Went for dinner because I was craving some shrimp and was hopeful that they would make them just the way I like them--light on the batter and not greasy. Upon being seated, we were served with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were fresh but the salsa was not spicy enough for us. We are beasts when it comes to spiciness. I think it would have good enough for the average Joe (he, he. Get it,Joe?) I ordered a Modelo Negro beer and then a Pinto Margarita. The Modelo Negro beer, delicious--nice and cold. The Pinto Margarita had Pommegranite Patron, Triple Sec and some other delights. Very strong, very good tasting and large enough for two to share for only $10. For food, I ordered the fried shrimp platter which came with yellow rice (i usually only like my rice, but it came with the platter), thick sliced potatoes, a salad with spring mix, red cabbage & other greens, and 6 butterflied shrimp. At first glance the shrimp looked good--golden but not too much; not too small but not huge. I put one of them in my mouth and then it hit me--Nirvana; also known as shrimp heaven. I think what made them perfect was that they were perfectly seasoned and perfectly fried. No grease here. The salad was fresh with a bit of ranch-type dressing. I like it when they don't overdress the salad. The thick potatoes were real potatoes ,(when everything is usually frozen in restaurants) slightly fried but not too fried. They were cooked through and it's nice to taste something natural for a change. The yellow rice I approached with trepidation since I am only a fan of my own rice (and biryani's at indian restaurants). It was a simple yellow rice with nothing in it and yet it had a nice taste about it. I couldn't help but eat it. The real summary is that I cleaned my plate. A little shrimp bite, a little potato, a bite of rice and that Margarita (and beer), was motivation enough to wipe that plate clean. I wonder if they had to wash it after I was done with it? Just joking folks. BTW, the place was clean and every time a customer left, the staff cleaned under the table as well as the usual top table clean up. Now for the second dish. A platter of Whole Red Snapper with garlic sauce. Came with the accompaniments I described before which were all good. The snapper was a hefty size and hubby ate it to the bone although red snapper is not his favorite fish. He likes fish with a strong taste to it like blue fish (ugh! Poo-ee, yuk, argg) or flounder. I asked if he could savor the garlic sauce and he said :Maybe. Now keep in mind that I could see the chopped up garlic on and below the fish that's why I was asking. I really thought he was going to say it was overwhelming. Nope--- he's no Dracula. Keep that garlic coming and it's never enough. We asked the waitress for a spicier salsa than the one they first served us. She gladly obliged but the salsa while spicy had no flavor. It was just strong spice, no taste. So we reverted to the original salsa. The original salsa could have been made spicier by simply adding some chopped habaneros which is a really flavorful pepper. That's how you do it (This has been an editorial from Yvonne who thinks she's a really good cook. LOL) Did I forget to tell you that the platters came with your choice of corn or flour tortilla? I didn't forget. I left it for last for a reason. At the end of the meal, I was curious about the tortillas (after all I am definitely coming back to this place),opened the tortilla case, took off a piece of tortilla and tasted it. After a few chews, I grabbed my napkin and spit out the tortilla. What was wrong you ask? (I hope the owners/management are asking the same question as you my dear readers). RANCIDITY. That's what was wrong. Either the fat used to make them, cook them was rancid or they made them in such bulk that they got rancid during storage. I don't believe they are made in large quantities and stored since they were soft and pliable and really looked yummy. But this was not about me not liking the taste or the texture of the tortilla. This was old fat that turn rancid (Rancio, in Spanish). That is a big faux-pas for a mexican place. Imagine that I ordered burritos and they were made with these rancid tortillas? Not a good thing. The waitress was wonderful and her service was spot on. The four stars are for the food and our wonderful waitress. FIX THOSE TORTILLAS!
(4)
Jocelyn A.
We love Baja Joe's! Cute patio that is relaxing with nice adirondack-style chairs and low tables for relaxing with drinks as well as booths and tables for dining. Misters and cover make it bearable in the summer, and always great in the winter. Salsa is deliciously fresh. Every time I have gone, I have had a seafood dish and none have disappointed. All wait staff has been friendly and even humor my kids (that love telling silly jokes). I have had the chef come to my table a few times to see how we liked the food - always great! My fave dishes: Kids fish nuggets Stuffed peppers Seafood in coconut Seafood rice.
(5)
Daniela G.
Don't come to this place unless you pay cash. The food was alright, I had the campechana especial, and my son had the chicken nuggets. Before placing my order, I had asked the waitress that was attending to the table I was at, her name is Janet, to please separate my son's and my order from the everyone else's bill, she refused to separate it, why? I don't know. Once coming to paying though, I asked her to give me my bill of what I had and my son had, and she wouldn't listen to me, she was looking at the other people I was sitting with, who told her not to, and I directly told her to ignore them that I was going to pay for my food which I had consumed as well as my sons. I handed her my card, told her to swipe it for MY bill, and instead she charged me the WHOLE tables bill, which was 202.49, when she brought me the ticket for me to sign, I was baffled on how she misunderstood me. I asked her to refund me the 202.49 back to my card, and charge me what I owed, she "refunded" it, charged me 33.99 for what I ate. I check my bank account, and it's -112 dollars because of the 202 pending on my account. Keep in mind I went Saturday June 20th, 2015 called the restaurant that same day after I left and spoke to Javier the general manager, who told me that it would drop off by Monday morning, I believed him, on Monday it still hadn't dropped off, went to the restaurant, apparently Javier was out of town, so I had to speak to David the bar manager, who told me they would do anything in their power to fix it. And blamed my bank for holding the funds. Tuesday came by and still nothing. Now it's Wednesday June 24th, and it's STILL pending, I already went to my bank and the fault is in part of the business Baja Joe's, on my bank records, it showed that the amount of 202.49 was charged and approved, leaving me with a negative balance and a HORRIBLE experience. I am left to suffer because of Baja Joe's staff, who chose not to listen to her customer. Clearly they need to train their staff how to properly refund people, and to actually listen to their customers. __________________________________________________Â________ Update to June 25th 2015 I was called by the owner, he claimed that he wanted to apologize to me for what happened, but instead I was told I had no human compassion and an irresponsible mother, I was not expecting a phone call. He did apologize, but apologies do not fix his staffs mistakes. I understand we are all human, and we are imperfect as a species, but when someone asks you to let them pay for the food they have consumed, let them pay. I would never want anyone to come here not as a personal vendetta, but to save them from a headache that lasts for days and being harassed by the owner of the company himself. Baja Joe's owner, I hope you learn from your staffs mistake, to train them properly for these situations, because as you so clearly pointed out when you called me you yourself have been in those types of situations multiple times. How could I not be angry when was the one being punished by your companys actions? Leaving me without the ability to even use my own money, because of your negligence of training your staff properly? To those of you thinking about coming to visit this restaurant, I hope you don't have the same issue as I did, pay cash if you must.
(1)
JP C.
3 1/2 stars, down from 4 for the food because of the slow service. Good food, good setting with lots of TVs, excellent hot salsa. I went here for lunch on a Saturday with family. We sat down and waited for quite a while before being acknowledged by any of the staff. The staff got our orders correct and responded to our requests, but always in a rather slow fashion. They certainly were in no hurry. The food was good. We asked for the spicy salsa to go with the chips they bring out at the beginning of the meal, and it was probably my favorite thing from the whole meal (but challenged closely by the carnitas burro). Not only was it the spice level I like (decently spicy, but not uncomfortable), but the flavor was excellent. I ordered two tacos (one grilled fish and one chicken) and the carnitas burro. The fish taco was decent, although the piece of fish in it was rather small. The chicken made me a little unsure as to whether it was breaded and fried or grilled, but with some of that salsa on it, it was pretty decent. But the star of my meal was the carnitas burro. It had an excellent flavor to it, and the carnitas had a nice texture that carnitas should have. My friend had the fajitas, which came out sizzling and looked pretty solid. There were lots of brightly-colored peppers to go with the steak, and the guacamole was good. All in all, this is a solid choice for Mexican food in this part of town. Just don't be in a rush when you come here.
(3)
Lynnette S.
A very quick place for a cheap dine in lunch atmosphere. All specials are $6.99 at lunch and a drink can be added for an additional $2. I would not recommend the tacos, poor tortillas, but the enchiladas are a hit! Nothing too fancy about the free chips and salsa or service- everything is just average. I've seen the happy hour menu and drink selection and would definitely go back for a good time.
(3)
Nik P.
Food was ok. Our chips were cold. The menu is so large you will probably find something to your liking.
(3)
Maky M.
This place is so so good!!! Clean (for a change) mariscos place. Very nice wait staff and delicious food. also, the micheladas are excellent!
(4)
Lee P.
No tables in the dining area this evening; hence, we are in the bar!!! Marco is a delight, and we remember when he was bussing tables! So nice to see folks advance at our favorite venue! .Always a fabulous meal and the house marguerita is sooo tasty!
(5)
Rob L.
Awesome food. Great grilled fish and shrimp tacos! Really authentic baja style mexican fare. Great venue to hang out and watch just about any sporting event and fun vibe on the weekends.
(5)
mya w.
This restaurant is something SPECIAL!!!!!! GREAT food , excellent staff , happy atmosphere and fun to visit. This is gonna be my GO TO Place from now on
(5)
Cassandra M.
We live across the street from Baja Joe's and really we waited two years to try it! I'm not sure why we waited so long to try this place, but now it's our go to quick fix for nachos and margaritas. Our first time was great, the service was quick and responsive, the food was really good. I suggest trying the nachos with carnitas and ceviche is also tasty! Our 6 year old daughter orders a plain hamburger every time we visit Baja's and she loves it. I also like that they have a large patio on the side for those great spring time nights!
(5)
David F.
Stopped in for lunch Had shredded beef taco rice and beans... Very good, and the chips and salsa were great! We will be back.
(5)
Kendra S.
It's right near my house so we tried it out. The food is good. They have different specials for almost every day of the week, which is nice. They also have a nice happy hour and Margarita Wednesday! We just moved to AZ three weeks ago and have been here twice already. It's a nice atmosphere and the staff are friendly as well.
(4)
Tanner G.
Good service. Fresh chips and salsa my favorite is the fajitas. I like it mixed steak and shrimp. Good prices for a family venture.
(5)
Ether B.
Pretty good place to eat. A little pricey and I am not Hispanic so I don't know how to read the menu but overall good experience.
(4)
Mike M.
Chips and salsa were a 2. Runniest salsa I have ever had. Soupy. My shrimp enchiladas were ok. This is a bar restaurant where the mexican food is barely average. Service was good.
(2)
Rahul I.
Went to Baja Joes for lunch. I ordered the two fish tacos lunch special. It was okay. It is worth noting that there is no host at the door, and there were many people waiting to be acknowledged including me. They need to be more attentive. If you want Mexican style seafood go elsewhere. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------------------------Â------ 03/21/2015 9:30 AM Mesa AZ Time ------------- The following is update to my review. It is correspondence from whom I believe to be the owner of this business. Apparently the owner has chosen to harass those who write negative reviews. I do not normally post nasty responses that I receive, but I think it is noteworthy. My advice to the person below is to please refrain from these kinds of attacks and work on improving your business. Also, please cease and desist in your harassment of me. I will reciprocate in-kind and cease and desist. The exact message with the contents has been reported to Yelp HQ. Please refer to below for what the message stated. I will leave it at that. -------------- From Sean S funny how you went to both our restaurant AND our old owners on the same day and get us a horrible review and them a glowing one. not suspicious in the least
(1)
ariana v.
I always make sure I bring my family here or anyone else that comes to visit. This is close to where I live and the best I've been to in my area. Im a usual...out of all the times I've been here I've only had a rude waitress ONCE...and I've been coming at least once a week for over a year. I take my three kids there each time too. Im a Mexican who likes authentic Mexican food. So this is where I go. Margaritas are good too. Never had seafood but everyone who has had it says its really good.
(4)
Joe U.
Taco Tuesday is awesome and the service is even greater with Michael as our bartender made the difference of being a good restraunt to an even better one...love this place...we will be back over and over!!!
(5)
Crissy S.
My husband and I come here on a weekly for taco Tuesday. We have had the best experience with our bartender, Michael. He has always been amazing. He always recommends drinks, tacos or specials. Michael is great. This is the best consistent service we have ever gotten anywhere. We have brought family and friends here to enjoy the experience! ! Thank you Michael and Baja Joe's for the mini escape! !!!
(5)
Jaque P.
We were looking for a new place to try and we decided on Baja Joe's. We were surprised, it was a neat place. Half bar with a live band and the other half mexican seafood restaurant. The menu is in Spanish and English with pictures, that is always helpful. The waitress was really nice and helpful. We told her it was our first time and she recommended we try the yellow peppers wrapped in bacon, stuffed with shrimp appitizer, AWESOME! I ordere the mixed fajitas, OK, a bit greasey. My husband order the fish tacos, GOOD. I don't know what I was thinking, duh, I should've ordered seafood. Next visit I plan on ordering what everyone else ordered, the big clay pot with flames underneath, filled with seafood, looked GOOD! Looking forward to my return.
(4)
Brittany F.
This was totally unexpectedly delicious!! I ordered the fajitas and now I crave them all the time!! Anytime my husband or I get fajitas anywhere else, we compare them to Baja Joe's. So far none of them have lived up to them! My mom and husband didn't love their meals, but they both loved my fajitas. The atmosphere is definitely casual and has some interesting wall murals. I would've eaten outside, but there was smoking allowed on the patio.
(3)
Miree J.
On a whim, we decided to try Baja Joe's. I was slightly skeptical as the shopping center it is in is old and houses a thrift store and some other oddities. However, upon walking i was surprised to see how spacious the bar area and dining room were. The bar area had lots of tables ranging from high tops to big banquet tables. There was also a ton of flat screens and a darts game. We sat ourselves at the bar and were greeted by of the many bartenders. She was quite friendly and helped with my indecisiveness with my drink order. I got a Corona-Rita, a margarita with a baby corona in it. It was huge and well made; not overly sweet or too strong. For food, I got a 3 item combo so I could t one ry a variety of items. It had a grilled fish taco, shrimp taco and cheese enchilada with rice and beans. Both tacos were amazing; they were fresh and had a ton of flavor. The cheese enchilada was oozing with cheese and the red sauce was slight spicy and not sweet like canned enchilada sauce. The beans and rice were on point, which is indicative of a good Mexican restaurant in my opinion. My boyfriend ordered two beef tacos, which were braised in some type of sauce making the meat tender and delicious. One of the owners was helping clear tables and asked how things were. I told him it was our first time and it was a good one. He was happy to hear and gave us a coupon to use for next time. Such great customer service. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise and I can see myself frequenting here often and you should to.
(4)
Zakk D.
The fish tacos are awesome! Great size and on Tuesdays the prices cant be beat. Shared a plate of 12 wings with a coworker and had 2 fish tacos myself and the bill was less then $10. Get the fish tacos with breaded finish on either the flour or corn tortillas, both are good.
(4)
Jason V.
Best around. Salsa great! Beans and rice, the basis of Mexican food was perfect. My combination plate was savory, spicy and kept me wanting more. After years of eating at the other local Mexican restaurants, this is the one the competition should worry about!
(5)
Yvonne R.
This place rules. Cold beer good nachos great prices. The chips and salsa is the best and you can get it to go for like $3. BUCKS
(5)
Mike W.
Pretty yummy Mexican food, I live nearby here and I never bothered to go here until my friend suggested it. Their burritos are amazing!
(4)
Bobby R.
I have no idea where to start.... everything from the shrimp covered bacon, chips & salsa, baja burger, nachos and double wrapped carne asada burrito were on point. I normally don't like Mexican food but this place was delicious and reasonably priced. Definitely a go see.
(5)
Lloyd B.
A lengthy drive from my home in Chandler but worth it! In large shopping center, easy parking. Staff is friendly and efficient with good service. Sports bar atmosphere with several large flat screens, a well stocked bar and adjacent dining room. Tables and seating was clean and comfortable. We ordered a large shrimp and octopus cocktail, a 5 star dish, loaded with the seafood, crunchy cucumber, tomato juice, etc.,very tasty and filling, and only $13, and Bacanora, described as shrimp in mildly spiced cheese sauce, served with rice, potato slices and salad, a 3 star dish, ($14) with 6 medium shrimp despite the fact that the menu photo had twice as many shrimp, and no spiciness at all. We drank the House Margarita, $6 as it was happy hour (3-6pm). Also had the house wine at $3.50 a glass. We closed with Sopapillas with powdered sugar and honey, only average. We will return to try their fish, looked and smelled pretty good.
(4)
Tyler K.
Had lunch here last week. The place was packed but we were seated right away. Its a big restaurant. Food was good. Got the baja lunch burrito combo. Chips and salsa were also good. The service was fine, quick and easy place to grab lunch. I'm not much of a seafood person but this place has a huge seafood selection!!
(4)
Lynn S.
The food looked good but I don't know for sure. The pricing was okay but the staff could use some improvement. I was delivered the wrong order to my table twice and by the time they got it right the food they served us was ice cold. We complained and they said they "could fix it again if we would like". Long story short we were fed up and decided to leave. They actually had the nerve to ask us to pay for our iced teas. Will never go back and have cautioned everyone I know to stay away.
