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Joe Pena's Munich –Joe Pena's is relatively well-known in Munich, and the restaurant chain also has locations in various German cities such as Augsburg, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Sindelfingen, and others. The restaurant specializes in Mexican cuisine and offers just about every kind of Mexican dish you can imagine. I was there a while ago with a friend because we were wandering around the city center for a while and couldn't find anything to eat that appealed to us. So, we ended up in the restaurant rather unplanned and spontaneously. From the outside, we initially thought the restaurant was closed, as it seemed pitch black. Then we noticed the tables set up outside, looked more closely, and realized the lighting inside was very dim. As I said, we were hungry and had been walking around a lot, so we decided to go into the rather uninviting-looking restaurant – at least, that's my impression.
Even after entering and taking a seat, it remained dark. 😉 Restaurants often have rather dim lighting to create a certain atmosphere – but in Joe Pena's, it was too dark for my taste. We stood around for a while in the entrance area, which is furnished with a dark wooden bar and simple wooden bar stools. Shortly after, a friendly waiter approached us. We told him we hadn't made a reservation and were given a selection of available tables. We opted for a small table for two in the back of the restaurant. The dining area consists of one large room with numerous (around 30) tables for two people, but also for larger groups. When we arrived, there were still quite a few free tables, but it became increasingly crowded as the evening progressed, and by the time we left, almost every table was occupied. The walls are decorated with tin signs featuring pin-up girls, a giant plastic swordfish, a chalkboard with special offers, and small decorative items. The tables are simple and also dark. The extensive cocktail menus were already laid out on our tables as we sat down; the regular menus were brought to us by the friendly waiter. These are quite comprehensive. They offer everything you could possibly imagine, from filled quesadillas, a wide variety of fajitas, various burgers, pescados, entradas, and different steaks.
We opted for a Diet Coke and a still water (0.2l/€2.80). The Diet Coke (0.4l/€3.20) turned out to be Pepsi Light, and I'm not entirely sure if it was actually Diet. Unfortunately – which is, of course, a matter of taste – my drink arrived in a pitcher with a handle. I think Coke belongs in a normal glass. It always makes me feel like I'm sitting in some kind of dive bar on a street corner, but oh well. We were also offered cocktails before ordering drinks, as happy hour runs daily from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. However, we decided against them. Choosing our food took us a little longer. I wasn't in the mood for a burger – there was also a vegetarian option – and most of the other dishes didn't really appeal to me either. After some deliberation, I opted for the vegetarian Enchilada Espinaci (€13.90) – three rolls filled with cheese and spinach, served with various dips and a side salad. My companion chose the Enchilada de Pollo (€13.50) – something similar with meat ;-). Both main courses were served very quickly after ordering. The following assessment is, of course, based on personal impressions, but I didn't like the look of my food as soon as it arrived. I don't like it when food is completely swimming in sauce or dip, or entirely covered by it. I prefer it somewhat separated, so that I can at least recognize the individual components or taste them separately. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case here, and I had to search for my filled pastry rolls under the masses of dip and guacamole. As it turned out, they weren't anything special and tasted rather mushy and bland.
My companion's meal wasn't anything special either. It was far too saucy, which made it seem a bit mushy. The taste wasn't anything to write home about. Unfortunately, I can't really say much more about it; we definitely wouldn't order it again or come back. The service was okay and attentive, and I appreciated, for example, that he pointed out the happy hour to us. When we went to pay, it took a while, and the waiter came with the receipt, which included the food of the couple at the next table. He quickly corrected the mistake, and we were able to pay by card at the bar. We paid €35 including tip for two main courses and two very basic drinks. Joe Pena's is open daily from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Maybe I'll try it again sometime for a cocktail. I certainly don't want to discourage you from going to this restaurant – I just don't like food that's too saucy, where you can't even tell what you're eating, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Mexican cuisine. However, if you're a big fan of Mexican food, then give it a try. I know several people who only come here and rave about the authentic food. As always, everyone has their own opinion. If you're feeling adventurous, give it a go. Maybe you'll find that everything else tastes much better. 😉
I'll be back: Not right now. I'd rather try a new Mexican restaurant. Maybe I'll go back for cocktails.
Place visited: Joe Pena's
Address: Buttermelcherstraße 17, 80469 Munich
Website
Pictures:
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