Maybe another star for the free chips and salsa. The chicken with salsa verde was good. I only wish they served it with rice and not shoe-string fries (which were good, regardless). I get that this place isn't authentic Mexican but besides the small portion of th menu devoted to tacos and quesadillas, there's really nothing Mexican about it. Semantics. This place does serve up good food. The wait SUCKS and I'll even venture to say that the food isn't worth waiting for 90 minutes for a table. I might go back on a "slow" day. Maye the food will taste better when I'm not trying to urgently fill my growling stomach with something, anything. read more

Delicious!! I ordered the chicken enchilada and beef taco...enchilada had a genuine taste...not like an americanized chain or anything....the beef was shredded not ground which I absolutely loveeeeeeee......I taste one of mom's shrimp and crawfish quesadilla....it was memorable...cornbread wonderful too...only 1.47 for two...got to love it!! read more

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

See all

I am really stumped as to how to rate Jose Tejas for many reasons. First, I live in the general area and am always shocked at how this place is consistently packed to the rafters with people. It seems almost any day of the week at any hour after 4 pm you will be waiting quite some time for a table. But looking at their Tex-Mex menu, I am not sure that I would personally wait 90 minutes for any of that food. But, I can't really talk trash about much of the food because they don't have really anything vegans can eat. It is nice they have a vegetarian menu, so if you're into dairy you could be in luck. Vegans can eat chips, salsa, and guacamole for sure. According to which server you ask, the tortillas may or may not have dairy or lard in them. No one seems to know for sure. I may like the whole experience more than it deserves because I miss AZ and get vaguely homesick any time I am anywhere that even might hint at life in the Southwest. The only thing I know for sure is that if you can make it in before the crowds come and grab a seat at the bar, you'll be treated to tortilla chips fresh out of the fryer (yum!) and some pretty darn good house margaritas. Even if I don't eat anything else, I have spent an occasional late afternoon sitting at the bar with friends enjoying the aforementioned chips and drinks immensely. Authentic Mexican food? No. A possible very good time? Sure! read more

Best place to have a few Mexican Beers and Awesome South of the Border Food. Its always crowded and theres always a wait But the best part is the wait, You get to handout at the Bar section (you can order food there too) read more

Best margaritas in this are, food is great! Service is good but.......... it is always full so the wait to get a seat is long! Still worth it read more

Enjoyed the Salmon dinner here recommended by my waiter. It was delicious. Service was good too. I would definitely come back for another meal and would recommend this place to friends and families. read more

Stopped by here on the way to the airport and was pleasantly surprised. The decor was fun and the staff nice and efficient. We were seated immediately, but it seemed to fill up almost completely while we were eating. I had the appetizer fried shrimp and a cup of gumbo. Both were good, the gumbo was the highlight! I nibbled at my friend's fajitas and they were very good, among the better I've tasted. Everything here seemed to have a spicy kick, which I love. The children's meal is is unbelievably priced! For $2.98 you get to choose from a decent list of main dishes, then you get fries, a drink and either m&ms or starbursts, and I mean a whole package! Word of warning, they bring you enormous cups with your beverage, make sure you stop at the bathroom on your way out! read more

First time customer. Went on the recommendation of a friend. We enjoyed our dinner and cocktails there. Margaritas were not the best but they were enjoyable. The crowd and the wait on a Saturday night made it not worth the ordeal though. If you are the last bit claustrophobic then avoid this place. I felt like I was in a college town bar more than a restaurant. It's a good problem for them to have but if you want a nice relaxing dinner this is not the place to go. If you are into loud boisterous crowded restaurants then this is your place. Prices are a bit high for the fare. They do have a heavy hand with the salt on the dishes as well. Not awful but could have used a bit more care. read more

Lunch in a little over an hour, pretty good for a sit down place with a fun atmosphere and decent food. If you can get a seat quickly, that is. This place gets crowded so come early if you're not looking to wait. I thought the food was fine, but nothing to rave about. The people I went with love the food though. They do give large portions for the price. $11 for chicken fajitas with fixings. Free chips and salsa. If you're not into tex mex, they have creole food like jumbalaya, etouffee, and catfish. Again, other restaurants do it better, but the food is totally passable. A high note is the cornbread. It was really tasty. read more

