Service was amazing! We went about two hours before closing, and even though it was semi-busy, our waiter was friendly, attentive, and informative, he even assured us the whitefish was fresh, which it absolutely was. The ambiance was spot on, with tasteful music that complemented the setting without leaning too heavily on cultural stereotypes, something I really appreciated compared to other Mexican restaurants in Michigan. As for the food, I wouldn't call it traditional Mexican cuisine, but rather a thoughtful and well-executed fusion of Mexican and Michigan food traditions. I ordered the whitefish tacos, which were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. I also tried the Michelada, which was excellent and complemented the meal beautifully. Overall, it was a great experience, and I can't wait to come back to Saint Ignace just to eat here again! read more

Jose's Cantina - Michelada - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was here! We received free chips and salsa and added queso and guac for the table. The queso was soooo good! I don't like guac but the rest of the table enjoyed it. We were super disappointed because they were out of birria and that's what 2/4 of us wanted. I opted for a carne asada chimichanga instead, no guac and added pico on the side. It was a good chimichanga overall. The carne asada was flavorful. My only complaint is that the chimichanga could have been crispier, but it was still good. Rice and beans are acceptable but not the best I've ever had. The rest of the table said their food was really good. One person got a chicken taco, another a half plate of nachos, and the last one a chicken and shrimp dish over rice. I had a Michigan cherry margarita and a mango margarita- both were very good. Our waitress was attentive and kind. The restaurant is cute on the inside. The played the traditional mariachi music which I don't like but is to be expected. They charge a service fee for paying with card. Bill before the service fee was $136 and with the service fee was $141 before tip. I'd definitely come back. Like I said, I wasn't expecting much coming in here but was so pleasantly surprised! read more

Jose's Cantina - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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We were just at Jose's Cantina and our bellies are so happy!!! We got seated right away; our server was delightful, sweet, and helpful; and the food came out extremely fast. Our chicken enchiladas were like warm but the rest of our food was delicious and my Cherry Margarita was yummmmmmy!! read more

Jose's Cantina - Cherry Margarita on the rocks - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

The food was good. Service was great. Typical Mexican restaurant ambience. Overall I would come here again. read more

Jose's Cantina - Looking toward the entrance. - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

Absolutely the worst experience ever. Called ahead about my Medical Service Animal and was told if we came right away we could be accommodated. We went over were told it would be 10 minutes. 20 minutes later in a full lobby a bus person cones out and says the owner said NO. I explain the call in advance and details. I'm told The owner says no I show her Federal paperwork still NO. Not an offer of let's figure out takeout? Anything??? No Just NO??? I have NEVER BEEN TREATED SO DISRESPECTFULLY. KARMA WILL FIND YOU I hope that people avoid you at all costs and next summer we see a Restaurant in your space that is responsible, RESPECTFUL and a Good business steward and model. ​​ read more

Jose's Cantina - A RESTAURANT TO AVOID AT ALL.COSTS. - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

Friendly staff, good food and live music, this was our experience at Jose's Cantina. We were sitted right away despite a huge crowd on Saturday afternoon. Chips and salsa were brought immediately to the table. They were good although a little too salty. Our server was nice and polite but she didn't have much knowledge how to accommodate some dishes to make vegan. I was able to figure it out, mostly you have to remove cheese from free vegetarian dishes to make them vegan. I opted for vegetarian fajitas and hubby got Quesabirria tacos. The food came very quickly and is was very flavorful. Portion size also nice. We really enjoyed everything. Live music also made the experience so much nicer. We will definetly be back! read more

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We 1st visited 2yrs ago & once again the place did not disappoint!! Great drinks, fresh food, and professional service read more

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The food is phenomenal! So much flavor- it's the real deal!! This place belongs in NYC but here we are, hanging out in a small Michigan town. They renovated during the off season. The stucco lightens it up and makes it fancy but not too fancy. Service is excellent! Do not skip this one! read more

Jose's Cantina - New bar renovation - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Tacos? I am a ball knower. Tacos are my favorite food. I've ordered my favorite taco easily over a thousand times back home. However. Their birria taco was so good I cried. The beef was so tender & soft I honestly think the refried beans were tougher to chew. I had to go outside & pray thanks to the Lord in the rain. Cantarito SLAPPED. Guac SLAPPED. Queso SLAPPED. French fries? SLAPPED. My guests were also raving about their orders. Melissa told me the chef's beef recipe is several generations old from back home in Mexico & his brother visited & also cried because it reminded him of his childhood. And Melissa? My server? Ugh she is so wonderful. She is the best service I've had in so long... I've been on a fancy schmancy restaurant RAMPAGE lately & she was better. Her personality, her attention to detail, just such a fantastic person to have met. 2,000 aura points. Food comes out two minutes after you order it despite there being a 30 min wait time for a table. I have texted so many people about this place knowing they will probably never be this far north. You need to go here. I am so sad I couldn't go back again yesterday & all of the days. Reasonable prices as well. I'd pay twice as much for half a portion just for the taste. (Jose if you read this don't change the prices) I love this place. I love this place. I love Melissa and hope to shake Jose's hand some day. OH AND I ALMOST FORGOT THE VIEW! Everything was so good inside I forgot the VIEW is A BLESSING. You can take an "adult Capri Sun" home if you love the cantaritos or anything as much as I did and they put it in a kangaroo pouch sealed up for later. read more

