We came here about an hour after they opened and the place was pretty crowded. I heard they have quite a wait at night on the weekend. The atmosphere made me feel as if I were in Mexico. I liked it a lot. Our server was very friendly and professional. They bring chips and salsa right away. They were good. I ordered chicken/steak fajitas. Since this is an authentic Mexican restaurant, they do not give cheese and salsa for the fajitas. Normally I ask for extra of these items but here, I didn't need them. The steak and chicken were good. I have had better, but would be happy to order them again if I lived near this restaurant. The rice and beans were okay. Not bad but have had better many times. Dad got the #27 which is a beef burrito and enchilada. I believe this is all he orders here. He loves it. This restaurant is very reasonably priced. Funny enough, they sell airheads and sour candy and other candy as well when you leave. That is a first that I have seen. The owner had stopped by and said he owns 7 of these around South Carolina. It is always nice to support locally owned restaurants. read more

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Everything is great here. The food is delicious and the service is good. It's located near the movie theater so it's a convenient location to grab a bite to eat. The only thing I didn't like was they request you tip on the tax. Other than that, everything has always been great read more

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Food was good. For the price. I opted for a healthier version tonight. I got the grilled chicken salad. It was exactly what I wanted. I don't know what they do to the chicken; but it never disappoints. The service was average. Not outstanding; but nothing to complain about either. The ambiance was like every San Jose restaurant. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Waiting for a friend - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

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Three of us ate here yesterday and were just okay with the food . Chips and salsa were very good but the other items were just simply boring and flavorless. With the great number of Mexican restaurants in Columbia area, we are excited to find our favorite. Looking forward to continuing the search.. read more

Horrible experience, I ordered the steak tacos the menu under "special tacos" says "authentic Mexican tacos all served in Quantity of 3 with chopped onion, cilantro, and side of beans" for 12.99. Seems like a fair price but when I had told the waitress what I wanted she asked me how many tacos I would like confused I said 3 like the menu says. I ate the tacos and they were decent. The problem came when we got the check. I didn't see the receipt until it was already paid for. We had been charged 12.99 for EACH taco! I was with my boyfriend and his uncle. My meal alone came to about 46.95 (an estimated price) with the side of fires I ordered. Now tell me who in the world would knowingly order 3 tacos for 38.97??? I sure wouldn't have ordered them. That's wild that the menu says you'll get 3 tacos but are then charged 12.99 for each one. A warning should be on the menu or they should uphold what the menu says. Absolutely ridiculous now I have to pay my boyfriend's uncle back for my meal not because he asked me too. But because I would never expect anyone to spend that much on my food. I'm mortified that this even happened! Needless to say I will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Large portions. Carnitas were tender. Shrimp chimichanga was lightly fried with large shrimp and tasty queso sauce. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

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Our visit to San Jose Mexican Restaurant was absolutely fabulous! My group of 4 chose to go out for Mexican on a whim and could not be any more pleased with San Jose Mexican Restaurant. We were seated quickly, despite the restaurant being very busy. As soon as we arrived at the table, we were greeted with chips and salsa (even before they took our drink order!). Our drink order was taken and beverages were quickly brought to the table. Our group ordered an appetizer (chips and queso), 3 entrees, and a kid's meal. The queso was TO DIE FOR; it was delicious and creamy, but not thick. It was plenty for the four of us! We were all extremely happy with our entrees. I ordered the enchilada special (4 enchiladas- 1 bean, 1 beef, 1 chicken, 1 cheese) and asked to add some queso to it because the queso appetizer was so good. My husband ordered the pollo fundido. The chicken was super thin and so good. Whatever the marinade they used was, it was fantastic. The chicken was so flavorful. My pouty 5 year old (who insisted that he wasn't hungry and didn't like Mexican food as we were walking in) ate his entire kid's meal, half of a basket of chips, and used both of my husband's tortillas to make his own tacos and still asked for more- it was THAT good! Even better than the food was the amazing service. Our server was incredibly attentive throughout our entire visit. He was personable, funny, and overall wonderful. We commented multiple times about how our trip to San Jose Mexican Restaurant was the best experience we've had so far since moving to the area. We will absolutely return and I am so thrilled to have found a delicious, wonderful Mexican restaurant that I can go to with my family. Five stars is absolutely deserved for the wonderful experience we had. read more

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I come here all the time. I've never had a bad meal. The staff and owner are very nice and good at their job. I often get the tacos de lengua or the deep fried burritos. If you are feeling hungry order the cheesy rice too. You will not be disappointed, It's so good! Ending statement....great place to get a drink and some good Mexican food fast! read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Margarita and a Tecate beer - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

