Carolina's Mexican Food - Mesa

Solid Mexican food from a long standing tradition. Been going to the original south Phoenix location for decades. Tortillas are amazing as are all the food dishes and salsa! I think it's great that they now have restaurants around the valley so more folks can enjoy. Highly recommended.

First time patrons. Large menu. Options a plenty. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Quesidilla was huge so took more than half home. Chicken filled taco was delicious. Red salsa was very good. Green and Pico was extra so didn't try it...yet. will be back.

We recently decided to stop into Carolinas, eager to dive into their vibrant, mouthwatering cuisine. As, we approached the entrance, our, anticipation heightened at the sight of a long line.. It was clear that this place was a local favorite, and we were excited to join the buzz. Once inside, the lively atmosphere enveloped us. You place your order at the register, where the friendly staff greets you with warm smiles. After ordering, you’re given a number, a small token of your upcoming delicious feast before finding a cozy spot to wait. The best part? You can watch the chefs in action right before your eyes! It’s like dining in the kitchen of a culinary show, where each ingredient is expertly prepared, and the aromas wafting around only heighten your appetite. When our food finally arrived, we were in for a treat! The tamales were divine, perfectly sized and bursting with flavor. Each bite was a celebration of spices and textures that danced on our taste buds. We savored every mouthful, completely enchanted by the hearty, comforting taste that felt like home. While Carolinas does have a downside—namely, the lack of alcohol. the beverage selection more than made up for it. We opted for a refreshing "Mexican" Coke, which perfectly complemented the rich flavors of the food. There are also other delightful drink options to choose from, ensuring that everyone finds something to quench their thirst. After enjoying our meal, we stepped outside to find ample parking, making our visit easy and stress-free. Overall, the experience at Carolinas was nothing short of fantastic, a whirlwind of delicious flavors and a vibrant atmosphere that we can’t wait to return to. If you haven’t checked it out yet, make sure to stop by for a culinary adventure that’s sure to leave you craving more!

I just ate the saddest, most boring, plain, and flavorless burrito I have ever had in my life at this place. The only thing they put in it was meat and a little bit of pico de gallo. I mean, seriously—who in the world only puts meat in a burrito?? I want my money back from the guy at the airport who recommended this place when I asked for authentic Mexican. Lol. Because this ain’t it… The only flavor on the meat was salt, as if they didn’t use any other seasoning. The salsa was weak and had no flavor and no spice to it. The tortilla was hard and dry and almost kind of powdery on the outside. Not to sound mean, but I legit don’t understand how any self-respecting person or business can serve this sad little burrito with no flavor, no personality, and just meat inside it. Also, the girl working the front sat there talking to the previous customer for what felt like forever about her nails, even though their business was done and I was over there waiting/starving. Lol

Why does it take forever to get the food out? Every time I visit this location it takes so long. This is not an exaggeration, today I waited 45 minutes for a Togo order I placed online. I tracked it, waited till it showed order ready but it wasn’t ready. Wait ANOTHER 20 minutes. I love the food here but the service and waiting is just not worth it

Ordered a Taco. Came out to $5 plus a extra charge for lettuce cheese. And when I call the women that answered was rude. Save your money not worth it. Way over priced.

Christian music is played while you dine, it didn't bother us. Our 1st experience was met with courteous wait staff. Highly recommend the green chile w/ corn tamales! 10/10

As always, the courteous greeting by the person taking orders; their assistance in customizing our order; and their capacity to facilitate our order being fulfilled quickly: continues to make dining and additional takeout ordering of delicious food enjoyable. I really like dining in the three different locations I have been able to visit. I especially enjoy the taco salad.

New to Chandler. This historic Mexican restaurant has expanded. Tacos were crisp. Quesadilla was big. Enchilada sauce is a bit smokey but nice. Street tacos were delicious. This location has indoor and outdoor seating. It also has a drive thru.

