DO NOT EAT HERE!! I REPEAT DO NOT EAT HERE!! I wish I could give Jose Tejas ZERO stars. This place is absolutely disgusting, and it is clear after my visit today they DO NOT CARE about their customers' HEALTH. I literally PULLED HAIR OUT OF MY MOUTH while eating a quesadilla, and when I told the manager, YADIRA, about it, she had the nerve to brush it off and said, "IT HAPPENS." Are you kidding, did you just casually admit to me a paying customer at your restaurant that this just happens?!!? There was no apology, no concern, just no care at all. The restaurant is filthy to begin with because when we first sat down, the dishes they gave us were dirty and unwashed and THEY DID NOT EVEN NOTICE. We had to ask for clean ones. Even that one had sour cream at the bottom of the dish. Very low standards when it comes to sanitation. After all this, all they could do was to comp the one item. There was no real effort or concern to fix the bigger problem of their unsanitary conditions. Trust me I've been coming here for over 5 years since I was a kid, but the standards have plummeted since COVID. The food may have been good in the past, but the utter lack of hygiene and the terrible service from Yadira have completely ruined it for me. We really WAITED HALF AN HOUR for this type of service and the manager's snarky attitude after we received our food just be able to speak with someone. It wasn't even all that busy like usual because my table of 3 was seated right away. I think of myself to be very patient and calm, but Yadira was so disrespectful and uncaring that I had to finally say something. If Jose Tejas wants to stay open, they need to FIRE THEIR CURRENT MANAGER YADIRA and hire someone with manners. I will be reporting this restaurant to the local health department for these unsafe practices. Do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from this place. If you care about your health and your dining experience, AVOID JOSE TEJAS AT ALL COSTS. You'll find far better places to eat that actually care about what goes into the food they serve you and treat you with the respect you deserve. read more

Late lunch after quick meeting . This was a spontaneous decision while driving to stop in at the Tex mex restaurant after seeing sign. It has a barn converted to restaurant feeling . Large seating area for seat down as well as at bar area. Menu was same thru out a day. Very few to be exact two items for vegetarian eaters. Fajitas and e cheese enchiladas. Selection was easy. As for alcoholic drinks they have wine/ beer etc.. ordered enchilada with green chilies black beans and white rice. Quantity was good. Service was good and pricing of food items were reasonable hence it was busy late lunch crowd after 1:30 pm Have their own parking and restrooms small but clean. read more

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How the mighty have fallen. The quality has really dropped. The sangria is store bought from a jug. The guacamole is your generic restaurant kind comes out still shaped like an ice cream scoop and they have a large amount of favorites off the menu now. The service is still fast and great. Almost to fast. Got our check before we were really done. But the restaurant is clean. Cleaner then normal , now more well lit and easier to navigate. If your handicapped good luck the parking is confusing and ended up having to park in a normal spot and work around the cars read more

I really wanted to have a sit down experience at a restaurant so I went to Jose Tejas. They had outdoor seating from 3-9 with no reservations needed. When we got there, there was an hour and 45 minute wait. The time while waiting seemed to go pretty quick. They had about 15 tables and chairs set up outside in their parking lot and that explains the wait. When we finally sat down we had a nice server who was helpful and very attentive. All I ordered was drinks and chips because they didn't have any vegan options. My sister had steak fajitas and from what I remember they are good and there was plenty. We had a decent experience and I will be back when they open the indoor seating as well. read more

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Disappointed to leave a poor rating after 30 years of fantastic meals and experiences at the Woodbridge Jose's. Over the last year-ish, we have noticed reduced quality, portion sizes and menu choices. Most disappointing is the replacement in chicken fajitas from chicken breast to chicken tender and removal of all crawfish dishes. And while we aren't 100%, we believe the chips have changed to a thicker less crispy one. What's still really good: - camptown shrimp appetizer - carne asada Jim Bowie (but this is a real downgrade from the old Jim Bowie steak) - blackened chicken breast (which use to be the basis of the blacken chicken fajitas which are now tenders) - Jose's rice side dish - jambalaya Can't help but notice crowd sizes are smaller so I don't think we are the only ones who notice. Used to be you waited 45m to an hour and the place was hopping. Not so much anymore. read more

