Pretty excited to have the spot so near us. I have a feeling we're going to be regulars! Tried Don Juan the first time this week and was impressed! Located in the shopping strip with Arbor Markets and Ace Hardware, this restaurant packs more character and energy than I expected for being in a strip. The decor and music make for a fun first impression on just walking in. Menu is extensive and lots of fun things to try! For being our first visit, I wanted to stick to some "classics". I ordered their classic margarita, Tacos Al Pastor, and a Ceviche starter to split. My husband got a Burrito Deluxe. Complimentary chips and salsa dropped on the table with waters shortly after we sat down. Both chips and salsa were tasty! The margarita was huge, and pretty good. Just a touch on the sweet side for me, but not too syrupy sweet or anything. Maybe just a little too much volume. Really enjoyed the ceviche! Had generous chunks of fish, and was fun to eat with our chips basket. Fresh and flavorful. The Tacos Al Pastor were so good!! It came with three tacos, a dipping sauce, and a side of beans and cheese. The meat was very juicy, had great flavor, and complemented with the pineapple, onions, cilantro, and sauce. Beans were tasty too but a lot. Ended up taking most of them home and they went into my lunch the next day. Overall great dining experience, and fair prices for the huge portions. Next time, I'd be interested in trying a chicken mole dish or maybe some of their seafood dishes! Looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu. read more

See all

The food was good. We got sat quickly, and the food came out pretty fast. The burrito was huge almost the size of my mom's head. I loved that they had birria tacos, and CONSOME!! read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Top notch menu, drinks and the service is on point. Food is always hot and fresh. Great regular spot if you live nearby or frequent A2/Ypsi! The ambience and environment always feels like families, regulars, and members of the community only eat here. My first time in they had live music and it was a great vibe. read more

The food is great--a really good Mexican restaurant. The staff are friendly, and the service is quick. The prices are about what you'd expect in Ann Arbor, which is likely to be a bit higher than in the nearby area. read more

We are slowly exploring Mexican restaurants after moving here from Austin, TX, so everywhere we visit is entered into with caution and appropriate expectations. That said, our visit here was a pleasant surprise. There is plenty of seating and we did not wait long to get a table. It was family friendly and there was plenty of parking. The atmosphere was bustling and lively. The tortilla chips were thick and tasty, the salsa was mild for my taste so I asked the server to bring me their spiciest salsa for the meal. The House Margaritas were okay. I am a bit picky about tequila and mixers so next time I will order a margarita with top shelf tequila. I ordered a sampler type dish that had a chulupa, taco, chile relleno, chicken enchilada, and a tamale. It was an immense amount of food but it allowed me to taste many different items. I did take a lot of food home. My favorite was the tamale followed by the chile relleno. The Chili relleno-perfect amount of spice. The texture of all my items was perfect, not soggy or drenched in sauce or cheese. I loved the tamale! It was so flavorful especially with the spicy salsa. My husband loved the chimichangas. He said they were tasty. The beans and rice were authentic. My son ordered the steak fajitas and loved them. He liked that the steak was cut thin so that there were parts that were crispy. My daughter liked the chicken in her quesadilla but did not like the some aspects of the texture. She loved the rice. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

The chips and salsa were very good and also also the hibiscus water. The place is really nice. I am very glad with my selection to come and have dinner here. I also had the carne asada and it was very tasty. I will definitely come back. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Chips and salsa and Hibiscus water - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

If you like Mexican food- it's fine. I would say it's about $1-$2 more than I'd expect per meal. I found my chicken fajitas, my wife's chicken quesadilla and my son's beef taco to be under-seasoned. I love Mexican food and my standard is- just don't mess it up and I'll be happy. Do to some under-seasoning and coating a little more, I consider this an average place to go. It's still good and I'd be happy to go back- but not before trying some other local options first. I will say, though, that our waiter was very nice and did a great job. read more

Ok so the fajitas were so good the chicken melted in my mouth and the taco Tuesday deal was so cool! Our waiter was so nice and they gave my little brother free chocolate milk!! But yeah best Mexican place in Ann Arbor hands down best place to eat in Ann Arbor even! read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Fajitas Lunch Lunch Special - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

4-4.5. I have had a positive experience here, ordering the taquitos special to go a few times. Delicious chicken taquitos. Large portions, which make sense for the price, and easy to pick up from. It seems like a popular local bar as well, and is open late. read more

