Over the weekend, the First Lady of SoBros Network and myself ventured out to East Nashville to take in the Tomato Art Festival. The food trucks were out, but it was so damn hot that the idea of standing in the sun and scarfing down hot food made me feel faint. So, in an effort to cool off in comfort, we decided to hop in the car and head over to Rosepepper, one of Nashville’s most talked-about Mexican restaurants.
It’s long been a staple of the East Nashville food scene, and I figure, “hey – this is a good chance to add it to our slowly-growing catalog of Nashville Reviews.” So, LFG.
I had the Rosepepper Special enchiladas. The girlfriend ordered the tacos al carbon, which I ended up eating half of because we ordered way too much food. We started off with the Rosepepper rings, and our waitress accidentally added some queso to our tab by mistake. I’ve been to Rosepepper on numerous occasions before, and the #1 rule of Rosepepper (at least in my mind) is that you cannot go without getting a margarita. On Saturday, I had the frozen peach margarita. All in all, I came away spending about $50.
For more on Rosepepper, check ’em out here.
Pics
Ratings
Food: 6.5/10 – Big fan of the Rosepepper rings. God-level appetizer, I’ll be the first to say it. Those Rosepepper rings fuck harder than any app you’ll get at any other restaurant in town. I had one of the tacos al carbon and thought it was pretty tasty. My enchiladas were good – I like a more traditional enchilada, so I might ought to have gone with a different option. I found myself wishing I had ordered the tacos after trying one of my girlfriend’s. The (free) queso was good. The refried beans were good. But, the rice was a little too bland for my liking. All in all, a solid, fulfilling meal.
Booze: 7/10 – They aren’t “Nashville’s Tequila Specialists” for nothing. It really is one of the best ‘ritas in Nashville. I’m also positive that if you so much as sniff one, you’ll need a DD. I went with peach on Saturday, but there’s a myriad of flavors to choose from. No Rosepepper meal is complete without a margarita.
Value: 6.5/10 – Given the current state of the dining scene in Nashville, Rosepepper actually offers up a really good value. $50 for two entrees, an appetizer, and drinks PLUS tip is highway robbery compared to some of the places downtown.
The problem, for me, is that their menu doesn’t distinguish itself enough to get me away from all of my regular Mexican joints east of town. It’s good for date night, but if I just want Mexican food, I have plenty of options out here that are much cheaper and easier to get to.
Atmosphere: 7/10 – Walking into Rosepepper feels like walking into a Quentin Tarantino movie. I fucking love it. The inclusive sign at the entrance way. The charm of the whole place. It, along with the ‘ritas, is my favorite thing about Rosepepper. The service was great as well – our food came alarmingly quick and my glass of water never went empty.
Overall: 6.75/10 – I might catch a little flack for this, but I’ve always thought Rosepepper is a little overrated given how people (at least in my social circle) tout it as the best Mexican food in town. I’ve been several times at this point, and while I would consider it a great meal and a great time, I wouldn’t call it the best. That said, I think it definitely deserves to be considered among the upper echelon of Nashville restaurants in terms of value. Plus, the margaritas are the absolute gold standard in the Music City.
CURRENT NASHVILLE RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- Butcher & Bee (8.5/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (8.44/10)
- Von Elrod’s (8.17/10)
- Catch 22 (Mount Juliet) (7.125/10)
- Rosepepper (6.75/10)
*Keep in mind, we’re just starting out. This list is only 17 deep at this point. Stay tuned as we continue to build our anthology of Nashville reviews.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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