John’s Tex-Mex

Overall solid meal– much larger menu than expected for small niche like setting. Fish was good! Baked not fries and actual strips of it– made for a solid burrito bowl. Mexican mush is really not that exciting and their chips are not anything to get excited over. Decent selection of bottled beer… for a bottled beer menu.
So when the occasion arises, John’s would make the cut for another visit.

In the words of gordon ramsey: this place was dreadful! First of all: what kind of mexican place doesnt serve queso!!! Also, what the hell is un beef and what is it doing in a mexican restaurant… The local ‘taco mayo’ in oklahoma serves better food than this place, dont waste your money. Seriously how difficult is it to add cilantro, salt, or even a little taco seasoning. Bland, bland, bland.

Great Place for burrittos. The inside is small, but I have never had an issue getting served. This is most likely due to the the prompt courteous service. Went in last night for a burrito, and was surprised that all of their beers for the night were only $ 2.25, that’s a deal and a steal. They offer a nice selection of bottles craft. Ever to accompany their menu. Menu is slim, but offers everything you need, nachos, tacos, burritos, bowls, etc. they also have an awesome hot sauce that is some type of smiley spicy chipotle, very tasty!

My favorite place for quick, cheap, filling food. The burritos will leave you very full, if not overstuffed. The house made chips are some of the best I’ve had and that extends to the salsa and guac.
Try the Mexican Mush. Doesn’t matter what it is. I’m not even sure, to be honest, but it’s delicious. Also, if you meal comes with sides, one of them should be the mashed plantains. Yum!
As much as I like Sol, John’s has beer! Burritos are great, but burritos + beer = fantastic. That alone makes John’s the best Tex-​Mex in Rochester.

Some of the best Mexican in Rochester. Foods always hot and quick. Fairly cheep for anyone on a budget. The service is friendly! It’s small but it clears out quickly!

Love their salsa. It has a little kick with full of flavors. I also live their home made hot sauce at the table. The red sauce is my favorite. Love their tacos. I would definitely come back for other daily specials.

This place never dissappoints. Sometimes you have to wait for a table, but usually it’s quick. I typically order the quesadilla and my boyfriend orders burritos. Both are very good. We’ve also had the chips and salsa. I have several allergies and they always accommodate.

Mush taco is one of my favorite foods. Delicious!
Prices are cheap. Food is good.
Seating inside is limited. Recommend take out.

This place is always an enjoyable experience and I’m not sure why I don’t go here more often. It’s great food and very inexpensive. Service is always top notch and your order is up in about 5 minutes. The interior is bright. It’s not a large area so, I’d recommend keeping to a group of 4. $ 10 will definitely fill you up. The beer selection is really nice. Domestics, crafts, and Mexican cervesas to keep the experience authentic. Aside from what comes with your meal, ask for a side chipotle ranch. Trust this stranger with this tip.

My favorite Mexican place I’ve been to. Fresh tasting food, cool atmosphere, great prices. Portions are very large and will easily told you over to the next meal. Can’t wait to go back.

Came here with my partner cause hes heard great things, so we wanted to try it out. Food was fresh and pretty good. Prices were cheap and fair for what you get portion wise. Favorite thing about this place was the selection of the rochester soda company, fizz. Will defiantly come here again and hopefully try their fish tacos!

Fresh, tasty, and priced right. What more could you want? Beer? Yeah, of course they have that too. Lots of options in beers and sodas. An amazing place with great staff.
Mexican mush is a favorite, and I always get some chips & guac to start. John’s is a must when I’m in the South Wedge.

Love the Mexican mush, a nice mixture of black beans, potatoes and nicely spiced. I also often have their un-​beef burrito bowl. A massive serving, reasonably priced.
The best however is their homemade hot sauce, especially the red. A perfect topping on the burrito bowl!
All of this at excellent prices.

Food was eaten while i was in hospital. It was worse than hospital good, but we did get a lot for our money.

Huge portions, Lots of veggie options, quick service, good prices. Better than your average Moe’s or Chipotle if you’re looking for that kind of thing. The small burrito is very big– be warned!

Love me some John’s Tex Mex. This place is great– awesome food, cheap prices, cool atmosphere, and never too crowded or noisy. I bounce around between ordering the burrito and the quesadilla. Both are very delicious! Also worth noting that the portions are quite huge. Seriously, the large burrito is the size of my head.
The beer is a great deal, too; most are about $ 2-​$ 3 per bottle. Warning: do not order a stout with your large burrito. You might die.
Service is usually quick and courteous. Take-​out is also available, which is a nice option to have. I’ll definitely keep coming back here for the tasty food and good prices.

