Jose's Court Room
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: La Jolla1037 Prospect St
(between Girard Ave & Ocean Ln)
La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 454-7655
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
60 reviews
San Diego, CA
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23 Reviews for Jose's Court Room
Best Marinated Carrots! Best Chips and Salsa! Awesome Margaritas! and Great Service!
I have been going to Jose's' for a long time and always satisfied with the above mentioned items. I really have not had lunch or dinner there, that I can recall...but I do make a special trip or stop for these items.
The location is great and it's a great place to go and hang out before going out somewhere else.
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Jose's Courtroom wins the award for Most Random Bar in downtown La Jolla. It makes me want to sing the Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the other ones, one of these things just doesn't belong..."
Let's start with the ambiance. It's dive-y bordering on cheesy... but then you realize that there are TVs in every corner blasting music videos, and Cha-Ching! That border has now been crossed.
Then there's the crowd. It's a mix of people pre-gaming before going to the Places to See & Be Seen, and people who really are there for the night. Including that married guy in the blue sweater who kept winking at me until I walked up to him and said "Excuse me, are you married? If so, I suggest you stop winking at me and go home to your wife."
But I digress.
The margaritas are good, the beers are cheap, and if you stand by the door you can see the ocean. In the words of Adam Sandler: "Not too shabby!"
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Jose's treats your wallet pretty well. Last night got a big ass torta with a beer, and it cost me a little over 15 bucks. Not a great deal, but not bad for La Jolla. The torta was all right, a bit on the bland side.
Judging by companions' dishes, this place likes to dish out large portions. Their food looked equally as bland as mine. On the other hand, the salsa that was served with the chips had a nice kick to it.
Service was all right. Waitress took forever to come around to take our orders, but after that service improved. She was also pretty accommodating with our large group.
Overall a pretty average Mexican place with good prices for the area.
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Great mexican food!!! Slightly tacky decor, friendly staff, great chips & salsa....gotta love it. Prices are great here too, given the location. Everytime my husband and I go to La Jolla, we just sort of end up here. We walk past all of the places to eat, and cant seem to pass up Jose's. We always leave stuffed, because the food is so good. I usually get the chicken tostada, I have had both shredded chicken and grilled, both are good, although I prefer the shredded. I usually ask for enchilada sauce for it too, I just like the flavor. My husband really likes the Chipotle Quesadilla. Happy Eating!
Jose's Court Room is a hidden jewel. Seriously, I randomly saw the restaurant and wanted to try something new besides the usual La Jolla eateries and chain restaurants. So, I walk into what looked like a bar/sports bar kind of deal. We were seated anywhere we wanted to be seated. The place looked old, but I wasn't going to let that let me down.
We immediately got fresh tortilla chips with the best salsa in any restaurant I have ever had. I usually can handle very spicy food, so the salsa was just perfect because it wasn't too spicy to eat, but it got progressively spicier until I needed water.
The food was absolutely great. I got the special Chicken Platter they had on a Saturday. I could taste the chicken and the lime flavors grilled onto the chicken. Everything tasted so home made and good. The burritos are also pretty big and worth the money. The tortas and the cane asada meat (if you choose to get carne asada) could have been a bit softer, but either way, was great!
They say that they'll charge you for take home boxes and extra chips, but they don't whenever I go there. I've been there 3 times and everytime I leave very full of food and very satisfied with the service.
I highly recommend this place as a great place for food. Until I can legally drink, I can't rate the bar. But, it seems like the bartenders are absolutely nice, as they are the ones who usually welcome you as you enter!
Surprise, surprise. Downtown La Jolla actually has a restaurant I can eat at without foregoing my utilities for a month. The prices are reasonable, and I didn't feel like I was being judged by the hostess. I came here with a large group of friends, and was so relieved to find that I didn't have to split an appetizer three ways in order to eat.
HOWEVER, there is a catch. On the back of the menu are some disclaimers, including that they charge for additional baskets of chips, they have a split plate charge, and they charge for take-home boxes! wtf?? I felt like my dining was going to be closely monitored: "hey you! I saw that! I saw you eat some of his guac! That's considered splitting. That's two dollars!"
Though I was worried about these miscellaneous charges, it turns out our waiter kept giving us chips regardless. Maybe these rules aren't heavily enforced, but the fact that they exist really irks me.
