection letter. I don't think I've ever seen anything lower than an A-...ever. We tried it anyway. It looked pretty clean from what I could see. The chips and salsa were really good. I am a huge salsa nut, and I can't stand grocery store brands. This salsa was awesome. The husband got enchiladas and I got beef fajitas. Overall, both meals were pretty bland. They tasted fresh....but bland. I had to cake mine with salt, pepper, and salsa. -The service was pretty quick and they were friendly...although I could barely understand one of the servers. -The restroom was clean and surprisingly had a baby changing table. -I probably won't eat here again. I don't believe it was worth $50.00. Overall, I would not recommend if you are looking for authentic mexican food. I have definitely had better.
(2)Bryce M.
Pretty so,so. Staff was good. Chips and salsa was good. The meals were standard nothing special. Wouldn't go again, but wouldn't turn anyone away. I know people have different tastes when it comes to Mexican food.
(3)Omar V.
Excellent chips and salsa :-) Right off the freeway. Great place to stop between LA and Vegas
(4)Don P.
I'm torn between a two and a one. The food isn't great, but a lot of middle aged people show up for the night life. People do seem to enjoy the dancing, but I can't stand what looks like a decent shot glass that holds VERY little alcohol. late 30 and forty somethings keep this place in business.
(1)Youdont I.
I came here with my family for the first time the service was fast and the waiter was very helpful but, the food was not worth putting in a box to take home so we ate what we ate and left the rest..I gave a star to each person that helped us, The Host, The Chip and Salsa guy and our Waiter....
(3)Lena B.
I moved out of the area about 3 years ago and El Tio Pepe is still my favorite Mexican restaurant! I always eat here anytime I come back up to Victorville. It's the closest thing to homemade, the salsa, chile relleno, flautas, and carnitas are my favorite. The staff is always so nice and on top of everything.
(5)Melissa D.
It was alright, but I was expecting better for a Mexican restaurant in the high desert. The good stuff: - Chips and salsa were tasty and the waiter brought out some extra spicy salsa for one of my cohorts - Seating was plentiful at lunch time The not so good stuff: - The place was pretty dirty, especially the bathrooms - No lunch menu that I could see of - Enchiladas were not very flavorful - Guac tasted odd. Not good, not fresh. - Got some horrific heartburn and sour stomach later in the day. I'm not prone to heartburn, so... If I'm back in Victorville or the HD for work, I'll probably look elsewhere.
(2)Jen R B.
This place is awesome! Huge portions and the food is tasty. My boyfriend and I stopped by on the way back from Vegas and this place just popped up. We sat in the sports bar area to catch the last few minutes of the football game that day. I loved their tortilla soup...it was so yummy I thought to order another cup but luckily my boyfriend stopped me. He said the food would fill me up and it was going to be too much food. BOY WAS HE RIGHT! This long plate was stuffed with rice, beans, mini burrito (looked like a regular size for me), an enchilada and a taco. MMM... it was so good, I felt sad I couldn't finish more bites. Because my throat wasn't feeling too great, the soup had me at hello. I was very happily surprised to have made a stop in here. My boyfriend told the waiter he wished they had a place like that closer to home. You will love this place!
(5)Mario F.
Of course there are better places to go, but when I want mexican food and don't feel like waiting for a long time at another place I come here. They always can seat right away. I've heard their bar is great but have never gone. You can always expect fast service, it seems like other mexican restaurants up here take forever to serve and bring food. That won't happen here.
(3)Antoinette P.
