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    Don Jose's

    3.2 (122 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Don Jose's Photos

    DON JOSE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Don Jose's

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    Jasmine I.

    I've only been to Don's once...years ago for a Halloween buffet/party. I was meeting a girlfriend recently for drinks and apps and seen Don's was advertising their new drink menu. We figured we'd give 'em a chance. With Serrano's absolutely killing the Mexican game here in Anchorage, and Chepo's holding it down in the valley... I can tell Don's is feeling the pressure and they are trying. Their menu looks new and inventive. The drinks are creative. We stuck with house margaritas so I can't comment on their new drink menu. We ordered their fried avocado app which was delicious and also a taco wheel. Service was great. I agree that pricing here is expensive. 2 gals, a few marg's each, and 2 app's came to $180 with tip. Wild times! lol

    Tapatio

    The food was excellent!! My husband had the Tapatio and it satisfied his taste buds! We would definitely come back!

    Molcajetes
    Jocelyn F.

    Had to write another review with a new menu item, molcajetes! $34 for the molcajetes and we split between two adults, filled with strips of steak, chicken, ground pork/chorizo, peppers, in a delicious bubbling sauce that keeps warm in a stone mortar. Had a Cadillac margarita, the house sour mix isn't sweet at all and I was taken a bit aback, but it still went down. Maybe it needed more Grand Marnier as I couldn't taste it. The kids' crispy tacos with ground beef were both devoured. Decent service tonight even though we never received waters and the tortillas that should have come with the molcajetes (would've needed those if we were more hungry). Happy for another good dinner here.

    Since when do they charge for a "chip refill" ???
    Ashley B.

    The best chips and queso in the state of Alaska. Fact! Service is definitely so so... every time. Margaritas and beer are cold and delicious. Taco Tuesday special is legit. $2 per street taco and they are so good! I also can recommend the fajitas, but those are hard to do wrong anyways. We live down the street from here and are guilty of coming 1-2x a week religiously. Not sure when they started charging a "chip refill" fee as it's not on the menu and we've never been charged it before.

    Be sure to check out all the great photos!   And ask for the story, you won't be disappointed.
    Nita F.

    WoW just WoW! We live in San Diego and love everything mexico, especially their food. We ended our Alaska vacation in Anchorage and were very surprised to find such authentic Mexico flavors so far from Mexico. If you ever find yourself in Anchorage Alaska and find yourself longing for great Mexican food, Don Jose's is everything Amazing Mexico represents! Fantastic service from their entire staff, with tasty food that made us feel like we'd been transported to south of the border. Wasn't expecting to have a Mexican dinner experience this awesome so far from San Diego. HIGHLY recommend the Taco wheel! It's 8 street tacos and a lovely chance to taste a variety of the authentic Mexican flavors offered. Oh!! And be sure to get a Manzanita cocktail! The bartender, Rodrigo makes amazing drinks! We liked the food and experience so much we asked if they sold merchandise, and they do! They had some very nice jackets and we got a chance to meet the owner, Carmen, and her son Ivan. Thank for the surprising little bit of Mexico in Alaska!! We are happy to be are taking a little of Don Jose's back to San Diego!

    Mango margarita
    Madai P.

    I've been sitting on this review for a bit, sorry guys. We went last month Oct. 2022 and we were pleasantly surprised. The ambiance was quite fun for a date night with the karaoke that started later in the evening. The service was good and the food was very good. We can't wait to go back!!

    Melody L.

