Visit Pepe’s Grill in Sp. Fork for taco perfection
Pepe’shas a cult following. During the past six years they have been a popular food stand at Fiesta Days in Spanish Fork. Pepe kept having people ask where their location was and after a while he decided that he needed to find one. And the public rejoiced. The first day Pepe’s Grill opened, there was a madhouse. I actually was one of the people who braved the cold weather to get some carne asada tacos. And they were delicious. Plus we got chips and salsa while we waited. There were just a lot of people there who love Pepe’s food.
At the grand opening, the menu was pretty limited: tacos, nachos and quesadillas. Now the menu has expanded to include chimichangas, burritos, fish tacos and more. I was very excited to make my way back to Pepe’s to try out the new menu.
The NACHOS. When I went the first time, I just got a few tacos. However, while I was eating I noticed people eating the nachos. They are gargantuan and looked amazing. The nachos did not disappoint when I ordered my own. Tons of crisp fresh tortilla chips covered with shredded cheddar, meat, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. What I love is that they don’t put a huge scoop of salsa and sour cream on it so it gets all soggy. They drizzle the salsa and sour cream over it so that it is evenly distributed and you get just the right amount. And did I mention, they are divine. Kind of my new favorite. We split an order between six people and we all had more than enough.
Pepe’s classic menu item is the tacos. Delicious, simple street tacos. Small corn tortillas with yummy toppings and that crazy salsa bar. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. So they have the carne asada with cilantro, pico de gallo, onions and salsa. It is the best-seller - delicious steak perfection. Great flavor and you can customize it with salsa from the salsa bar. I fell in love with the avocado-based mild salsa. Then you have the al pastor, which is pork with tomatillo avocado salsa and pineapple. The meat is tender and delicious, and when you have the pineapple with it, the flavors just contrast so nicely. The chicken taco isn’t your typical shredded chicken, it is grilled chicken with red and green peppers.
They also had specialty street tacos: Chicken Fajita and Fish Taco. I am a huge fan of the fish tacos with their special chipotle ranch dressing and fried tilapia. The red and green cabbage added a nice crunch. They also have lettuce street wraps, which are their traditional tacos served on lettuce leaves.
The burritos are HUGE. As in massive. As I went to pick up the metal tray with the burrito with one hand, it almost tipped out. It was that heavy. You need two hands to hold this burrito; I think it weighed over a pound. The burrito was stuffed with pinto beans, rice and meat and was delicious. Chimichangas are similar to the burritos but are deep fried with that nice crispy crust. Great meat and great flavor. Plus they are smothered with enchilada sauce, sour cream and guacamole.
Ok. Now for the surprise. They have these amazing La Michoacana ice cream bars. I’ve had the strawberry ice cream bars and they are delicious. But these ice cream bars were intense. Think walnut, rice pudding, mango, etc. So the mango has chile powder mixed in. I got the arroz con leche. Yes, a rice pudding-flavored ice cream bar. But wait, it gets better. It actually had rice and raisins in the ice cream bar. Plus, the ice cream flavor was cinnamony like a delicious horchata. I could not stop raving about it. So if you want to try something a little different but crazy delicious, go check out the Michoacana freezer at Pepe’s. I will be returning soon.
So if you need a authentic street taco or just want to share some massive nachos, check out Pepe’s Grill. It is located at 747 N. Main in Spanish Fork. They are open Monday through Saturday from from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.