(1)
Chloe R.
This place turned out to be so much better than I originally thought. My mother took my family out to lunch with a "groupon" she scored, and thanks to her I now have a new favorite Mexican food place! The environment is relaxing and refreshing with a beach-theme and colorful murals along the walls. Service was fast and friendly, and they have great accommodations for families. As far as food goes, I couldn't stop eating my carne adobada. Rice had wonderful flavor and texture, beans were tasty, and the homemade tortillas reminded me of the ones I get from Mexico. My family members all tried each others' plates (we like to share) and no one complained about any menu items we ordered. All of the seafood dishes were deliciously fresh. In fact we liked everything so much we got dessert- sopapillas. Those filled us up and just like everything else, didn't disappoint. Overall I find this restaurant very deserving of my 5-star rating and encourage all of you to try it out! They tend to be a bit spicy on some choices (they even offer a habanero pepper sauce I enjoyed immensely) so ask your server if it's something that might potentially burn your tongue off. Other than that though, go try Baja Joe's for yourself!
(5)
Kent M.
Baja Joes fish tacos are awesome!! Get them fried or grilled. I come at least 1 time a month if not more. Tuesday is tacos for $2 any taco you want. I suggest carnitas, fish and carne asada tacos. Waitresses are very friendly and do a great job! Weekends you get a chance to see mariachi!!
(4)
Julia L.
Came here again with the whole family (6of us) after a first successful evening. Once again, the service was remarkable and the owner very friendly. The food we ordered was the whole red snapper, the fish tray, and the sistes martes ( I know I spelled that wrong but it was the soup of the seven seas). I have it 4 stars again because of this. I got the whole fish because I thought it would be basically 2x the size of the fillet. It was definitely not, and it was a little too cooked / breaded so there was hardly any meat and way too much work. The taste still was great, but I will definitely opt for the filet next time. The seafood platter was very impressive. Everything's was cooked absolutely to perfection. The only downside was that it was pretty salty on some pieces. The red fish ( I have no idea what it was called but it was straight out red) was my favorite because it was cooked so amazingly. It's not easy to deep fry such a small piece of fish and have it come out perfectly! Because it is all fried, I would not recommend getting just that because I personally would get sick of it, but since we all also shared the fish (tacos) and soup, the meal was very balanced. Moving on to the soup, it was pretty good. It was cool to see snails in it as they are hard to find in AZ. It was full of different seafood which my family really enjoyed, but the broth was a bit bland. I was expecting a bouillabaisse tasting broth but it was a slightly fishy chicken broth. I'm not sure we would get that again but it's definitely a mellow flavor if you like that. Overall even though the food should have served 4 people, the 6 of us were exploding and had to work hard to finish everything. And the prices (I think $60) was so totally worth it! I mean it's hard to find such fresh seafood in AZ, but Baja joes nails it and the prices are reasonable and the portions are massive. We will definitely make this one of our regulars.
(4)
Rudy M.
Great food, service and lively atmosphere. Very friendly and attentive staff. The seafood selection is diverse and priced right. They have a bar with TVs if that's your thing and an open Dining room. Try the shrimp stuffed bacon wrapped jalapeños or the ceviche tostadas!
(5)
Neightrix S.
Each time I come back this place has gotten better... From drinks to food to cleanliness... Great live music and the food has always been great... Reasonably priced, and always room for company.
(5)
Sharon F.
Food and drinks really are awesome. Even the standard house margaritas are worth the money. Sadly the service is hit, or usually, miss. Being a neighborhood bar/restaurant it is largely "regular" customers which is great for them, but the staff I feel is used to serving people who will tolerate bad service (on account that they are familiar with the staff) we always sit at the bar BTW. Tonight we had great food and drink but the restaurant busser JOHNNY took better (and the only) care of us than the bartender Mary. The manager was out and around 3 times which blows my mind that he "observed" everything to be satisfactory. I want to note, I am a very understanding bartender....the service just sucks. We will be back. This is out neighborhood spot. We just wish the service was consistent Lastly, the bar staff should put their phones away, or at least save it for downtime.
(3)
Franchesca G.
Food was good unfortunately the bartender was completely out of line and rude. We walk in to have dinner and watch the bronco chiefs game (I'm wearing a bronco jersey) and sit down at the bar to be greeted by the bartender very rudely say my team is going to lose and he is going to "piss in my drink". I can take friendly rivalry but this is absolutely no way to treat a customer. His demeanor and attitude was disgusting during the entirety of our meal. Needless to say we left after our meal and watched the game elsewhere.
(1)
Ryelle R.
Baja Joes is fantastic! Walking in, I forget I'm in Mesa & am immediately taken back to Rocky Point. My parents were the first to refer me here. Driving by, it's not a spot you'd typically think "hey, I should eat there!" Well, good thing you're reading this. You should eat there. - For an appetizer, order the bacon wrapped-shrimp stuffed-peppers, & allow them to change your life. I always order Carnitas or Carne Asada, I haven't gotten tired of it yet, since it's awesome. My boyfriend is faithful to their Siete Mares soup, which is very good as well! If you enjoy Mexican-Mexican over Gringo-Mexican, you'll find yourself delighted here. (for Gringo-Mexican, hit up Nandos)
(5)
Crystal L.
The food was awesome & so was the service!!!! It was my 1st time going & my husband & I were very impressed!!! We will be coming back! It was a Great Date Night!!!
(5)
John C.
I have had a few issues before at Baja Joe's, but I'm seeing some positive changes. It is great when the owner steps up and makes changes to improve on issues and complaints. I have been back to Baja Joe's and the new bar manager and the owner improving the service. It seems like they are moving in the right direction. I have to compliment David and the staff for my late Sunday evening visit. It was late and they were obviously cleaning and getting ready to close up. When sheepishly asked if we could still enjoy a beer at the bar, they were very friendly and welcoming us to stay. Like the positive attitude changes.
(4)
Tyler D.
This restaurant is fantastic and a hidden gem in Mesa. Everything I tried was tasty. Good Mexican music and great atmosphere. I'll be back for a date night with my girl. Open around 9:am, breakfast as well as lunch or dinner of course.
(5)
Sharon H.
Grilled fish taco , bad. Pork enchilada, greasy. Frijoles, eh. Everything tastes the same... Too bad. Quacamole was good
(2)
J P.
I didn't order any seafood here (which is easily the majority of the menu) so admittedly my view on this place may be somewhat less than informed. That being said what I did have (red beef burrito, rice beans) was meh. Not especially bad, not especially good. I did really like the salsa.
(3)
Dan S.
I wish I could have eaten more! Stopped here with either a Yelp Deal or Groupon, can't remember which, during a long road trip last summer. My wife and I had just spent some time hiking around the Superstition Mountains and the heat had really drained us. We brought our two dogs along, and they were willing to let us have them in the patio seating area, but it was full. So, we ate inside and left the dogs in the car - the sun had gone down at that point. The portions were enormous! And so tasty! I wish I could go back right now!
(5)
Jen R.
If you want an authentic Mexican atmosphere, this is the place. They have a trio playing popular and traditional songs at your request (weekends/weeknights). The seafood selection is just right. I've had the shrimp enchiladas and the shrimp in mushroom sauce with the "toritos" as an appetizer. They are jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped up in bacon, drenched in soy sauce. Heart attack city but so worth it. The only downfall for me is that there are way too many tables for the space and the noise level is at times a little overwhelming but after a few Micheladas (beer with clamato) the noise becomes happy whispers.
(5)
Albert M.
Friday night lights here at Baja Joes! Sports on, cold beer on sale, homemade Mexican food, & full bar. Check in discounts when you spend $25 of more. How can you beat this! Menudo on Sat. & Sun. Music, and did I say cold beer?
(4)
Ally R.
After receiving a very nasty reply from the owner regarding my last review, I now wish that I could give this dump -5 stars. As a "professional business man" one would think that the owner would be open to critique that could better his business. Apparently, this is not the case at Baja Joes. Not only was the food horrid, the owner is also snide and condescending, cannot say that I am surprised. The food really is a reflection of their owner. I am absolutely taken aback by the amount of unprofessional (or lack thereof) from Baja J. The purpose of my last review was NOT to promote another business or "ride anyone's coat tails". I was simply leaving my honest opinion about several Mexican dishes that I know a GREAT deal about! Growing up in a Hispanic household, I KNOW what good/real Mexican seafood tastes like, and regrettably, you will not find either at Baja Joes. Baja J, I apologize if my previous review was too honest for you, however, you sir, need to learn some professionalism and respect! Please understand that this was my honest review of YOUR food and what needs improvement. Again this was MY honest review of YOUR restaurant. If I wanted to promote another restaurant I would leave a review on THEIR page, not yours! I am in NO WAY affiliated with any restaurant, if I was, don't you think that I would be promoting the heck out of it? Do your research Baja J, I have not even reviewed the establishment I mentioned previously. If I were you, I would take a serious look at your menu, recipes, and attitude because judging by other reviewers I am not the only one who has had these complaints. Do you belittle and undermine everyone who does not like your restaurant? Would you prefer that I say I have received better meals from Taco Bell, or would that be promoting another business as well? Future diners beware, if you do not care for their food you will be publicly chastised for your honest opinion. The owner will not try to remedy the situation or make up for the fact that you wasted $65 on a terrible experience. Heck, he wont even apologize that you had a bad meal. Absolutely inexcusable.
(1)
Stavros D.
This was my first time at Baja Joes and I'm afraid I was unimpressed. We ordered Shrimp cocktail, Garlic shrimp and Ceviche. - three staple Mexican dishes. The cocktail was watery and has frozen shrimp The garlic shrimp was swimming in oil, the four slices of potato were undercooked and the rice was burnt - also the shrimp was still in its shell whilst swimming in oil which made it virtually impossible to de-shell. The ceviche was average at best. The house lemonade was lovely and the service was pretty good but the meal was not worth $50 I'm afraid I won't be going back.
(2)
Jaime A.
Service is ok the original is better. Hate the music mis the original mexican music. This is not ligit.
(1)
Christine B.
Order fish and shrimp grilled for tacos!!! So good! We sat outside today and they had two men playing authentic music. Great atmosphere :)
(4)
Mike B.
First, the food was 'homemade' good................ The service, not so much. Wednesday night, 7PM. Several parties in the waiting area. Bartender and another person saw us and Ignored us. I finally went and asked, and they said a server would be right there. Server comes and tells all of us, seat yourself where ever you want. Ordered margarita's and took the waitresses advice. We took our time with the menu as there a lot of choices, and not the normal fare. Finally ordered, still no drinks, and then waitress suggests an appetizer to try next time we are there as I told her it was our first time. So we ordered the appetizer, yellow peppers, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Shrimp!! GOOD!!!! Margarita's finally came as the bartender had to deliver (apologized for the delay), as the waitress was under age. The apps come, no silverware. We had stopped a bus boy to get water and napkins. Of course we had JUST gotten our drinks. Then 20-25 minutes later the main course. Again good, but I ordered a burro and got a chimi version which I did not want, but did not want to wait anymore and did not take them up on the offer to redo it.. Again, food was great!! Bill comes and not only did they STILL charge for the Chimi instead of the burro I ordered, but we realize they brought us one LARGE Marg, which we did not ask for. So apparently you HAVE to specific to get a normal size. SO although we enjoyed the unusual and tasty fare (We saw Guacamole made table side and their Chipolte sauce is made there too.) 90 minutes and two mistakes later it just was NOT worth it. At the VERY least she should have NOT charged for the Chimi that was more expensive than what I ordered.
(2)
Valeria S.
First time I tried this place I ordered a large ceviche, although the ceviche tasted great I felt I over payed for the amount that I got and I was extremely disappointed. I could have gone to my regular place for a better deal.
(2)
Jana G.
I was really disappointed in this place. I went for music with friends and the venue was new to me. The set up in the long, narrow bar is bizarre, with high-top tables up close to the stage blocking the view of everyone at the low tables behind. The noise level was ridiculously high, with lots of TVs playing sports competing with the music. The acoustics were also very strange. The service was atrocious. I waited 10 minutes to even catch the eye of a waitress. She immediately told me they were out of chips and salsa. This is a Mexican restaurant for heaven sake! How can you run out of chips and salsa. Once I ordered my tableside guacamole it took over an hour to get it, and once it came it was unmemorable, bland with a couple of unexpected spots of fiery chili. My fellow music lovers had similar experiences with the service and food. I hate to say it, because I love to support venues that feature live music, but I will not be back to this restaurant.
(2)
Mandy G.
Excellent!! The waitress even got my order wrong, but what she gave me looked so delicious, I didn't send it back, and it was fabulous! I still to this day don't know what I was actually given. Great seafood (not fishy tasting at all!), great Mexican, great salsa, and I'll go there again.
(5)
Denise V.
I waited with 2 other customers for almost 10 minutes at the door. No hosts. Got the fish & chips for lunch. First, no tartar sauce. The ranch & chipotle sauce are both very runny. The food was hot, but under-seasoned. And the music was very loud. In addition, the managers were standing right next to my table talking very loudly while putting up a sign on their miniscule salad bar. I dont have a reason to drive here again. It's ok at best.
(3)
Shane T.
Eat lunch here all the time. Really love this place. Quality is always good IMO but you don't want to go here if you are in a hurry. If you have 45 minutes for lunch you're good but less than that and it'll ruin your lunch. Fish Tacos, Lunch special Burro and the Burro special only in the bar are all great choices. I keep meaning to try those stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon though.
(4)
Jay D.
Decided to have dinner here since it's so close to home plus a co-worker of my wife "highly recommended " it. Service was spotty. Took 5 mins or so before our drink orders were taken. We had to ask for water with our chips n salsa. Blue margarita was good the michelada (sp) was ok. Dinner arrived before our ceviche app. Wish we'd ordered the small one because the ceviche was bland and boring. Lacked salt. We left 3/4 of it uneaten. Wife and daughter ordered bean n cheese burritos and they were good but it's hard to mess that up. I ordered the fish filet in culichi sauce. Very small filets in a watered down version of culichi sauce. I could even see tiny bubbles in the sauce that verified it had been "reduced". Bland but edible. Flour tortillas were supposed to come with my order but they never materialized. At that point I didn't even ask for them. If you want a really authentic Mexican seafood meal go to Mariscos Sinaloa in Mesa. Yelp it, it'll come up.
(2)
Richard R.
Great food and very friendly staff. I love everything I've ordered. Great bands on Friday nights. For good food and a good time check this place out.
(5)
Brad R.
This place is awesome. I have grown up in AZ and have been to Rocky Point more times than I can count. Going to Baja Joe's reminds me of "The fish market" stretch of places to eat in Mexico. It brings me back immediately to the good 'ol "REAL" Mexican food. Go once and you will be hooked. It's closer than Mexico too ;)
(5)
Grace C.
My boyfriend and I love this place. The food was excellent! Fresh salsa and great seafood. I would recommend the first tacos for sure. Although everything I have eaten has always been delicious. I am now a loyal customer.
(5)
Patricia S.
This is a very casual inexpensive old-fashioned Mexican food restaurant. The food is really great and authentic. Salsas are delicious, and the guacamole prepared tableside is wonderful. I had cheese enchiladas with onion both red and green. They remind me of the enchiladas that I grew up with here in Arizona. It was a drive to get here to be with family, and we will willingly do it again simply because it is that good. Service was great. The menu is varied and has many seafood dishes. We will be back that is for sure!
(5)
William B.
After being bitter and insulted over being hit up for a cover charge on one Saturday evening I am adjusting my review. This is our local bar and I have had many great times as the service is always good and the food even better. I took my frustration out in a business that didn't deserve it. Great food and people . Not a fan of the new Saturday night Dj/cover but to each their own there is a place for everyone. My apologies for my anonymous poor review this is a way better place then I gave them credit for. Perhaps a breathalyzer on my yelp account would be helpful
(5)
Jeanielle H.
This place is awesome! Get the bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed peppers they are amazing. The fish tacos and pork tacos are also really good. I don't think I've tried anything here I don't like. They also make a great michalada, and margarita. :-)
(5)
L L.
I guess this diamond in the rough has now been discovered. There were no tables available inside at lunch. The patio does have shade and a misting system but I prefer to stay inside when it is hot out so we had a little wait. I ordered the lunch special for $8.99. It was steak and shrimp fajita's and was fantastic! My husband ordered off the menu and had the grilled steak and it was also fabulous. I preferred mine because it came with the typical veggie's, guacamole, (YUM) pico de gallo, rice, beans and tortillas. My pet peeve about ordering fajita's out is that most places don't give you enough tortillas and you can never find a staff person to bring you more. Not only that, but if I have left overs to take home I need tortillas. DUH!! Not here, they provided the exact amount of tortillas needed and plenty for my leftovers. They served a full serving even at a reduced price and I really appreciated it. They are even offering a yelp deal that I just noticed if you want to give it a try. The seafood and steaks are what to order here. Service is amazing! Just saying.......................
