I had high expectations for this place. When I got there I was thrown off on how expensive everything was (especially the drinks). The chips and salsa were flavorless and the food was dry and flavorless as well. I've had better drinks for less. I would never recommend this place to anyone, what a big let down. read more

So disappointed. I live in the city but have been staying in San Rafael and have been looking forward to going here all week. Some of the worst chips - no salt and tasted burned. I told the woman (very sweet) at the front and she promised the next 2 bags of my 2nd order to go would be salted. They were not and had a burn taste. Spicy margarita was not good. The chicken from the special green chili chicken enchiladas was rubbery. Didn't finish it. Thankfully I had an a la cart cheese enchilada. The corn was good but better once i added salt (I am not a salt person) and my own seasonings at home. Bummer! read more

This little family restaurant is a nice place. I'm a harsh judge on Mexican food living in Texas. I would say this place isn't Texmex. It did taste good, but kept thinking this doesn't taste like a burrito. read more

Been coming here for years and SO glad it seems to have survived Covid! Food is still wonderful with great vegetarian options (veg tostada is filling but light), the mateo cake is just splendid, and that magnificent blue/black mole/salsa! The wait staff is still friendly and knowledgeable. Outdoor seating is lovely. Casual but not sloppy. I could see taking a visiting friend here for lunch or dinner. read more

Had the wild grilled salmon tacos. They were super good! The salmon tastes really fresh and were well cooked and we'll seasoned. Also really appreciated the salsas that came with the complimentary chips. read more

If your in the mood for tacos, tamales or enchiladas etc this is the spot!! Great food great people must give it a try. San Anselmo gem!!

This was my first visit to Taco Jane's and I was so excited to try it. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive. The menu is basic and so were the flavors. Nothing seemed to be well developed but tasted rather more like fast food. I had the grilled chicken tacos, which had very little meat and those were thin slivers of chicken. It tasted ok. The house made hot sauce is smoky chipotle and lent a nice addition to the flavor of everything. Slightly spicy but not hot. The black beans were good and not overdone. I'd go back and maybe try the enchiladas. read more

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This should be in the packet of information they give you when moving to Marin. Casual atmosphere, but no taco shop - appropriate for Saturday night dinner. Great service- like a friend is in the kitchen and his brother is bringing out the entrees. Low prices- $10/plate. Amazing food. I took the server's recommendation and went with the snapper burrito - wise move, except for the fact I had to roll out of there. This place has instantly shot to the top of my favorites list. read more

Not sure if this is Mexican food or some other cuisine however I am surprised,that the Latino staff aren't embarrassed to work there. Maybe that is why our server did not ask if we wanted to have something to drink. He was warning us. Black sludge called black bean salsa- no flavor, no spice and weird consistency. This was served with chips that seemed to come from a bag and not freshly made. I asked for some red salsa and got warm tomato soup. First chili relleno I've tasted that was uncooked, stuffed with hard carrots, squash and a sliver of cheese. I have had fire roasted and battered and would have preferred either method. Cheese enchilada with unmelted cheese stuffed inside. Large salad on the plate with rice and beans, all lacking flavor. And who thought of adding canned mandarin oranges as part of the salad. Hub had special pork tacos, overly moist and lacking any substance. First time customers and we will not return. There was one person working who appeared to have a position of authority, and he was glued to chatting with one family of 4. If he was the manager, owner or chief server and had taken the time to ask us how our meal was, we would have kindly shared our feedback in person. We have tasted food throughout Mexico and Mexican food around the US and the Bay Area and this is a poor representation of the beauty and layers of flavor that is the hallmark of Mexican cuisine. read more

After four visits.....the missing ingredient is creativity and/or authenticity. A very generous three-star rating for a restaurant with so much potential. The third star is for the friendly service, location and cozy outdoor area. Food alone gets to 2 * * stars , not more. Dear Jane, consider these to improve the food: - Reduce portion size and with cost reduced, add labor to improve execution of the dishes. Portions are big, but not tasty - There is no room for canned mandarin oranges in the standard salad that accompanies most of the dishes. It is superfluous, tasteless, and not compatible with your dressing. - Drop the jack cheese on the fish tacos. Fish and cheese are a tough combo, and the jack just destroys the freshness of a grilled fish taco. Either smaller tortillas, or a single one will suffice. The whole dish is like a burrito with all the tortilla. Increase the corn salsa and seasoning (not salt) - Pan roast/toast the corn tortillas for the tacos. They are soggy and gooey now. This adds 60-90 seconds of prep time. - Since the kids' burrito comes with rice and beans, there is no reason to pile on more rice and beans on the side. Some roast veggies would complete the meal. If not, drop the redundant components. - The fresca cheese on the salmon tacos is more palatable, but again, it is just not befitting. What could be light, fresh creative taco ends up tasting like piles of lettuce and cheese on the salmon. An onion and cilantro salsa or a few shreds of spicy, pickled red cabbage might make the dish more tasty. - Your no-brand hot sauce is not hot. If it is home made, change the recipe. If not, get a different one - The black bean salsa is just not very fresh tasting. Considering all the food you waste with excessive ingredients and portion sizes, you could actually, instead produce a better salsa. - Queso fresco, instead of being on the salmon, could fit well on the guacamole (just a teaspoonful) - The mole chicken enchilada is too sweet - Go to Grilly's and order a few tacos for inspiration. Or to Marinitas. If I am going to drive or ride to S. Anselmo, which is among the best foodie spots in Marin, this spot won't be on my mind. There are just too many better alternatives. I hope to read about changes and a new approach, which would bring me back. read more

