Chez Jose Mexican Cafe

Subpar food, overpriced pre-​mixed drinks and they charge for Chips and Salsa. Yes, they charge for chips and salsa; the first time in the history of Mexican restaurants. When I brought this up to the manager (dark hair, female), she could care less and blew me off. They have lots to learn about customer service, but they should start with new chefs as the food was less than that at Taco Bell.
Enjoy the $ 2.50 for the chips and salsa as this will be the last time as this place. There are many far superior Mexican restaurants in this area.

This side of Portland must be hard-​up for Mexican food because I’m not sure why it’s busy. I’ve been here twice and won’t go again. My husband and I tried to give it a second chance after an underwhelming first experience only to discover that no, it wasn’t a poor menu choice the first time — the food just isn’t that good. What really ticks me off though, and the reason I’m taking the time to write this review, is that they charge for chips and salsa — and the manager’s dismissive attitude about our complaint. Who charges for chips and salsa? According to the manager, who could care less that we were unhappy with the unexpected (and undisclosed) charge: «I know of two other other places.» Well, madam, I’ve been to dozens upon dozens of Mexican restaurants and have never been charged. And (ATTENTION OWNERS), if you are going to charge, please train your waitstaff to inform customers that it is not complimentary so they can make an informed decision about saying «yes» to the question: «Would you like some chips and salsa?» It’s not the amount you charge, but the principal of it appearing unannounced on the bill. Also, please train your manager (s) to at least pretend they care when a customer informs them that they’re unhappy with something. Even if they’re blowing smoke up our ass, a simple «I’m so sorry to hear that. I will be sure to pass along your concerns to the owner» would make everything better, instead of trying to prove us wrong and dismissing us as invaluable patrons by simply saying «okay» when told that we won’t come back. Adiós, Chez Jose. Sorry we wasted $ 80 at your establishment. You won’t see our money again.

Do NOT do take out. Food was not good. Customer service was also bad. No chips and salsa come with take out.

Good food for around 30 years but recently no chips and no salsa! A surcharge now for both. A one basket limit free would be nice.

Always dependable and prices reasonable
With reliable service Chey Jose has been our family «go to» place for years. Whether it is «classic «Mexican
food is debatable but the food is always good and the experience we have there is enjoyable.
We plan to keep going there as Everton likes it.

This place is a blast! I go here every week for lunch. I have yet to find anything that I don’t like but their Pork Tenderloin Tacos are the best (the pineapple salsa they use in them is a great mix of sweet with just a little spice). The biggest problem I have to deal with when I go is leftovers, they like their portion sizes big… like really big, so bring your appetite.

Had to get some groceries and this place is next to Market Of Choice so I figured I would give it a try.
It was approximately 6:15 PM and the tables were about half full.
Not a great ambiance. Just a room filled with tables and chairs… Nothing special.
Typical Mexican menu… tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chile rellano and so on.
I sat at the bar since I was dining alone. The waitress showed up and I ordered the shredded beef enchiladas and was asked what temperature of salsa I would like. I was also asked if I would like chips and salsa.
The waitress returned with the chips and two kinds of salsa… Mild and hot. I have no idea what the mild salsa was but it looked like it was tomato paste with beans and sour cream. It was awful. Turns out that the chips and salsa is also an extra charge and doesn’t come with the meals which was surprising because I was never told it was extra.
I noticed the people around me who came in after me were getting their food and I wasn’t so when the person next to me was served I asked that waiter to check on my food.
Apparently my waitress did not put my order in as promptly as the one next to me. I also didn’t get my drink until after I received my order.
I didn’t want any beans so I ordered extra Spanish rice. The rice was crispy and dry. The enchiladas strangely were not covered in enchilada sauce/​colorado sauce. I am never received anywhere enchiladas not covered in sauce. lol
Seriously this was the worst Mexican food I’ve ever had and with all the craziness on top of it I doubt I’ll be back.
I will say it was noticed that I didn’t eat my food and I disclosed why. The soda and chips and salsa were taken off my bill. But the enchiladas were absolutely unacceptable. Dang and I was craving some good Mexican food. :-(
2016 – 15

I’ve been going to Chez Jose for probably 15 or 20 years. The food has usually been mediocre to fair for mexican cuisine. The service has generally been acceptable. The pricing tends to be a little on the high side for what you get. But on my last and final ever visit the thing that torqued me the most, was they’ve started charging $ 2.50 for chips, which, like most mexican cuisine establishments, had always been complimentary. When I got the bill and inquired about the charge for chips, the waitress informed us that it was a new policy they instituted on January 1^st. She pointed out that was a card on the table saying chips and salsa were $ 2.50, but she should have mentioned it when she asked us if we wanted chips. In hind sight, I should have suspected something when the waitress initially asked if we wanted chips instead of just bringing them by default.
I can appreciate how the new minimum wage bullshit is driving up costs for restaurant owners, but the whole way this was handled was aggravating and will be enough for me not ever come back to Chez Pay for Chips Jose.