    I held off on this review for a few weeks to gather my thoughts. My dad tends to call me the dragon lady of reviews lol There were two waitress on this night attending to the paint class. An older lady and a possible younger Filipino lady that was possibly being trained by the older waitress. I went here with my cousin for paint night on 11/16/22. I have to say that like most paint nights, you can order appetizers and drinks sometimes even a meal at your table. It'll be tight, but I've been so a few already and you can almost always do this with at least an appetizer and drinks. We walked in and said we were here for paint night, both the older and younger waitress said okay and they both took us to sit down and eat at a dinner table not the paint section. We looked confused, we said we are here for paint night then the older server gave us a tone attitude saying that your work area will be tight if you order food. We were offering you dinner first unless you want to go straight to the paint table.... Both of us know how this goes, we said I'm sure we can order appetizers and drinks like most of these paint night's advertise. We finally got taken to the paint room. Basically, in my opinion they wanted to get a bigger tip and serve us because most people will usually tip 15-20% on the meal they ordered. We ordered an appetizer the nacho and cheese because the reviews said it was the best thing ever along with there free salsa. The nachos and cheese wasn't that great. It tasted like my velveeta with rotel recipe that's very one makes, and the chips were just regular tortilla chips I feel like store bought. And the salsa, first... when they brought the nacho cheese, we waited awhile for the salsa. It had been a good 40 mins when we finally asked where the salsa was. They brought us the salsa but no extra chips for them because "we already had chips from the nacho cheese". I think that's so petty. Now the salsa, we ordered the salsa not because it was free but because I read it was AWESOME. It was watered down. No flavor, no salt, just watered down salsa. When it came to the end of the paint class, the older waitress finally started becoming overly nice. Talking to us sweetly and making sure we had containers for Togo etc. We got the bill after we got out nachos. The older waitress asked if we wanted to pay now or after the class. I was like, we will pay now. She then was like yeah.... With like this face like saying to finish up with the tab so she doesn't have to attend to us anymore. There was also an automatic a charge for credit card usage called non-cash adj. - I asked what the "non-cash adj." was and they said to run the card. I ended up paying cash. I was so ticked off at this restaurant that I needed to give it a few weeks before I wrote anything. The lack of compassion of customer service was non existent and the worst part, I am actually an over tipper. I don't remember if I left a dollar or two or nothing to be honest. Knowing me, I would of at least left a dollar or two. I ended up talking to a few of my friends about it this place because they asked about my painting and were like "I want to try paint night". I told them paint night is always fun, but the restaurant was an awful experience. They then asked me where I went and I said the restaurant and they all I kid you not literally said, that....that place has rude service and the food isn't even that good. In my mind, forget the food, usually I prefer maybe wine and something light to snack on while painting even if it's bad, you're not paying too much to have a little fun. Especially in this town. I was amazed because when I reviewed the place ahead of time and their menu, the reviews were awesome and 4-5 stars. I don't just go to yelp for reviews, I also do Facebook, instagram, google etc. If you want to attend a paint night here by all means, it's a yes for paint night. I just wouldn't recommend the restaurant as I only ordered the nachos and salsa so I can't say much for the actual food. But with service so terrible and miserable I don't like giving my money away to just anyone because I also go out for the experience.

    This chimichanga takes over 30 minutes to prepare.
    Justin H.

    Don Jose's wasted an hour of my time, cost me $20, and had me work half the day hungry. This place is EXPENSIVE. The wait to get seated was unusually long, there was just nobody around. I was first in line but waited at least five minutes before someone came to seat me and another group. I already knew what I wanted when the server came to take the order of a group of people that arrived after me. It was just me, and all I wanted was a chicken chimichanga and a soda. She finally came over and took my order around 12:25pm. I should have left. At 12:55pm I was getting ready to leave when the server came out with my order, along with the order for another table that ordered probably 10 minutes after me. I'm not into inhaling my meal like an animal, and it would have easily taken 20 minutes to get a to-go box and pay, and I was already going to be late getting back to work, so I dropped some cash on the table and left. What a waste. Yes, that chimichanga in the picture went to waste. I've been here many times and never had a problem with the service, but this trip was so bad I'm not going to try again. A warning that food prep takes a half hour would be nice. The only way I'll end up back here is if I'm with a group and they don't heed my warning. I'm not a thief and I'm not going to order something and not pay for it; but when someone pays for an order and they don't get a usable order, what is that? I could have worked through this lunch hour and made money instead of wasting money on a meal I didn't get. Don Jose's cost me an hour and a half and $20 for nothing. Nothing. Not even chips and salsa.

    Wendy C.

