3.5 Full disclosure - I've been coming here forever - so I am predisposed to be a fan. There is ALWAYS a wait, so be prepared to wait and maybe come early (before 6 on a weekend) if you want to minimize. Seems a bit better now with the outdoor patio adding a lot of tables. Love the margaritas (New Orleans style!), chips and salsa to start. The food is very consistent - you learn your favorites and enjoy them each time. My favorites are the corn and black bean empanadas that come with an excellent red pepper sauce on the side, queso and cheese and chile enchiladas. But I really wish they would bring back to full pre-pandemic menu - especially the vegetarian jambalaya! Right now, very limited vegetarian options - what I'd basically call different preparations of cheese and black beans in a flour tortilla. This vegetarian would like some vegetables, please! Service is also consistently good. FYI - no desserts! Appreciate the prices are reasonable. This is a family restaurant, and I hope it always is. read more

Title: Unsanitary Practices: A Disappointing Experience at Jose Tejas at Iselyn NJ Rating:* (1/5) Date of Visit: 1/17/2024 I recently dined at Jose Tejas and I must say that my experience was far from pleasant. The restaurant's reputation preceded it, and I was excited to try their cuisine. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment due to an alarming and unsanitary practice I witnessed kitchen staff using bare hands to handle food. Upon entering the restaurant, the ambiance was pleasant, and the staff seemed somewhat friendly. The menu offered a variety of enticing dishes, which further heightened my expectations. After placing my order, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my meal. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was short-lived when I noticed an open door towards the kitchen where the food was being prepared. To my disbelief, I witnessed one of the cooks handling ingredients and garnishes, meats, cheeses, containers etc with bare hands, without wearing any protective gloves. This blatant disregard for basic hygiene was not only unprofessional but also posed a serious health risk to customers. The sight of bare hands touching meat, containers salad, cheeses, raw food and then proceeding to handle other ingredients was extremely off-putting. It raised concerns about cross-contamination and the potential transmission of germs and bacteria. Such practices are unacceptable in any food establishment, let alone one that claims to prioritize customer satisfaction and safety. To make matters worse, when I brought my concerns to the attention of the staff, they appeared dismissive the manager, apologized but was not sincere and seemed a bit annoyed Instead of addressing the issue immediately they seemed to downplay the severity of the situation, which only added to my frustration and disappointment. ( the manager did not charge for my plate steak fajitas, I was not able to eat it after viewing this unsanitary practice) In light of my experience, I cannot recommend dining at Jose Tejas. The unsanitary practices I witnessed, particularly the cook using bare hands to handle food, not only compromised the quality of the food but also posed a significant health hazard. A restaurant that neglects basic food safety protocols raises serious doubts about its commitment to customer welfare and professionalism. I hope that the management of [Jose Tejas takes immediate and effective steps to rectify these issues and ensure that such unsanitary practices are never repeated. Until then, I strongly advise potential diners to exercise caution and consider other establishments that prioritize food safety and customer well-being. Note: It is essential to report such incidents to the local health authorities to ensure the necessary actions are taken to address the violations. read more

After hearing good things about Jose Tejas, I had high expectations. I ordered the Blackened Chicken Fingers to start. These were very tasty, but just a bit too salty for me. For the mains, we ordered the Blackened Chicken which was extremely salty. Why??? Also ordered the Carne Asada. This was good, but too much sauce that totally smothered the taste of the meat. Our server was attentive and checked up on us a few times. The restaurant has a Texas feel to it which is nice and casual. read more

Love the food and service It's always crowded, but they do their best to seat you quickly read more

Loved it here! This place has all the right things going on. It's Tex Mex with a Cajun twist. This place is located right off of Route 1 - so the access is easy, as long as you don't miss it! Otherwise it's another 2 miles before you get a chance again to take a turn - that's Jersey for you! The one thing to be prepared for is the wait time.It's usually about an hour or so to get a table - so bring some entertainment! We were seated in be main dining space. The acoustics allow for a lots of chatter so though there is noise, it's not overwhelming. Overall inside is a relaxed vibe with lots of character. I ordered the black bean and corn empanadas. So good! Even the side dish of veggies had great flavor! I really liked the roasted red pepper sauce that came with the dish - zesty and flavorful! The portions were great (see picture) and I ended up packing some of it for later. I enjoyed that there were a bunch of veggie friendly options am already looking forward to my next trip in! read more

Jose Tejas - Empanadas for the win! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Post pandemic they've managed to do the trifecta of bad business: Reduced the menu Raised prices Downsized portions. Used to love this place because I never left hungry. Had the fajitas the other day and was diving through the onions in search of chicken. read more

One of my favorite spots when you could get in it's definitely worth the wait. Our favorite is the Baja shrimp tacos and the steak fajita with a side of Jim Bowie sauce. read more

Food was very good atmosphere was enjoyable I would highly recommend this place! In Israel

Not amazing! Tons of people - food tastes ok but not amazing Popular place but I wouldn't highly recommend it read more

Tasty Tex Mex food. The Jambalaya is my favorite. Service is usually very quick and friendly when you can get a table. Buy the restaurant is so popular that getting a table can mean a bit of a wait. read more

Their jambalaya is delicious! Their Cajun/ Tex-Mex gives you a variety of food choices.