Awesome cheap food! We went there for dinner on a Sunday night and it was pretty crowded and our friends who took us there said that we were lucky it wasn't packed. Had to wait an hour but the margaritas are great to try while waiting. The margaritas are tasty but I loved the frozen sangria. The Chips and salsa is free when you order drinks n wait and the salsa is super flavorful. Vegetarians have plenty of options. Jambalaya and empanadas are DELISH and a must try. The fajitas were a-ok. The portion sizes are huge and there was no room for dessert. A great option in the burbs! read more

Great find here on yelp! Took my boyfriend here for dinner last night. After reading the reviews, we knew we had to plan around at least an hour wait. Was told 1 hour 10 minutes when arriving there on a Saturday night at 5:30.... Grabbed a spot at the bar and enjoyed the football game. i liked the vibe of the place a lot.. Pretty loud, but not too crazy. Was pleasantly surprised at how large the restaurant was.. Lots of couples and groups dining, but great place for a family as well. Waiting an hour went by fast, especially since we got to snack on the free chips and salsa which were fantastic. Chips were super warm, and nicely salted. We ordered guacamole too, but I didn't think it was seasoned enough. An hour later, our buzzer went off and we were seated. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the Tejas chicken to start but on the way to our table, someone knocked out server by accident so they sent it back... This arrived the same time as our entrees. Not a problem and I was happy to see that the manager and waiter both came over to explain and apologize for the delay. All in all though, I didn't think the Tejas chicken was anything special... I actually make better chicken with wing sauce... Moving on. Our entrees were both outrageous though! After reading many reviews, and loving fajitas, I ordered the beef fajitas. The seasoning on the beef was perfect. Not too spicy, but has a kick. Rice, black beans, onions and all the fixings were cooked perfectly. My boyfriend got the chicken burro, chicken was tender and tasty!Planning on heating up our leftovers for lunch today. Overall great meal, great service and fun night! Expect and plan for a wait any night of the week, but enjoy it.. It's worth it for sure. read more

Who needs a trip to Mexico when you can have a beautiful woman, Dos Equis & nachos. Chicken was a little spicey but so was my date...so its all good.. WEPAA... read more

See all

First time going but I had heard many of great things about this place. I took my mom here for her birthday and she was hooked right away, especially with the free warm chips and salsa that they gave. She's a sucker for free. I loved the fact that the drinks were strong and that they had an assortment of tequila that not many restaurants have. The drinks were moderately price and the menu definitely will not break your pockets. We arrived Wednesday evening around 7 and it was super packed. I mean, line around the bar and and people waiting outside packed. The hostess told us 25 minutes but it was really around 15 minutes because we didn't mind being seated outside. It was very nice out on the deck and because it had just rained hours earlier a cool breeze came in. Our server was amazing, she was running around like crazy because the turnover of the tables were not stop but our food came out perfect. I had the shrimp and crawfish enchiladas and my Mom had the grilled beef fajitas. I destroyed mine on sight. My mom who already had stuffed herself on chips and only had one fajita. Also, we had guacamole and that was amazing. I definitely will be going back sans Mom. She's not a drinker. read more

LOVE JOSE's! Been eating here for years. Best mexican food around here, always on point. Start with a classic Margarita! and if you eat chicken - get the pastelitos to start. I'm vegetarian and I always get black bean and corn empanadas for my entree. they are like giant pastelitos :) LOL Best non-veg dishes are def the quesadillas, filet mignon jim bowie style, the fajitas. Enjoy ! read more

Really fresh good tex-mex food! GREAT PRICES & BIG PORTIONS! I used to go here all the time, and everything I have ever tried was so delicious! Food: - Chicken quesadilla; I know people think a quesadilla is just a quesadilla. WRONG! Some places actually make it better than others. Jose Tejas' quesadillas are BOMB! All really fresh ingredients, jack cheese, grilled veggies, (onions, red and green peppers) and guacamole. My favorite part is the tortilla because it's flour, and not corn tortilla! - Chimichurri steak They usually use a skirt steak for the churrasco. It is always well seasoned, and cooked to a perfect perfection! I have had churrasco with chimichurri from plenty of restaurants. I have had better chimichurri sauces. This one isn't one of my faves, but I'll order it every now and then. Last time I went here, was back in September / October with one of my girlfriends. Since I'm not allowed to eat off of glass plates, or use regular silverware due to my health. I asked for my food in a togo container. The waiter told me no it's not possible, and brought the manager over. The manager told me they would put my food in a togo container. My girlfriends food came out, as I waited for mine for about 10 minutes after her food came out. I asked if they carried any plastic utensils. The waiter said "No" and walked away. I wasn't able to eat my food, and not till my friend was done eating did they come to check on us to see if everything was alright. I told them I couldn't eat my food without utensils, and they told me I could take my food home, to eat it. Long story short, they took it off the bill, and I have not eat there since. If you do not have any health issues. Please go and try their food! It's pretty good!!! Happy Yelping, Yelpers! (=* read more