Folks, i respect every estabishment that pubicly advertises the fact that they r a tex-​mex joint. nothing like waving the white flag (or in this case white name) by saying im not mexican but i like mexicans and my name is john. they very easyly could of called it juan’s tex-​mex and duped all the mexicans in town like taco bell did. bravo john.
Now on too the food. I ordered a burrito, a bowl of chili, and a root beer for lunch. for the burrito, i had too pick 4 fillers to be used and that was a tall task for me. not sure how one’s supposed too get the full tex-​mex experiance if one can only pick 4 fillers for there burrito. i went with cheese, tomatos, sour cream, and corn but the whole time i was wondering what my burrito would of tasted like with onions and salsa. after i got my food i started eating my burrito and was pretty satisfyed. i can’t say it was great but i wasn’t bad. its’ like buying jordans then realising you’re jumpshot is still trash then thinking too yourself that you should of went with the lows because the mids were too heavy.
i was full by the time i almost finished the burrito and i still had my chili. it looked really pleasent, but it tasted worse than it looked, like a yankee candle. i couldn’t get over how sour it was. chili is suppose too be meaty and sort have sweet. this tasted old and like someone dropped a warhead sour in it.
pros: honest and big portions.
cons: terribal chili. not for fat people (tight spaces)
conclusion: this place is decent. tho they should reevaluate some of they’re recipies.

A lot of seating despite how small it looks from outside. Two housemade sauces, one red one green, cholula and Frank’s. No Tabasco in sight which is a great start. Food was tasty and affordable, really good for fast affordable tex mex!

If you are looking for cheap eats, this place has to be on your list.
So, I’ve easily been to John’s Tex-​Mex about 15 times over the many years since they’ve been opened, and I always opt for the Mexican Plate.
I look over their menu, on the web and in-​store thinking about ordering something else, but I always turn back to my comfortable mountain of nachos and filling.
This dish should not be called Nachos, as my friend alluded on a recent visit. The Mexican Plate may initially appear to be like a nacho dish, but the volume of other ingredients is unknown until the mound is tamed.
Someday, I will order something else (maybe the always appealing the fresca tacos!). Until then, leave me to my mountain of mush crafted by Taco John.
Side note: great selection of beer and craft sodas!

This review is setup in two parts:
Food: Awesome! Comparable to Chipotle but better and cheaper. See other reviews for more details.
Atmosphere: This is the real reason you should go here. It’s very small, so don’t take a big group. While a great place to have a conversation with a friend, you should be prepared to come and listen. Have you ever seen Les Miserables and remember the scene when the students were talking about revolution in the bar? Have you ever wanted to see young, idealistic students meet to discuss overthrow of the government without leaving the comfort of Rochester while eating a burrito? Then you’re in luck!
Not once, but three times while enjoying the hospitality of John’s have I sat next to a group of young anarchists having meetings. They talked about their beliefs, their plans and once about joining with other local groups to restructure their organization which I found quite… ironic.
Great Paleo options on request!

Skip Moe’s and go to John’s. The servings are huge and very affordable. There are many vegan options and the service is top notch.

Having lived in the southwest with a ton of good, authentic Mexican restaurants, I am always searching for a good Mexican restaurant here in Rochester and after having tried this place, my search continues. Both the beef and chicken have been dry and flavorless the two times I went and ordered a burrito. I was very surprised to find a Mexican restaurant with no enchiladas on the menu– which is what I normally order. The chips are very good though. I dunno. Maybe I’m just too picky but I’d say go to Chipotle instead. Their burritos are twice as good.

Decided to try this after seeing the reviews on Unilocal and after the insistence of many colleagues.
Situated in one the busier places of Rochester, we went on a weekday evening and were lucky to get one of the last tables. It’s a small place with a lot of patrons. We ordered chips and guacamole, vegetarian bowl, chicken quesadilla and mashed potatoes with plantains.
Well, the food was not something to shout out about. The guacamole was cold and obviously not freshly made. The quesadilla was plentiful although not exactly flavorful while the mashed potatoes and banana had a lot of cinnamon which spoilt its taste. My significant other had the veg bowl which she felt was good.
Overall, I can see why the place is a big hit. It’s in a central location, cheap quick edible food and a nice place to hangout. It was a nice experience but I won’t be coming back there. I can at least tell others that I have been here :)

