Taqueria San Jose
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
37 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"YOU GOT TO TRY THE ACALPULCO BURRITO! Grilled prawns, bell peppers, onions, with crab spread. Honestly the best burrito I have ever had! I…" read more »
77 Reviews for Taqueria San Jose
One of the few place where the meat is cooked with the onions. For some reason I am absolutely addicted to the super wet burritos in carnitas or al pastore. The small tacos and ceviche are also killer.
This place is pretty god damn cool. I really like all of the guys who works there. One of them always gives me shit about using my credit card, but whatever. It doesn't stop me.
Great, Greasy, and CHEAP food. The place kind of looks like a dump, but I can assure you it's a pretty well kept establishment. Check it out for some great eats with infinite and tasty chips / salsa bar.
Good place to go to if your drunk, but they're not open too late ( 10pm ) so you might want to stop there early in the night. Not that there's a night life here in San Rafael... haha
While trying to find the friggin' SAAB dealership in San Rafael, I found this place by accident. It was super busy and had a bit of charm to it. Oh yeah, and San Rafael has gone to paid-parking on Sundays too and this place had free parking... So it was a no-brainer.
Honestly, it's really not all that different from most taquerias.. Considering it's in Marin County, fairly inexpensive makes it a bit unique.
But I really liked the atmosphere. Families, singles, whites, latinos and all were represented. It was really cool.
I think I have a place to go in San Rafael now!
Hands down my favorite Mexican food place. If you like authentic taquerias, this is the place to go. The atmosphere consists of beer and soccer advertisements, an almost constant stream of Mexican mariachi type music playing relatively loudly in the background, a juke box in the back, tile floors and you can never go wrong with an open chip and salsa bar. The food is almost as cheap as you can get, but don't let that fool you- it tastes incredible. The shredded chicken is moist and flavorful, the rice is always perfect- never dry or bland, and the salsas and guacamole are great. The food comes out quickly and the portions are generous. The staff is entirely hispanic and you can order in English or Spanish; they are very friendly and eager to please. I have never heard of anyone who has eaten here and didn't fall in love with the food.
The veggie burrito was fantastic. It was so big, I had to take half home. They have endless chips and salsa bar..delicious! Being under the freeway, I was scared of creepy crawlies and dirtiness.I'm glad to say, the place was pretty clean!
cheap and tasty. yum.
I miss my city burritos, but this is a very close second to my fav El Farolito. Huge burritos for cheap with super yummy stewed chicken!! I don't know what spices they use, but ----- yum.
Best super carnitas burrito you'll ever get, anywhere. Bar none. I feel like I'm a connoisseur of fine burritos. Maybe it was growing up in SoCal in a largely Hispanic area, knowing where the day laborers ate, and having to order in Spanish, that I developed a taste for the Mission-style burrito (and no, I don't fail to see the irony -- I'm just sayin!). So when I moved up here and found this little no-frills, no-gimmick, no-BS gem several years ago, I felt in heaven and felt at home. A quick look at the crowd that goes to, say, Sonoma Taco Shop, Taqueria Maria up the street, or Hi-Tech Burrito vs. the fine folks at San Jose ought to be enough to convince you that this is the place to be if you want it done right. I want to eat here every day.
The service is astoundingly fast, even when the line is all the way out the door -- which is often (and when it's not, it can happen at any moment).
The portions are huge, and greasy, and heavy, and wonderful. A super burrito's the size of a football -- for under $5. And this place isn't for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. If it's your first time, skip the Tapatio -- your body needs to adjust to this kind of excellence in stages. (I'm not kidding here.)
In fact, this place is so damned good that when I visit family in the South Bay, I load up burritos into a thermal bag and escort them south for all to enjoy, because you simply cannot get a better burrito in Marin or anywhere else. When I think about moving out of San Rafael, one of my first thoughts goes to the fact that I'll no longer be in walking distance of San Jose, and I decide I'm not ready to go just yet. No frickin' lie.
