San Jose Mexican Restaurant & Taquiera

We ordered a taco salad, large burrito, burrito combo and a kids meal. The food was ok… the taco salad was sparse but the burritos were fine. The service was slooooooowwwww. I had to track down a waitress to get our order taken and the food took a long time to come out (30 min). I’ve never been to a Mexican restaurant that took that long for some burritos. This was not a horrible experience but I doubt we’ll come back.

I tried this place tonight due to its proximity to the house and the 4 star Unilocal review. Taco Tuesday has never been so disappointing. My wife and I both ordered the Carne Asada tacos. Both orders came out with cold tortillas, dry steak, and a bowl of watery Pico De Gallo… On the side. There was literally no other garnish on the tacos or other ingredients. Glimmer of hope though. The margarita arrived! Sadly this was also another watered down disappointment. Unilocal you always lead the way, I always take your hand and let you guide me, but this Taco Tuesday you lead me into disappointment that didn’t end in even a buzz.

Food was below average. Nothing seemed very fresh. The service was good, but overshadowed by the food.

Unilocal shows this place as closed today but I’m sitting right here getting bad service and watching drain flies hop from plate to plate. Waited until 20 minutes for a bottle of beer. Chips are stale, chewy. Décor is sloppy and it’s 4 degrees warmer than it is outside. I noticed an open shipping container behind the restaurant with buckets and boxes, hope they’re not keeping any food in there. Have not received the meal yet but it could be excellent and I still will not be returning to ths «restaurant.»

I ask all my friends where the best Mexican restaurant is locally and they always say San Jose. I really have no complaints about this place, everything is up to par and the food is fresh and very appetizing. If all the local Mexicans go here and suggest this place that’s when you know it’s legit!

Besides my usual, Plaza Azteca, the food here is great too! It’s also closer to my house and that helps. It feels a little more «homey» here because it’s not as big as plaza. i ordered the Chicken with Chorizo over rice and it was perfect. The chips and salsa served there taste very fresh. (Some places over prep and you can taste it was made a day before). I might have to get a margarita the next time, maybe that will tell me if it’s the best!

This place is authentic Mexican food! Prices: you get what you pay for, and in this case is a good thing. I paid 10 bucks for a huge burrito! The size of a ruler (12″). Carne asada was cooked just right and very tasty. We had a good server, very kind and professional. Overall, food was good and left satisfied. Can’t wait to go back and try another item on their big menu. Lots of choices!

Oh this place is WONDERFUL! The tacos d lengua were phenomenal, the micheladas were huge and absolutely tasteful, and the chips/​dip was always refilled.
I got the tacos d lengua and my husband had the 7 seas soup. DELICIOUS… I cannot stress this enough. It does take kind of long, but it’s so worth the wait with how yummy this food is. Our go to AUTHENTIC Mexican spot.

Great Mexican place, it’s authentic Mexican (and I’m Mexican) and you can’t beat the prices.

We’ve had take out from here a few times and it’s always been great. We just finished eating in and it was very good. I recommend the super chimichangas!

The food here is taste really good! I had the carne asada which was seasoned to perfection. The rice and beans were a perfect blend and complimented my carne asada well. The service was great, the staff is welcoming and friendly. The décor could use a little help, though. I would have given this place 4 stars but I deducted 1 star because I spent the night with stomach pains so bad I thought I was giving birth to a watermelon. Whatever is in that food completely cleaned out my intestines.

Well, the quality of mexican food in Hampton Roads is not very good. I have been searching forever for exceptional food… the search continues. The waiter was polite but understood very little english. The place was clean but sparce. The chips were heavy and the salsa was watery and salty. The entrees were okay… but forgetable. The chili poblano/​relleno was made improperly and with the wrong pepper. The burrito was just a bigger enchilada… same sauce, same everything. The refried beans were the best item!
I just dont understand why its so hard to find QUALITY mexican food. My search continues…

I’ve never given 5 stars to any restaurant (then again I’ve also never given a negative review on Unilocal) but this one earned it. I had the whole fried tilapia and it was decadent. One of the best things I’ve eaten in years. My girlfriend had a burrito that was about 18 inches long and wide as a football.