This place has always been a family favorite for over two decades! Always enjoyed everything on the menu. Literally nothing to complain about here, only kudos and five star reviews for everything we've ever had here. read more

Jose Tejas is awesome! There is always a wait, most recently we were there for lunch on a Saturday afternoon at 1pm and told it would be 35 minutes. There will almost always be a wait so be prepared. Free chips & salsa and we got a few margaritas in the bar area, great waitress, a little slow on the drinks being made by bartender (not her fault) but worth the wait. They have GREAT margaritas. We closed out there as our buzzer for the table went off after no more than 20 minutes. We ordered our food and it came within 10 minutes. We got the corn and black bean empanadas, a taco bowl salad and 2 chicken burros. Our guests in town from Connecticut loved the place. It's not authentic Mexican, but tex-mex with cajun options. All in all it was less than $80 for 4 people, which is ridiculously cheap for good quality and filling food. The service is super quick, despite the waiting for a table you can easily eat and get out in 45 minutes once seated, no matter how busy it is. Highly recommend the margaritas and burros! read more

Jose Tejas - Chicken Burro with black beans and rice. ($9) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Good food and reasonable prices. They do not take reservations and the wait can be quite long at peak times. Even so. This restaurant is worth the wait. read more

Solid Tex-Mex spot that gets paaaaaacked! We came on a Sunday T 2pm. We had to wait 45 minutes for our table. Although the wait is long, frozen margaritas are solid. Be sure to ask for a complimentary side of chips and salsa. We were semi-full/bloated from a round of frozen drinks that we decided to split tejas chicken appetizer and an order of blackened chicken fajitas. Chicken was a little salty, but kind of perfectly seasoned since I did order blackened chicken. read more

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

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Im so sad to be posting this review. Jose tejas was my place. Even after I moved to NYC I made sure to come to Jose's every time I came home to Jersey because ... I mean this is the spot. Unfortunately the last two times I have come to dine I have been so disappointed. Idk what has changed the service is still so awesome but the food? Yuck. I ordered my staple beef fajitas and they tasted so bad. The following visit I decided to switch it up and get my second fave a beef quesadilla and again horrible. My friend visiting from California got her usual chicken fajita and was super disappointed as well. We both decided during this latest visit that Jose Tejas just isn't what it was and we wouldn't be making an effort to visit again when we are in the area. Not only was the food bad but the prices have skyrocketed which also sucks :( Also!! No more virgin pina coladas?!?!! Nah. They won't be getting anymore of my money. If someone suggests Jose, I'll try and talk them into cheesecake or on the border however, if they insistttttt I'll go sit at Jose Tejas and only if they're treating. It ain't what it used to be folks. Fajitas used to come on a sizzling plate. Tons of chicken. This was in a luke warm plate and about half as big as it used to be. Also NO vegan options. My daughter had the "option" of ordering a bunch of sides. Not a meal. Not a vegan option. When asked if there was a vegetable fajita the server actually said: we have no vegetables. If you come here the silver lining? Camptown shrimp with the bread on the side is still bussin. read more