Food, service and atmosphere were great! We enjoyed our first time here. Our waiter was knowledgeable and made recommendations - very helpful Thank you! read more

This is a big and busy restaurant. It is Tex-mex food, not authentic Mexican cuisine. You are greeted with smiles and the staff are very attentive. Osvaldo our waiter made it all worth it! The margarita was definitely on point. Complimentary chips and salsa are given. Although this place is busy, food and drinks come out pretty quick. I do not like cajun seasoning so did not enjoy my steak fajita. I wish I was warned. The empanadas were delicious and have a side of honey cilantro dip. I'm giving it a 4 for the ambiance, our amazing waiter, appetizer and drinks. I will return to try something else on the menu. read more

Jose Tejas - Empanadas - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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I used to LOVE Jose Tejas. But after COVID, they never brought back their full menu. I used to get the "Eggplant Royale"....it was my favorite dish there and it is no longer on the menu! I always get the pastelitos, Camptown Shrimp and the Tejas chicken....love these!! They used to have the "Original Texas Margarita" so now I order the Margarita Grande but add Cointreau to it. Their chips and salsa always comes out hot and I usually eat way too many before my meal arrives. There also used to be 2 chicken dishes that are no longer on the menu. I miss the old menu but still enjoy a good Margarita and some appys at Jose Tejas. read more

The chips are amazing! I like the fajitas. Our waiter was really nice, and didn't have to wait long for the food either. I like the vibe of the place, I come here maybe once a month. Always love it read more

Jose Tejas is a long standing institution in Woodbridge, New Jersey and definitely a place where I made some incredible memories with the fantastic people that I have been so fortunate to have in my life. Let me start by saying that if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is not the place for you. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but certainly neither stellar nor authentic. However, Jose Tejas has a great vibe and the food is good (though I said it before, but it bears repeating, the food here is neither stellar nor authentic). Service is friendly and professional. As I said, this place has a great vibe and ambiance. It is a great place to come with friends and enjoy an evening out. I would definitely recommend this place. It has been a long established business and while so much of this area has changed, it is good to see that Jose Tejas is still here. A place from my past, but still a viable part of the Woodbridge area. read more

Solid, consistent place. It's "good". Nice concept, decent Tex-mex/creole food. Been here 20 years ago and not much had changed. Very few healthy options if that's important to you. Ended up with a quick chix quesadilla and marg. The tortillas were special. I couldn't finish the quesadilla, so asked for it to go with an extra side of guac. The guac came out in a two ounce glass-ish serving bowl, and server handed me a styrofoam clam shell container and plastic bag. ... besides wondering why I was left to pack these items to go, I also felt Greta Thunberg was angry with me (rightfully so). read more

Jose Tejas - Marg! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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I've been going here for YEARS was super disappointed when they decided to take half their items off the menu but was happy they allow takeout now. Spent 45 bucks on takeout. The fajitas were good but the side of jambalaya was in a VERY small container and was TWO SPOONFULS worth. It wasn't even filling the container. I'm sorry but this place is overcharging now on top of half their menu disappearing since Covid. Not a place to save money and have great food. read more

Their fajitas used ro be the most spectacular thing I ever saw or ate now they are the same quality as Chilli's. They suck I comparison to what they used to offer. There is no point to even go when they are the same as every other lousy chain restaurant read more

When you're passing through Woodbridge you've got to stop by the giant EAT sign and give Jose Tejas a try! Anticipate a wait for dinner but it's certainly worth the wait. Hang out by the bar while you wait. Would recommend trying the chicken bandera. Service is quick and attentive. Great place to catch up with friends and grab a few drinks! read more

Jose Tejas - Chicken bandera - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

We have been coming here for years. I fell in love with this restaurant in the late 90s and every time I am in Jersey I make it a point to go here. The food is amazing. Highly recommend the Pastelitos and the Chicken and Steak Fajitas. The fajitas are available for individual serving or for two also. I recommend the jambalaya and definitely the black beans also. The chips are served hot and the salsa is really good. You have to have the lemonade, it has always been great. Love this place and will continue coming here for years to come. read more

