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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I absolutely la-la-love this place!
First, I love the decoration. Its so completely off the wall its awesome. Little authentic Mexican knick-knacks, bright vivid colors everywhere (including the outside paint job), and really interesting and quirky art on the walls.
You start the meal with fresh chips and homemade salsa. The salsa tends to be hit or miss depending on the night. (sometimes its a little soupy) We always get the medium or the hot version, which I think is just the mild version with some extra chile mixed in. Fine by me! It tastes very ... clean and fresh. Yum!
Now onto the Margarita list! If you are going to be having more than 1 Margarita with some people: GET A PITCHER. (We usually default to "Steve's Classic") You get a standard plastic pitcher filled... with NO ICE, and then your glasses (with rocks if you'd like). The good part about that is that you have a pitcher FILLED with liquid yumminess and no ice to water it down. For the price of 3-4 margaritas you get a pitcher that yields ~7.
The burrito menu is fantastic. My safe standby is the Chicken Burrito con mole. The mole sauce there is smokey, dark, with a hint of chocolate. The fajitas and tacos are always a good bet as well... but don't be afraid to ask for some mole on the side!
We bring our friends here all the time and nearly everyone we introduce to this place loves it. This is a great little hidden place just outside of any major Cambridge 'Square' and I love the fact that we can walk here from our apartment. The service is always friendly, and we've frequented it enough times that most of the staff recognizes us. (we even had a buy back once on a round of Patron!)
5 stars!
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An actual hidden gem, Jose's is located among the residences of the Porter Square neighborhood in Cambridge. You'd never expect to see this place while driving around this area... but sure enough it is there.
Jose's serves delicious food. Like... really, really delicious food. I highly recommend the Enchiladas with chicken or beef. They are super good. The atmosphere is quirky... with a mexican-antique-shop-sort-of-feel to it. Also, there is an out door seating section.
I was so impressed with Jose's, that this would have been a 5 star review if the service hadn't been so darn slow. It took nearly 20 minutes after we finished our meal before a server even came to our table to offer dessert/check.
Despite the neglect, I still hope to be back soon to enjoy those fantastic enchiladas again!
People thought this was:
I dig Jose's after our first outing here last week. I share my birthday with a good friend, and we are known as the Mexican Birthday Twins amongst our friends, so what else could be better for us on our birthday than drinking tequila and eating enchiladas?
There were eleven members in our party, and we were seated promptly and our reservation was set up perfectly, which was great. We had waters and chips waiting for us, and once we were seated the waitress brought over a mild and a hot salsa.....the hot was pretty mild, but it was still very tasty.
I ended up ordering the steak enchiladas with the verde sauce, and the sauce was amazing-it was nice, green, and tangy from the tomatillos and jalepenos. The steak was nice and tender, and the torillas were very fresh. I love refried beans, but I really didn't like theirs. They were kind of bland and mushy. I think that the beans were higher in fat that I am used to in refried beans. The rice had assorted veggies in it, and was fluffy and flavorful.
Before I forget, the margaritas!! I had a scorpion margarita, which was made from fresh limes, good tequila, and Cointreau. It was very yummy. We were served some birthday desserts, and I wasn't really into it. It was fried ice cream, which didn't seem fried.....it just seemed rolled in corn flakes. It wasn't a bad flavor, just not what I was expecting.
The service was very friendly, but because we were tucked away upstairs I feel like we weren't checked up on quite as much....we didn't need much attention, but a water refill would have been good. While it's not cheap Mexican, it's good Mexican. I really enjoyed the enchiladas, which were around $12-13. The gigantic margarita was about $12, which is completely reasonable.
I'll definitely be back!
People thought this was:
Being that we are on the east coast (i.e. almost as far from Mexico as one can get in the U.S.), this is pretty darn good!
I love their red and green sauces, guacamole, and salsa. Nice folks and good prices too.
Plenty to eat. Good vegetarian selection plus they are flexible.
In the worst example of restaurant owner decorum, I got a note from the owner of Jose's Mexican last week. He basically chastised me for my mildly comedic critic of his establishment, and wanted more detail - so I of course provided it ... this time direct serious bullets he could address (or not). He chose a vial, unintelligent route and rudely refuted every point, without actually addressing any issue ... I would be very careful about going here again I am concerned for those who do.