The food here is fantastic and the margaritas are the best I've ever had. Good quality liquor (always a sticking point for me) and the drinks are never weak or watered down. Nice staff too, and insanely fast considering the crowd. The only real issue is the crowd and the wait. Usually well over an hour to eat, and often a line just to get into the bar area. It kind of sucks to have to stand outside in cold or rainy weather, breathing second hand smoke, just to get into the bar, where you're once again standing in an enormous crowd. But once in, I've never had trouble finding a spot to stand at one of the high tops. We usually seem to land here at some point on our visits to central jersey relatives, usually just to grab a drink and chill for a bit. If you have absolutely nothing else to do that night, I'd stick around for the food, which is also excellent - if you don't mind the wait. I should also mention that I've only been here on weekends, but hubby, who's from the area, says the wait is almost nothing on weekdays, so do keep that in mind. read more

Literally the best Tex-Mex food you will find in the Northeast. I've been coming here for over 17 years and it has never disappointed me once. My go-to place for any occasion. Jose Tejas never ceases to provide great food, drinks, and service! Amazing Tex-Mex and Cajun flavor in their food, always reasonably priced. I would recommend the pastelitos, tejas chicken, queso, and cajun popcorn for appetizers. (I still daydream of the catfish bites they stopped offering ages ago). For an entree, you can't go wrong with fajitas, blackened chicken/fish, and their rio grande. Though, every single thing on the menu is worth a try! I'd recommend this place to anyone and everyone! Arrive early though; always packed and no reservations! read more

Food was pretty good for some tex-mex. the wait was really long tho ,I guess cause it was a Friday night. The frozen patron margarita was really good as well. Food portions are huge so don't over order. Vegetable quesadilla was amazing the empanadas with the garlic sauce was heaven the chicken fajita was blah I could pass on that next time m. Over all it was good I would recommend it. Enjoy read more

See all

Inexpensive, spicy and delicious - count me in! The chips are warm and the salsa has a kick to it. The margaritas are strong enough and come in different flavors. Not a fan of margaritas; try some cerveza. I like the blackened chicken, which helps clear the sinuses. Lol A bit of advice: Go Early! It gets packed very quickly. read more

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

See all

Always busy for a reason! The food is very good, the prices are pretty cheap and service is always friendly and fast! The steak fajitas are always consistent, nice amount of spice. The eggplant appetizer is really good as well. I love the Cajun rice, but the best part of Jose Tejas is the chips and guacamole. The chips are ALWAYS hot and fresh. Perfect. read more

Catfish New Orleans was yummy. Going to revisit for more. Topped it off with Grande Margarita. Good ambience. On a busy day the wait is almost 40 minutes. So you will have be patient. But worth the wait. read more

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

Simply the best!!!!! Food, drinks atmosphere and service are all top notch!!! Can get a little busy but worth the wait.

I've came to this place many times and never had an issue ever. The only thing I can complain about is the wait can be long but it's worth the wait! The price is great for the quality and quantity of food. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Best bang for your buck. Corn black bean empanadas are a must. Gumbo is delicious. We just got back from New Orleans and the gumbo here is better. Frozen margaritas are fantastic. Blackened salmon salad is a good healthy alternative. Steak fajitas are always consistently good. read more

Jose Tejas is a huge disappoint for me. My first time eating here I loved it! The food was cheap and tasted so good. After visiting a few more times I started to realize why. I have gotten food poisoning from this restaurant at least three times. Each time I called the restaurant to let them know what I ate and what happened to me and they were unfazed, I wonder if they get these calls often. 3 times? I know, it was so cheap and tasted good while eating it I kept wondering if maybe it was a one-time thing. After three times I said enough. On my last time there I started to notice little things and how food was handled in the restaurant. Gloves seem to be rarely used when touching and preparing the food. Especially at the bar. I also suspect that the cups, especially those used for the bar and alcoholic drinks, do not get washed thoroughly. Jose Tejas maybe cheap but they're definitely skipping in the wrong areas. Should be getting sick like that after eating at their restaurant is a huge red flag for me. I don't often get sick when eating out but when I do it is often related to the freshness of the food. Hear it may be a combination of both freshness and the restaurant being dirty. Fair warning! Most of the time you get what you pay for. Jose Tejas is not an exception. read more

Love their food. It's consistently great. Worth the wait which is frequently super long.