This San Jose location is either hit or miss. That's the only reason I give it 3 stars. It's not far from home, so we have come here many times over the years. I've come here and service was great, food was good and everything was smooth and quick. Other times, I've come here and food was not up to par, service was horrible, leaving unattended and unsatisfied. So, my only hang up here with this location is it's very inconsistent. The atmosphere and ambiance is always on point and most of the time, it appears to be clean. The margaritas here are always good too! This passed experience, I decided to try a new dish. I went with the Carne Asada and it was delicious! It was a bit too much for me, so I took the rest of it home, but I loved it! My husband and oldest son split the steak fajitas and my youngest son had a steak quesadilla. So, we all were feeling steak and we were all happy with our choices. The only thing we weren't happy about was the service. Our server forgot my husband's beer and our small queso dip. We had all finished our chips and salsa after 30mins waiting for our queso dip. My husband became impatient because every time our server was within eyesight of our table, he never looked at us or came by to check on our drinks, nothing! So, my husband got up to find him, to which he had no luck. About 10 mins later, our server comes back with 2 out of the 4 entrees we ordered. We reminded him about the queso dip, chips and beer. He came back with a large queso dip (so we were thankful about that even though we ordered a small) and a fresh basket of chips, but no beer. He never returned to refill our drinks or check on us again. Then, my husband made eye contact with him and told him to take the beer off our tab since we were done with our meal and he never got it. So, he did. Our server took the beer and the queso dip off our tab, but we needed to go boxes and since he never came back, my husband got up and got us to go boxes himself. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

very bad don't come here the food tastes very bad and my food wasn't even hot or cooked my food was half raw read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Great food, quick seating, and service. Loved the honesty of our waitress. The Chimichanga and Quesadilla was the highlights of the meal. Enchiladas and Burritos were a little on the small side. Queso is just melted cheese however ask for their house hot sauce and mix. That's is how it should've been made. read more

Ordered 3 margaritas, 1 of them was large, and none of them had any alcohol. Paid $40 for juice basically.

Solid Mexican food at good prices. No one item will blow you away, but everything we tried was good. Complimentary chips and salsa are served and you can definitely tell the salsa is made fresh. The chips are average, not necessarily thin and crispy but taste fine. I ordered the carne Asada which was fairly good. The rice and beans taste real good, and the flour tortillas tasted fresh made. My sons ordered the quesadilla and taco. Along with guava Fresca and mango Fresca, huge serving for only $3.25. Wife ordered pollo loco, which she enjoyed not her best, but solid. Service was good and they wore their face mask the entire Time. read more

The fact this place and these chains get so much love is disturbing. It is the most Caucasian "Mexican" food I've ever had. I could boil ground beef put packaged seasoning and it would be better than the trash they serve. This place existing speaks to the lack of culture of the area. It's queso is basically valveeta cheese with unseasoned meat. It's horrific. If you have ever been to Texas California or Mexico and like real Mexican food do not go here. I've had more authentic Mexican at Taco Bell. read more

We visited this location this evening & were very disappointed. We sat for over 20 minutes before finally getting someones attention & asking to order food. I ordered a shrimp quesadilla & crunchy beef taco. I was brought out a grilled chicken quesadilla & a shredded chicken taco. The waiter acted as if someone else was supposed to be taking care of us & said "oh no one took your order" i get it's hard in service industry but this felt like complete disregard for customers. read more

From outside it does not look interesting. Go inside and there is plenty of seating and decor. The staff are nice. For me he pace is a bit slow but what do I know I come from CA. The portions are great. 6 people food drinks and tip for only 100 bucks. Everyone was full. This is also one of the only places I could find a Madelo Negro. A dark Mexican beer. The food was awsome. Moist and not dry rich in flavor. I will come back again. I say check it out. read more

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Read my reviews of the other San Jose's around town, except the West Columbia one, that is by far the best one (Dreher Rd), those dude have free pico, and the staff is always great. The coolest thing about this one is the building is hot f--k' pink!!! It's sits back from the main road Highway 6, but you cannot miss it. It's a good place to hit up before catching a flick at the Pastime Pavilion movies, or whatever it's called now. So anyway, I was excited that they had the XX Lager on tap, grab yourself a 32 oz Grande beer. The food was a little better than average. Standard Tex-Mex kind of stuff. I noticed they had a cocktail menu, which seemed a step up from some of the other locations. Food was hot, and the service was okay, he could have checked on us a bit more. read more

Over priced and tasteless food. Del Taco in Columbia has better food while using fresh ingredients. Along with seasoned food. read more

This is an excellent Mexican-style restaurant with a Christian atmosphere. The food is the best of any of the San Jose restaurant's I have tried in the area (including the one in Irmo / Ballentine). The staff all spoke perfect English on my visit. Parking is abundant and free. Highly recommend! read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - This is their lunch menu as of July 11, 2016. Sorry for the poor quality, had to snap it fast! - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Good food and nice decor. I always enjoy my dinners here. They can also make a good pina colada!