Listen, if you do not know anything beyond chips and BAD salsa, that's fine. Go to Jose's sit and… Read more »
My roommate Libby introduced us to this place and I am so happy that she did. Super tasty margaritas? Check. First thing I ever ordered will probably be the only thing I ever order? Check. (Chorizo burrito, in case you were wondering)
The only thing that kind of bites about this place are that it is pretty small and sometimes you have to wait but, really, the margaritas make up for that!
Located in a more "suburban" part of Cambridge, Jose's is a semi-hidden gem. People know about it but it's still tucked away in a residential neighborhood and even has a parking lot that's free and larger than the restaurant itself.
Jose's offers patio, bar, and restaurant seating. Since it was dark and raining out, my brother and I opted for the regular restaurant part (kitschy but charming). There are maybe only 12 table in there so on busier nights I would guess that reservations are a good idea. The hostess did ask us if we had them.
Pre-set at your table are chips and you are given the option of mild, medium, or hot salsa. All are fresh and the hot is pretty hot and definitely delicious. We could not stop inhaling them.
The menu consists of a range of Mexican fare from burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, all the way to various soups and chiles rellenos. Heaven! I love real Mexican food and have been desperately seeking anything resembling New Mexican or Mexican food since having been to NM two years ago. Having said that, I was elated to the point of startling the waitress when I saw sopapillas on the menu.
My brother opted for a quesadilla with tinga, a type of seasoned chicken, and our waitress was resourceful and seemed sort of ok with answering his questions regarding how spicy and onion-y it was. I had the enchiladas verde after the waitress recommended them just a bit over the adobo ones.
Our plates came out quickly. The food was fresh and had a beautiful presentation. Each came with a small portion of beans and rice. Actually, the portions of beans and rice were too small, about two spoonfuls each. For entrees that cost over $12 they could have spared a little. However, the beans were a bit watery and the rice was white rice. It was fluffy white rice though but I don't know how it was all that authentic.
Each of the main courses were a perfect portion size though and very flavorful. The chicken in each dish was moist and seasoned just right. I wish the enchiladas had a bit more spice to them, but the "verde" was from tomatillos more than jalapenos, so I should not have been as surprised as I was. Still, a great meal that was full of flavor.
When we finished the waitress checked to see if we did want the sopapillas, which we did. It came out a bit different than the ones I have had in New Mexico, but was still awesome. Sopapillas is essentially fried dough that is crispy and then lightly covered with honey and in this case sugar and cinnamon as well. Yum! This dessert can be split from 1-4 people...It's enough to feed 2-3 in my opinion since it's so good.
With a big menu and those sopapillas, I will definitely be back! My brother raved about the experience as well and it's difficult to get him to get going on stuff like this sometimes, so that is saying something.
People thought this was:
On a good day this is one of my favorite restaurants.
I really want to give this place a good review, but I have to be honest. I have eaten here dozens of times and unfortunately, it is really inconsistent. Sometimes it is the best I've ever had. Other times it is the worst!
The atmosphere leaves room for a lot of improvement. While it is cute with all the decorations - it feels really DIRTY. I wouldn't eat that chip that fell on the table. One time we sat at the table by the kitchen window and it smelled so strongly of mice. Mmmm...
The servers here are super slow. They huddle around the computers and talk - completely ignoring the customers. I even had to get up and find my waitress one time because we had been finished with our meals for half an hour!
The soda tastes old and there are no free refills.
NEVER ORDER TAKE OUT HERE! I have ordered take out several times and EVERY time it has been wrong or missing something. Also, they don't give free chips and salsa with take out orders - and they charge a ridiculous amount for a tiny serving.
The chips are always stale, but the salsa is fantastic - unless you came this summer when their fridge must have been broken because it tasted fermented! Yuck!
It probably was on of Boston's Best - in 2004, but not in 2009. They need to shape this place up!!
The only reason I keep going back is because there have been those occasions where it is SOOOOO GOOD!
I know this place is tucked away in an obscure part of Cambridge, but this restaurant had a great, authentic selection of Mexican food, a pretty decent margarita, and a fun atmosphere.