Always enjoy a lunch here. But not this afternoon. Ordered fajita and was served by someone (not my server)who just slipped it in and ran ,which is fine. No tortillas . No problem,server will check in to see if everything is ok. waited 20 minutes for my server to check in , but all she did was unceremoniously , without eye contact, without a smile , drop off the check. (Is everything tasting ok? Can I get you anything else..etc..nope..)I had to stop her as she walked away "excuse me,may I please have some tortillas?" She rolled her eyes and walked away . In all fairness, they arrived less than 5 minutes later. I placed my card on the check, and once again , unceremoniously picked it up , (no smile , no "thank you") ran it and literally threw it on the table. (It bounced). I understand all people have bad days, but you gotta put on that Oscar winning performance each and every day. I'm a restaurant person for many years , and of course left a 20 % tip. read more

I am updating my previous review and boosting my rating all the way to the top of the mark with cinco estrellas. Don Juan has long been our go-to for Mexican fare, partly because of its proximity to our home but mostly because of the outstanding quality of its food and service. Today, we ordered a Chicken Enchilada dinner plate and an order of Chicken fajitas for carryout. Both meals were spectacular...prepared with the freshest of veggies and cooked to perfection. The service at Don Juan's, both for dine-in and when ordering carryout, has always been consistently excellent. The waitstaff here is among the quickest of any local eatery to respond to requests for extra salsa or a second margarita. With several tables outside and a festive dining room inside, we're thankful that Don Juan's successfully made it through the pandemic and continues to draw in loyal customers...Cinco estrellas! read more

See all

I'm sitting here, wanting to have a good meal, but I'm very disappointed...I ordered 2 chicken Tacos and one ground beef, very disappointed, the chicken and beef has not flavor, taco bell taste better. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - 3 hard tacos, I will not finish eating. Have no taste or flavor. I ate one because I added lots of hot sauce and salt, not worth the $. - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This is not a place for a date, but it's wonderful for 3 ravenous teenagers. The entrees are huge and very inexpensive. The service is fabulous and they keep the chips, salsa and drinks refilled. They are very prompt, courteous and accommodating, as well. Burritos, fajitas and table -made guacamole are fab. If you want the best, most authentic dish, order the molcajete Maya. This is the biggest sleeper on the menu. It's bursting with ribeye, shrimp, chicken, queso Asadero, chorizo, smoked jalapeños, enormous spring onions and nopal, which is the star of the show. It is absolutely amazing. For $ 19.99, it comes with rice, beans and your choice of tortillas. This is worth the trip alone. You are welcome, foodies. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Molcajete- a must try! - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Don Juan has become a regular stop for me and my family, since my last review. We visit a couple times a month, usually for lunch. The carnitas is my current favorite, but chile rellenos will be for always. If getting a combo plate, I always ask for the carnitas instead of chicken or beef. Combo plate choice is the crunchy taco and chile relleno. Quick, tasty and filling. They have good horchata that is fun and special that our kids like to order. Very good choice if you need a cooling drink too. If you want to splurge, start with a cheese dip, and margarita. Ask for the spicy salsa. Might be an extra charge but worth it. Join their rewards program and you get text coupons and notifications for discounts. They don't text me often so I'm happy to be on the program. I need to get back there to try the whole fish again. Definitely when it warms up. They have happy hour, taco Tuesday, live music on some nights and is just a bright place to visit. Great place to take the whole family or meet a group of people. Happy, friendly, and clean restaurant. Love it. read more

Large portions of very standard chain restaurant Mexican fare at reasonable prices. The definition of three stars. They do have some nice specials that you should take advantage of though. Tacos are all $1 on Taco Tuesday. You can also download their app and use it to get a free appetizer at each location (so go to two different locations in your area and get two free appies!). The app also offers some coupons, such as 20% off the entire check (food only). The service at this Ann Arbor location was very good. Chips and salsa were brought out as we were seated and refilled before we finished the first round. Our server, Michelle, was quick and checked on us just the right amount. The food was plentiful, that's for sure. We ordered the enchiladas supremas which came with four enchiladas on a plate--one each of bean, cheese, shredded chicken, and shredded beef. They didn't have a huge spicy kick but were generally satisfying. We also got the Special Dinner which was a two-plate combo including rice, beans, one torta (hard fried shell with yummy guacamole and refried beans inside), one chili rellano (very cheesy inside a soft fried chili), one taco (meh), one small burrito (chewy inside and smothered in sauce) and one chicken enchilada (meh). For our free appetizer we got an order of guacamole, which was very chunky (which I liked) and came in a large metal pot shaped like a pig. Kind of fun! My girlfriend got a house margarita. It was slushy and HUGE and a bit sweet for her taste. Easily could do the trick for two people. read more