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Jose Tejas is always a must in our neighborhood. So when my daughter wanted to go there for family dinner for her 11th bday I was very happy! Unfortunately we didn't even make it to our table! We had a large group of family, 15 adults and kids. So I was VERY understanding when the hostess said that they couldn't seat us all together. They were seating us at one long table that they would squeeze an extra chair into (highchair) and the round table next to it. She told us the wait would be about 45 minutes. (I did get a text that our table was ready. I was very excited because it was only like 5 minutes. But another hostess informed me that they sent it by mistake.) So we waited patiently by the bar-top tables. Ordered food and drinks. That as you can imagine is hard to do with little kids and they were so good! But after 45 minutes was up and I still did not get a text message that my table was ready I went back to the hostess to check on the status. She had checked for me and said the previous guests were done and looked like they were heading out soon. So I said "ok thanks no problem". We waited 15 more minutes and still no news. I walked over to the tables myself and 3 tables were now empty while the long large table we were "promised" was being wiped down by staff. I was excited that we finally were getting our table. SO I went back up to the hostess and told her that I believe our table was ready. She agreed with me but had me still wait for the text message that the table was ready. I brought the kids to the bathroom while we waited for the text and then when I came back out of the bathroom I noticed a large group that came in after us was seated before us. STILL NO TEXT MESSAGE. I walked back over to the table and that large group was seated in the table we were "promised" while the two other round tables were empty. I am now furious. It is well over an hour and we still did not receive a notice that our table was ready. I complained to the hostess that they seated a different group in our table. The hostess KNEW they made an error and got the manager. The manager I talked to Yadira, wsas not accommodating at all. She tried to play it off that the 2 round tables were ours. And I explained that is not what we had discussed and the two round tables were separated by a WALL. She and I walked over to the tables and she tried to play it off like this was always the plan and that a window in the wall was an acceptable solution. I am blown away by the lack of ownership of the mistake. And instead of owning up to it and offering some sort of compensation on the bill, she wanted us to sit separated by a wall ???? and then started to gaslight me playing it off like I am a terrible person because they seated people in wheel chairs (in the table that we were told was ours) because its handicap accessible. That long table is the same height as all the other tables in the restaurant. They just had a large group like mine and messed up and gave it to a group that came after us instead. The audacity that she tried to turn it around on me is atrocious behavior. I am the customer. I am not demanding the table at this point I am asking for compensation for the lack of 1 common sense 2 deceny 3 ownership of a mistake 4 making us wait over an hour. AND if those two round tables were ours all along WHY was I never told our tables were ready???? STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED NOTICE THAT OUR TABLES WERE READY!! Those two tables seperated by a wall, were ready LONG before the larger rectangular table was. SO OBVIOUSLY AN ERROR WAS MADE. Not only did Yadira refuse to give us any sort of apology or compensation SHE WALKED AWAY FROM ME while we were discussing this issue right in front of her waiters at a pay station. A group of waiters were standing there watching our interaction when she was trying to insult me about seating a wheel chair and then SHE WALKED OFF. My group and I after spending time and money for my daughters birthday left and went to Margaritas down the road. We had a great time and left a nice tip for our waitress. I've never been treated so poorly at Jose Tejas in my life and I lived in Woodbridge for 99% of it. SERIOUSLY DISAPPOINTING. This manager has NO customer service skills or etiquette. She doesn't know how to handle stressful situations and should not be a manager. I AM A MANAGER. I've worked in a very hectic service industry for over 20 years. (We entered Jose Tejas in Woodbridge, Sunday, 10/27 at about 4:50pm) read more

Years ago this place was great, today is a different story. Came in on a Monday night around 6:30 p.m. . Parking lot was almost full and there was about a 35 minute wait to be seated. Please note that this place it's just chaos. When you walk in there is hardly any room to move around due to how overly crowded this place gets on a Monday night. Once I was seated, the noise was unbearable. There were families sitting around me while there were other tables with loud drunken men sitting in them cursing and saying obscene words around the children on the other tables. My waitress was attentive and as soon as I sat down she gave me complimentary chips and salsa. Years ago Jose Tejas had the best chips and salsa. Now they're just about average. I ordered two enchiladas. One chicken one cheese with rice and beans. Enchiladas were bland and just okay. I have come to the conclusion that this place is not worth the line that you have to wait to get in or the lack of parking or having to deal with rowdy drunk people speaking loudly and cursing. Just not worth it there's better Mexican food anywhere else not only in this city but in other cities. Not worth coming back. read more

Jose Tejas - Just okay enchiladas. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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I really wish I could say this place isn't worth the crowd, but I know exactly why people come here. I've never had a bad waiter/waitress, and the food and drinks are super cheap but also super delicious. Our server today was fabulous, very attentive, funny and charismatic. Our interactions did not feel forced. I hate crowds and I hate being in a loud restaurant and this place is CROWDED and LOUD, but I still come because it really is worth it. Fresh hot tortilla chips with salsa are given to you as soon as you sit down. If you come and have to wait for a table (very likely) you can also get chips and salsa at the bar to hold you over. The food: -The pastellitos are a nice appetizer, they come with chimmichuri sauce which is my favorite, and they are a perfect fluffy pastry with pulled chicken inside. -I almost always get the beef fajitas when I go here, the meat is seasoned perfectly and I like having all the fixings in front of me and being able to control what (and how much) goes on my tortillas. - the cornbread is delicious, the perfect amount of sweetness and so soft. -I usually get fries on the side instead of rice and beans. I'd you go early, your fries should be good- they are thin and crunchy and subtly seasoned. I've come to find later in the day they can sometimes be too crunchy which makes me wonder if they aren't always fresh. Anyway, the portion is HUGE. -if you're of age definitely get a margarita! They are soo yummy and the perfect blend of alcohol, sweet and sour. My favorite is the frozen mango margarita. - their kids meal is SUPER GENEROUS!! You will get a ton of food for your little one, most likely more than he/she can eat, and it's not expensive at all. Make sure your entire party is there because they won't seat you if you're incomplete. read more

