Jose’s Cantina
1101 N State St, St. Ignace, MI, 49781
Jose’s Cantina Menu
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Address :
1101 N State St
St. Ignace, MI, 49781 - Phone (906) 643-1519
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :9:00 am - 10:00pm
- Mon : 9:00 am - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Jason F.
I stopped by Jose's a few days ago after an 80 mile bike ride through the remarkably well maintained paved roads of the upper peninsula. With my ravenous appetite, I chose the most expensive thing on the menu: the Beef Combination Plate. It ranks among the best Mexican food that I've ever had. The only demerits about this place are that they only have one kind of salsa: pico de gallo. I would have preferred something spicier. The service was kinda slow in getting my bill to me too, but that might say more about me than about the restaurant. All things considered, I eagerly look forward to hitting this place again the next time I visit the UP.
(4)Darlynn C.
Great place in St Ignace. The food was tasty (try the tilapia dinner) and the decor is festive. Our waitress was very nice but not very speedy (we had to ask for water 3 times). The owner, Joe, came over to greet us and made us feel at home. Great Mexican food!
(4)Bruce F.
I left the St. Ignace Indian Casino and felt a little famished. So decided to try the Sweet Potato Burrito at Jose's as mentioned in other reviews. I wasn't too crazy about the flavor combination, but it was OK after I got used to it. Some of the other items may have been more to my liking. The chips were warm and the salsa was OK. To make it spicier you had to add hot sauce from a selection at your table. The service was OK even if she did disappear quite frequently. Finally, the view of Lake Huron was detracted by either heavy condensation or bugs and other window "Klingon's" or a muddy looking streak right down the middle. I'm being generous with 3 stars. I probably will dine on the local Pasties or Whitefish the next time I'm looking for a meal in the Straits of Mackinaw area.
(3)Susan B.
Do note they moved north fine the street- the pictures are of the old location which is now run in the tourist season as a hot dog joint. We really enjoy the food and many of the staff (Robin, James, Sandy, Joe, and Steve). Flan is great, so is the tres leches cake. Still love the sweet potato burrito and the shredded pork. Same family runs Java Joe's.
(5)Megan K.
I have officially eaten at all of Joe's restaurants...His new hot dog restaurant and Java Joe's...All are delicious. I don't know how he runs all three of these restaurants so well. Huge margaritas. My friend and I really enjoyed them. They even have raspberry margaritas. The food was excellent. The service was great...Salsa was delicious, looked homemade. There's a beautiful deck with 40 tables outside overlooking the water...
(5)B R.
Poor service. Bland food. Cold beer. Terrible chips and salsa. I should have known better when they said they had the 5th best fish tacos in Michigan- seriously???
(2)John T.
Sunday evening well after the end of the tourist season and I wasn't expecting much (they may have been the only restaurant open). My wife and I ordered a half-pitcher of margaritas. When it arrived at our table the waiter explained they were out of the small pitchers so he just "guessed" at the volume. Whoa! I'm sure glad we walked from the motel. I'm from the Calif central valley so I know authentic Mexican food. They do a good rendition. Remember people, you're in St.Ignace, not San Diego. We had a good time.
(4)Clifford C.
The food tasted like they opened a can of sauce and poured it over the enchiladas after they threw some chicken from a can in a microwaved tortilla shell. The fajitas were burnt and barely edible and the corn tortillas for the fajitas were cooked in oil and tasted like corn oil. The margaritas were the standard out of the bottle mix. Nothing tasted like it was made from scratch but straight from a jar. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who wants authentic Mexican food.
(1)Vanessa V.
SO GLAD we found this place. Excellent Mexican food... rumor is they stole the chef from the Grand Hotel. Everything was perfectly seasoned, correctly priced, and available vegetarian. Sold! M had a vegetarian burrito with fake meat and I had the local whitefish tacos... YUM. We couldn't even decide when to trade plates because everything was so good... And the view! if you happen to be here while it's nice out, make sure to sit out on the large deck overlooking Lake Huron. I saw heat lamps so they might be trying to extend the season, but I'm pretty sure that won't work in December. I don't know if we'll ever be in St. Ignace again, but if we are I already know where we'll be eating all our meals. PS. the address on Yelp is wrong. It's something like 1101 N State St. Just a little further down the road.
