Pepe’s Tacos; Heaven in a Tortilla

What do you think of when you hear the word “home”? Thanksgiving dinner? The front porch swing at your grandparents’ house? The small town where you grew up? Now, take that mental image – add some charcoaled pork with diced onions, cilantro, a sliver of grilled pineapple, and then put it all in a homemade tortilla. That’s Pepe’s Tacos. There are many other fine taquerias in Puerto Vallarta, but this is always the first meal when we arrive in Puerto Vallarta. One visit and you will understand why we call Pepe’s “home.”

I remember the first time I had an al pastor taco at Pepe’s. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical, but all doubts were erased once the flavors came together. Pineapple and marinated pork complement each other famously, resulting in a truly unique experience. I’m telling you, NO ONE does pastor better than Pepe’s Tacos!

Pepe’s Tacos Unofficial History

As the story goes, Pepe was the grandson of the great Emperor Montezuma himself. Instead of a distinguished warrior, Pepe was a renowned chef who was dedicated to spreading peace and harmony with his gentle demeanor and incredible charcoaled tacos. When the Spanish conquered central Mexico, Pepe barely escaped, taking the family al pastor seasoning recipe with him to Puerto Vallarta. Hundreds of years later, Pepe’s descendants stumbled upon the recipe when they were going through his old sombrero. The family opened a restaurant, and the rest is history!

What to Expect at Pepe’s Tacos

When you first arrive at Pepe’s Tacos, located in the Cinco de Diciembre (5th of December) neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta, you may have the same hesitation we did. The joint doesn’t look like much. Evidently, Pepe was a minimalist, and his wishes have been honored.

But remember, a taqueria in Mexico usually consists of an open-air location, food truck, or even just a taco stand on the side of the street. You rarely find an air-conditioned taqueria. Even if you do, it’s probably an overpriced pretender. As you might guess, Pepe’s is not air-conditioned, but we accept the sweltering heat as part of the experience. It’s a small price to pay for the world’s best pastor taco.

For the Love of Tacos al Pastor

As with most taquerias, Pepe’s offers many different types of tacos. While the beef and other fillings are definitely good, tacos al pastor is the ultimate taco delicacy. It is imitated in many other areas of Mexico (and the US), but nowhere is it more celebrated and perfected than in the Puerto Vallarta area.

Al pastor meat is thinly sliced, well-seasoned sheets of pork that are placed on a vertical rotating spit, much like a rotisserie. One side of the spit contains the heat source, which cooks and chars the meat while the entire “cone of heaven” rotates. While the meat slowly cooks in Pepe’s secret marinade, the cook provides a final blast of heat to a section destined for someone’s lucky plate. He then carves off a cross-section of the pork directly onto a tortilla. The motion is truly an art. We call him “The Tacquistador.”

What makes Pepe’s al pastor so special is they use charcoal instead of gas in the rotisserie. Remember, ole Pepe didn’t have a gas grill! The end result is a mouthwatering heap of tasty pork, which is tender and juicy on the inside, but lightly charred on the outside. It is topped with some diced onions, cilantro, and grilled pineapple shavings. Everything is brought, smoking hot, to your table as you inhale the intoxicating aroma. It is then up to you to choose which salsa, or combination of salsas, to take your taco to the next level.

Speaking of Love

During a recent Pepe’s visit, we saw a party of about 40 people going into the restaurant. They were kicking off a wedding weekend in grand fashion with a trip to the best taqueria in Puerto Vallarta. I was so pleased to see the young couple starting their lifelong journey together over tacos al pastor, haha! Seriously though, the bride and groom were so friendly and told me about their wedding plans at the super swanky Martoca Beach Garden in Bucerias. They have a sweet pup named Jagger, so naturally they enjoyed meeting Teddy. Congratulations, Nick and Andriana! Aren’t they a gorgeous couple?!

Service at Pepe’s Tacos

Another great thing about Pepe’s is the service. They have about 15 tables, depending on how many are shoved together at any given time. At night, you can expect 6 or 7 staff dedicated to taking orders and serving at night, while at least 2 others cook and tend bar. They all work together in choreographed chaos to churn out tacos as fast as you can eat them.

If Pepe were alive today, he would be proud that his recipe and tradition live on.

Practical Matters

Location: C. Honduras 145C, 5 de Diciembre, 48350 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

Hours: Pepe’s is open 7 days a week from 1:00pm to 6:00am. That is NOT a typo. I’ve never had a taco at 5:30am, but there’s a first time for everything!

Pet Friendly: Yes

Favorite Menu Item: Tacos al Pastor

Vibe: delicious dive

Accepts Credit Cards: Nope. Check out my post about Money Exchange in Mexico. The example I use is Pepe’s.

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