SAN JOSES ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT

SAN JOSES ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT is a 4.5-star room with a D-grade kitchen — the kind of gap a star rating will never warn you about, which is the whole reason this page exists.

That D comes from 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 4 basic violations cited on November 6, 2025. It currently ranks safer than 14% of Lake County restaurants we grade — close to the bottom of the county. If you want the flavor with fewer question marks, the safer-options list below maps higher-graded kitchens within a short drive.

Loved (4.5★) but failing (D, 66/100) · safer than 14% of Lake County

Get directions Call (352) 536-2006

Safer options nearby

Higher-graded restaurants close to SAN JOSES ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT, by Florida DBPR grade:

Restaurant details

Health grade
D (66/100)
Violations
9 total — 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, 4 basic
Address
4315 S HIGHWAY 27 SUITE A-1, Clermont, FL
Cuisine
Mexican
Categories
Mexican restaurant, Restaurant
Price
$10–20
Rating
4.5 stars (2023 reviews)
Seats
150
Phone
(352) 536-2006
Website
Official website
Photo of SAN JOSES ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Photo: San Jose's Original Mexican Restaurant

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.5 Community-sourced rating 2,023 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

The crowd and the kitchen disagree here, and the gap is wide. Service tends to be raised approvingly here, averaging 4.2 stars. After that, serving size appears most often — 25% of the corpus, averaging 3.8.

If you had to pick one number to represent this corpus it would be 5, the most frequently given rating (12 reviews). Newer reviews score better than older ones (5.0 recent against 3.6 earlier), so direction is worth weighing alongside the average. One subject never comes up here: freshness.

Set against that, the state's own inspection graded the kitchen a D (66/100), with 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 4 basic violations recorded. Reviews describe the meal; the grade describes the conditions it was made in. DBPR last walked in on November 6, 2025. On health score it sits safer than 14% of the Lake County restaurants we grade. The citations behind that grade include food from approved source.

What to do with that is a judgement call — the reviews describe the experience, the grade describes the conditions behind it. Everything above is computed from the 16 reviews reproduced below.

Our own analysis of 16 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 24, 2026

    Best authentic Mexican

  • June 21, 2026

    Always great food. Fajitas and veggie option were great for someone trying to cut the carbs. JR California burrito is huge and the combo plates offer nice chance for variety!

  • June 7, 2026

    Very friendly staff, but not what I expected. Food was very safe. Not much spice or flavor for Mexican food. Asked for maybe some sauce on the side with spice and they didnt have anything to offer.

  • June 6, 2026

    Great food, staff are the best! Always stop in when I visit Clermont.

  • June 1, 2026

    We had a server that definitely needs recognition. Her name was Sabi and she was simply amazing. We enjoyed our meal even more because of her

  • May 30, 2026

    2 adults and one child Texas Fajitas Taco with kids meal $50 with tip not bad really good food thankyou

  • May 25, 2026

    We went there for my birthday. There were eight of us. Everything was very delicious.

  • May 20, 2026

    Service great. Food was very good and plentiful. Got a new fav today, Fajita quesadilla.

  • May 17, 2026

    The staff treat you like family and the food is great. I love the 7 piece band on Sundays.

  • May 15, 2026

    Really gone down hill. Been coming since it opened. The food used to have great flavor. Service was good. Not anymore. Zero flavor. Outrageous prices. Smaller portions. Terrible service. It’s a shame. You would have thought they’d have stepped it up when competition came. Nope. I doubt they’ll be able to stay in business unless they turn things around. It’s sad to see how it’s become this way. Used to be my go to every week.

  • May 15, 2026

    Great Mexican food, lively atmosphere, staff are efficient and friendly.

  • May 15, 2026

    Food is yummy, with good portion sizes. The drinks are tasty. Happy hour prices and different meal deals throughout the week make it affordable to have dinner out. The staff is super nice good at what they do.

  • May 10, 2026

    Food was ok - Your average tex mex food. The service was terrible though. Our server, we did not get his name, but he was overweight, with short black hair with tight curls on the top. He would bring out the food and would NOT bring small plates nor utensils, did not refill our drinks, and for awhile there he was no where to be found. We had to wait for another 20 minutes for desserts and again - when the dessert was brought out - no small plates and no forks. We had to wait for another 6 minutes for these basic items to be brought out . It was a PAINFUL experience - lots of wasted time. Disappointing. No plans to come back here.

  • May 9, 2026

    Fun Cinco de Mayo! Great music, food, drinks & service!

  • May 8, 2026

    This Mexican restaurant nestled in Clermont is absolutely authentic! Coming from Arizona, it stood up 100% to my local restaurants at home. They were very accommodating to my allergy and the food was delicious! The decor was great and the atmosphere was wonderful.

  • May 5, 2026

    Very disapointed how we were trested. My wife called in to place a carryout order. Whoever answered the phone was very rude to her. Was told limited menu on Cinco De Maxo and then hung up on her. I called bacl to ask to talk to a manager and was told he was too busy to talk to me !!! She was just as rude to me as well. Almost yelling at me. Enjoy your one day a year $ grab. YOU JUST LOST A LOYAL 4 YEAR PATRON

Overall Score

42 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 10/40
    Grade D
  • Dietary transparency 10/20
    3 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.5★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 4/10
    Stable, 0% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 10 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 10 PM
Friday
11 AM to 10:30 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 10:30 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 9 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. November 6, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    3 high-priority · 2 intermediate · 4 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods (×2)
    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
    • 41 — Chemicals / toxic substances properly stored & used

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: November 6, 2025