Taza Bistro & Cafe

I had lox & egg whites on a croissant, a smoothie, and hashbrowns (yes, I was starving). The food and the service was excellent. It was also a pleasant way to spend an hour and get some work done!

Taza, how I love you! Working in DTSJ is great because there are so many places to have lunch. My new favorite is Taza. I have had the chicken pesto sandwich, the gyro, the hummus plate, but from now on, all I’m ever getting is the Falafel Supremo. Everything else was really good, but if this meat-​eating, eggplant-​disliking person can fall in love with a vegetarian sandwich with lots of eggplant, you know something must be up!
This wrap is so amazing I can’t even describe it. Maybe it’s the creamy falafel mixed with the tastiest grilled eggplant ever. Or maybe it’s the hint of spice or the crisp lettuce. All I know is I dream about this wrap. I can wake up at 6:30 am and look around in confusion for it. I can be sitting at home at 11:30 at night and all of a sudden be hit with a craving that almost has me climbing the walls.
Go to Taza. Try this wrap. Everything is great there, but the Falafel Supremo reigns supreme!

I love the pesto pastrami sandwich. One of the best I’ve ever had! I’ve been a couple times and the owner remembers me every time! I love it. Super clean open and always delicious!

Walked into downtown San Jose one day looking for a break from my normal study routine, and found this halal sandwich shop online.
I really like the interior, it’s very open, but also welcoming. The setup of the ordering «stations» is a little confusing, there seems to be a coffee stand on one side, and the sandwich line on the other, but the staff, who was INCREDIBLY nice, helped me out!
I went to go grab a sandwich, and ordered up a chicken avacado something or other, don’t remember the name, but I’ll never forget the sandwich! The man behind the counter told me he would make it real quick, and I could just take a seat and he would bring it out to me. Not too long and I had a great sandwich infront of me. It was a fresh chicken breast on a freshly toasted french roll, with the standard toppings (lettuce, onion, tomato, mustard, avacado, melted cheese). The chicken was juicy, the crust of the bread was nice and crisp, but still easy to bite through. The veggies were fresh, and it was just all out deliciousness on a plate!
After dropping off my sandwich, the man who made it went to talk to some of the other customers who were regulars, and they laughed and had good conversation. When I was done he came over to me and asked about my meal, introduced himself and said his father owns the restaurant, and it was a nice little conversation! Something you don’t find now a days in American restaurants.
I look forward to heading back to Taza in the future!

Great service, fresh food.
Ordering process was a bit tricky since I had to order first and then pay later.
Mango smoothie was very rich and flavorful, a bit TOO sweet.
The only reason I went here was bc I wanted Baklava,
but I totally forgot about that!!! Must return again.
Medditeranian platter was darn good.
Would recommend to a friend.

I work about a block away from Taza Bistro and it’s one of the few places that has consistently good food and service. I usually opt for the chicken pesto sandwich which is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. Honestly, I can’t even describe how good it is, you just have to try it.
I’ve also had the gyro, Mediterranean plate and eggplant sandwich. Everything is so good! You really can’t go wrong. They have American type sandwiches and a lot of delicious greek options as well. I haven’t tried their smoothies yet but they look amazing, especially on a hot day like today.

Falafel supremo has eggplant, falafel, lettuce, tomato cucumber and tahini sauce. You can get it spicy but it’s not very spicy at all. It comes in a pita that is stuffed and rolled. The falafel is soft and doesn’t have much crunch to it. I am used to a more golden brown ball. The eggplant was really good.
The wait time was way too long. There is one person taking an order and one person making the food. Don’t go when you are hungry cause you will have to wait. It’s ok and I probably wouldn’t ask to come here but if someone else suggested it and I wasn’t ready to eat my own arm I might consider going back.

Was at a loss for where to eat in downtown, and stumbled upon this place. Not the chicest of interiors, but it’s welcoming and they make a delicious Falafel Supremo with yummy eggplant. It rivals that at Falafel Drive Thru across town.
The staff were charming and very helpful. :)
I’ll definitely be back!

One of San Jose’s best lunch spots. Their hot sandwiches are both amazing and relatively inexpensive. The ambiance is far better than you’d expect from looking at the ho hum corpotate exterior.
Pillows on comfy cozy bench seats line the walls, turkish beats play softly in the background, and the banter of the owner poking fun at new customers breaks through the bustle of lunchtime conversation.
Definitely a must do for a quick downtown lunch… or for a hot sandwich on a rainy day if you like sitting by the window watching people get wet while your ass is sitting comfy on a pillow.

Came on a weekday for lunch. Had a falafel, which was ok. I was expecting a thicker pita bread. The falafel kept breaking and the contents kept falling out because of it. I would come back and try their other items if I go in this side of town.
Staff were nice and place was clean.

I’ve tried two things here…
Gyro — Delicious — refreshing and warm at the same time. Cucumbers, lettuce, spicy sauce (gives it a kick), tomatoes with your beef/​lamb meat — yum!
Chicken Pesto Sandwich — toasty, scrumptious goodness. Can’t really explain the taste. You just have to eat it! — make sure to eat it right away or the bread will get soggy!