Here is a place that takes full advantage of its ideal location and beautiful set up to serve you absolute garbage. The food has zero flavor. My tacos tasted like cat food. My husband's nachos were solidified by the time they got to our table. I hoped it was just our table, but everywhere I looked I saw seasonless, poorly cooked foods. We thought the alcohol might help, but the drinks were very plain. All in all, I could have cooked a far better meal at home. I absolutely would never ever ever recommend this place to anyone, ever. I gave it 2 stars for the location, but that's it. Just don't do this to yourself. read more

What a funky restaurant! I love the ambience but the food was so one note. We started with the ceviche which was thrown onto a plate - not only did the presentation look like a 3 year old plated it but also the acidity was a bit strong on the palate. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE lime but it was a little over powering. The next disaster was the chicken fajitas. Why do we order fajitas? (Well.. why do I order them) Because we want that sizzling plate of chicken, onions, and peppers to come out with the side of warm tortillas and all the fixing... But no... There was no sizzle, not one peep was heard. Because these "Fajitas" were plated by the same 3 year old - heaping lukewarm on the same red plate with the rice, beans, etc by its side. Staring back at me- as to say- Yes! I am Child Proof! Never Again. I want my food to be visually stimulating, taste to be on point, and I want my Chicken to SiZzle. read more

I wanted to like this place. I've intended to go for many years and finally made it yesterday. I was so disappointed. I ordered a combo plate of chicken relleno and shrimp taco. Well do you know how when you eat a juicy hamburger the sauces all run together and drip? The shrimp taco tasted like a hamburger wo the meat. All I could taste was a mayonnaise and ketchup blend that over saturated everything The taco was extremely soggy thousand island mess. No spice. No heat. Zero flavor except for the overwhelming sense of mayo n ketchup. Even the salsa was bland. I have no idea why this place is so well liked save the patio. The relleno had no cheese. Not an herb or spice n sight. read more

This place caught our eye after seeing an ad for it at the Fairfax theater and us, being huge fans of Mexican food, felt compelled to try it out. In the end, we were sorry we did. To start out with the positives, the place had a mouth watering guacamole which was obviously fresh and some of the best we have had. The chips were also good. ...and that's about it for the positives. The negatives, on the other hand, are many. The main thing was that the store didn't really seem to have an identity, or more to the point was confused on what it was trying to be. The menu it self was overwhelming Mexican, but all of the pictures and decor were related to Cuba. It would be kind of like if a Chinese restaurant was covered in Japanese decor... and its not so much that we felt it was "insensitive", but that the place just wasn't sure what it wanted to be... and the food cemented that fact. For our meal there, we ordered both the nachos and the combo plate. The nachos were haphazardly covered in what tasted like store bought cheese, and its only saving grace was the previously mentioned guacamole. The salsa fresca placed very sparingly on it was made with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and onion....it had absolutely no jalapenos, and we're not sure why they even call it a salsa. The fact that they charged $10 for the nachos was a little absurd too. The combo plate was also a miss. The salad here was decent, but the enchilada was dull and mostly flavorless... and the chopped olives on top sent off a warning signal for the more Mexican food connoisseur of the two of us. The chile relleno was also tough, and hard to cut with even a knife. The service was also lacking, as we sat there waiting for water for what felt like most of the night and the wait for the check was awful as well. As for the salsa, and we will close with that, it was so-so. We didn't care for it, as the approach of making salsa from charred tomatoes seems questionable to us, but we will say it was different and some might prefer it... but we found the lack of any after taste like we normally expect from salsa to be disappointing. Overall, we were thoroughly disappointed in this place. In fact, after our first couple bites we were already talking about how we never planned to return, and that's something we will stay true to. read more