Jose's Cantina - THE VIEW I ALMOST FORGOT - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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The food was amazing and you can tell they have the best tacos in Michigan. There was live music and quick service. I would 100 percent eat here again and again. read more

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Had dinner here on the deck overlooking the lake, so the ambience was terrific. The hostess was unwelcoming: no smile, no greeting, offered no information; had to ask whether the deck was available. Ordered chicken fajita: it was good, as was rice; chips and salsa that came out while i was waiting were also good. Nothing special about any of the food. Waitress, however, was terrific, the opposite of the hostess. Wish i remembered her name so i could give her a shout-out. read more

Great atmosphere ( we sat in the bar this time) really friendly service and above average food. I had the seafood burrito and my husband had the shrimp fajitas. Full of flavor and a large amount. Can't wait to visit again when we return next spring. read more

Jose's Cantina - Delicious margarita! - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

I was told this is the best restaurant in town now I feel bad for the town. Honestly, our restaurant at the breakers was 100 times better than this place. I got a bowl of chicken tortilla soup that was so bland. It had no flavor the taco salad with chicken the bottom of the taco bowl was filled with about a half inch of water. The chicken was like they boiled it and ripped it apart and just threw it in there with no seasoning was not offered chips and salsa until I asked however, I did get a Cadillac margarita and it was very good. It is a nice clean looking place but a very busy stressed atmosphere! read more

This place is yummy and coming from a native San Diegan that's saying something in regards to yummy Mexican food. I do wish that they were a bit more customer oriented/accomadating. I am vegan and got the portabello burrito. They have a yummy combo option but the portabello burrito cannot be substituted in the combo and you cannot get the yummy veggie tacos as a side. I asked the server if she could do it and she said "no substitutions". Hopefully they'll have a portabello burrito combo next time we visit. :) read more

Can't review the food. We stood at the check-in desk for 15 minutes and when we got absolutely no attention, we left.

Great place to visit when in the area and craving good Mexican food. Great vegetarian options which is a win for us. The sweet potato burrito was not the best and kind of like pumpkin purée but would try their other options. The service and ambiance was great. Good view of the bay. Will return again. read more

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Came up to St. Ignace for a long weekend and if the crowd here was any indication, Joses is well worth stopping at. Food was good, hot and servings were generous. read more

Fajitas are yummy! Queso is... good. Salsa is yummy. Strawberry margaritas hit the spot. But the view is amazing! read more

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Food: mediocre tasting food most everything served came from a canned or boxed ingredients. decimal portions. Should change the name to Jose Can'tcook not Cantina. Service was not up to par. Server might have been overwhelmed or untrained. The only thing going for this place was the atmosphere and decor. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY. read more

When we travel we look for local and authentic. This hit both! We loved the deck seating with the water views. Food was delicious and service was good as well. We were seated promptly by the host and even let us change our seats to the outside deck. Just remember when the menu says spicy, they mean spicy! Chips and salsa were brought to our table as soon as we were seated and the margarita was spot on! Great meal. We stop here every year on our trac north. Definitely the best Mexican food north of the bridge! read more

The food is good, but the service is terrible. Most of the waitresses are rude and arrogant, and anytime we ask for something extra, they respond with a bad attitude, especially the hostess, Skyler. Skyler is extremely rude, She also treats her coworkers very poorly. If any of the owners see this, please pay attention to the people you have running this place, because they're going to ruin it. We are a family that used to enjoy coming here, but because of this, we now prefer to go to El Zarape in Mackinaw City instead. You're welcome to contact me if you'd like more feedback about this. read more

First of all, the location was nice. We had a view of the water , so that was pleasant. I ordered the white fish tacos, and the were great. The rice that came with my meal was dry and cold, and tasted like tomato paste. My husband had a beef burrito, and he said it tasted like grocery store seasoning, nothing to write home about. My daughter enjoyed the birria tacos, but like the rest of us, didn't eat the rice and beans. It wasn't worth the 100 bill for 4 people. Server was nice though. read more

Best view in town! The patio is just gorgeous! You can see the island from your table. Service was great. All the staff was very nice. Our food came out quick & it was delicious! Big portions as well. read more