This place is delicious! I’m from Texas and I know authentic. Our new favorite spot. Best barbacoa tacos in Hampton roads hands down!

Left the office with an INTENSE craving for Mexican food, and did a U-​turn when I saw this place across the way on Lynnhaven. Despite stopping by during peak lunch hours on a Friday, I left with my to-​go order in less than 5 minutes. Got a nice amount of food for the price (ordered lunch special #11, the lunch fajitas), and even got a bag of tortilla chips + containers of white sauce & salsa with my order.
Everything was packaged well & traveled safely back to the office with me, and the food was solid. My only critique: the beef had a few extra tough bits, next time I’ll do chicken fajitas instead. I’ll be back, though next time I’ll probably eat in; there was a ton of seating, & I could’ve had a huge comfy booth all to myself!

Horrible tortilla chips that had the consistency of cardboard (though cardboard would have tasted better), salsa that tasted like it came from a can and the chefs seem to have misplaced their spice rack.
The shrimps for the fajitas tasted like those pre-​cooked, frozen then defrosted, cocktail shrimp tossed with onions and bell peppers. The Carne asada just tasted like bland meat and looked like dog food.
Nothing was marinated! No spice, no flavor, no feel of love and care that is usually put into Mexican dishes.
If you have only ever had Mexican food from the east coast, it’s probably mind blowing to you and surely it’s fun to try and pronounce everything, BUT if you have ever tasted REAL Mexican food, you are wasting your money. Anyone with a decent recipe can do better in their own homes.

Hands down, San Jose is my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant in the Hampton Roads area. It’s not a chain, and not as decorated or as fancy as the other more popular chain, but their food, which is what matters, is far superior. They renovated this place recently, not so much for looks, but to expand it; good for them!
I have been coming here for years, with my mom, my boyfriend, my friends, basically everybody! The consensus — we all absolutely love the food here. My favorite is the (fried) Chimichanga — especially the beef one. Chicken is good too, but the shredded beef is amazing! I also had the shredded beef Quesadilla recently and it was amazing– so tender and flavorful. Their sides are always on point — beans, rice, etc. I usually RAVE about their tamales, especially because there aren’t many places around here that make them right. I gave San Jose a 4 instead of 5 stars because last time, I had a tamale and it was on the super dry side. It’s usually so moist and delicious. I hope they bring back the old recipe, or that this was just an «off» tamale day. Oh another perfect dish– their Chori Pollo — Chicken with Chorizo, rice, beans, and tortillas. Bomb dot com.
Service is always great — friendly staff, and food always comes quickly.
If you want the BEST Mexican food in the area, definitely check this place out; you won’t regret it! :D

Great service the owner recognized us from eating here before and comes over to talk to us. The food is great, big portions

After becoming accustomed to being disappointed in the lack of quality Mexican food in the tidewater area, San Jose restored my hope.
When I walk into a place that doesn’t have lots of great décor the food has to be on point. This place has exactly that. Solid food with great flavor and more importantly food where there are layers of flavor in a bite. Having grown up in the southwest I learned what authentic Mexican cuisine is about. Good ingredients, fresh veggies, and a big profile in each bite. My experience with Mexican food in the area has been chain restaurants that have fancy décor and average food.
San Jose has gone the opposite direction. Simple furniture and great food.
I had a staple Tex-​Mex dish, beef fajitas. The beef was from a ribeye steak and the veggies were all fresh.
My friend had the San Jose grande burrito. It was a quality meal that was loaded with cheese.
Overall I have to say this is the best Mexican restaurant I’ve been to around here. I’ll definitely be back.

BEST MEXICAN FOOD.
Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Mexican cuisine but once in awhile I have to satisfy my appetite.
I must say that this is the best comfort Mexican food I ever have. It’s simply delicious. Your money is in the right track… lol
There is nothing fancy at all in this place. However, I guarantee that you’ll not leaved this place feeling hungry.
In my recent visit, I had the BURRITO SAN JOSE GRAND. It was sumptuous and refreshing. Probably worth it to skip my diet.
No question the food and customer service is extremely superb.
This is definitely one of my favorite Mexican restaurants.