    Ok so it seems as though my Covid reviews are all pretty much disappointed with restaurants - but Don Jose is handling it better than most, and there's only one issue with them, so they're getting a pretty high 4 star. I am SICK TO DEATH of receiving the wrong food, or having items i ordered missed completely in other restaurants, and i have given them appropriate feedback for that. I'm happy to say Don Jose has not let me down. My orders have always been exactly what i ordered, flatware and all, and they've even included hot sauce which i didn't ask for, but was delighted to try for the very first time, so now I'm hooked on Cholula. The quality of the food is as good as it always was, and I do love coming here. Their ground beef inside a crispy taco is by far my favourite anywhere in town. The seasoning is actually perfect. Their flautas are good and crunchy enough to break teeth. Who needs teeth anyway, i can get dentures. So yum. Everything I've ever had, and continue to have throughout the pandemic has been consistently good, with one exception, hence 4 stars instead of 5. But the service and quality of food remains amazing. Never the wrong food comes in their curbside pickup. It's the french fries if you must know. I was hooked on Don Jose's pre-covid, crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside french fries. Definitely in my top 5 french fries, maybe even my number 2, and had they remained as good after Covid, they'd be at the top. But following a recent review for the place serving my number one fries in state, i am not so certain of anyone's place in my League anymore. It's all so messed up for heaven's sakes. But after Covid - they're less than stellar, though they've improved vastly. My first order seemed to be oven baked fries, and they were........a little flaccid, pale, and disappointing. Not crispy at all. On returning, they firmed up a little, they're edible, i don't hate their guts, but they are not the fries of yesteryear, and i do miss them. That's the only thing that can be improved upon in my humble potato-loving experience. Everything else remains as perfect as ever, and i shall continue to extol the virtues of, and patronize frequently, the most delightful Mexican restaurant that is Don Jose

    Out front

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    If need that Mexican food fix, go here! Had both the Colorado Burrito and Carne Asada Burrito, and they were satisfying!

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    At Don Jose's for my mother in laws birthday. Great food and service and the price is on point. Thanks for the great service!

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    9 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great family restaurant. Good food and plenty of healthy options. Staff is friendly and prompt. Music creates a nice atmosphere.

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    19 years ago

    Great for big gatherings. Food is tasy and so are the drinks!

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    14 years ago

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    Page 2 of 4

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    La Cabana Mexican Restaurant

    La Cabana Mexican Restaurant

    3.7
    (158 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    Saturday evening and this restaurant was empty! They do have a parking lot but since it was not…read morebusy plenty of spots. The place is a little outdated, but it's very colorful and it adds to the ambiance of being transported to another place. Staff was attentive and we got to choose where we wanted to sit. They had a paint night type of event that was ending when we got there and as we kept eating more and more people slowly started coming in. Portion sizes are huge....we couldn't finish our food. We took it back to our Airbnb and we repurposed and used the leftover food into new dishes for breakfast the next day. Was this the best Mexican food ever.... well no, but it wasn't horrible. I got the Chile Verde Burrito and it was good. I think that the dishes were basic and there was nothing that took it over the top. Nothing special, no different seasoning. Even though we didn't finish the food, we ordered dessert and shared. The flan.....OMG! Yes, yes, yes! I would go back for the flan. It tasted like it had coconut, but when we asked they said that it didn't. Hmmm, not a bad thing that it tasted like coconut in my world, it just elevated the taste.

    It's been a long while since I've been here. In the past it was always delicious and busy, but I…read morebelieve it's been 5yr+ since my last visit I think that era of peak goodness has passed...5-6pm and it was fairly empty. We had a BOGO Free dinner coupon so we decided to give them a try again. I had the tamale and relleno combo. The tamale, rice and beans were very good. However that relleno was BAD. It tasted like mold. I ordered another tamale ala carte ATI make up for it. My partner had the chicken suizas and I thought they were good. He thought the chicken tasted like it was precooked and reheated like at another local chain (TK) so he was a little disappointed. I thought it was tasty... The margaritas are nice and strong which is a plus, but not enough to make me return. I think we will stick to our main spot in Spenard for Mexican food...

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    Menu
    Menu
    Three item dish with rice and beans
    Three item dish with rice and beans
    La Cabana Mexican Restaurant

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    Tequila 61

    Tequila 61

    3.8
    (367 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    First time trying this place so I went to reviews and looked at some good pics and the Molcajete…read morestood out for sure! This is located not even 2 sec walk away from the Hilton hotel. I usually wouldn't eat Mexican food in Alaska those two don't really go together in my brain being from California but I wanted to give it a try anyway lol I ordered the Cilantro Shrimp Molcajete and some chips and salsa on the side. First I will say I don't see why certain restaurants charge for chips and salsa it should be free in my opinion. The salsa lacked flavor and was more sweet than anything. (I asked for the spiciest salsa they have) and the order was $8.. I get it for the size I was surprised but that salsa wasn't good. Moving on to the main dish tho we have the Molcajete which was really good in my opinion. It came out SIZZLING! and the size of it wasn't what I was expecting. So if you're hungry I would def get one of those entrees ! The flavor of the fajita mix was good and the amount of shrimp you get was super filling. That dish was about $38 with the shrimp. The bartender was nice and asked me if I was doing okay a few times and also made sure my water was filled which was great he seemed really knowledgeable of all the good food recommendations and was pretty quick with service so employees were cool ! All in all I enjoyed my early dinner in a nice place that played good Latin music and I liked that it's walking distance from my hotel. I would eat here again one day and try some of their tacos next because I hear they are pretty good. I would say they need to just make the chips free because the are NOT worth $8 lol like at all but other then that decent place.

