Carolina's Mexican Food - Cactus

Went here for the tortillas and they were excellent. Soft and tasty, very good. We had 2 burritos, the Oaxaca and Carolina’s. Both were solid and would definitely eat here again if I was in the area. Also liked the rice and beans. Salsa was just ok, little too runny for me, but they had plenty of it

Chicken chimichanga was OK, small portion of Guacamole. Salsa very liquid, single flavor, some of the crew really liked it, but it was not my style. Prices were reasonable and food was up quickly. Would eat here again when in the neighborhood.

The quality of food has gone down. The food tasted old & greasy. They don’t even put cheese on their over priced tacos. The tacos were mini not even regular size. I don’t expect or want any thing extra but at least give me what I paid for. Save your money, there are better options. Horrible place!

They have always been solid but a couple of nights ago not so much. Maybe because I went in the last half hour they were open and they were clearly in close down mode. First my food was cold like it was not made after I had ordered but before, it was not freshly made. Then I also got some tortillas which are usually very good but the ones I got not so much. They have a flowery texture like flower is on them not in them if that makes sense. They seem to be dusted with flower. Now since they have always been good I will be back and hopefully it was just a one off.

This is excellent Mexican food starting with the basics. If you’ve never been here, I highly recommend ordering a butter tortilla. This may sound weird, but as you get closer to the border (Yuma, for instance) this is not an uncommon menu item. The flour tortillas are also sold by the half dozen or dozen so you can make your own burritos and quesadillas at home. The salsa is also some of the best you can find. It’s for tacos and burritos so it’s thin enough to sink in for flavor. I could go on and on, but really just try it and your tongue will tell you what you need to know.

I'm new in the neighborhood so I asked around work about the best spots to eat near my spot. Three coworkers independently recommended Carolina's to me, what an endorsement! I've been in a few times and now I feel compelled to leave a review because the experience has been soo consistently EXCELLENT! This last time I was in Anna took my order and told me a bit about how the kitchen works efficiently to make everything so fresh. Its amazing they can do all that and still keep the wait to a minimum, which is soo appreciated! Her friendliness made the experience warm and welcome, raising the bar above other food spots of competing quality. THANK YOU to the whole team at Carolina's on Cactus for operating such a wonderful spot right next to my new place and giving me a proper welcome to the neighborhood! ~Wally~

Worst place ever I was on call worked all day me and my wife wanted good food I eat at the other two all the time but this one on cactus was terrible the beans 🫘 were hard ther rice was hard my chimichanga where soft like they never got Fried I ask for no Sour cream and they put a big Glob o top I had to Fry them my self because I could get call out at any time so I eat when I can but I'll never eat at the one on cactus again and I recommend no one else do the same or you will wast you money💰 🤮🤢💯

Flavors are spot on every time! The burritos are incredible because they are made with the best tortillas in town. Everything is made fresh and it's addictive in every way. We love Carolina's!

Great food! You have to try this iconic restaurant. I went to the original location but I hear there are two

Decided to get this Location another shot since my last visit went so horribly wrong. On my last visit, they had almost nothing left that I wanted. They were out of nearly everything despite being far from closing time. This time I decided to order early, surely they should have everything prepared by the time they're open right? WRONG. BIG. FAT. WRONG. THEY DIDNT HAVE RICE!!! My only option was potatoes cooked in lard. Isn't that appetizing? What kind of self-respecting Mexican food restaurant does not have rice??? Truth be told it was my fault for giving this place another chance. Would give zero stars if possible.

Been here a few times now. Quality is super random. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. Two times my order has been incorrect. Price is very far off for the quality too. I feel it's so overpriced for what I order. Inside is usually clean, with a convineint salsa bar. But only one salsa is available, the green sauce needs to be paid for. Again, over priced. Service is pretty sub-par as well. Each time I've visited Carolinas the staff is behind the register talking about video games while playing in their phone. They'll finish their story then acknowledge me. I have yet to experience a friendly worker, most just seem annoyed. Overall, it's an okay spot for Mexican food. But you will be nickel and dimed. $.80 extra for cheese lol

The service was very friendly and fast! The tortillas were homemade and delicious would return and just order dozens of tortillas. Really enjoyed my burrito and the masa on the tamale was really moist and delicious but I didn't care for the filling. Next time I'll try the red chili instead of the green chili corn because it just wasn't my thing. Nice place for pick up or or quick lunch. The salsa was so good!