Service was great. The food was very bland and the quality of the meats used here is terrible. The restaurant was busy when we got there so I took that as a good sign. But I guess everyone in here had covid because the food had no taste. I honestly don't see how this place could get anything over a 2 or 3. Will not be back. I'm sure the people that work here are great but I didn't come here to make friends, I came here to eat. read more

I love this location - this is the cleanest San Jose I have found in Lexington. On Friday nights they are typically busy but when my hubby and I go in they usually can find a two person table in less than five minutes. Of course you get free salsa and chips to start your meal out. Service is always fast and I don't think I have ever gotten a rude waitress or waiter here (and I've been here a lot)! I tend to get their queso on everything - because it's awesome. Sometimes they will upcharge for extra cheese other times I think they forget to. Either way this is our go to Mexican restaurant when I'm craving tacos! read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Drink menu! - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Yummy fresh food here at San Jose. Great prices and quick service! I recommend the Quesadilla Mexicana and I always substitute mushrooms for chicken. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Quesadilla Mexicana with mushrooms! - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

Best Mexican in the Lexington/Columbia/Irmo area. Order anything and it's delicious but our favorite so far is the fajitas nachos. Estevan is the best. We are just visiting Irmo for a season (my husband used to live here), and this place is our favorite. The frozen margarita can't be beat and my hubs orders the big dos equis and it's a deal. We have been here three times in the past week and will be back soon. read more

We were heading back from vacation when our daughter insisted on Mexican food, her favorite. We decided to give this place a try since it was outside of Columbia and easily accessible from the highway. Boy, we're we pleased with the food! It was authentic, had a large vegetarian selection and best of all our daughter gobbled down her whole meal, yep that good. Better yet, our waiter was just fabulous! His eyes lit up every time he smiled and was very attentive. So, after riding in the car for 8 hours we were in absolute heaven with both the quality of the food and the hospitality offered our way. This place is not to be missed-if you're nearby give it a try! read more

If you're looking for a great atmosphere and great Mexican cuisine, come check this place out. There menu has your typical dishes and they taste great. Make sure if you come during on Fridays to come early or expect a wait during the dinner rush because this is a frequent spot for many people. The average plate costs between $8-10 and chips and salsa are free. They have a great mixed drink selection. My only wish is that they had more parking. I have sometimes had to park at the movie theater right next to it because the lot is full during the busy times. read more

San Jose Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lexington, South Carolina

This place is actually one of my favorite Mexican places. The cheese dip was just a tad runny but still good, and the guacamole was delicious. I ordered the Eric's burrito dinner with ground beef, and it tasted delicious. I also like the service. Our waitress was there when we needed her, the place was actually very clean, and the food was really good. This is definitely a place worth checking out if you're in the area and craving good Mexican food. One thing I did personally like, and this is just me. The music they play was Christian music. It was very faint so it did not drown out conversation or anything but if you listen closely you can tell it was. I just personally like that. read more

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So... very. Awkward. Experience. We went for lunch with my family. A group of 10. The place was less than half full and the hostess told us to wait.. that's fine. We offered to split up, didn't make a difference. So they sat us in the bar between a table and a booth. The waitress offered to push the table together. The manager came Over and lost her mind right in front of us. It was so uncomfortable. We had family in town from 3 other states and just wanted a quick lunch and told them we'd be out of the way in no time. They proceeded to argue right in front of our table. It was so awkward. We ended up staying at the table and our server was great but that management really ruined our lunch and we question going back. The food was just mediocre. Everything was a bit cold. So sad about this because we love SAN Jose. read more

Appalled! The owners of the restaurant should be ashamed of themselves, a few years back the labor department made them pay unpaid wages to undocumented workers. Came to find out today that their at it again, these monsters charge their waiting staff for each credit card transaction, go on and ask a waiter/waitress there. Also they hold the servers credit cards for a week from which the subtract the CC transactions bartender and busboy fee. I hope the labor department pays them a visit soon again and I hope you brought cash to pay for your meal. read more

Don't get a margarita at this place it was so bad I had to send it back. I'm not a fussy person and that was the first drink I have ever sent back. It was terrible! I ask for them to make me a margarita not premixed, waiter brings it back it was they same thing just added orange juice to it. Food is good but will not try to get another margarita here. read more

