Casa De Bandini at The Forum

Generous portions and quality food that is priced right. Service was perfect and the restaurant is inviting. Not pictured is the ceviche and it was DELICIOUS.

A Short History of Casa De Bandini Casa De Bandini is a well-known San Diego restaurant celebrated for its Mexican cuisine and historical significance. The story of Casa De Bandini begins with Juan Bandini, a prominent figure in early Californian history. As an East Coast college student, I first visited the restaurant during one of my trips to San Diego in the mid-to-late 1980s. At that time, the restaurant was still located in Old Town, San Diego. I quickly fell in love with their food and made frequent visits whenever I flew to San Diego. The restaurant has a fascinating history that starts with Juan Bandini. Born in Peru in 1800, he moved to California as a young man. He established himself as a landowner and politician in the Mexican territory of Alta California. Bandini was known for his hospitality and often hosted large parties and social gatherings. The original Casa De Bandini (House of Bandini) was built in the early 19th century as Juan Bandini's family home. This adobe building became a key part of Old Town San Diego. In 1980, restaurateur Diane Powers revitalized the historic adobe by opening Casa De Bandini within its walls, preserving its historical charm while offering authentic Mexican cuisine. In 2005, Casa De Bandini relocated to The Forum in Carlsbad, a coastal city near San Diego. During my first visit a few weeks ago, I saw that the new location retained the restaurant’s colorful décor, gardens, and traditional Mexican architecture. The restaurant is famous for its authentic Mexican dishes, including enchiladas, tacos, and tamales. It uses quality ingredients and traditional recipes, which make its food particularly appealing. Casa De Bandini also serves as a cultural landmark, hosting events, celebrations, and live music. It is a popular destination for both locals and visitors alike.

I discovered this place in March '24 and during my current visit, I had this place on my list to return for another delicious meal. The service is fast and attentive great margaritas, delicious food, great outdoor seating, and overall fun and relaxing lunch or dinner.

I recently dined at Casa de Bandini at The Forum in Carlsbad with group of friends. The menu offers a wide variety of authentic Mexican dishes. I tried the wild salmon dish, which was delicious and generously portioned. The homemade tortillas & salsa were a nice touch. The staff were friendly and attentive, providing excellent service and great recommendations. The outdoor patio is also a lovely spot to enjoy a meal. Overall, Casa de Bandini is a fantastic choice for delicious Mexican cuisine in a lively setting. Highly recommended! Since the restaurant is very busy the service was slow. Half table got their food and the rest had to wait another 15-20 minutes to get their food.

I think this place is good for families or for coming to get a drink. We always smell the tortillas when we are shopping at the Forum and finally decided to come in today. I ordered the pozole and a combination that came with a taco, cheese enchilada and chile rellano. I asked for the small soup , which I thought would be a cup but received the bowl. I wish the waiter would have told us the portions are gargantuan because it was way too much food. I have two meals left of leftovers. I love pozole but this one was missing heart and was overly spicy The chile rellano was very tasty and well balanced. The cheese enchilada was not super special and the cheese was really stringy. The taco was beef and while everything was fresh was really missing seasoning. I did love their beans and the rice was also pretty good. My husband ordered the taco loco which is kinda like a taco salad - again the portion was ginormous. It was tasty but lasting a little seasoning. Everything was fresh. We ordered a margarita split strawberry and passion fruit, this was also fresh and tasty. Because they were slammed it was going to be a wait, but self seating was open on the patio so we sat out there. It was a bit chilly and they tried to accommodate us by turning on the heaters. That made the meal cozy but then it ran out of gas and understandably they were busy so it took a while to remedy the situation. Our waiter was lovely but definitely stretched thin in his section because he was slammed. This is a great place to bring kids and share a few dishes or have drinks at the bar with friends, but I’m not sure the food was special enough get really excited to go back soon. Next time I’ll order a la carte and stick with the beans and chile rellano.