My husband picked up takeout from here for us. It was ready on time and pickup was easy! We got a lot of food for how much we paid which was great. The not great part is they messed up our order. I ordered green salsa, they gave me red, we ordered an extra tortilla and instead they randomly gave us a chicken taco? So I feel bad for the people who ordered a taco and just got a plain tortilla instead. My husband got the quesadilla and it was like extremely greasy to the point where it looked inedible but he said it ended up being better than he thought! My son ate the rogue chicken taco and loved it! I got a combo with the green corn tamale, crispy potato taco, and cheese enchilada. The taco was all broken apart somehow, but everything tasted pretty good! The rice was really mushy but good flavor, my son enjoyed that too! Guac I got on the side was fresh and my husband and I enjoyed the chips we shared! My husband did mention it was super busy which may have attributed to some of the order mistakes. Glad we tried it though!

Decided to swing by here on my way home. It was a weekday afternoon and thankfully not too busy - several folks dining inside. I ordered the bean, potato and cheese burro and a horchata drink (no ice). Service was quick and friendly. My order was ready in about 5 minutes or so and I was on my way. The drink was refreshing and cold, even without ice. Though it was on the sweet side and pretty grainy, price was good. The burro was initially pretty tasty; I love a burrito with an interior that is of blended consistency. The tortilla was slightly charred which was nice and overall a good value. However as I continued eating, the aftertaste of the cheese possibly was not favorable. I may come back and try different menu items because it is affordable and there is a lot to choose from.

This is for the Carolinas on Greenway and 59th Ave. I ordered what by the picture looked like a taco plate with four tacos. It actually was only one!!! The picture for the 4 taco plate is identical to the picture for the individual taco.. it shows 4 tacos. I got 1 and they told me they were "Not responsible" the pictures on the website! Done with them!!!

The service was wonderful, and I really appreciated the option to mix and match items. The prices were reasonable, but nothing really stood out as exceptional. I've ordered to go a few times, and unfortunately, the food was a bit inconsistent.

Had not been to Carolina's in probably 30 plus years. Went to the original on the South side as a kid many times with friends growing up in central Phoenix. We stopped into the location on Catus and Cave Creek the other day and the food had not changed. Still homemade goodness. Service was amazing and when I said I hadn't been in so long she gave us complimentary chips and salsa. Sooooo good!! Easy going setting, walk up and order. Love the wall of high tables with seats. Their to go service is insane, non stop and so efficient. Our food was as delicious as it always was. So glad we rediscovered it again. Can't wait to come back soon.

I have not been to Carolina's in quite awhile. We ordered a kids burrito meal, 2 chicken tacos and a tortilla with butter. It took almost 25min for our order and everything was cold. There 7 people in here so not very busy but unfortunately we came an hour before closing. The tortilla with butter was ice cold, the butter was a glob in the middle of the tortilla. It used to be amazing food, not sure anymore.

Have loved this restaurant for so long, but yesterday I was so saddened by the decline in service. I had a problem with my order and the results were very disappointing. A simple single item was met with a really awful solution, when it was not done with care or thought, just rushing. I was really really shocked at the response. I am not a send back person, but it was really done politely, no anger and I showed the server the item. . Busy is busy, .... but hey.....there is too many businesses to take customers for granted, especially with something that could of been a "oh I am sorry, we will fix this for you."...nope, just rudeness. Disappointed...very much so.

So disappointed with how terrible Carolina's is now. You can tell they are doing this without passion. The food is bland, the salsa has turned to water, and the service has given up. The restaurant wasn't being cleaned properly between guests. I had an enchilada that was disappointing and lacked quality. I also had a favorite of mine the machaca taco salad. Which was just ok now compared to before. I won't be giving my business to this place anymore as there are so many better options.

Are you kidding me? This place is in competition for the best burrito in the valley? The signature burrito has French fries in it. It's a disgrace to Mexican food. Taco Bell is a 5 star Michelin restaurant compared to this place. It's not even worth my time to write about. I don't understand why Phoenix is so hard pressed to find GREAT Mexican food.

Fast food service, well received, were humans unlike other fast food restaurants where humans act like robots. Food was fresh but small quantity for the price paid. Mexican food must be hearty, this was not plateful food. Disappointed there. Clean and pleasant ambiance for a fast food restaurant.

We've been coming to this location for years and the food has always been the best in town. But we got take-out last week and if we were eating there, I would have returned it. My green chili burro was gross, full of "mystery meat" that certainly didn't taste like pork and big hunks of fat. My husband had chicken tacos but he promptly threw them away after saying the meat just tasted "off". We're thinking new owners or management or strictly trying to cut costs without caring about quality. Doubtful we will return.