As a whole, Chez Jose is underwhelming at best.
The chips weren’t warm and the salsa is weak. I have to agree with the other reviews– they are either serving Pace Picante or ripped off the recipe! I asked for a side of hot salsa and they said ‘this IS our hot.’ Oh… my mistake.
The pricing is high for the quality, as well. The vibe inside isn’t horrible until you remember you’re in a strip mall.

We love Chez Jose! We live close, so we’re here a lot. The staff is always so nice when we come in and the food is super tasty. We end up trying something new from the menu each time we come in. The menu is part classic Mexican and part modern Mexican, plus their specials are always good. Plates are LARGE and you get a big serving of rice/​beans.

ATMOSPHERE:
Casual, fun, friendly. A neighborhood place!
SERVICE:
Great wait staff, and even when they’re packed the food comes out on good time.
FOOD:
One of my favorite Mexican places in the Portland area. When I lived close by I came at least once s week, sometimes three. Fresh and tasty! I love the black bean soup on rainy days, and their specials are always on point.
OVERALL:
Great spot for a quick bite or to linger over dinner and beer with friends and family.

This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Ambience is nice and clean. Staff is friendly. Food is good and plentiful.

Years ago this place was «ok» Not anymore. There is really great Mexican food out there, don’t waste your time trying to find it here. Very blah… Some good ideas but VERY poorly executed. Today at our table we ordered a chicken taco plate and a Nachos. This was truly the worst nachos either one of has ever experienced. Bummer.

A long time favorite of many people, but now I think that is the only thing going for them. It appears it more a social status thing instead of good food. They now charge you for chips and salsa which tasted like a can of stewed tomatoes with a bunch of sugar added. The waiter was clearly rushed and didn’t seem to care. I asked for Fajitas extra spicy. His response… «I guess we can do that if that is what you want.» Yes, I would like them extra spicy or I wouldn’t of asked. Of my favorite things about fajitas is the grilled vegetables and carmalized onions on the hot cast iron skillet. These came out on a plate and looked boiled not a single grill mark, not was there any flavor or spice. Needless to say the other dish we ordered was just as lack luster and eveything tasted very sweet as in too much sugar. When our check came the waiter dropped it off as he walked by without a word, and picked it up just the same.

As a long time patron of Chez Jose I was astonished at dinner last night to see that they’re charging for chips and salsa one of the greatest things about going to Chez Jose through the decades was the fact that in three minutes of your butt hitting the chair you had chips and two types of salsa in front of you many many starving nights I was treated to the immediate flavor of Chez Jose chips and salsa as I SAT and looked at the menu don’t get me wrong the food is still great and I’m sure there’s an economic reason for them to charge for the chips and salsa but I’m just saying ordering the chips and salsa and waiting for them to arrive is a buzz kill

I have tried this place 3 times now. I want to like it because good Mexican cusine is inexplicably hard to find in PDX.
My experience each time I went was underwhelming. Every dish I have tried is bland. I am not sure they salt anything. For what you get, it is very expensive. I am not saying that the ingredients are low quality, because for the most part, they don’t seem to be — I just like my food to taste good. If I am going to pay $ 19.50 for nachos, I don’t want to eat bland canned jalapeños and greasy chips.

The door was open and it was 55 degrees outside. There is no happy hour and the atmosphere is more like a diner and family oriented. It doesn’t seem like much thought has been given to the experience of the customer and the food doesn’t make up for it, unfortunately, it is nothing special. On the positive side, the spicy pineapple margarita was excellent, if slightly pricy.
I’m still giving three stars simply because it’s Mexican food, and any Mexican food is better than American to me. I’d recommend Salvador Mollys (it’s not Mexican per se but it’s ‘island food’) over this place if in the SW Portland area.

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but something has gone wrong in the past year. The quality of the food has gone down, meanwhile the attitude of the wait staff has gone UP (and that’s not a good thing).
My past 3 tries have been so bad, I just cant go there anymore. I decided to come to Unilocal just to help others. The restaurant has regressed, and there are now better options out there. Im done with this place.

I like that this place is a bit different than the traditional Mexican restaurant. The salsas are tasty. I have never left raving about a particular dish but I also have not really disliked anything. They will do take out.

Got a blood orange margarita with jalapeño infused tequila. It was HOT! But good.
Salsa and chips, eh.
Ordered a combo plate with a chicken lime enchilada and a chile relleno. Ended up taking most home but all of that tasted good.
Nice and crowded neighborhood joint — too bad Unilocal has so many not recommended reviews, think it deserves higher than 3.5 stars.

