Carolina's Mexican Food - Cactus

Been going to Carolinas for years, since the Buckeye location was the only one. When I found out they existed near my work on Cactus in Phx, AZ I went. They did not disappoint. Got the Carolina's fries, which is a more realistic version for portion and price of most other Mexican food restaurant super fries or carne asada fries. Less than $10, I am full and it was delicious. Look at the presentation! When the people care about their food, you get to experience it in the flavor and the presentation.

I would like the GM to contact me. I placed a to go order tonight for a number 4, a bean and cheese burrito and a carne asada burrito. I picked it up at 515pm. I brought it home, opened it and I literally had one spoonful of meat in my number 4 meal and so much sauce my beans and rice were covered. I immediately brought it back, I live 3 minutes away. They were very busy. I waited in line for 10 minutes to explain my issue. I then was told they could refund me or remake it, but I would go in the back of the queue and would wait at least 30 minutes for my order. While my family is home eating I was told they could not put a rush on my order and have another customer wait maybe 5 extra minutes to accommodate a customer who had already paid, picked up and had to bring back. I’ve missed eating dinner with my family and now scrambling to find somewhere else to order food at 545pm. This is not how this should have been handled. I was told “ we are really busy it’s not like we can put a rush on it, you’ll need to wait” wait again after I already waited, drove home and then drove back. I was kind and expressed this was poor customer service but was brushed off and just offered a refund. Based on this experience, long time regular customers I will not be back. I unfortunately did not take photos because I expected them to rectify this properly. I did speak with Jayden who had no care for me as a customer.

Everyone here was sooo nice. I heard about their food and really wanted to try it so I came after work to pick up some breakfast burritos. I was so excited to dig in, but I wanted to write my review based off their service alone! She explained to me how they make their tortillas and everything is made to order. I found this absolutely fascinating. It’s something fast but authentic. I’d go here for the service alone!

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

Real-time feedback. After waiting for 20 minutes for an order, we went to the counter and found out they had not started it yet. I had my wife and my two small children with me. It took another 20 minutes for the food to come out. They did give us some free guac and chips for the long wait. Even if you're eating in this restaurant they serve it to you in big plastic bags which doesn't make sense. Then one of my girls accidentally spilled their cup on the ground under our table. I went to the pickup area to alert them of this and see if there was a way to get it cleaned up. The shift manager looked me in the eyes multiple times, saw that I was waiting and never came by. I went up there twice and waited for 5 minutes each and he just kept looking at me but never came over. There are no adults running this restaurant. Every trash can was overflowing. Seems to me they don't care about interacting with customers or customer service at all. People were sitting around us that had been waiting for over 40 minutes for their orders and we all gave each other nods for the awful customer service situation.

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.

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.

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!

Very nice experience here for dinner. Staff is extremely friendly and very thorough with making sure the orders are entered correctly and they and they even check your to-go order with you before you to ensure it's correct. We had tacos, quesadillas, and a burrito, plus sides. Evergone in our family was very happy with their meals. The only suggestion would be a bit more seasoning on the chicken as it was not so flavourful..everything else was wonderful. Can't wait to go back soon!

Inaccurate order fullfilment. Severely over cooked and somehow, still cold. Ordered shredded beaf taco and enchillada meal with green sauce. Got red sauce instead and th eenchillada was an extremely over-cooked cheese echillada. Was literally burnt. And yet, the entire meal was still cold. Gross.

We ordered a few things to try - bean and cheese burrito was yummy but adding sour cream was the way to go. Added a nice flavor. Chicken taco was good. There was six of us and everyone was pleased. My only recommendation, it would be nice if they had a selection of salsas. There was eight containers and they were all hot. This place is obviously successful so they probably do not need my advice. Scripture on the cups and Christian music playing - I was a happy girl

Carolina's special Carne Asada burrito was not that great, mostly because they hardly put any French fries in the burrito. The meat was ok, but needed more fries to balance out the guacamole. Also the tortilla is too thin for the ingredients.

