Don Pepe

Food and drinks were amazing. The staff was super friendly and helpful, making suggestions on places we should see while in Puerto Rico.

Recommended by Wyndam. Food was really not that good, disappointing in fact. Pork chop was extremely dry on mofongo, skirt steak mofongo avg, chicken w/​garlic sauce also not that good.

I was here with friends and was recommended by Margaritaville Rio Mar to try this place out for Mofongo. Mofongo as I describe it is Puerto Rico’s version of mashed potatoes but made from plantains. It was great, I had my mofongo with churrasco, which is skirt steak. The flavor and the sauce/​juices that the steak was made in was soaked into my mofongo, that it was delicious. No additional sauce was needed.

We came here our first night in Rio Grande. We had the crab rice and skirt steak dinner (my hubby and I shared both entrees). The skirt steak was DELICIOUS! The crab rice was good, but I could not really taste the crab. Felt like there should have been chunks of crab for the price. The service was soooo sloooooooww. We waited 40 minutes for our food (and a local who came 15 – 20 minutes after us received his food when we did). The food was very good, so I still had to give them 4 stars. Just get an appetizer or don’t come when you are starving. The server recommended a dessert (fried cheesecake) which was amazing! Beautifully presented too! Would return!

After they sit us, without even given us the menus they offered us the soup special. The soup came right after but, they didn’t come to ask for the rest fo the appetizers for the next 20 minutes. After ordering the appetizers I waited 50 minutes for an «arepa» with chicken and not even once the waitress stop by the table to apologized of to see if they could serve us anything else. I can understand when kitchen is slow but, it is the waitress duty to make sure you are comfortable while waiting.
Eventough food taste was good.

We have been here 3 days and was starting to give up on great food until someone told us about Don Pepe. We ordered the Red Snapper and it was great. Service was good as well.

Don Pepe, Rio Grande
April 28, 2016
Let me start by saying that we had eaten here back in 2009 and the experience wasn’t the best so when I heard the group wanted to eat here, I wasn’t happy but decided to give it a chance. I’m glad I did!!!
Totally different from the last time I was here. They featured a local musician playing soft music, the service was great. The gal was personable and attentive. She suggested a few things off the menu, took our drink orders and left to put in our shared appetizer.
The food was awesome! I personally ordered arroz con jueyes and it was amazing. The food was great, big portions to share, the price even better! We had an amazing time! The entire bill didn’t go over $ 80 for the appetizer, three large plates of food, sangrias, beers, several soft drinks and two dessert.
Would I go back? Yessss, I hope we get the same or better service with even better food! Can’t complaint

We love this place! We ate here five times when we were on vacation. Food is delicious! service is great love it. I can’t wait to go back!

‚Don Julio was flowing, (nicely priced). Everyone had great food, and a great time (party of 12) didn’t phase them our server was knowledgeable over entire menu and choose a meal to suit everyone at the table. I had *pechuga borincana con amarillos* and i would have never tried it had my server not suggested it and this was one of the best meals I ever had. Now I’m back home in Ohio trying to find someone to serve this. Pechuga Borincana con Amarillos — Hughe chicken Breast, covered with season ground beef, sweet plantain, covered in cheese… Daaaa Bomb!

They do NOT serve breakfast!!! They also own the Mexican place next door heard food was amazing on both! «W» sushi is there too — heard amazing

My first time in Puerto Rico, and I have to say thee BEST place to eat! I came here twice my stay. Coming again tonight. (Makes 3) service was great the food my gosh to die for! I came on a Sunday day and night and they had a saxophonist playing wonderful music. I highly highly recommend this wonderful place. I most definitely will be coming back here again in the future. Enjoy!!!

We visited Don Pepes for dinner based on numerous reviews. It was fabulous! We got there early knowing that service here isn’t fast and didn’t want the kids to get to the point of cranky starvation.
Two people had the red snapper stuffed with crab which were delicious! The only problem is the crab stuffing had some bones so word of caution. I had the pork chop which is HUGE!!! Two large pork chops most of which I took home. The fourth meal was a sirloin steak which was enjoyed. The drinks were delicious and the staff was super friendly.
Highly recommend this location. It is very close to Rio Mar.

Clearly there is a major difference in service between Monday night and our Friday night visit the same week. Service was awful, with no apologies. They obviously could not handle a weekend crowd. Drinks were ordered, never arrived, yet still made it onto our tab, and the server was put out when we asked for an adjustment to the bill. Too bad, because the manager seems like a super nice guy… and the food is good and reasonably priced. My recommendation would be to check it out on a weekday and skip it on a Friday or Saturday.

Don Pepe’s has an absolutely amazing selection of whisky! The staff is fantastically attentive. The food is absolutely great! Thanks, Don Pepe! They will help vegans!!! I had the delicious Mofongo. I think I’m getting a habit!

Great food fresh seafood execlle twitch great service
Fried cheese cake is good dessert

Good food and solid service. Good menu. Reasonably priced. Decent piña colada. Fried red snapper was pretty fresh, rice and beans was full of flavor. There is absolutely no reason why you should stay in your hotel and eat there. Food is way better than the kiosks.

This is place is away from the metro area. It’s mostly for locals and savvy tourist. The place it’s a two story building with no more than 30 tables. It’s has a lots of photos of PR and in the second floor lots of sports memorabilia. It was not full when I got there.
I heard great things about breakfast. So I decided to try it with some friends…25 more friends!!! Our mistake was not calling ahead so we were extremely patient with their service and food. There was 1 waiter for the whole 2^nd floor. My issue was with the drinks, once they the drinks order it took them over 1 hr to bring soda and mimosas and a couple of coffees. The coffee was delicious but cold. Same thing with the food I ordered «maizena» it’s was absolutely delicious I wanted more BUT cold. Everyone in our party agreed about how great the food was but everything came out cold. That’s why I gave them 3 stars for the slow drink order and cold food, not the wait time.
I will try the place again but probably with a group not bigger than 4.

Friendly service. Mostly good appetizers; cornmeal sticks (sorullitos) and mini-​alcapurrias. The ceviche is not there… Good local limeade. The grouper with plantain was different… Good coconut rice… The potato fries are home made… In general food was good.

Es mejor que la fonda de Leo! Lo recomiendo! No vivo aqui, pero es uno de los mejores restaurantes y bien limpio. Deberían ampliar un poco. Soy de La Florida.

My husband and I were lucky enough to meet some people on the tennis courts who gave us a list of wonderful local restaurants. Don Pepe was a one of the best. They don’t take reservations so give yourself some time to wait for a table.
It is very small, about 8 tables inside and with live music there, it is a tight squeeze. We ended up eating outside on the little terrace.
The food and service were wonderful. I had a Shrimp Mofongo (Puerto Rico cuisine) and my husband had the Red Snapper. Both were delicious but the snapper took us by surprise since it is the full cooked fish, head, tail and all. We also shared a chocolate cake for dessert that was delicious.
If your going to go to one restaurant in the Rio Grande area, this is the one to go to.

We have been in Puerto Rico for a few days on vacation and this has been the best place to eat at!
Great service! Great food!
Hot and delicious!
Very welcoming and helpful.
We are gonna be coming again for breakfast ^.^
This is the place you want to go to multiple times when you visit Puerto Rico!