We came here on the way back from Vegas when we were dying of hunger and needed something good to fill us up on the rest of our drive to San Diego. My friends and I were in the mood for Mexican and so we stopped at El Tio Pepe...and we were not disappointed in the least bit. I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas and they were delicious...the chicken was the perfect mix of tender and juicy...and the beans and rice were great too. I also enjoyed the tortilla soup that came with the meal as it was very cheesy...and good. My friends had different enchilada meals as well and we all thoroughly enjoyed them. We also had no wait and our waitor was extremely attentive. The one thing I didn't like was that they share the space w/a nightclub on the weekends and so if you go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night to dinner, and nature calls, prepare to have to deal w/some obnoxious, drunk people while trying to use the restroom. I have never seen so many of those people in the bar area before..maybe I got unlucky and they were all there this one night....maybe it isnt usually like this but it was really annoying and when I was trying to wash my hands, a couple of the girls that were in line wouldnt move so I could dry my hands and when I asked them politely to move, and they just gave me dirty looks and then finally moved. Now this isnt the restaurant's fault, I am pretty sure I just got unlucky, so I don't hold the restaurant accountable at all....but other than that one experience, I had a wonderful time in the restaurant itself and would definitely go back as the food tasted very authentic and we had great service. I docked it one star simply because I have only been there one time.
(4)Brett R.
Just a good ol regular mexican restaraunt. about what you'd expect. decent service, decent selection, decent prices. I'd guess that it's great for football with the bar and tv's, but i hate football.
(3)Roxanne M.
Tortilla soup!! Get the tortilla soup!! I always get good service here. The foods good and the prices are fair. It's an old restaurant but they are getting ready to redo it. It's not a chain restaurant and that makes me happy. All in all good food and good service.
(4)Andrew E.
My wife and I went out to eat and were looking for a nice restaurant and this place looked like it is in a prime spot and nice from the outside view. We like to eat in restaurant bars when we do not have our kids with us for the quick service and environment. This bar was like we were eating in a dive restaurant in downtown Tijuana. The bartender had no idea what he was doing. I ordered two beers and asked about ordering food. The bartender told me that it was a crazy night and we would have to wait a while to get food menus. I looked around and there was about twelve people in this bar wtf. We sat in this dark bar and uncomfortably drank our beers, I closed my tab and we left for fear that the food would reflect the unprofessional service we have so far received. Upon paying with a debit card for our two beers, we were mistakenly charged over $50 for someone elses bill, which I had to have corrected. We have never sat in the dining area to eat but based on our experience we will not return to this place.
(1)Vanessa T.
I have eaten here many times before and everything was fine despite there constant B health ratings for major food temperature violations. I am about 99 percent sure there was a fried cock roach in our chips, the waiter didn't even care nor look at it and said it was a fried onion. I just know it was a bug, I wanted it to be a fried onion so bad but I had it in my hand and I could even see the little legs but he insisted it was an onion, I didn't want to eat there any more but didn't want to be a pain to my fiancé so I Let it go And than they bring my vegetarian tacos and they had totally scraped the meat out of a regular taco there was meat every where. That's when I had had enough and we left.
(1)Robert A.
The wait staff is friendly, food is good and prices are good as well. If you are expecting totally authentic Mexican food you may be a little disappointed, however it is still a good place to eat and the food is tasty and well presented. I would recommend this place to a friend.
(3)Dana L.
My husband and I decided to try this place for lunch. We were seated right away with drinks and chips n salsa delivered to table within minutes. We both got the carnitas burrito special with rice n beans which came with soup or salad for 9.99. It was a lot of food for the price. Our server was attentive and friendly. We will go back again.
(3)JJ L.
My wife and I have only lived in the area a few years but have always enjoined having dinner here. We both grew up "down the hill" and have had our share of quality Mexican food stops. This place is plenty good and we often take friends and family there if they come up to the area for a visit. Service is normally timely and GREAT FOOD! Will happily return again.
(4)Greg C.
This place has to have some of the worst service ever. I can't remember the last time I waited that long for a soda. The food was less than desirable and I swear the chilli verde was made from canned roast beef. It was the first and last time for us. i would not recommend this place to any of my friends.
(2)Pgirl C.
My husband and I have only gone there a couple times and that's been a couple times too much. As was mentioned in a previous review, they seat you immediately but once you're seated you don't get helped. Waiters are walking back and forth by you but no one asks if you've been helped. The food is awful. Being Mexican myself you can just tell the beans come out of a can, the salsa comes out of a bottle and the rice is pretty dry. The entire restaurant is poorly lit and gives the impression of simply being "shady". My biggest mistake was to go to the restroom. Its pretty small with only 2 stalls and when i went to reach for the toilet paper just to blow my nose, there are bugs flying around and sitting on the toilet seat. The restrooms look like they are cleaned once a month and in the next stall was a girl that was puking from having drunk too much in the adjoining dance/disco area. I'm just waiting for the Pancho Villas to open on Restaurant Row and hopefully finally have a better dine-in experience at a Mexican Food restaurant.