Jose Tejas - A table full of food - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

The food is fresh and delicious and the service is quick. The place is always busy so expect a wait. I would recommend going on a weeknight to try to avoid the weekend rush. Overall a good experience, definitely recommend. read more

This used to be our favorite restaurant to go to in the neighborhood. I guess Covid messed up everything as far as quality of restaurants go. We went there recently and was shocked how limited the Menu was. What happened to the Crawfish Enchilada??? No more!? Even the Texas size drinks are no more. The service is still fast, but come on, what's up with the selection of food? Sadly, not sure if this place still holds #1 for our go to. read more

I went a few months ago and honestly it was not a good experience. I missed the memo on this place not being authentic but even still, everything was flavorless. Will not return. read more

UPDATE REVIEW for Jose Tejas, Woodbridge NJ: Just got in for lunch, today, March 15, 2018 I ordered Beef Fajitas with Jose's Rice, sour cream, shredded cheese and pico de gallo. Not a lot of people on weekday lunch. Got a table easy. Beef is soft, thinly sliced, well marinated and sautéed onions is well done. The sides: Jose's rice is well cooked, the pico de gallo taste good and so as the black beans. Serving staff is courteous and helpful. Tip: They won't let you seat if your group is not in complete presence. read more

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i've been there quite a few times but this one was definitely different tried something new and enjoyed it

Not as good prior to COVID. Menu scales way down and lost most of our favorites. Luckily Tejas chicken made the cut. Buffalo chicken strips lightly fried (?) but very good. Enchiladas I had were very good. Decent amount of ground beef and cheesy with a good red sauce. Jambalaya is really good a bit spicy with plenty of meat and moist. Wish they'd bring back the catfish and the French Quarter Chicken. I'd go weekly again just for that. read more

My son Tom is for lunch. Long lines. I grew up in NYC and the subway. The noise is deafening but this restaurant has that beat. Food was good but not enough to go again. A lot of young people. read more

Generally the food is good but tonight, the guacamole tasted really bad and it had very little avocado in it. I complained to the manager and she said with an attitude that I didn't have to come back there anymore. read more

Okay so I finally visited Jose Tejas after 15 years of hearing about it. I live in NYC and I can get fantastic Tex-Mex in NYC and so I never found any motivation to take that ride over the Outerbridge and try out Jose Tejas. I was always interested in the place because of its Southern spin on Mexican food and so I finally visited last night. I arrived at 6pm on a Wednesday, dinner time, and it was absolutely packed. I waited between 30-40 minutes for a table and the good thing is that they serve you appetizers and drinks as you stand around their bar area and wait. And so I ordered freshly squeezed orange juice and their Crawfish Etouffee. The orange juice was made with at least 3 oranges and was very fresh, frothy and pulpy. It was delicious. The Crawfish Etouffee was delicious but the plain white rice kinda diluted the amazing taste of the tomato based gravy. I typically like Gumbo dishes without rice so my review of the dish is subjective. I then proceeded to order main courses as soon as I was seated, including the Catfish New Orleans, which was an immense dish for about $15 or so, complete with a delicious hunk of cornbread, fire roasted vegetables and an absolutely melt in your mouth piece of breaded fried Catfish, smothered in a basil cream sauce which was never over powering and merely added to the buttery fresh fish, which did not seem pre-frozen and it was really fresh. Last but not least, the Seafood Enchilladas. Oh man, these took the gold medal. For $18, they give you 2 burrito sized Enchilladas stuffed with shrimp, crawfish, onions and peppers, and cheese. They top the Enchilladas with loads of lump crab meat, and additional cheese that never feels like store bought shredded cheddar. I cannot wait to re-visit this place soon and order more of their dishes. My first visit did not disappoint. read more

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Excellent attentive staff. Food came out quickly and was delicious. We had the Cajun popcorn shrimp and crawfish etouffee to start. The shrimp had a lil spicy kick which was great. The etouffee was sooo yummy - the gravylike sauce had me going back for it. I also had the cup of gumbo and honestly it was so good I finished it first. For our main dishes, we had the chimchurri steak and the catfish New Orleans. The steak was super tender and the chimchurri sauce that went along with it was nice and had a crisp flavor. The catfish came on a sizzling platter and made my mouth water. Expect a bit of a wait (even on a weekday night), but you can always wait by the bar and they serve you chips & salsa with your drink. Oh, and their margaritas were deeeeelish. read more

