Have you ever had food that automatically lifted your spirits? Like, sure you were in a good mood but the moment you took a bite, you just felt exponentially happier? That was my experience at Jesse Jays. The braised short rib over cotija cheese grits will change your life. I went to Jesse Jay's to celebrate a friend's birthday but I felt like it was MY birthday. Great atmosphere, amazing staff (Hi Shelby you rock) and outstanding food! If you are undecided and reading reviews to help make a decision - JUST DO IT! Get in your car now, gather your friends, kids, dog - well maybe not the dog - but listen, GO! You will not be disappointed. P.S. The rice and beans tasted as if someone's abuela made them with love then afterwards she gave you a hug and tucked you in. Seriously delicious. read more

Was excited to try out this new restaurant in South County. Delicious churassco (sp?) - steak was tender & cooked to my specifications. The salsa was also excellent, chunky with what tasted like fresh ripe tomatoes. I eyed the made-to-order gauc the folks at the next table had but didn't get a chance to taste that. My dining partner was vegan and the menu helpfully & clearly identified a few vegan options and the server cheerily offered options not on the menu, like veggie tacos. New owners did a great job transforming the exterior into a cute and inviting space - I personally love the fresh green paint & window boxes! Dining area was small and tables relatively close together but felt quaint & cozy rather than crowded. Decor is, like the food, "Latin inspired." Lots of attentive staff. Slight delay for our orders coming out of the kitchen but I suspect that is not unusual as a brand-new restaurant tries to get its rhythm. I didn't mind with ambience and company. ;) I plan to be back and try the guac, fried yucca and a few other menu items that piqued my interest! read more

Foo and drinks were delicious! Service was a bit slow during height of Covid but worth the wait.

Simply delicious! This restaurant was recently renovated. In the past it was the local tavern...very dark and worn out! NOT ANYMORE!!! The renovation is remarkable...it is clean, bright, and beautiful. The food was simple but delicious! Street tacos and the roast pork dinner were prepared well. For the dessert....churros were delicious beyond words! Next time we are going to try the nachos...we did not see them until after we ordered. This is a great addition to our south county eateries. read more

Finally tried this place. My husband loves mexican food so of course we had to try this Latin inspired kitchen. Sorry, I forgot to take pics because I was so hungry. My husband had the skirt steak, black beans, and rice. I had two shrimp tacos. We also got an order of guac & chips and queso & chips. Everything was very good. I liked that i had the option to order tacos without any sides. The tacos are small and only have two shrimp. There was definitely room for three shrimp on those tacos especially since they cost $4 each. But overall, the food was good and we will definitely go back. read more

This place is amazing. We ate at the outdoor bar and the service was soooo good! Brandy asked us our names and served us attentively all night. Jayleen also helped serve us and made sure we knew what the bar specials were and that we had drinks when we wanted them. We enjoyed the spicy pineapple margarita so much that we were very happy when Jayleen was open to making us a spicy pineapple caipirinha (even though it wasn't on the menu and she had to invent it for us). The service was top notch and the food was excellent. We had the Puerto Rico Sampler (fried plantains and yucca with a delicious dipping sauce) and a variety of street tacos (our favorites were the steak & chicken tacos) as well as the Mexi-corn. The cafe bon bon was also scrumptious. I highly recommend this establishment and will definitely be back soon. 10/10!!! read more

I went to JesseJay's extremely excited to have Mofongo and sample fried plantains (sweet and not) etc.... unfortunately because of cross contamination, the items that are normally gluten-free aren't and meant I couldn't get nothing I actually wanted.. I live in Calvert Co and drove 30 minutes to find this out. So disappointing... read more

This place is hands down a gem! I just wish I lived closer to the restaurant I'd gladly eat here everyday! They have amazing customer service, the owner is down to earth, loves to cook and really appreciate their patrons. Saw him recently working the food truck in our neighborhood! He cook be in a Michelin restaurant but no he was out in my neighborhood working the line! That showed me where his love and heart lies! Try the Cuban it is too die for! I always get extra pickles! Keep up the hard work! And love the food truck!! read more

Stumbled across this place while out for a drive, intrigued by the reviews we UTurned.... so glad we did! Cozy, warm & inviting space! Excellent Cuban coffee, (full bar and decent beer list). Street tacos very fresh, smallish but the perfect size. No filler, just your choice of well seasoned protein, a bit of cheese and a delicious sauce. We had a fish and a shrimp taco, and the house salad w shrimp. The vinaigrette was light and delicious. We were looking for a light lunch, but will definitely be back to check out the rest of the menu! Another bonus: beautiful, clean bathrooms! read more