The food itself was decent. The salsa was especially spicy, which I appreciate, though it wasn't the best salsa I've had. My carne asada burrito was ginormous. It came with a lot of extras including two generous slices of avocado. Overall everything was average: food, service, atmosphere. Maybe I'll enjoy my experience more next time, when I'm not so nervous about rationing out my chips to last through the entire dinner.
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Good burritos and great location in La Jolla. The only bad thing about this place is the decor. It also does not have a pleasant smell but its a good place to have a casual meal.
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Good safe place to eat in La Jolla. The margaritas are good and the place can get busy. I mean real busy. Parking is pretty much non-existent but that's La Jolla.
Good selection of mexican draft beers...mmmmmmm...Beer.
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Despite its' posh La Jolla location, Jose's is pretty laid back restaurant/watering hole. A large group of us came in around lunch time and were seated immediately. There was about 10-15 of us and we basically took over the restaurant. The place is really cramped, but I didn't mind . It was cute in a way....
The service was unattentive and I waited forever to get my water filled, but they were quick about bringing the salsa and chips. The salsa kicked me in the mouth. It was really flavorful and was probably my favorite thing about the restaurant.
The drinks were good, they were strong and made me feel "squishy" afterwards. For food, I ordered the fish taco in a flour tortilla...again..I wasn't impressed. Almost $7 for a mediocre fish taco didn't tickle my fancy.
I did enjoy the multiple flat screen tvs that were displaying almost every sport from English Premier Soccer (my favorite), Nascar, Golf and Football. That kept me entertained for quite some time.
There are plenty of other restaurants that I would've opted for, but since I was with a fun group, I wasn't bothered too much. The only time I shall return to Jose's is to grab a quick drink and then duck out.
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Nice place to chill and enjoy a drink or two. I didn't have anything to eat, but the fellow Yelpers said it was decent. Service was good, too.
One thing to note: the salsa that they put out on the table with the tortilla chips is a wee bit hotter than you will find at some other places. It leaves a burning sensation on the tip of your tongue for several minutes! Personally, I like it that way, but others may find it too hot for their liking. You be the judge.
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Peeps, I know me some Joses, and it is not Jose's Cantina, it is Jose's Courtroom, due to the fact that it is located in the hella old building that used to house the La Jolla courthouse.
Anyway! I am partial to this place, as I used to work down the street and dated someone who worked there- so yay for free drinks and ocean view. I also spent a good amount of time here, so I know what's what.
Weekend breakfast- some of the best chilequiles ever, omg. The salsa is great, good carnitas, great cabbage salad, fantastic french fries, and the super chicken quesedilla... mmmm!!
I used to sit at the bar and drink my free drinks from the bf, and then randoms would buy me drinks, which was hot. And, every once in awhile, we would have a hooker sighting!
GREAT people watching at Jose's. But stay away from the super crowded La Jolla High reunion nights if you don't want to get totally crowded and annoyed.
OH! Important tip- ALWAYS order your margaritas on the rocks here. MUCH STRONGER. So now ya'll know the real deal.
Good spot. The food is decent and the beer is cold. We trekked up to Jose's from La Jolla Cove after our wedding to continue our reception with our friends. Despite a few "I hate you" looks from a couple of cougars in a booth, no one seemed to find it at all odd that I was wearing a wedding dress, and in fact, I scored a couple of free beers from congratulatory patrons. Perfect!
3 1/2 stars from me....and ditto to all the other reviews on here. Came here the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and had a great time with my party of 5 friends. This night it was like the reunion for the local La Jolla High grads from 10 years ago. I can appeciate it because I remember in my 20's going back home (Indiana) during the holidays and seeing my high school/college friends at the local dive bar.
Jose's is one of those places where you go and end up seeing "friends of friends" or someone you lost touch with years ago. For most of us that is a good thing.
I haven't eaten here in a long time, but their guacamole is awesome and for about $5 they bring out a huge bowl filled to the brim.
