El Maestro

Great food, nice environment fun staff. Prices are very good what else could you ask for.

I came here thinking this place would be by far excellent by the reviews and pictures. I ordered over the phone for a chicken tortilla soup and a Chile Verde plate. When I went in I noticed everybody had those mustache things on their shirts maybe they’re mascot.
The food totalled $ 20.66 for this. I thought it would be a nice big portion from yell pictures. So maybe they only give you more me when you’re dine in.
When I got home after seeing how little the amount of food I got irritated, but wasnt going to drive all the way back. The chicken soup was probably the best bwcaus it has veggies in it. The chile verde, as you can see in the picture, its pretty much liquid… Wheres the meat? Yea about 4 piecea of it and not a great taste. Gaetas in Gilroy is by far the best for chile verde. Rice and beans werent good, those went to the dogs
When you leave drive east in the larking lot next to it to exit.

The drinks were great! I really really wanted to like this place but the service was soooo slow, the food is sub par and I couldn’t even get the check to pay.
I’m pretty sure the nacho cheese sauce my kids ate is from Costco, the kind they serve in your neighborhood snack shack
Oh and the steak fajitas are for sure not worth the money we paid for them

I’m not trying to be mean, but this place is White Washed Mexican food!!! You might be able to call this place authentic if it was located in Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Los Gatos… but you’re in San Jose playas and we are home to the best tasting Mexican food in the bay yo!?!
Some dishes we’ve tried…
Flautas and Crispy Taco Entrée (rice/​beans was pretty good, but the meat had no flavor and was dry, cooks need to go visit some local taquerias so they can improve their meat making skills)
Carne Asada Nachos (tons of nacho cheese, not a big fan)
Albondinga Soup (watered down, but good portion)
If you have a large party who doesn’t eat Mexican food on a normal basis, then by all means come to this place. The location is great, the service is good, and this is a very clean restaurant. The prices are kind of high but again you’re paying for the cleanness of the restaurant. They also have a bar with variety of alcohol to choose from, it’s kind of like another version of Aqui the Mexican chain restaurant in San Jose. If you are an avid mexican food carnivore like myself, you will most likely be disappointed by the lack of authenticity :(

I came here on my lunch break because I was craving a breakfast burrito. 3 stars because even though it was tasty, it was oh so greasy. Like ‘dripping through the foil and paper bag’ greasy. I don’t know if it’s because I asked for the tater tots in my burrito rather than on the side, but it literally seemed like the cook dumped the bacon and its grease onto the tortilla and wrapped it up all together. When I got towards the end of burrito and bit into it, my lips looked like they were coated in a lip gloss made of grease lol. Also, $ 10 seems a little steep for an average burrito, but that’s partially my fault for going here on a whim.

3.5 Stars rounded up:
So first off the ambiance is nice for a Mexican restaurant, the nice tile mosaics around the building the fresh looking tables and so on make it a fun place to dine. They have ample seating and handled our party of 13 perfect for Mothers Day.
The service was great with the waitress and our drinks were always filled and the chips and salsa were refilled constantly. The only issue with the service was with a gentlemen who we asked for to help with tortillas and also some chilies for my menudo, we must have asked close to 6 or 7 times and by the time we left I still had not received the tortillas, this really hurt the rating of this place.
The food was ok, it wasn’t send me to heaven great but it wasn’t also get out of my way I gotta puke bad either. The menudo was actually tepid when I got it and though the tripe was ample the flavor of the dish was lacking a spice element. The corn tortillas my mom let me have of hers were actually quite nice and appeared to be homemade which was a nice surprise. I feel that the dish needed the oregano and chili pepper option (dried preferably) to the side condiments that they leave you with, this one only had lemon and onions with a tiny amount of cilantro. I want tons of cilantro and onions, some cabbage too, and the other ingredients I mentioned.
The chips and salsa were really the highlight of the meal for me. My brother and sister in law loved the Chavela’s and the kids all seemed to enjoy their tacos so bonus points there.
The pricing was fair I thought, a large bowl of menudo was only $ 9 so overall it was a decent deal.
Again if it wasn’t for the service they may have eeked out a 4 rating but the service from that guy and the lack of condiments for the menudo lowered the rating. I’ll be back to give it another crack.