This is one of the top Mexican restaurants in San Diego. It has great food, reasonable prices, superb service, and is a boisterous enjoyable & social place to eat. We celebrated the acquisition of my new electric car with a lovely dinner, including TEQUILA LIME SALMON and SAN GERMÁN - both superb. The large upgraded Mango Margarita nicely rounded off the dinner.

I went there for lunch and sat outside. It's such a beautiful and colorful outdoor patio seating. The staff is friendly, and they are dressed in what looks to be traditional Mexican uniforms (for lack of better words). The food is savory and can be spicy if you choose. I had the fish tacos, grilled on a corn tortilla. That plate comes with a side of rice and black beans. 1 dish could be for 2 people to share.

Came here for a late birthday dinner with some of my family and they loved it. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this place, it's a fun place to come for big family dinners or lunches. It is very colorful and festive especially when they have live music. Large portion sizes, I got Chicken Enchilada with Jalapeños.

A Short History of Casa De Bandini Casa De Bandini is a well-known restaurant in San Diego that serves Mexican food and has a rich history. The story begins with Juan Bandini, an important figure in early California. I first visited Casa De Bandini as a college student from the East Coast during a trip to San Diego in the mid-1980s. The restaurant was still in Old Town at that time. I quickly loved the food and made many visits whenever I came to San Diego. Juan Bandini was born in Peru in 1800 and moved to California as a young man. He became a landowner and politician in the Mexican territory of Alta California. Bandini was famous for his hospitality and often held large parties and gatherings. The original Casa De Bandini, or House of Bandini, was built in the early 19th century as Juan Bandini's family home. This adobe building became an important part of Old Town San Diego. In 1980, restaurateur Diane Powers opened Casa De Bandini in this historic adobe, keeping its charm while offering authentic Mexican food. In 2005, Casa De Bandini moved to The Forum in Carlsbad, a coastal city near San Diego. During my recent visit, I saw that the new location still had the restaurant's colorful décor, gardens, and traditional Mexican architecture. When we arrived on this visit, the place was packed with families and groups of people enjoying themselves. Our serve, a tall gentleman whose name I do not recall, was wonderful. He answered every question patiently and made very helpful recommendations. On a side note, the extra shot of tequila you see in the picture was his recommendation, which I did not resist and enjoyed immensely! All the supporting staff were also very hospitable and supper nice and helpful. The restaurant is famous for its authentic dishes, such as enchiladas, tacos, and tamales. It uses quality ingredients and traditional recipes, making the food especially appealing. Casa De Bandini also serves as a cultural landmark, hosting events and live music. It attracts both locals and visitors. So, if you are visiting the area and craving authentic Mexican food, try Casa De Bandini and let me know what you think.

As a Mexican I struggle to find quality Mexican food at large sit down places~ if I have family that comes to visit in North County and they good Mexican food with a vibe, I'll take them here! Ambiance is great. Usually I stick to the basics and I'm not disappointed. I got beef and chicken combo fajitas and it satisfied my needs! They have a spicy habanero salsa that boosts the flavor! My family has tried the seafood enchiladas and they weren't too impressed but overall a great experience here!

4.5 .. it's def better than just a 4. Haters will always hate but this is damn good SD style Mexican in a lovely setting with plenty of parking. So glad the old town site relocated here. It feels so cozy and even though they don't take reservations, you can call in ahead to shave some time off the wait or just take your luck sitting at the bar which is also fun. We had the best server to date, Eduardo! Great suggestions for drinks and entrees. I loved the crispy shrimp tacos. The tortillas whether corn or flour are amazing and for a very reasonable price you will have enough for the next days lunch unless you are very hungry. The menu is sure to have everything for anyone who likes SD Mexican type food ..even if veg. Service is very warm and efficient, unusual for SD (unfortunately). Margs are unfortunately weak on the tequila side so be forewarned but they are very tasty. I can't fault this place. I wanted a good SD Mexi meal with decent margs and the great service and ambience made it exactly what we wanted. Again, thanks to Eduardo for his warm service!