(5)Elise F.
Four stars because: 1. Drinks were good. I came here with my mom and my sister for lunch. We ordered the half-margarita pitcher (por que no- estamos de vacaciones!) which was a perfect split for the three of us to each have one full drink. No complaints with the mid-level tequila. 2. Food was good. 3. Ambience was good. The restaurant felt airy and gave us lovely views of Lake Huron. 4. The service was good. The owner was there, and he came and conversed with us about our meal. Both he and our server offered useful tips on where to put in our kayak around St. Ignace. I definitely plan to come back on my next trip to the UP.
(4)Sean B.
Great find heading up to the falls. Burrito Del muerte is excellent. Ask for it with Whitefish.
(4)Melissa H.
We were having a terrible vacation and decided to try this place to feel like we were "getting away". The bartender was awesome and the drinks were reasonably priced and delicious. One of the coolest things about this place is that there are vegetarian options! I can't tell you the last time I could enjoy a Mexican dish and feel like I was getting the whole meal. Soy crumbles instead of beef, YES! The meal was delicious! The owner stopped by our table to make sure everything was going well and he was very nice. It is great to see an owner who cares about his customers. How refreshing! In short: Great atmosphere, excellent food and drinks and reasonably priced. We would absolutely come here again.
(5)Mandi C.
Pleasantly surprised to find "authentic Tex/mex" in the u.p.! Great food amazing drinks, beautiful views and even an art gallery! Awesome to find a place that felt like home (Ann Arbor) in the up! By far my favorite spot in st iggy!
(4)Melissa O.
Heck YEAH I've had better! Talk about flavorless! Im from So. Az and I KNOW good Mexican food. This is not it people. On top of that, the margaritas weren't great either. Nice view though.
(2)Bill S.
Worst chimichanga I have ever had. Waitress seemed stoned and worst service. Waited 15 min just for silverware and napkins. Stay away.
(1)Bill G.
Very good food. This is one of three restaurants owned by the same guy. All three have a real passion for good food. There are a lot of crappy places to eat in the straits. This is not one of them. Atmosphere is good and the price is right. Stop in and ask for the owner, Joe. He is awesome.
(4)Rob F.
We went here because of Ryan K's rave review....and let me tell ya, it didn't disappoint. On our way to Mackinac we did theatrical readings of Ryan's 2 mexican reviews (this and ole ole) to prep us for our visit. After that, I HAD to get the seafood enchiladas here, and wow. It was every bit as good as he said. The place is MUCH cleaner and nicer on the inside than it looks on the outside. The staff was very friendly and all the food was knockout. This is some of the best Mexican I've had in Michigan. I'll go back here any chance I get...I'm drooling right now thinking about it. If you're in the area and you're hungry....go here. Now!
(5)Laura B.
Girls night out so we stopped to check out Jose's. I tried the Cheddar Cheese and Potato Enchiladas, they were very tasty. Three of the girls had the Tacos and enjoyed them, the last had the Beef Combo Platter that she said was one of the best. Our Margaritas were one of the best we have had. The chips were never empty and tasted very fresh. Will look forward to going back to try one of the burritos made with Vegetarian meat. Great place for a great meal at a reasonable price, and to top it off a great view of Lake Huron.
(5)Ellen M.
Great spot on water. Great fish tacos!
(4)Todd S.
This one is simple: put together a wonderful staff and effectively execute a delicious, creative Tex-mex menu with quality margaritas and you have a winner. Breathtaking view makes for a wonderful dining experience.
(4)Jenny G.
