The Tastiest Restaurants in San Jose

"The food and atmosphere here is amazing. I recommend the "Beef Stew Noodle Soup" as it tastes extremely flavorful and the noodles are nice and chewy.The service here is also great. The servers are often quick with bringing out food making for a nice meal and overall enjoyable experience."

"My wife and I was craving Indian. My daughter was craving dosa. Not many Indian restaurants around Fremont serve dosa. My friend recommended we give GumaGumalu a try. We took his suggestion.We arrived a little after 6pm on a Friday evening. Finding parking was no issue, as this restaurant is located in the Ranch 99 Plaza. When we walked in, we were the first customer and was greeted with a friendly smile and the lady told us to sit anywhere.We sat down and ordered our food. Daughter got her dosa and mango lassi. Wife and I got the garlic naan, andhra chicken curry, vijaywada chicken biryani, and a samosa chaat. Food arrived in a reasonable time. First came the dosa platter with 3 chutney dipping sauce. Then came the samosa chaat. Then the andrha chicken curry. Then the garlic naan. And last to arrive was the vijaywada chicken curry.Everything tasted super delicious. My daughter really enjoyed her dosa and mango lassi. My wife and I enjoyed everything else. The food portion was great. When we were full, we still had plenty of the rice and chicken curry left over to take home.The complimentary chai tea at this place has a distinct sweet after taste, even though no sugar was added. It did not taste like other chai tea from other restaurants, but was still quite nice. I really enjoyed the dosa and the garlic chutney is hands down my favorite dipping sauce. The spice level and flavor on the rest of the dish was perfect for our taste. We definitely will come back again next time we want Indian food."

"AGAVE MEXICAN BISTRO has been one of the restaurants in downtown Mountain View that I have frequented the most for the past few years. Their cool spot, tequila galore, and some good eats easily reel me in again and again.Located at the corner of Castro and Villa Streets, the restaurant does not have a private lot for parking, but a public lot is just a two-minute walk away. Metered spots are also available along Villa and its crossing streets. The venue, itself, is spacious with two indoor dining rooms and an outdoor patio, all of which can host parties and/or groups. Check out their bar for tequila galore.AGAVE serves traditional Mexican fare with some items that will make your mouth water and boasts an array of MARGARITA OFFERINGS with drinks that will quench your thirst. Below are just a few items that we have ordered.DR "J" - Tasty and strong, according to Mom. Nothing wrong with that! Bring on the buzz!!Strawberry FRUIT MARGARITA - Served in a big goblet with a salted rim, I ordered this drink after seeing a neighbouring table order a round for everyone in their party. They said that it was THE BEST Strawberry MARGARITA with no taste of alchohol. I second their opinion.Horchata - A little too heavy on the cinnamon, but otherwise a good, tall pour.NACHOS (regular and chicken) - YUMMY! This is a great STARTER topped with beans, s/cream, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole. The full size is so generous that it can be served as a meal to share between two to three persons. I highly recommend ordering this with chicken, it's my fave here! I will start ordering it as my entrée from now on.CALAMARI - Nicely golden & crispy.QUESO FUNDIDO - A major favourite of our Happy Hour party group.CEVICHE - Another popularly liked COMIENZO by our Happy Hour party group. SHRIMP COCKTAIL - This appetizer did not look appealing to me, so I did not touch it.QUESADILLA (chicken) - Very good, packed with shredded chicken.FLAUTAS (beef) - Two big generous portions, but not as crispy as I would have liked it because the wrapping is flour tortilla. If you want crunch, I recommend the TAQUITOS instead of the FLAUTAS.TAQUITOS (chicken) - 3 Nice and crispy rolled tacos, basically. This is a great choice. It's no wonder that it's listed in the FAVORITES / FAVORITOS section of the menu.BAJA FISH TACO (a la carte) - Auntie Marissa gave this two thumbs up.CHILE VERDE - "Not great" per Mom. Ouch.CHURROS - Ok, but a little on the bland side, according to V.FLAN - My family enjoyed this Mexican custard dessert, even V, to my surprise.Service is always great to excellent here. The servers are consistently friendly, patient, and warm. My family has enjoyed their jovial hospitality full of jokes and laughter.Now that I have introduced AGAVE to my family, this place will likely become a regular eatery for us to hit up for Mexican food."