The place is hidden however it’s a good spot for a good Mexican meal. The service was great and we enjoyed our meal while watching the game and listening to music all at the same time.
The salsa is authentic and the real deal, not your typical wanna be «salsa». The portions were just right and is a place I can see myself coming back to.

Good place!
This place is nice. I had the enchiladas and my gf had the pozole. Both were very good. The drinks were very tasty and the prices seam reasonable. The place is kind of hidden away in a lonely shopping center off Blossom Hill and Almaden. That might explain why it was slow for a late sunday morning. I hope they do better business because this place stepped up the game for Mexican food spot in SJ.

Came in after a loooong day of car shopping and my mother and I were starving.
I’m usually not a huge fan of Mexican food, but I was craving rice and beans and something cheesy.
I ended up ordering a carnitas quesadilla which, though basic, was very, very good and came with guac on the side. Rice and beans were fresh and tasted great. I hate going to Mexican spots where the beans taste like they came out of a can.
I would recommend their pitcher of margarita! So huge! I’d say this serves 3 – 4 people easily next time definitely have to bring more people so we don’t leave any behind.
Micheladas tasted more like a bloody mary and even had bloody mary garnishes of cornichons, garlic olives and cocktail onions (kinda weird) I’d skip on this.
Their Sunday specials include $ 5 Chevelas and $ 12 Bottomless mimosas until 2 or 3pm I need to come back for that.

Yum! Great food, friendly service. A little slow… but food was yum. Guacamole was good needed to be fully mashed and a little more salt… chips yummy. I had camarones rancheros… so good. Lots of shrimp, spicy sauce. With bell peppers, onion, and jalepeno. Kids enchilada was good, and chicken burrito was good size and yummy.
Can’t wait to go back for margaritas!

Soooo… This is right next to the bridal and lamp store it’s pretty good to be honest and the chips and salsa are sooo good but yeah went here during brunch time had a breakfast burrito which was pretty good. The place was pretty packed which was surprising *i think because they do bottomless mimosas around this time* but yeah overall it’s pretty good I would recommend.

I decided to come here based on the 4 star reviews they have. Also, chose this place because it looked like a fun atmosphere to celebrate my birthday. Well… I was wrong!
Took 30 minutes to get seated and when our server arrived he was not enthusiastic. Did not mention his name. And just took our order like he was so bored with his job. I started to notice the rest of the workers looked just as unhappy and unenthusiastic as he did. The drinks we ordered took over 20 minutes to get and our food even came first. I ordered the Sope and it was soooooo bland. Little to no flavor that salt could not even help it. I got my Sope with carnitas and it had barely any meat. Mostly lettuce. My mom and I ordered margaritas which tasted like water. The only good thing that came out of this dinner was my brother’s chile verde which he enjoyed. I’ve had my share of Mexican food and this place I do not recommend.

