05/13/2026
After an extra long day at work, I was absolutely starving by the time we arrived late to Pepper's Mexican Grill & Cantina - Gainesville - Butler for Cinco de Mayo. The place was completely packed, which honestly was expected for the holiday. We were originally told about a 20 minute wait, but after around 35 minutes, we finally went back up to check in and were seated at pretty much the only table availableโฆ right next to the DJ. ๐
At that point, though, I was so hungry that I honestly did not even care. We are more of an โold vibesโ couple anyway, so we just rolled with it. The DJ even came over and let us know there were only a few more songs left, which I appreciated.
Our waitress came over while dealing with what basically turned into a full dance party inside the restaurant, and she was honestly so incredibly nice the entire night. We told her we didnโt mind the loud music at all because everyone seemed to be having a great time. She quickly got our drinks started, and honestly, I believe mine was some sort of pineapple and Hypnotiq margarita, but I was so exhausted that I completely forgot to take menu photos.
For food, I ordered steak tacos with just cheese and tomato on flour tortillas, and wowโฆ I genuinely think these were some of the best tacos I have ever had. We were seriously impressed.
Overall, I would have easily given them five stars if it were not for the long wait, which honestly did not entirely feel like their fault considering how crazy busy the night was. I also would not mark them down for the vibe because, while loud, everyone was clearly having fun and celebrating.
It was a long night, but the energy was great, the staff stayed positive under pressure, and I finally got to celebrate Cinco de Mayo the right way!
PS Thank you for giving me an extra tee shirt! Iโll be wearing it on our next cruise! ๐ซถ๐ป