They don't take Reservations on a Sunday. So we drove over early , got on the list and we re seated in 15. So many Mexican choices for food. We each got a special that we couldn't make at

Hubby and I took a detour and decided to try happy hour here and it did not disappoint. Our server Valeriano H, was friendly and efficient and the food came out in a timely manner. We ordered 2 margaritas, pork & steak street tacos and crunchy beef tacos from the happy hour menu. I wish I took pictures but was distracted by the beautiful presentation. It was definitely worth what we paid for. We have been to numerous Mexican restaurants in the area (we live locally) and the prices are a bit more here, but you're talking quality. These are not skimpy tacos. Full of meat and just the right amount of cheese/veggies. We were surprised at how filling they were. The happy hour house margaritas were also delicious. Other places dilute the alcohol with a mix that tastes more like juice rather than a true margarita but the ones they serve here are well balanced and they give you a good amount and not 50-75% ice like other happy hour margaritas in other restaurants. And last but not least, we saw ladies making fresh tortillas in the cantina so we asked if we could purchase some to go and we did! They were absolutely amazing! Delicious & translucent. Overall, it was a great experience. We are definitely going back and will take pictures!

Another amazing night out on NYE at Casa De Bandiini. Great Mexican culture ambiance and lovely lady's making homemade tortillas hot and fresh. This time we ordered the Carne Asada Tampiquena and Beef Fajitas. Everything was authentic tasting and fresh. Also saw they had an avocado salsa on another dish and requested a servicing which the had no issue with. Service was also top tier. Until next time, cheers. Happy New Year !

Once again, another wonderful meal at our favorite "go to" spot for quality Mexican food. The staff are always friendly, and the service is spot on! Everytime we come, we aways feel as though we're dining inside a family member's home, very welcoming. Always excited for our next time back! Happy eating till then...

I recently visited Casa De Bandini with a group of girlfriends, and it was a great experience overall. The food is authentically Mexican and absolutely delicious - each dish was full of flavor and made with fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is also fantastic; it's a large, spacious restaurant with plenty of seating, making it a comfortable place for larger groups. While the food and ambiance were top-notch, our service was a bit lacking. Our waiter was okay, but not exceptional. We asked for separate checks (as there were many of us), and it seemed like this was a bit of an inconvenience for him. Still, with such a big group, it was understandable to request separate bills. Despite the service hiccup, I would definitely recommend Casa De Bandini for anyone craving great Mexican food in a lively, spacious setting. It's a perfect spot for a casual gathering with friends!

CATERING REVIEW: Casa de Bandini made it effortless to host our party. Our order was neatly organized in aluminum trays and cardboard carrying boxes that made transportation a smooth process. Placing the order was just as easy with prompt responses from their service manager who was friendly and thorough. Best of all - the food was delicious and our guests raved about it the entire event. We will definitely cater from here again!

The festive environment at Casa de Bandini puts a smile on my face. I love their colorful table cloths and cute fiesta style. Sadly, the food was awful. Yesterday I came in for lunch and ordered a chimichanga with vegetables instead of meat. The giant plate came with a burned chimichanga, a dried out bowl of beans and a tiny bit of lettuce shreads made with the core of the lettuce. The mango chamoy margarita tasted like salt and I could not taste the tequila. I could not drink it. At first the chimichanga seemed to be stuffed with only beans, but then I got a goopy vegetable mixture that was predominantly celery. I think they put some cold veggie soup in my burrito. I only ate 4 bites of it and was vomiting 2 hours later. On top of that I came in after walking in the sun for 2 hours and asked for water and it was gone within 5 minutes and we were never offered a refill. I would definitely avoid this restaurant.

Casa will forever and always be our #1 Mexican restaurant in all of San Diego. You cannot go wrong with anything here. The food quality is top notch and authentic. Waiters are fast and friendly, and the outside patio is a sanctuary during the day and perfect for margs!

Food is very good and menu is quite large. We prefer the patio as the restaurant is large and it can be a bit hard to have a conversation. Ask for a quiet table and they will try to accommodate you.