"Solid pupusas. Friendly atmosphere. Super delish pouches of happiness. You have to eat it hot right away. You can use knife/fork but it's so good just tearing it up with your hands. The pork and cheese one (chicharrón y queso) was velvety. I guess you could almost think of it as a quesadilla but this is a much more manageable size. I had some tomato soup and crunchy pickled cabbage. Then the Loroco leaf was new to me. It reminds me a little bit of the skin part of a chile relleno, but it's fine enough that it's just the taste. The rest was cheesy softness in the corn pouch. Times visited: 1"

"Came here after they were included in Yelp's top places to eat in the Bay Area list for 2024. I didn't do enough research and know that they are cash only before coming in, but luckily they also accept venmo. Decided to order some of the most popular dishes to see what it was all about. Two of us shared the garlic sauce noodles with pork, cold noodle appetizer, braised beef noodle soup, and pork hock with garlic sauce. We both really liked the garlic sauce noodles with pork and cold noodle appetizer. The pork noodles were a little spicy but nothing too overwhelming for the tastebuds. The noodles in all of the dishes were fantastic, you could tell that they were handmade in house and they really had the perfect chew to them. We were surprised that the pork hock was a cold dish. I liked the flavorful sauce that came on top of it, but didn't love that it was cold. The cut of the beef in the braised beef soup also kinda threw me off since I didn't grow up eating super authentic Chinese food. I didn't personally love the meat, but think that a lot of people would. Portions are large and we had plenty of food to take home with us."

"First time for me to come and bought food from this small Mom and Pop's type of restaurant. My friend said the food here are authentic and taste good so we tried it and bought a bunch of food to go! The place is small so expect longer waiting time during meal hours, it's clean, plenty of parking spaces. They close in between lunch and dinner time so make sure you'll be there during their open hours! Food were delicious, prices are moderate and I think the portion were okay!"

"Good spot that's open late, good vibe inside with beer tower on the menu lol.The food was good, with lots of variety to choose from on the menu. Quite an expansive menu! For the indecisive, it can be difficult to make a decision.Roll combo A was great. California roll was good, Oregon (salmon) and Miami (tuna) were both good as well. No complaints. The combo comes with miso soup and salad.The beer tower was an excellent choice for a big party, pours for many. Cheers!Service was warm."

"Really unique sushi rolls here, as well as Korean style sashimi & other Korean dishes. For apps we had the calamari rings. These were super thick and served with a barbecue marinara sauce combination. We also tried three signature rolls here, all of which tasted decently fresh. The smoky tempura roll was indeed smoky, and very saucy + slightly sweet. Definitely a unique roll! The Suro Titanic roll was HUGE. Jaw breaking even. The name was very fitting. We also had the Sushi + Sashimi + Roll Combo. I really liked the spicy tuna roll, but I thought the rest of the fish quality on the nigiri and sashimi wasn't anything crazy. Lastly we had the spicy kimchi ramen! Yum!Service was inconsistent. Some workers were nice and others not. We finished with complimentary mochi ice cream which was awesome! Casual ambience."

"Food is authentic. But a bit in the salty side. Tell them to keep it on lower side. It's a hole in the wall really and will take time to improve to a level where it's for even. I came here second time. So worth a try."

"We had 43 & Company cater our desserts for our wedding and it blew us away! From our first communication email with LikLing, we knew we would be in good hands. We opted for 6 different desserts (cream puffs, panna cotta, creme brulee, fruit tarts, cupcakes) and all our guests praised how moist and delicious everything was! Nothing was to sweet, nothing was dry, and everything tasted fresh. The pricing is very reasonable and they even offered to deliver and set-up our dessert table for our wedding. The team showed up on time, set everything up perfectly, and left our guests speechless! If you are looking for dessert catering for any event, do yourself a favor and inquire with 43&. You will not be disappointed!"