****Last but not least...they played the best classic 80's music while showing the videos on their high def TV's. Motley Crue, Van Halen, Modern English ("Stop the world and melt for you...") and many others...it was a treat.****
This is a great "dive" for La Jolla, Ca. It's in the middle of the shopping district and a hop skip away from the beach. Gets really busy Friday and Saturday nights so be prepared for a wait. They take reservations but anything over 4-6 people and you'll have a hard time getting a table. Pretty small place so when it's packed it's literally like tuna in a can. And not those expensive tuna cans where it's spacious. We're talking about blue-collar Tuna cans sold at the Dollar Store. It's overall a great place to meet with some friends and get a drink. Came down to La Jolla to visit and had a blast, will definitely visit Jose's when coming back down from the Bay!
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So some girls from class wanted to go get some mexican - and of all places, they suggest going to La Jolla. I agreed but silently and internally felt all "shit now i'm going to have to order a side of bread for dinner".
Well, surprise surprise, this place is hella REASONABLE! They have a pretty nice sized menu (although the restaurant itself isn't too large), and most items can be ordered large versus small, and a la carte. I ordered nachos - which did rock, however few people have screwed up nachos. However one of my friends ordered enchiladas and was thrilled to see they had cabbage salad (I have no idea what that is). So maybe if you like that you'd check this place out.
I'd go again, if parking wasn't a bitch.
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I can't believe no one has reviewed Jose's yet! I know I'm not the only person who's been here.
Their food (Mexican) is tasty and portions are large (good chips and salsa, yummy carne asada quesadillas). They also make tasty drinks and margaritas. I would definitely choose Jose's over other bars/restaurants in the same area -- it's casual, fun, sometimes rowdy, and not too pricey considering its location. I used to come here a lot when Pat was a bouncer; that was years ago though. Yay for cute bouncers who know your name!
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We found Jose's from the local guidebook on the day of our first visit to La Jolla (this is a review for a visit on 9/20/06).
Close to shopping, quiet cuz it was a very late lunch, good but non-intrusive service. Our waitress brought a fantastic margarita very quickly...she may have been the bartender as well...couldn't remember (sitting with our backs to the resturant and looking out the window). Food was very good and arrived fast, which was great cuz we had a plane to catch. Prices were reasonable. Thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Four stars because we were visiting and didn't try other Mexican resturants in the area to compare it with.
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Decent place for a strong margy but food is only ok in my eyes.
One of he few options in downtown La Jolla.
The breakfast food is pretty good. I've been there three times and I don't remember what I had (therefore only 3 stars), but I remember it being pretty good.
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The service is pretty damn good. I hate it when you go to a restaurant and if they give you free chips and salsa, they never refill it. Not here, a nice (authentic mexican) gentlemen was ready to reload for us when we finished.
I got a carne asada torta. A carne asada sandwich, it was goooooood. It was a straight up slab of carne asada in between two slices of buttered bread and lettuce, guac, tomato, and all that good stuff.
Price wasn't bad either, I'm a starving college kid, so i would know
Jose's offers good margaritas and nice salty chips: that's about it for me. Honestly, this place is a transplant of PB bar and grill clientele-wise. In other words, it's a meat market. This restaurant used to be one of the only semi-happening places in La Jolla on weeknights after 9pm; now, thankfully, there are a few more places to choose from!
La Jolla and surrounding environs pickup scene. Decent Mexican food, and a clean interior. Everyone's nice looking. La Jolla surfer boys who are aspiring stock brokers or real estate types in La Jolla's downtown financial district and young ladies in two-somes who maintained themselves in some expensive way that day wander in and "court".
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Every town has a dive bar and Joses' is the equivalent of La Jolla's dive bar. And thank heavens its' there. Jose's is one of the few casual dining joints in La Jolla. It is located on Prospect ,surrounded by a plethora of hoity toity fine dining venues. Yet, Joses has managed to maintain its laid back I-don't give-a-damn vibe in one of the most pretentious San Diego neighborhoods.
But, the atmosphere is not the only reason to visit Jose's. They have primo house margaritas and the Mexican food is authentic, but I recommend the repollo --- it is the side salad served with every meal and it is the best item on the menu.
Joses's kitchen is open until midnight, but the bar is open till 1:30. Jose's is not exactly a happening bar to frequent if your under 30, but it is one of the few affordable places to grab a meal or a beer in San Diego's most pretentious and most beautiful neighborhood.
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