Went for lunch on a sunny Saturday afternoon after a lovely hike at Samuel P. Taylor state park. Pros: The patio was a lovely place to sit and relax after a 4 mile hike. Good guacamole. Cons: The service was poor; slow, drink orders forgotten, didn't offer to refill chips. Black salsa was bland. Blue corn tortillas taste fine, but the appearance is unappetizing. Grilled corn with chili-lime butter tasted of neither chili, nor lime. Snapper tacos were fine, not great. read more

No stars. This is expensive and not Mexican food. You can not call this Mexican food at all. Not worth trying. Thank you and have a good day. read more

The last few times I've gone have been nostalgically lovely, but the food is hit and miss. My beloved salsa was still wonderful. And overall I sense the same care in the food as ever. read more

We got here at 8:41 and they stop seating at 8:45pm. We were expecting to be rushed and we experienced just the opposite. We were greeted by smiling faces. Our server, Danny, was awesome. My son got the steak tacos and he said they were amazing. Very juicy and flavorful. I ordered the combo plate with the cornmeal cake and the chicken tamale with mole sauce. The cake was crispy on the outside, but moist on the inside with a little sweetness. Great. The mole sauce has just the right amount of heat. My daughter ordered the guacamole and raved about it. All around a fantastic experience. We are definitely coming back. read more

First of all, I am biased. I grew up in Austin, Texas, which not only has a huge number of amazing Mexican restaurants, but Austin is smack dab in the middle of Texas, and do you know what that means? It means amazing "Tex-Mex"!!! Tex-Mex is hands down the best "Mex" out there, and I grew up on it. It beats Cal-Mex, Ariz-Mex, New-Mex-Mex, and all the rest. It even beats plain Mex. Who wants Mexican food when you can have Tex-Mex??? Having disclaimed my huge prejudice for Tex-Mex, I can say that my single experience at Taco Jane's has prevented me from ever going there again. I ordered the chili relleno. When it arrived at my table I did a double-take: I was looking at a big green pepper in the middle of my plate. I'm not supposed to see a big green pepper in the middle of my plate when I order chili relleno. I'm supposed to see a big golden-brown lump of deep-fried heaven sitting in the middle of a puddle of delicious hot tomato sauce!! When I expressed my confusion to the waitress she acted annoyed and responded with a "get over it" attitude. She informed me proudly that nothing in Taco Jane's is deep fried. The tone of her voice seemed to imply that "deep fried" was something only someone with questionable morals would be interested in. You know, I don't have a problem with not frying a chili relleno like the rest of the known (sane) universe does, but just say so clearly in the menu so I know to steer clear! I decided to act like an adult (which took some effort), shift gears and have an open mind about this new variation on an old favorite. So I took a bite... and guess what? It was worse in my mouth than it was on the plate: the pepper was seriously undercooked and was quite tough, and the cheese in the center wasn't melted. I would have requested that the chef take it back and cook it all the way, but I didn't want to incur further wrath from our no-fried-food evangelical of a waitress. The bite I had taken had also convinced me that the thing wasn't going to taste good no matter how much longer it was cooked. So I let it go, and nibbled on other things. Which brings me to the other problem with this restaurant: the chips. They serve "plastic bag style" chips. They're not restaurant style, they're the other kind, with the mealy texture. Not cool. Anyone running a Mexican restaurant needs to understand something: your chips and salsa are like the life's blood flowing through the veins of your restaurant (okay, slightly gross metaphor). A Mexican place with mealy, store-bought chips is like an Italian place with bad marinara, or a seafood restaurant without fresh fish; it's an almost positive sign that something else will be seriously wrong with the food. On a positive note, the look of the place is hip, funky and fun, with really great outdoor seating in front (for warmer/dryer days). It reminds me of the many hip eateries in Austin, and this is why I was attracted in the first place. In Austin we love nothing better than to dine with friends out of doors on warm summer nights, sipping cool margaritas. If that sounds good to you this place may be able to deliver. Sadly for me, the food and the waitress' haughty attitude the first time I went there were unpleasant enough to prevent me from ever returning. read more

Really disappointing! Wow!!! Stay away from the tortilla soup.......it's like a bad can of Campbell's! Ugggghhhhh.....nice patio and nice server but the food is horrific! Muy malo!:(((( read more

On a nice day, sitting on the porch at Taco Jane's is cool. Ultimately, though, the food is overpriced and not really Mexicanish. Plain Jane, if you will, not Juanita Picante. read more

Bland overcooked food, charred tomato salsa that tastes like charcoal. Nice people, slow negligent service.

