From gringo-safe chains to hole-in-the wall taquerias, the streets of Phoenix are lined with Mexican restaurants -- except much of that food in the past has been as much "border" as "south of the border." In other words, many local favorites serve food associated with Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora directly below it on the map. In recent years, the Mexican food choices have become more geographically diverse in Phoenix, but it's important not to forget restaurants that offered Mexican beyond Sonoran long before it was fashionable to do so.
chili verde
Pepe's is one of those old school Mexican restaurants that never allowed itself to be pigeonholed as exclusively Sonoran. The original Pepe hailed from Monterrey, Mexico's third largest metropolitan area and a center for commerce and industry. It's not a border city, but it's not a seaside resort town either. Instead, it's probably about as close to the Mexican heartland as can be imagined. The word "heartland" connotes stability, and the restaurant has existed since 1981 in a storefront two blocks west of the 19th Avenue / Camelback light rail station.
carne asada tacos
Now under the management of a younger generation within Pepe's family, the restaurant has undergone some expansion, leading to a potentially confusing situation with multiple doors facing the street. The one to use is the door farthest to the east, which makes it the one closest to the rail station and most distant from the parking lot. There is no bike rack, but it is possible to lock up using one of the posts outside the restaurant. Just be careful not to secure any personal transportation to the metal furniture for sale on the patio of the neighboring furniture store.
rolled tacos
The restaurant's interior is an ad-hoc mix of beer promotional decor, pictures of matadors and wrestlers, and a multitude of images of Frida Kahlo. Most of the seating is in high-backed booths, although there are a few sunnier tables near the windows. A bar counter is set back inside the restaurant, and there's also a second dining room suitable for large groups. In each setting, service always begins with a basket of fresh chips and two salsas in squeeze bottles. They're both red and not easily differentiated, but the one with more visible seeds is a bit hotter.
Taco Monterrey, Taco Siberia, and olla beans
Just like the foods often associated with the heartland in the United States, Monterrey's cuisine is oriented heavily toward beef, chicken, and pork but little in the way of seafood except for shrimp tacos. Regional specialties include the Taco Monterrey with a mixture of machaca and scrambled eggs and the Taco Siberia, named for La Siberia restaurant in Monterrey where it originated. With its mildly flavored fillings of shredded chicken, avocado, and sour cream double wrapped in flour tortillas, the latter also seems like it could be named for its snowy whiteness.
creamy chicken mushroom enchiladas
There are also many familiar favorites from the kitchen. Chili verde is tender, satisfying, and spicy, noticeably more so than the red chili colorado also offered. Grilled beef is served either as a big steak or as finely minced carne asada. In tacos, the meat is seasoned with salt and lime and topped with guacamole, lettuce, and tomato, creating a pleasing contrast of hot and cold sensations within gently crisped tortillas. A trio of rolled tacos are filled with tender tinga and also accessorized with avocado, lettuce, and tomato, as well as some shredded cheese.
chicken mole
Carnitas, crispy tacos, chiles rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, and tostadas are available as combination plates with rice and beans, but it can be worthwhile to upgrade to the olla beans, a small bowl of whole pintos with sliced jalapeΓ±os and bacon in a seasoned broth that creates a sort of thick bean soup. A distinctive item among the combos is the taco rancheros, which are filled with a mixture of chorizo and carnitas. A subset of the combo plates menu featuring the most popular tacos and burritos is offered at reduced prices during lunch service on weekdays.
albondigas
Pepe's adds some variety with specials tied to specific days of the week. On Fridays, albondigas, or big, chewy meatballs, are served in a chipotle broth. Creamy chicken mushroom enchiladas on Wednesdays offer a bit of midweek comfort food, and barbacoa de cabeza (cow's head) and red menudo offer some bolder choices on the weekends. One other weekend feature is shredded chicken served in a complex mole with notes of chocolate, peppers, and many other flavors not so easily identified that complement, rather than compete with, one another.
cheesecake
No dessert is listed on the menu, but sometimes one is available upon request. At times, the choice has been a flan, firmer in texture than the typical custard but still worthwhile. More recently it has been a simple slice of cheesecake drizzled with cajeta and colored syrups. Pepe's bar features a house margarita, a Mexican mule with reposado and ginger beer, and the usual Mexican bottled beer selections with the option to upgrade any of them to a michelada. The best non-alcoholic choices include horchata, iced tea, and bottled Mexican Coke.
Pepe's margarita
With the restaurant now more than four decades old, Pepe's may seem old school, but its regional Mexican offerings are probably more relevant today than ever. Anyone used to Sonoran food can find the usual suspects here, but there's also room to explore and branch out. Pepe's has stayed much the same even as the surrounding Alhambra neighborhood has changed with the construction of light rail and the steady expansion of Grand Canyon University. Since Pepe's was already a little different to begin with, maybe a little heartland continuity is fine just as it is.
2108 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix AZ 85015
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