Most of my reviews come from opposite ends of the spectrum: really good service or really bad service.
I’m more than pleased that this is the really good end of it.
O U T S T A N D I N G!!!
And the food is really good too.
We were served by Rosa, along with every other waiter/​ess in the house. Rosa, Ricardo, and every other waiter/​ess INCLUDING Blanca, the manager were very attentive and so intuitive. If you called them over a hundred times (like I did) I don’t think they could get annoyed. Or if they did it never showed.
Your (fresh house made) chip basket won’t go unnoticed if it starts to run low, neither will your little salsa bowls. Same goes for the drinks.
I (as a customer service freak) thought we were just lucky to have Rosa, who is a skilled, courteous, attentive, friendly, people oriented young lady. Well as luck would have it, every person today (3÷23÷16) had immeasurable customer service skills.
Our food was delish! My husband had the fajito trio with homemade corn tortillas. My gramma the chimichanga with shredded chicken, and me the burrito with grilled chicken. The srimp, steak and chicken were cooked well and bursting with flavor the grilled veggies were good too.
My gramma’s chimichanga was nice and crispy and not too big or too small. The shredded chicken was moist and the flavors mixed well.
My burrito was one of the best I’ve had the grilled chicken was moist as well, and the beans (which I’m not a fan of) were so good. Not dry or pasty. I’m glad I failed to say no beans please. We also had the flan (which isn’t my fave either) and it was deelicious. Not the slightest hint of egg was detected.
So, long story longer, I was über impressed with EVERYTHING and just had to let the manager know. I asked Rosa to summons him or her (wasn’t sure at the point of service) I waited a few minutes and over walked Blanca.
Wait a minute, is this the same woman I seen cleaning tables, attending patrons, and working the same as her employees??? WHAT!!! It’s perfectly clear at this point why the customer service was
P H E N O M E N A L! Because Blanca is leading by example. Blanca was very appreciative and gracious of my compliments. An absolute doll!
My husband and I look forward to coming back for more.
Thank you El Maestro for bringing back what has been lost in the food industry (and almost all other industries for that matter).

This is the BOMB and we are picky Foodies!!! Everyone should go here. Excellent Service as well!!!

I have tried El Maestro twice now and have NOT been disappointed (I take my Mexican food very serious).
The first time I visited, I had the a combo with a cheese enchilada and veggie (soft) taco, rice & beans.
The second time (last night) I visited, I had a chicken tostada, rice & beans. I don’t know what it is about this place, but their FLAVORS are amazing! The chicken in my tostada was delicious, super juicy and tons of spices and flavor. Their beans are also extremely tasty and something about their cheese, oh man, it’s wonderful!
My boyfriend had the chili verde plate, which he said was flavorful and a spicy (in a good way).
I have not had the drinks here, but have seen a majority of the people ordering fancy (huge) drinks with their dinners.
I have also had the deep fried ice cream for dessert, which is of course, BOMB.
I highly recommend this place for a date, family dinner (they have a back room) or just a quick bite for dinner.

Pleasantly surprised how good and nice this restaurant was for lunch on Sunday! The location is odd right next to a wedding dress shop… which I would say if your looking for a dress. come here after with your group. But that’s besides the point the food was super yummy! That salsa is on point!!! Garlic and spicy!!! Loved it! The service was very attentive and on the ball. I had the two item combo (I didn’t have anything to eat and it was 2pm) a shredded chicken enchilada with a tamale and all the plates come with rice and refried beans so GOOD! The red sauce for the enchilada is literally the only restaurant that I’ve ever enjoyed. My hubby got the beef fajitas. He loved his too! Lots of flavor!
If you are having a date night or a killer game is on I would say this would be a fun place to come too.
So happy for a restaurant so close to home!!!

I had a really great dining experience here for my Dad’s birthday. Unfortunately I was left a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to eat what I had originally wanted.
We arrived around 6 o’clock on a Friday night and our party of 6 was seated right away. We each started with a margarita and they came out fast and tasted wonderful! To accompany our table chips, we ordered guacamole which was also very tasty.
When it came time to order, I had my heart set on the chimichanga. Unfortunately when I told the waitress what I wanted she informed me that the fryer was broken. so back to the menu I went. I eventually decided on the enchilada verde (1 chicken and one cheese). Our food came out quickly, but when my plate arrived it had my enchiladas but only had beans with no rice. Everyone else at my table had rice on their plates. When I inquired I was told they were out of rice… sorry. Disappointed I started eating but began to notice lots of other plates coming out of the kitchen with rice on them. so my disappointment turned to semi-​annoyance. About 5 minutes after that our waitress brought me a plate of rice. I really wish she had told me it would just be a few minutes to get rice and not that they were completely out…
All in all, my enchiladas were great and everyone else really enjoyed their dinners as well. Our server was attentive and was always checking in. The staff also brought our a great desert and sang for my dads birthday! I had a great time, however, I still wish I had been able to try the chimichanga…