We just got our food and the containers with the rice and beans are only half full. Beware!!! The price of this place is crazy for the portions and the wait is forever.

DO NOT get the new street tacos. Absolutely horrendous. Flavorless. Tortilla falls apart. Meat was dry and chewy. Salsas were gross. I usually only like the crunchy regular tacos and maybe a tostada, but because they charge $5 a taco I've decided to stop going here unless I'm desperate. It's just a ripoff. The regular tacos should be $3-$3.50 max. Service is fine. I like that they play Christian music. Wish I could rate the food higher

tl;dr the basics are the star at this slightly premium Mexican fast-casual chain Manuel and Carolina Valenzuela originally served Mexican comfort food out of their family car in the 50's, before opening their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in 1968. Over the years, Carolina's made-from-scratch flour tortillas, the backbone of their most popular dishes, reached a legendary status. Now, the Carolina's brand (operated by the same family as The Original Carolina's at 12th and Mohave) has expanded and boasts 4 locations around the Greater Phoenix area. The North Phoenix outpost on Cactus is clean and contemporary. The sunset-yellow plaster building stands out within an otherwise dull strip mall. The checkout counter, kitchen, and condiment bar all run along one side of the space, while bar-style half-booths line the other. Staff members can be seen tossing fresh tortillas in the kitchen. A Carolina's themed painting greets you immediately upon entering, while a collage of black-and-white family photos decks the back wall. Contemporary pop plays throughout the space. My partner and I visited during a busy weekday lunch service. We opted for a Butter Tortilla, Green Chili and Oaxaca Burro combo platters (both Chimi style), and a large Horchata. Within a few minutes, our order was fulfilled, wrapped in styrofoam takeout containers, and stacked in a plastic bag. My favorite components of the meal were the fundamentals -- the large, rich, and chewy tortilla; the balanced tangy and spicy salsa; and the delicious, creamy refried beans. The rice, while standard, was worthwhile to enjoy with the salsa. The chimichangas were both reasonably large and sported a layer of enjoyable, evenly crispy tortilla, but neither was perfect. The green chili beef was plentiful but underwhelming in taste and wholly messy, while the Oaxaca boasted a more complete flavor profile but ran skimpier on meat. Meanwhile, the horchata was enormous and not overwhelmingly sugary but felt gritty despite being light on cinnamon flavor. Service was efficient and friendly, and a staff member gave us a complimentary refill on our horchata. The bills worked out to $30 for a solid and hearty fast-casual meal. If you're planning a visit, the no-brainer moves are iconic tortillas and combo platters -- both additions definitely made the meal more substantial.

It has been too many years since the last time I ate at Carolina's. Their food is just so good. I would say it is quintessential authentic Mexican food. Tonight we shared the mini chimichangas, a cheese quesadilla and chips and salsa. We got a kids meals for the girls. Service was good, it is an order here and pick up there service, pretty straight forward. Casual dining spot with good music in the background.

Pretty solid breakfast burrito. All I got inside was eggs, rice and potatoes. They only had one red sauce available, which was good enough, but chips cost extra. The famous tortillas are very thin, buy freshly made and solid.

This place usually hits , today was a big miss.. ordered shredded beef tacos ,beef was burnt couldn't chew it .. also ordered green chili cheese crisp .. it was so oily I only ate the outer edges super disappointed spent 36 bucks with dozen tortillas.. fingers crossed the tortillas are ok..

Carolina's has always been a classic Mexican food staple in AZ since I can remember and I'm a born and raised Arizonian. We visited today and walked inside to order. It was extremely clean, great temperature inside and all the salsas and their containers were chilled. I love seeing a clean salsa station! The cashier was very friendly and responsive and we were in an out in less than 5 mins. We ordered the egg and asada burrito with rice beans potato and red sauce and my hubs got the Carolina. We got some cilantro and tons of their famous red sauce and couldn't be a happier camper at the moment. We couldn't wait to eat so lo siento for the pix lol

I just called DoorDash and had a carne Asada burrito delivered from Carolinas and I have to tell you it was quite terrible.!! It was a loosely wound dry flour tortilla, and nothing in it but ground beef! It was not the skirt steak It should have been, no pico de gallo and no guacamole, just dryness, so disappointing. Dry ground beef just rolled out !