"We had our wedding reception banquet at Grand Harbor, and it was great. The food was really good and the restaurant was willing to accommodate substitutions. Steven, the manager, was great to work with and had good recommendations for vendors. Service during the reception was very accommodating, especially for our sweetheart table, and helped facilitate a fun, celebratory atmosphere. Thank you Grand Harbor for hosting our wedding reception!"

"We went to the Laughing Monk Brewery in Sunnyvale and this was our first time there. The service was amazing and our server Walter was very nice and helpful in our ordering. So if you are ever in Sunnyvale, or there may be one nerdy you, go chech out the place."

"Excellent food. Fresh and large in size. The taste was great. I went with friends and between us we had salmon, gyros and Adana kebab. Every dish was great and reasonably priced. The only reason this is a 4 star is because one item, which was a salad had ingredients missing. It was not as described in the menu. When asked, we were told they did not have all the ingredients available. That's fine but it's best to be upfront about something like that. We'd be happy to order something else!Customer service was great. Very polite and willing to help. They have a lovely patio outside too. Nicely decorated place for a casual dinner"

"A lovely place to meet friends. Great menu to pair with wine. Love the samosas and the Brie with prosciutto. The service was attentive and our server was bright smiles. Only complaint is the music was a bit loud. Love the atmosphere and the window table was great."

"Solid, no frills, affordable. This is a hole-in-the-wall dumpling shop but surprisingly still has plenty of seating and good service. The food comes out pretty fast and hot! I really like their beef noodle soup. It's good and consistent. They are slightly cheaper than nearby Top Dumpling."

"Amazing experience at the new location on El Camino!! Service with a smile! The food was delicious- from the juicy burger to the crispy onion rings and can't forget the oh so delicious Banana cream pie and had to have the lemon meringue as well!! John, Sulbha, and the wholeTeam were amazing!! I will be back!"

"Swiss chard soup $7 - New item, vegan, warm, comforting, thick, filled with beans, chard.Falafels $11 (4 pieces) - The reason they say they don't sell this a la carte anymore because they lose money apparently, and the cook doesn't like cooking falafels (but it's the name of your truck?). It's really good.Will come back for their other vegan items - Babaganoush, hummus, salad."

"This place deserves a much higher rating. Id imagine some of the ratings are from the sticker shock of the prices, but you can't beat the food for a sports bar. It's delicious and good sized portions. Here are some or the things I like:- can accommodate large groups and kids are welcome- they're very patient with "kids tables" and always have been helpful and friendly to my nephews various sports team's dinners - dozens of tvs - you cannot beat the sports selection and you cannot have a "bad seat" in the entire restaurant. It's designed for sports fans.- foods excellent and they're also revamping the menu constantly and keeping it interesting/ fresh - friendly owner and servers who take care of their table and the neighborhood vibe - I don't drink alcohol and they have multiple non alcoholic beers available. I love that they include those options in their menu If there's a big game to watch, this is the place!"