3 stars might me generous on my part. I've eaten here four times now and frankly there is NO Ambiance. There is nothing special about the food I've tried plus it's over priced compared to similar establishments in Chandler. My biggest disappointment was their Machca and egg burrito. A small burrito with just some roast beef and eggs. No onions, peppers or tomatoes which is how it is normally served. If you're hungry for Machca go to Fredrico's or even Filiberto's. The beef tacos only have cheese and lettuce and if you want pico on it that's extra. Just not impressed at all and I do not intend to go for a 5th visit

We recently decided to stop into Carolinas, eager to dive into their vibrant, mouthwatering cuisine. As, we approached the entrance, our, anticipation heightened at the sight of a long line.. It was clear that this place was a local favorite, and we were excited to join the buzz. Once inside, the lively atmosphere enveloped us. You place your order at the register, where the friendly staff greets you with warm smiles. After ordering, you're given a number, a small token of your upcoming delicious feast before finding a cozy spot to wait. The best part? You can watch the chefs in action right before your eyes! It's like dining in the kitchen of a culinary show, where each ingredient is expertly prepared, and the aromas wafting around only heighten your appetite. When our food finally arrived, we were in for a treat! The tamales were divine, perfectly sized and bursting with flavor. Each bite was a celebration of spices and textures that danced on our taste buds. We savored every mouthful, completely enchanted by the hearty, comforting taste that felt like home. While Carolinas does have a downside--namely, the lack of alcohol. the beverage selection more than made up for it. We opted for a refreshing "Mexican" Coke, which perfectly complemented the rich flavors of the food. There are also other delightful drink options to choose from, ensuring that everyone finds something to quench their thirst. After enjoying our meal, we stepped outside to find ample parking, making our visit easy and stress-free. Overall, the experience at Carolinas was nothing short of fantastic, a whirlwind of delicious flavors and a vibrant atmosphere that we can't wait to return to. If you haven't checked it out yet, make sure to stop by for a culinary adventure that's sure to leave you craving more!

I'm not sure what's more frustrating, the lack of flavor in the green chile or the lack of customer service at this location. As a customer of any business i would like to think that we all deserve a little respect and friendliness from the employees. Now this issue wasn't even mine to be upset about but the longer I sat at my table the more unhelpful and checked out the workers seemed to be. Just the expressions on their faces alone were enough for me to tell myself I won't be coming back. The food was super bland, I ended up throwing almost most of it away. I've been here numerous times but it just seems like the longer this place has been open the worse it has gotten. I'm not interested in coming back. Too bad I'm not closer to the original location.

One of the best Mexican spots in Mesa! Great food with plenty of options on the menu. We always have to get a dozen tortillas when we come here! The tortillas are so fresh and delicious!

Always solid good food! You'll enjoy your meal here if you order any of the crunchy tacos or burritos. I get the cheese, green chili, bean burrito:) The restaurant itself is spacious and clean. I look forward to my visit every time.

My first time at the Mesa location. I thought it was a little pricy for what it was. Food was good tasty but not great portions were on the small side. Would I go back...possibly but most likely id check out other places

First time at Carolina's Mexican Food. My green chili burrito was too soupy--I had to use utensils to eat it. The meat was seasoned well but not enjoyable. My coworker's chimichanga was crispy and flavorful. Also, disappointed that chips cost ~$4 when many places offer them for free. Mixed experience overall.

I've heard so much about Carolina's I wanted to try it, but I've also heard the Phoenix location was the best. Considering this location is closer I dropped in yesterday to give it a go. There's lots of seating inside and the AC was cranking, always a good thing when it's 115°F outside. The staff were pleasant and helpful. No complaints. I got a carne asada taco and a bean and cheese burrito. Both were ok....nothing special. The burrito was rather small based on the portions you get from most places. The tortilla was meh, but still ok. My friend got the chicken enchiladas....they also were "meh" on their review of it. On a scale of 1 - 10, this was a one-and-done for me. There are way better options. I left wishing I could get a "stomach" refund and have the food removed from my stomach so I could get my burrito fix from somewhere else, but that process sounds expensive and I'm not sure how it would work.

Carolina's Phoenix location was the first Mexican restaurant I ever went to in AZ. Food was great but the place was far away and in a bad neighborhood. I was excited when I found out they opened a location in Mesa near my house. We come to this location 1-2 times a month. The food has never been quite the same as the Phoenix location but for the convince, cleanliness and safety it is fine. Here is the #1 issue. The past few months we came the salsa is literally red water. You dip your chip in it and you now have a wet chip with no salsa. This is not ideal at all. Tonight I was literally drinking the salsa and holding it in my mouth and placing a chip in my mouth full of this water salsa. I poured some on my rice and it shot straight to the bottom. Ridiculous. Who ever is making the salsa needs to be retrained and fast. Hopefully they fix this fast or me and I am sure many others will stop coming.

big chunks of potato in our burritos not even sliced, and I FOUND PLASTIC In my burrito. That's unacceptabl and disgusting !