First time here and the experience was great. Such a beautiful Mexican restaurant. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. My family and I went at night and the lighting inside was perfect. The food was great and so was the service. Thank you to Jose for treating us so well / very kind and attentive server. Definitely 5 stars for sure!!

We've been eating here for more than 35 years, since it was located in Old Town. This is still one of the top Mexican restaurants in San Diego. It has great food, reasonable prices, superb service, and is a boisterous, enjoyable & social place to dine. We celebrated the acquisition of my new electric car with a lovely dinner, including TEQUILA LIME SALMON and SAN GERMÁN - both superb. The large upgraded Mango Margarita nicely rounded off the meal.

The service was great--our server was really friendly and attentive. But honestly, the food was just okay. It wasn't bad, but it didn't have much flavor. I was hoping for something a little more bold and exciting. The atmosphere is nice and definitely gives off good vibes, but the food didn't quite live up to the hype.

I love CDB, it's a spot I choose never I'm in the area. They have good chips & salsa and margaritas! Not to mention ruin the mariachi's!! Visited in a Friday night before dinner rush, it was packed but we got lucky and didn't wait long. We were seated within 15 minutes of arrival and chose to sit inside, we were served and greeted by pleasant hostess/ servers. Ordered drinks before entrees. Entree options: Seasonal vegetable fajitas w/ rice and beans and Chili verde w/ rice and beans, and Modelos. My veggie fajitas were so good with achiote sauce and guacamole! I will order this again! Chili verde was also flavorful, our visit was just as good as the last time. The ambiance was upbeat and lively with mariachi music, a great start to our date night.

This place never disappoints! Steeped in a rich history, Casa De Bandini has been serving up killer Mexican food for...maybe 100-150 years?! Thankfully they keep recipes and not ingredients that long, the food is so good, the service is friendly and fast, and taking your family out to dinner won't crush your bank account. When people ask about ambiance...the place is beautiful, with a beautiful atmosphere and patio, it's a great date spot too.

This is a nice Mexican restaurant complete with a large patio and nice outdoor ambiance with birds singing and water fountains. It's got a true Mexican feel. They are generous with the chips and salsa but the salsa is bland. I got a shredded beef taco plate. I was underwhelmed by the flavors of everything. I didn't get a margarita maybe I'll try that next time if there is a next time.

Absolutely love this place! This is one of my favorites. They've got a great menu and all sorts of different foods. I typically stick with Chilaquiles's because their chips with their sauces are excellent. Service is usually very good and the restaurant itself is very clean. Definitely give them a try if you come across their restaurant and let them show you what they can do.

So we went to bandini tonight to celebrate Son home from college. Restaurant was very crowded but there was a manager Diana that was amazing! Don't usually give managers reviews but she was another level. All problems solved and made everyone in my party happy. As we ate we saw her pretty much doing everything in the restaurant so we asked her name. We would come back just because of Diana , and food and margaritas were amazing as well .

I hosted a dinner here during SDRW for my Fun Diego Ladies MeetUp group. 5 of us ordered from the prefix menu and 1 person ordered from the regular menu. The food was excellent, large in quantity, and very reasonably priced. Our server was so bad (forgetful) that it was entertaining for us to see how much worse she could get. She basically messed up everyone's orders after asking us multiple times what we wanted. The restaurant was packed inside and outside, so I can understand how overwhelmed the staff may be. Our waters were never refilled even though we flagged the staff down many times. Regardless, we really enjoyed our dinner and had a wonderful time. The chips and salsa were amazing! I'll be back for that alone!

THE best Mexican food in all of North County San Diego. This is out go to spot and it never disappoints. This location is beautiful and has a great outdoor seating area. Seriously, this place is the best and you should try it out. They have S/M/L margaritas too. Chips and sauce and a great starter, but watch out, they are so good you might get full too early.

margaritas have no alcohol in them at all!!!!! it is a $15 smoothie!!!! they are scamming us!!!!!