(5)
S K.
Good quality Mexican restaurant. Great seafood. We especially like the seafood platter for 2. It is plenty for 3-4 people.
(4)
Sonya S.
Authentic Mexican food and great drink menu. Excellent spot to watch football. I cannot recommend this places enough to people looking for fresh, authentic, Mexican food. It seriously is amazing. My suggestion would be to sit at the bar in the sports/new bar area. The bartenders are very friendly, especially Alex. He makes a mean michelada 'rocky point' style! Great food, huge tvs, and great drink/beer selection. Personal recommendations to order: chips and guacamole, all the dif salsas, nachos, and cheese enchilada (red and green are both amazing) Very pleased to have found baja joes. After moving back to the phx area from Tucson, az, I was starting to fear I wouldn't find an authentic Mexican restaurant. In my opinion, it's the best Mexican restaurant in the valley.
(5)
Mary A.
Ewe eat here 2x a week! The fish frys are good.grilled tacos are awesome!! The salsa is great!!! We love it!!"
(5)
Daniel A.
This is a good restaurant but the staff are extremely lazy and cold except for 2 ladies that work there if you plan to go there you'll be waiting for at least 10 mins before they acknowledge your there to be seated when the place is almost empty the food is burnt and over cooked I will say they have good beans I will not go back because they have lazy cooks that cut corners and they don't seem to care plus the noise is so loud from the bar you can't even have a conversation with your friend or family
(2)
Abel S.
First time visit. . Great service. .great food..not as nice but everything was great. .definitely will go back..
(4)
Lauren B.
They have $2 fish tacos on Tuesdays. And very good fish tacos at that. Excellent Mexican/Seafood place, reminds me of my hometown. Sometimes the customer service isn't fantastic but the food definitely makes up for it.
(4)
Michael S.
Love the food. Yes it's in a bar but their food is actually really good. This is not a Mexican restaurant where I order a meat taco and enchiladas. This is a place where you get their specialties such as the carne asadá plate (special marinade and grilled) of you order their seafood dishes. Excellent seafood soups too such as soup of the 7 seas... Drinks are good but service is slow. It's still worth the wait if you aren't in the fast food style mood. The table side guacamole is a must...
(4)
Jen C.
Service is mediocre. Food is pretty good!!! Stick with the seafood!! Got the cevichi tostada, it was yummy!!!
(3)
K. H.
Received an odd email from this establishment I just reviewed on my dining club web site. I see where the owners have also responded to others here previously in similar fashion. This is disconcerting as I explicitly followed the posting guidelines ( which call for authenticity, accuracy and relevancy) in my review. There is definitively a condescending and trivializing undertone of defensiveness throughout his reply... oh, and I never said I "loved" this place.... and his falling back on the argument of authenticity is relative anyway, I was recently in Oaxaca City's Zocalo and this was allowed in some cafes, but not many. I was merely reporting what did and didn't appeal to us and others there, your mileage may differ! I didn't mean to "tear" anyone up. "Baja Joe's Mexican Cantina's response: i'm really sorry that one bad experience (with music and ambiance no less) was enough to forget about all your love of our place and to tear us up with such a poorly rated review ...Maybe you don't know how detrimental a review like that is for a business. We do allow the musicians to come in here and there to play for tips, just like in Mexico...it adds to our authenticity for most folk, sorry it did not sit well with you. Hopefully you come back and if you really enjoy our place and think so much more of it, you can decide to rates us differently...but maybe just be conscience of the overall rating as it really hinders good business. And I guess to part, you have one issue with ambiance and you stop coming? I guess that means maybe you were not that in love after all. sorry to hear, we'd love to be there for your nourishment. Sean info@bajajoescantina.com "
(1)
Sunni B.
My favorite restaurant! Husband & I usually order chicken fajitas, flour tortillas and a draft beer. Absolutely delicious every single time we go there both during lunch or dinner. Comes with guacamole and the freshest salsa, tortillas and chips in town. All the pretty servers do a great job!
(5)
John G.
Always great service!!! Feels like you're in Rocky Pointe when you walk in the doors. Food is fantastic!!! The torritos are delicious!!! The patio will relax you!!!
(5)
Peter C.
Food and service are great, bartenders are very attentive, becoming a regular here, very comfortable.
(5)
Sandy W.
Food was great. Large portions for price paid. Chips and salsa were great too. I can't speak for seafood or adult beverages.
(5)
Lois R.
It's got a lot of Mexican restaurants around Mesa beat!!!! I usually take home about half a combo meal but this time just couldn't get enough of the flavor in the green chili enchiladas and taco in flower tortilla! Then the chips and salsa wonderful! We used a coupon in entertainment book. The whole idea of coupons is to get you back! It diffinitly will get us back as service was good and food delicious. My husband and I kept talking about it the rest of day! :-). From reviews I think we will stay away during live music. Oh and loved the wrap around wall murals!
(5)
Kelly C.
Food tonight was good as usual. I've never gotten a bad meal. And I have 17 check ins. I love this place. But service tonight was horrible. No silverware or napkins while eating our chips until we were done with them despite asking. Salsa Bowl was left empty for a good long time. It took 40 minutes to get our meal. Just bad. Not sure if I'll be rushing back.
(3)
Martin T.
The shrimp enchiladas were good but the service is marginal at best. They have a great attitude and are friendly but not very attentive. Waiting to pay for 15 minutes. And they still have not come by. Good thing is we had the patio to ourselves. I would give it another try if we are in the area just to see if it was a fluke.
(2)
Lily L.
I had heard a few good reviews of this place so my husband and I stopped in for dinner one night. The atmosphere is a little loud and the staff seemed pretty busy. We ordered a beef chimi and a fajita burrito deluxe. They were both ok, nothing to go out of your way for.
(3)
Miranda J.
Definitely not the little hole in the wall restaurant it appears to be ! Absolutely delicious ! My sister was taken on a date there and then RAVED about how good there fish tacos were so my husband and I decided to check it out . Believe me , we were glad we did ! Great customer service and worth the struggle of trying to read the menu in Spanish(: Check it out and enjoy their yummy chips and salsa !
(4)
Tiffany W.
Food was great! Beer was great! Service was great! I would give it a 5 but both times I've been there in the last two weeks my order was wrong. I didn't complain because the food was really good.
(4)
Susi D.
Absolutely Baja fish tacos are fabulous and mariscos in a large glass with tortillas on the side and the chimichanga huge absolutely reminds me of being in Ensenada
(5)
Mark J.
Ordered food at bar got wrong food and bartender told me..Hey its good I like that just try it. Drink was made wrong. Happened twice with same bartender.
(1)
Matt W.
One month later and the experience was much improved. We were greeted and seated quickly as we entered. The service was quick and courteous.
(4)
lynn b.
3 stars food. 3 stars for price. And 0 stars for service. We ordered seafood enchiladas, chicken flautas & tacos, and spicy bean dip. All were good enough. Nothing extraordinary, but good. Guacamole was really good, so was their salsa. Portions from their dinner menu were ok, not gigantic but not small. Our orders sat in the back long enough to not be hot and to make my taco all soggy and had to eat it with a fork. I ordered a side of sour cream and guacamole -- service forgot sour cream. She asked my husband if he wanted warm tortillas with his meal, he said yes, she never brought any out. Chips and salsa were brought out after we ordered. I thought this was one of those cheap joints where it wasn't included so I ordered chips and bean dip. And then about 5 minutes before our food came she brought out the salsa and the bean dip. As another reviewer said about their experience, we also weren't checked up on during our meal at all. We had to flag her down to get the bill after we stopped eating, which wasn't easy when she refused to look in our direction most of the time. It was not busy, by the way. I'm not counting them out entirely, but this first time was not good and the owner needs to know some of his wait staff are making him look bad.
(2)
Amy K.
A coworker and I came for a bite to eat during lunch on a weekday, and we weren't let down. Lola, our waitress, was awesome and on top of things. The salsa was tasty (a tad watery), and the chips were warm. The ceviche was a bit rubbery (mostly shrimp), but I still ate it. My fish tacos (fried, even though I asked for grilled) were okay, but you need to try their hot sauce and chipotle sauce in the squeeze bottles. They were so good! I would kill for the recipes. They definitely saved the tacos. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it was definitely a solid choice for lunch. PS, there's $1 off if you check in on yelp :)
(3)
Rene S.
What are you kidding me I love this place the food the staff from top to bottom dedication is so wonderful to see and experience it! I so enjoy bringing my family & friends to taste the delicate flavors of the baja. So comfortable and laid back I feel we are at a friends home I am not in a rush to leave ....ummm may have to order some thing else please .....shout out to our favorite friend FABI we told her that when she was born her parents took one look at her and they said she was Fabulous hence "FABI"!!!! Gosh hope I spelled her name right anyway you must stop in you wont regret it!
(5)
Katie M.
This place is definitely not what I expected. The food was really good but not THE BEST food. The salsa was good and slightly spicy. The fish wasn't seasoned all that great, and not crispy. Beans were real good. Service was nice, friendly and attentive. The price was reasonable. Happy hour seems real nice, and the Sunday football specials sound real good. The decor was fun and colorful.
(4)
Marcela L.
We had never heard of this place and so glad we got introduced to it! My husband and I absolutely love Mariscos and have always gone to Mariscos Sinaloa (48th Street) because we knew for sure we were guaranteed Mariscos there! Well, now that we met Baja Joe's we are completely sold! Service at both locations can be slow on a busy day or time, however, when you start comparing quality and portion size, Baja Joe's is a win! I had a shrimp cocktail (abulon, shrimp, octopus) and my fish bowl was seriously packed with seafood! Not just full of vegetables (cucumber, tomato etc.) like the other Mariscos restaurants. My husband had the Malificio (combination of oysters, scallops, drowned, shrimp and octopus), which he too loved. We eat Mariscos quite a bit and have never experienced this and we will for sure return! They are not shy at all on their seafood portions. Thank you Baja Joe's! PS..The salsa was extremely tasty and good, you need to try this place!
(4)
Jenne M.
Authentic Mexican food. Excellent flour tortillas (could be a meal in of itself). Try to shrimp in garlic. Or the beef fajitas. Prepare to get your hands messy. Outstanding food. Ate here two days in a row. TVs for the sports fans. And extremely clean bathrooms.
(5)
Maria N.
I really do like coming to Baja Joe's. You can't beat the ceviche. It is the best! The only bummer is the extremely loud mariachi music. I think that is what they play themselves off as. Weird to see them drinking beer and playing crazy loud off key music. Hard to watch and hard to listen. Definitely can't hear the people you are with. If you love the food, call ahead to make sure no mariachi band is playing. The food is worth it.
(3)
Peiyun G.
Good
(5)
Mike R.
Awesome food and some of the friendliest servers around. Try the Red Snapper or Arroz Marinero (my favorite). The Arroz is a stirring platter of octopus, shrimp, fish, clams and scallops..my favorite dish in the Valley.
(5)
Abby D.
Baja Joe's is definitely a MUST try before you die! Not only is the service impeccable, the food is extremely delicious! First we started with some chips, salsa and guacamole (which they made fresh at the table). The chips were warm and crispy and the salsa was top notch. My bf got the combo platter choosing the shrimp taco and carne asade enchilada as his two items. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the beans and rice that came with it were awesome too! But lets get down to the important matter, what I got. A friend had recommended the whole fish so I ordered the whole garlic red snapper. I was more than impressed! It was crispy and extremely flavorful, could have probably fed 2-3 people so I had a lot for leftovers. The meat of the fish tasted really fresh, came right off and I didn't get any bones. They provided tortillas and I was able to make a super delicious fish taco that included the crispy garlic fish, rice (that came with the fish) and their special chipotle sauce and spicy salsa ( provided on the table). Baja Joe's is my favorite Mexican Cantina by far, and that is counting all the ones have been too (even in California). My friend got the crazy seafood platter that had everything on a boat with a flame underneath and he enjoyed it very much. They also have margaritas served by the pitcher for $19 and it was worth it. I STRONGLY recommend giving this hidden gem a try!! Scouts honor this place is AWESOME!
(5)
Beth A.
I was a bit skeptical at first for trying this place because I haven't seen it advertised much (which doesn't necessarily mean it's good but...). We walked in and the atmosphere is fun as there are sea murals painted on all the walls and overall it's very clean. They played top 40-type music as well which added to the atmosphere. There is an adjoining bar, along with an outdoor patio. The food was great too. The salsa was very good, which is how I usually judge a Mexican food restaurant. The food was delicious and presented very well. It wasn't just slapped on the plate and you can tell there is some care to it. I ordered a chicken tostada plate and it was very flavorful. The chicken is marinated and was awesome. The plate comes with salad as well, in addition to the normal rice and beans. My son ordered a chicken quesadilla and it was great. It had a ton of meat. My husband ordered the enchilada plate and it was tasty. The pricing is VERY reasonable. The service is awesome too! Our waitress stopped by our table at least 4 times during the course of our meal. Our food arrived quickly and we never lacked drinks. You can tell they really care about service. We will be back! Glad I tried this place.
(4)
Michael Z.
We've been here a couple of times now and I love the place! We walked in there you feel like you're in a restaurant in Rocky point Mexico. It's got a really cool coastal beach theme. The menu is rather large and has a lot of options. It is a bit cumbersome to understand in parts of the language barrier. Service on both times that we went was exceptional. They have a ceviche tostada on happy hour that is knock your socks off fantastic. That with a cold Corona light draft beer you can't go wrong. My only negative issue was there's a male manager that walks around the dining room on both occasions with a cold and stern look on his face and seems really uninviting. He stopped at our table to clear off some table settings and didn't even speak to us which I thought was disconcerting. I find the parking lot a bit sketchy to as the first time we were there there were people walking out of the restaurant with Bud lights in her hand heading towards her vehicles and the second time there was a couple of good old boys in the parking lot with the tailgates of their trucks down sipping on a bottle of Jack Daniels. Does it give the place very good curb appeal. Other than that this place is rockstar!
(4)
Mauricio L.
Great food, great service from the singing waitress also! Loved the Atmosphere! Seafood was on point
(5)
Pamela Z.
Wow who knew you could get Fresh Seafood in the desert. Our family loves seafood and Baja Joes has now become our favorite place to enjoy it. We stumbled on this in search for a good lunch spot for the family this past Saturday. Glad I take some reviews of this place with a grain of salt and tried it for ourselves. Eva our server was awesome. Yes you do tend to wait a bit longer for your meals but when they make it all fresh to order that is what you get. We had the tableside quac and was fabulous. 3 of us split this Seafood sampler with red floured fish that was so moist and amazing, shrimp cooked to perfection, along with grilled and breaded fish cooked to perfection. The chipotle sauce was outstanding. Our daughter had the chicken taco salad and loved it. Flan and fried ice cream to end with what was not to love. This will definitely be a returning spot for us loved the patio area.
(5)
Melissa T.
Baja Joe? More like Baja NO! The food is like any other run of the mill Mexican food restaurant out there. Nothing really to write home about but it isn't terrible either. The one thing I have to complain about thought is the AWFUL service! As soon as our food came out, our server couldn't be bothered to grab us water or even our check once our meal was done. We sat for at least 15min after someone else came to clear our table before our server even came back to check in on us. Once we could finally grab her attention she dropped the check, I instantly put my card down and said it was ready for her to take, she glared at me and walked away without even picking up our payment. RUDE! Seriously, costumer service can make or break an experience and the lack of attention (in a nearly empty restaurant) is inexcusable. I always try to cut servers slack because I know bad days happen, but you've got to draw the line somewhere. I for one, have no desire to give this place another shot.
(1)
Marcos V.
Great food, very authentic, good atmosphere, and friendly staff. Overall a great experience.
(5)
Sara L.
I love this place, everything is so tasty and fresh. My only complaint is that it's too far away and I can't get there as often as I would like.
(5)
RH C.
The food here is really good! I had the ceviche tostadas and rice and beans and I ate every bite! The chips are home made and yummy. Overall I want to try a million things on the menu. Big menu too lots of Baja style seafood! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the service was slow and lacking. We stood at the door for 5 min and no one told us to seat ourselves even though staff walked past us several times without saying anything. Our waitress took forever. We were there nearly 2 hrs for lunch. Then had to wait 15 min for the waitress to bring our check after we already told her we were done. The prices are good. And their lunch combos are only $5.99
(4)
Linda P.
Our family became aware of Baja Joe's through Groupon. , we asked a friend if she knew of their restaurant, she highly recommended their authentic Mexican food and customer service. We have been regular customers ever since. Their menu, breakfast, lunch or dinner is superior. Customer service, excellent.. Children friendly restaurant, patio and recently remodeled and enlarged bar for adults. We live in East Mesa, we drive to Baja Joe's when we want authentic Mexican food and pleasurable dining experience. We have attended a couple of their musical events, Cinco de Mayo was a blast with a DJ that had people dancing the night away in their patio area. We attended their recent grand opening of the bar expansion and will be returning with friends this coming weekend for dinner and drinks. My niece and her family will be visiting from Atlanta, Georgia in Oct and can't wait to dine at Baja Joe's !