Many people I know rave how great this place is. I have had their food on several occasions. It also tastes better when it's catered. The few times I have dined in I have been disappointed. Their prices are the same as most other Mexican Food restaurants. But, where they really miss the mark is they charge for chips. REALLY! I tend to forget when I have made this my dining destination. However, on Saturday @2 p.m. they didn't have any chips for sale. Mexican Food restaurant, charging for chips...but out of chips? When they bring the food to your tables it's in plastic containers, or flimsy paper plates. Sounds like a startup restaurant, right? No. They have been in business for decades. I won't describe how terrible the restrooms are, let's just say it does not reflect a successful business who cares about their patrons.

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!

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.

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!

The food here is always great. I had the machaca plate, and my wife had the shredded beef tacos. We usually order to go, the restaurant well nice and clean inside is pretty basic.

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.

This is probably the worst Mexican food I've had in a long time. The chips were flavorless, the salsa is way too watered down. I got the green chili beef and it seemed like it was canned beef chunks, terrible flavor. I am amazed that people go here. Seriously, don't waste your time or money. Gross.

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.

Why is Carolina's response to me about a breakfast burrito and the price of eggs. I did not get a breakfast burrito I ask for one pat of butter for my tortilla. And the price for the pat of butter was $1.00. The OG's of Carolinas are rolling in shame in their graves. No reason to eat at Carolina's any more Finished with Carolina's!!

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.

Used to eat here a lot, but stopped coming when they started messing up our orders. Gave it another go. Tonight, we are missing my husband's order completely, and mine was wrong. The machacha in my burrito was watery and just bad. I had ordered the burro with cheese inside and we paid extra. No cheese inside. Reaffirms why we stopped eating here. Will not return

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 many times going back to original location at 16 st & Mohave st. I just realized as prices have gone up for all restaurants, Carolinas is no exception. But my problem is although I enjoy the good today I paid 8.50 for a red chile burro that is the same size as it has always been For years. It's all tortilla and not much red chile. What the heck? At least Ritos for same price are fuller and bigger!

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.

This place has longevity and nostalgia for some - I just don't get it. The food here is subpar to bad, and it's expensive. In the valley there are tons of better options for Mexican - this place needs an overhaul. Food is drab and greasy with no character.

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

Peoria location has been constantly bad with service. Guaranteed long waits with no sense of urgency. That along with possible wrong orders. This might seem harsh, but after patronizing this business for years it's just getting hard to continue. Prices have continually gone up and customer service down.

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.

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.

My first couple trips to Carolina's was just awesome. It is a very popular spot. Didn't seem quite as good on my last visit. Meat tasted old. Just an average beef burrito. Last time there there were many phone in orders and it took forever to get my food. The ambience is utilitarian. Like the music.

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.

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 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.

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..

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

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!!!

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.

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.

We used to come here every week but the quality has changed. The past two times we've been here have left me disappointed. I always order a carne asada taco salad to go.The previous time I ordered the salad with extra meat and my BF ordered 3 crispy tacos. We came in late, closer to 8pm and again, got it to go. Finally got home and when we opened our food there were only two tacos, and my salad didn't have any meat. We were so disappointed to say the least. It was late, we were tired and too late to drive back the 10 minutes to their store. After that episode, we didn't go back for a long time. It was months. We finally decided to give Carolina's another chance because it's close and we remember it being good in the past. We again went in closer to 8 pm, ordered a carne asada taco salad and 3 crispy tacos. Got home to enjoy our meal. I opened my taco container to find that the taco salad was soaked in liquid and all of the lettuce and non-crispy taco bowl was soggy, disgusting and gross. We were livid. All we wanted to do was pick up a nice meal and be able to enjoy dinner bit it was a disaster. Is it because we order take out at the end of the night and the staff just wants to go home? Or is it because the quality overall has declined? I don't know but I don't think we will be headed back for late disappointing take away dinners.

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.

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.

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!

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.