We were looking for a Mexican restaurant with a nice ambience. This restaurant exceeded our expectations! We sat outside right by the water fountain, and it had a mariachi band and twinkle lights. Our kids loved it! The chips and salsa were both so fresh with just the right amount of spice. I ordered a large margarita and it was as big as my head! No complaints here. we started with the queso and it was a huge portion as well. It was pretty good. I got the flautas and they were incredible! My mom got the enchiladas, husband got the fajitas and my kids got chicken tenders and fish sticks. Everybody raved about their meals. If I lived here, this would be a staple in my restaurant repertoire.

I usually don't appreciate full service Mexican restaurants because in CA and NV, we have some of the best mom and pop Mexican food joints. I really enjoyed my time here. The service is fantastic and the portions are delicious and HUGE. Come hungry or be ready to take food home with you. I had the taco sampler because I couldn't imagine rice and beans with big portions. Both were delicious. I'm a carnitas guy, but here.the carne asada was better. The carnitas was no slump, the asada was just extra delicious. My wife had the cilantro shrimp and the chicken enchilada combo. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The chicken enchilada was pretty good. Might be because everything else was good, that it didn't stand out much. Washed it all down with a large sangria and a Paloma. Def some good ways and drinks.

Heap another 5 star onto the pile. I've been going yo Casa since they were an Old Town Mexican restaurant and it's still very good. Ambiance is great - decorations and art are nice. Service is fine, we had some gaps in our waiter's memory but that didn't snuff out the flame of a good dinner. Good stuff here. Enjoy your meal!

This restaurant serves the BEST Mole Chicken Enchilada I have ever had. I'm 70 years old, so I have enjoyed many mole dishes in my life. Try this place. Full ba.

So sad this is my second time here! The first time I had the enchiladas and they were great. This time upon coming to the restaurant it was popping. There was no noise control and We orderd the Mexican trio which was abismal at best. The cheese was grainy and the guacamole had about 2 pieces of tomato in it. Secondly, the service was okay at best. The sever barley came over. I ordered the 2 cheese enchilada plate, WHICH WHEN THE FOOD CAME OUT MY PLATE AND my partners plate were so hot too touch and the food had looked dried out. I think I took one bites of my cheese enchiladas before leaving the plate untouched. I mean the amount of cheese/ grease on the plate made the food unedible. I was very disappointed with my entire experience. Lastly as we were waiting to talk too the server a buster came and TOOK my untouched food. With out my permission. NOT WORTH THE TWENTY DOLLAR PLATE BE SO FOR REAL RIGHT NOW!

Homemade tortillas that are rolled on the thighs of virgins. It's getting harder to find places like this in North County. You get all of the fun "Cinco de Mayo " ambiance, along with a diverse menu of higher quality dishes. Prices are reasonable for this type of experience. - Able to accommodate larger parties. - I've never had a bad meal or margarita here. - Old Town tourist trap without the hassle of Old Town parking. Food tip - if you remember that Mexican restaurant in Bird Rock called Su Casa, they had an incredible "Mexican Pizza". Casa de Bandini calls their version the Cheese Crisp Special ( flat tortilla generously layered with refried beans and your choice of tender shredded chicken or succulent beef. It's then topped with melted cheese and garnished with fresh avocados and tomatoes, a dollop of creamy guacamole, and sour cream.). This is my recommendation if you're looking for something different.

I want to say I love this place, but there's a few things that didn't quite get it to five stars for me. The food was all delicious, except for the fact that my tortillas, which were homemade, were served cold and dry. I asked for a replacement and the second batch was much better. Since they make fresh tortillas on location, I would hope that serving them hot and fresh is a priority, since that's a really lovely selling point. The ambiance here is fantastic. It's fun. It's well decorated. It's memorable. The talented musicians performing live mariachi music really elevated the entire experience and made me think about how much I wish more restaurants would invest in live music. The server was decent , but his attention seemed to be stretched thin and there were more than a few moments when I wondered where he was. All-in-all, I'd like to return here and give it another shot, because I think it's got a lot to enjoy.