My quesedilla came looking like a burrito, which was weird... On the other hand, my friend was excited to see Sopa de Elote on the menu, which she hadn't seen on a menu since she lived in Mexico.
People thought this was:
I don't expect that much of Mexican food here - Anna's is a joke, if you ask me. I love SF Mission-style burritos, and I grew up on Tex-Mex (the good kind, in Oklahoma). I haven't found anything here that blows me away.
But Jose's is pretty good. Chips were freshly-made, salsa was good. Hot was hot. The burrito and enchiladas we ordered were good. I'd like to try the margaritas, but couldn't last week as I'm about 9 months pregnant.
However, DO NOT ORDER the queso dip. Disgraceful. It was like powdered nacho cheese sauce from the movie theater.
Jose's is a little pricey compared to better Mexican and Tex-Mex from the source, but hey, we're pretty far from Mexico and from Texas. I'd go back here, especially after I'm able to partake in a margarita on the patio.
People thought this was:
I decided to try this for my birthday which is always a gamble when trying a new restaurant, but it worked out great. I made a reservation using Open Table and they were ready when we got there. They have their own parking lot which is a plus in a Cambridge residential neighborhood where everything is by permit. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. We got the hot salsa that had some kick to it. I ordered the Shrimp Diabla off the specials menu and the other person got the Mole Enchladas. My dinner was phenomenal. The sauce for the shrimp was smokey and flavorful. There were a lot of shrimp and they were cooked right. The sides: beans, rice, mole were very good as well. I liked the margaritas because they are made with real lime juice and not a lot of lousy mix. I would definitely go back.
People thought this was:
All right, not sure what to make of Jose's.
They are listed on http://eatnow.com, so one night when I was craving a burrito but didn't want to leave the home (and had no cash for Anna's), I ordered one.
I'm 100 % sure I ordered steak, but definitely ended up with some weird vegetable bean thing.
A few weeks ago, I was plagued with the same craving, so my roommate and I ordered delivery, part two. This time, I was super stoked because I was able to order off the kid's menu, which meant smaller portions and more variety.
We never received an email confirmation for the order, so my roommate called to ask what was up. The guy at the restaurant claimed they never deliver, and had no idea what being listed on http://eatnow.com meant.
Then, 30 minutes later, as we were frying up some tasty frozen peking ravioli, a delivery guy came to our door. He rang the bell, knocked on the door, called me twice, and then knocked on our window.
Seriously?
But, to the credit of Yelp (and possibly this restaurant), the owner did message me and explained that eatnow likely calls and poses as a customer....sort of like a foodler without any credibility. hrm. not sure if i believe it, but this would explain the delivery fiasco.
Too much drama. I'll make the trek out to La Paloma in Quincy the next time I crave Mexican food.
People thought this was:
Why is this place open while Maria Bonitas is closed?
I think this place relies on it's atmosphere and decor (lots of lights and kitschy Mexican stuff hanging all over the walls) to make up for it's incredibly sub par to abysmal food. The thing is, all the super WASPY Cantabridgians eat this kind of stuff up.
I came to Jose's with a friend of mine last summer, I don't remember what I ordered because it was so forgettable. What I do remember is that I don't think the mediocre quality of the meal matched the high price of the bill.
Then a few weeks ago I decided to give it a second shot. I went with my boyfriend and I believe it was a Monday or Tuesday night. It was dead inside except for one other table. We both ordered the Carne Asada, and our waiter was pleasant enough. About a half hour later we were served.
This was one of the first times I sent food back in years, and we both had to send our plates back. The steak was almost grey on the outside, and completely raw on the inside. I can maybe understand this I guess. I asked for it medium rare and with it being a very thin cut of steak it might be harder to judge how long to cook it. This wouldn't have been such a big deal except that the steak was ICE COLD. Not even like sitting out for hours at room temperature cold, like cold from a fridge cold. The rice and beans that went with it were also very cold.
Which made me think, did they just serve me microwaved food? The plate was the hottest thing they served me. Or maybe they happened to put it on a plate that was fresh out of the washer and was warm, but I doubt it. My boyfriend's plate was completely identical to mine.
