LA JOLLA – Their day in court has lasted for decades.

Three longstanding employees of Jose’s Courtroom in La Jolla Village — Jose Rodriguez, Trinidad “Trini” Madrigal, and Miguel Perez — have enjoyed being there so much that they’ve all stayed for more than 35 years.

All three of them, along with restaurant-bar co-owner Tigg Mitchell, sat down with La Jolla Village News to talk about Jose’s. They discussed how they came to be there, and why they’ve stayed on so long.

There are certain “mysteries” about this local watering hole at 1037 Prospect St., such as its name, which suggests some kind of legal connection.

Turns out, their business name originated with an employee, a change of location, and the introduction of a new cuisine.

Jose’s Courtroom, which first opened its doors in 1956 elsewhere in the Village on Herschel Street, reportedly moved to Prospect Street in 1973, replacing a restaurant called O’Bryan’s.

Before then, it was The Schnitzelbank, which offered German food and imported and domestic beers. The head cook’s name was Jose Arreola, which is how the name Jose’s Courtroom came about.

“This business used to be by the post office (1140 Wall St.) when it was just a bar, and I knew the owner, and he sold the business for the first time for $30,000,” said longtime employee Rodriguez. “It then moved in here next to The Spot, which had a different name then.”

The nearly 70-year-old Jose’s Courtroom has been a longtime local favorite serving up authentic, hearty Mexican cuisine with a modern twist, along with its trademark margaritas, which have turned the establishment into a community hub.

Restaurant owner and real estate broker Mitchell was a longtime patron of the pub long before he and two partners purchased Jose’s in 2007.

“This was my stomping ground in the ’90s,” he said. “The only business we knew other than our main job was being in a bar. So, we decided to buy a bar. We actually found Jose’s for sale in the classified ads.”

Madrigal has been working at Jose’s for 47 years since 1978. He had a simple answer for why he’s stayed.

“It’s good. I’m happy,” he said, pointing out he started out working down the street at La Valencia Hotel. “Then I came here because everybody spoke Spanish,” he said. “Actually, I learned English while I was working here.”

Rodriguez, who first came to La Jolla at age 18 in 1981, also ended up working at Jose’s for much the same reason; it benefited him as someone who had learned English as their second language.

“It helped (knowing English) to get my paycheck because at that time we used to get paid in cash,” he said. “Before I got here, I started in another little business, a taco shop in Pacific Beach with my cousin. I learned to cook all the Mexican dishes in Pacific Beach before I came here.”

“Now he’s our head chef,” noted Mitchell of Rodriguez.

Perez started working at Jose’s as a busboy in the ’90s. He, too, had a one-word answer when asked why he’s stayed. “Happy,” he said without hesitation.

“They have a fan base here,” said Mitchell of Jose’s three longtime employees. “Some people come back from the ’90s to see these guys. It’s pretty uncanny.”

“They get excited when they see me saying, ‘Oh my God, you’re still here?’” noted Perez, adding he and his colleagues working in Jose’s kitchen are proud of the consistency of the food they’ve served over the years.

Mitchell concurred that continuity in both the cuisine and staff has made Jose’s Courtroom a place people want to return to.

“We do a real good job in retention,” he said. “I don’t know what [the retention rate] is on average in the restaurant business, but it’s not as high as it is here. We try to keep the employees happy — and they keep the customers happy. And the customers come back.”

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