See all

Food was good Ambiance and service extremely nice Prices amazing for Ann Arbor Highly recommend as a family friendly joint as well read more

My fav Mexican near me. The staff is all very nice, they make my family and I feel welcome and the service is always great! You can your food super super fast so I love that for a quick weeknight bite or lunch date. Fun for margs on a Saturday afternoon too. This is nothing trendy or trying to hard, just straight up yummy Mexican for affordable prices. My favorites are the Chimichanga, chalupas, enchiladas & Taco Salad. Chips and Salsa for free as soon as you sit. Might be spicy for a weak sauce person but you can ask for milder salsa if you need. read more

What can I say? Y'all had me at free chips & salsa! Our waitress was super nice and made sure we were always taken care of. I got the combo #1 and the enchiladas were the best I've had in Michigan... and the only. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Chips and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Such a great place. The food is good and the portions are huge. The menu has a variety of dishes. The margaritas are terrific. My favorite genre of Mexican cuisine is Sonoran, which is hard to find. This place came close to that, but not quite. I bear no ill will because Sonoran is a very specialized niche. I still thoroughly enjoyed my chimichanga. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We had marvelous service and enjoyed our visit! read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Average Mexican food place. It's not authentic... we had several dishes looking for a good break of American food. I ordered a Tortilla Soup looking forward for a warm taste of avocado with chicken and tortilla. OMG. What I got was nothing close to it. It was creamy (?), it had a taste of a artificial axiote, and it had carrots, zucchini, broccoli (!) It was not good. I did not eat it. Did not feel like having artificial food. My family ordered other more American type of dishes (burritos, quesadillas...) with rice and beans. Waitress was helpful but would disappear for a while. We ordered the parrillada for one. We had flour tortillas...we were never asked if we wanted any different. So we had to ask for the corn tortillas and we were charged for them. We also requested a hot salsa, and she brought us exactly the same salsa we had in our table for the chips...weird! Not a good experience. Learned the lesson...trust the number of stars read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Tortilla Soup - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Ha! After teasing us for a month, this location finally opened this week. The bf and I went for lunch and were able to use a 20% non-alcoholic drinks coupon from Clipper Magazine. All of the workers we interacted with were very polite and friendly. The cheese dip ($3.59) was warm and went well with the free chips & salsa. Don Juan already had a huge leg up on Tio's there (in case you can't tell from previous reviews, I have a bit of a personal vendetta against Tio's for charging for chips & salsa). I ordered the lunch special #1, which was plenty of food for me. They did not skimp on the beef filling (chicken was also an option), and it was well seasoned. The chile rellenos also tasted good, but as it cooled down, the cheese got really chewy. Tasty though! The bf also tried a lunch margarita and claims it was better than the ones they serve at Los Amigos by Briarwood, even though these restaurants are owned by the same guy. Huh. I think we ended up getting under-charged, even with 20% off, but hey, I'm not complaining. :) All in all, I would say this place is worth checking out at least once to see if it suits your tastes. I would definitely make a return visit. Note: If I could give this place 3.5 stars, I would. Rounding up to 4 to encourage other people to try it out though... read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Lunch specia l#1 ($5.99). Chile relleno, taco, guac salad & choice of rice or beans. - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Went back a few days ago and EVERYTHING was amazing! I wish I took note of the 2 people that were helping me....it was a guy and a girl. I believe that it was this past Saturday. The server/host (male) informed me that they have a $2 lunch margarita!!! What?! I never knew that and I was super excited to find out! The girl was also very sweet and helpful. I was so happy to receive such great service! I didn't eat much this time, but I had the caldo de pollo again & it was delicious and didn't disappoint. Yay, I'm starting to like this place more and more. :). read more

Love this place!!!! the food is so good and they have amazing food. the service is also very nice. The pizza is very nice and so is the food i know i already said that but still it just makes my mouth water. The prices are very affordable and the food pays up for the price. read more

We used to go here fairly regularly. The last time, they served us old fish. It was so old that it smelled really strongly of ammonia. We told them and they didn't apologize, refund us, or appear to tell the cook. I got the impression they would continue to serve it. We will never be back. read more

Stopped into Don Juan's for a quick lunch. The lunch menu was big and varied and reasonably priced. If you want to get in and out quickly for lunch this is your place the service was very fast. Interesting enough beer came in 24 or 36 ounce chilled mugs. Some great Mexican Beers on tap. While we were there they were taking pictures of the food and one of the of the dishes was the Molcajete Maya which looked and sounded amazing. By the time I saw it I had already had my lunch (excellent burrito and refried beans) so I put it on my next visit list. See you there. read more

Good portions and flavored just right. Reasonable price and their chips are homemade everyday!