    We stumbled upon this location and what a find! Loved the warm ambience and Latin artwork. Service…read moreby Samael was exceptional. His recommendations were excellent. We enjoyed the halibut with bok choy and crispy potatoes. The chicken tortilla soup had the most delicious broth. Al pastor tacos and fish tacos were super tasty. The shrimp moqueca was beautifully presented in a hot pot with fresh avocado salsa. Each sauce was complex and delicious. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a gem of Latin cuisine in Anchorage. If I lived here, I would visit often.

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    Beautiful wood table
    Beautiful wood table
    Chicken Gnocchi Special
    Chicken Gnocchi Special
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    Margarita
    Salsa Oaxaqueña

    Salsa Oaxaqueña

    4.3
    (43 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Simply wow! Wow. This place transports you to Mexico/…read moreOaxaca. Fresh, authentic and Uncompromising flavors. We have had a lot of Mexican food on both sides of the border. their fried beans is #1. Spicy Salsas wow, slaps you , yes from the first bite, it's unbelievable they are here in Anchorage. Enchiladas, verde pollo were flavor explosions. You will have to remind yourself you are in Anchorage Alaska, when you're enjoying their delicious food and friendly caring staff. Yes the menu will be a bit challenging and they may disappear after serving you.. ;) but it's necessary for what they deliver. If they were in NY or CA, they will be minting, But of all places Anchorage gets this Treasure. Loved the food, the spice, the flavor and the freshness. Caring friendly staff. Loved it. Good luck guys. Keep up the good work.

    I had been meaning to give Salsa Oaxaqueña a try for years! Finally, I made it over. I tried the…read morespicy chicken mole and got a side of chips with salad. I was so disappointed! While the mole sauce was delicious, the chicken thighs I received were so small and bony, my rice lacked flavor and the beans were very soupy. My chips were like the little broken pieces at the bottom of the bag making it hard to scoop any decent amount of salsa into them. For almost $30/plate I was anticipating more protein, bolder flavors and better quality. I want to give them another chance, but sometimes first impressions are lasting impressions. Service was friendly but waitstaff were busy so not as attentive. Ambiance is what you'd expect from a hole in the wall.

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    Interior
    Interior
    Melty cheesy nachos!
    Melty cheesy nachos!
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    Interior
    Pancho's Villa

    Pancho's Villa

    4.0
    (113 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Pancho's has consistent quality Mexican at a reasonable price you can't find elsewhere. It's been…read moremy place of choice for nearly 15 years now, and I've never had a reason to change that despite all the other Mexican restaurants that have came and went in those 15 years. Fantastic food and excellent salsa!

    Panchos has decreased in quality and value in the last year or so. The last three visits have been…read moreoverpriced food in my opinion. The service is always good. My shrimp tasted awful. Like they were frozen, thawed and froze again. The sauce they simmered it in wasn't good and I'm convinced helped overcook them to a rubbery consistency. My steak was fine, but was well done vs medium rare like I ordered. I prepared myself that it likely wouldn't be cooked right, but I expected at least a little pink. I know it's not a steak house, but they cook steak for other items so I figured I'd be okay. My partner said his ranchero steak wasn't very good. He only ate it so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable eating while he waited. The meat wasn't very good he said, tasted old. He said the sauce wasn't very good either. For the rise in prices of things quality has gone down. They haven't done much for improvements - my seat had a big gash in it. Unfortunately after being a customer for many years I don't see myself returning here after 3 strikes this year of poor quality food at an inflated price. I think they should consider cutting their menu in half and really focusing on making quality dishes.

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    Menu
    Menu
    Menu
    Menu
    Carne asada

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    Carne asada

    Don Jose's - mexican - Updated August 2026

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