Where do I begin.
1) Flavor: Not authentic at all! I’ve had little hole in the wall Mexican food in Mexico and this is not even close to being good! How can Mexican food taste so fusiony?!
2) Service: Beyond slow. Drinks took 30 mins to make and food took about an hour. On top of that, our order had to be taken twice by two different people because for some reason, the first time we ordered, it was not noted!
3) Price: Overpriced. Two tacos for $ 9.50 is just wrong!
In short, never again!

Cool little mexican bar /​restaurant that gets pretty busy for being all the way in the back of a strip mall. Two friends and I came for drinks and dinner last night. Maybe most important of all, their chips and salsa are on point. The chips are similar to chevys, that light crisp cantina style chip, very good!
Whats good—
Shredded beef Enchiladas Suiza — 4 stars
Chips and salsa — 4 stars
Super chavelas — 5 stars, extra frosty large glasses, fresh squeezed lime juice.
What was OK
Rice, 2.5 stars, pretty dry, seemed like it was sitting out for a while and scooped on plate.
Beans 3.5 stars
Camarones a la diabla, — 3 stars, although my friend liked them more, had a strong fishy taste.
Other notes, they have about six 60″ tvs for sports if you want to watch the game. We sat at the bar and while our bartender was attentive when she was there, seems she had to go run out orders half the time from the kitchen to regular tables. The bar backs behind the bar pretty much ignored us, didn’t check to see if we needed anything the whole time.
I’d come back for chips and drinks, and maybe for some apps & zerts.

My daughter and I had a «date» night last friday and decided to try somewhere new. Of course we went straight onto Unilocal and found El Maestro. We arrived at a little after 7pm and found a place to park right out front.
El Maestro is located in a small strip center off Blossom Hill. When you walk in the front doors you enter the bar area which I thought had a fun lively atmosphere. There are several TV’s so if there’s a game on, this might be a fun place to hang out. Unfortunatly all the seating was full in this area so we sat in the dining room just behind the bar area. I wasn’t loving this room nearly as much. It felt kinda awkward and cold. We both agreed that they need more 2 person tables as a few couples were seated at large round tables that would easily have fit 4 of 5 guests. The truly weird part was that the chairs were taken away, leaving only two at this HUGE table. So weird.
Service was great, prices were reasonable and the food and drinks were good. Not great but good. We ordered:
One Item Combo: Shredded Chicken Enchilada Plate and a Blended Strawberry Margarita — My daughter thought her enchilada was good. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. She said she would have liked more beans though and the rice was good. She liked her margarita but I thought it tasted a little artificial and the booze was a pretty light pour.
Two item combo: Shredded beef enchilada & chili relleno w/​sangria. I thought both the enchilada and the chili relleno were good. The enchilada was pretty small but tasty. The relleno was full of ooey gooey cheese so I was happy. I also thought the beans and rice were good. The Sangria was just «okay».
We also received complimentary chips with salsa and pico. The pico was basic, the salsa was yummy but kinda spicy but the chips were nice and crisp and held up well to dunk they were getting in our beans!
The one stand out issue I had besides the feel of the dinning room was the music. If I’m in a Mexican restaurant eating Mexican food, I don’t want to be listening to current radio music selections. It really kills the experience. One fun plus though were the adorable mustash t-​shirts that the workers wore. Cute!
Will we come back? Of course. Everyone deserves a second chance to get 5 stars. I think El Maestro has potential to be a great family friends place to eat at with reasonable prices. Okay. now I’m hungry.