Death By Tequila

The chips and salsa sampler is delicious if you like trying different salsas. This was probably my favorite thing on their menu. It comes with four different types of salsa one is sweet and spicy (my favorite). Drinks were good. My paloma was refreshing and tasty. They had live music and overall it was a great atmosphere.

Finally!!! Carmel Valley has a Mexican restaurant with exellent food! The tacos at Maderos are amazing! I have had the veggie, lamb, carnitas, carne asada, pollo asado and brisket tacos. My wife and I love the veggie tacos and the brisket and lamb tacos! The seafood enchiladas are to die for. We also had the fresh sea bass wrapped in banana leaf which was on point. We have been back specifically for it a several times. My wife doesn't like fish. So, when she asks to go here to get the sea bass... you can trust it is good. Eating is currently outdoors. But they have plenty of space. My wife and I got to watch the local hot air ballons fly overhead while we enjoyed our dinner. One of the photos I posted is of strawberry filled churros. Delicious, with some kind of chocolate dipping sauce that put them over-the-top in the most enjoyable of ways. Not sure they are on the menu... so you might need to ask for them as a secret off menu item.

Highly recommend. Laid back atmosphere,amazing food and amazing service. We’ve been getting into Mezcales and Tequilas, and rather than a cocktail (all of their cocktails look delicious), we asked if we could have tasting flights (available in the menu at the Encinitas location but not here). Our waitress (Ysabel) and Austin (asistant general manager) took the time to understand what flavors we liked, to match the flights to our tastes, and OMG did they deliver. I would also like to say that I mentioned in passing to Ysabel that I’d likely have to ask for the names of the Tequilas later, and sure enough the next time she came over she already had a post it note with the names. AMAZING! The food was pretty awesome as well. We had the ‘Torre de Marisco’, with a dozen oysters, scallop crudo, ceviche, aguachile, paired with the NY Strip special, that they’d recommended in addition to the seafood (sort of like an impromptu surf and turf). While everything was awesome, my wife and I fell in love with the aguachile. I ordered dessert (cajeta semifreddo, delicious) and they paired it with another amazing tequila (I asked Ysabel and Austin to surprise me and brought Arette Extra Añejo). TL:DR Highly recommended, memorable experience.

It was my first time stopping by & I was doing arts and crafts before I came in and accidentally super glued my hand to their counter top. Over the course of the night I ordered many shots, would take a sip and wait for the staff to look away as I gradually dissolved the superglue with mezcal & tequila shots. Although I was literally stuck inside the bar, the staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. After a few hours, my hand was finally freed of the handcrafted marble countertop. Despite my freedom I stayed a while longer due to the friendly atmosphere and passionate staff. I highly recommend this bar to anyone seeking a quality cocktailing experience. Though I would suggest you would clear your hands for industrial adhesive beforehand.

Great dining experience 👌🏽 The service was top notch with the server checking in regularly and making sure we had everything needed. The charcoal margarita and tacos are highly recommended. Will come here again for a Happy Hour

Wonderful new restaurant in the Carmel Valley area of Del Mar. Cocktails were super tasty and well proportioned, and the house margarita is superb! Food was presented nicely, with the Grilled Octopus 🐙 being our favorite.

To start, the staff was super friendly and provided an excellent service. We visited the place for the first time for lunch and enjoyed the outdoor seating (Covid only option). The food was ok and expensive, drinks were good. Attached picture is for a taco; a 1.5 by 0.25 inch grilled yellow tail! Don't mind paying more, but the portion needs to be reasonable. I'd probably go back for drinks only.

Fantastic dining experience. Head chef Angel was remarkable as well as bar manager Mike. Food and beverage’s were one of a kind will definitely return.

Taco is amazing! Service is great. Nony at counter is very friendly helping me and kids out.

We dropped by here on a whim. We live nearby and realized we had never tried this place. Parked in front of it to hit the UPS store often! Food in the area is generally good. That being said, we were very surprised by the food quality! The tortilla quality is noticeably better than other places in the area. The open feel of the restaurant is ver welcoming. The people who work here are very friendly too. My wife is not a fan of Mexican food but this place won her over. Will definitely be back!

$1.29 fish tacos!!!! We stopped here after a hike having never been there before (new to the area). I love a good fish taco and didn't see the huge sign mentioning the famous $1.29 fish taco. Not going to lie, I got nervous because why is it so cheap? So so good. It has a little tiny bar that had a rowdy group there, but it wasn't bad. Order at the counter, take a number, we sat near the door which was a little busy due to the take out orders etc. Staff at the counter were very kind even though it was a slammed Saturday afternoon.

