Jose Tejas — Restaurant in Fairfield

I am a weekly customer for many years. I placed my order online using their website. Not Grubhub or ubereats etc. I waited at home for 40 minutes before I left to pick it up since my last order I waited over an hour to pick up. (Not complaining) It took me about 10 minutes of travel and parking time. I entered and asked if my order was ready. The young girl behind the counter said it would be ready in 5 minutes. I waited the 5 minutes. It still wasn’t ready so I went to the bathroom. When I came out I approached the counter. The redheaded male manager and the 2 new young girls were there. I said, “Oh can I get a container of hot sauce for my order?’ As I said this I realized my maiden last name was on the bag sitting there. It is not a common last name at all so I knew it was my order. She put it on the counter and I checked the bag. My entire order was in the bag. The young naive hostess adamantly snapped at me and said, “That’s NOT your order!” I snapped back and said yes it is; that’s my last name and it’s all my order. She replied, “Oh well maybe because you ordered thru Grubhub!” I replied, “No I ordered on the website. I gave her the same tone she gave me. The manager was standing there and I could see the anger in his face. He was very annoyed. He walked away. I handed the young ladies a tip. They wouldn’t even accept it or say thank you! So I left the cash on the counter and said, “You know what, I’m just going to go. Thank you.” And left. The manager comes out after me as I’m reversing out of the spot and am in the middle of the parking lot. I stopped. He approached my car and said, “There’s no reason for you to yell at my workers! They are training.” How on earth would I know that? And how dare he confront me outside. This is very inappropriate behavior for a manager as a male confronting a female by herself in a parking lot. I explained how I didn’t yell at her. I was in the service industry my entire life, a frequent weekly costumer for years who never had any issues. He went on with the confrontation to say he was standing right there and I yelled. Which I didn’t. I gave her the same tone she gave me. I even still tipped and said thank you in which they did not have the decency to say thank you for tip or order. But I was so nervous that I didn’t tell him that this happened when he walked away. He further explains he went to get my hot sauce and I had the nerve to leave. I didn’t explain the tip or anything because I was nervous and scared since he approached me outside. I said Oh you went to get my hot sauce? I didn’t know because I could tell you were upset and you just walked away. He said yea and then you were gone. I said ok so where’s my hot sauce? He didn’t have anything in his hands to give me. Proving my point that he didn’t plan on giving me anything. He came out to confront me which is totally uncalled for. If there are cameras inside he needs to replay them to hear my response was a valid reaction to her ignorance and work ethic. I understand it’s hard training new people but he should not be confrontational and adding any more issues to any situation. Shame on this manager. He...

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Date of Visit: 1/17/2024

I recently dined at Jose Tejas and I must say that my experience was far from pleasant. The restaurant's reputation preceded it, and I was excited to try their cuisine. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment due to an alarming and unsanitary practice I witnessed kitchen staff using bare hands to handle food.

Upon entering the restaurant, the ambiance was pleasant, and the staff seemed somewhat friendly. The menu offered a variety of enticing dishes, which further heightened my expectations. After placing my order, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my meal.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was short-lived when I noticed an open door towards the kitchen where the food was being prepared. To my disbelief, I witnessed one of the cooks handling ingredients and garnishes, meats, cheeses, containers etc with bare hands, without wearing any protective gloves. This blatant disregard for basic hygiene was not only unprofessional but also posed a serious health risk to customers.

The sight of bare hands touching meat, containers salad, cheeses, raw food and then proceeding to handle other ingredients was extremely off-putting. It raised concerns about cross-contamination and the potential transmission of germs and bacteria. Such practices are unacceptable in any food establishment, let alone one that claims to prioritize customer satisfaction and safety.

To make matters worse, when I brought my concerns to the attention of the staff, they appeared dismissive the manager, apologized but was not sincere and seemed a bit annoyed Instead of addressing the issue immediately they seemed to downplay the severity of the situation, which only added to my frustration and disappointment. ( the manager did not charge for my plate steak fajitas, I was not able to eat it after viewing this unsanitary practice)

In light of my experience, I cannot recommend dining at Jose Tejas. The unsanitary practices I witnessed, particularly the cook using bare hands to handle food, not only compromised the quality of the food but also posed a significant health hazard. A restaurant that neglects basic food safety protocols raises serious doubts about its commitment to customer welfare and professionalism.

I hope that the management of [Jose Tejas takes immediate and effective steps to rectify these issues and ensure that such unsanitary practices are never repeated. Until then, I strongly advise potential diners to exercise caution and consider other establishments that prioritize food safety and customer well-being.

Note: It is essential to report such incidents to the local health authorities to ensure the necessary actions are taken to address...

This will be slightly long and Indians also must read this:

I have been visiting this place on a regular basis since 2021. Couldn’t try pre-covid as I was located in FL then. So cannot compare pre vs post covid taste, menu changes etc.

I am a vegetarian and wife doesn’t mind non-vegetarian food. For me, burritos, cheese enchiladas and empanadas have always been great options. But yes, sometimes the empanadas have been over fried but if you tell the waiter nicely before hand, they cook it accordingly. For non vegetarian folks, fish tacos, blackened chicken and Baja shrimp tacos are awesome choices. All the entrees come with side of fries, beans, white rice, Jose rice etc. This makes it a great meal - lunch or dinner. I recommend the place for lunch because it will keep you nicely full throughout the day.

Free chips & salsa are great and they always bring you another basket when they see you are running out. Same case with the fountain drinks - free refills on your table just in time when you are about to finish your first drink. Friends have tasted margaritas and they appreciated them too!

Coming to the wait time - as they don’t accept reservations (which I think is great) be prepared to wait for 30-45 minutes (sometimes less) if you plan to visit during peak hours on the weekends. Weekdays, you shouldn’t have to wait much.

Coming to waiters, all of them are nice and kind. I can recall receiving great service from Rene, Erin P, Mohammad. I know few others by face but cannot recall their names. But don’t go on the names - all of them are great!

Now as I mentioned Indians in the beginning, some lines for you folks (and don’t worry, I am a desi too, not an ABCD if that matters) - ye jageh Tex-Mex hai. Yaha ke khaane ko Journal Square/Edison/Parsipanny ke swad se compare mat karna! Agar tex-mex food ka knowledge nahi hai toh pehle google par jaake thoda research kar lena toh achcha rahega visit karne ke pehle. Baat rahi vegetarian dishes ki - menu ke last page vegetarian dishes ki puri list di hue hai - waha par ek baar gaur kar lena. Woh saare vegetarian options achche hai aur tum kam se kam ek toh pick kar hi paoge. Aur haan, menu tum logo ko website par dikh jaayega. Padh ke jaana taaki unnecessary...