(5)
Lyndsey D.
The pork dishes are like sex on a plate! So happy we found this place!
(5)
Rick S.
Very authentic Mexican. If you were blindfolded being driven here...you wouldn't know the difference. Friendly staff all the way around. Try the fish tacos.
(4)
James K.
Last night was our second time eating at Baja Joe's in the last 3 months. We bought a couple of AmazonLocal deals back in Nov/Dec. Both times were nice experiences but only one item may bring us back in the future (the guac). It wasn't crowded last night or the Saturday night we went to back in January. However, there was a steady flow of people. We ate in the restaurant portion both times, but the Catina had happy hour last night, which had a good number of people but still room for more. Our family favorite item was the table-side guacamole. In our opinion, Baja Joe's beats every other Mexican food place we have been to in the east valley. The price is good too for the size...definitely a 2 person or more size. Margarita's were good, but a lot of ice (even in the pitcher version we ordered last night). The cheese on the deluxe nachos as very mild and turned the dish into soup. We had the nachos with shredded beef, which was very sparse. I hate sour cream, and asked if it came with sour cream on it (the menu was silent on it), and the waitress said it didn't have SC. I asked her to be sure, and to even make a note to put it on the side if it did......sure enough, it came to the table (delivered by a runner and not our waitress) with a blob of sour cream on top.... On our previous visit, my wife and daughter had some of their shrimp cocktails and some other shrimp dishes. They both thought they were good, but last night no one opted for any seafood. Their regular salsa tasted very good and fresh both times. I asked for a hotter salsa, and they brought a condiment bottle of homemade salsa that was supposed to be hotter...to me, it just tasted saltier so I stayed with the regular salsa, which was quite good. Portion sizes of the food were a good size and I we were all still full the next morning... Our wait staff were good both times and were great about offering suggestions about their favorite items or recommended items on the menu.
(3)
Julia G.
I'm actually jealous everyone else had such a good experience! My experience...not so good. My brother recommend this place and has been sent a nasty text message. We arrived for the game (I know, I don't know why I watch the Cards either) and had been told during the game, it was 1/2 off appetizers. So, I got the Original Large Ceviche but it arrived 30 minutes after our arrival, and while we were sitting there steaming from not having received our meal. Two other tables, one that arrived about 15 minutes after us, got their meals before us (even the ceviche they ordered and again, before we got ours). So, we chilled a bit and took some bites of the ceviche...well...UGH...no deveining. Most people would not notice because they cut the shrimp into small bites, but I always look for it. Ewwww! No reason not to devein, they charge enough for the item ($12.99), they should make it right! Well, since our order never came, it was almost 40 minutes after we had ordered, we had 3 bowls of chips and salsa, watching a game I didn't enjoy nor understand (I don't speak Spanish) and we had to sit there and watch Soccer on (I think) Univision, (which I didn't understand since 1/2 price appetizers where for the Cards game), the little girl at the table next to me had let out her 8th high-pitched wail, we were done and left. I left a tip for the water, chips and salsa, but I was NOT going to pay for yucky ceviche. It's not a place I would ever even give another chance too. The food being brought to other tables didn't even look good, not impressed. Go at your own risk, don't expect too much though. Again, this was my experience and it may or may not have been unique. I would not go here again, and my brother owes me some gas money with a sprinkle for chips and salsa!
(1)
Aaron S.
Really good authentic style Mexican food. Great hole in the wall type of place. Traditional type of atmosphere. Staff is friendly and somewhat informal.
(4)
Tammy H.
The food was pretty good...about 4 stars good. The service is a different story...maybe 1 star and that is being generous. We were basically ignored the whole time we were there by our server. Took forever to get her to take our drink order and then when she did finally bring our drinks mine was wrong, had ordered a margarita with NO salt and of course it had salt. I had ordered a side of sour cream and of course she forgot it, and once I realized this had to flag down a different server because our server had once again disappeared. My husband asked for another when she brought our dinner out...10 minutes later no beer so asked the hostess to find our server since we had not seen her since she delivered the food. When she did finally bring the beer blamed it on the bartender. Never once did she come over to our table after bringing our meal out and asked us if everything was ok or if we needed anything else. Let me add they were not busy at all so no excuse really for this horrible service. This was our second visit to Baja Joe's, the first visit being a few months ago and had a wonderful server and a very pleasurable experience. But after this last visit we won't be back.
(2)
J. A.
This is my favorite spot when I'm in mesa, I always hit it, love the food and the staff, always going above my expectations!!!! Love it.
(5)
Johnson M.
I used to have to drive down to Guadalupe (the city not the street... well, actually, in Guadalupe, on Guadalupe, actually) for Mariscos like this, now I drive a mile or two down the street. Awesome! The wait staff is great... friendly, prompt, accommodating. I really enjoy their food and have had 3 different shrimp dishes and sampled 3 or more of the fish dishes. They are all delicious and the rice and potatoes they serve with the meals is a real treat also. I especially like the fact that they are knowledgeable about their ingredients and can tweak a lot of the recipes to make their dairy-free. They will use oil instead of butter on request making this an easy spot for people who don't eat dairy.
(4)
Jeanette A.
AMAZING! Authentic mexican food and decent prices. It's a match made in heaven. It's so authentic that there are murals on the walls. My 2-year old had the chicken nuggets with beans. She ate most of it, which is rare for a 2-yr old. My hubby and I split the nachos and each had a carnitas plate. The nachos had tender carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, and a good amount of white nacho cheese. Delicious! Then the carnitas plate came with unlimited homemade, yes homemade, flour tortillas. The meat was in big chunks which is preferred over the pre-shredded version we usually get from other places. On the side, was a little salad, rice, and beans. All of it tasted like something I would get from those great dives in LA. Can't wait to go back!
(5)
louise l.
Best Mexican we've had in this area, by far! The shrimp were fantastic. The salsa and hot chips great. The service was terrific and the patio is very nice!
(4)
Vanessa L.
I am so glad we decided to try Baja Joe's. The food was very good, our waitress was super nice and attentive, and the prices were pretty good. Try it, you will be glad you did!
(4)
Charlie K.
Excellent menu, plenty of choices to please almost anyone. i came here based on Yelp reviews my first night in Mesa (first time ever in AZ!) and while it doesn't look like much, tucked away in a strip mall, there is plenty to be excited about when it comes to the food. Line juice in the bottom of my beer mug gave some great extra flavor to my pitcher of beer and was an awesome extra touch. VERY authentic and a good variety. Service overall was great except for my one complaint below, I highly recommend Baha Joe's. The one complaint I had is in the length of time it took to get our check. Normally (being an American) I'm not accustomed to asking for it but even when I asked, it took a while to not just get the check, but for them to give us our credit card back. I'm not sure if it's a part of the culture of the restaraunt or not, but this could have been improved.
(4)
Colin K.
Great food, Great service, Can't ask for more! Don't let the area and the decor stop you! Kick back, have and amazing margarita, and enjoy a night out! This is the first place I can honestly tell you that, I don't know if there was a T.V. in the restaurant because, I was so focused on the fun, atmosphere and food!
(5)
Hit'em Long W.
This white girl is in LOVE!! My mother lives about a mile away from Baja Joe's. We have never stopped to eat there in all the 18 years she has lived in the neighborhood. Last year I snagged a Groupon and took 2 coworkers there for lunch. It was....okay. I think the enjoyment lessened because of the unattentive waitress. The best expereince was the shrimp stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon. About 3 months ago I went again. This time I was just blown out of the water. The queso dip was yummy. The salsa tasted VERY FRESH. The carne asada quesadilla was meaty & cheesy. About 2 months ago I took my mother there. It was her first time. She fell in love too. She thought the seafood was delish. Well folks, I think she is addicted. She has been there 6 more times in the last 7 weeks. She has taken friends and family there to introduce them to Baja Joe's (making reservations each time to make sure there is seating). When you see Mexicans walk in, eat & have fun, you know you're at the right place! (You never see a Mexican eating at Taco Bell.) This place serves authentic homemade Mexican food and beats the chain-style restraunts HANDS DOWN!! Servers are pleasant and informative about the menu choices. Love me some Toritos De Camaron!!!
(5)
James M.
Food was great but the service was incredibly slow.
(3)
Jose C.
I bought a Groupon for Baja Joe's after checking out the great ratings on Yelp! Easy to visit when I go to the East Valley to visit my hateful mother, my partner and I visited on a Friday night. The place was happy, relaxed and busy. The food was above average in every way. Great chips (really) and a salsa that had a little kick. Just a little. For an appetizer we ordered the Supreme Nacho and we were blown away. The chips were smothered in a cheese sauce that tasted more like a cheddar fondue. We totally scoffed down the tasty flavored shredded beef, beans, sour cream and guacamole. Best. Nachos. Ever. My Stuffed shrimp w/crab and wrapped in bacon, was good but a little dry. The sides of were wonderful rice and potatoes reminded me of spanish restaurants in New Jersey where I am from. Next time I will try their traditional food like shredded beef enchiladas . My partner ordered three tacos- on fish and two carne asada and he was very happy except no baja sauce for his fish taco. His refried beans were creamy and delicious with the mexican rice. Baja Joe's is a great value and it really is a nice atmosphere like a neighborhood hangout. Still dreaming of those nachos, and will bring my hateful mother there for her birthday next month.
(4)
laura a.
Great patio even if it is in a shopping center. Service very slow. Chips and salsa were quick to arrive but we were ignored after that for a long time. Check took a long time too. Enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. Will have to try more dishes. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Jessica G.
Ok, so the service isn't always the fastest, but its friendly and the food is great! Fish and pork tacos and shrimp stuffed peppers. Yum!! They just expanded and the new bar side is super nice. Love it!
(5)
Scott T.
Yes, this is as good as it gets. I take the family on Sundays after church and the food has always been outstanding. We lapsed for awhile but revisited on 10/17/2010 to find new signage (and later we find new ownership). But the new owners very very wisely kept the menu! The Toritos de Camaron are reason enough to go. But everything else we've ever had is really really good too. I go to Mazatlan 1-2 times a year and it's just like going back. This is not chain-Mexican or Tex-Mex...it's the real thing. Do yourself a favor and try it out!
(5)
Jan C.
We go here quite often - love the tacos. The service has been a little off a few times, but they try. It's a lively place with a good happy hour crowd - can get real busy and pretty noisy. A cold Pacifico in an iced mug with salted rim and 2 shrimp tacos -heaven!!
(4)
Kate O.
I've now been there twice and can honestly say I will never go there again. Seriously, the service is the worst. The first time I went there we waited an hour for our food. People that were seated after us got their food, paid their check, and left before we got our food. The second time it took forever again, I thought I was safe ordering nachos, but it came with a "cheese sauce" and the meat left a lot to be desired. I sent them back and didn't order anything else. My friends really like the fajitas, but after two bad experiences I'm not willing to go back to try those. The servers were nice, but non attentive, beyond that I think it's really the management and kitchen staff that need a lot of help.
(1)
Ken B.
I like this restaurant. For one thing, I see a lot of Hispanic folks eating there. The wait staff is friendly and helpful to a degree you don't often luck into. The michelada (it's a mexican tomato beer) is a wonderful way to take beer. We've done four or five trips to this restaurant and both my wife and I have found the food to be excellent every time. They specialize in some sea food dishes if you like Mexican sea food. You get the feeling of dining in Mexico here. Good people, good food, good ambiance. We intend to do our part to keep this place going. It is kind of hidden in the little plaza at the corner of McKellips and Gilbert.
(5)
Rob C.
I have driven by this restaurant everyday for the past several years and never given it a thought. Last night I tried it and all I can say is wow. Started off with a Patron margarita, which was very well made. I had a fish and shrimp taco. Both tasted extremely fresh. My wife had the fish diablo, and it was the highlight of the table. The diablo sauce is fantastic. Give this restaurant a chance, you will not be disappointed.
(4)
Tricia B.
Bacon wrapped crab stuffed shrimp, spicy cerviche (sp?), delish Mexican beer served with salt and lime, casual experience with a nice patio. When I am looking for a little seafood and some day drinking this is the place for me. It is pretty bare bones, but it is clean and well run, my service has always been great, but I usually sit at the bar. Try this little place out, you will be very happy you did.
(4)
Brian T.
Great ceviche. Love the chips and salsa. Quesadilla had a lot of cheese. Cold beer. Awesome margarita. Good waitstaff. Will be back!
(5)
mk w.
We've been here for lunch three times now and have NEVER been disappointed. To start, the decor is super. It makes you feel like you are in a little cantina along the Mexican coast. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of choices and very good prices. The wait staff is great and very attentive. The food is so amazing. We've gone to a lot of different Mexican restaurants and this is probably the best and most authentic. You will not be disappointed with anything you order. The combo plates are super deals and come with whatever you choose (taco, enchilada, etc.), beans, rice, salad and a really refreshing orange slice. We absolutely LOVE this place and will come back often.
(5)
Bonnie Jean W.
This place is great! I can enthusiastically recommend everything we ordered: the table-side guacamole, the fish chimichanga, and the bacon-wrapped crab-stuffed shrimp. BACON-WRAPPED? CRAB-STUFFED? Yes. Seriously. Good quality seafood, flavorful and unique dishes, awesome service, nice clean atmosphere, aquatic murals. I'm glad we gave this place a try.
(5)
Robin H.
I found a new fave today. The reviews were pretty right on. The food ROCKS! Got the Steak Picado Chimi and man it was the best I have ever had. The wait staff I am split on. I am not sure if it was because I ordered take out but the waitress that took my order seemed less than thrilled to be there and made no attempt at customer service. The second waitress that approached me asked me if I would like a glass of water while I waited and was very pleasent. In retrospect I should have gave her the tip lol
(5)
George P.
Ok, so for the most part of the almost 26 years I have lived here in Mesa I never knew there was a Mexican Restaurant at this location. Now I know this is a new owner as of this past January and was under a different name, but come on. I used to go to the Chinese Restaurant right off of Gilbert in the same shopping plaza, this place is kinda hidden, but wow I think you will all like this place. Once you walk in, it is a bright and colorful decoration, bar to the left and main restaurant ahead and when it cools down a patio out to the right outside the restaurant. Very nicely decorated patio, I must say, I can't wait till it cools down. On to the food.... I got the tacos and my girlfriend got the chimichanga and that came with fresh salad and fresh meat and vegetables in the chimi. The tacos were just as good. The manager of the place, Everett was probably one of the nicest guys, not fake either, which is a change for the restaurant industry. Cause you know how that goes, How is your meal, folks. Like you really give a crap, just shut up and let me eat in peace. This guy really cared and wanted to help grow this business. He also introduced us to the Michelada con Cervesa, A fancy way of saying adding your beer to Clamato Juice, lime juice, hot sauce, soy sauce and pepper and other seasonings, WHICH was awesome!!! Never would of tried it, Thanks Everett!!! Good Luck with the place, We will definitely tell everyone we know and recommend this to all. Please drive pass Serrano's and Tia Rosa's and check this place out. Great flavor, Fresh food and not watery and running all together on your plate, like the normal places.
(5)
John H.
The owner is very friendly and engaged, and the food is very good. I ate while my kids skateboarded at Kids that Rip next door, so very convenient if you want to stay close. I ordered a carne asada taco (it rocked), shredded beef taco and bean tostada (ok, not spectacular). Margaritas are good. Ambiance is bright, simple, and somewhat authentic - meaning I could see this place being in a border town, complete with mariachi tunes on the stereo. I'll come back.
(4)
Nancy T.
I had a Groupon for Baja Joes so four of us went for dinner during our Girls Weekend. The others are right - this place is a little difficult to find - but well worth it. A small place with bright ocean murals on the wall and an extensive menu of traditional mexican dishes and many seafood dishes. I had the shrimp veracruz which comes with a mild red sauce. The shrimp were some of the best I've ever eaten. The tableside guacamole was also very good but a little expensive at $8.00. The others raved about their chicken and shrimp fajitas also. Other than the guacamole, the prices were very reasonable. I will definitely go back.
(4)
John And Chelsea M.
Not fancy at all but the food is simple and fresh!! No room for improvement on the food. Service was so so but friendly. Portions are large (we were starved & couldnt finish 2 appys and 1 main for lunch) so don't go to crazy on your order which is hard cuz if u luv seafood u will luv baja joes!
(4)
Julie M.
Had the ceviche tostada, mister had the carne asada tacos. Both were ok. Queso fundio for an app. not good. Service was slow and I probably wouldn't go back.
(2)
Stephanie S.
The staff is friendly enough... the food, forgettable. Margaritas taste like they were poured straight from a bottle. Cheap, dingy store; weak drinks; greasy, bland food... yuck!
(1)
Kathryn K.
Sean the owner is absolutely awesome. Come try this place out. Give him your honest feed back (good or bad) and he takes it to heart. I love the carne asada! The guacamole they make at your table is also very good! We went last night on a very busy night (mother's day in Mexico, which we didn't know) but for how busy it was we got served pretty quickly. Our waitress was super sweet even with all the chaos of the crowd. Thanks Sean for caring about your customers!! :O)
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No 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 : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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.