Now I need a super carnitas, STAT.
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San Jose would be bomb if they ever got my order right... Unfortunately they never have, and I've been going there for six years. Still, it has to be good if they don't get my order right and I keep going back. Definitely Top 2 in Marin for burritos. I like Lucinda's in Mill Valley better though.
Only legit taqueria in Marin county - if there is one better please notify. Killer burritos, great salsas and chips at the over used yet free salsa/chip bar and of course it has carrot juice. Any taq that I've set foot in with a juicer front and center has been a keeper. Rat hole location - under the freeway - and the umpa umpa tejano music coming out of the kitchen makes it all the better in my book. Don't bring a first date here unless you really want to throw some serious taqueria game. This place keeps up with taq Cancun on Mission St.
As far as taquerias in Marin go, this is one of the best. It takes them a while to get the food out- they don't really have the assembly line system like the SF joints, but the food is worth the wait. Burros are huge, meats are nice 'n greasy, and no bullshit "spinach and whole wheat tortillas available" sign, which always bugs me. Want a spinach tortilla? Go to World Wrapps, hippie.
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The best part of my dining experience? Watching a little Mexican boy take a huge gulp of the man's drink while he was at the chip bar.
LOL!
Good, huge burritos too.
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As I am finishing the second half of yesterdays super burrito from this wonderful little gem located under a freeway I think I am in heaven
a place where burritos are so good they kick ass even on the second day HIGHLY RECCOMEND!!!!
This place is OK. If you have no taste buds, OMFG I thought I was gonna pop after eating here 2 days in a row....
Day 1..Driving down Forth I spot a Taqueria, I smell Carnitas my mouth starts to water, I have to stop. I order a super burrito and proceed to devourer en mass.
Day 2 ..Driving down Forth I spot a Taqueria, I smell Pescado my mouth starts to water, I have to stop. I order Fried Talapia and proceed to devourer en mass.
The long and short is you don't have to spend a fortune for GREAT food and this place proves that, where else can you go and spend 5 bucks and walk/roll away full.
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I don't get why people like this place. It's a lot of food for cheap. That's a plus. I guess.
It's grease city. Probably good for a between-bars pit stop on a bar-crawl night. Otherwise, check out just about any other tacqueria.
Parking is sometimes a pain but having sampled some of the other Mex in Marin - this is the place.
The salsa rocks, the chips are good, but you'll get full here and walk out with some cash left in your wallet too.
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Decent for a cheap meal but a couple of years ago I stopped going. I once saw a dead fly in the drink machine. But that can happen I suppose.
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Great cheap food and lots of it.
Weird funky ambience, but that's part of the fun.
Very loud jukebox.
Be aware that the salsa is sometimes VERY hot. Went there with a friend and warned him not to eat so much of the salsa, but he ignored me and had severe intestinal distress, as in, "Oh my God, where's the bathroom!!!??"
Excellent value and food, though I thought the chile rellenos were kind of tiny.
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Having lived in Mexico for a few years, the 2 most authentic tasting Taquerias I have found in Marin are Taqueria Mi Familia http://www.yelp.com/bi... and Taqueria San Jose.
It's always a testament to the quality of the ethnic food when most of the patrons of the restaurant are of that ethnicity. When you go on Sundays, you see many of the local Mexicans dressed in their Sunday best.
Almost every other Mexican place in Marin doesn't have Mexicans eating inside the dining room. If they are there, they're all working in the kitchen and a lot of the recipes have been altered for Gringo tastes.
While, I like the atmosphere of Taqueria San Jose best (especially the juke box), parking is a bit of a pain and there can be long lines on the weekends. Thus, when I'm short for time, I usually prefer to go to Taqueria Mi Familia.
Since a lot of the weekend patrons are guys that have worked hard all week, sometimes the beer tends to really flow and I've seen a couple of tables get a bit rowdy during the day time.
Back in 2003, things got out of hand one night and there was a stabbing (see excerpt of Marin IJ article below). Fortunately, I haven't heard of any incident since then.
