Tio Pepe

This Baltimore staple never fails. From the Sangria to Paella to dessert absolutley the best Spanish Restaurant I have ever been to

Went here during restaurant week 2016. The place is unique and has a cool nostalgia vibe with a quaint environment feel. There is an wide array of ppl young to old so no one should feel out of place. The food variety was nice and everything we ordered was tasty. I suggest coming when you have plenty of time to sit and relax. We were here for over 2 hrs. It seemed like our waiter forgot about us multiple times. The blue coat water man was sweet and made me a swan out of tin foil for my leftovers. I would go back but it would be because someone else wanted to go here. Pry wouldn’t go back on my own.

First time dining here! I took my wife for her birthday and we had an amazing time! Great food and excellent service! We will definitely be back soon!

Why is this place so popular? It was fine, but in a city like Baltimore with so many good or great restaurants, fine isn’t complimentary. I remember back in 01 this place being great… but I’m guessing it just hasn’t changed through the years and has grown stale. We started with the mushrooms on toast. Honestly, it was pretty awful. I was expecting fresh mushrooms and herbs over toast points or something like that, but what we got was a piece of white bread with mushrooms I think covered in about seven pounds of cheese sauce. All I tasted was cream and nutmeg. Very disappointing when it could have been so much better. My wife’s salad came out with the appetizer, my salad came out after the appetizer and her salad were complete. My wife had the lobster and chicken with saffron rice, the lobster was overcooked the chicken, thigh meat, was fine. Cooked as it should be. I had veal, which was cooked perfectly, but really was under seasoned. Service was cordial but very slow and I got the distinct impression that they just didn’t care that we were there. As we were leaving I understood why. There was a line out the door, which I just couldn’t understand. We won’t be going back. There are much better Spanish restaurants in Baltimore and DC.

Wow!
Iconic Baltimore restaurant
Excellent fish
Love the spinach
Love the white Sangria
Very good
A favorite
I highly recommend

This was the first time my wife and I ever had paella. It was worth the wait. We had the seafood paella for two and it was incredible. I have a new favorite dish. All of the different seafoods were cooked perfectly, nothing was over done. The Sangrias were awesome. As a app we had some shrimp in garlic butter which also was awesome. We will defiantly make it a tradition when we visit Baltimore.

The food is spectacular! It is normally a, what I believe to be, a suit and tie restaurant, but my friends and I were dressed quite casually and they still seated us and were very friendly. The PINE NUT CAKE is so amazing and even if you are not looking for a sit down, call in and order it to go it is one of my absolute favorite desserts!

Great food. Love the atmosphere. And the sangria is a must!!! I only get to Tio Pepe on special occasions, wish I could get there more often. It’s pricey but definitely worth it.

We have been coming here for 39 years and have never been disappointed. Get the garlic shrimp, then you have a tough decision between the filet or the stuffed rockfish. The you have to finish with pine nut cake. Decadent.

I visited Tio Pepe for my birthday in July. The service was a bit slow (I believe there was a large party being catered to in the next room.) I really wanted to try the paella and read rave reviews about it in Unilocal.It was filling and pretty good. The different meats and the seasoned rice made for a comforting satisfying meal. I wanted to pair my dinner with some wine, so I decided to go for the sangria. It actually was not great– at all. The wine itself was not sweet. The ice only chilled the wine at the top of the glass. The rest was actually pretty lukewarm. I don’t think the fruit was fresh. A person could probably get better sangria at a chain restaurant. Visiting Tio Pepe was more of an experience type of thing. Can’t say I’d race to go back, but the experience I did have was nice.

This is my grandparents’ favorite spot they have us go to for each of their birthdays most years. It’s one of those glorified old time classic restaurants people go for special occasions that dont do much special besides overcharge for typical oversauced nice cuts of spanish meat (no im not referring to the servers). It is always large parties that theyre hustling to bring out everyones generic plates in a hurry.
I have gotten the paella before that was good, but nothing more than it being a plate of rice and all the meat/​fish fixings, a few veal dishes that are always ok, and a shellfish plate that was just covered in a thick orange seafood sauce with plain rice and no veggies. Every plate gets either rice, veggies or both with nothing on any of them. I just really don’t understand why my family keeps coming back here to pay $ 40 a plate for this underflavored, boring slop. Its always beyond packed too, so I’m even more confused.
We always get chocolate souffles at the end which is a saving grace, and the service is good, just so not my cup of tea.

I once would have rated this restaurant as one of Baltimore’s best, but that was 25 years ago. I’ll give it 3 stars for the fond memories but it’s a stretch. It looks worn and tattered. The food quality has taken a dive. Even the tried and true dishes aren’t what they used to be. Table side preparation is all but gone. The service has never been warm but the food once made that irrelevant. The lobster bisque is still top notch. Sad to see a landmark slip from its pedestal.