Yvonne G.
Went for dinner because I was craving some shrimp and was hopeful that they would make them just the way I like them--light on the batter and not greasy. Upon being seated, we were served with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were fresh but the salsa was not spicy enough for us. We are beasts when it comes to spiciness. I think it would have good enough for the average Joe (he, he. Get it,Joe?) I ordered a Modelo Negro beer and then a Pinto Margarita. The Modelo Negro beer, delicious--nice and cold. The Pinto Margarita had Pommegranite Patron, Triple Sec and some other delights. Very strong, very good tasting and large enough for two to share for only $10. For food, I ordered the fried shrimp platter which came with yellow rice (i usually only like my rice, but it came with the platter), thick sliced potatoes, a salad with spring mix, red cabbage & other greens, and 6 butterflied shrimp. At first glance the shrimp looked good--golden but not too much; not too small but not huge. I put one of them in my mouth and then it hit me--Nirvana; also known as shrimp heaven. I think what made them perfect was that they were perfectly seasoned and perfectly fried. No grease here. The salad was fresh with a bit of ranch-type dressing. I like it when they don't overdress the salad. The thick potatoes were real potatoes ,(when everything is usually frozen in restaurants) slightly fried but not too fried. They were cooked through and it's nice to taste something natural for a change. The yellow rice I approached with trepidation since I am only a fan of my own rice (and biryani's at indian restaurants). It was a simple yellow rice with nothing in it and yet it had a nice taste about it. I couldn't help but eat it. The real summary is that I cleaned my plate. A little shrimp bite, a little potato, a bite of rice and that Margarita (and beer), was motivation enough to wipe that plate clean. I wonder if they had to wash it after I was done with it? Just joking folks. BTW, the place was clean and every time a customer left, the staff cleaned under the table as well as the usual top table clean up. Now for the second dish. A platter of Whole Red Snapper with garlic sauce. Came with the accompaniments I described before which were all good. The snapper was a hefty size and hubby ate it to the bone although red snapper is not his favorite fish. He likes fish with a strong taste to it like blue fish (ugh! Poo-ee, yuk, argg) or flounder. I asked if he could savor the garlic sauce and he said :Maybe. Now keep in mind that I could see the chopped up garlic on and below the fish that's why I was asking. I really thought he was going to say it was overwhelming. Nope--- he's no Dracula. Keep that garlic coming and it's never enough. We asked the waitress for a spicier salsa than the one they first served us. She gladly obliged but the salsa while spicy had no flavor. It was just strong spice, no taste. So we reverted to the original salsa. The original salsa could have been made spicier by simply adding some chopped habaneros which is a really flavorful pepper. That's how you do it (This has been an editorial from Yvonne who thinks she's a really good cook. LOL) Did I forget to tell you that the platters came with your choice of corn or flour tortilla? I didn't forget. I left it for last for a reason. At the end of the meal, I was curious about the tortillas (after all I am definitely coming back to this place),opened the tortilla case, took off a piece of tortilla and tasted it. After a few chews, I grabbed my napkin and spit out the tortilla. What was wrong you ask? (I hope the owners/management are asking the same question as you my dear readers). RANCIDITY. That's what was wrong. Either the fat used to make them, cook them was rancid or they made them in such bulk that they got rancid during storage. I don't believe they are made in large quantities and stored since they were soft and pliable and really looked yummy. But this was not about me not liking the taste or the texture of the tortilla. This was old fat that turn rancid (Rancio, in Spanish). That is a big faux-pas for a mexican place. Imagine that I ordered burritos and they were made with these rancid tortillas? Not a good thing. The waitress was wonderful and her service was spot on. The four stars are for the food and our wonderful waitress. FIX THOSE TORTILLAS!
(4)Jocelyn A.
We love Baja Joe's! Cute patio that is relaxing with nice adirondack-style chairs and low tables for relaxing with drinks as well as booths and tables for dining. Misters and cover make it bearable in the summer, and always great in the winter. Salsa is deliciously fresh. Every time I have gone, I have had a seafood dish and none have disappointed. All wait staff has been friendly and even humor my kids (that love telling silly jokes). I have had the chef come to my table a few times to see how we liked the food - always great! My fave dishes: Kids fish nuggets Stuffed peppers Seafood in coconut Seafood rice.
(5)Daniela G.
Don't come to this place unless you pay cash. The food was alright, I had the campechana especial, and my son had the chicken nuggets. Before placing my order, I had asked the waitress that was attending to the table I was at, her name is Janet, to please separate my son's and my order from the everyone else's bill, she refused to separate it, why? I don't know. Once coming to paying though, I asked her to give me my bill of what I had and my son had, and she wouldn't listen to me, she was looking at the other people I was sitting with, who told her not to, and I directly told her to ignore them that I was going to pay for my food which I had consumed as well as my sons. I handed her my card, told her to swipe it for MY bill, and instead she charged me the WHOLE tables bill, which was 202.49, when she brought me the ticket for me to sign, I was baffled on how she misunderstood me. I asked her to refund me the 202.49 back to my card, and charge me what I owed, she "refunded" it, charged me 33.99 for what I ate. I check my bank account, and it's -112 dollars because of the 202 pending on my account. Keep in mind I went Saturday June 20th, 2015 called the restaurant that same day after I left and spoke to Javier the general manager, who told me that it would drop off by Monday morning, I believed him, on Monday it still hadn't dropped off, went to the restaurant, apparently Javier was out of town, so I had to speak to David the bar manager, who told me they would do anything in their power to fix it. And blamed my bank for holding the funds. Tuesday came by and still nothing. Now it's Wednesday June 24th, and it's STILL pending, I already went to my bank and the fault is in part of the business Baja Joe's, on my bank records, it showed that the amount of 202.49 was charged and approved, leaving me with a negative balance and a HORRIBLE experience. I am left to suffer because of Baja Joe's staff, who chose not to listen to her customer. Clearly they need to train their staff how to properly refund people, and to actually listen to their customers. __________________________________________________Â________ Update to June 25th 2015 I was called by the owner, he claimed that he wanted to apologize to me for what happened, but instead I was told I had no human compassion and an irresponsible mother, I was not expecting a phone call. He did apologize, but apologies do not fix his staffs mistakes. I understand we are all human, and we are imperfect as a species, but when someone asks you to let them pay for the food they have consumed, let them pay. I would never want anyone to come here not as a personal vendetta, but to save them from a headache that lasts for days and being harassed by the owner of the company himself. Baja Joe's owner, I hope you learn from your staffs mistake, to train them properly for these situations, because as you so clearly pointed out when you called me you yourself have been in those types of situations multiple times. How could I not be angry when was the one being punished by your companys actions? Leaving me without the ability to even use my own money, because of your negligence of training your staff properly? To those of you thinking about coming to visit this restaurant, I hope you don't have the same issue as I did, pay cash if you must.
(1)JP C.
3 1/2 stars, down from 4 for the food because of the slow service. Good food, good setting with lots of TVs, excellent hot salsa. I went here for lunch on a Saturday with family. We sat down and waited for quite a while before being acknowledged by any of the staff. The staff got our orders correct and responded to our requests, but always in a rather slow fashion. They certainly were in no hurry. The food was good. We asked for the spicy salsa to go with the chips they bring out at the beginning of the meal, and it was probably my favorite thing from the whole meal (but challenged closely by the carnitas burro). Not only was it the spice level I like (decently spicy, but not uncomfortable), but the flavor was excellent. I ordered two tacos (one grilled fish and one chicken) and the carnitas burro. The fish taco was decent, although the piece of fish in it was rather small. The chicken made me a little unsure as to whether it was breaded and fried or grilled, but with some of that salsa on it, it was pretty decent. But the star of my meal was the carnitas burro. It had an excellent flavor to it, and the carnitas had a nice texture that carnitas should have. My friend had the fajitas, which came out sizzling and looked pretty solid. There were lots of brightly-colored peppers to go with the steak, and the guacamole was good. All in all, this is a solid choice for Mexican food in this part of town. Just don't be in a rush when you come here.
(3)Lynnette S.
A very quick place for a cheap dine in lunch atmosphere. All specials are $6.99 at lunch and a drink can be added for an additional $2. I would not recommend the tacos, poor tortillas, but the enchiladas are a hit! Nothing too fancy about the free chips and salsa or service- everything is just average. I've seen the happy hour menu and drink selection and would definitely go back for a good time.
(3)Nik P.
Food was ok. Our chips were cold. The menu is so large you will probably find something to your liking.
(3)Maky M.
This place is so so good!!! Clean (for a change) mariscos place. Very nice wait staff and delicious food. also, the micheladas are excellent!
(4)Lee P.
No tables in the dining area this evening; hence, we are in the bar!!! Marco is a delight, and we remember when he was bussing tables! So nice to see folks advance at our favorite venue! .Always a fabulous meal and the house marguerita is sooo tasty!
(5)Rob L.
Awesome food. Great grilled fish and shrimp tacos! Really authentic baja style mexican fare. Great venue to hang out and watch just about any sporting event and fun vibe on the weekends.
(5)mya w.
This restaurant is something SPECIAL!!!!!! GREAT food , excellent staff , happy atmosphere and fun to visit. This is gonna be my GO TO Place from now on
(5)Cassandra M.
We live across the street from Baja Joe's and really we waited two years to try it! I'm not sure why we waited so long to try this place, but now it's our go to quick fix for nachos and margaritas. Our first time was great, the service was quick and responsive, the food was really good. I suggest trying the nachos with carnitas and ceviche is also tasty! Our 6 year old daughter orders a plain hamburger every time we visit Baja's and she loves it. I also like that they have a large patio on the side for those great spring time nights!
(5)David F.
Stopped in for lunch Had shredded beef taco rice and beans... Very good, and the chips and salsa were great! We will be back.
(5)Kendra S.
It's right near my house so we tried it out. The food is good. They have different specials for almost every day of the week, which is nice. They also have a nice happy hour and Margarita Wednesday! We just moved to AZ three weeks ago and have been here twice already. It's a nice atmosphere and the staff are friendly as well.
(4)Tanner G.
Good service. Fresh chips and salsa my favorite is the fajitas. I like it mixed steak and shrimp. Good prices for a family venture.
(5)Ether B.
Pretty good place to eat. A little pricey and I am not Hispanic so I don't know how to read the menu but overall good experience.
(4)Mike M.
Chips and salsa were a 2. Runniest salsa I have ever had. Soupy. My shrimp enchiladas were ok. This is a bar restaurant where the mexican food is barely average. Service was good.
(2)Rahul I.
Went to Baja Joes for lunch. I ordered the two fish tacos lunch special. It was okay. It is worth noting that there is no host at the door, and there were many people waiting to be acknowledged including me. They need to be more attentive. If you want Mexican style seafood go elsewhere. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------------------------Â------ 03/21/2015 9:30 AM Mesa AZ Time ------------- The following is update to my review. It is correspondence from whom I believe to be the owner of this business. Apparently the owner has chosen to harass those who write negative reviews. I do not normally post nasty responses that I receive, but I think it is noteworthy. My advice to the person below is to please refrain from these kinds of attacks and work on improving your business. Also, please cease and desist in your harassment of me. I will reciprocate in-kind and cease and desist. The exact message with the contents has been reported to Yelp HQ. Please refer to below for what the message stated. I will leave it at that. -------------- From Sean S funny how you went to both our restaurant AND our old owners on the same day and get us a horrible review and them a glowing one. not suspicious in the least
(1)ariana v.
I always make sure I bring my family here or anyone else that comes to visit. This is close to where I live and the best I've been to in my area. Im a usual...out of all the times I've been here I've only had a rude waitress ONCE...and I've been coming at least once a week for over a year. I take my three kids there each time too. Im a Mexican who likes authentic Mexican food. So this is where I go. Margaritas are good too. Never had seafood but everyone who has had it says its really good.
(4)Joe U.
Taco Tuesday is awesome and the service is even greater with Michael as our bartender made the difference of being a good restraunt to an even better one...love this place...we will be back over and over!!!
(5)Crissy S.
My husband and I come here on a weekly for taco Tuesday. We have had the best experience with our bartender, Michael. He has always been amazing. He always recommends drinks, tacos or specials. Michael is great. This is the best consistent service we have ever gotten anywhere. We have brought family and friends here to enjoy the experience! ! Thank you Michael and Baja Joe's for the mini escape! !!!
(5)Jaque P.
We were looking for a new place to try and we decided on Baja Joe's. We were surprised, it was a neat place. Half bar with a live band and the other half mexican seafood restaurant. The menu is in Spanish and English with pictures, that is always helpful. The waitress was really nice and helpful. We told her it was our first time and she recommended we try the yellow peppers wrapped in bacon, stuffed with shrimp appitizer, AWESOME! I ordere the mixed fajitas, OK, a bit greasey. My husband order the fish tacos, GOOD. I don't know what I was thinking, duh, I should've ordered seafood. Next visit I plan on ordering what everyone else ordered, the big clay pot with flames underneath, filled with seafood, looked GOOD! Looking forward to my return.
(4)Brittany F.
This was totally unexpectedly delicious!! I ordered the fajitas and now I crave them all the time!! Anytime my husband or I get fajitas anywhere else, we compare them to Baja Joe's. So far none of them have lived up to them! My mom and husband didn't love their meals, but they both loved my fajitas. The atmosphere is definitely casual and has some interesting wall murals. I would've eaten outside, but there was smoking allowed on the patio.
(3)Miree J.
On a whim, we decided to try Baja Joe's. I was slightly skeptical as the shopping center it is in is old and houses a thrift store and some other oddities. However, upon walking i was surprised to see how spacious the bar area and dining room were. The bar area had lots of tables ranging from high tops to big banquet tables. There was also a ton of flat screens and a darts game. We sat ourselves at the bar and were greeted by of the many bartenders. She was quite friendly and helped with my indecisiveness with my drink order. I got a Corona-Rita, a margarita with a baby corona in it. It was huge and well made; not overly sweet or too strong. For food, I got a 3 item combo so I could t one ry a variety of items. It had a grilled fish taco, shrimp taco and cheese enchilada with rice and beans. Both tacos were amazing; they were fresh and had a ton of flavor. The cheese enchilada was oozing with cheese and the red sauce was slight spicy and not sweet like canned enchilada sauce. The beans and rice were on point, which is indicative of a good Mexican restaurant in my opinion. My boyfriend ordered two beef tacos, which were braised in some type of sauce making the meat tender and delicious. One of the owners was helping clear tables and asked how things were. I told him it was our first time and it was a good one. He was happy to hear and gave us a coupon to use for next time. Such great customer service. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise and I can see myself frequenting here often and you should to.
(4)Zakk D.
The fish tacos are awesome! Great size and on Tuesdays the prices cant be beat. Shared a plate of 12 wings with a coworker and had 2 fish tacos myself and the bill was less then $10. Get the fish tacos with breaded finish on either the flour or corn tortillas, both are good.
(4)Jason V.
Best around. Salsa great! Beans and rice, the basis of Mexican food was perfect. My combination plate was savory, spicy and kept me wanting more. After years of eating at the other local Mexican restaurants, this is the one the competition should worry about!
(5)Yvonne R.
This place rules. Cold beer good nachos great prices. The chips and salsa is the best and you can get it to go for like $3. BUCKS
(5)Mike W.
Pretty yummy Mexican food, I live nearby here and I never bothered to go here until my friend suggested it. Their burritos are amazing!
(4)Bobby R.
I have no idea where to start.... everything from the shrimp covered bacon, chips & salsa, baja burger, nachos and double wrapped carne asada burrito were on point. I normally don't like Mexican food but this place was delicious and reasonably priced. Definitely a go see.
(5)Lloyd B.
A lengthy drive from my home in Chandler but worth it! In large shopping center, easy parking. Staff is friendly and efficient with good service. Sports bar atmosphere with several large flat screens, a well stocked bar and adjacent dining room. Tables and seating was clean and comfortable. We ordered a large shrimp and octopus cocktail, a 5 star dish, loaded with the seafood, crunchy cucumber, tomato juice, etc.,very tasty and filling, and only $13, and Bacanora, described as shrimp in mildly spiced cheese sauce, served with rice, potato slices and salad, a 3 star dish, ($14) with 6 medium shrimp despite the fact that the menu photo had twice as many shrimp, and no spiciness at all. We drank the House Margarita, $6 as it was happy hour (3-6pm). Also had the house wine at $3.50 a glass. We closed with Sopapillas with powdered sugar and honey, only average. We will return to try their fish, looked and smelled pretty good.
(4)Tyler K.
Had lunch here last week. The place was packed but we were seated right away. Its a big restaurant. Food was good. Got the baja lunch burrito combo. Chips and salsa were also good. The service was fine, quick and easy place to grab lunch. I'm not much of a seafood person but this place has a huge seafood selection!!
(4)Lynn S.