This place was a last minute decision but a great one. It’s a great little place next to a market and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
The food selection was very broad, a great place for our mixed vegetarian and carnivore family. We recommend the butternut squash enchiladas, chili rellenos and the quesadillas.
Definitely glad we checked in here!

I had a business meeting with a gentleman from Lake Oswego last Friday, July 10^th. We arrived at 11:50 am and found no problem with seating. The menu is full of tasty ideas and the service was prompt and courteous. Since I live in Gresham this will probably not be a frequent stop, but I will give this restaurant a thumbs up for the prices and the quality of food. Maybe I missed it, but the waiter forgot to take our drink request so we water is all we had. My only complaint is the access to this place and the parking. Enjoy if your in the area!

The food was disappointing. Rice and black beans were totally bland.
The fish in the fish taco was NOT grilled as billed and was utterly tasteless.
The medium shelf margarita lacked an element or two.
Blah.

What a great find! Stuck in a little strip mall with the best eclectic Mexican food! The squash enchiladas, lime chicken enchiladas and fish tacos were the best!

Fantastic service. The food however is not. the first thing that came to mind was eating Mexico food at an airport. Extremely salty, and not fresh. I was really disappointed.

Been to this place several times for both lunch and dinner and have never been disappointed by the food. In an area of town that is lacking for good Mexican restaurants, this is certainly my favorite for Mexican in the Terwilliger/​Multnomah Village vicinity.
Service has been somewhat spotty at times however overall have had a good experience.

This place is meh. Everything is just meh. Nothing too exciting or remarkable. You could probably make everything better at home and for much cheaper. I ordered the chicken lime enchilada with refried beans and rice. The rice was dry and the beans looked like they sat out for a long time. Also the margaritas are meh too. You’d be better just making your own.

Very good mexican hip calif style. Friendly staff. Family friendly, very good menu. Hottest item is the lime chicken enchilada. Ask for the real hot sauce.
Will return.

I have been here many times.
Solid meals, great chips and dips.
The staff is very nice.
Give them a try.

This place is good, not great. Certainly convenient if you live in the area. The lines can be long so no doubt others think more highly. I just think if you have the time, you can visit significantly better establishments.
Food is good, with huge portions, and the steak is impressive given the price. The chips are decent and served warm, while the I’m not sure what the salsa is… tomato soup??? Orange tomato soup? Not really great either. Better salsa would make a huge difference in my book, frankly.
And the drinks, they kinda suck. Sorry, but they do. Super sweet and sour! Providing some options, say 3 different margaritas, would go a long way. If someone wants a real margarita, let them pay for it!
Management, visit some of Portland best mexican establishments and take your restaurant from a C+ to a A+.

Chez Jose is a good option for the area, they seem to have a following as the dining room was packed. Place them in NE, SE or NoPo and I’m not so sure. The few items I ordered tasted like Suburbia.
Kudos for offering hot and cold salsa, unfortunately, both tasted like something off the grocery aisle shelf. Apparently, the chips are fried on the premises, but that doesn’t mean they are homemade (they sure didn’t taste like it.)
Can’t really mess up refried beans other than some places making them too dry, here they were average. I did not enjoy the rice at all. The Shrimp and Scallop Enchilada is a great idea, but there was no scrumtious sauce. Cost for this platter was just under $ 10.
I did enjoy the Spicy Pineapple Margarita, but price point was very high.
Server gal was very friendly as was the hostess (guy.) Parking here just sucks.
For this midrange style of Mexican restaurant, i. e, not foo foo like Mextiza or a hole-​in-​wall either, my benchmark is La Cochina on NE MLK.
They look like they try and people come, so always nice to see a business succeed. Guess we just didn’t connect.

A friend and I were out and about near here, thought about lunch, and we both remembered we hadn’t been here in a long while. This friend and I and a large group of friends used to dine here all the time (even back in time to the early-​ish 1990s when they were located over on Broadway near Lloyd Center). I guess old habits die hard because I didn’t have to even look at the menu to order my old fave, Chicken Lime Enchiladas (I love the powerful lime flavor). I’m not entirely sure I’ve eaten anything else here — why mess with perfection? Well, OK, the black bean soup is very, very tasty, especially during the winter, but today I had my enchiladas with a margarita, much more summery don’t you think?
Service was just fine and food was served hot and on time. Water glasses were filled frequently. Wish I could say I had margarita refills all afternoon, but friend would have had to pour me in the car after a few of those. What a way to go on a perfect summer day. Parking is funky at best, so be sure to come here for lunch a little later in the afternoon or for an early dinnr.
Chez Jose you’re still great after all these years!