BY Taylor Adams Cogan

These days, it’s a rare delight to see a marriage last decades.

In Dallas, it’s remarkable to see a restaurant survive longer than three years.

For Sandy and Pedro Rojas, they’ve been able to achieve both. Married for 38 years, they’ve also run their Deep Ellum restaurant, Pepe’s & Mito’s, for 30 years, celebrating the milestone in 2024.

“We’re together all the time. I guess that’s the secret,” Sandy says.

In the early 1990s, Pedro stumbled upon the space on Elm Street, and they immediately fell in love with the neighborhood. Although neither had run a restaurant before and they lacked significant financial backing or business experience, they felt the timing and location were perfect to take the leap.

“It was really hard to find a place until we started looking into Deep Ellum,” Pedro says.

The beginning was slow – very slow.

“It was tough. I can tell you that I didn’t think it was going to make it – we were lucky if we survived one year,” Sandy says. “My son was little, I kept thinking of him. Pedro has always been a very positive person – I gave in and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

Word spread about the homemade feeling of the Tex-Mex dishes at Pepe’s & Mito’s. Located near Baylor, it started to become a neighborhood spot where families enjoyed dinners, friends gathered, and Dallas leaders met. Over time, the restaurant cemented its status as a local favorite. And a welcoming atmosphere and delicious food have kept customers coming back.

“They’re family recipes – Pedro always puts his twist on it. He comes from a line of great cooks, that’s how a lot of things ended up on the menu,” Sandy says.

Pedro learned to cook from his father, and many of the recipes reflect those roots. Others are his own creations, resulting in a large menu that offers plenty of options for guests to discover their favorites. It’s common to hear regulars going for their go-to dish.

Of course, the restaurant’s reputation truly skyrocketed after Guy Fieri featured it on his Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives TV show.

“We call them the famous tacos,” Sandy says. “It really was a blessing. We thought we were established – but it was really good for us, and it’s still really good to us. People come to have those tacos.”

The tacos norteños are four mini corn tortillas filled with fajita steak sautéed with pico de gallo and a chipotle-wine sauce. Topped with freshly chopped cilantro and onions, they live up to the hype.

On your next visit, explore even more from the menu, where you’ll find the specific phrase, “Mex-Tex,” not the other way around. It’s Pedro’s family recipes, adapted to North Texas. And there’s no denying the appeal of Tex-Mex – it’s just plain good, he says.

Running a restaurant for more than three decades is no small feat, especially when it’s your own. While some owners delegate the day-to-day operations, you’ll still find Sandy and Pedro working at Pepe’s & Mito’s, even after all these years.

“We’re very hands-on with our business, and that, we wouldn’t change.” Sandy says. “It keeps things exciting. It can only grow so much because it’s so small. It stays unique. As long as we stick with that, we’ll be successful.”

And they’re not going anywhere. The food speaks for itself, the customers keep coming, and Deep Ellum remains their business home.

“The city said they would never have a building taller than three stories, and here we are,” she says, as the restaurant sits two blocks from the Case Building – the construction of which changed the skyline of the neighborhood. “But change is good. I’m excited Deep Ellum is still here. I love that we have the arts festival, street markets. More and more people should know Deep Ellum has diversity – a lot of things, arts, a meat market that’s been there for 100 years, a cheese company.

“More people should familiarize themselves with Deep Ellum, because there’s a lot of good here.”

So, while exploring Deep Ellum, stop by Pepe’s & Mito’s. Relax with sangria, enjoy a comforting bowl of albondiga soup, or savor the flavors of the beef guiso.

“We work hard to make great food and make people happy,” Sandy says. “We focus on fresh, quality ingredients. When you love what you do, it just makes everything better. And we both love it.”