I was referred to this restaurant and it was alright. I ordered a burro that included carne asada and fries and Chicken Flautas combo plate with sour cream, guacamole, rice and beans. The tortilla of the burrito easily broke as it was too thin. They had salsa by the fountain drinks to grab but appears to be only one type of salsa. It was good salsa though but the food did not stand out. The restaurant had the A/C on high which was nice since it's hot outside. The inside of the restaurant is spacious and pretty empty.

This place has great prices and amazing food! The people are sweet and the food is up fast. MY FAMILY LOVES THIS CAROLINAS!!! THANK YOU!

The food-- chimichangas are delicious. The service is fast and efficient. The ambiance is like a trip to Mexico.

A refined version of the Original Carolina's ("OC"). Food equally delicious with a well kept air conditioned location and better service.

My favorite.. 3 way burro excellent with red chili, beans, green chili. Service was quick and efficient. Take out had its own dedicated person which was very helpful.

We ordered beef tacos, cheese enchilada, beef chimichanga a red chili burrito and beans. Everything was so good probably the best in the Valley. Only problem is the distance-open one in Ahwatukee PLEASE!!!!

My buddy and I were in the neighborhood and I told him I loved Mexican food, he said there's a nice place up ahead to go for lunch. I have never even heard of this place so I agreed. When we walked in they were fairly busy so I thought that was a good sign! I decided to build my own burrito and since I'm trying to go less carbs that day I decided to get a carne asada with cheese guacamole and sour cream. It was about $11 with tax and my friend ordered some type of chicken burro with red sauce and made it into a combo. Oh yeah I had the horchata, the horchata was pretty good. When my food came out the Expo told me they accidentally made me two burritos, so I was jumping for joy internally. But the first thing my buddy and I said was good thing they made you too because the size of one didn't look like much. If I were to put everything into one burrito there would still be a lot of gap in the tortilla left. I will say the meat is pretty good but the lack of anything in my burrito was subpar at best. When I opened up my burrito, I was questioning if I even got cheese and sour cream in it and the only reason why I knew there was guacamole was because I saw hints of green. Nonetheless I still ate it and theirp tortillas are very soft. For the price I paid I wouldn't recommend eating here for such a skimpy burrito but I will say it was really well seasoned and I enjoyed the ample amount of tortilla.

Carolina's is by far the best fast Mexican food you'll get in the Phoenix and surrounding areas. It's not fast food but it's not luxury dining either. It's just amazing Mexican food period.

Favorite place for Mexican food. Can't go wrong with anything. Wish the staff was more on top of things. So many times they'll forget a side or something. Not a big deal but it's annoying. They also keep it insanely cold in the dining area in the summer. Prices have gone up, so it's not as affordable as it used to be. We don't go as much as we used to.

I hate to do this, I really do because I absolutely love the food. This is the second review/complaint at this location. THIRD time they did not get my order right. The last visit they forgot my papas and I left it alone, but here we're again. I asked for double papas and my boyfriend asked for papas and rice. We both received beans & rice. I really wish management would take these reviews seriously and do better. Unfortunately you have now lost a customer at this location

2.5 The tortilla is great, but not anything to write home about and everything else was middle of the road. Non authentic really. Horchata was weeeeeak, just one salsa option. Wouldn't recommend unless you're like looking to eat within the block.

Food good. Salsa good. Just wish came with free chips and salsa. Not much else to say.

I came at 6:01 on 12/23 Sign on the door said to go orders only which is totally fine with me They had a dining room full of people but would not serve me. It was not even christmas eve i have no idea why they were closing early. Absolutely ridiculous. Skip this place, terrible service.

The food is amazing, the people are super kind!! We are from Colorado and this is a MUST eat stop while in the Phoenix area.