Has never disappointed! Delicious every single time. We love their fresh, authentic cuisine. Takeout from JesseJays during this time has been such a joy read more

Jay’s Latin Kitchen - Steak nachos - Latin American Near Me - Deale, Maryland

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Awesome and different fare from the usual. Try the mofongo! The tacos are excellent and once Covid is done we will try hanging out on their cool patio. read more

Today was the first time going to JesseJay's, and let me tell you the food was exceptional. I got the Spanish Cordon Blue. Excellent and a must try. Let's talk about the fries, the best and knocks out any fast food place out there. When they say smothered oversized burrito, they are not kidding. I hope to go back soon and try something else on the menu. I am sure it will be just as good as my first visit. I cannot leave out the waitress, she too was exceptional. Beautiful atmosphere. Thank you Colleen read more

When you want authentic Latin cuisine, this is your place. The menu has something for everyone, Cuban foods mixing with some Mexican favorites. Start with the house-made guacamole and chips, trust me. For your meal, Jesse's short rib tacos, as well as the short rib entree, are well worth the drive... the Pacifico on tap is crisp and cold, just like my favorite restaurants back in Chula Vista, CA. Save room for dessert, the plantain beignets are the perfect ending to your meal. Jesse Jay's is a very welcome addition to the area! read more

Food is amazing! The restaurant itself is super tiny, so don't come with a large party. Tacos are made fresh, along with everything else on the menu, and range from $3-4 each. Amazing food, and the owners are very hands on and nice people read more

Dinner last night was amazing! Run don't walk to JesseJay's, but call for reservations first. The food was excellent, authentic, home cooked and the service was excellent. The owners/chef Jesse came out to our table and said hello to check in to see how the food and service was. Had a long chat with Jesse and his wife-they have big plans for becoming a destination dining experience and part of the SOCO community. Great value and the tapestry of taste is mind blowing. How is this restaurant in Shady Side??? If your from SOCO or the Annapolis area consider yourself lucky to have this gem in your backyard. As "Arnold" said, "I'll be back" and plan on working my way through the entire menu. The owners are the real deal and their credentials/ experience will ensure JesseJay's is a huge success for years to come. Enjoy a meal and you'll thank me later. Rating: 5+ (the best!) read more

Stopped and got a couple of tacos. Tacos were super greasy and slightly bland. Tacos were also small for the price. I asked for hot sauce and ai was told they had a in house hot sauce. They gave me a commercial brand. read more

If you are going to take reservations, then you need to HONOR them! Had a reservation last evening at 6:30 and arrived a few minutes early only to be told that there was no table available for us because an unexpected group of 10 came in and had to accommodated...are you serious? Only writing this review because this is the SECOND time this has happened. Will never come back. read more

Latin food done right! There hasn't been a single thing that I've ordered from here that wasn't absolutely delicious. Their fish tacos are my favorite, and you just can't skip on their guacamole and salsa. This place is a gem in South County. Highly recommend! read more

Beyond delicious food, great service, large portions. The online ordering platform didn't work so I had to call it in instead. They had me on hold for about five minutes, but they were apologetic for the delay and mentioned staffing issues which is not their fault. We ordered the Jesse bowl (similar to a Chipotle burrito bowl) but it was WAY better. Yum. read more

Great food great service what more can you ask for. We are going to get them to do some catering later in the year.

Great and original. Warm. Chill. Authentic. Jesse makes such good choices on his recipes and splices various cultures in with the Latin food experience. Plus he creates their drinks and makes everything work. read more

Outside bar is great when it's warm out. And the water melon crushes are to die for The food is deliscioyz!!

Love this place. Great food, great prices and great service. I will continue to go to Jesse Jays. Everything I've tasted has been excellent. Had the Jesse Burger tonight. Juicy and delicious. Can't beat the curb side delivery in these times either. read more

Food, atmosphere, & drink options were amazing! Need a reservation on the weekend--they squeezed us in though. Absolutely must try. Period.