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

The only thing that I really wish this place changed was the time to be seated... but how can they? Even with the place being relatively big, there are only so many people that can be accommodated at once. And there are always people waiting to be accommodated. LOL. Cute place... friendly service. Decent drinks.. Delicious food. Great prices. Oh and clean bathrooms. I've been to this place a good amount of times.. I'm surprised that I never reviewed! But, they are lucky because this time gave them 4 stars. Really based upon the tastiness of my food. I ordered a cup of gumbo with rice.. so flavorful.. with just the right amount of everything. So tasty. But, the winner was my Blackened Salmon Tacos.. YUM YUM YUM! Everything included just complemented each other.. sweet mango salsa with the saltiness of the salmon.. top it with some guac and sour cream and you're in heaven. This place is consistent.. that's why it takes forever to be seated. LOL. read more

Great place. But they changed the menu! No more chimichurri steak and blackened chicken appetizer?! Why????

Neighborhood restaurant very popular. No matter what day, months or times it's always busy. Quality of food is delicious. Service in over all is good. Managers are on tip over looking everything. Good ambiance. The only problem is waiting to get seated. Party has to be COMPLETED to be able to sit. I had a party of five and wanted to surprise my girlfriend which will b the 5th person who we were waiting for. However we wanted to get seated so when she came in to meet me we will surprise her with the other guests ‍ that didn't happened!! We literally Surprised her by d entrance! Hostesses weren't accommodating! read more

Jose Tejas - My enchiladas It comes with rice or jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

So this is the popular Tex Mex restaurant that always has a wait. Be prepared to wait for at least 30 minutes no matter what time you arrive. The service is incredible and the food is just as good. My sister is a regular and knew exactly what to order as far as appetizers. She ordered these black bean and corn empanadas that were to die For , chicken on a stick in a buffalo sauce that was amazing, queso that was so good, my nephew wanted to lick the bowl, Their chips come to the table hot and are addictive of course, so when the food came everyone tasted it and packed it up to go. It's a loud fun and spicy spot great for families and big parties or just a casual dinner out. The prices are really reasonable and won't break the bank for a night out. read more

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Table of 12 with 6 kids.Great food and service Salsa and queso were delicious along with all the dinners. Also make a great burger read more

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Absolutely amazing! The best sizzling fajitas and food around and one hell of a great margarita. There is a reason the place is packed everyday all day! Make sure to get there early to get a table or call ahead for a reservation. If you walk in and have to wait the bar is a great place to have a few drinks and some chips and salsa! Need to get back there asap! read more

For me the food wasn't worth the hour wait. I found the queso to pretty bland and the chips seemed over cooked. The margaritas were delicious for sure. For me just didn't live up to the hype. Nothing I had was wow. read more

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

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My girlfriend and I came here last Sunday. We was expecting a wait because they are always packed, an hour later we was seated. The food was really good, the drinks were mid. It was all good until my girl found this metal looking piece in her drink. We gave it to the waiter he brought it to the manager and they apologized got her a new drink and took her meal off the bill. That was nice of them but I'm like damn y'all could've covered the whole bill if that was the case. If she woulda choked on that, then it woulda been a problem. However it was cool for them to take her meal off I'm not sweating it. We're definitely going to go back but we're not drinking no more margaritas from them. read more

The blackened Salmon Tacos - E x c e l l e n t ! The mango salsa was a perfect topping. Very nice service and atmosphere. Frozen strawberry margarita - much better than the standard frozen margarita read more

#Complaint Its ALWAYS delivers BEST FOOD, Polite staff, Excellent margheritas and value for money and I dont mind waiting 40-50 minutes for the table too!!! But this sunday I encountered something which made me cringe We were there for lunch at 2.30 or so and our server- a sweet African american girl, had super long, pointy, black polished nails and she was handling our food I'm sorry but i had hard time trying to eat. Shouldn't there be a rule that food handlers dont have super long acrylic nails? read more

Great food, great atmosphere. I'm a Texas native and I will say this is the best Tex Mex I've had in NJ. The margarita was delicious, the salsa was really tasty and had the right heat, the guacamole had lots of flavor. I ordered the beef fajitas, which was a healthy portion. The tortilla were fantastic (you could tell these were home made)! My only complaint, the onions were over-seasoned and had no texture. But overall great experience, the wait staff was exceptional! read more