Pretty dissatisfied with the customer service. Called two times to place an order to go for 2 tacos and some beans. Both times I was asked if I could wait. After a 15 minute drive on hold, I hung up and just walked in. Both signs on the outside of the building are burnt out. I walk in and there's no line and it's not even 1/2 full. I see 4 people standing in the front just talking. I was able to speak with the manager, Carlos. He apologized and then disappeared to the back. For a legacy restaurant in Phoenix, I really expect a better experience.

I love the chorizo burros at Carolinas, but the one I got today was really awful and I was so disappointed. no flavor and so greasy. the tortilla fell apart from being so soggy, so I ended up with a chorizo & egg plate and ate it with a fork.

We ordered DoorDash for tacos and tostada. The delivery was delayed for some reason. The food had good flavor but the delay in delivery caused the tacos to fall apart. Great guacamole!

Decent mexican restaurant. The menu includes various items including tamal (machaca or corn and chile verde), and tacos of, for example, carne asada. The proportions are relative small, especially the tamals, but they are very tasty. I would definitely return to enjoy the authentic flavors, and I see the kitchen is also working hands on real sonora style flour tortillas that definitely deserve a shot.

I took out the cheese now it's just chorizo n beans. Top 100 restaurant New Times for a reason. You'll get used to the building and service (I am a fan of both) Strawberry Fanta on tap goes great with spicy chorizo and red sauce.

Carolina's has the best tortillas and chicken tacos in town with very fair prices. Service is fine but they tend to get busy so I would suggest calling ahead. The restaurant is casual, we usually get to go orders ! My husband loves their lemonade burritos and they have an amazing breakfast one ! I would suggest checking it out.

When ordering on-line, there is an option for curbside pickup so I selected that option. I went to the restaurant and waited at the curb but the food never came. I finally went inside to find out why there was a delay and was told they don't offer curbside delivery. Then they couldn't find my order. By the time I got the food home, it was cold

So I was on TikTok today scrolling and a local foodie had tried the OG spot and gave a review. There's a Carolina's right up the street for me, so I said why not? I ordered a #8 which is 2 hard shell tacos beef or chicken. Comes with rice and beans. Let me tell you! It was quite delicious. Came on a Saturday at rush hour. Service was fast! The restaurant very nice and clean, the crowd all had smiles on their faces.

I'm highly disappointed. The food came out cold. The cheese didn't even melt. The taco salad had to go back. There was a piece of paper in it. The fountain machine had no ice after us. Noticed several customers mad because they had to keep asking for ice. I used to love this place!!

Dont care about the service and ambiance. I care about the food. I would rather come to Carolina's than the other (....o's) in the valley.

Excellent Sonoran style mexican food. I would highly recommend any of their burritos because their flour tortillas are the best. The green salsa has a nice heat.

My first time in AZ I asked my in-laws to take me to the best mexican restaurant in the area and they brought me to Carolinas. The neighborhood is sketchy. The place is run down and grimy. Employees do not like their jobs. Okay, well, I hope the food is good... The food was amazing. I could eat a quart of the beans and rice. I tried horchata for the first time and loved it. I probably got 3 refills. I went to the bathroom before leaving. I was looking around for a cockroach. No soap to wash your hands. So, if cleanliness is a priority avoid. If you want amazing Mexican food and that is the only thing you care about then check this place out.

Their food is always delicious. Our family devoured the green chili and loves the homemade flour tortillas....a must if you have never tried them.

Carolina's offers tasty, if unspectacular, Mexican staples - burritos, tacos, tamales, enchiladas - at a reasonable price served in a very, very casual ambiance. My dining companion and I were craving Mexican for a quick lunch and were inspired to try Carolina's location on Cactus Road based primarily on the high ratings on Yelp and the recommendation of one of the servers at another restaurant we'd eaten at the night before. My dining companion and I both opted for the special Carolina's Burro, comprised of ground beef, french fries, guacamole, and pico de gallo wrapped in a freshly made flour tortilla. The burrito was smaller than I expected, but it was quite tasty. I probably would have been more satisfied if I'd ordered the platter with rice and beans. My dining companion was underwhelmed by the size and taste of her selection -- particularly the french fries in the burrito. As others have said, the restaurant staff seemed ambivalent, at best, to their customers. The woman behind the counter was multi-tasking -- taking orders at the counter and over the phone simultaneously -- and no one had replenished the hot sauce bottles or cleaned any of the tables in the dining area. I think we'd go back if we were in the area.. but it wouldn't be my first choice.