This restaurant was the first in a string of bad to mediocre restaurants we ate at on our vacation to St. Ignace. The restaurant had festive, and interesting decor, and our waiter was great. However, the food just didn't measure up. We should have known when we walked in and there wasn't a single Mexican employee in the joint! The salsa and chips were bland (and that's a huge indicator of a Mexican restaurant for me). My husband ordered a burrito, which came with rice and beans - bland, bland, bland. I didn't know Refried beans could even be bland, but somehow they were. I ordered soft chicken tacos, and a tamale. The tacos came in a cold corn shell, which if you know anything about cooking Mexican food, you know that a soft corn shell needs to be cooked, or heated in a sauté pan, or else they will be too brittle and break open when trying to pick up - which is exactly what happened. The shell crumbled and all the filling spilled all over my plate. The filling itself was dry and lacked flavor, once again. The only saving grace for the meal was the tamale, which was actually quite good and FLAVORFUL! It was actually a little too spicy for my taste (and I love heat in my Mexican food!). So, needless to say, we won't be going back again on our next visit to the area.
(2)Zanette B.
Droped in on the first day of our stay and decided to come back on the other day. Great food, super nice stuff took care of us. Dinner at the table outside with some warm beams of the sun and some shady spots on our fajitas and margaritas- priceless... We want to have Jose's cantina in Europe;-)
(5)Heather K.
Let's be clear on what this place is: Tex Mex in Northern Michigan. It is not the best Mexican in Michigan nor is it the best food in St. Ignace. We started with chips and salsa and guacamole. Salsa was Old El Paso and guac was the kind you buy at the store in a pouch. Chips are also from a bag. I ordered the pollo loco and my girlfriend got the seafood tacos. The pollo loco was billed as chicken in a "house sauce". It basically tasted like shredded BBQ chicken. The beans and rice were decent. The soft tacos were served in flour tortillas with copious amounts of lettuce and melted cheese. The highlight was the drinks. Giant frozen margaritas were $5.50 and bottled beers were $2. I'd skip this place in favor of other restaurants in town with better food. You can get better Mexican at Chipotle or On the Border, so don't go out of your way for Jose's.
(2)Kari C.
Very mediocre Mexican food that left me disappointed in the fish tacos that were very small pieces or chopped up fish and a "crispy" taco, that was essentially a soft taco that was deep fried. Lack luster in taste. Very bland bean and rice. The view, on the other hand, was great!
(2)George N.
Good food. Very ditsy waitress spoiled the visit. Joe nearby was oblivious.
(3)Cindi B.
We were in St. Ignace & Mackinac for the weekend and were looking forward to trying a new Mexican place, since they are pretty few and far between in the U.P. The service was friendly, but intermittent (they had a party of 8 that took a considerable amount of attention at the same time we were there). I had the beef combo plate with a steak and guac burrito, tamale, and enchilada, while my husband had steak fajitas. Our kids tried the beef and cheese tacos and mac and cheese. We were all quite pleased with our meals, except my boys who ordered the mac and cheese (I need to teach them better!); however, our server didn't end up charging us for those meals, anyway, which was an unexpected surprise. The salsa was more like a fresh pico de gallo. A hotter, more 'saucy' option would have been a nice addition. So far, this is the best Tex-Mex I've found in the U.P. yet, in terms of menu variety and quality. The service could be a bit more attentive, but it wouldn't stop me from returning. Oh, and they have a wonderful view right on the shore of Lake Huron, too.
(4)Malia L.
Well when I was visiting St. Ignace, I passed this by a couple of times because of crappy reviews I saw at first. But the craving for Mexican food overcame me so I figured anything is better than nothing. And given that, I was pleasantly surprised. Right, the chips are not homemade but were fresh. Being from Texas I'm used to hotter salsa but when manager heard me ask, he brought a good selection of hot, hotter and hottest sauces to add and I ended up being satisfied with that. I say 3 stars (A-OK) because I've definitely had worse in MI and would go there again if in St. Ignace.
(3)Jay F.