"If you've been fortunate to go visit a matriarchal Filipino home, you know that you'll NEVER go hangry. They'll feed you until your pants seams bust and send you home with Tupperware of leftovers.Then, the next time you visit, she'll say, you've gotten "fluffy"....but in a blunt way. Several months ago, I called Pampanguena Cuisine for a lumpia tray and the phone just kept ringing. Come to find out, they closed and Fili Taste Grill & Restaurant took its place in in early June 2024 . They're open for takeout and dine-in. No outdoor seating. While there was no lola onsite, dining at Fili Taste felt like an extension of their home and we left with plenty of leftovers. M E N UFilipino Fare - Array of skewers and a handful of a la carte dishes: Sizzling Sisig, Fili [Grilled] Chicken, Lechon Kawali (fried pork belly), Grilled Jumbo Squid, and Bitter Melon Soup. Combo plates available during lunch from 11 AM - 3 PM: Two proteins/lumpia plus rice for $14.99. If you spend over $35 for two people, it's FREE unlimited rice. Order at the counter (pick your skewers), seat yourself, and pay after you're finished eating. F O O D* SKEWERS ($2 each): https://tinyurl.com/4z8szcb7- Pork BBQ - Chicken BBQ - Pork Stomach - Hot Dog - Chicken Feet - Chicken Heart (x2) - sorry no pic- Kwek-Kwek: Battered + deep fried quail eggs Fili is one of two Filipino restos in the bay to have such a large array of skewers (like Dollar Hits in LA). Most of the skewers are brushed with a savory sweet glaze and perfect if you're looking to get a good sampling of proteins. * Inihaw na Pusit: Grilled Jumbo Squid ($14.99): https://tinyurl.com/mryfcde7Tender and pleasantly chewy with a nice char. Make sure to grab some housemade soy-vinegar-chili dipping sauce from their condiment station. * Fili Chicken, Inasal-Style ($14.99): https://tinyurl.com/msn9ta3pEveryone has their own recipe/variation but inasal chicken is usually marinated with vinegar, calamansi, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger...and annatto for that red hued skin. The whole chicken legs were juicy and lightly seasoned so the soy-vinegar-chili dipping sauce came in handy. * Silver Lechon Kawali: Deep Fried Pork Belly ($14.99): https://tinyurl.com/47dfeb9xFav items of the night! Golden brown and crunchy bursting with juicy porky goodness. It was bit oversalted for me but balanced when dipped into the accompanying sweet mang tomas sauce. * Soup of the Day - Bulalo: Filipino Beef Shank Soup ($19.99): https://tinyurl.com/pkdbcxrwLeast fav item - while the bulalo looked ginormous, it was mainly a huge bone with marrow and two small pieces of beef. The beef was still tough, and the bok choy and corn were undercooked. It just needed to be simmered longer to achieve a rich, soulful broth. * Garlic Rice (Free for spending over $35 for two)No Filipino meal is complete without rice and I was happy the garlic rice was part of the min. spending freebie. S E R V I C EFriendly, warm, pinoy hospitality with prompt food service. A M B I A N C ENo-frills casual dining area with 7-8 tables.P A R K I N GStreet parking can be challenging during peak hours. Overall, if you're looking for tasty Filipino eats with warm hospitality in the city, give this new local small business a try!"

"The northern reaches of Downtown San Jose become a dark and deserted wasteland after nightfall, where few but the bravest of tourists will dare to enter. But the natives know that a few excellent eateries still survive here, defiantly keeping the darkness at bay, and waiting it out until the day when the city finally gets around to reconnecting them again with the rest of downtown.The five stars are for the pasta and cheeses - because there are 2 or maybe 3 different layers of cheese activity going on here. Some mellow cheese thing going on top, and some salty cheese thing happening in the middle, and maybe some croissant cheese thing going down at the bottom.I don't know enough about cheese, so maybe it is something else. But this is not the cheese on my Doritos or Cheetos. This is not the cheese on the carne asada fries. And this is not the cheese inside my Subway sandwich, although it can be challenging to taste Subway sandwich cheese, even when you can see it."

"This is such a great find! Always love smiling faces--Super nice lady taking my order. This is a take out only place. They are utilizing the kitchen that is vacant for an event hall rented space.The portion is decent. You get a side of soup and a scoop of rice with the katsu. Orders were made fresh. I appreciated the texture and the meat was throughly cooked! I would definitely recommend! Thanks Yelpers for this great find!"

"Nancy is a dream to work with! She is responsive, communicative and super creative. Once you email her, she has an auto-response with all the details of placing an order. If you have an idea, she'll let you know if it's possible. Her custom cookies are not only pretty but they are delicious and last a few days. You can even freeze them to make them last longer. She can handle large orders and does all of them on her own from scratch. I've always been impressed with how spot on her creations are. She recently agreed to do a team building workshop where everyone got to decorate their own cookies. People were thrilled. We were even more appreciative of all the skill and effort that goes into her cookie works of art. I highly recommend her for business and personal events. They are a great parting gift."