(1)Myka D.
The only two things that were good here were the service and the guacamole. Food was horribly bland and the chips were stale.
(2)A B.
Free Salsa lessons Tuesday 6pm to 8pm
(5)Millie J.
Decent Mexican food. Great combo plates for 10 bucks.
(2)Lynda K.
I went with a friend of mine and had a similar experience to a previous reviewer. We were seated right away but had to wait forever for someone to come take our order. They didn't refill the drinks or the chips, and when the food finally came out, it was cold and extra salty. I won't be returning.
(1)Julie V.
#NAME?
(3)Sandy D.
I used to work in a restaurant and I know the difference between good and bad dining. This was really bad. Service was slow. Food came to the table cold (The beans were crusted over like they had been sitting on the plate a while) the silverware was dirty (one spoon had a chunk of rice stuck to it), and the Carnitas were flavorless. Definitely would not recommend it.
(1)Richard B.
I'd rather just spend my money at Alburtos in the gas station across the street really...if you like chips and salsa then yeah, it's probably better, but it's pretty expensive just for that benefit.
(2)Kareen C.
A friend and I went there for lunch on Nov. 25, 2011. AWFUL! I love Mexican food, but this was below sub par. I had Huevos Rancheros. Bland, no chile (red or green). lukewarm and the waiter was not all that great. The salsa tasted as if it had tomato juice added to it to stretch it. The chips were obviously put together from different batches (not fresh). The worst part occurred about 8 hours later, when I came down with a severe case of food poisoning. My friend got a slight case of food poisoning, but mine was terrible! Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps for more than 24 hours. My appetite is still not back to normal, but the worst symptoms passed. Still have diarrhea, but at least I can keep food and water down. DON'T GO HERE! I'll never be back. This is the restaurant in Victorville.
(1)Preston C.
This place is a horrible excuse for mexican food, it has been it the H.D. for years and i had never been there so i figured i was missing out on something and should not miss another minute! We waited far to long to be seated on a sunday evening. Our margaritas were very weak, more like a slushy. The chips were stale and salsa tased like it came out of a jar minutes before being set in front of me. Friends the best of the worst has yet to come, Some girl next to me was RAVING about how delicious her veggie burrito was. So i decided to go with that because how can you mess that up right? In all seriousness i got a tortilla with out of the bag steamed broccoli,Cauliflower,carrots and cabbage with some cheese sprinkled on top. WTF? really?? I will never ever go back, Im highly unimpressed with everything from the moment i walked in.
(1)Nicole W.
My family and I have been coming to El Tio's for years. Everyone knows me since I was a little girl. Great chips and salsa. Great enchiladas and soups! The margaritas are amazing, especially the strawberry ones! Love love love El Tio's!!
(5)Christy H.
El Tio Pepe was a cute restaurant with a fairly simple menu and yummy chips and salsa. They did have a pretty awesome special for two people for only $25. You get a giant plate of sizzling meat (chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp, steak, carnitas, and chorizo), tortillas, and two plates of rice and beans! Awesome amount of food for the price. It could easily feed three people. A few cons: the horchata had a weird aftertaste (according to my sister) and the chicken tortilla soup tasted kind of bland (also, there was mozzarella cheese in the soup? that was bizarre). UPDATE: I suffered from terrible heartburn after my meal... which sucked because I like to think I have an iron stomach. So not sure if it was from dinner or something else. But, yeah. Heartburn sucks.
(3)Sara C.
I dont know why the previous reviews are bad....I have never had a problem with food coming out cold. Chips and salsa was refilled within min of the basket getting empty. The waiter took our order when we were ready and refilled drinks 1-3 times. Price wasnt too bad either. Pretty big portions, enough to take home.
(4)