I would consider Taza a hidden gem. I just recently rediscovered this place myself! I don’t think many people know it exists, but it’s a fine little lunch spot. I usually come here for the Mediterranean plate (includes salad, hummus, grape leaves and falafel) which is great, but with all the reviews raving about the chicken pesto sandwich, I thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know how something as simple as chicken and pesto sandwiched between a french roll can be so good, but man it sure was satisfying! i mean I wouldn’t say it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had but it was pretty darn good.

An excellent locally owned café with great food and reasonable prices. Ali and his family are always very pleasant and provide great customer service.
You can get espresso drinks, smoothies, breakfast, pastries, sandwiches and salads there along with other snacks.
A few highlights include:
*Greek salad — always fresh and healthy but full of great flavor
*Hummus platter — generous amount of homemade hummus topped with cucumber, olives and tomato with a bunch of toasted pita
*Pastrami sandwich — there’s something about their pesto, heated pastrami, spicey jalapeño and toasted french roll that makes this an excellent sandwich (cheese is optional). Droool…
I definitely would go here first before heading towards Peets and Starbucks who are located in the area.
It can get busy at lunch, but don’t let the lines deter you, their service is quick and the food is so tasty!

Now that I’ve been coming here for a year, I figured that I should really update this review.
Whoever said familiarity breeds contempt is really wrong in this instance. Familiarity breeds really friendly staff who know your order and occasionally small free foods thrown your way!
Ali and his family are wonderful people who run a fine establishment. My favorite part is that you can order small sized versions of the things on the menu. For instance, a giant Greek salad might be a little out of my price range for the day, so I order a small size and ask that they put falafel on it for some extra protein. Voila… a whole lunch for like $ 4.50. Same with the Hummus Platter… can’t eat the whole thing by myself so I order a small version. They love me (or my business… or both!) so when I ask for extra pita, they toss it in gratis. $ 3.50 never tasted so good or kept me filled up for so long!
As another example of good familiarity, my boss has been a regular there for years, and they will literally make her anything she wants. She orders salmon and an omelet most days. I didn’t even know they had salmon there?!
Since I’m pregnant these days, I haven’t been getting too much coffee here, but they have a pleasantly varied selection of teas! Bonus. A giant tea for $ 1.50 (it lasts me all day… I just keep heating it up at work!)
Ah, Taza… where would a hungry pregnant redhead be without you?

I love this place! I was in search of a new lunch place. Tried their Chicken Sandwiches, and absolutely loved it! Toasted bread was crispy and yummy. All the ingredients are just perfect; I especially like the tender chicken breast and whatever the sauce they are putting in.
It is a must try place in downtown San Jose.

Order at this counter, pay at that counter, and wait for your food to come out to you — I LOVE THESE PLACES!
I came with an old friend last week for lunch. Admittedly, I don’t get out to this end of downtown for lunch too often. I’ve seen Taza a million times, but have never come in until now.
I ordered the Falafel Supremo and immediately realized that this is the best falafel I’ve had in San Jose. From all appearances here, the entire menu seems to mirror the same delicious qualities.
Couple all this with the fact that this is a family owned establishment that is evident from the moment you walk in the door, and I’m hooked! You don’t expect places like this on Santa Clara, but it its spots like this that make our little town here better.
Friendly, engaging service, great food, what’s not to love?

5 Stars!!!
The best sandwiches I’ve ever had!
The pesto chicken is probably the best sandwich and maybe one of the best meals I’ve had! Most of the other sandwiches are pretty good too, but I could probably eat 3 of those pesto chicken ones even on a full stomach just cuz they’re so good.
Service is the best too. The place is family owned and run, and whenever I see the owners, whether it’s here or I run into them outside somewhere, I leave in a better mood!
If you haven’t been here before, you’re really missing out…
I’m packed up and moving to LA today, and I can’t leave w/​o grabbing lunch here first.

I got referred to this place by my buddy Kevin and although he ordered the Ali special, some off-​the-​menu item, when he came here, I decided to take a risk and get the Pita Pizza. It looked appetizing… chicken, gyro meat, cheese, and pesto sauce underneath, baked in an oven. It came out nice and gooey… the pita bread warm. Make sure to eat it all… the bread goes hard when it gets cold!
I also got a coconaut chocolate dipped macaroon cookie from them too… the place was packed at lunch so I can safely assume that they have a pretty good reputation. I don’t work downtown so it’s a pain in the a** to park here.

This small and simple place has decent food and descent prices. It is clean, and the service is kind and fast.
5 of my co-​workers and I just entered it for the first time for lunch a few days ago, and it is now our favorite lunch spot. We like the sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.

i love any place that has delicious food, and great customer service.
Their eggplant is fabulous, their falafels amazing, bagel breakfasts (i like mine with extra lox) outstanding, everything else fantabulous.
if you haven’t tried this place, give it a shot. if you have, go back again.
The best thing about this place is, the owners are always there and remember faces, which makes for a more comforting visit. :)
oh, and their prices aren’t bad either. you could opt to go to bagel city accross the street to get a bagel with extra lox for $ 9 bucks, or go to Taza and have it $ 5-​$ 7 bucks (i don’t remember exactly because I purchased some other items).