The food looked good but I don't know for sure. The pricing was okay but the staff could use some improvement. I was delivered the wrong order to my table twice and by the time they got it right the food they served us was ice cold. We complained and they said they "could fix it again if we would like". Long story short we were fed up and decided to leave. They actually had the nerve to ask us to pay for our iced teas. Will never go back and have cautioned everyone I know to stay away.
(1)Chloe R.
This place turned out to be so much better than I originally thought. My mother took my family out to lunch with a "groupon" she scored, and thanks to her I now have a new favorite Mexican food place! The environment is relaxing and refreshing with a beach-theme and colorful murals along the walls. Service was fast and friendly, and they have great accommodations for families. As far as food goes, I couldn't stop eating my carne adobada. Rice had wonderful flavor and texture, beans were tasty, and the homemade tortillas reminded me of the ones I get from Mexico. My family members all tried each others' plates (we like to share) and no one complained about any menu items we ordered. All of the seafood dishes were deliciously fresh. In fact we liked everything so much we got dessert- sopapillas. Those filled us up and just like everything else, didn't disappoint. Overall I find this restaurant very deserving of my 5-star rating and encourage all of you to try it out! They tend to be a bit spicy on some choices (they even offer a habanero pepper sauce I enjoyed immensely) so ask your server if it's something that might potentially burn your tongue off. Other than that though, go try Baja Joe's for yourself!
(5)Kent M.
Baja Joes fish tacos are awesome!! Get them fried or grilled. I come at least 1 time a month if not more. Tuesday is tacos for $2 any taco you want. I suggest carnitas, fish and carne asada tacos. Waitresses are very friendly and do a great job! Weekends you get a chance to see mariachi!!
(4)Julia L.
Came here again with the whole family (6of us) after a first successful evening. Once again, the service was remarkable and the owner very friendly. The food we ordered was the whole red snapper, the fish tray, and the sistes martes ( I know I spelled that wrong but it was the soup of the seven seas). I have it 4 stars again because of this. I got the whole fish because I thought it would be basically 2x the size of the fillet. It was definitely not, and it was a little too cooked / breaded so there was hardly any meat and way too much work. The taste still was great, but I will definitely opt for the filet next time. The seafood platter was very impressive. Everything's was cooked absolutely to perfection. The only downside was that it was pretty salty on some pieces. The red fish ( I have no idea what it was called but it was straight out red) was my favorite because it was cooked so amazingly. It's not easy to deep fry such a small piece of fish and have it come out perfectly! Because it is all fried, I would not recommend getting just that because I personally would get sick of it, but since we all also shared the fish (tacos) and soup, the meal was very balanced. Moving on to the soup, it was pretty good. It was cool to see snails in it as they are hard to find in AZ. It was full of different seafood which my family really enjoyed, but the broth was a bit bland. I was expecting a bouillabaisse tasting broth but it was a slightly fishy chicken broth. I'm not sure we would get that again but it's definitely a mellow flavor if you like that. Overall even though the food should have served 4 people, the 6 of us were exploding and had to work hard to finish everything. And the prices (I think $60) was so totally worth it! I mean it's hard to find such fresh seafood in AZ, but Baja joes nails it and the prices are reasonable and the portions are massive. We will definitely make this one of our regulars.
(4)Rudy M.
Great food, service and lively atmosphere. Very friendly and attentive staff. The seafood selection is diverse and priced right. They have a bar with TVs if that's your thing and an open Dining room. Try the shrimp stuffed bacon wrapped jalapeños or the ceviche tostadas!
(5)Neightrix S.
Each time I come back this place has gotten better... From drinks to food to cleanliness... Great live music and the food has always been great... Reasonably priced, and always room for company.
(5)Sharon F.
Food and drinks really are awesome. Even the standard house margaritas are worth the money. Sadly the service is hit, or usually, miss. Being a neighborhood bar/restaurant it is largely "regular" customers which is great for them, but the staff I feel is used to serving people who will tolerate bad service (on account that they are familiar with the staff) we always sit at the bar BTW. Tonight we had great food and drink but the restaurant busser JOHNNY took better (and the only) care of us than the bartender Mary. The manager was out and around 3 times which blows my mind that he "observed" everything to be satisfactory. I want to note, I am a very understanding bartender....the service just sucks. We will be back. This is out neighborhood spot. We just wish the service was consistent Lastly, the bar staff should put their phones away, or at least save it for downtime.
(3)Franchesca G.
Food was good unfortunately the bartender was completely out of line and rude. We walk in to have dinner and watch the bronco chiefs game (I'm wearing a bronco jersey) and sit down at the bar to be greeted by the bartender very rudely say my team is going to lose and he is going to "piss in my drink". I can take friendly rivalry but this is absolutely no way to treat a customer. His demeanor and attitude was disgusting during the entirety of our meal. Needless to say we left after our meal and watched the game elsewhere.
(1)Ryelle R.
Baja Joes is fantastic! Walking in, I forget I'm in Mesa & am immediately taken back to Rocky Point. My parents were the first to refer me here. Driving by, it's not a spot you'd typically think "hey, I should eat there!" Well, good thing you're reading this. You should eat there. - For an appetizer, order the bacon wrapped-shrimp stuffed-peppers, & allow them to change your life. I always order Carnitas or Carne Asada, I haven't gotten tired of it yet, since it's awesome. My boyfriend is faithful to their Siete Mares soup, which is very good as well! If you enjoy Mexican-Mexican over Gringo-Mexican, you'll find yourself delighted here. (for Gringo-Mexican, hit up Nandos)
(5)Crystal L.
The food was awesome & so was the service!!!! It was my 1st time going & my husband & I were very impressed!!! We will be coming back! It was a Great Date Night!!!
(5)John C.
I have had a few issues before at Baja Joe's, but I'm seeing some positive changes. It is great when the owner steps up and makes changes to improve on issues and complaints. I have been back to Baja Joe's and the new bar manager and the owner improving the service. It seems like they are moving in the right direction. I have to compliment David and the staff for my late Sunday evening visit. It was late and they were obviously cleaning and getting ready to close up. When sheepishly asked if we could still enjoy a beer at the bar, they were very friendly and welcoming us to stay. Like the positive attitude changes.
(4)Tyler D.
This restaurant is fantastic and a hidden gem in Mesa. Everything I tried was tasty. Good Mexican music and great atmosphere. I'll be back for a date night with my girl. Open around 9:am, breakfast as well as lunch or dinner of course.
(5)Sharon H.
Grilled fish taco , bad. Pork enchilada, greasy. Frijoles, eh. Everything tastes the same... Too bad. Quacamole was good
(2)J P.
I didn't order any seafood here (which is easily the majority of the menu) so admittedly my view on this place may be somewhat less than informed. That being said what I did have (red beef burrito, rice beans) was meh. Not especially bad, not especially good. I did really like the salsa.
(3)Dan S.
I wish I could have eaten more! Stopped here with either a Yelp Deal or Groupon, can't remember which, during a long road trip last summer. My wife and I had just spent some time hiking around the Superstition Mountains and the heat had really drained us. We brought our two dogs along, and they were willing to let us have them in the patio seating area, but it was full. So, we ate inside and left the dogs in the car - the sun had gone down at that point. The portions were enormous! And so tasty! I wish I could go back right now!
(5)Jen R.
If you want an authentic Mexican atmosphere, this is the place. They have a trio playing popular and traditional songs at your request (weekends/weeknights). The seafood selection is just right. I've had the shrimp enchiladas and the shrimp in mushroom sauce with the "toritos" as an appetizer. They are jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped up in bacon, drenched in soy sauce. Heart attack city but so worth it. The only downfall for me is that there are way too many tables for the space and the noise level is at times a little overwhelming but after a few Micheladas (beer with clamato) the noise becomes happy whispers.
(5)Albert M.
Friday night lights here at Baja Joes! Sports on, cold beer on sale, homemade Mexican food, & full bar. Check in discounts when you spend $25 of more. How can you beat this! Menudo on Sat. & Sun. Music, and did I say cold beer?
(4)Ally R.
After receiving a very nasty reply from the owner regarding my last review, I now wish that I could give this dump -5 stars. As a "professional business man" one would think that the owner would be open to critique that could better his business. Apparently, this is not the case at Baja Joes. Not only was the food horrid, the owner is also snide and condescending, cannot say that I am surprised. The food really is a reflection of their owner. I am absolutely taken aback by the amount of unprofessional (or lack thereof) from Baja J. The purpose of my last review was NOT to promote another business or "ride anyone's coat tails". I was simply leaving my honest opinion about several Mexican dishes that I know a GREAT deal about! Growing up in a Hispanic household, I KNOW what good/real Mexican seafood tastes like, and regrettably, you will not find either at Baja Joes. Baja J, I apologize if my previous review was too honest for you, however, you sir, need to learn some professionalism and respect! Please understand that this was my honest review of YOUR food and what needs improvement. Again this was MY honest review of YOUR restaurant. If I wanted to promote another restaurant I would leave a review on THEIR page, not yours! I am in NO WAY affiliated with any restaurant, if I was, don't you think that I would be promoting the heck out of it? Do your research Baja J, I have not even reviewed the establishment I mentioned previously. If I were you, I would take a serious look at your menu, recipes, and attitude because judging by other reviewers I am not the only one who has had these complaints. Do you belittle and undermine everyone who does not like your restaurant? Would you prefer that I say I have received better meals from Taco Bell, or would that be promoting another business as well? Future diners beware, if you do not care for their food you will be publicly chastised for your honest opinion. The owner will not try to remedy the situation or make up for the fact that you wasted $65 on a terrible experience. Heck, he wont even apologize that you had a bad meal. Absolutely inexcusable.
(1)Stavros D.
This was my first time at Baja Joes and I'm afraid I was unimpressed. We ordered Shrimp cocktail, Garlic shrimp and Ceviche. - three staple Mexican dishes. The cocktail was watery and has frozen shrimp The garlic shrimp was swimming in oil, the four slices of potato were undercooked and the rice was burnt - also the shrimp was still in its shell whilst swimming in oil which made it virtually impossible to de-shell. The ceviche was average at best. The house lemonade was lovely and the service was pretty good but the meal was not worth $50 I'm afraid I won't be going back.
(2)Jaime A.
Service is ok the original is better. Hate the music mis the original mexican music. This is not ligit.
(1)Christine B.
Order fish and shrimp grilled for tacos!!! So good! We sat outside today and they had two men playing authentic music. Great atmosphere :)
(4)Mike B.
First, the food was 'homemade' good................ The service, not so much. Wednesday night, 7PM. Several parties in the waiting area. Bartender and another person saw us and Ignored us. I finally went and asked, and they said a server would be right there. Server comes and tells all of us, seat yourself where ever you want. Ordered margarita's and took the waitresses advice. We took our time with the menu as there a lot of choices, and not the normal fare. Finally ordered, still no drinks, and then waitress suggests an appetizer to try next time we are there as I told her it was our first time. So we ordered the appetizer, yellow peppers, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Shrimp!! GOOD!!!! Margarita's finally came as the bartender had to deliver (apologized for the delay), as the waitress was under age. The apps come, no silverware. We had stopped a bus boy to get water and napkins. Of course we had JUST gotten our drinks. Then 20-25 minutes later the main course. Again good, but I ordered a burro and got a chimi version which I did not want, but did not want to wait anymore and did not take them up on the offer to redo it.. Again, food was great!! Bill comes and not only did they STILL charge for the Chimi instead of the burro I ordered, but we realize they brought us one LARGE Marg, which we did not ask for. So apparently you HAVE to specific to get a normal size. SO although we enjoyed the unusual and tasty fare (We saw Guacamole made table side and their Chipolte sauce is made there too.) 90 minutes and two mistakes later it just was NOT worth it. At the VERY least she should have NOT charged for the Chimi that was more expensive than what I ordered.
(2)Valeria S.
First time I tried this place I ordered a large ceviche, although the ceviche tasted great I felt I over payed for the amount that I got and I was extremely disappointed. I could have gone to my regular place for a better deal.
(2)Jana G.
I was really disappointed in this place. I went for music with friends and the venue was new to me. The set up in the long, narrow bar is bizarre, with high-top tables up close to the stage blocking the view of everyone at the low tables behind. The noise level was ridiculously high, with lots of TVs playing sports competing with the music. The acoustics were also very strange. The service was atrocious. I waited 10 minutes to even catch the eye of a waitress. She immediately told me they were out of chips and salsa. This is a Mexican restaurant for heaven sake! How can you run out of chips and salsa. Once I ordered my tableside guacamole it took over an hour to get it, and once it came it was unmemorable, bland with a couple of unexpected spots of fiery chili. My fellow music lovers had similar experiences with the service and food. I hate to say it, because I love to support venues that feature live music, but I will not be back to this restaurant.
(2)Mandy G.
Excellent!! The waitress even got my order wrong, but what she gave me looked so delicious, I didn't send it back, and it was fabulous! I still to this day don't know what I was actually given. Great seafood (not fishy tasting at all!), great Mexican, great salsa, and I'll go there again.
(5)Denise V.
I waited with 2 other customers for almost 10 minutes at the door. No hosts. Got the fish & chips for lunch. First, no tartar sauce. The ranch & chipotle sauce are both very runny. The food was hot, but under-seasoned. And the music was very loud. In addition, the managers were standing right next to my table talking very loudly while putting up a sign on their miniscule salad bar. I dont have a reason to drive here again. It's ok at best.
(3)Shane T.
Eat lunch here all the time. Really love this place. Quality is always good IMO but you don't want to go here if you are in a hurry. If you have 45 minutes for lunch you're good but less than that and it'll ruin your lunch. Fish Tacos, Lunch special Burro and the Burro special only in the bar are all great choices. I keep meaning to try those stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon though.
(4)Jay D.
Decided to have dinner here since it's so close to home plus a co-worker of my wife "highly recommended " it. Service was spotty. Took 5 mins or so before our drink orders were taken. We had to ask for water with our chips n salsa. Blue margarita was good the michelada (sp) was ok. Dinner arrived before our ceviche app. Wish we'd ordered the small one because the ceviche was bland and boring. Lacked salt. We left 3/4 of it uneaten. Wife and daughter ordered bean n cheese burritos and they were good but it's hard to mess that up. I ordered the fish filet in culichi sauce. Very small filets in a watered down version of culichi sauce. I could even see tiny bubbles in the sauce that verified it had been "reduced". Bland but edible. Flour tortillas were supposed to come with my order but they never materialized. At that point I didn't even ask for them. If you want a really authentic Mexican seafood meal go to Mariscos Sinaloa in Mesa. Yelp it, it'll come up.
(2)Richard R.
Great food and very friendly staff. I love everything I've ordered. Great bands on Friday nights. For good food and a good time check this place out.
(5)Brad R.
This place is awesome. I have grown up in AZ and have been to Rocky Point more times than I can count. Going to Baja Joe's reminds me of "The fish market" stretch of places to eat in Mexico. It brings me back immediately to the good 'ol "REAL" Mexican food. Go once and you will be hooked. It's closer than Mexico too ;)
(5)Grace C.
My boyfriend and I love this place. The food was excellent! Fresh salsa and great seafood. I would recommend the first tacos for sure. Although everything I have eaten has always been delicious. I am now a loyal customer.
(5)Patricia S.
This is a very casual inexpensive old-fashioned Mexican food restaurant. The food is really great and authentic. Salsas are delicious, and the guacamole prepared tableside is wonderful. I had cheese enchiladas with onion both red and green. They remind me of the enchiladas that I grew up with here in Arizona. It was a drive to get here to be with family, and we will willingly do it again simply because it is that good. Service was great. The menu is varied and has many seafood dishes. We will be back that is for sure!
(5)William B.
After being bitter and insulted over being hit up for a cover charge on one Saturday evening I am adjusting my review. This is our local bar and I have had many great times as the service is always good and the food even better. I took my frustration out in a business that didn't deserve it. Great food and people . Not a fan of the new Saturday night Dj/cover but to each their own there is a place for everyone. My apologies for my anonymous poor review this is a way better place then I gave them credit for. Perhaps a breathalyzer on my yelp account would be helpful
(5)Jeanielle H.
This place is awesome! Get the bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed peppers they are amazing. The fish tacos and pork tacos are also really good. I don't think I've tried anything here I don't like. They also make a great michalada, and margarita. :-)
(5)L L.
I guess this diamond in the rough has now been discovered. There were no tables available inside at lunch. The patio does have shade and a misting system but I prefer to stay inside when it is hot out so we had a little wait. I ordered the lunch special for $8.99. It was steak and shrimp fajita's and was fantastic! My husband ordered off the menu and had the grilled steak and it was also fabulous. I preferred mine because it came with the typical veggie's, guacamole, (YUM) pico de gallo, rice, beans and tortillas. My pet peeve about ordering fajita's out is that most places don't give you enough tortillas and you can never find a staff person to bring you more. Not only that, but if I have left overs to take home I need tortillas. DUH!! Not here, they provided the exact amount of tortillas needed and plenty for my leftovers. They served a full serving even at a reduced price and I really appreciated it. They are even offering a yelp deal that I just noticed if you want to give it a try. The seafood and steaks are what to order here. Service is amazing! Just saying.......................
