Pepo’s Cafe

I was very disappointed. Tasteless lacking seasoning if you doing Cuban do. It is known you have to cater to the American pallet but your are cuban

Ok. so I must admit I fully expected not to like the food here. I’ve passed it a few times and always said oh I don’t think it would be as good as a few other Latin places. Today I was in the area so I decided to stop in. They had a lunch special $ 5.75 for ¼ chicken and two sides. I ordered it with Moro Rice and Plantains.
The menu isn’t huge but you’ll find typical Latin dishes on it.
The Moro rice was seasoned well. The chicken was juicy (I didn’t expect this because it was sitting on the hot bar). All in all I will be back.

Decided to choose the nearest Cuban spot near me, and it was exactly as great as I expected. The waitress had broken English, she almost screwed up my order, but I would not hold that against her or the restaurant. I assume she still learning English.
The food however was great. I had the Steak sandwich with 2 ham croquettes, 2 empanadas, and a large coffee. Everything was fantastic!!! Definitely recommend to anyone in the area!
Thanks Pepo’s Café!!!

Great spot. Typical. Super slow service. Don’t come here if you are in hurry. I come here often. Food is great. If they are overwhelmed be patient. If not, your eggs may taste like fish:) okay, only one experience. I never said anything. Be specific as to what you want and you will be okay. I eat breakfast here every week or so. You will see a lot of regulars.

My first visit recently was on an early Sunday afternoon to this Cuban cafeteria style restaurant. Over the years I have enjoyed many of Tampa’s Cuban restaurants. Some better than others. I remember the good and superior Cuban cooking which was my anticipation at Pepos due to the reviews.
My baked chicken was cut with a fork tender and my companion’s shredded beef was fresh and tender too.
My beef, pardon the pun, with Pepo’s is with the side dishes. I ordered Caldo Gallego (turnip green) soup. What I got was a passable bean soup without a lot of flavor. Missing were the turnips, chorizo sausage, and ham. Granted this isn’t the Columbia however they may want to visit their recipe or call it white bean soup.
The Tostones I ordered were full of oil and over cooked. Yellow Rice is very bland and could use some added flavor as well as more vegetables. I could see there was steady business here offering a variety on their menu including «trout» ala Rusa which the server said was actually Talapia and a Paella which I didn’t try. They also have the Cuban standby’s: crab cake, stuffed potatoes and empanadas as well as deserts like Flan. Espresso and Café con leche were authentic.
Since it’s cafeteria style, if you need something, you have to go back in line and try to get somebody’s attention which I was unable to do. I’d rate Pepo’s good but not great. For two entrees, two sides, soup for one and dos coffee’s bill came to $ 26. which I felt was a bit high.

I just moved here and love Cuban food! This hits the mark. Real cuban food and good prices! The Yuca and sauce is to die for!!! Yum!!!

I’ve been here numerous times since I came across it, great food at a very affordable price. The staff is always very welcoming and friendly! I really enjoy their Cuban sandwich and café espresso, if you haven’t tried I highly recommend you stop in, I’m never disappointed!

UNDERWHELMING. The food needs more flavor, but I’m sure they cater to the tastebuds of the community. Ugh!

My company had lunch brought in for some training and the food was awesome i highly recommend this place. The pork was great, deviled crab, Cuban sandwich all outstanding

Good Cuban food with friendly service. Whole family including two young children really enjoy the food. Atmosphere is not great but great place to stop and try for Cuban.

Delicious Cuban food! I grew up in Miami and this is one of the most authentic places in Tampa (even more so than some places in ybor). Reasonable prices, good food, and great for families and kids or take out. Definitely worth a try!

So far since I have moved here, this was the best meal I’ve had so far. There were so many items on the menu that we wanted to try, but we stuck with our standard Cuban sandwich as a gauge for whether we would be back in the future.
2 large sandwiches were about $ 10. We got it with everything. Their version came with some kind of shredded pork, which was a twist I haven’t had before. It was tasty, but I think next time I will ask for it in the side so my sandwich wouldn’t get soggy.
We will definitely be back here again. My MIL tried to convince me to go 2 days in a row!

Pepos has one of the best cuban sandwiches in town, which is served up by some very pleasant employees. I’m looking forward to going back for another one soon!