Best Taco's in MD and likely beyond! The food, service and ambiance of outside dining is perfect. Very chill spot with amazing food for everyone? read more

I can't believe I waited this long to go and try it out! It's the bomb.com!!!! I had the mojito which was super fresh and amazing. We got an order of the nachos and added steak and shrimp. The steak was marinated just right and tender. The shrimp were whole and large, amazing! The chips the cheese everything about the nachos was so good. I then tried the chicken taco and my dad had the fish taco, we both got the flour tortilla and it was so soft! And the sauce and cheese they but on it is delicious, seriously one of my favorite flavored tacos I've ever had. I talked my sister into going yesterday with her boyfriend and they loved it and I'm going back today with the boyfriend and friends! Can't wait to try some of the other things! It is super tiny inside but hopefully with summer coming there will be plenty of outdoor seating :) Enjoy!! read more

Jay’s Latin Kitchen - Nachos with steak and shrimp added. YUMMMM - Latin American Near Me - Deale, Maryland

Food and staff are great! I've tried all the different taco flavors, and my favorite is the carnitas. Make reservations if you want to go on the weekend, it's a super small place. I imagine the extra seating outside is great during the summer. read more

I love this spot. Nice atmosphere and great food. Nachos are AMAZING. Margaritas are some of the best I've had here in Maryland.

Oh my goodness. We drove here on a whim and were more than pleased with JesseJays! Both Jesse and Jay were working hard; every table was full on our arrival. We sampled from all the menus lol...appetizer, drink, entree, sandwich, coffee and dessert. The fried pork mofongo is out of this world. Both sauces are winners. The guacamole is fresh. The cafe bon bon is a delicious sweet Cuban coffee...and the special quesito dessert with guava is a treat if they have it. You can see they're focused on making their customers happy. We will def be back. read more

Incredible "Latin fusion" cuisine; memorable pineapple/jalapeño margaritas; friendly, family/neighborhood vibe; small space expands to an outside area in good weather. Jesse's - a new restaurant - pivoted perfectly to carryout service & outdoor dining during the pandemic, and is beloved by locals and out-of-towners alike read more

The BEST food and drinks. Order a margarita and get the nachos! Amazing service.. I would sit outside if you can.. the inside is a little cramped. read more

Ordered pretty much half the menu. Started off with the sangria (amazing) then got the nachos, guacamole, salsa, and queso for apps. Entrees we got the jesse bowl, mofongo, short rib tacos, and chicken tacos. Dessert we got it all, but in my opinion, the red velvet churro balls were to die for. Everything was so fresh and delicious! Our server was Whitney and she was awesome! read more

We love the food and the service is just great. This is A very small restaurant so get there early.

Wow that was good! We are somewhat locals but somehow never went into the swamp. So glad we finally decided to because JesseJays truly delivered. The Mojito was excellent, guacamole was out of this world (maybe the best we've ever had) and the short rib tacos were crazy good. Then came the red velvet churros... And somehow they were crunchy on the outside but almost creamy inside. We will definitely be back! read more

got seated then ignored for 10 -15 mins no drink order no water by a wait staff standing idle a lot of the time

This place was phenomenal!!! The staff went above and beyond. The food was some of the best food I have ever tasted!! I'm from New York where restaurants come a dime a dozen this still beats most of them. Homely feel. I loved it!! read more

Food and service was above and beyond. Highly recommended. Shrimp tacos filled with large shrimp and very tasty, taco salad over filled, both chicken and shrimp, wonderful. Desserts are awesome....tres leche, flan and pasrty....and don't miss out on the margaritas read more

We love the tacos at Jesse's and the yummy happy hour drinks! We go back all the time but try to make reservations first!

Phenomenal customer service. It is great how involved the owners are in this establishment. The place is always packed but they manage to always fit us in. The quac and chips are the best. As a local, I've had basically everything on the menu and it is all delicious. However, my favorite is Jesse's short ribs. They have a great selection. Keep up the good work and I'm excited to see what is to come here! :) read more

Where to begin...I guess the best place to attempt to describe this Chef's food logic and flavor building capabilities had to somehow start at his grandma's kitchen, again I'm assuming that's where it all started, because to be able to put out Authentic dishes of this caliber simply cannot happen over night, from the first bite at the beginning of your meal to the last... well it's a full on respect for every ingredient without compromising the integrity of all these ingredients together, in other words you taste it all without overpowering each ingredient, it's total Umami in most or if not in all of his dishes, everything is made fresh and well thought out , after you eat here your first time his food will leave you with longing and your simply can't wait to come back again... if you want to experience a complex but well though out Taco or anything on his menu here is where you want to go on that trip, I live 1 hour and 13 min away from this place and my 1st 2 visits were back to back 2 days in a row, Chef please continue to excel and and stay true to your craft, it shows in your Latin Cuisine!!! read more