Love the ambience, service and food tasting is consistent every time. We went before Thanksgiving and the waiter gave suggestions and was timely with food and the whole family enjoyed the experience as first timers even though it was so packed. Had the empanadas, burrito bowl, enchiladas which were all great! read more

I have been coming here for the last 18 years. Out of all the times I have been here, I may have had only 1 bad experience that was probably half my fault. Other than that, this place NEVER disappoints me. It's not authentic Mexican but a Tex mex restaurant. The only restaurant I know in Jersey that has anywhere from a half hour to an hour wait min on a weekday. Over the years I have learned when to eat here to avoid those ridiculous lines. On to the food, for appetizers I usually get the Tejas chicken, pastelitos, or the chili con queso. I have tried a lot of the menu over the years and I find my favorites are the blackened chicken and steak fajitas, Guadalajara chicken and the chicken burro. The enchiladas are decent but def had better else. No dessert at this place. They just want u to eat and drink and get u out of there as fast as possible. read more

See all

I'm sorry but I don't know why people eat here. I guess because the prices are cheap ? Is that why it's always packed ? I skeeve!!!!!!! The dishes were dirty, the utensils were spotty. I didn't eat my food but I didn't think I was going to anyway. I had to go because friends of mine wanted to go and majority won.... (basic bitches). The service was fast though and our server was very nice. Though it was very busy and the peak of a lunch hour rush we were seated right away. read more

Worked there for years and still enjoy the food weekly. That tells you a lot right there. Most places I've worked at I would never go back to due to the cleanliness and got sick of the food. Here on the other hand is just the opposite always packed always a wait yet still promptly deliver your food. This place is a well oiled machine. read more

Came here on a busy Saturday afternoon to try to avoid the dinner crowd. The wait wasn't too long considering the busy parking lot and restaurant, only 30-40 minutes for 5 people. This was my first visit here and the people I was with have been here before so I ordered what they suggested- a frozen margarita and the steak/chicken fajitas. Everything was delicious and I like that we were not rushed. The prices are reasonable as well so this was a great first experience and I plan on returning in the future! read more

The food was good but the rule about ordering food out is not allowed is crazy... if I'm spending my money i should be able to order to go!!!! That's why a 5 star was not given... waitress was very sweet but that rule gotta go!!!! read more

Been here many times for drinks but because of the outrageous lines have never actually able to have a full meal :( Their margaritas, however, are absolutely amazing! The watermelon frozen one is phenomenal, I definitely recommend. I only wish the place wasn't so crowded all the time because I have lived in Woodbridge my whole life and have yet to actually get food here. Even on weeknights the line is wrapped around the corner and it's almost impossible to get in. read more

Love the Tejas!! If I'm in the greater Woodbridge area one of my first thoughts is to stop on in to Jose Tejas for great mexican/tex-mex cajun style cuisine. I can't go here without having their margarita's - they have plenty of very good variations and offer all of them in regular or frozen. Every meal I have ever had here has always been very good and very flavorful. From their chips and salsa, chicken quesadillas, tacos, and fajitas are to die for. For our last visit tonight we had the El Pueblo which has grilled gulfport shrimp skewers and grilled chicken fajitas, the flavors on everything was amazing as was the very flavorful Jambalaya. Jose Tejas is great for families, kids, couples on a date and friends looking to get together, with a full bar and a really great atmosphere. read more