The food is really authentic. We really like the Al Pastor and Carnitas.
If you're longing for the authentic tastes and atmosphere of Mexico, I highly recommend Taqueria San Jose.
Excerpt from Marin IJ
San Rafael cops seek help to solve stabbing
Author: Gary Klien, IJ reporter
Date: October 21, 2003
Publication: Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA)
San Rafael police are seeking the public's assistance in identifying a suspect in the stabbing of a 24-year-old man last week. The incident was reported at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, when witnesses told police there was a bloody man walking on Second Street. Police found the man near Second Street and Lincoln Avenue with severe stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.
Police retraced the trail of blood to the parking lot behind Taqueria San Jose at 615 Fourth St., which is under Highway
i am vegetarian so really hard to satisfy with mexican food full of meat !! BUT the veggie one i had was sooooooo good ! and that a cheap place... We oftenly went and had lunch there !!
The only thing is : can be so crowded, a pain in a arse to park in da teeny tiny parking lot (better park downtown ; will lose calories walking after that lunch !)
as a first mexican food experience... nothing compares !!
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This place has an excellent salsa bar with unlimited chips!! I had to take off a star for a mediocre super burrito, very little guac and dried out carne asada. But I will definitely go back and try other things.
stinky tofu
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"And on the seventh day He rested. And was a bit hungry, so went to Taqueria San Jose for a quick burrito. 'Cause being God, he wanted something filling. And after making the world and stuff, he was broke, so needed someplace cheap."
The food is phenominal - this is my favourite taqueria (so far) in the Bay Area, with the super pastor (sounds like a clergyman in a cape) burrito, san crema, y poco arroz (hearing an Irishman speaking Spanish is rather funny) being my personal fave. A burrito that tips the scales at well over a pound, and yet costing a mere $4.95. And yep - all you can eat chips and salsa (don't fill up on it though, because as I said, the burrito you just ordered is the size of a large chihuahua) and tasty sides to boot.
But as one or two fellow Yelpers have pointed out, you come for the food, but you don't stay for the ambiance. One time I was there with the wifey, we overheard two guys talking about shooting someone over in the Canal area. In general it's not the cleanest spot in the world, and parking can be a nightmare. (Avoid their own lot, and just park a block or two away - you'll be glad of the walk after you've downed a billion calories)
So the verdict - great place to come for lunch, but I wouldn't bring a date if I was trying to impress her.
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So I wrote this long review yesterday after eating at Taqueria San Jose to declare my love for it. Unfortunately it somehow got deleted (A.K.A. Rita accidentally clicked one of her bookmarks when trying to type in the Google search box). Anyway, I was a little sad and pissed at the same time. Instead of rewriting a replica of that review, I opted to leave work and smoke in my car... It seemed to solve everything at the time... But upon waking up this morning, I felt the intense desire to publicly express my love for Taqueria San Jose.
So here I am, sitting in my boyfriend's bed, eating M&M's, and watching Food Network... Ready to pour my heart and soul out to Yelp and tell you all about my burning love for Taqueria San Jose's tacos dorados... Yes, I know, I impress you all with how cool I seem.
Now you see, I'm quite picky about Mexican food (as I am with Chinese foods), so when my boss called me up to see if I wanted to meet up him at "the taqueria in downtown San Rafael", I was a little weary. It's not like I don't like Mexican food... I actually love it! But I don't crave burritos like most people in the bay area do. And when I am in the mood for Mexican food, I usually want more of an entree type meal, like enchiladas, chile rellenos, chicken mole... You get the picture.
Wel, as I walk in, I notice that there's an array of Mexican food, ranging from tortas to seafood soup. It was a beautiful site to see! So I get to the menu, quickly browse it, quickly realize that the menu is amazing, and then quickly order!
I ended up getting the tacos dorados, which was 5 mediums sized crispy tacos with beef, pico de gallo, lettuce, beef, and sauce. It was completely amazing in every way possible. Unfortunately I was only able to eat 3 out of the 5, but I was still completely flabbergasted!