The best Tex-​Mex in Rochester, my favorite place to go for Mexican-​y styled food along with Chipotle. I’ve only had the beef burrito, chicken quesadilla, and the mexican mush.
The mexican mush is literally a «mush», of potatoes, black beans and spices. I found it to be incredibly bland and underwhelming, and they forgot to add cheese on top and the sour cream, which the menu stated it came with. Not a huge deal. It was by no means «bad», just not my thing and won’t order it again.
The chicken quesadilla is perfect! So much cheese, and they put salsa in it instead of on the side, which I love. The beef burrito is also perfect! They toast the bottom of it to give it more structure and form, which makes it easier to hold and eat. The beef is shredded beef, not ground beef, and well seasoned and tender. They have a number of «fillers» to choose from. The «small» burrito comes with 2, and the «regular» burrito comes with 4. The «small» is quite large and a good portion for a normal person. The «regular» honestly didn’t seem that much bigger, they just put quite a bit more of everything inside of it. A lot of reviews hype up how big it is, but don’t be afraid, instead channel that fear into desire — a desire to consume a most delicious burrito.
Lastly, they bring you a condiment pack to your table, I LOVE IT! I love hot sauce and they bring you the essentials, Franks and Cholula, along with their 2 home-​made green and red sauces which are amazing! Neither are overpowering with spice, and are very flavorful.
All in all, just as good as Chipotle, around the same portion sizes, and a little cheaper.

I finally got to eat at John’s Tex-​Mex Eatery after reading the wonderful reviews. I stopped in for lunch and had a beef taco and a «small» pork burrito (which was actually huge!) after getting recommendations from the very helpful waitress. The taco was super tasty, particularly with the cold green condiment sauce, as was the burrito. Everything was served at the right temperature and was seasoned very nicely, with the option to add sauces. Now I know the good reviews for John’s were actually conservative. I cannot wait to go back and try more things!
The only reason I gave a 4 instead of a 5, is the location is very small with limited seating.

We decided to get our taco on tonight since it was cinco de mayo! We chose johns tex mex because of all the great reviews on Unilocal.
We got there at 7 and was clearly packed — didn’t realize how small it was– but the waitress was able to seat us within 20 minutes which I thought wasn’t bad at all. There were maybe two or three waitresses working and busting their asses off and managed to do a pretty good job considering the place was packed!
We got the chips salsa and guav to start which was nothing out of the ordinary. For my entrée, I got the pork quesadilla which was awesome — perfectly crisped tortilla, pork, veggies, and cheese all in the right ratios. One of the best quesadillas I’ve had in Rochester.
My boyfriend got the small burrito, which could feed a family of four and mashed potato plaintains — very different than anything he has had and really liked them.
I would definitely come back on a less crowded night and it would be even more enticing if they added margaritas to their menu!

One of the best Mexican places in Rochester, if I do say so myself.
It’s tucked in the south wedge on South Ave, right up the rd from Boulder Coffee. It’s usually very easy to find street parking close by, so please practice parallel parking, people (I just love alliteration!)
The portions are more than generous, the food is ALWAYS delicious and affordable, and the service is very friendly.
During the nicer months there’s a small porch on the side of the restaurant that you can sit on. The inside is very small, but the turnover is usually pretty quick. As far as I know, they do not do reservations. As with most mexican meals, I would not recommend take-​out purely because hot and wet ingredients on corn or flour tacos stuffed in a sealed bag never turns out well. Unless you’re getting a burrito I’d say nix the takeout.
I typically go with 2 Fresca Tacos ($ 2.50 each. FOR SERIOUS!!) and the chips and salsa ($ 2) OR a burrito ($ 6.50, and it weighs ACTUALLY about 1 lb.) Both of these choices are always enough food for me, and I’m not a «I had seven grapes and now I’m full!» kind of person. I can put food down like an NFL defensive tackle. The food sometimes needs to be seasoned a bit — but they provide all kinds of sauces and condiments on the table for that purpose. They also have a variety of vegan options (and they always have; ya know, before it was cool to accommodate vegans), so bonus star for that!

Hella big portions, if you are debating whether to get the side, don’t.
All in all, a pleasant Mexican food experience. Food is kind of bland, but it’s quite good with the sauces they provide for you. Cost is very reasonable, around 7 – 9 $ an entrée.
Is it really «authentic» Mexican? Probably not. There is some sort of cheddar cheese stuff when you order something with cheese on top. But I guess thats why its called Tex-​Mex. Don’t expect any pico de gallo, they only have salsa (which is good too!). The meat, however, was absolutely delicious and packed full of flavor.
Would probably come back given the value.