(5)S K.
Good quality Mexican restaurant. Great seafood. We especially like the seafood platter for 2. It is plenty for 3-4 people.
(4)Sonya S.
Authentic Mexican food and great drink menu. Excellent spot to watch football. I cannot recommend this places enough to people looking for fresh, authentic, Mexican food. It seriously is amazing. My suggestion would be to sit at the bar in the sports/new bar area. The bartenders are very friendly, especially Alex. He makes a mean michelada 'rocky point' style! Great food, huge tvs, and great drink/beer selection. Personal recommendations to order: chips and guacamole, all the dif salsas, nachos, and cheese enchilada (red and green are both amazing) Very pleased to have found baja joes. After moving back to the phx area from Tucson, az, I was starting to fear I wouldn't find an authentic Mexican restaurant. In my opinion, it's the best Mexican restaurant in the valley.
(5)Mary A.
Ewe eat here 2x a week! The fish frys are good.grilled tacos are awesome!! The salsa is great!!! We love it!!"
(5)Daniel A.
This is a good restaurant but the staff are extremely lazy and cold except for 2 ladies that work there if you plan to go there you'll be waiting for at least 10 mins before they acknowledge your there to be seated when the place is almost empty the food is burnt and over cooked I will say they have good beans I will not go back because they have lazy cooks that cut corners and they don't seem to care plus the noise is so loud from the bar you can't even have a conversation with your friend or family
(2)Abel S.
First time visit. . Great service. .great food..not as nice but everything was great. .definitely will go back..
(4)Lauren B.
They have $2 fish tacos on Tuesdays. And very good fish tacos at that. Excellent Mexican/Seafood place, reminds me of my hometown. Sometimes the customer service isn't fantastic but the food definitely makes up for it.
(4)Michael S.
Love the food. Yes it's in a bar but their food is actually really good. This is not a Mexican restaurant where I order a meat taco and enchiladas. This is a place where you get their specialties such as the carne asadá plate (special marinade and grilled) of you order their seafood dishes. Excellent seafood soups too such as soup of the 7 seas... Drinks are good but service is slow. It's still worth the wait if you aren't in the fast food style mood. The table side guacamole is a must...
(4)Jen C.
Service is mediocre. Food is pretty good!!! Stick with the seafood!! Got the cevichi tostada, it was yummy!!!
(3)K. H.
Received an odd email from this establishment I just reviewed on my dining club web site. I see where the owners have also responded to others here previously in similar fashion. This is disconcerting as I explicitly followed the posting guidelines ( which call for authenticity, accuracy and relevancy) in my review. There is definitively a condescending and trivializing undertone of defensiveness throughout his reply... oh, and I never said I "loved" this place.... and his falling back on the argument of authenticity is relative anyway, I was recently in Oaxaca City's Zocalo and this was allowed in some cafes, but not many. I was merely reporting what did and didn't appeal to us and others there, your mileage may differ! I didn't mean to "tear" anyone up. "Baja Joe's Mexican Cantina's response: i'm really sorry that one bad experience (with music and ambiance no less) was enough to forget about all your love of our place and to tear us up with such a poorly rated review ...Maybe you don't know how detrimental a review like that is for a business. We do allow the musicians to come in here and there to play for tips, just like in Mexico...it adds to our authenticity for most folk, sorry it did not sit well with you. Hopefully you come back and if you really enjoy our place and think so much more of it, you can decide to rates us differently...but maybe just be conscience of the overall rating as it really hinders good business. And I guess to part, you have one issue with ambiance and you stop coming? I guess that means maybe you were not that in love after all. sorry to hear, we'd love to be there for your nourishment. Sean info@bajajoescantina.com "
(1)Sunni B.
My favorite restaurant! Husband & I usually order chicken fajitas, flour tortillas and a draft beer. Absolutely delicious every single time we go there both during lunch or dinner. Comes with guacamole and the freshest salsa, tortillas and chips in town. All the pretty servers do a great job!
(5)John G.
Always great service!!! Feels like you're in Rocky Pointe when you walk in the doors. Food is fantastic!!! The torritos are delicious!!! The patio will relax you!!!
(5)Peter C.
Food and service are great, bartenders are very attentive, becoming a regular here, very comfortable.
(5)Sandy W.
Food was great. Large portions for price paid. Chips and salsa were great too. I can't speak for seafood or adult beverages.
(5)Lois R.
It's got a lot of Mexican restaurants around Mesa beat!!!! I usually take home about half a combo meal but this time just couldn't get enough of the flavor in the green chili enchiladas and taco in flower tortilla! Then the chips and salsa wonderful! We used a coupon in entertainment book. The whole idea of coupons is to get you back! It diffinitly will get us back as service was good and food delicious. My husband and I kept talking about it the rest of day! :-). From reviews I think we will stay away during live music. Oh and loved the wrap around wall murals!
(5)Kelly C.
Food tonight was good as usual. I've never gotten a bad meal. And I have 17 check ins. I love this place. But service tonight was horrible. No silverware or napkins while eating our chips until we were done with them despite asking. Salsa Bowl was left empty for a good long time. It took 40 minutes to get our meal. Just bad. Not sure if I'll be rushing back.
(3)Martin T.
The shrimp enchiladas were good but the service is marginal at best. They have a great attitude and are friendly but not very attentive. Waiting to pay for 15 minutes. And they still have not come by. Good thing is we had the patio to ourselves. I would give it another try if we are in the area just to see if it was a fluke.
(2)Lily L.
I had heard a few good reviews of this place so my husband and I stopped in for dinner one night. The atmosphere is a little loud and the staff seemed pretty busy. We ordered a beef chimi and a fajita burrito deluxe. They were both ok, nothing to go out of your way for.
(3)Miranda J.
Definitely not the little hole in the wall restaurant it appears to be ! Absolutely delicious ! My sister was taken on a date there and then RAVED about how good there fish tacos were so my husband and I decided to check it out . Believe me , we were glad we did ! Great customer service and worth the struggle of trying to read the menu in Spanish(: Check it out and enjoy their yummy chips and salsa !
(4)Tiffany W.
Food was great! Beer was great! Service was great! I would give it a 5 but both times I've been there in the last two weeks my order was wrong. I didn't complain because the food was really good.
(4)Susi D.
Absolutely Baja fish tacos are fabulous and mariscos in a large glass with tortillas on the side and the chimichanga huge absolutely reminds me of being in Ensenada
(5)Mark J.
Ordered food at bar got wrong food and bartender told me..Hey its good I like that just try it. Drink was made wrong. Happened twice with same bartender.
(1)Matt W.
One month later and the experience was much improved. We were greeted and seated quickly as we entered. The service was quick and courteous.
(4)lynn b.
3 stars food. 3 stars for price. And 0 stars for service. We ordered seafood enchiladas, chicken flautas & tacos, and spicy bean dip. All were good enough. Nothing extraordinary, but good. Guacamole was really good, so was their salsa. Portions from their dinner menu were ok, not gigantic but not small. Our orders sat in the back long enough to not be hot and to make my taco all soggy and had to eat it with a fork. I ordered a side of sour cream and guacamole -- service forgot sour cream. She asked my husband if he wanted warm tortillas with his meal, he said yes, she never brought any out. Chips and salsa were brought out after we ordered. I thought this was one of those cheap joints where it wasn't included so I ordered chips and bean dip. And then about 5 minutes before our food came she brought out the salsa and the bean dip. As another reviewer said about their experience, we also weren't checked up on during our meal at all. We had to flag her down to get the bill after we stopped eating, which wasn't easy when she refused to look in our direction most of the time. It was not busy, by the way. I'm not counting them out entirely, but this first time was not good and the owner needs to know some of his wait staff are making him look bad.
(2)Amy K.
A coworker and I came for a bite to eat during lunch on a weekday, and we weren't let down. Lola, our waitress, was awesome and on top of things. The salsa was tasty (a tad watery), and the chips were warm. The ceviche was a bit rubbery (mostly shrimp), but I still ate it. My fish tacos (fried, even though I asked for grilled) were okay, but you need to try their hot sauce and chipotle sauce in the squeeze bottles. They were so good! I would kill for the recipes. They definitely saved the tacos. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it was definitely a solid choice for lunch. PS, there's $1 off if you check in on yelp :)
(3)Rene S.
What are you kidding me I love this place the food the staff from top to bottom dedication is so wonderful to see and experience it! I so enjoy bringing my family & friends to taste the delicate flavors of the baja. So comfortable and laid back I feel we are at a friends home I am not in a rush to leave ....ummm may have to order some thing else please .....shout out to our favorite friend FABI we told her that when she was born her parents took one look at her and they said she was Fabulous hence "FABI"!!!! Gosh hope I spelled her name right anyway you must stop in you wont regret it!
(5)Katie M.
This place is definitely not what I expected. The food was really good but not THE BEST food. The salsa was good and slightly spicy. The fish wasn't seasoned all that great, and not crispy. Beans were real good. Service was nice, friendly and attentive. The price was reasonable. Happy hour seems real nice, and the Sunday football specials sound real good. The decor was fun and colorful.
(4)Marcela L.
We had never heard of this place and so glad we got introduced to it! My husband and I absolutely love Mariscos and have always gone to Mariscos Sinaloa (48th Street) because we knew for sure we were guaranteed Mariscos there! Well, now that we met Baja Joe's we are completely sold! Service at both locations can be slow on a busy day or time, however, when you start comparing quality and portion size, Baja Joe's is a win! I had a shrimp cocktail (abulon, shrimp, octopus) and my fish bowl was seriously packed with seafood! Not just full of vegetables (cucumber, tomato etc.) like the other Mariscos restaurants. My husband had the Malificio (combination of oysters, scallops, drowned, shrimp and octopus), which he too loved. We eat Mariscos quite a bit and have never experienced this and we will for sure return! They are not shy at all on their seafood portions. Thank you Baja Joe's! PS..The salsa was extremely tasty and good, you need to try this place!
(4)Jenne M.
Authentic Mexican food. Excellent flour tortillas (could be a meal in of itself). Try to shrimp in garlic. Or the beef fajitas. Prepare to get your hands messy. Outstanding food. Ate here two days in a row. TVs for the sports fans. And extremely clean bathrooms.
(5)Maria N.
I really do like coming to Baja Joe's. You can't beat the ceviche. It is the best! The only bummer is the extremely loud mariachi music. I think that is what they play themselves off as. Weird to see them drinking beer and playing crazy loud off key music. Hard to watch and hard to listen. Definitely can't hear the people you are with. If you love the food, call ahead to make sure no mariachi band is playing. The food is worth it.
(3)Peiyun G.
Good
(5)Mike R.
Awesome food and some of the friendliest servers around. Try the Red Snapper or Arroz Marinero (my favorite). The Arroz is a stirring platter of octopus, shrimp, fish, clams and scallops..my favorite dish in the Valley.
(5)Abby D.
Baja Joe's is definitely a MUST try before you die! Not only is the service impeccable, the food is extremely delicious! First we started with some chips, salsa and guacamole (which they made fresh at the table). The chips were warm and crispy and the salsa was top notch. My bf got the combo platter choosing the shrimp taco and carne asade enchilada as his two items. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the beans and rice that came with it were awesome too! But lets get down to the important matter, what I got. A friend had recommended the whole fish so I ordered the whole garlic red snapper. I was more than impressed! It was crispy and extremely flavorful, could have probably fed 2-3 people so I had a lot for leftovers. The meat of the fish tasted really fresh, came right off and I didn't get any bones. They provided tortillas and I was able to make a super delicious fish taco that included the crispy garlic fish, rice (that came with the fish) and their special chipotle sauce and spicy salsa ( provided on the table). Baja Joe's is my favorite Mexican Cantina by far, and that is counting all the ones have been too (even in California). My friend got the crazy seafood platter that had everything on a boat with a flame underneath and he enjoyed it very much. They also have margaritas served by the pitcher for $19 and it was worth it. I STRONGLY recommend giving this hidden gem a try!! Scouts honor this place is AWESOME!
(5)Beth A.
I was a bit skeptical at first for trying this place because I haven't seen it advertised much (which doesn't necessarily mean it's good but...). We walked in and the atmosphere is fun as there are sea murals painted on all the walls and overall it's very clean. They played top 40-type music as well which added to the atmosphere. There is an adjoining bar, along with an outdoor patio. The food was great too. The salsa was very good, which is how I usually judge a Mexican food restaurant. The food was delicious and presented very well. It wasn't just slapped on the plate and you can tell there is some care to it. I ordered a chicken tostada plate and it was very flavorful. The chicken is marinated and was awesome. The plate comes with salad as well, in addition to the normal rice and beans. My son ordered a chicken quesadilla and it was great. It had a ton of meat. My husband ordered the enchilada plate and it was tasty. The pricing is VERY reasonable. The service is awesome too! Our waitress stopped by our table at least 4 times during the course of our meal. Our food arrived quickly and we never lacked drinks. You can tell they really care about service. We will be back! Glad I tried this place.
(4)Michael Z.
We've been here a couple of times now and I love the place! We walked in there you feel like you're in a restaurant in Rocky point Mexico. It's got a really cool coastal beach theme. The menu is rather large and has a lot of options. It is a bit cumbersome to understand in parts of the language barrier. Service on both times that we went was exceptional. They have a ceviche tostada on happy hour that is knock your socks off fantastic. That with a cold Corona light draft beer you can't go wrong. My only negative issue was there's a male manager that walks around the dining room on both occasions with a cold and stern look on his face and seems really uninviting. He stopped at our table to clear off some table settings and didn't even speak to us which I thought was disconcerting. I find the parking lot a bit sketchy to as the first time we were there there were people walking out of the restaurant with Bud lights in her hand heading towards her vehicles and the second time there was a couple of good old boys in the parking lot with the tailgates of their trucks down sipping on a bottle of Jack Daniels. Does it give the place very good curb appeal. Other than that this place is rockstar!
(4)Mauricio L.
Great food, great service from the singing waitress also! Loved the Atmosphere! Seafood was on point
(5)Pamela Z.
Wow who knew you could get Fresh Seafood in the desert. Our family loves seafood and Baja Joes has now become our favorite place to enjoy it. We stumbled on this in search for a good lunch spot for the family this past Saturday. Glad I take some reviews of this place with a grain of salt and tried it for ourselves. Eva our server was awesome. Yes you do tend to wait a bit longer for your meals but when they make it all fresh to order that is what you get. We had the tableside quac and was fabulous. 3 of us split this Seafood sampler with red floured fish that was so moist and amazing, shrimp cooked to perfection, along with grilled and breaded fish cooked to perfection. The chipotle sauce was outstanding. Our daughter had the chicken taco salad and loved it. Flan and fried ice cream to end with what was not to love. This will definitely be a returning spot for us loved the patio area.
(5)Melissa T.
Baja Joe? More like Baja NO! The food is like any other run of the mill Mexican food restaurant out there. Nothing really to write home about but it isn't terrible either. The one thing I have to complain about thought is the AWFUL service! As soon as our food came out, our server couldn't be bothered to grab us water or even our check once our meal was done. We sat for at least 15min after someone else came to clear our table before our server even came back to check in on us. Once we could finally grab her attention she dropped the check, I instantly put my card down and said it was ready for her to take, she glared at me and walked away without even picking up our payment. RUDE! Seriously, costumer service can make or break an experience and the lack of attention (in a nearly empty restaurant) is inexcusable. I always try to cut servers slack because I know bad days happen, but you've got to draw the line somewhere. I for one, have no desire to give this place another shot.
(1)Marcos V.
Great food, very authentic, good atmosphere, and friendly staff. Overall a great experience.
(5)Sara L.
I love this place, everything is so tasty and fresh. My only complaint is that it's too far away and I can't get there as often as I would like.
(5)RH C.
The food here is really good! I had the ceviche tostadas and rice and beans and I ate every bite! The chips are home made and yummy. Overall I want to try a million things on the menu. Big menu too lots of Baja style seafood! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the service was slow and lacking. We stood at the door for 5 min and no one told us to seat ourselves even though staff walked past us several times without saying anything. Our waitress took forever. We were there nearly 2 hrs for lunch. Then had to wait 15 min for the waitress to bring our check after we already told her we were done. The prices are good. And their lunch combos are only $5.99
(4)Linda P.
Our family became aware of Baja Joe's through Groupon. , we asked a friend if she knew of their restaurant, she highly recommended their authentic Mexican food and customer service. We have been regular customers ever since. Their menu, breakfast, lunch or dinner is superior. Customer service, excellent.. Children friendly restaurant, patio and recently remodeled and enlarged bar for adults. We live in East Mesa, we drive to Baja Joe's when we want authentic Mexican food and pleasurable dining experience. We have attended a couple of their musical events, Cinco de Mayo was a blast with a DJ that had people dancing the night away in their patio area. We attended their recent grand opening of the bar expansion and will be returning with friends this coming weekend for dinner and drinks. My niece and her family will be visiting from Atlanta, Georgia in Oct and can't wait to dine at Baja Joe's !