I have some mixed feelings about Jose Tejas. The first, as others have said is that this place is BUSY BUSY BUSY. Don't even bother on a Friday or Saturday night. A two hour wait is pretty standard. Some people say "you can have a drink at the bar." There won't be anywhere open to sit and no room to stand. What this place really needs is some kind of outdoor patio bar. Parking can also be an issue. The lot has enough spaces for the number of customers dining. As far as you and the other 115 people waiting go, you may have to park across the street at the furniture store and dodge traffic to get across the exit ramp off of Route 1. Make sure you drop Grandma off at the door before you park. It also gets really loud in there, so probably not the best first date kind of place. I find it really odd that they don't have draught beer. They have Coronas, which really rack up the bar bill, and I recognize the fact that they're famous for their Margaritas, which are absolutely incredible, but it's just very odd to me that they have nothing at all on tap. Margaritas and Coronas don't go as well with the Cajun half of the menu as a draught would. What makes me rate this place as good? The food. (And the Margaritas.) Absolutely wonderful, whether it's straight Mexican, straight Cajun, or one of their Cajun-Mexican fusion dishes, like Blackened Catfish Fajitas, or whatever that crab-topped eggplant dish I had was called. Try to go on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, the wait will be much more reasonable, and go early. Or, bring a cooler full of drinks and tailgate while you wait for your table (not sure that's allowed. Will try it and let you know once I make bail.) read more

Jose Tejas is one of my favorite restaurants. It's not that the food and ambiance are 5-star (they're not). But Jose Tejas is one of the best values all around. Casa Maya in Gillette, which probably is the best Mexican food in the state, is delicious, but it's dinners are ~$15. That's the price for most Mexican restaurant in Jersey. I'm originally from Texas, and trust me, Mexican food should not be that expensive. In comparison, Jose Tejas enchilada dinner runs about $7, which is much more reasonable. And it's delicious. I actually tend to enjoy their cajun food better than their Mexican, but that's mostly because I love their "blackened" meat. It's so spicy and delicious. Drinks are also very reasonable. My fiance and I travel here frequently, and with drinks and food we rarely pay over 30 or 40 bucks. That's hard to come by. One flaw... this place is loud. Real loud. It's a big family spot (I assume because of the prices). I'm always surprised when I go there at 10 PM and see families with tons of kids there eating dinner... a little strange, but, hey, to each their own I suppose. I always just stay at the bar during the wait, and then scream at my fiance across the table when we get seated. Sad as it is, that's a pretty authentic, Mexican cantina experience. read more

NY, y u no have good mexican in your city? Had to travel all the way to the worlds largest outdoor toilet, new joy-zee, just to get some decent mexican. Did I say decent? It was pretty amazing. Had a HOOOOGE palmer which you probably won't need a refill on. NY, y u no give free refills? Also had the enchillada platter with an extra on the side, but it was waaay more than I needed. The black beans were excellent as well. And you gotta love the non-NY prices. Please make the trek if you're in the area, but make sure you remember this place is the shiz and there will be a wait. Yelpers, Y u no go there now? read more

Hey it may be a Pappasito's knockoff. But when Pappasitos is nowhere in sight, this will do just fine. The wait for a Tuesday night was 30 minutes. Ridiculous! But that just shows what all the hubbub is about. Was a good refreshing change up from all the other restaurants in the area. Texmex FTW! read more

A very popular & lively place :) Very crowded especially on weekends, prepare to wait at least 45 minutes to get a table. Love the ambiance. The margheritas here are to die for. Try the camptown shrimp for appetizer -delicious! Any dish which is mesquite-grilled is amazing. I also love the enchiladas. The tortilla chips (which are free) are light n crispy. The best part: inexpensive :) I keep coming back here..... read more

I came here most recently on a Saturday night at around 6:30 with a party of 11. Now they don't take reservations so be prepared to wait. And I mean WAIT. We waited TWO AND A HALF HOURS! Now this would be minus one star, but you can't really fault a place for having a lot of business. I also have been to this place many times before so I knew what I was getting into. Maybe they could have tried rushing people, but I wouldn't want to be rushed - plus there was enough room around the bar to drink and have apps so I was a happy camper (at least for the first hour and a half!) Also did I mention I was in a party of 11? Now onto the food and drink. I LOVE their margaritas. They also have beer, but I am a classic margarita on the rocks w/ salt girl, so this is what I have always gotten here, and it's always been delicious. Their chips and salsa are addictive, and also free whether you're at the bar or at a table for dinner. Our table got a variety of appetizers - the Cajun popcorn, Camptown shrimp, guacamole, pastelitos, and tejas chicken. All of them were pretty good, but the cajun popcorn was the best in my eyes. A warning to all - most of the food here has a pretty good kick. If you can't take spice make sure you ask the waiter first! For my entree I split the beef fajitas and blackened chicken fajitas. I can't decide which one I liked better but the chicken is definitely spicier, and they were both very good. The rice and beans were also tasty (and again have a kick to them). Overall a good value, tasty food, very decent sized portions, and great margaritas! read more