Our party of seven arrived on a weekday around 1 PM. Parking is tough nearby and the adjacent lot is for other businesses and not for Taco Janes. There were a smattering of customers sitting in the open air patio sunning themselves. They were the typical aging baby boomers who think that having a tan leathery skin makes them more attractive. Wait a few more years when melanoma sets in! We opted to sit in the covered patio as the loud interior music was more for the enjoyment of the workers than the patrons. It was a cozy setup after they drew the clear plastic curtains that minimize the wind. At first glance the prices seem pretty stiff for Mexican food. But then this is Marin County. Some watermelon frescas ($3.95) were ordered however, being way too sweet, they weren't palatable. We wanted a non-flavored ice tea, but the rather inexperienced waiter said they didn't have any. However, one of our party suggested brewing some hot tea (which they have) and bringing a glass of ice. That they could do - why didn't they think of it? Some chips were provided and a darkened tomato sauce. The chips were a little tough and the sauce was just so-so. We ordered a tostada (~$11), some special salmon tacos (~$12), and a steak burrito ($11.95). When the order arrived, the waiter seemed confused on who ordered what. After that was resolved, we started our lunch and noticed there were no condiments on the table such as salt, pepper, hot sauce, etc. We finally had to ask the waiter for sauce with "some kick". A couple of unlabelled Tabasco size bottles came. My burrito had a small side of salad with some strips of jicama on it. Some in our group said the salad was not "dressed". My steak burrito looked huge and was covered with an orangey sauce. However, the meal was rather tasteless. The orangey suace added nothing and even the addition of the bottled hot sauce didn't help much. If I had closed my eyes, I wouldn't realize what I was eating as the flavors were non-distinct and just melded together. One in our party said the food was Yucatan style. If that's the case, it sure is blah. Overall, a rather ho-hum experience with relatively high prices for mediocre food and inexperienced service. A better experience (though seemingly blasphemous) can be found at the chain restaurant - Chevy's. read more

I'm a fan. Maybe I'm just riding a high because I just moved nearby and it's the one close-by Mexican restaurant. There's a few more, but so far I've been here 3 times and haven't had a bad meal. First two times were take-out, last was dine-in for 6 adults and 2 babies. We got a great seat outside on the patio...my only complaint was the service was a bit slow...that said it was lunch on a Saturday and they seemed a tad understaffed. Ok, onto the food. The blue corn tortilla's they use with the tacos are divine. The snapper tacos, veggie, carnitas and chicken are all really good. The chicken mole wet burrito is fantastic. One of the best mole sauces I've tasted in awhile. My wife loves the stuff avocado salads with chicken or the rock shrimp. Their michelada drink is f-ing magical. I love a good michelada, and their margs are solid. The tostadas also solid. Only gripe is service can be a bit slow when they're busy, but that's expected. The servers and bartenders have always been super nice and friendly. Other than that, this place is going to get a lot of business from me. read more

Seriously, BEST Salmon Fish Tacos EVER!!! The place is cool, laid back, Cuban music in the background, nice patio. It's all good, but the Tacos, Seriously, Awesome. I was with a co-worker and we just stopped talking and kept eating. Amazing. The owner was cool and said they started serving the Salmon Tacos for lunch now, instead of just dinner - Good Call! read more

Taco Jane's - Mexican Near Me - San Anselmo, California

I have been going to Taco Janes for years-I get the same thing every time-the shrimp tostado Now they have a full bar-word of advice, skip the margaritas-we ordered 3 margaritas and the waiter came back in less than a minute-the drinks were so weak and it was obvious they were pre made-they were also $9-go to Marinitas if you want a real margarita-these are nothing short of a rip off read more

Worst food ever Chicken burrito sucks - no salt no pepper No spice Subway is better than this food read more

Taco Jane's is a popular Mexican restaurant in San Anselmo where the drink selection and menu fare feature fresh ingredients and generous portions. We took the opportunity one weekend to have dinner here with visiting friends from out of state and really enjoyed catching up in this family friendly environment while also enjoying some very filling black bean, corn tortilla entrees. The dining space is down to earth but vibrantly decorated and very reflective of what a successful, locally owned (~20 yrs), neighborhood restaurant can be. As relative newcomers to the neighborhood, we loved that our meal felt like a warm, neighborhood welcome meal shared among friends. read more

$9.50 for a cheese only Casadia-really? Servers are very nice, food is just Ok Very pricey relative to quality read more

I remember when this venue used to be Mama Misha's and was sad to see it go, but I was definitely not disappointed with its replacement Taco Janes. The black bean salsa is amazing and I could eat just the salsa for dinner if the everything else on the menu wasn't so tasty. I love anything they put that fresh snapper in... tacos... burritos... a salad! Whenever I am in town I make a point to stop by Taco Janes... I even have them in my cellphone so I can call in orders to be picked up. read more