"Our dance troupe performed on 13th July at the Hayward Veterans Memorial Building, where all the open windows couldn't disperse the heat enough--and there was no ice for bottles of water. Once everything was stashed for travel, about 7.30, our Fearless Leader (who had been there before) directed us to Yuki Hana, where there were a few vegetarian sushi options: we also have troupe sisters who need GF options, and non-fish eaters (I'd be a pescatarian if I could). We weren't the only ones from the dance festival choosing to eat there.When we entered, it was pleasantly cool. The "straight faced woman" (from another review) got our disorganized group of 7 seated, and menus, napkins, chopsticks were set out, with full glasses of water with big chunks of ice following shortly. We asked for water carafes, making it easier for both partiesWhile I didn't see a section of sashimi with prices, I saw quite a lot of food I would eat. Hadn't had anything since 10am but water, so I might've order some to go. I had the largest spider roll I've ever had -- $12, less than I usually pay in the South Bay, and the double hamachi roll $15. If I hadn't still been overheated, I would've order o-cha.The food came out shortly, and the sound level went down immediately. We were all happy with our food. Given as many drivers as we had, no one ordered alcohol--but given the laughter, you'd never have known. Post-performance meals are usually politely raucous.I almost had to take home leftovers--at least four of us did, the portions being that generous. We discovered while trying to do "bistromathics" that the woman (owner? Mother of owner?) has a dry wit. I left a larger tip than usual, because we were a large group.I've bookmarked Yuki Hana under GBA Sushi & under Alameda County restaurants. I wouldn't mind it if I had to come to Hayward before next year's festival just so I could eat here again!"

"When I saw Slow Cooked Oxtail Pho on the menu, I had to check out VPho. I had been to this place 100 times but never tried anything there. After reading so many good reviews, I decided to check them out. Unfortunately, I set the bar too high. The portion size was fine for one person, but the broth was average. As for the oxtails? I got three pieces, two of which were the bony, skinny tail tips that were chewy, flavorless, and lacked seasonings. So much for believing all the hype."

"I have no beef with this place. I wouldn't take a date here though. Think of Stanley's as an old sports bar with a few faithful patrons who hang around. I've been here a handfull of times to watch Shark's games. There's usually 20-30 people for a regular game. The beer and food here are pretty good but hard to get - by that I mean the guy who tends bar also drives the zamboni, sharpens the skates, cooks the food and I think he also shingles the roof. AKA, he shows up once a period for 10 mins to take orders. If you don't get your order in...you're screwed for about 30 minutes."

"Located right by Santa Clara University, parking is limited and difficult to find. The interior is decorated nicely. The tables are relatively clean.Calix-mex supreme burrito (4/5): I wouldn't have expected anything less. This burrito was really loaded and I definitely had my fill. The chicken was tender but the beans made it feel a little mushy.Overall, Calix-mex is a great Mexican restaurant. The portions are a good size and the food is yummy. They also serve complimentary chips and salsa."

"The other day I ordered the "Flipped Chicken" entree from the Proposition Chicken (Prop C) menu at Local Kitchens in Campbell. I picked up my own food, so it was hot and fresh from the kitchen. The food was tasty, and the chicken was moist and juicy. The buttermilk biscuit was a little hard, so I zapped it in the microwave when I got home. The tomato/cucumber salad was spicy and fresh. Okay, the entree is supposed to be leg, thigh, and half a breast. My chicken pieces were slightly smaller, so they gave me 2 pieces.....leg/thigh and breast/wing. Realistically, it's half a chicken, and I shouldn't complain. But technically it's not correct. A great roast chicken meal at a fair price."

"This place is the best. It saves everyone in the East Bay a trip all the way down to the South Bay. You can order ahead on the phone, if they're not too busy. Because they absolutely have rushes throughout the day. But it's always worth the wait because all of the food is top notch. They've been taking cash for forever but they've been accepting Venmo for a while now. I still bring cash because they earn it running this business. They do catering trays and they're a great price. A lot of the food is Vietnamese comfort that you won't find in a pho restaurant and it warms my soul. But there's something for everyone so come hungry!"

"I was as free as a bird on a Friday night. No kids, no spouse, friends were busy, and nothing to do. I went on a date by myself and had dinner at Spicy House. I got a table right away and wanted to order the entire menu but I had to control my inner big back.. I ordered the spicy beef noods and garlic pea sprouts. I wanted some comfort food on a chilly night. It was so romantic. I had a table right by the window and people watched while the spicy oils ran down the side of my mouth. F*ing delicious. Beef was tender, spicy numbing peppers and the noodles were al dente. Pea sprouts were garlicky and had a nice crunch. I'll bring my family next time if they're nice to me."

