Red Pepper Cafe

*obligatory ‘bu-​bu-​but this isn’t real Mexican’ opening statement*
Ran by this place on a whim a few weeks back, got out of a doctor’s appt early and wasn’t in a hurry to go into work. Had the breakfast, which was sort of their western omelette. Was disappointed that they were out of chorizo, that would have been perfect with the eggs. And by their reactions, I’m guessing they had been out of chorizo for awhile. I got out of there for just under $ 7 (pre-​tip). There were a few people there that I took to be regulars, all the other foot traffic was sketchy guy — cop — sketchy guy — another cop — another sketchy dude.
My rating is strictly for their breakfast, which I recommend if you are in the area. 3.5

Let me add that I have to say, El Indio, at least in this part of town (34^th St.) location, blows and sets no standard at all!
Everytime I try it I regret it.
Soggy old tortillas, too spicy salsa, expensive for what you get, surly service.

I tried Red Pepper today for a quick lunch because I needed to go to a nearby business to get my car serviced. Red Pepper’s location is pretty good, because there are a number of businesses around and few places to eat, so it’s a logical stop for lunch or breakfast for those who work in the area. Apparently, Red Pepper has replaced a business called the Pit Stop Café and as such, they’re picked up some of the former café’s menu and serve American breakfast dishes, burgers, gyros and now an array of Mexican dishes too.
The people who run Red Pepper are very nice and as they appear to be Mexican, should know what they’re doing. The tostada with chicken I ordered was served as three fairly large tostadas with sour cream, guacamole, refried beans, lettuce and the chicken itself. It all tasted very fresh except the chicken which seemed as if it had been skillet-​fried earlier and warmed up and it was a little tough. Everything, though, was very, very, salty. The guacamole was very good, though also salty, and actually was somewhat spicy which was nice since most Tex-​Mex type Mexican places make it kind of bland.
Altogether, for the chicken tostada, extra guacamole (which I ordered but probably didn’t need as it came with enough), and a large drink (Coke) the totally was exactly $ 8.00. That’s a fair amount more than I would have paid for more or less the same type and amount of food at El Indio, which has a location on NW 34^th Street not too far away. I liked the people here, they seemed really nice, and it’s always great to see a small local business open up, but they need to improve their quality and lower their prices. El Indio has kind of set the standard for cheap, no-​frills, Mexican food in this town and they’d be smart to check out what El Indio is doing and kind of follow their lead.