So we sent them back and the waiter was apologetic. Less than 10 minutes later they brought out our new steaks that actually tasted like they were cooked to order. While the steaks were good (nothing to write home about) I happened to be sitting facing the kitchen and bar and every couple of minutes this guy that worked there would peak out from around the corner trying to be stealthy to look at us and probably gauge how we liked the new food. After about the fifth time it got really obnoxious.
The bill with two meals and two drinks came to almost $70. I'd never come back here to eat.
The one star would only be for the drinks which have at least been consistently tasty and strong. Still pricey though.
Service was good.... but things went downhill a bit after that....
We spent $80 on margaritas.... bloody potent
Salsa comes in three degree of spiceness.... "hot" means HOT
Appies OK.... ceviches was quite disappointing... chewy... Tex-Mex style... yuck
Tamales OK... kinda dry .... But I think burritos OK
I think the fajita was pretty awesome judging by the speed it was devoured....
Overall- food OK... booze kinda dear but not pretty decent... not watered down... Atmosphere OK decor pretty cool and funky.
Alright, this is serious business. I am from Colorado and you can get some of the best authentic Mexican food ever there. So, living in other states that are not minorly populated by Mexican culture is interesting for what I am used to. You can get some Puerto Rican food here in Boston that will knock you off your ass, but I am talking about good Mexican food. It's hard to find and I crave it!
This place IS as good as it gets here! We are talking fresh squeezed lime margaritas, freshly made guacamole, the carne asada with lime squeezed over the top is poetic and the tamales--perfect! Totally comparable to what you get in Colorado at the markets and a select few restaurants.
Almost all of the appetizers are delectable, I can say that because our party had almost all of them and two different pitchers of different types of margaritas, which were both fresh and lovely.
This is gourmet Mexican at it's best and I highly recommend this place.
If you don't like Jose's you don't like Mexican!
People thought this was:
Great service, solid menu. The food was a little bland the first time I came, but the meal I had the second time more than made up for it.
The salsa could stand to be a little spicier, however it's flavorful, and thick.
The chicken enchiladas with mole sauce... oh man. Those are the best I've had in a LONG, LONG time.
The service was great, and friendly. All in all, this place is a win, even if I have to have friends with me in order to buy a pitcher or margaritas...
People thought this was:
Great food and well hidden. Parking - Free - Plus its walkable from anyone living in North Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington.
The first time I went to Jose's, I was really impressed. I had some outstanding steak - it was flavorful, cooked perfectly, and served by some very friendly waitstaff.
The next few expeditions I made to Jose's, I kept expecting a repeat experience. Instead, I often found the food flavorless, or cold. I'm guessing that there are some dishes that are out of this world, and some that just don't work. At the prices they charged, however, I really wanted a much better dining experience.
Jose's is colorful, inside and out. The service was good, and the interior was a little bit dark, but it was nice overall. Speaking as a person who has grown up knowing only Taco Bell but has since been exposed to more, the menu seems to be on the more authentic side. One of the main reasons for coming was that sopapillas were on the menu, not something you can easily find in Boston. Unfortunately, it was good but not . . . well, I think I have to search elsewhere for the real sopapilla experience. Maybe a different state would be better. :-P
What I like about this place:
Free parking!
Three heat levels of salsa and free chips.
Being able to choose what you want in your meal without worrying about asking for substitutions.
Margaritas.
Reservations on Opentable (and yes, on some nights you will definitely need them).
Lots of vegetarian options (zucchini tacos = yum!).
What I don't like:
Weird set-up - choppy dining area.
Kind of gross bathroom.
Overall, as the four stars state "I'm a fan" and will definitely be back.
People thought this was:
So, I heard great things...authentic mexican, quaint atmosphere, free parking?!
Atmosphere:
Quaint and small, bright and colorful interior.
Food:
We had Queso Fundido with Chorizo which was very good. For entrees, Adobe Burrito and Chile Relleno. The Burrito had great flavor with a very smoky sauce. The Chile Relleno was good, but not quite what I imagined as traditional. Very little poblano pepper, floating in verde and roja sauce. Flavor was good, but just not as expected.
As I've seen in another review the chips were absolutely stale - quite surprising and the salsa was acceptable (the hot wasn't spicy at all).