And before I got my food, I was able to serve myself all the chips and salsa I could ever want... The salsa bar was pretty damn awesome, though it could have been spicier!
All in all, I had a great experience at this taqueria... It came to about $9 for my tacos + a bottle of coke... Not too bad for being in Marin!
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I like you Taqueria San Jose (even though you forgot to put guacamole in my super burrito). Your green salsa is delicious and not murderous to my tongue (ahem Cancun). I like that you offer salsa and chips unlike the other taquerias I have visited in Marin. Your chicken was flavorful and over all your burrito is the best I have had outside of Cancun. If you would just put avocado in my burrito instead of your mediocre guacamole (they gave it to me on the side) it would be very tough for me to choose favorites. Let's see if maybe next time you will hook me up.
Hugs and Kisses
Oh! It's cheap but you would never taste it.
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This place is rad. It's a taqueria under the 101 freeway overpass in San Rafael! The veggie burritos are yum-my! The chips are serve yourself and all you can eat. Veggies and meat-eaters alike will be happy here. Mexican beers available. There's a great jukebox with all mexican music. Plenty of parking next door. Great place!
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I stopped by for lunch and parking around here was extremely difficult- I parked at Citibank down the street and had to pray not to get towed!
The line was not too bad so I was secretly thinking to myself that I lucked out. Turns out there was an army of people standing behind me- who had already ordered but were also waiting! It took about 15 minutes...meanwhile, I am watching these guys in amazement. JEEZ...they crank out a LOT of burritos. Let me just emphasize A LOT! The guy cooking up the meat was using a shovel...a SHOVEL!
It only costs $3.95 for a burrito the size of my arm. (And yes...I am a biiiiiiiig girl!) $4.95 for their super burrito. They have tacos and fajitas, everything on the menu is under 6-7 bucks.
Was it tasty? Yes! Was it worth it? Yes! (But not if I would've gotten towed by Citibank!)
Why TSJ hasn't gotten 5 **** is beyond me. This is the only taqueria that I would literally die for. No joke the words coming out of my mouth are for real. I've been going to this joint since 1993 with my BF and her mom. I couldn't believe how good it was and that's what makes me fall in love with this place. Consistency I doesn't change it always remains as good as it was back in cross colors, boys 2 men 93' Believe it.
Get the steak burrito, or bbq pork some call it al pastor. You won't regret it. OOO... And stay as far away from Taqueria Maria as possible. I can't stand that place. Ugh!
The best salsa I've had since moving to the Bay!! This is how a taqueria should function. They have the salsa bar, the chips, the big burritos, yeeeeaaaaaaah. Nowhere else seems to understand the importance of salsa. The fact that San Jose has it deliciously prepared, readily available, and abundantly so, steals my heart, and fills my belly with happiness. Their burritos were decent, almost Cancun, but not quite. The guacamole was not so hot. I'll come back to try again, because maybe it was just an off night, and of course, their salsa bar owns my heart.
***UPDATE 9/07/07
They ran out of chicken!! How do you run out of chicken?! So, I tried their veggie super, which, may I add, doesn't really have veggies in it! Argh. 3.5ish for the lame burrito.
Delicious mexican food. i usually get a torta (sandwich). shrimp quesadillas are also delicious (even though im allergic to shrimp). the interior is pretty nice but parking is kinda difficult. but there is some street parking available.
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burrito is called a mexican sleeping pill for a reason. the burritos here will send you to bed. so filling. i perfer the chicken - sooooooooo juicey and wonderful. on the hot side. the staff is great. music is cool. one of my fave burritos in town for sure.
Great Burritos, and they are HUGE. Good cheap true Mexican food. I highly recommend the Carne Asada Super Burrito, ummm...making me drool just thinking about it.
The only downside is parking. Just street or a tiny parking lot (like 5 spaces) and next to that one is a tempting parking lot but what out they ticket even if your there for a second.