Love this place!!! Chips and salsa on the house. Ask for the hot salsa if you can handle it, it is legit! From house margaritas to taco tuesday, fajitas, parrillada and the Molcajete Maya are simply delicious and full of flavor!! My favorite Mexican restaurant by far!!! read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Molcajete Maya - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

This place has a special spot in my heart, so there's a bias here. This is the first date I went on with my partner, and we had a good enough time that we've been back many times since. It's a Mexican restaurant. They have beer, bottled and on draft, they've got margaritas and other cocktails, a regular happy hour with discounts. It's got all the other things you love about a Mexican restaurant - chips and salsa (om nom nom), hot sauce, guacamole, etc. The prices are great, and they've got an expansive, versatile menu. Tacos, burritos, specialty meat dishes, botanas, fajitas, etc. There is a side dish menu for customization options. There are dinner combos, a vegetarian section of the menu, desserts. The parking lot makes this place accessible and convenient. We've never had a long wait and the food is also good. I can't eat the guacamole salad that comes with many dishes because I'm vegan and it has dairy in it, but they've never once had a problem swapping the guacamole salad out with fresh avocado for me. I've heard great things about the chimichangas, too! If you like Mexican food, if you like eating out, if you like drinks, if you're on this side of town (or you're going to be), check out Don Juan. They deliver what you want and expect from a Mexican restaurant, and they do it notably well. Good, attentive service and flavorful food are a winning combination in my book. read more

While I posted a review a while back and gave them 4 stars, the trip today was highly disappointing. Nothing to do with the food or service. Suddenly they decided to add a 3.99% "customer service charge" to all tabs paid by credit card. When I spoke to who appeared to be a manager about this new charge, I asked if the restaurant was under new management which he failed to answer. He said it was to compensate for the credit card fees they pay. Credit card fees are a "cost of doing business", not something that should be put on your customers. When the server dropped off the bill she stated, "there is a 3.99% service fee added, if you pay with cash, you won't have to pay the fee. We did this instead of raising prices of the food." I didn't have enough cash on hand to pay the bill in cash. Quite frankly, I wouldn't have noticed if they raised the food prices. Charging this fee for using a credit card is simply gouging your customers. I know for a fact that Visa and MasterCard charge businesses less than a 2% transaction fee, the only credit card that charges businesses even close to 3.99% is American Express. So stop accepting American Express.....I honestly don't know if the do accept AMEX as I typically use my debit card at restaurants. They are also opening up the possibility of compromising their servers tips, if I wasn't a nice person who understands the service business I would have subtracted that fee from the 20% tip I left. However, I realize it was not a decision the server made and completely out of her control. When I see gas stations that charge more for using a credit card versus cash I never buy gas there. Guess I won't be returning to Don Juan, sad because I really do like the place. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Notice...... - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Went here when they first opened, and I have to be honest...we were not impressed. Ok, I actually wrote a pretty scathing review...our visit was terrible. But a little time away and DJs has really begun to nail it. After moving back to AA, the SO and I have gone there twice in the last few weeks and had some really tasty eats! Really excellent fresh and creamy guacamole, TONS of choices (a dizzying amount honestly), good attentive servers, and very nice portions. We've been looking for a new Mexican place for us, and we think we may have it. Our only complaint is that it's a bit pricey to be honest for Mexican food. But, quite possibly worth it. Coupons show up in the mail from time to time to take a little sting out. read more