Honestly I've been here quite a few times with friends and family who are looking for a festive atmosphere and fun happy hour. If you like to eat mexican-inspired food with humungous margaritas and never-ending baskets of chips while serenaded by Mexican mariachis.... this place might be for you. if however, you are looking for fresh, authentic Mexican food, you might be left scratching your head. There's a million pages in their menu, featuring different variations of chicken or beef tacos, burritos, enchiladas, a few salads and a smattering of seafood choices. Most of it takes on a fun, celebratory presentation as opposed to what you might actually find if you were to travel to Mexico. My litmus test for any Mexican restaurant is the beans. Yep, you read that-- if the regular, boring pinto beans are not cooked fresh in a good consistency that is soft but not too pasty, then it's a no- go. You can taste the difference between fresh made beans and canned beans in a heart-beat. Sadly, the beans here are just thick and somewhat dry and on the salty side. I've enjoyed the festive atmosphere here with friends but have no plans to come for the food.

We come here every year with family while visiting Carlsbad. I love their atmosphere and the live music!

This is the new favorite spot! At first we were very skeptical because we thought it was going to be Americanized, but when we tasted the mole poblano and the combo plate, we knew that this place would become our favorite place. The food tastes authentic and the flavors remind us of those from our ranch in Mexico. They serve large portions.

Recently discovered this jewel and have been back many times, once we even brought friends along. First time we went we had to wait a little bit but we didnt mind much as there was seating available and the atmosphere was so happy and welcoming. Once seated, we were greeted by a friendly waiter who promptly took our order for drinks and answered a few questions we had on the menu. The menu....oh man! This is THE best Mexican menu around. We will not be going to any other. The food, atmosphere, service and vibe are fabulous. I found out you can go to their waiting list on their website. That makes it a bit easier. I can see why it's always so busy...the food and drinks are delectable! Give it a try, you will not be disappointed, I promise!

Cool ambiance but service is very slow and food/drinks are lacking. Management needs to revaluate who they have serving in the bar area.

Ordered the chopped Mexican salad with cilantro lime dressing. It was amazing, filling and delicious! Loaded with chicken, avocado, olives, beans and I lost track of the rest. I couldn't eat it all and I had gone easy on the chips and salsa. Casa De Bandini never disappoints and the service is excellent.

Mediocre Mexican food. The HH is an okay deal. Taquito plate was fairly small and the queso was literally just melted cheese not like a dip so it got hard in 30 seconds. Good service but won't return.

The food here is delicious. They have a wide selection of authentic Mexican dishes to satisfy whatever your palette may be craving, and they certainly do not disappoint! I've always been a big supporter of family, owned and operated businesses. I think that is vital to any community in order to help maintain and foster a sense of pride in one's hometown. Casa de Bandini is definitely a family run business that's located in The Forum Shopping Center in Carlsbad, California. However, it did used to be located in Old Town, San Diego. (That's where I first fell in love with it.) The incredible people who work there, the amazing atmosphere, the culture, and the wonderful Service are all things that will pop out at you when you try this place! Whether it's the first time or the fifth time, if you're like me, you will notice these attributes every time you visit. I highly recommend this wonderful establishment.

We stopped here on our way home to Temecula after spending most of the first part of the day at UCSD Medical Center in La Jolla. I had an MRI done and needed to fast. Needless, to say I was starving! Upon entering, we were warmly greeted by a very friendly & exuberant young lady and seated right away. In the meantime I'm checking out the decor, taking in the beauty of it all. My eyes were drawn to the beautifully crafted wrought iron chandelier hanging adorning the entry over the hostess counter. The interior was richly decorated with what appeared to be frescoes and the various lighting throughout lent to a feeling of muted opulence; definitely a feast for the eyes. Enhanced by the feast on the table! Our server Jose greeted us and quickly introduced himself and took our drink orders in one smooth swoop. Another gentleman brought us chips and salsa. Yum! We emptied the chips bowl pretty quickly and they brought out another one. Jose returned and took our orders, which came out very quickly. It smelled and looked so good! Even better was that our meals were delicious! I was impressed! The portions were generous. Jose was wonderfully attentive and anticipated our needs. That's great service! We can't wait to return here!