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went to Jose Tejas a couple of weeks ago. It was busy, had to wait a little bit, but not too bad. I don't mind when it's a little bit busy, it actually adds to the ambience. Had a couple of margaritas while we were waiting, there was a waiting area that was a good size for you to be able to relax and have a couple drinks and not feel too crowded. Drinks were good, food was as expected, pretty good, OK for the value. Service was good and pleasant. I would come here again. read more

I have mixed reviews about this place. I would have rated it higher but during COVID, it appears that they revamped their menu and have less options now. As in, their menu is very limited. Just one side for food and other side for drinks. For instance, there is only ~4 vegetarian options now and they have permanently removed their crawfish cheese quesadilla. I am devastated. I fell in love with that entree. Despite COVID, this place is packed. I wish they would remove some tables and spread it out. Also the inside is very dark and loud because of how loud people are talking and how many people there are. When I went during the summer, they had outdoor seating. I wish there was a tarp around the tent to prevent wind from cooling down the food and customers. Our waiter was... odd. I'm not sure how to describe it but it made us kind of uncomfortable. read more

I haven't been here in years but one thing that hasn't changed is the waiting time for a table. Luckily there were 2 seats open at the bar and my boyfriend and I sat there. I ordered a chicken enchilada and cheese enchilada and both were very very salty. Not sure if it came from the cheese or the sauce itself but it was hard to finish this meal without drinking few sips of water after every bite. Overall I'd give it a 3.5/5. read more

Jose Tejas - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

I ordered this for delivery on the restaurant website. I ordered chips and salsa, queso in salsa, and an entree. the order came with no chips at all! I called- spent 20 minutes on hold - to be told they couldn't find my order (already charged on my card) and at best would refund me for chips. No refund for the salsa and queso that I could not eat without chips. Rude staff. terrible delivery. I've never had such a bad experience. read more

Have been going here for years, they got rid of the seafood enchiladas, they were amazing! Please bring them back!!!! I miss certain things on the menu but the food is so very good read more

I don't like leaving negative reviews, but 10-15 years ago, this was a premiere Mexican restaurant with amazing food. It used to be worth the long wait. However, I believe customers keep going back because Tejas is a staple, and unfortunately their quality has gone down tremendously. I don't remember the last time I could say I had something delicious from here, it was long before the pandemic. I just had some overly salted jambalaya and some bland shrimp tacos. Service is always solid, and I like going there for the ambiance and oversized drinks, but I'm writing this review in hopes that the food will taste as good as it used to in the near future. read more

We waited about 45 minutes just to be seated because they were super busy. It took the waiter another 20 minutes to come by and greet us and ask us what we wanted for our drinks. Free Chips: This tasted good with the queso dip that they gave us. Chicken & Steak (Beef) Fajitas: The chicken tasted pretty good because they did not overcook it like most places. The steak was a bit overcooked that it tasted really dry. Rice: It had flavor to it but it was a bit mushy. The Staff: I asked the waiter if I can substitute something for French fries and he told me no. This was a bit disappointing because I don't know if he was lazy or they just can't do it. I then told him that I wanted to order a side of fries and they never brought it out. Overall: I think this place is a bit over rated and that the wait is beyond ridiculous. If the wait is this long then they should at least have staff members that can take orders correctly. I am not sure if I would come back to this restaurant after this experience. read more

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Loved the Tex-Mex food. Quality food, lively atmosphere, and surprisingly great prices.

Wow, just totally Wow. Now I come from a foodie deprived Western state so Mexican like this is just not heard of and there is no comparison really. I mean Seafood Enchiladas like this compare to nothing like the ones back home. Just crazy good. The fresh salsas and chips, the Margaritas, the Ambience and Service. All incredible. read more

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Made me wait 1 hour for a table of 5 to not have a ETA of when will it be available, ended up canceling the reservations and going somewhere else read more

RACIST PLACE, AVOID AT ALL COST!!! I went to this place, sat at the bar and ordered tacos. Asked for silverware and was handed to go silverware and napkins, not even bar napkins. It was a long day so I didn't even notice until I ran out of napkins. This lady next to me handed me some bar napkins because she noticed I ran out. That's when I realized everyone else at the bar had the real silverware and napkins. I pointed this out to one of the "So called manager" who could give two shits and shrugged it off. I saw as she spoke to the real manager Anita who couldn't even come by and apologize. Horrible experience!! read more