(5)Lyndsey D.
The pork dishes are like sex on a plate! So happy we found this place!
(5)Rick S.
Very authentic Mexican. If you were blindfolded being driven here...you wouldn't know the difference. Friendly staff all the way around. Try the fish tacos.
(4)James K.
Last night was our second time eating at Baja Joe's in the last 3 months. We bought a couple of AmazonLocal deals back in Nov/Dec. Both times were nice experiences but only one item may bring us back in the future (the guac). It wasn't crowded last night or the Saturday night we went to back in January. However, there was a steady flow of people. We ate in the restaurant portion both times, but the Catina had happy hour last night, which had a good number of people but still room for more. Our family favorite item was the table-side guacamole. In our opinion, Baja Joe's beats every other Mexican food place we have been to in the east valley. The price is good too for the size...definitely a 2 person or more size. Margarita's were good, but a lot of ice (even in the pitcher version we ordered last night). The cheese on the deluxe nachos as very mild and turned the dish into soup. We had the nachos with shredded beef, which was very sparse. I hate sour cream, and asked if it came with sour cream on it (the menu was silent on it), and the waitress said it didn't have SC. I asked her to be sure, and to even make a note to put it on the side if it did......sure enough, it came to the table (delivered by a runner and not our waitress) with a blob of sour cream on top.... On our previous visit, my wife and daughter had some of their shrimp cocktails and some other shrimp dishes. They both thought they were good, but last night no one opted for any seafood. Their regular salsa tasted very good and fresh both times. I asked for a hotter salsa, and they brought a condiment bottle of homemade salsa that was supposed to be hotter...to me, it just tasted saltier so I stayed with the regular salsa, which was quite good. Portion sizes of the food were a good size and I we were all still full the next morning... Our wait staff were good both times and were great about offering suggestions about their favorite items or recommended items on the menu.
(3)Julia G.
I'm actually jealous everyone else had such a good experience! My experience...not so good. My brother recommend this place and has been sent a nasty text message. We arrived for the game (I know, I don't know why I watch the Cards either) and had been told during the game, it was 1/2 off appetizers. So, I got the Original Large Ceviche but it arrived 30 minutes after our arrival, and while we were sitting there steaming from not having received our meal. Two other tables, one that arrived about 15 minutes after us, got their meals before us (even the ceviche they ordered and again, before we got ours). So, we chilled a bit and took some bites of the ceviche...well...UGH...no deveining. Most people would not notice because they cut the shrimp into small bites, but I always look for it. Ewwww! No reason not to devein, they charge enough for the item ($12.99), they should make it right! Well, since our order never came, it was almost 40 minutes after we had ordered, we had 3 bowls of chips and salsa, watching a game I didn't enjoy nor understand (I don't speak Spanish) and we had to sit there and watch Soccer on (I think) Univision, (which I didn't understand since 1/2 price appetizers where for the Cards game), the little girl at the table next to me had let out her 8th high-pitched wail, we were done and left. I left a tip for the water, chips and salsa, but I was NOT going to pay for yucky ceviche. It's not a place I would ever even give another chance too. The food being brought to other tables didn't even look good, not impressed. Go at your own risk, don't expect too much though. Again, this was my experience and it may or may not have been unique. I would not go here again, and my brother owes me some gas money with a sprinkle for chips and salsa!
(1)Aaron S.
Really good authentic style Mexican food. Great hole in the wall type of place. Traditional type of atmosphere. Staff is friendly and somewhat informal.
(4)Tammy H.
The food was pretty good...about 4 stars good. The service is a different story...maybe 1 star and that is being generous. We were basically ignored the whole time we were there by our server. Took forever to get her to take our drink order and then when she did finally bring our drinks mine was wrong, had ordered a margarita with NO salt and of course it had salt. I had ordered a side of sour cream and of course she forgot it, and once I realized this had to flag down a different server because our server had once again disappeared. My husband asked for another when she brought our dinner out...10 minutes later no beer so asked the hostess to find our server since we had not seen her since she delivered the food. When she did finally bring the beer blamed it on the bartender. Never once did she come over to our table after bringing our meal out and asked us if everything was ok or if we needed anything else. Let me add they were not busy at all so no excuse really for this horrible service. This was our second visit to Baja Joe's, the first visit being a few months ago and had a wonderful server and a very pleasurable experience. But after this last visit we won't be back.
(2)J. A.
This is my favorite spot when I'm in mesa, I always hit it, love the food and the staff, always going above my expectations!!!! Love it.
(5)Johnson M.
I used to have to drive down to Guadalupe (the city not the street... well, actually, in Guadalupe, on Guadalupe, actually) for Mariscos like this, now I drive a mile or two down the street. Awesome! The wait staff is great... friendly, prompt, accommodating. I really enjoy their food and have had 3 different shrimp dishes and sampled 3 or more of the fish dishes. They are all delicious and the rice and potatoes they serve with the meals is a real treat also. I especially like the fact that they are knowledgeable about their ingredients and can tweak a lot of the recipes to make their dairy-free. They will use oil instead of butter on request making this an easy spot for people who don't eat dairy.
(4)Jeanette A.
AMAZING! Authentic mexican food and decent prices. It's a match made in heaven. It's so authentic that there are murals on the walls. My 2-year old had the chicken nuggets with beans. She ate most of it, which is rare for a 2-yr old. My hubby and I split the nachos and each had a carnitas plate. The nachos had tender carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, and a good amount of white nacho cheese. Delicious! Then the carnitas plate came with unlimited homemade, yes homemade, flour tortillas. The meat was in big chunks which is preferred over the pre-shredded version we usually get from other places. On the side, was a little salad, rice, and beans. All of it tasted like something I would get from those great dives in LA. Can't wait to go back!
(5)louise l.
Best Mexican we've had in this area, by far! The shrimp were fantastic. The salsa and hot chips great. The service was terrific and the patio is very nice!
(4)Vanessa L.
I am so glad we decided to try Baja Joe's. The food was very good, our waitress was super nice and attentive, and the prices were pretty good. Try it, you will be glad you did!
(4)Charlie K.
Excellent menu, plenty of choices to please almost anyone. i came here based on Yelp reviews my first night in Mesa (first time ever in AZ!) and while it doesn't look like much, tucked away in a strip mall, there is plenty to be excited about when it comes to the food. Line juice in the bottom of my beer mug gave some great extra flavor to my pitcher of beer and was an awesome extra touch. VERY authentic and a good variety. Service overall was great except for my one complaint below, I highly recommend Baha Joe's. The one complaint I had is in the length of time it took to get our check. Normally (being an American) I'm not accustomed to asking for it but even when I asked, it took a while to not just get the check, but for them to give us our credit card back. I'm not sure if it's a part of the culture of the restaraunt or not, but this could have been improved.
(4)Colin K.
Great food, Great service, Can't ask for more! Don't let the area and the decor stop you! Kick back, have and amazing margarita, and enjoy a night out! This is the first place I can honestly tell you that, I don't know if there was a T.V. in the restaurant because, I was so focused on the fun, atmosphere and food!
(5)Hit'em Long W.
This white girl is in LOVE!! My mother lives about a mile away from Baja Joe's. We have never stopped to eat there in all the 18 years she has lived in the neighborhood. Last year I snagged a Groupon and took 2 coworkers there for lunch. It was....okay. I think the enjoyment lessened because of the unattentive waitress. The best expereince was the shrimp stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon. About 3 months ago I went again. This time I was just blown out of the water. The queso dip was yummy. The salsa tasted VERY FRESH. The carne asada quesadilla was meaty & cheesy. About 2 months ago I took my mother there. It was her first time. She fell in love too. She thought the seafood was delish. Well folks, I think she is addicted. She has been there 6 more times in the last 7 weeks. She has taken friends and family there to introduce them to Baja Joe's (making reservations each time to make sure there is seating). When you see Mexicans walk in, eat & have fun, you know you're at the right place! (You never see a Mexican eating at Taco Bell.) This place serves authentic homemade Mexican food and beats the chain-style restraunts HANDS DOWN!! Servers are pleasant and informative about the menu choices. Love me some Toritos De Camaron!!!
(5)James M.
Food was great but the service was incredibly slow.
(3)Jose C.
I bought a Groupon for Baja Joe's after checking out the great ratings on Yelp! Easy to visit when I go to the East Valley to visit my hateful mother, my partner and I visited on a Friday night. The place was happy, relaxed and busy. The food was above average in every way. Great chips (really) and a salsa that had a little kick. Just a little. For an appetizer we ordered the Supreme Nacho and we were blown away. The chips were smothered in a cheese sauce that tasted more like a cheddar fondue. We totally scoffed down the tasty flavored shredded beef, beans, sour cream and guacamole. Best. Nachos. Ever. My Stuffed shrimp w/crab and wrapped in bacon, was good but a little dry. The sides of were wonderful rice and potatoes reminded me of spanish restaurants in New Jersey where I am from. Next time I will try their traditional food like shredded beef enchiladas . My partner ordered three tacos- on fish and two carne asada and he was very happy except no baja sauce for his fish taco. His refried beans were creamy and delicious with the mexican rice. Baja Joe's is a great value and it really is a nice atmosphere like a neighborhood hangout. Still dreaming of those nachos, and will bring my hateful mother there for her birthday next month.
(4)laura a.
Great patio even if it is in a shopping center. Service very slow. Chips and salsa were quick to arrive but we were ignored after that for a long time. Check took a long time too. Enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. Will have to try more dishes. Would definitely go back.
(4)Jessica G.
Ok, so the service isn't always the fastest, but its friendly and the food is great! Fish and pork tacos and shrimp stuffed peppers. Yum!! They just expanded and the new bar side is super nice. Love it!
(5)Scott T.
Yes, this is as good as it gets. I take the family on Sundays after church and the food has always been outstanding. We lapsed for awhile but revisited on 10/17/2010 to find new signage (and later we find new ownership). But the new owners very very wisely kept the menu! The Toritos de Camaron are reason enough to go. But everything else we've ever had is really really good too. I go to Mazatlan 1-2 times a year and it's just like going back. This is not chain-Mexican or Tex-Mex...it's the real thing. Do yourself a favor and try it out!
(5)Jan C.
We go here quite often - love the tacos. The service has been a little off a few times, but they try. It's a lively place with a good happy hour crowd - can get real busy and pretty noisy. A cold Pacifico in an iced mug with salted rim and 2 shrimp tacos -heaven!!
(4)Kate O.
I've now been there twice and can honestly say I will never go there again. Seriously, the service is the worst. The first time I went there we waited an hour for our food. People that were seated after us got their food, paid their check, and left before we got our food. The second time it took forever again, I thought I was safe ordering nachos, but it came with a "cheese sauce" and the meat left a lot to be desired. I sent them back and didn't order anything else. My friends really like the fajitas, but after two bad experiences I'm not willing to go back to try those. The servers were nice, but non attentive, beyond that I think it's really the management and kitchen staff that need a lot of help.
(1)Ken B.
I like this restaurant. For one thing, I see a lot of Hispanic folks eating there. The wait staff is friendly and helpful to a degree you don't often luck into. The michelada (it's a mexican tomato beer) is a wonderful way to take beer. We've done four or five trips to this restaurant and both my wife and I have found the food to be excellent every time. They specialize in some sea food dishes if you like Mexican sea food. You get the feeling of dining in Mexico here. Good people, good food, good ambiance. We intend to do our part to keep this place going. It is kind of hidden in the little plaza at the corner of McKellips and Gilbert.
(5)Rob C.
I have driven by this restaurant everyday for the past several years and never given it a thought. Last night I tried it and all I can say is wow. Started off with a Patron margarita, which was very well made. I had a fish and shrimp taco. Both tasted extremely fresh. My wife had the fish diablo, and it was the highlight of the table. The diablo sauce is fantastic. Give this restaurant a chance, you will not be disappointed.
(4)Tricia B.
Bacon wrapped crab stuffed shrimp, spicy cerviche (sp?), delish Mexican beer served with salt and lime, casual experience with a nice patio. When I am looking for a little seafood and some day drinking this is the place for me. It is pretty bare bones, but it is clean and well run, my service has always been great, but I usually sit at the bar. Try this little place out, you will be very happy you did.
(4)Brian T.
Great ceviche. Love the chips and salsa. Quesadilla had a lot of cheese. Cold beer. Awesome margarita. Good waitstaff. Will be back!
(5)mk w.
We've been here for lunch three times now and have NEVER been disappointed. To start, the decor is super. It makes you feel like you are in a little cantina along the Mexican coast. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of choices and very good prices. The wait staff is great and very attentive. The food is so amazing. We've gone to a lot of different Mexican restaurants and this is probably the best and most authentic. You will not be disappointed with anything you order. The combo plates are super deals and come with whatever you choose (taco, enchilada, etc.), beans, rice, salad and a really refreshing orange slice. We absolutely LOVE this place and will come back often.
(5)Bonnie Jean W.
This place is great! I can enthusiastically recommend everything we ordered: the table-side guacamole, the fish chimichanga, and the bacon-wrapped crab-stuffed shrimp. BACON-WRAPPED? CRAB-STUFFED? Yes. Seriously. Good quality seafood, flavorful and unique dishes, awesome service, nice clean atmosphere, aquatic murals. I'm glad we gave this place a try.
(5)Robin H.
I found a new fave today. The reviews were pretty right on. The food ROCKS! Got the Steak Picado Chimi and man it was the best I have ever had. The wait staff I am split on. I am not sure if it was because I ordered take out but the waitress that took my order seemed less than thrilled to be there and made no attempt at customer service. The second waitress that approached me asked me if I would like a glass of water while I waited and was very pleasent. In retrospect I should have gave her the tip lol
(5)George P.
Ok, so for the most part of the almost 26 years I have lived here in Mesa I never knew there was a Mexican Restaurant at this location. Now I know this is a new owner as of this past January and was under a different name, but come on. I used to go to the Chinese Restaurant right off of Gilbert in the same shopping plaza, this place is kinda hidden, but wow I think you will all like this place. Once you walk in, it is a bright and colorful decoration, bar to the left and main restaurant ahead and when it cools down a patio out to the right outside the restaurant. Very nicely decorated patio, I must say, I can't wait till it cools down. On to the food.... I got the tacos and my girlfriend got the chimichanga and that came with fresh salad and fresh meat and vegetables in the chimi. The tacos were just as good. The manager of the place, Everett was probably one of the nicest guys, not fake either, which is a change for the restaurant industry. Cause you know how that goes, How is your meal, folks. Like you really give a crap, just shut up and let me eat in peace. This guy really cared and wanted to help grow this business. He also introduced us to the Michelada con Cervesa, A fancy way of saying adding your beer to Clamato Juice, lime juice, hot sauce, soy sauce and pepper and other seasonings, WHICH was awesome!!! Never would of tried it, Thanks Everett!!! Good Luck with the place, We will definitely tell everyone we know and recommend this to all. Please drive pass Serrano's and Tia Rosa's and check this place out. Great flavor, Fresh food and not watery and running all together on your plate, like the normal places.
(5)John H.
The owner is very friendly and engaged, and the food is very good. I ate while my kids skateboarded at Kids that Rip next door, so very convenient if you want to stay close. I ordered a carne asada taco (it rocked), shredded beef taco and bean tostada (ok, not spectacular). Margaritas are good. Ambiance is bright, simple, and somewhat authentic - meaning I could see this place being in a border town, complete with mariachi tunes on the stereo. I'll come back.
(4)Nancy T.
I had a Groupon for Baja Joes so four of us went for dinner during our Girls Weekend. The others are right - this place is a little difficult to find - but well worth it. A small place with bright ocean murals on the wall and an extensive menu of traditional mexican dishes and many seafood dishes. I had the shrimp veracruz which comes with a mild red sauce. The shrimp were some of the best I've ever eaten. The tableside guacamole was also very good but a little expensive at $8.00. The others raved about their chicken and shrimp fajitas also. Other than the guacamole, the prices were very reasonable. I will definitely go back.
(4)John And Chelsea M.
Not fancy at all but the food is simple and fresh!! No room for improvement on the food. Service was so so but friendly. Portions are large (we were starved & couldnt finish 2 appys and 1 main for lunch) so don't go to crazy on your order which is hard cuz if u luv seafood u will luv baja joes!
(4)Julie M.
Had the ceviche tostada, mister had the carne asada tacos. Both were ok. Queso fundio for an app. not good. Service was slow and I probably wouldn't go back.
(2)Stephanie S.
The staff is friendly enough... the food, forgettable. Margaritas taste like they were poured straight from a bottle. Cheap, dingy store; weak drinks; greasy, bland food... yuck!
(1)Kathryn K.
Sean the owner is absolutely awesome. Come try this place out. Give him your honest feed back (good or bad) and he takes it to heart. I love the carne asada! The guacamole they make at your table is also very good! We went last night on a very busy night (mother's day in Mexico, which we didn't know) but for how busy it was we got served pretty quickly. Our waitress was super sweet even with all the chaos of the crowd. Thanks Sean for caring about your customers!! :O)
(3)