There were weeks many years ago when I wanted a San Jose chicken chimichanga. Tonight settled my decision to never eat at or from San Jose again. We haven't been since pre-Covid but there was no part of the takeout worth eating. Former big round chicken chimichanga is now flat tough pastry with a little chicken and only flavor is salt. The guacamole was "pea soup". The lettuce smelled and tasted like old bag lettuce The chips were just bad. I wish I had gone to one of several Mexican restaurants within the same distance but I longed for the old days - gone forever read more

I had never tried this restaurant because their taco truck pours cheese sauce on absolutely everything! We went to the restaurant and it was very good. The atmosphere was fun and inviting as well. The service was extremely slow though. read more

Worst San Jose in the area. Sent food back and the manager argued with us about the taste. Everyone in our party couldn't finish the food. Horrible food and horrible customer service. read more

Fantastic Mexican food with some authentic dishes. Always fresh ingredients and well seasoned. The shrimp fajitas are fantastic, but if you're looking for a hunger fix, try the tornado burrito! Always Good and friendly service. Best Mexican around read more

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I like to call myself a realistic foodie. I think that to understand the quality of a restaurant you have to take into consideration the surrounding environment. Past experience and comparing food items to those at other restaurants will always be part of my reviews. But to do it justice, I will try to review a restaurant based on my whole experience in the context of its environment ie I don't expect a filet mignon at a roadside burger joint but I do expect a good burger at a decent price. San Jose Mexican Restaurant: I guess the first thing you must know about San Jose's it is a chain Mexican restaurant (I have not seen them outside of the South Carolina midlands area, though). The second thing you should know is that I'm originally from Texas but I will try not let that influence my review too much. The service is very nice and quick on both your order and meal. The more tables they turn the more money they make, so even though you will see large groups this is not a restaurant where one lingers. The restaurant is a good size and fairly clean. It does fill up regularly but I've never had to wait to be seated with a group of two, as always you can most likely get a seat at the bar if you don't want to wait or bother a waiter who has many tables to look after. Let me say that San Jose is so far the best Mexican restaurant (this one particularly) that I've been too since moving to South Carolina. It is a very traditional Tex-Mex restaurant with all the expected choices you commonly find in a Mexican restaurant in the United State. The chips and salsa that arrive promptly after being seated, the chips at times will be warm or room temperature (if they make them on site they don't taste or look it). I would add a little salt and they will taste like any other tortilla chip. The Salsa has good flavor and nice little kick, though not sure if it is made on site, either. The server will bring two bowls out for the salsa to allow for double dip or do any other kind of mixing with queso that you prefer, which I think is a nice touch. The salsa is a puréed tomato base with crushed red pepper flakes and other traditional vegetables and seasonings. The cheese dip is a white cheese and is pretty good, nothing too fancy about it. I've not had a bad or greasy meal here. The tacos are my staple-- the meat tastes very fresh, the rice is dry but flavorful and fluffy (some of the best rice I've had since leaving Texas). The enchiladas will fill up even the hungriest customers with plenty of cheese to go around. The fajitas are good they are done in more stir-fry style with small cuts of meat; they come with plenty of vegetables as well. I have yet to order dessert here mainly because I'm too full after dinner to want to stick around for dessert. This place is very cheap, they will nickel and dime you on some stuff (sour cream, cheese, etc...) but you can stuff two hungry adults for an affordable price, even after tip. In closing, this place gets my highest Mexican Restaurant honor-- the real Texan's Seal of Approval for Mexican Restaurants. read more

Nice, diverse menu and I've never had a bad dish. I've never been blown away by the food either. The price is fair, service good, atmosphere too, can get a touch loud (screaming kids) but never unbearable. Wife says margaritas are pretty good. Better for lunch then dinner IMHO. Good lunch specials. read more

Best Mexican restaurant in columbia! The staff are always super friendly. They're always Accommodating to our needs. Recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Lexington area read more

I have never had Doughy enchiladas before. sent back and got more of the same gross dough . they didn't care at all that they were not cooked. Chimichanga was a joke. only 3 inches long and not even deep fried. No cheese On it no flavor on any of our food. It was laughable to see it come out. No rice only a little bit of beans. They should only charge $3.00 per chimichanga. all three of us didn't like our meal. We're all use to getting a 6inch deep fried chimichanga covered in yummy yellow cheese and rice and beans. Nothing like this pathed chimichanga. Or gross doughy corn enchiladas read more

One of the worst Mexican restaurants I've ever been to. Cilanto please? Def not authentic... Nothing tasted fresh. Guacamole wasn't fresh. Bland. The margaritas were the best thing about the meal. I won't be back. read more

Great food, great service and reasonable prices. The shrimp tacos, salsa and chips and entrees are always hot, fresh and served in record time. read more