Jose's Cantina - Whitefish quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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We stopped in for dinner on a recent road trip. This restaurant was next to the hotel, so we decided to give it a shot. It was good. We started with the queso with chorizo. It was a little runny, but hubby really liked it. I ordered the carne asada which came with beans, rice, elote, and guacamole. The carne asada was a little tough, but was perfectly cooked. The beans were a little dry and the rice was a little under cooked. The elote was a nice touch, but was a little too salty. The guacamole was really good. Hubby had a white fish taco, cheese enchilada, and tamale. I didn't try the taco, but the enchilada and tamale were good. We also ordered sopapillas to go. They aren't typical sopapillas. The are more like fried flour tortilla chips covered in cinnamon and sugar. They were delicious! Our waiter was very nice and made sure we had everything we needed. They also had a guy singing and playing guitar who was very good. read more

Jose's Cantina - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

The blonde that walks around pretending to be the owner is going to destroy this business. She literally told my family of 4 to leave because my 2 year old wanted to sit outside so we moved to the empty patio. Maybe she was upset because I had to help myself to high chairs for my two small children? read more

I don't write reviews ever, but this one! I'm in the business by the way. I was given a dirty plate...it happened and we apologize and grab a new plate. Well not here. I asked for a new plate and was told the one I have was clean and NO. This lady then begin to yell take our food and threaten to call the COP!...Over a dirty plate that could have been a great experience. I am a Local and this sucks for US read more

Had a delicious lunch today. The view from the patio is amazing. Food was very good. Staff were friendly and did a great job. Read online that the patio is dog friendly. This is not the case. Only service dogs are allowed. Our party of 8 made it work. read more

Jose's Cantina - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

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Alicia presented some of the most rude service I have experienced. Food tasted like rubber.

service was so slow and absolutely horrible. They seated other families before us because the host didn't pay attention to the list. Food was mid. Will never come here again. read more

Everything our table ordered was very good,whitefish tacos were exceptional. Service was very friendly and our food came out very quickly on a busy Saturday night. They had good live music but it wasn't too loud. Overall the dinning experience was great and I would go back read more

Amazing delicious food great service the atmosphere is friendly and the views of the Lake are breathtaking. We will definitely eat here again and again read more

Visited Jose Cantina on Saturday evening 06/01 with my family of 4. Order drinks and main Dishes. The tortilla chips were okay. From the drinks order Mojito was good. The other two non alcohol drinks were not finished. The food order was also bad except the chicken fajitas and the white fish tacos. All in all, I spent $99 on the food and we left unsatisfied. This was the worst $99 I have spent on food. read more

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This place was excellent! Fast and friendly service, short wait time on meals, which were delicious! Roberto is passionate about his craft and it shows through his excellent cuisine. Great view as well. Would highly recommend. read more

Jose's Cantina - Delicious whitefish tacos. - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

It's like a 4.5 actually. The food was good. The service was good. The margaritas were good. I wish we could have sat outside but for some reason we couldn't the night we ate there. I had a burrito de muerte or something like that. It was as hot as advertised! This is a great restaurant to have in st Ignace to change up the pace from pub food and whitefish - definitely needed. I have had better Mexican, but I've also had much worse. read more

Thank you for saving our night. After being turned away from other restaurant, we ended up at this incredible place . It was around 8:20 pm and they took us in as a group of 4, and a group of 3 even though they were very busy. Food was super delicious and the lady served us (Theresa ?) was very friendly and knowledgeable. Everyone seems nice and awesome here. We thank you and appreciate your hard work! read more

Amazing service, friendly and fast. Get the whitefish tacos! Fresh caught from the lake. Delicious

Night out for dinner with the family, this is our 3rd year in a row coming here. Never disappoints. Friendly service, good food, average prices. Chicken Diabla is my go to dish, super spicy, a must try if you like spicy dishes. Looks like the did some facelift, remodel work over the off season. Looked very clean and refreshed! See you next year! read more

YUMMY! Newaygo to St Ignace for a fish taco? Yes! Yes! Yes! Best anywhere!!!! The view is amazing and their Bloody Mary left us asking for another. read more

Jose's Cantina - "Chef's special" surf & turf. Seafood enchilada, steak burrito, & fish tacos! - Mexican Near Me - St. Ignace, Michigan

Very good foood and service. Sat out on deck. Ordered the Guacamole / veggies and whitefish tacos! Excellent. Had a Paloma at the bar while waiting on table. So tasty. read more

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Best breakfast in town by a long shot! Drive past Java Joes (mediocre at best) going out of town and grab breakfast until 11:00 here! The huevos rancheros was amazing! All fresh made and full of flavor! They also did a nice remodel this year so very clean with a beautiful view & deck seating. Service was good too, what more can you ask for! read more