Pollo Pepe started in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1979, with a pretty simple idea: make really good chicken and give people a reason to come back for it.
No complicated philosophy. No secret handshake. Just great pollo, bold sabor, and the kind of meal that belongs in the middle of the table.
Over the years, Pollo Pepe became part of countless family lunches, quick dinners, celebrations, Sunday cravings and those "I'm not that hungry" moments that somehow end with an empty plate.
One grill in Guadalajara turned into more than sixty-five restaurants across Mexico. What never changed was the part you can taste: whole chickens slow-marinated in Mexican spices and fire-grilled for the seriously juicy pollo asado at the center of the table.
Our roots are Mexican, and we're proud of them. You'll taste them in the pollo, the salsa, the tortillas, the arroz, the frijoles and, if you're feeling brave, the chiles toreados.
In 2024, Pollo Pepe opened its first restaurant outside Mexico right here in San Antonio, Texas. And honestly, San Antonio felt like the right place from the beginning.
This is a city that understands good food, strong families and the importance of a proper salsa. We had a feeling we'd get along.
At the center of it all is our pollo asado — fire-grilled the Pepe way. Juicy on the inside, beautifully grilled on the outside, and made for the middle of the table.
Every chicken is slow-marinated in Mexican spices and sea salt from Colima, Mexico. It's the one thing we'd never let a new kitchen improvise.
Eight, twelve or sixteen pieces with large sides, salsas, tortillas and chile toreado. Portions built for sharing, which is a nice way of saying nobody leaves hungry.
Jericalla, arroz con leche, flan and agua de horchata made in house. Dessert is not an afterthought where we come from.
The first Pollo Pepe opens. Whole chickens, Mexican spices and an open flame. The formula has not needed an update since.
From Guadalajara, Pollo Pepe grows across Jalisco and into other parts of Mexico — and becomes the pollo people plan their Sunday around.
Our first restaurant outside Mexico opens just off I-35. First stop in the United States, and the salsa made the trip intact.
A second San Antonio restaurant is on the way on the west side. Same grill, same recipe, new neighborhood.