I can’t believe this is my first review here. We love Pepo’s. It’s a casual, delicious and friendly restaurant. It is set up cafeteria style with a large menu board above you. I’m giving it 5 stars for the food and service.
Wow– I’ve tried many items and they’ve all been great. Our favorites are the pork and the Cuban sandwich. Lunches/​dinners are very generous and takeout is great, too.
The shredded pork is perfect! We like it with the Moro rice, black beans, green beans and plantains. And, their flan is delicious. Also, an order of hot, buttered pan (bread)… Yum!

Pretty good little restaurant! I stopped in one day for lunch, since I was in that area… and starving! I ordered what I usually order for a first time in a new Cuban /​Latin restaurant: Lechon Asado, Arroz Amarillo y Frijoles Negro, y Platanos Maduros. (Cuban Roast Pork, Yellow Rice, and Black Beans, with a side of fried Plantains) It was all good, nothing to to complain about! Portions were pretty healthy also… customer service was friendly, and the place was clean and neat. I will have to try something else on my next visit!

I love Cuban food, and thus is good in a pinch. Nothing stands out about the food. Kind of run of the mill. The service is good, and I would say their lunch is better than their breakfast. I could do without the rap music in the morning though. Good Café con Leche.

Tamale… great. They even put extra pork inside once you order. Croquetas… delicious. Yellow rice, black beans, roast pork… yum, yum, yum. Both of us were totally stuffed and spent less than $ 20 for our late lunch.
This is cafeteria-​style, so you enter, grab a tray, and tell the lady behind the counter what you’d like from the steam trays. Several appetizers, types of rice, meat entrees, soups, including «American» favorites like mashed potatoes and green beans.
Restaurant was clean inside although décor is a bit outdated.

Pepo’s is a great little neighborhood Cuban /​Latin restaurant in the northern Carrollwood /​Northdale part of town. You’ll find this café along Northdale Blvd, past Whole Foods, and in the next shopping center beyond Thai Sweet Basil. If you’re a local in the area then you’ll know to look for Pepo’s in the same little strip mall as the Cornerstone Pub.
I would describe Pepo’s as a steam table buffet kinda place, which is accurate, but that is doing a disservice to their vast menu. Many people walk into Pepo’s, pick up a tray, and then look over the selection of daily entrée specials, sides, soups, and desserts that are sitting on the buffet. If your Spanish is shaky you can just point, smile, nod, and pay for your meal while the ladies load up your plate. These folks specialize in roast pork, boliche, picadillo, and many of your other favorite Latin dishes.
Other people walk into Pepo’s and they order off the full menu board behind the counter. This includes the ubiquitous Cuban sandwich along with other sandwiches and dozens of entrée choices. The kitchen makes everything fresh, so you just pay for your meal and wait for them to bring it out to you.
Pepo’s is also open for breakfast which is great if you’re an early riser and working out at the Northdale YMCA just down the street. You can plan to enjoy eggs with bacon, ham, sausage, or chorizo along with home fries and Cuban toast. Fried eggs or omelets, and breakfast sandwiches are all on the menu along with your favorite Cuban coffee.
I was there for dinner and enjoyed a cup of Spanish Bean soup (Garbanzo bean), along with a steam table special of bistec salteado, yellow rice, black beans, and a healthy splash of hot sauce. Dinner plus my drink was about $ 15.
Delicious food, and well worth a visit if you happen to live or work in this part of town! You can dine in, carry out, or have them cater for an office party.

Was dragged in here by Mark H. not knowing what exactly to expect. Inspected the line, and agreed to try a Cuban Sammich. So glad I did. I tried a piece of tamale, and admittedly I prefer huge meaty tamales wrapped in banana leaves, so these little corn husk corn meal deals slit open with pulled pork dumped inside was certainly not the best vehicle for such great pulled pork. Luckily, the Cuban Sandwich really was! Everything down to the strategically placed pickle seemed very well thought out. The bread was fresh, and the pork was juicy and delicious. I ordered a side cup of black bean juice-​not soup, just in case I got into a dry sammich that needed dipping. I didn’t seem to need it. I only got thru half of the sandwich as it was, and that was an amazing half. Can’t wait to go back!

Your lunch deal was great 4.95 and 5.95 for dark and light ¼ chicken respectively with two sides. The chicken was good. Even Mocha, my puppy liked it lol, especially when we were sitting outside. Thanks for being so considerate. he appreciated being able to eat lunch with me.
The sides were alright. I had yellow rice and yucca. Not too special for me though. There were a lot of other options but I did want to save my money. I would try it again especially since you are dog friendly.
It is the typical Cuban spread with the heated table with the food in front of you like cafeteria style. It’s across from Whole Foods so I kind of think it might be a bit off the beaten path.