San Jose Mexican Restaurant & Taquiera
| Address: | 1148 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, USA |
| Phone: | +1 757-368-0443 |
| Site: | sanjosetaqueriamexicanrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
HL
HL Marks
Hola! To begin with, were from Los Angeles where Mexican food abounds. We moved here seventeen years ago and tried all the Mexican restaurants that were recommended to us by our new friends. Were sorry to say, it seemed that Hampton Roads just didnt know or understand what the real Mexican food taste was all about. We must have tried well over a dozen, so called, Mexican restaurants and were sorely disappointed. We were sadly resigned to flying back to L.A. to experience the Mexican food taste that we grew up on. But we understood that this is what Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads grew up with, and if youve never tasted Tex-Mex or Arizona Mexican, or New Mexico Mexican or Tijuana Mexican, or Ensenada Mexican or Mexico City Mexican, or San Jose Mexican, how would you really know what the real Mexican food taste was? Then, one day we stumbled into Taqueria San Jose. Bells rang. Whistles blew. Music from Heaven flowed across the land. We had finally found our home. We truly havent missed Los Angeles once since that glorious day. Viva la San Jose. San Jose Mexican Restaurant IS MEXICAN FOOD. 100%. This is the flavor that we grew up on and what every other Mexican restaurant in this town lacked. Lets go through a couple of menu items. No one, and I mean no one in Hampton Roads, makes great chili rellenos like San Jose. Their ceviche is marvelous as well as their guacamole. But, the San Jose Fajitas is one of the most spectacular epicurean dishes you can imagine. But be sure to ask for corn rather than flour tortillas. Corn has flavor. Flour is tasteless. (Flour is O.K. to wrap a burrito in, but not to eat with a meal.) Or, if youre very, very lucky, and Manuals wife has made tamales that day, youre in for a taste treat from the gods. So, if you want that real Mexican food taste, go to San Jose. But if you grew up on Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads Mexican, I suppose youll never know the depth of what the real Mexican food taste can be, so you can be happy with the other Mexican restaurants in this town. I heartily recommend that you enjoy your meal with one of their large slushy margarita, (On the rocks is a sin.) or a horchata Then, after your repast, for desert enjoy an order of their magical Churros. (I think you get four or five to an order, so your party can each have, just one, and not feel guilty about the calories.) Is everything perfect every time. Of course not! Over the sixteen years weve eaten there, naturally weve had a bad waiter once or twice, or the food wasnt as hot as it should have been. But, hey, theyre human, like all of us. Just get up and ask Manual, the owner, or the manager, for another waiter, or send the food back to be re-heated. They truly understand what customer service is all about and will very quickly make it right for you. So, if you dont think this is one of the best Mexican restaurant on the East Coast, I believe that you just dont understand what the authentic Mexican taste is, and hey, thats O.K. Weve eaten there for sixteen years now, so writing this review has been very easy. San Jose is consistently excellent. Five Stars to you Manual and well deserved. our family looks forward to seeing you soon, again and again.
BR
Brian Bodnar
Mind you this is just based on one, and first, visit with my girlfriend. Very much like most Mexican restaurants in the area with a small bar area. Clean dining rooms and rest rooms. Service was great but the place was fairly empty being after 8pm on a Sunday. Menu contains everything you might expect, and girlfriend got fajitas with steak, chicken, and shrimp including peppers/onions- served with tortillas, rice, beans, lettuce, pico, sour cream, etc. (fairly standard) I went weird and got their special "San Jose" tacos 4 for $8... various marinated meats to choose from, so I got one each of goat, chicken, beef tongue, and pork - served with small soft doubled up flour tortillas diced onions and cilantro. On the side, only lime wedges and a nice thin spicy salsa to die for. (home-made they say) Thats all you really need to enjoy this little things. Tripe and stomach versions are also available. So we liked the service. (our glasses were never empty and the server brought out some hot peppers for me to try) They go a bit outside the usual formulation for a Mexican restaurant, but you can still get all the things you are probably used to. The portions and prices match most other restaurants in the area also, so if its closer than your current favorite, or you want to sample some of their "San Jose" crazy tacos? I say try them out.
MA
Matthew Braswell
Ordered lunch on Saturday for a company function, and order was wrong. Meals were missing, and a co-worker called to correct the order, staff was very rude and implied that my driver ate the order on the way back to the company. Refused to let us speak with a manager, and finally agreed to replace the food that was missing but still wouldnt accept fault. Then when we went to pick up the replacement order, they refused to make the order and we had to call back again to get it straight, at this point they have probably spit in the food. Thanks for the best customer service experience in the world!!!
CA
Cameron Dortch
San Jose is the go-to Mexican Restaurant for my whole family. We do most of our events here. One experience I had was when my wife and I went out for date night. The owner came to our table and we all had a great conversation. I had told him I grew up on spicy food and love hobaneros at some point during the conversation and after he left the table he actually went to to the back and brought out his own home made hobanero salsa at no charge. It was fantastic. The staff is always very helpful and I would recommend this establishment to anyone.
TO
Tomas Torres
Customer service is terrible. They messed up an order, instead of trying get the problem resolved the person who took my order continued to tell me the food was sent. He refused to let me speak to a manager, then after 20 minuits of waiting on hold he tells me the order will be ready in 10 minuits for pickup. I send a co-worker to pick it up, then when he gets there they want to argue again that they dont owe us any food. We ordered and paid for 9 meals and only received 7. I regret recommending this restaurant to my co-workers.
JA
Jacob Williams
The food was decent and well prices. The chips tasted a bit hard but like they were fresh made last night and the salsa was pretty good. The chalupa had no meat unless you count beans and a guacamole salad. A 4 star place for food and quality. I honestly was going to give 4-stars until I asked for a water, the waitress says with lemon and I say sure. She comes back with lemonade. I was thinking, wow free lemonade or worried Id be upcharged for something other than water! $2.50 for it. I played myself.
HA
Harry Hashhole
We had terrible service last night. 8/17/16. We walk in and our waiter stops and stares at my wifes behind like she was on the menu. He also never uttered a coherent word in Spanish or English. Worse tip I have left in years. Food is good with excellent size portions. I will still skip this one, because the service was terrible. Waiter had the personality of a taco, and probably should only have a job on a farm or back in the kitchen.