Service:
The service was prompt and courteous with pleasant servers.
Overall:
A bit disappointed based on hype, but overall a decent dining experience.
People thought this was:
No Way Jose.
(To sum it up: all three of us who are normally patient and polite eaters could not finish our dishes and just had to go. They comped the entire meal hence the one star but MY GOD...)
People thought this was:
I don't know what I'm more wary of... a place called "Chet's Mexican Restaurant" or "Pedro's Burrito Hut"...a place named "Jose's Mexican Restaurant" falls somewhere between old world and nuskool tourist trap setup next to a getyournameonagrainofrice shop and where the word "Authentic" is tossed around more than Jeffrey H's innards and most surely mispelled.
With curiosities running wild, a grumbly stomach, and a couple dozen strong reviews under its belt, we thought the eatery would be worth a visit on a dreary Sunday after a night of roasting babies on an open fire and prior to baby lochness monster DVDs Anecdotes and esoterism aside, we found prime parking outside of the restaurant whose location will definitely make you say "I don't think I've been to this part of town before." Not in a pop n'glock kind of way..but there is just....nothing around....a tumble weed baseball field....a few houses...and here is this bright purple and orange building out in the open like a kid in a flashy hunting vest who is still shot by a father who mistakes him for a turkey.
Yelp sticker on the door...placards on the wall...Todd English handshake photo from the signing of the Treaty of Versailles..all good signs. We were seated in a booth near the door between two other booths which I thought would be toocloseforcomfort, but ended up giving us enough space from the business padres comparing flashy webdesigns and the yaya sisterhood drowning their singlesorrows in buckets of margaritas.
The menu was more comprehensive than the dine-n-dash Mexican I have grown accustomed to, and featured a wide selection of appetizers, salads, entrees, casual fare, and an endearing section entitled "From my Mother's Kitchen." I won't doc ya, but the waitress we had was pretty awful. So if Shock from Nightmare Before Christmas is your server:
http://www.treasurekin...
Ask to be resat.
I guess I should briefly explain.. Every order with her seemed like it was positively agonizing, and that we were somehow bothering her. When it was pointed out that our drink glass was chipped, she huffingly returned it to the bar to fix. Never trust a creature conjured up in the nightmares of Tim Burton.
The chips and salsa had been lauded, and while skeptical of such a staple being really noteworthy, these were! Crisp corn tortillas with a burnyomouf salsa for him/poosie version made with angels and dewdrops for me. The basket was gone before I had reached the Casual Fare section and decided to order a strawberry margarita with a Super chicken burrito with pinto beans, rice, guac, and sourcream.
The decor was pleasantly random, from the neon mountain range to the stretched leather tambourine with beaded feathers and painted deer. The lighting was low and red which made for a more intimate dining situation even midday. There was additional seating upstairs and in an adjacent room, yet the space was partitioned off enough to make it feel like our own little hole-in-the-wall spot.
My burrito came out plated with a side of beans and rice and the always ambiguous orange slice. I guess I shouldn't use my hands? I took a fork to the shredded meal, and thought it was "good enough" which seems to echo most of the other "this place is good...BUT" (3.87 stars) reviews. What I could have gone for? Maybe I'm spoiled, but I would have liked the inside to be a gloppy disasterzone of its contents, and this particular mound was a bit dry.
Nothing another sip of my strong margarita and fried icecream couldn't cure. The dessert came out on a crispy bed of fried goodness and was covered in cornflakes and chocolate syrup. Did I really expect the dessert to be BAD? How could deep fried anything and products touted by Tony the Tiger's bulging masculine/sensual/biceps be anything short of Heaven. Capital H.
lowercase eaven.
People thought this was:
Before I reveal a detailed opinion about Jose's, allow me to say that I do not take the search for decent Mexican food in Boston lightly. In my experience, the Mexican food in Boston has been just downright disappointing. I don't even care how authentic it is, I just want it to be GOOD. So that being said...
I'm surprised to read all the negative reviews about Jose's, because it was the first Mexi meal I've had in Boston that didn't end with a sad little frown, and a snotty anecdote about my days in Arizona and New York City. The waitress was pleasant, the chips and salsas were fresh, and the food was really pretty good. Unlike many other Mexican establishments in Beantown, the chicken they used was all white meat. It wasn't dirt cheap, but it didn't come close breaking the bank either. They even have a parking area, which is always a bonus.