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THIS IS NOT TEX MEX! Flavors were off. Queso is cheese out of a can. Salsa was meh. Sorry, but being from Texas this does not merit the word "Tejas" in the name. read more

I hadn't been here in YEARS, and apparently I could have stayed away forever. The food is just mot the same. I couldn't just order some shrimp nachos so I settled for the Camptown Shrimp, and decided to also order the queso dip, and everything was SALTY (gross). The queso tasted like it came out of a can, and I just don't know what the other dish was besides a total fail. Some places are CLEARLY open just for drinkers too drunk to know how the food tastes, and just want to absorb the alcohol. I wish I had a pic emoji of their sign so I could type I will never EAT (arrow) here again. The service was good though. read more

Jose Tejas - a woman in a purple shirt standing in front of a eat sign - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Always a huge wait time here but we came ready to wait for a while. Put our names in for a table for 2 and waited in the car for 40 minutes until we got a text. The waitress was very friendly! Margaritas were delicious with strawberry purée pieces that you could feel in your mouth. Chicken quesadillas were bursting with melty cheese. Salmon tacos had the salmon blackened to perfection and the toppings w mango were paired perfectly. And the jambalaya rice that came with it as a side was very spicy! Serving sizes were too big and we had leftovers. read more

Jose Tejas - Chicken quesadilla - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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Finally got a chance to come here after hearing the great reviews from my NJ coworkers and I'm so glad I did! Dined indoors on a Sunday, around 6:30PM with a party of 4 altogether. The wait was about 45 minutes and they were pretty accurate. You have to wait outside until they contact you. The parking lot does get pretty full with people waiting in their cars. Once we got seated, we had chips with guac and salsa to start. The guac was definitely on point. For drinks, we got the frozen strawberry margaritas and they were heavenly. For entrees, we all got different ones to all share. Some entrees were the blackened salmon tacos, empanadas, enchiladas, and steak fajitas. I absolutely LOVED my entree which was the blackened salmon tacos. The dipping sauce is so flavorful. There are a lot of citrus flavors in the dish such as lime. There were also rice and beans included as a side which complemented the entree well. I had a few bites of other entrees and they were also very tasty. Portion sizes are all fairly large and are great for sharing. I will definitely be returning whenever I'm nearby the area! read more

We came here for a quick dinner and let me tell you, if I could give this place an A+ for their stellar service, I would but unfortunately they came up short with the food flavors. They provide complimentary chips and salsa (warm chips!) which is a plus but they're salty. For entrees I got the blackened salmon and my husband got the beef burrito. The salmon came accompanied with yellow rice and black beans.. the salmon was great, seasoning was tasty and the avocado mango salad also. The rice and beans...not so much. The beans tasted strange almost like cocoa and the rice, well it tasted like it came out of a box. Not impressed at all. To make matters worse, I got the worse case of acid reflux when I got home about 2 hours later. My husband said the burrito was good but the portion was relatively small for what a burrito's supposed to be. He had the option of getting rice and beans or a Cajun rice. He opted for the rice and beans and shared the same sentiments as me. Weird tasting! Anyway, it's not a bad place at all and the service was great so I guess it wouldn't be the worst place to eat. read more

Jose Tejas - Inside - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

This is probably the most popular Mexican restaurant in the area. Expect a minimum 30min wait during dinner time on all days of the week. It gets pretty loud in here so feel free to use your outdoor voice. Food is fresh, delicious, authentic, and fairly priced. Portions are generous and you will leave feeling full. All the mexican dishes are pretty solid. Not a fan of mexican food? Do not fret, for they have some Cajun style cuisine and burgers too! I ordered the New Orlean's Chicken which was just okay. Reminded me of a tangy chicken fried steak. Would definitely recommend sticking with the Mexican food! Would've given 5 stars if it wasn't for the long wait every time. read more

Jose Tejas - New Orlean's Chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