Came here with s group of 8 and had no issue getting seated. We did however had reservations but the place was not busy when we went. Service was good especially when we had forgot to tell him to separate our bills but was willing to do it at the end. Water was regularly filled and our water level did not go below half.
I ordered the sea bass. It came heavily drowned with sauce. I think that just ruins the dish. The fish was cooked nicely though. They were able to get a crisp on one side but quickly became soggy because of the sauce. The vegetables was pretty good. String beans were a little al dente. The squash was good and the whole potato was okay. Wasn’t seasoned but I was okay with that. I also had the opportunity to try their snails. It was drowned in garlic sauce. The snail was de-​shelled. There was just too much garlic and it really didn’t let the meat stand out a little.
Nobody in our party had issues with their meals. It just wasn’t overwhelmingly impressive. I think their food is usually fairly consistent. The place wasn’t bad, just nothing to write home about. If I had to choose a place for dinner, I would pick somewhere else.

This place is amazing.
This was my second time visiting and I have to say that the food is amazing. I’ve gone with different people and I tend to be very liberal in helping myself to the food my fellow guests order and I have to say I have not tasted a bad choice yet!
The sangria is great, as well as the wine selection. The baked Alaska was an adventure in itself that I will never forget. The atmosphere is very old world which is unique in this area where the restaurants seem to change often.
The only negative thing I have to say about this place is the volume. It can sometimes be a little loud and it seems a little difficult for the waiter to here me at times.
Definitely will be coming back here often.

With the lack of Spanish restaurants in Baltimore, Tio Pepe automatically makes it atop the limited list. It’s not mind blowing, but it’s good and the lack of competition will make those craving for hearty Spanish cuisine happy enough.
Sangria — One of the better red sangria in Baltimore. Love that they don’t skimp on the fruit.
Black bean soup — Surprisingly savory and addicting.
Mussels in Pil-​Pil sauce — Love the thick sauce
Paella — Delicious. Love that there’s just so many ingredients packed into it
Salmon — Large portioned and very tender
Flan — Nothing special, but didn’t disappoint.
Chocolate roll — Not a huge fan… TONS of whipped cream, but o well…
But yea… if you’re craving sangria and paella, you probably won’t find a better place in Baltimore.

I have never been to Tio Pepe before, but my father has, and so we took him this weekend. I called Wednesday afternoon to get a reservation for 4, and the only times they had available were 5 p.m. or after 8 p.m. I took this as a good sign.
According to my father, the restaurant has not changed a bit. The tables are relatively close together, but not on top of one another. The waitstaff is dressed in pretty old school garb, which was cool.
We started with the white sangria, which was delicious, but super strong. Be careful, because it will definitely sneak up on you. My father ordered a gin and tonic, which was also heavy handed. We started with the warm artichoke hearts in hollandaise and the shrimp in garlic sauce. Both were delicious. The garlic sauce was phenomenal, and makes a great bread dip.
We also asked for an order of potato puffs– these are amazing! Definitely ask for them. They are thin sliced potatoes, cooked twice, so they puff up and are hollow inside. Seriously so good.
For entrees, we tried the paella, as well as the filet with béarnaise sauce, and the tio pepe salad and a side of green beans. The food was delicious. The filet was cooked perfectly, served with green beans and another assorted vegetable. The paella was a huge portion, and absolutely delicious. I did notice that it was lacking the crispy rice from the bottom of the pan, but it was outstanding all the same.
After dinner, a young man came over with a dessert tray. We strayed from the norm, and tried the almond roll. If you have never had it, try the pine nut roll. Both are similar– sponge cake with pastry cream filling and nuts on top. The pastry cream did have an orange tint to it, which I don’t remember, but was delicious. The almonds on top were almost candied, which added a fair amount of sweetness to it. We also had the crème caramel, which was similar to a crème brûlée, and also delicious.
The table seated next to us recommended a Spanish coffee for dessert, which we declined, but another table in our area ordered it. The presentation is pretty cool. The server rolled out a cart, with a small burner on it, and lights the liquor on fire, then rims the glass in sugar, which also catches fire, and then the fire is put out with the hot coffee being poured into the glass. They finish it with whipped cream. It was about half alcohol and half coffee from the looks of it. The presentation was really cool.
Overall, we had an excellent time. Tio Pepe is an old school restaurant, with excellent service and food. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for authentic, delicious, Spanish food in Baltimore.