Two criticisms- the place is in no-man's land, and a nearly impossible venture for non-drivers. Secondly, the pitcher of margaritas, was a little salty, and needlessly tart. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
OK, so Jose's isn't the end of my search for good Mexican in Boston. But at least now when I get a serious Mexi craving, I have somewhere pretty tasty to go.
People thought this was:
First off - i love mexican food. I'm not super picky about how authentic it is because honestly - i have no idea how authentic it is, it all tastes good to me.
We ordered take-out from this place so this is strictly based on the food and not the rest of the restaurant:
Pros:
DELICIOUS burrito - i ordered the super burrito. It was the perfect size, not too HUGE but also enough that I didn't want a second one after i finished it. They had guac and rice in the burrito as well which is great! Love guacamole!
The chicken on the burrito was really good quality also - not like the wierd bits and pieces that sometimes you get in a burrito where you're not really sure if it's chicken or what.
Cons:
$32 for two burritos and a cup a chili - seems a little pricey for me.
No extra salsa on the side.
Summary:
Great food but a little overpriced.
People thought this was:
This would be a solid five stars if it weren't for the location. I like the spot, just can't get there easily without a car :-/
The decor is glorious. Hideous colors, sombrero shaped pottery, cacti, a menorah...? I don't get that part but whatev, loved it. Since it was Saturday the place was jumping and it was really hot in the dining room. Hopefully they clear that up before summer really kicks in. Otherwise I can picture it being miserable in there. I would still go.
We ordered a pitcher of the authentico margaritas to share. $40. Ouch. Each of us said, "meh, this is weak". Each of us left toasty. It was a sneak attack, but a welcome one. They use fresh lime juice as made evident by the huge chunks of pulp that clogged up the straws. Split between four the pitcher was very much worth it.
Salsa was tasty, though the hot was more mild and the mild was forgettable at best. I still wish we had ordered the guacamole en molcajeta (stone mortar and pestle). Next time.
I ordered the spinach and cheese enchiladas con molé. The molé was damn near perfection. The spinach inside was a little much. Next time I'll do a more standard enchilada and 86 the spinach. The accompanying rice and beans were delicious and 100% vegetarian. Hoorah! Service was excellent. Not all up in your face but the water didn't run dry. Also, our server spoke to me in Spanish and allowed me to reply in Spanglish. That works for me.
This place is worth every penny and the trouble in getting out there. It may be best that I can't eat there every day. Surely my waist will be the better for it.
People thought this was:
I am an out of towner who was brought here for dinner. The food was great and IMHO as authentic as you'll get in the states. A very cozy feel and decent service. If you want Mexican, I'd say give it a shot!
Overall, this place is okay if price isn't an issue...has a rustic decor and a very colorful building making it easy to find. Convenient parking lot right next to the restaurant. Their corn chips and salsa are homemade and very good. Service tends to be a bit on the slow side.
I've been here 3 times, 2 of which (66%) were experiences where a foreign object was found in the food. First time was a blue rubber band in the salsa, apparently left behind from a bundle of cilantro. As gross as this was, it was sorta funny to see a chip pick up a rubber band on one of its corners. The 2nd time was a piece of tin foil which I chewed on for a bit...chewing tin foil is...well....weird and unpleasant.
The prices are too high even for their lunch "specials," and on top of that they charge (this is not a typo) $1.95 for EACH side of sour cream and guacamole. WTF?!? No, you don't get a a jar or squeeze bottle, just a lil cup of sour cream. I was at a table with 4 people, and were charged an extra $10 for 4 sides of sour cream and 1 of guac. What a ripoff. I understand the price of corn has risen and they probably need to recoup that, but raping your customers is not the way to go about it.
W.............T................F..............J... ........O............S............E.........?
I wouldn't recommend this place, the food is alright, but not nearly worth the costs. I find much better value at Boca Grande. I do like the charm of the place, but they've lost my business. I'm not a cheapskate by any means, my money flows like water; this is all about principle. Such a shame because it's over f-in sour cream....something which should be STANDARD with MEXICAN food.