I don't know who needs to hear this, but for fish tacos that are under two dollars that are a great size and amazing flavors. You have to come here. If you think about the prices of every food going up everywhere, you have to understand that this is a gem in the rough. The tacos were battered well with enough meat inside of them to be substantial and wrapped into corn tortillas made for a great meal. We got chips and guac, which were more than five tacos worth but I think their sale strategy works because you order the cheapest fish tacos ever but you also get a bunch of other add-ons that cost extra money like a low budget airline. Service was good and quick. They did mix up one of our orders, but they quickly rectified it. It's a great spot in Pacific Highlands with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating.

This place is definitely a must! The happy hour makes this place a great place to be for huge parties for a cheap meal. I came here twice this week already with parties of 16 and a party of 11 the other day. This restaurant is highly recommend for group dining. The alcohol has been delicious from the margaritas, michelada, and other mixed drinks. There are a lot of options on the menu. The salsa bar is open to everyone to get however many sauces you may please. The soda machine is Coca-Cola products. The bathroom is divided between male and female. The bar is conveniently in the middle of the restaurant. The food itself is tasty, but it is not the best Mexican food in San Diego. However, it does get the job done as the meat is seasoned really well. The portions are perfect for me and I definitely feel that people get a bang for their buck. I will come back for happy hour again. I highly recommend for sports fans to come here to watch for games. The music selection is catered to 90's-2000's generation so I can see this as a vibe. The desert selection looks tasty. Also 10/10 for the buñuelos!

Visited 29/2025 This is the second restaurant of this chain I've visited. The Del Mar store was Fantastic so I decided to come here this time. It didn't disappoint. The $1.29 Fish Tacos are Perfect and A super deal for the price. The Lengua Tacos are the best I've ever had. Seasoned Perfectly. They got it right. These are not your typical Street Sized Tacos but Are Full sized tacos on Fresh Hand Made Corn Tortillas made fresh daily. So Tasty and two tortillas on each taco. Staff are super friendly and helpful. Lots of seating inside and on the nice cool Patio. There is a nice full service Bar to wash everything down. Very much the visit.

Best value happy hour in this area. Margaritas are strong and beautifully presented. Fish tacos are decent but at $1.39 (prices slowly creeping up) you really can't complain. Service is fast and super friendly but not intrusive. You really can't go wrong with the happy hour here!

LOVE the fish tacos here!! So fresh, affordable (at $1.29 but now $1.39 but I'm not complaining), and consistent. Their other food is also really good! The one place in Pacific Highlands Ranch that is open until midnight. Felix was super helpful!

Looking for a solid happy hour? This place. Looking for a place to watch the game with great grub and drinks? This place. Looking for a family friendly birthday dinner spot? This place. Looking for girls night out? This place. Shout out to their bartender Brittany for making such creative signature cocktails. Shout out to all the staff for hot, fresh, delicious food and great hospitality.

We came here for fish tacos for lunch. The location in Pacific Highlands Village is great with plenty of parking. There are indoor and patio tables, as well seats around the bar, which is the central feature of the restaurant. You order from a kiosk on the end of the bar, and a server brings food and drinks to your table. Overall service was very good. Ah, yes, the Fish Tacos (5/5 $1.59 each). They're among the best I have ever had. The fish was fried perfectly and not overcooked. Great value. We have to come back for Happy Hour!

I am so very happy to report that El Pueblo is still the place to be in Carmel Valley. Prices are creeping up a bit but not as much as egg prices! Happy Hour time is really the best time to come and it's almost always happy hour. EVERY DAY 2 pm - 7 pm + 11 pm - 2 am. Last night we arrived at 7:15 pm...boo we missed happy hour. all good..still had $1.29 fish tacos and a margarita on special $16 for a double Anillos Mezcal Margarita..not bad! Service is pretty darn good. there are quite a few new faces here with some old school one's also. The place is packed with people. Same great decor on the walls and 2 outside patios. See you soon El Pueblo

Phenomenal fish (battered) tacos at an unbeatable price. They come with finely sliced green cabbage and pico with a chipotle mayo sauce (not too heavy). We got an order of corn and an order of flour tortillas. The corn are yellow and come with two to a taco so they don't fall apart. These are not street sizes tacos! We got an order of chips also, thick sliced and fresh (tasted like house made). Great salsa bar with a good variety plus marinated carrots (my favorite). Good drink specials too. Indoor or outdoor seating. Highly recommend!

Fresh off the airplane, I was taken here for lunch. My people raved about some $1.29 fish tacos. "What in the world? What do you mean? How can this be? How good can a $1.29 fish taco be? They must be snack size!". So, you know those moments in foodie life where you eat a common dish like fish tacos and more often than not you walk away thinking "meh". You try really hard to convince yourself that it was good. Fish is one of those foods where you love it or hate it. I happen to LOVE fish so I can get a little picky. It's an ingredient that can be easily messed up. You know what I'm talking about, right? This wasn't one of those moments! First, the fish tacos are $1.29. What?!?! Second, they asked me if I want corn or flour tortilla. I get a choice?!?! Flour! Sold! Third, the tacos are normal size, no snacks about it! Fourth, the batter wasn't overpowering with "extra" to cover fish. Sometimes fish in tacos is lackluster or at worst fishy! But here, as an example of "best", flavorful and the fish pieces were fat! Every bite was a full fish bite all the way through devouring the end of each tortilla! There was no leftover tortilla without fish! Fifth, whatever sauce they used, it rounded out all the flavors in the tacos so well! Two tacos down and I am full! My belly is comforted. My palate is satisfied. My wallet wasn't drained. And sitting on the patio by the fire on a sunny but breezy day eating soft fish tacos with people I love was the best "hello vacation" I could ask for! Oh, and the staff were the kindest and most helpful ever! Don't miss this place! It's a good one! YAY and YOM!