"The food taste is a point. The salsa is on point, and the size of the burrito is a point.On April 4, our daughter had their open house at school. We usually order online customers, so when it was open house and we were hungry afterward, we said, "Let's go to lulus, why not?" So, we walked in at 7:15. I checked the time because they closed at 8 and I'm aware of that. We say hi a man approaches the cashier, and they start giggling and playing around. Mind you, we are ready to order because we usually order here. So I rudely interested them and said my order una quesadilla de pollo un burrito de al pastor and my husband gets his order so does My other daughter. And I go to the restroom WOOW what a surprise to me it was dirty and the cook had just laid a fat one in the bathroom mannn it stank so bad. At that point I'm like I hope he washed his hands and then it's my turn to wash my hands mind you good thing they had lays on the top of a little rack they had there but geeez that smell was hideous like he was sick or something. So I'm going to wash my hands. i washed them, and there's no napkins. So I'm stuck, like, how do I open this door without touching it? So I grabbed some toilet paper, and that's how I opened the door. Oh, and the straws are not wrapped. Be aware! I think we will stick to online and maybe the one in Campbell we've been to that one as well, and it's ok too. -1 star for professionalism and -1 Another star for sanitation and presentation."

"This review is for Axol / Axel. He is the manager this sunday evening. Long story short I wasn't able to attend the dinner but still wanted to take care of the bill. He was able to provide a solution and took care of the party. Much appreciated. The party said he very accommodating and nice. Great service will always keep the guests coming back."

"This is such a cute cafe! They have the usual fare for breakfast like waffles and smoothies, but they also have a taco stand! They make tacos in front of you with fresh, hand made tortillas and guacamole (not the stuff in the tub!). The owners are super kind! Check them out!!!"

"This is my Thai spot in San Mateo. I've eaten at the restaurant and ordered here via door dash here several times. The food here is really good and affordable. The restaurant is a bit small, so reservations are encouraged for larger groups. Parking here is a bit tricky unless you park at the parking lots. The service here is great and the food comes out quickly! Would recommend here for some good Thai food!"

"The place is beautiful, it reminds of ancient China days. I love it!! The service is spot on, they are super attentive, friendly, and easy going.We ordered more, but we started eating I forgot to take more photos. We also got Kobe, prawns, and combination mushrooms. I like Seapot too. It's definitely different, this is not all you can eat. Seapot is modern looking. You don't get some of the exotic stuff that you would find at Seapot. For examples brain, pork blood, I believe I saw pigs ears, and chicken feet too. I don't eat those particular parts of animals. If you're someone that enjoys that, this spot is for you. This is our second time there. I will definitely come back, that's how much I enjoyed it. The food was fresh and impeccable."

"Van's did an amazing job with a last minute order for a half sheet cake. I had originally ordered from another Vietnamese bakery nearby a week in advance of my son's 100 days celebration. I went to make some changes to my cake on Thursday afternoon and found the bakery was closed due to a failed health inspection conducted the day before! I didn't know what was going on and the workers inside were not able to communicate with me (language barrier). I told them I wanted to cancel and they got the message. I immediately went to Van's and asked if they were able to accommodate a cake order for Saturday. Luckily they were able to and they were able to provide me some guidance on the cake. I honestly didn't know what I wanted decoration wise. Found one of their circular cakes with dumplings and asked for it to be similar. Not too busy and simple and they delivered! Other bakery didn't really want to work with me on customizing a cake. They basically told me to choose one of their designs or bring my own. Van's was not like that and worked with me.I ordered the guava mousse flavor and it was a hit. People were asking for seconds. The kids loved the dumplings that were also edible. A nearby table was eyeing the cake and said it was pretty as well. I definitely would come back again and would try some of their other flavors! Highly recommend them for their cakes. I have also gotten their mooncakes as well as their sugarcane drinks. Both were good. Inside of the store is clean and organized as well."