Chili Pepper Cafe

My son and I dropped by on our way to Big Bend for hiking after camping overnight in the freezing rain-- we were hoping for a couple quick breakfast burritos and a chance to warm up. The server was nice and said no problem to place our order to go. After we ordered, two entire tables (4-5 people each) were seated, ordered, served their meals and left before we received our two to go burritos-- it had been more than an hour as we waited and watched everyone else eat. I asked twice for the progress and the second time, a woman who was serving coffee snapped "I don't even work here!" Then the food that arrived wasn't what we ordered-- we were given the $7 version but were charged $11 each. Two burritos and coffee came to $30. When I went back to ask that I either receive what I ordered or have the ticket corrected, the server turned from the cash registers and opened the burrito with his fingers to show me that it was correct-- then tried to give it back to me-- this seemed far from sanitary (!!). The whole time, a big group was taking about "those crazy progressives, wrecking our country." I don't know if they were referring to me personally (I definitely look hippie in my hiking gear. I'm all for supporting local, but wouldn't return here. Better to drive down the road a bit if you want to feel welcomed, not overcharged or underserved. This breakfast was the low point of our trip.

Great service and excellent food. We enjoyed it so much that we went back a second time during our short visit to Big Bend.

Nice little cafe in the middle of the desert. Was very busy when we came, but once we got service it was good. Prices reasonable and food. Is decent.

The building looks a bit rough, but the food is delicious. The menu has tons of variety. And it was very clean.

Do make a stop at this Hidden Gem on your way to Big Bend National Park. Menu ain’t that big but the food is delicious. Tamales and chalupas were the highlight on out visit.

Wow! I thought I'd had the tippy top of great, authentic Mexican food living in Texas for the past 8 years. Nope. Exceptional food at this charming little "dive" conveniently off 118 before turning towards Terlingua ghost town or heading south to Big Bend.

Shredded beef empanada stood out most but also amazing beans, cheese enchilada and tamale. I normally don't even like tamales but had to try again based on reviews. Their sour cream was awesome too - the way it always should be but never get, like homemade custard. Above average quac.

Folks here are incredibly kind too. Not only did they let me confusingly sub items in the Mexican Plate but when I asked about getting another empanada ala carte they said I could take one for free since I'd subbed out two items for one when I originally ordered. Love.

This meal was just perfection.

Oh, and also appreciated having a few more than just the standard Mexican and domestic beer options.

A must-try passing through Terlingua/Big Bend.

Idk how it is, they never even acknowledged my presence. I sat there 10 minutes. They weren’t busy. Maybe 3-4 tables. Sign said set down we’ll be right with you. I call BS.

Food always taste amazing and portions are big! Also, very friendly staff.

There was only one server and one bus boy for the whole restaurant which was full. Took 30 min to get order placed from the time we sat down and the food came out cold and unremarkable. Had to wait forever to pay too. Wouldn't have been as bad except some to-go orders seemed to get priority over ours and the server seemed to have absolutely no sense of urgency or even basic awareness of who had been waiting a long time. I understand if you don't have the labor to match the demand, but something needs to be done to ensure that the people that do get seated in the restaurant get some minimal quality of service. Maybe remove some tables or don't take to go orders? Maybe have it all be order/pay at the counter and have the bus boy help with food running? Just some ideas other restaurants did with a tight labor market.

Not the best and not the worse in a very small town. Wife had tamales and said it needed some red sauce. I had chicken fried steak that was crispy, but not greasy. The milk gravy was bland. Really need seasoning. Service was good.