Pepe’s – Best Fish Tacos in Mexico

Pepe’s Tacos

This is one of those places that is a hidden gem discovered in the right place and at the right time.  It’s a place you’ll remember for it’s obscure location, eccentric characters, rustic decor and unforgettable tacos.  

Walking down the dark alley trailed by a few street dogs, we came upon a gate covered in palm fronds to prevent an outsider from peering in.  Music was pumping and the noise of satisfied diners wafted over the gate. We must be in the right place.

We slowly opened the gate and found ourselves in an open air palm frond covered dining area with four picnic tables (watch out for the nails poking through) filled with people. The guy behind the bar is Pepe and he is tending to a young couple who had just received a couple of cold sweating Victorias. As we found out you have one choice for beer that being Victoria and a couple of options for delicious fresh made juices.     

We took our places behind the couple and watched the ladies hustle in the kitchen behind Pepe.  He tells us on another visit that they are the heart and soul of this place. He couldn’t do it without them. We had a few options for tacos including fish, shrimp, calamari, chicken and vegan.  We placed our order of 2 coconut crusted fish tacos each, or rather we suggested what we wanted. Pepe quickly reassured us that one regular fish taco and one coconut crusted fish taco is the magic ticket.  So going with his recommendations we sat down at a table and waited.

This is the thing with this place. Sometimes it can take a really long time, aka an hour or more, for your tacos and sometimes it comes out within a reasonable time.   Good food takes time and if the house is full it's going to take a bit longer. When our tacos arrived, jaw drop, they were huge and begging to be eaten! Smothered in a house made guacamole, fresh pineapple and slaw each taco is a meal in itself.  To top it all off Pepe brings a trio of sauces that add a final touch of amazing to each taco. We’ve traveled for eight months all over Mexico including Baja and these are our favorite fish tacos so far.

We recommend getting there earlier than later if you want to avoid a really long wait.   That being said, this place is worth it. It’s an experience unlike any other and whenever we talk about it brings a smile to our faces.  Pepe is a character and he is very passionate about making good tasting food and creating an experience. On one occasion he even prepared an amazing little fresh coconut and rum taster for everyone in the house.   He’ll engage you in wild conversations and you can watch joy overflow when happy diners compliment their experience.

In our travel and dining experiences this is the type of place that won’t be this way forever. So if your in the mood for amazing fish tacos, probably the best in Mexico, head over to support the crew at Pepe’s and have an unforgettable time.