People thought this was:
Eh. It wasn't $80 good, that I can tell you.
I tend to use the quesadilla as a baseline test for Mex or Tex-Mex places. If I don't like it, chances are I may not like the rest of the offerings. That said, we also had the Queso Fundito and the Chimichanga. To put it politely, all of the flavors were a bit... delicate. Seriously, since when is this genre of food allowed to be unsavory and not has a flavr? Even the salsa was guilty; all bite, no flavor!
The margaritas were at least good but don't let their claim of "Large" fool you. This is just their way of getting you to pay extra for a drink that's the same size or smaller than most other restaurants or bars instead of something presumably even smaller. So, if you go, just go ahead and get a pitcher (gotta love how they serve pitchers of Margarita, have free Parking and are located around the corner from a School).
The 'authentic' Mariachi who told us all he was actually from "The Future Republic of Puerto Rico" made me LOL at least.
People thought this was:
Great menu with lots of vegetarian options, good food and decent margaritas. The spicy salsa, actually spicy!
I'd go there again for a dinner-and-drinks affair on a night when I just don't want to deal with driving and finding parking on a popular/snowy night in the city -- free hassle-free car park!
Best Mexican I've had in the Greater Boston area!....which, isn't saying much. I am tempted to give Jose's 4 stars simply because all other Mexican I've had in Boston has sucked so much more. However, it's still pretty middle-of-the-road when you compare it to what's available in AZ, CA, NV, NM, CO, TX, and probably most states west of the Mississippi.
Chips were clearly homemade, and the waitress was kind enough to ask how hot we wanted our salsa. Our table's 2 "hot!" requests were slightly muffled by 6 other "mild!" replies...we settled on a bowl of each. The hot was delicious, with loads of fresh cilantro and peppers; the mild tasted, predictably, like nothing. Be brave and go for some spice here!
Chicken fajitas provided a very generous amount of food for a very low ($7.95 maybe?) price. While the chicken and veggies weren't bad, they needed more spice. Decent guacamole, but the tortillas and rice left something to be desired. Actually, the rice was an Americanized pilaf with those little frozen peas and carrots; not Mexican in any way, which was strange. Mexican rice isn't even hard to make! Oh well...
Very slow service...but this only makes this joint even more "authentic Mexican", so I'm not going to complain. I'd definitely come back.
People thought this was:
No, no, no. I'll get right to it. Made a reservation online, showed up 10 minutes early, waited 25 for a table, ended up at the worst table ever smack in the middle of the room. We were surrounded by large tables of really loud guests; keep in mind there was two of us. The waitress totally screwed up our order, tried to fix it and screwed up again. To top off all the nonsense that we had already gone through, it was someone's birthday at a table next to us so they shut off all the lights...leaving the whole place in total darkness...and started singing and clapping triggering all the other loud tables to sing and scream. Just when I thought I would snap, someone said that the birthday girl was in the bathroom...they then proceeded to do it ALL OVER AGAIN. I was ready to freak. I love a good time, but not in a small confined place, with a ton of loud strangers during a quick week night bit to eat.
Also, I could have picked up the same meal at Taco Bell for half the price.
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Jose's food is pretty darn good... but we always seem to have some sort of problem when we go there... from an elastic band in the salsa to paying $2 for each side of sour cream. These are the small annoyances that add up and make people kind of hem and haw about going to Jose's.
I like their quesadillas and enchiladas a lot. Their menu could do with a bit more explanation (ie, I don't know what flautas are and felt stupid asking). But overall they've got some good, authentic Mexican food. A damn sight better than Anna's (which I don't really like) or Qdoba.
I give it three stars, because overall the food is better than the petty annoyances. If you are going here for lunch, and you're on the clock, better be prepared to be late coming back. The service is ALWAYS very very slow. VERY. SLOW. One time we were sitting in the back room and I really don't think the waitress came over more than twice. I ended up going up to the window to get my own food because it was sitting there for 10 minutes. Oh well. If you've got time, and a craving for Mexican, I would recommend visiting Jose's. Just ask how much they're going to charge you for extras, otherwise you'll get quite the surprise when the bill comes.