YUMM… I went here today and I was very pleased. We ordered the chips with quac and salsa. The salsa was just filled with flavor and very tasty. Then we both got dinner combos. I got the fresco taco, tostada, and mash potato and plantain. I ate the fresco taco which had beef on it and was already full. The mash-​potato and plantain was very good just a little too sweet for my liking.
The burritos are huge and I mean huge. It also surpasses chipotle by far. I picked up the burrito and it felt like I was picking up a 3 pound dumbbell. Come here if you are hungry and wanting to sleep afterwards from being so full.

Went in with 4 total people seeking burritos. The pictures are not an optical illusion; they really are that big. The interior is inspired by the typical we-​want-​to-​be-​like-​Austin-​TX mindset that has helped build up South Wedge — bright colors, whacky stuff on the walls, skinny jeans & flannel everywhere you look, etc. — but it’s nice and it works for the area.
They have some Mexican beers available, which is an obvious plus at a Tex-​Mex joint. Burrito’s just aren’t as satisfying without a Negro Modella. We started with chips and guac, which was delicious. Guac had a bit of kick to it that I appreciated, but didn’t overwhelm the avocado. Chips didn’t have that homemade quality to them, but they sprinkle some delicious seasoning on them.
As stated, burrito was pretty massive. We all got the small size, and I can’t imagine how ridiculous the large must be. I’m picturing a toddler using aluminum foil as a sleeping bag.
I think burritos can be quite subjective from person to person, but I feel John’s could up their game in the flavor department. I’m glad it was massive, but I’d rather have a smaller burrito that comes together flavor-​wise. Having spent 6 years in Boston, I have a pretty high standard for burritos. If John’s was even close to that standard, I’d be giving them 5 stars. Sadly, this burrito wasn’t even able to conjure up memories of my Boston favorites, El Pelon and Anna’s.
John’s is worth a stop if you wanna sit down in a funky place and get some decent food. But, as I’ve said way too often in Rochester, if you’re having a serious craving for knockout Mexican or just a stellar burrito, this place may leave you wanting more… quality, not quantity (that part’s definitely covered). If you’re willing to pay $ 1-​$ 2 more for a similar size (to John’s «small») burrito, I’d go to Sol. Again, this could be personal preference, because I tend to prefer steak in my burritos, which Sol has an John’s does not.

I’ve eaten here 2 or 3 times, the burrito’s I’ve had are pretty good, I always get the small one and still have leftovers. Much like others have said, the service is aloof and too-​cool-​for-​you, the winter entry confused me and got me yelled at the first time (that good ‘ol Rochester hospitality there!), and the guac is… disgusting, over spiced, brown and basically inedible. My b/​f loves the place and it’s not the worst I’ve had, so I’ll probably eat here again but if given the choice I’d go for Moe’s over this place.
Overall good value for the portions. Just avoid the guac and get take-​out rather than eating in and you’ll be just fine.

So, I would give the food 5 stars. I got the taco salad and it was absolutely amazing. One of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten. My taco salad had beef chili, lots of cheese, a delicious chipotle sauce, beans, lettuce, sour cream, and red peppers. All of these wonderful things were served in a fresh fried taco shell. My only wish is that there had been a little more lettuce.
Our waitress was extremely rude and inattentive. She never asked us if we wanted drinks, she would walk away from the table before we finished our sentences. It was like us being there was inconveniencing her… not okay. The other staff seemed very friendly. It was just that one lady.
The price was right, the food was amazing-I’m really glad I decided to give this place a try.

Why do I love thee?
1) Super tasty burritos the size of small babies. The large probably weighs close to 3 lbs depending on your filling choices. Okay then, maybe they’re the size of a preemie but preemies still qualify as small babies. Anyway, go ahead and order the large. You can eat the other half tomorrow.
2) Mashed potatoes and plantains. Love em.
3) Consistently great service and eats, including vegan/​vegetarian options, from this locally owned business (I know, that’s really 3 reasons right there, but they’re great ones).
Go ahead and check it out. Grab a menu from the jaws of the friendly painted skull (he won’t bite), and find a seat or sit at the counter. The occupancy limit for this little local gem is 25 so that should tell you that it’s cozy. You may notice a variety of eye-​catching masks and maybe a voodoo doll or two. Have no fear. Before you know it, your burrito baby has been delivered and you are in for a real treat.
Enjoy!