My family and I went to this place where we were looking for some good SDC Mexican food. We went in and the service was good and seated immediately. The interior and structure was very nice which had some beautiful decor as I was in someone's home. Very comfortable. The waiter greeted us and took our drinks and chips and salsa was brought to us. The chips seemed like some factory made chips and the salsa didn't have much flavor, probably cause of the audience they catered to which is understandable. I had the vegetable enchiladas which were actually good and filling. Beans and rice were decent and had flavor. The wife also thought the same of her meal as well. Outside of the chips and salsa, the experience was good along with the food.

It's the worst Mexican food I've ever eaten...Who makes wet burritos like this?? Just cover the pasthurami style meat with cheese...The restaurant inside and out is nice, especially the servers are very friendly and quick to help, so that's the only restaurant that comes to mind.

The fajitas Suprema was amazing and the margaritas were so good. The service was excellent although the wait time was an hour and 20 minutes we quickly got a seat at the bar. Highly recommend and will be back soon.

First the pros: - 5 stars for their traditional Mexican-themed ambiance More of the cons: - 3.5 stars; even though their portion sizes are pretty large (I gave a half star for that, you could technically share plates), their food is pretty average; and unfortunately, the extra chips the waiter gave us in a bag to take home with our girls' leftovers tasted like they had a moldy taste to them. - 3 stars for their service; it took some time for the waiter to take our order and could have checked up on us more with waters, but they were pretty busy the time that we went

I recently called to get a gift card for Casa De Bandini. I do not live in Calif., but my daughter & family do & it was to be a gift for them for Christmas. I worked with Diana M. who was very helpful & assured me she would send me the card by mail. Diana went above & beyond to get that gift card to me in plenty of time to give as a gift. It came in the mail within 2-3 days of talking with her & she sent it priority mail which cost over $10 to mail. That additional cost was not charged to me, as I thought it was coming in the regular mail. Her customer service was exceptional & not expected. I would highly recommend this restaurant as they truly care about their customers. I can't wait to try it myself when I am back in Carlsbad. Thanks so much Diana M! Vicki H. Seattle, WA

Place is Great! Food is delicious and staff is always friendly and welcoming! A must if craving authentic Mexican food in Encinitas...

Decent Mexican fare, strong drinks and overall good ambience. This restaurant was packed on a Monday evening and required reservations. There were very few vegetarian options available. We ordered a combination vegetarian platter, Flautas, Chicken and avocado enchiladas and chilli rellano. For desserts we ordered Tres Leches and Flan. Food had good flavor albeit a little salty. Portions were large. Desserts were good. Recommend that they increase their vegetarian/vegan options.

Yum I really like this Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad I had lunch with one of my friend today I adore the atmosphere The food was great They have a lunch menu which is very nice The prices are ok The chips and salsa is YUM,,,,, Overall a great place to enjoy an amazing meal in a very relaxing environment

Cilantro Shrimp and Enchilada Combo!! Mouth watering goodness served with all the tasty sides of a Mexican restaurant. The servers here know how to make you smile and laugh, they have good table side chat, and they're fast! From the front entrance to the outdoor seating there are multiple picture worthy spots + the music and crowd that comes here are great to be around. Perfect outdoor dining spot!

Came here to try out for the first time through Restaurant week and it did not disappoint! The portions were large and great for price and everything was tasty! I shared carne asada street tacos, chicken tortilla soup, carne asada and shrimp plate, and ended with the mango mousse cake. The salsa tasted better from the street tacos compared to what was served at the table. The soup was filling and had lots of chicken and goodies. The mango mousse was surprising to me as it was somewhat frozen and reminded me a little of ice cream. Delicious! On top of all that, our waiter was wonderful! He was attentive and had no problems with splitting the bill between 3 couples. All in all, I would come again! Beautiful seating outside (and much quieter compared to inside!).