Food is really where it's at here. Fast casual and not coming here for service or ambiance. You come here to get fed at a decent value. The salsa is garlic heavy and I've also found it delicious and spicy. Tortillas are money too.

Ew! Horrible! We ordered on Ubereats. I never got the hot sauce I paid for, my tacos were placed directly on top of the refried beans which turned my "hard" tacos into a disgusting, soggy mess. The shredded beef had chunks of straight fat, my husbands burrito was also soggy and looked gross. Will never order to eat or eat in person at this place. Nasty

I've been going to Carolinas since the 70s. The food was usually good and a good value. I've never had an issue with the service until today. Tried to call in an order that wasn't available on the app. I was on hold for so long that I actually drove across town before they answered. I ordered and was told to pay. Normally no issue, but I was driving. Tried to explain that I was literally, a block away and they insisted. When I arrived I tried to explain and I was met with a stare down from the guy at the register. He then overcharged me about $40.

I am so disapproved of my Taco Salad today, which my husband ordered at 3:45. He was home by 4:20. He ordered it with extra lettuce. I have no idea if there was extra lettuce in this soup of a mess Taco Salad. The person who prepared my order did not drain the meat. My husband and son went to Caroline's every Thursday. Then they backed off because the beans were off. They were too salty or just tasted weird. The red chili had too much red chili seasoning, which tasted like eating the red chili seasoning out of a jar. Sadly, they will not complain. They throw it away and eat at Valla Luna. Where is the man who used to ensure everything tasted like it was supposed to in the kitchen and ensure the items made were perfect?

Yup! 5 STARS. my wife found this place and omg it's the best. Hot sauce is hot mmm. Crispy tacos!!!! Oh boy! Happiness all over. Excellent low prices too

This was an....experience. You can trust the accuracy of the 1 star reviews. Yelp is making me write more to post so I'm just going to keep repeating: see the other 1 star reviews. I truly cannot believe they have more than 1 star from anybody. That said, I visited recently. I understand it from the other reviews, perhaps this place used to be completely different.

Unfortunately, my office is very unhappy with the restaurant. We ordered food to be delivered, and it was never advertised on their website that it would be through UberEats. The driver never delivered our order, so we called the restaurant. I originally spoke to a girl named Cassandra who claimed to be a manager, which I later found out she was not. I had asked to speak directly to a manager and she seemed reluctant to let me. Finally, I was able to speak to the manager Brian, who told me there was nothing they could do for us. I asked to have the food remade, and he told me that it would cost the restaurant too much money to remake any food that was never delivered. He also stated that this happens 4 times a day. He also told me we were unable to get a refund because the payment went through UberEats, even though we ordered on their website. Sadly, with the customer service we received, we will no longer be ordering from this restaurant.

I would give negative stars if I could. I ate here last night and the food was inedible. My tostada had a small very thin amount of beans, i had to look to see the small scraped amount. My taco meat was beef that was burned and hard. The shell was greasy and after one bite decided the meat looked too strange to risk eating. This is by far the worst meal have had in a year! Im done paying $24 for a disgusting meal.

I got my food to go to enjoy at home. I paid extra for extra guacamole- didn't receive it. I paid for extra sour cream - I received a small squiggly. I paid for pico da gallo - not there. Bummer.

Thank you Carolina's for providing lunch to teachers from Madrid Neighborhood School at our Million Dollar Teacher Project take a teacher to lunch. Your support for teachers is appreciated and lunch was delicious.

I really tried. I've loved Carolina's long before this one opened. Over the last two years it's obvious it's time to let go. I love a bean and cheese tostada and I love the red or green burros. Love the tortillas. For the third time the bean tostada was cold. Shell was actually cool to the touch. The beans wouldn't melt the cheese. Maybe because it was such a thin layer they cooled off before they got there. Flour tortilla while good wasn't warm on the burro. Red chile was good enough but hot temperature would have been better. Too many chances and nothing is better after two years. And, Noah the owner, your robo response is more irritating than helpful. For two years you've sucked. Don Jose's here I come.

I'm not sure what's going on at this location but I'm feeling disappointed. The last few times I ordered a bean and cheese burrito, there's more tortilla than beans. This past Saturday, I placed my order for the same and asked for extra beans. I was expecting a full burrito; however, there was barely a bit more beans. I get that perhaps the ingredients are more expensive, but it's beans! One of the most inexpensive ingredients. I also ordered a pint of salsa and a bag of chips. The salsa was like water with little to no flavor and the chips were stale! I guess the days of a big fat BEAN and cheese burrito are gone.