We have been eating here routinely for years. We are always, like this evening, impressed by how innovative, healthy and tasty the food is. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill Mexican fare. The Mole Tostada was fabulous tonight and a further step beyond what I have enjoyed here in the past. read more

Taco Jane's - Mexican Near Me - San Anselmo, California

Love the outdoor seating (with heat lamps for the cool evening). Love that they have horchata & aguas frescas - I had the watermelon. LOVE that they serve local organic greens! Service was friendly and unobtrusive but nothing spectacular -- nice local kids waitressing for the summer. Food was ok/good. My salad with shrimp was good - organic greens, not too much dressing, nicely cooked shrimp (NOT overcooked), canned mandarin oranges - but it seemed cold. Yes, I know salads are supposed to be cold, but for some reason it looked and felt like it had been prepared earlier and stored in the refrigerator for a while. Likewise, my dinner-date's tamale with mole sauce had sort of a congealed surface, as if it had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while? I will give Taco Jane's another shot, but it just didn't quite hit the mark on my first visit. read more

What a beautiful Memorial Day.. mmm Mexican sounded great! Let's try Taco Jane's! We arrive about 11, not yet open the nice busser explained they would open in half an hour.. Okay so we take a nice leisurely stroll, proceed to the wait to be seated sign. Are told to seat ourselves. Instead of cramming next the screaming baby (yes I have a toddler so I do understand no big deal) and another couple w/ a giant stroller who decided to park it in the middle of the walk way, we went down the aisle to the other outside seats. We were the 3rd table there, waited patiently for our server to bring menus/silver/drinks... I got the menus myself, no silver no drinks still waiting... After the 7th table was ordering we proceeded to pack up our toddler who was eating his lunch and head down the street to Mi Pueblo Taqueria which was again excellent. The best part was the server was so OTL he didn't even notice us leaving, or at least he acted like he didn't notice and obviously he could care less. Sorry Taco Jane's your service sucked! One star for the nice busser. read more

I really enjoyed this place, the food is good but needs a little bit more flavor, they also need to have more spicy choices, after all is a Mexican restaurant and you expect to have some spicy foods (at least me ) it has a Cuban flare so it's a bit confusing at first, but the service is great! 2 thumbs up for that read more

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Haven't been to Taco Jane's for a while. Went there today for lunch and split an order of the Red Snapper fish Tacos. They were grilled and smoky good. Way better than the ones I had in Baja. I'll have to crank up my visit frequency .... read more

I love this place. The staff is friendly, and super casual. If you want formality, look elsewhere. Indoor seating is nice, but the outdoor seating is best. Nice location, parking has never been a problem on the street near the restaurant. Owner is usually there, and is always open to feedback. I went there recently, and used a Yelp 20% discount offer. Nice! The food is always prepared a little differently than what you might find elsewhere. I like this. The salsa for the chips is different and delicious. read more

I love how Taco Jane's casual name and decor lets its superb food and service surprise you. The ingredients are so fresh and healthy. The cooking is masterful and sophisticated. Service is friendly and lightening fast. A new fave! We've been here several times with our small daughter and just as a couple. The servers are friendly and helpful -- charming, actually! And the food is sparkling fresh and prepared with care and creativity. Which is part of what makes it amazing that the food seems to often arrive within 10 minutes of ordering. Sitting on the patio in the warm Marin evening is lovely. I agree with William R. that the salsa is special and delicious. And also that they are very kid-friendly. Tasty drinks too. No hard liquor, but they make a tasty and potent margarita with lower-proof tequila. And -- great bike parking right out front. I call it a gem and plan to be back many times. read more

From the beginning it was not a positive experience. It took forever to even get a glass of water. Then we were brought tortillas with an odd black bean concoction. We asked for guacamole which they were out of. Ok, understandable. We ordered fajitas and a burrito. Taco Bell would have surpassed what we were served. It was an overall underwhelming experience with sub par service. We will not be back. read more

I don,t know why but I went back. Nice place and nice location. The food is 2 steps below Taco Bell. The so called margarita is a waste of time. Good luck change cook and get some real salsa read more

"Meh" indeed. So yeah great atmosphere - nice to sit outdoors in the evenings and chill with friends/family. The food is where it all goes downhill - it's is pretty bland. Took a bottle of Tapatio and some jalapenos to get any kind of flavor into it. Pretty disappointing. I'm not sure if people who like it here have much experience with Mexican food, or even Mexican-American food... but uh, this is not it. read more