This spot is just not it for me. I came in on a drowsy Sunday wanting a pick me up. I was thinking that I'd grab some guacamole or a taco and rice...something light. I ended up getting the fried ice cream with churro, and coffee. I got to kick back and relax sipping coffee, although VERY stale and not super good, while I ate chips. While I was eating the salsa I thought, "Hm this tastes like V8." After looking at the other reviews, I had to chuckle because there's obviously enough people complaining about it, I don't see why they haven't done something to switch it up. Even taco bell down the street has better salsa. The ice cream let me down so much! It had a good presentation, but the ice cream had so much ice chunks that I had to navigate my spoon around them. I can't even say anything was particularly sweet... Just bland. I'm hoping their meals are much different, and I'll admit I can't speak on dinner, but their dessert was NOT pleasing at all. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Fried ice cream, churros Fried Ice Cream Churros and Ice Cream - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Not a bad place, but an even tally with some hits and misses. It's basically your average Mexican place with the standard menu fare. I have been here couple times when in the area though for lunch. Here tonight most recently for dinner and finding the place packed and very active. Pluses: Good chips and salsa which is always a good start. Great beer specials before 6pm Good service (even on a busy night like tonight): we were always looked after; drinks always full; chips and salsa always replenished. Slightly larger than normal menu, very descriptive with something for everyone. Minuses: Anything with ground beef (enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc.) are abundantly over-salted. This aspect I had forgotten about, however upon the first taste, quickly recalled that oversalting is the norm (at least for my handful of visits). If you have some rice or salad going, you can kind of temper the salt bite, but otherwise, you'll be wanting to drink a lot of water (or make use of those beer specials) to slake your thirst. Combo #3 for me: Enchilada, Taco and Chili Relleno. Relleno was pretty heavy on the cheese, greasy yes, but that from the cheese I presume. Taste was redeemed by the tasty Poblano inside. Enchilada and taco were fair, but bruised by the saltiness. Others at the table had the ala carte chalupa plate (2 chalupas); salad with tilapia fillet; taco plate and Burrito Special. Generally all received generally well enough, but all with the common criticism of "too much salt in everything". read more

See all

The food was delicious and a generous portion. My wife and I ordered lunch specials Service was fast and our server was very polite. Very cozy feeling inside like most traditional Mexican restaurants. read more

What a find in Ann arbor. The food was absolutely great, being from Texas we should know. I had the seafood malchete and my son had the seafood soup, both so worth the $18 with tons of seafood. My wife had the steak fajitas and my daughter got an enchiladas and tamale combo. Their rice was awesome too. Service really brought it home, Juan was excellent. I wish we had one of these where we live in illinois. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Seafood malachete - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Good Mexican food on the West Side. Comfortable ambience, standard fare. I like the fajitas or a big burrrito. read more

See all

Food was amazing! It was fresh quality real authentic Mexican food. I had the tacos, my boyfriend had the enchiladas, and we split the fresh guacamole. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Only reason for not being 5 stars was our waitress, she was just young and timid and forgot some of my sides. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ok: chips and salsa Bad: In a strip mall, it is a single large room and is loud and chaotic feeling. The guacamole was bland. The margaritas aren't very good...orange juice in them and little lime flavor. We tried the chili rellenos, burritos, enchilada and tamale and they were all pretty terrible. Greasy, low quality ingredients and bland. Beans and rice straight from a can. If you are looking for greasy American "Mexican" food you might like it but I won't be back unless I owe my husband a favor. He did like it. I'm not trying to be mean but it's sad that with food like this they could open a second location. read more

Don Juan Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This is really toss up between 4 and 5 stars but will lean towards 5 stars as of right now. Came here during lunch hours and I was impressed. They start you off with the chips and salsa, which to me are great (really good salsa and the chips are nice, hot and crisp). They also have $2 margaritas, which was basic, but good and really strong. For my meal I had the combo plate consisting of chicken tacos, chicken enchilada, chicken burrito with rice, and I also had a side of chicken taquitos. The reason why i group that in one whole sentence is because my review is the same words for all on this: It was really really really good. I mean it was seriously on point. After eating here, I have to try more Mexican places in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area. The reason is because as of right now, this is the best place in the area. I do think that most of the Mexican restaurants in Mexican town are better, but this place is 5 stars on its own merits and should be tried. read more

I had high expectations for my visit and was looking forward to their food... however, after visiting and having their food, not sure if I'll be back..... Service - little slow... took a while to get refills and our food, as well as chips... the server was little slow, not sure how long the server has been working, but service could improve.... Food - The chips and salsa was free, so it was a nice touch. Chori-Cheese - mexican sausage and cheese melted in a bowl... this was very heavy and oily and SALTY! Couldn't eat half of it... For the main course, I went with #20 combo... got the chile relleno, burrito, rice and beans... rice and beans were okay, but their chile rellen and burrito was too SALTY as well... not sure if the theme of this visit was SALTY or not, but they need to tone down the salt level of their food. Overall, decent... if they can control the saltiness of the food, then maybe I'll revisit, but it might be a while before I got back for a visit.... read more

Completely underrated Mexican place. Some of the best in the city. Staff is great. Wide variety of foods and drinks