Amazing service! top quality! Awesome «hidden» entries… And appetizers that you don’t have on a menu and only know when you come in as a regular customer.
Today we had a young pig and so great appetizer with oysters …
Pig was just a little bit dry. Chef and waiter Claudio was amazing… They offer to us another dish if we want and second one was so juicy and delicious that I could not resist resist to not to write a testimonial …
Thank you CHEF and waiter CLAUDIO.
Alexander
Http;//Www.natalology.com

Buy yourself a slice of old Baltimore and visit Tio Pepe!
Tios is a restaurant in Baltimore that has been servings some of the richest food in the city for a very, very long time. This restaurant delivers a very distinct experience that is not for everybody, but if this is your first time going, there are a few things you need to know to truly immerse yourself in the experience that is Tio Pepe.
The most important thing to know is that your experience will be completely different if the staff knows who you are or you grew up with the restaurant… mostly because the best dishes are not on the menu. Also, this is a long, rich meal… pace yourself.
You will walk through the red awning on Franklin street and down the steps into a subterranean den and are greeted by a small but powerful bar. The drinks are fabulous but save yourself for dinner… and the Sangria.
You are then seated by the host, identified by his jacket colour.
If they do know you, the kitchen will send out Soufflé Potatoes which are out of this world. If they don’t, ask for them… they are delicious and addictive.
Order the shrimp in garlic sauce for your appetizer then sop up the extra sauce using the bread they bring to the table. This will become an instant favorite and you will end up order this combination every time you go.
Next, the infamous Sangria. Every table is good for at least two orders of Sangria, which will arrive at your table in the restaurants signature carafes. The best Sangria I have every head and the best fruit as well. Careful though, you may want to drinks slowly because they sneak up on you.
Next, go with the seafood salad, which will include enormous pieces of delicious seafood and fruit. If you want to keep your meal on the lighter side, you can order this salad as an entre and not as a salad. The presentation is very impressive.
Time to order your entre… As I mentioned before the best items are not on the menu. My go to has always been the Three-​Fishes. Which offers three large pieces of delicious fish covered with the richest cream and tomato based sauces… with crab meat and vegetables on top. Incredible.
You won’t be able to finish dinner, it’s too much food, but thats the point. By now your a few glasses of Sangria in and everyone is having a great time.
Desert is very special at Tio Pepe. Their pine nut cake is one of my favorite desserts anywhere. The custard filling of this cake will have you coming back for more and the pine nuts sprinkled on top are simply divine.
Next is the Spanish coffee, which is a bit of a show. The drink is very sweet, a bartender will roll out a cart and begin by pouring liquor into the glass and proceed to light it on fire, producing sugar around the glass’s rim. Then more liquor is poured in the glass and lit on fire… then extinguished with coffee. The thickest cream you have ever seen is then plopped on top. Take one sip and your in heaven.
This dining experience is unique and nostalgic, the food is rich and tremendous.
Enjoy!

Tio Pepe reminds me of the set of a mafia movie. It’s just too bad I didn’t find the food all that particularly amazing.
The ambiance of Tio Pepe is something to behold. We were surrounded by elderly (60+) men and women, all who were obviously quite well-​off — and many loud conversations were being had. It was like a Baltimore-​filtered Goodfella’s scene, albeit with a more Spanish flavor. To that end, I felt extremely out of place, but amused. «Old World» is a nice description, but this is «Old World» on steroids.
The food is, however, not exactly amazing. We ordered paella and got a huge monstrosity of a dish worthy of the price — it had a whole lobster, tons of sausage, tons of shrimp, and huge handfuls of other expensive ingredients. Sad to say, it was simply overwhelming — while the flavor was good, it wasn’t really cohesive, and it felt more like an eating challenge and less like a carefully prepared meal. With food like that, I certainly won’t complain about price — but something a bit more carefully orchestrated would have been nice.

Not impressed.
Went for restaurant week bc I’ve been hearing such great things about this place and really wanted to try it out. Well, check that off the list.
I Had Mussels, Paella, and Flan. The food was OK, but nothing I’m rushing back for. Shrimp in the paella was over cooked, sauce for the mussels seemed ‘thick’ to me, and the flan was just flan… I’m glad I only paid $ 30 for my meal otherwise I would have been mad. I actually brought home leftover paella, but was so unimpressed by it that I just ended up throwing it out.
The place is a musty, underground maze of smaller dining rooms with outdated furniture and décor. Part of me was excited about the ‘old style’ charm, the other part was scared. :-)
Also, my friend and I (in our 30s) were definitely the youngest customers by far. Place was filled with 70+year olds. I guess it’s an old time favorite of there’s?
All in all… Probably won’t be back. :-/