We decided to give Jose's a chance, despite the mix of reviews. BIG MISTAKE. The food sucked- Just because you like Mexican food does not mean you can make it! This place seemed like they had no idea what traditional or even American Mexican food tastes like. I asked for cilantro on my tacos and the waitress asked me what cilantro was (even though it was listed on the menu). After asking the cook about my request, she said they could not put it on tacos. Wow. Also, salsa and chips were definitely store bought and not the good kind. Other indiscretions: No crayons for the kids even though they had them and said they would bring some over. I asked about a birthday special since someone in our party was turning 30. Our waitress said she didn't know if they did anything and never got back to us about it. We ordered frozen margaritas and they came out soupy and the wrong flavor. Ridiculous, a Mexican restaurant can at least get their drinks right. The only bright spot was the friendly owner (at least we think he was). He asked everyone's tables where they were from and gave us local suggestions. Hopefully this review will help him improve his restaurant, which has fun decorations but lacks in cuisine and service.
(1)Uriah B.
Wow! Probably the best food we had while on the U.P. Spinach enchiladas were fantastic and the sweet potato burrito was unique and delicious. We also great service and the colorful decor made it a pleasant place to dine. Don't miss this stop.
(5)ryan k.
There we were, in our hotel room on our last night of vacation in St. Ignace. It was around 10pm and we decided we wanted to go out for a bite to eat. Earlier in the day we had enjoyed dollar drafts and chips & salsa for happy hour at the local pub so we weren't very hungry until about 10. Plus, we were watching Appaloosa on HBO. Anyways, we had spotted a place earlier in the day that said they served food til 12:30am so we figured we were good. Turns out, their bar served food until 12:30, and i really wasn't in the mood for the bar scene. We drove around State St. looking for somewhere else, checked the navigation and scrolled right past Jose's Cantina. To be perfectly honest we were joking all weekend whenever we drove by it that it was a sure fire way to get diarrhea. Well after a half hour of driving around with no luck we decided we would take our chances with certain gastric upset and we parked at Jose's. We walked in and the guys at the bar up front said they were closed but to go ahead and sit and that it would be no problem as they still had a lot of clean up to do. This guy and our waitress were incredibly nice, so far so good. Now, if you have read my review of Ole Ole in Novi you will certainly question my next statement, but I have my reasons. I ordered the seafood enchiladas. Delicious. DELICIOUS! My wife ordered the chicken combo and she was also was very impressed with her dish. We decided we had unfairly judged this gem of a restaurant, and are actually a bit disappointed that it is a 4 hour drive from home. This could easily end up being a regular stop if it was closer. There is a moral to this story, and that is, Mexican restaurants usually give you diarrhea, Jose's Cantina isn't one of those restaurants. The staff is so nice and the food doesn't disappoint. Be sure to make this a stop if you ever end up in this amazing little summer retreat called St. Ignace in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Five stars from me.
(5)Rob S.
The food and service is a lot better than the outside appearance would suggest. As a previous reviewer stated you can get similar (I wouldn'r say better) food at Chipotle (a fave) or On The Border, but since there isn't either of those in over 100 miles from here you're stuck with Jose's if you want to get your tex-mex groove on. Place is small, seating along the side is kinda cramped. We were the only customers when we walked in, but it started to fill up pretty quick (it was a rainy Saturday evening). My son's pork was moist and well seasoned-unlike the dry flavorless stuff we had earlier in the day at a far pricer place on the island. My portion could have been larger, but then again I'm a fat American... Wife's drink was big and cheap, daughter liked her food as well. Everyone had a good dinner and the price was fair. Service was the best we had at any place all weekend; very friendly and attentive, even as the place filled up. Is it stellar? No, but it's decent, and since there is little else available nearby I would say it is the go-to place in St Ignace.
(4)sherri r.
We thought this would be a shady little place, however they served the best tamales my husbands ever eaten. Great place at a great price. Bravo.
(5)