I'll start out with a positive comment... they brought back the French Quarter chicken! Negative side was that it was brought out cold. My friend got fajitas. There was no sizzle when it was brought to the table. I jokingly asked where the sizzle was. Waiter said they don't do that anymore! But really... dish was luke warm bordering on cool. Lots of waiters standing around and no one ever came back to ask how everything was. No one asked if we wanted drink refills and yes glasses were empty. Also missing was the lively atmosphere that used to be there. I don't even think music was playing to be honest. Just a boring vibe all together. Could be that it was a Wednesday evening but I remember back in the day it didn't matter what day it was and it used to be packed and lively. read more

Went to JT for lunch with my family last week. Last time we dined there was at least 5 years ago. The place is popular with locals and wait times can exceed an hour and a half. There was no wait for lunch. Quality of the food has changed through the years. Overall, the food was just okay. Tortillas were flour instead of corn , my fajitas were over seasoned. Enchilada was ok. Our server Chris was the best and made every effort to make us feel well served. At this point, we would prefer looking for a good local mom and Pop Mexican restaurant serving the same type of dishes. Sorry, we loved Jt's. I would not kill myself for their food. read more

Lost respect for this longtime favorite. Most recently cinco de mayo we were immediately told the margaritas would not be served in the glass since they're so busy wouldn't be able to wash all the glasses so they were serving in plastic cups. Basically sell more drinks in smaller cups with less work. The time before the exhaust fan wasn't working but instead to stay open; you had a voice of basically 6 items Terrible!!! read more

Disappointing. Haven't been in a while and last time was awesome but so disappointed. $14 for a "Patron" margarita that was filled to the brim with ice and 4 or 5 sips later was gone. Ordered another one and same, plus didn't feel anything so I'm doubting how much alcohol was in it. Appetizer and chips and salsa were very good Fajita's SO disappointing. The steak one was so over seasoned and salty and barely warm. The chicken one was ok but also, just warm. But what happened to the sizzling skillet? First, I thought it was just ours but as I watched others come out it was the same. Where was the fresh lime slice to squeeze over everything and put out the sizzle? Maybe to many accidents but if you're going to be famous for your fajitas, they should be served in a sizzling skillet. Service was just ok... a little inattentive and when we left, all of our plates were still on the table. Also, EXPENSIVE, our bill was $120 for 2 people. An awful lot for not that wonderful food. read more

food was amazing and our waiter Nick Remini was professional great service to our table !!!! read more

Can't go wrong with unlimited chips while you wait to be seated. Although the wait can be long, this is one of the places that's worth it. We came here on a Saturday and had to wait for over an hour but we had drinks and chips and guacamole at the bar. For dinner, we had more chips and guacamole and I got the empanadas as my meal. There was so much food! My empanadas came with rice and beans too. I was shocked by how many people they feed with the portions I saw! I could only eat one empanada since I filled up on chips so I had leftovers. The flavor was so good that I didn't have to ask for hot sauce. One meal can easily be shared with two people. I'd come back during a time it's not busy or order a top go meal. read more

Jose Tejas - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Food & service are excellent!! Highly recommend. Best Mexican restaurant in the area

Interesting mix of cuisines: Tex-Mex with Cajun/Creole. But I guess it actually does make sense since Texas and Louisiana are next door neighbors. Our party of four came in on a Saturday at 7 and there were a lot of people waiting outside. But fear not - the restaurant is huge and you won't have to wait long. It's kind of like those chain restaurants - you go in and get one of those buzzers and when it lights up, your table is ready. We waited probably about 10 minutes before being seated. We skipped the apps because none of us were that hungry. Plus they give you chips and salsa for the table. For my entree, I went with the shrimp and crawfish quesadilla. It wasn't bad but the seafood was a bit salty. The food is inexpensive and the portions are pretty big - some of us had some leftovers to take home. The food is nothing amazing but again, for the price, it's a good deal. My BF ordered the chimichurri steak and it was only $12! 12 DOLLARS. Albeit, it was a bit chewy, but the chimichurri sauce was great. I even stole some for my quesadilla. I doubt I'd be back just because it's far from where I live, and it's not something I'd go out of the way for. But I had a pleasant experience here overall. read more

Jose Tejas - Shrimp and crawfish quesadilla - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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