This is my first time dining here. I usually go to their location on/near Cactus. I have not had their food in awhile and decided to have a triple cheat day. Their flour tortillas are amazing... fresh, hot & soft. I really wanted one with butter. But, I was a good girl. I ordered their chile verde burro with double beans and a beef flauta a la carte. The food came rather quickly, considering their indoor dining room; was practically full. The food was great as usual... they are one of the few family run restaurants, where you get consistently great food. It is no frills Mexican food at its best. The refried beans are heavenly... if you eat too much of them you will fall asleep. I'm ready for bed now. My chile verde burro was nice an flavorful, the only bad thing was my tortilla falling apart. Unfortunately, I just had to dip it in my beans. I wish they let us choose red or green sauce on the side. If you want green sauce you have to pay for it regardless. The only thing I disliked was Hayden and her rude attitude. Everything was great. I'm sure I will be back. Their to go orders were flying out the door.

I had a number 1 combo for breakfast with one of their fabulous tortillas to scoop up my beans. Crispy beef taco and cheese enchilada with rice and refried beans. I started frequenting Carolina's in the early 70s in downtown Phoenix. Their huge, freshly made tortillas are the BEST in the Valley of the Sun!

Fresh amazing food every single time, extremely clean establishment, wonderful customer service, short wait for food to be ready and a great salsa bar, don't forget to take a dozen of tortillas home.

We were excited to be over at our folks house and close to Carolina's. Carolina's used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant but the last 2 times I visited it was at this Mesa location and issues with food both times. Tonight was another let down. The Refried Beans were so salty they were un-edible. The Green Chili Burritos were tasty but they forgot the guacamole,we paid extra for, and my wife was not happy. When the wife' is not happy, no one is happy.

I spent almost $100.00 on 2 dozen tamales...a dozen beef and a dozen green corn! We were expecting company that evening which is why I purchased so many tamales! Thankfully, at the last minute, our company were not able to come that evening because after my husband and I sampled each one of these kind of tamales, we were glad we didn't subject our company to such horrible tamales! They are very dry and very tasteless! Between my husband and I we ate 4...one of each kind! WE HAVE 20 AWFUL TAMALES LEFT!! I CALLED THE RESTAURANT TWICE IN THE LAST 24 HOURS TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER...TO REQUEST A REFUND!!! BUT I HAVEN'T YET HEARD FROM HIM OR HER! By the way, I'm Hispanic and I know what good tamales should taste like...my whole family use to make delicious tamales! Again, I WANT A REFUND!!!

If I could leave zero stars, I would. The food was so disappointing, the cheese was chunky, the beans were extra salty and the lettuce was OLD. My friend got a platter and I specifically put that she was allergic to guacamole and they put guacamole directly onto her food. Save yourself the trip and find another Mexican food spot, I know I will.

excellent lunch with many delicious options provided free for Million Dollar Teacher Appreciation lunch. Thank you for supporting educators!

Ordered a burrito and it was barely warm. They made me another and it was better, but not much. My wife's tacos were just warm as well.

-1 STAR: I'm a fan of the original Carolinas on Mohave in Phx., but this place on County Club in Mesa is the absolute worst place ever! All my food was cold. Enchiladas not cooked the tortilla was not even warm. Burritos cold with old tasting beans. And beef tacos same too cold and chewing like they have been sitting for awhile. Told the manager of the issue and all she said was sorry about that. Ugh! Cold and just digesting. Never again!

Food is great service is terrible and it's counter service, so not sure how they fail so hard at this part. Doesn't seem like there is any management.

Came with my mom for our annual tamale trek and we were very disappointed from start to finish. The restaurant is freezing cold and they have unavoidable ceiling fans which makes this worse. Dress in layers or get it to go. The counter help doesn't greet you and don't try asking any questions because you won't get an answer. Mom asked if the sauce on the tamales was spicy and the guy said "green or red" . Uh Red ? Is red spicy ? He punched it in the register and then asked what I wanted . Hello . She's asking you a question ? Smh . I ordered - a tamale and a taco with rice and beans . Mom had a tamale and an enchilada with rice and beans. We sat down and waited in the freezing cold til our number was called. I went and picked up our food from the counter and checked it to make sure it was right. I shouldn't have bothered since the chick set it on the counter and walked away. I sat down with our meals and we couldn't figure out whose dinner was whose . It shouldn't be that hard since I had a taco . Right ? Right ? The tamales were a disappointment. They overly sauced and must have fallen apart before being served. It was more like a tamale casserole with sauce to cover up their mistake. They were also tiny and mostly masa. Nope. Nope. Nope. The food was cold soon after we received it because the restaurant was so cold. It was a big waste of money . The tamales reminded me of Hormel canned tamales . Yuck

I understand this location has different owners from the Original Carolina's on Mohave but wonder if they also use different ingredients as it's not as good as the original location for some reason. The surroundings are nice though and they do have delish tortillas and tacos.