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I had my reservations when I walked into this place. It looks like a little Mexican cafeteria! But oh my goodness - the FOOD, at these PRICES!
Two words - quesadilla, and ceviche. Their ceviches are light, yet perfectly juicy and flavored, sitting on a round, sturdy, crispy taco shell. It's an amazing combination of moist, tangy fish, and hard taco. AND you get a healthy serving of it for a whopping $2.50!!
The quesadilla makes me melt. Oh the stringy Monterey Jack! It's the BEST quesadilla I've ever had.
I've been going to this place once a week for three weeks in a row now. If I lived closer to it I'd eat there everyday - and I'm not even a fan of Mexican fare!
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This is a really good spot. I avoided it for a long time..I grew up nearby and believed it was beneath me.
What I love about this place is that they're old school. They're OG players in the Burrito game.
1. How do I know? Their prices are a good 25% less than anyone else in San Rafael (someone negotiated a good long term lease.)
2. Check out their salsa area. These guys have their shit together. Their little salsa dishes are twice as big as any other joint's and they have these ladles that pour, thus not making a mess of the whole place.
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I must have come on the wrong day. After many months of passing by this place and reading glowing reviews, I finally stopped by for lunch today. Bad move! Ordered the burrito al pastor with guacamole, but ended up with someone else's super burrito, which I did not want, but the guy behind the counter said "it will be fine." Not so much. Actually, it wasn't fine at all. The meat was okay, but the rest of it was a flavorless mish-mash of cheesy-gooey-questionable guacamole mess.
Liked the fresh chips, but not the attitude. Actually, I would like what I ordered. Thanks.
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I have been eating at least once a week at Taqueria San Jose for almost four years now. I've tried a lot of their menu items, but my favorite is the shrimp super burrito. They are NOT KIDDING when they say super burrito because seriously folks.....even with my voracious appetite these guys manage to be like three meals for me. The tacos are delicious too. Granted, this is a quickie restaurant so the tables may not always be clean but the staff is very friendly and the prices simply cannot be beat!
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The most PERFECT nachos ever. (That is if you are a plebeian like me and prefer your cheese in liquid form.) The fresh-Mex craze of the early 90s really fucked up the availability of fake cheese nachos. When I find an establishment that serves them, I make an effort to give them my money and love.
For $4 dollars you get a HUGE portion of nachos with tons of beans, guacamole, sour cream, and jalapenos.
When my future husband proposes to me, I want him to stick my ring in a styrofoam container of San Jose nachos. I will then lick the liquid cheese off the ring and cry tears of joy.
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the shrimp super burritos was juicy, tasty and had lots of shrimp. unlimited salsa and chips available. funky decor. mostly local and ethnic clientele.
parking is a problem. under the 101 freeway.
Soo inexpensive and soo good. The Taqueria San Jose is always a popular place if you've got an appetite. The portions are gigantic!
The truth about this joint is hard to convey in one single review...I live way too close and have eaten here too many times to count so I speak from EXPERIENCE! The deal is this is the best convergence of low price and centrally located (authentic) Mexican grub in San Rafael. Really good Chips&Salsa (I am a fiend for good C&S), cheap burritos, and awesome horchata...truly the best meal under $5 in town(if you can find another one! hah!). Only complaint is that they buy cheap cuts of meat, have gotten gristly steak a few times, and I would THINK TWICE if I were vegetarian because EVERYTHING is cooked on one grill! The environment is nothing special....their digital jukebox bumps mexi-jams all day and the room is basically a cafeteria, but "San Jose" delivers what you came for....no mas hambre(fills you up right)! nuf said.
Cheap, fast, tasty.
Great salsa bar and fresh juice top off your 4$ meal well. I love this place, the line can be a bit long during meal times and on the weekends, but the wait is well worth it.
Authentic Mexican food. Under the freeway in San Rafael next to the bus depot. Been there for ages! Highly recommend the Cow Tongue.
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