Don Jose Mexican Restaurant East Hanover NJ — Restaurant in East Hanover

If I could give this establishment zero stars, I would, and it’s unfortunate because I’ve frequented this restaurant many times over the years; my family had a party there as well. The food is always fresh and good.

Tonight, while I was dining in, a few waiters came to me to check on me in which I noticed that other people were not being checked on as frequently as I was. The last waiter checked on me again for what felt like the 10th time then came back 2 minutes later and asked was I still working on my meal or did I need a box? My plate was still full, so I don’t know why he would come to my table and ask me that. The restaurant was not busy, so I didn’t understand the sense of urgency.

I felt like I was essentially being rushed and unwelcome considering how tonight there appeared to be a lack of diversity in their customers, and they were not hovering around or rushing their other customers, just me. When I spoke to the manager, he acknowledged that it is bad practice to keep checking on customers that frequently but continued by stating, “That is their flow”. He seemed very cavalier/dismissive about my feelings centered around being rushed and my observation of them not treating anyone else the way I was being treated; he ended our conversation by stating that, “ Maybe, it’s just bad luck”. His statement felt very insensitive, and the overall experience felt racially charged.

This place is family owned, so that could account for the lack of accountability and just overall comfortability with addressing customers’ poor experiences in this manner.

Lastly, when it was time to pay, I had to go to the register. Since they were checking on me so much, I find it strange that they didn’t even offer to bring my check when they could see that I was finally done....

Wonderful experience! My husband and I visited Don Jose on a busy Saturday night for dinner. The wait was only about 10 minutes before they had a table available for us. Immediately upon sitting and settling in, chips and salsa were brought to the table (a nice touch of course). Alejandro was our server for the evening and gave helpful suggestions of which appetizers we might enjoy. We ended up with the “the works” tortillas chips and they were amazing. Although the chips were topped with melted cheese and refried beans, they were not soggy like some other eateries that serve similar dishes. The chips still had a nice crunch to them and the toppings made them that much tastier. My husband ordered the “steak Mexico” and I ordered the “carne asada.” Both were phenomenal! The onions on his steak were caramalized to perfection and the steak was juicy and tender. My carne asada was cooked to my liking and I was shocked at the generous amount of food on my plate! There was live music present with a guitar player that would sing table to table adding to the authentic Mexican atmosphere. The ambience of the restaurant was comfortable and colorful representing the rich culture of Mexico. Overall, we very much enjoyed our experience and definitely will be returning soon! Thank you Alejandro for all of your helpful suggestions and thank you Don Jose for a wonderful and...

Please avoid to go to this place. It isn't that they do not serve the good food but these people are cheater. Food was ok, Service at place was good, Food is not expensive not cheap. So here is what happened: I went with my colleagues for lunch. I paid my bill and there was no tip space in the receipt. (I was using company card). I was surprised that there was no tip even as the counter so I thought maybe they are not taking tips (That's highly unusual). After couple of days, I see about $15 extra charge on my credit card so I called them to make myself clear. First lady on phone told me she is refund me. I waited for one more week and I do not see anything so I called her back. She told not that I have to call credit card company for refund. I was confused so I said you know what just give me receipt with total amount and you can keep $15. She said ok I will text you now. Again after 10 mins she called me that I can send you. I asked for reason and She said due to privacy. I said I will come and pick up. She said we cannot give you. I said I will provide my ID and everything but she refused. After back and forth she agreed to provide me receipt. So went to restaurant to pick up and now what I see they made new receipt with my signature on it and tip was added by someone else handwriting. This is ridiculous. It's not about money, it's...