The slowest service in the world DONT COME HERE IF YOUR HUNGRY they are so unorganized!!!

I ordered take out via Uber Eats on Feb 29. A friend was over and so we went on Uber Eats and ordered the buy 1 get one free bean burrito special. It was wonderful, the order came in two separate containers (like take home boxes the give you in a restaurant). There was the burrito, covered in a delicious red sauce, a little side salad. We got sour cream on the side. Today I decided to treat myself again to the same thing. What did I get? Two bean burritos each wrapped in paper, no sauce, no salad and no sour cream. Very disappointed. Where is the consistency?

They donated the food for our Million Dollar Teacher Project Christmas luncheon. The food was perfect and delicious

Ordered for pick up online. Showed up 20 minutes after ordering. Was told it was not ready. Ok cool. Played on my phone for another 20 minutes and then the lady asks my name and if it's an online order and then nothing else. I wait another 10 minutes and then finally my food 50 minutes after ordering online. Get home and it's not what we ordered. We call and get a manager who doesn't apologize and gets mad because we only had the online order number because they gave us no receipt, no napkins, no hot sauce. Then when he finds it he just says ok its refunded with no explanation or apology. F THIS LOCATION. GO TO OLD SCHOOL ON MOHAVE IN THE HOOD!!

Simple, tasty, friendly. That is the jist of Carolina's. Order at the counter and pick it up when your number is called. It is in no way fancy fare but the variety is pretty impressive. I had never had potato enchiladas before and they were good. The red sauce was flavorful and had a bit of a kick, my taco was good. The rice and beans were nothing over the top but adding some salsa to it worked out. The salsa for my chips was the least impressive item. Just liquid with a few bits of cilantro. Everything is in styrofoam with plastic utensils and paper plates for the chips. Nice selection of drinks and indoor or outdoor dining. The restaurant was clean and well thought out, cool and comfortable. The prep and cooking areas visible and the staff was friendly. The place isn't the Ritz but it's worth a stop.

The Carolina's pizza... holy sh*t it rocked my world. Only ate half because I was so full from their other good stuff. Reheated the pizza later that night and still just as amazing. It says it's seasonal but I hope they keep it.

Catered from this location for a birthday party and I am extremely impressed with the team overall! The sales rep I worked with was very helpful with placing the order. She explained the serving sizes and it was helpful in placing the order. On the day of the party, delivery was on time and the person delivering was very helpful in placing the trays as needed and informing how they were packaged if we wanted to reheat in the oven. The food was delicious and I will be bookmarking Carolina's for future orders!

This is not the Carolinas you remember from when you were a kid, this restaurant has gone completely down hill. It makes me sad that the food is terrible, the famous tortillas aren't what it has to. The service is okay, they always seem to get my order wrong like McDonald's. There are plenty of better places to go to like La canasta. Do better Carolinas please

Always a favorite for great authentic Mexican food. My go to is the #10 combo- beef enchiladas

Had a taco combo was really good . Bought some fresh tortillas is was really good but way way way to big & you can't really heat it up on the stove top as it would take up 2 burners lol . They should make a smaller one as well . Bought the dozen cooked tamales . As the meat was flavorful the tamale was dry and it's just meat ! Nothing authentic about it . Was disappointed

Let me start off by saying that the food here is delicious. The only reason I give it 3 stars is because the delivery service is terrible. We ordered through Uber Eats and the order was completely wrong. I ordered a carne asada burrito with extras that I paid for, and literally got a plain carne asada burrito with just the meat and the tortilla . My fiancee ordered tacos with only cheese as the topping, but got all this extra stuff on them which made them soggy. Again, food here is great, but I recommend going in person to get it instead.

If I could give a negative zero I would. The customer service was awful! The young lady at the register was incredibly rude and obviously didn't want to be working today. I had to repeat myself multiple times and ask if she got my order. I'll drive further for Carolina's because I will not return to the mesa location