Don Jose Mexican Restaurant
“It's a BYOB so that's a plus ( I likey)
And they give u awesome tortilla chips in a basket and spicy salsa as soon as you sit down….”
“Slim pickin's for Mexican in this area but great salsa & chips and we love their enchiladas!”
“The fajitas were fantastic, brought hot and sizzling to your table with rice and beans and fresh guacamole.”
Don Jose Mexican Restaurant
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Fiery free salsa with fresh house-made chips, friendly but laconic staff, fast service, generous portions of Mexican restaurant standards like enchiladas with great black beans on the side — all that made me a fan. And bring tequila! Sometimes you'll get live music, a dude playing guitar and singing mariachi music, that's a nice touch.
So, the heat level in that served-as-soon-as-you-sit-down salsa was a very respectable medium which is just unheard of, usually the free stuff is dullsville, I was soaking it up happily. Chips were perfect too. Did I mention I forgot the tequilla?
The special advertised on the blackboard out front was chiles rellenenos, two large mild green peppers stuffed with shrimp, mild peppers, onions & cheese. Quite a bit more than the traditional gooey blob of cheese in a deep-fried vegetable but it was Great, the shrimp cooked exactly right and the breading on the chile very light, an outstanding meal, about $17. Loved the black beans that came on the side, well flavored without being just another salt delivery system. My dining companion tried the beef enchiladas, your standard refried beans on the side. But a bit unusually, the ground beef had been spiced with cinnamon among others and wasn't dried out, quite a deal at $12.
We visited on a Sunday evening, place about half full, no wait for a table. One TV on in the corner showing soccer (uh, I mean football).
Vegetarian rating: 4 stars, several appetizers are veg (hello guacamole) and they have a menu section just for veggies that includes fajitas, enchiladas, soft tacos and a veg burrito. Still you probably should ask first what goes into the refried beans and the black beans, but you knew that 🙂
Oh yeah the decor is COLORFUL, like the chairs and the walls and the tables and the artwork and the hanging lace paper and more .. I guess one persons's gaudy is another person's festive lol. Maybe it helps to be a tetch colorblind .. hey they have do to do something to stand out in yet another Route 10 strip mall, right?
Always our go to place in north jersey. Of all the Mexican places we've tried this one is the most authentic I've been able to find.
We usually get the enchiladas because they are that good but I've had many of the dishes and none disappoint.
Good homemade salsa, pretty quick service, and best of all good food. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.
This is an excellent tex-mex restaurant!! Food is solid! I've tried so many Mexican, tex-me all over the states. Don Jose makes almost perfectly seasoned food. Especially, enchiladas .. Hard to find a good one. Any enchiladas is very good here. Fajita, burrito as well. Portions are good too. Fast service. Don't forget to bring 6 pack!!
I will start out by saying that this place is adorable. The tables and chairs are very nice and the restaurant is decorated beautifully. There is a good crowd as well. It is BYOB, which is very convenient. The menu is nice, based on the menu that I viewed on line I thought there would be many more salads, but when I looked at the actual menu, there weren't too many. The wait staff is attentive but a little aggressive in taking your order. I like to sit and chat a bit, not to mention, actually look at the menu as well. The staff must have approached us three times within 10 minutes of our arrival.
I didn't love my food, I had garlic chicken. But the appetizer was good, Don Jose Shrimp. My dinner guests liked their food. We were in and out of the place in an hour, which I consider a pretty speedy dinner for a Friday night.
Not sure I would go back but I would recommend it to others who are more into Mexican food than I am.
You get two reviews for one Don Jose-I forgot to post the first and went back last night…
Got the lunch combo beef soft taco and chicken burrito topped with red sauce and cheese. Came with rice and refried beans (staple at places like this) and fresh chips and salsa to start. Chips and salsa were great…lightly salted hot chips and a nice sales with some kick.
The platter came and the first thing I noticed was peas in my rice. I hate peas, they literally make me gag if I eat one. Disgusting little green balls of ick. Luckily they were easily removed. The rice and beans were good…needed just a touch of salt, but I liked them.
My beef soft taco was delicious but was a bit on the skimpy side…but I did get he combo so maybe they make the combos a little smaller. My chicken burrito was jut ok. They add a chile relleno inside the burrito which is a nice touch, but the sauce completely overwhelmed the flavor of the burrito itself. I also would have liked a touch more chicken for the price.
I came at lunchtime, and the place isn't huge, so I wasn't sure if get a table…but I did right away. Service was excellent and I was served quickly. I'd like to come back and give Don Jose another chance.
Dinner with Wifey 9/25
Packed on a Friday night-good for you Don Jose! Luckily we got a booth right away and the waitress cracked open our beers (I love BYOB places).
As we waited to order we chewed on delicious chips and salsa – a little watery, but delicious. After a few minutes my wife decided on the Blackened Salmon Fajitas and I had Chicken and Beef Fajitas. Both of us loved our meals and walked away STUFFED. Don Jose has done away with the peas in their rice (thank you), and the beans and rice and salsa and guacamole were all great with the meal. My I it complaint was my fajitas didn't come out sizzling and it does make a difference in how 'done' the onions and peppers are…but they still tasted great.
Gonna bump them up to four stars…a very good meal!
The decor was great and employees were friendly and helpful. I think it would be a fun place to be for Cinco de Mayo. Unfortunately I really wasn't blown away with the food. The chips and dip were pretty good. I ordered the chicken tamales and it didn't have much flavor and some of the chicken was dry. Had it not been for the sauce and cheese, it would not have been something I would've wanted to consume. I'm not sure I would consider this place again…maybe for appetizers but I don't think I'd want to try the main meals again.
Our favorite Mexican joint! Decorations are tacky but the food is great with a wealth of selection. Even the salsa and chips are amazing (warm chips and salsa with just the right amount is heat!). Try the fajitas and the steak.
Was in the East Hanover area and was dizzy from the variety of options but ultimately settled for Mexican food in an odd strip mall with great food selections in blue font signs… nevertheless, the decor inside is very cute and transports you to Mexico! It was fairly busy for a Tuesday evening and service was quick and easy.
We were seated almost immediately and was offered some nachos and a fresh, spicy salsa. My friend ordered a chicken quesadilla and I ordered a chicken tostada and we had plenty of leftovers but it was so good! Very authentic and felt like I had a home cooked meal that was on par with a lot of my other experiences in Mexican restaurants. I would definitely come over again if I was in the area if I'm not distracted by the multitude of other options in this strip mall alone and on Rt 10!