Tex-Mex food in New Jersey doesn’t get much better than Jose Tejas on Route 1 in Iselin. After a 20 minute drive, I stepped out of my car and was met with the sounds of country music blaring from the restaurant. I looked up at the facade and I knew I was in for a treat. 

The place was packed with people waiting at the bar and all the tables were full of people and food. I couldn’t help but feel like I was in Texas in this big and electric atmosphere. The music was delightful, Christmas lights illuminated the restaurant, and the rustic wooden tables and chairs were the perfect finishing touch. Jose Tejas was a treat for the eye as well as the taste buds. 

I was worried because I figured with a crowd like this I would be in for a very long wait. The hostess was nice and gave me a buzzer and told me it would be about 20 minutes, which was a win in my book. After waiting for 10 minutes, the buzzer went berserk and I headed to my table. 

I couldn’t help but notice fries at every table that I passed, so I knew I had to give those a try. I ended up ordering steak fajitas, a chicken quesadilla, and the popular french fries.

My meal started off well with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were warm and the salsa had the perfect amount of kick. When it came to my main meal, the steak for my fajitas was perfectly seasoned and cooked. It was spicy but not overwhleming. They gave me warmed tortillas in which I put the steak, rice, shredded cheese, and salsa—which was fire. I also tried the rice by itself, and that alone is a superb side for any meal you might order.  

After two steak fajitas, I decided to move on to my chicken quesadilla, which was staring at me from across the table. The marinade on the chicken blended perfectly with the cheese, which was elegantly melted between the tortilla. This quesadilla was juicy, delicious and my favorite entree of the meal. The crispy shoestring fries were the perfect side to tie my entire meal together.

Jose Tejas was a  quality meal and I intend on going back in the near future for its top-notch atmosphere and sizzling food.  

Calories for this meal: 2,034 

Total Calorie Counter: 6,199

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Photo Hank Shapiro