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I went here with 15 people and we had our own room upstairs. I was impressed with the service we got from Jose's..if it was just on the service..I'd definitely give it all 5 stars! But, the food was just mediocre. I wasn't that impressed. The margaritas were not really that good..I"m not sure, why all the good marks on them. The Chips and salsa were very good. I had a chimichunga and a chicken taco that was super dry. I was very disappointed by the food. I was so excited about this place and was really looking forward on eating here. Mexican is my favorite food! I LOVE spicy food. This place really wasn't that spicy at all..It was very bland.. I will have to try it again. Maybe there were too many of of us or something. Definitely, the waitstaff was amazing....that's why the three stars!!! They were extremely sweet to all my guests!
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Ya'll, this place is spectacular.
The best tamales this side of the Mississippi. I've looked. They come all kinds of ways, with all kinds of sauces. In general this place seems very abiding to mix-in-match combos. Veggie doesn't seem to be a problem. Want a different sauce - here's three to choose from. Go nuts.
Excellent table salsa. Excellent guacamole. Maybe I've been eating Anna's too often, but this place just turns everything it touches into gold.
I only give them four stars because they're a little pricey. Or I just get expensive things. But if I'm going to put down $8 for a small margarita, it better be damn good. Incredibly, Jose's are. But seriously, a $40 pitcher better make me see God. The lunch menu seems pretty reasonable.
Go. Vamonos.
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start off with the chicken tinga sopes. i love that they put refried beans, lettuce & crema on them.
the chicken is flavorful and delicious.
the margaritas & sangrias are also tasty.
i usually get the chimichanga there.
though, once they screwed up my order.
the only time i actually placed my order in spanish. go figure.
(oh, and i'm fluent in spanish, so i know i was ordering properly!)
the carne asada is very flavorful.
i do love this place.
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I believe I found myself a gem. Mmmmm-mmm-margaritas! (Or tequila shots, if that suits your fancy.)
Personally, I'd give it four stars because the prices weren't incredible (about $14 for an entree) and my boyfriend's chicken was a bit bland. But the place DESERVES at least 4 starts and I'm really surprised that the reviews aren't more amazing, so I added one to bump up the average.
If you like Mexican food, or you think you could you should at least give this place a shot. I came here at nearly 9 pm on a Monday and, while it wasn't "bumping," it was still lively. The patio looked a little deserted, so we opted to sit inside.
Um, can you say cozy?
Bright colors, from the multi-colored walls to the red lights dangling over the big booths and the white lights strung along the bar.
Complimentary chips an salsa at the table and the service wasn't overly-eager. My meal was awesome. I don't remember what it was called but it was some kind of combination-vegetarian dish. 3 samples of different entrees and they were all yummy.
And, while I may not be the authority on authentic Mexican food and culture, in my opinion in FELT authentic. Except that they cater to vegetarians, which is just nice.
I'd say it's a good place for dates or a small group of friends.
This place was such a disappointment! I'd heard from several people that this was THE place to go for Mexican food in the Boston area. But while the decor was festive, the food was totally bland. The chicken was overcooked, the sauces were one-dimensional, and the tamarind margaritas were sticky sweet and overpriced.
The search continues for Mexican food in Boston that satisfies a native Californian's palate.
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Have only had take out but love it love it love it. As a veg-head it's really hard to find Mexican style food that's not in some way tainted by animal products. But at Jose's you can get beans that are free of lard and rice that's just cooked as it is. Soo spiffy.
Great comfort food, big portions, tasty salsa. Another great option for a cheap cheap lunch.
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God this place is adorable!
Tucked away in North cambridge in a totally non-commercial neighborhood, this place is an off-the-beaten-path gem. The decor is lively, colorful and fun. The food is top-notch. And drinks are yummy and strong!
Definitely the best Mexican food I've had in the Cambridge/ Somerville area, hands down.
Note: For a treat, order the 'camarones al mojo de ajo' (shrimp in a garlic, white wine, and tomatillo sauce). The portion is huge, and it's clean-your-plate delicious.
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Neighborhood: Inman Square
Category: Mexican
Cambridge, MA
Category: Sushi Bars
Somerville, MA
Category: Mexican
Boston, MA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Mexican
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