Still good but don't think I'll do take out here. I paid extra for guacamole and didn't get it. Also big warning, do not come at 4 pm on a Friday as the place felt like a Mexican High School Cafeteria as all the kids get out around that time and come here. I'll be back but will eat at the restaurant incase something is forgotten.

Very friendly service and fun ambiance. $1.29 fish tacos are actually really good. Liked that they have TVs for watching March madness. Music Kinda loud to hold a conversation but still fun. Salsa was good and although we just got the fish tacos, other food I saw at neighboring tables looked good. Easy to park on street or garage parking. Very crowded during happy hour so go early.

This place was recommended by my son. So we drive up from UC to check it out. What hidden hidden gem. It s a true local s favorite. The fish tacos were amazing and so was the service. It was also nice to see local kids stop by after school to get a good fish taco instead of hanging out at one of the national fast food joint. We ll definitely be back again to support this restaurant and its staff!

I've been to this location for dinner multiple times - both dine-in and takeout and the times vary between a 5-10min wait. You can choose to order at kiosk or at the counter. There are a lot of tables both indoors and outdoors along with a bar. Overall a great place for cheap fish tacos (under $1.50 each!) Bonus: they have this deal every day, not just on Tuesdays.

Having taken over the space formerly occupied by an upscale tequila bar and resto, this is definitely the nicest El Pueblo in this local counter-service chain, albeit the salsa bar could be kept cleaner! Loss leader fish tacos are a compelling draw, generously portioned and served piping hot. Other menu items are much pricier, of course - gotta make up the deficit somewhere! ;)

We love their $1.29 fish tacos! The tacos are big, you can choose flour or corn tortillas, and they come with cabbage and sauce. They also have a great salsa bar and spicy carrots! The carrots aren't overly spicy and are nice and soft. Overall, great value plus they have a full bar for those looking to drink.

One of the best breakfast burrito in town! I got carne asada and eggs burrito with guacamole and pico. They have an open sauce bar which is divine!!! All the sauces are good and the portion is huge! Parking is easy and the staff was nice. I would definitely come back here again.

I couldn't believe the fish tacos were less than $2. Even more surprising, they were actually good I also got a carne asada taco which was my favorite . It had some good guacamole on top. You order at the counter and my food was ready within 5 minutes. I like the fact they have a salsa bar as well. It's a good fast option for Mexican food if you are in Village Center

This place is great! Yummy with good portion sizes, friendly staff, and a great deal. Their fish tacos are perfect for lunch. Special shout out to Kevin for being professional and speedy.

MY BOY TYLER GOT ME RIGHT. If the manager or who in charge is reading this give Tyler a raise asap. Loved my time at El Pueblo and loved the service Tyler provided. 5 stars easy

I just went in there and that place is so hot right now because their AC is broken or something I have no idea. With all this heat it actually smells strange in the dining area... Moldy or something stale... So, I don't know how people could actually order and eat food in such an environment but I'm not.

Best happy hour deals and carne asada fries I've had in a long, long time! I also love the $1.29 fish tacos. Can't wait for the next time I come back!

My "new" Goto place for fish tacos in North County ($1.29/taco) and they are delicious. Thanks to buddy Mark for the recommendation...not only are the tacos very affordable, you have your choice of flour or corn tortillas (I recommend the flour...much lighter), they are delicious with not too much batter or greasy. I would also recommend the "loaded" nachos (I added beef tongue) and they were outstanding!!! They a very well salsa bar and the hot carrots are "free":)... but be careful they are very spicy as they a mixed with jalapeños. BTW...not sure how long this price will last so try before they go bye, bye...Enjoy !!!

THEEEEEE best fish tacos in town. You'd think for the price they would only be subpar but we waited for a long time and got FRESH, HOT and pretty large chunks of fish. The sauces are what really make this place - I'd recommend the Verde!! There's a whole salsa bar with jalapeno/carrots Only thing missing is cilantro and onions haha Although I'm usually a diehard flour tortilla fan; I'd recommend corn for these !!

Good but busy! Had the carne asada and it was good. The fight was on so it was loud. My son loves this restaurant for lunch so we tried for dinner. It didn't disappoint.

If you are looking for delicious Mexican food and drinks in Carmel Valley, this is the place to go to. The food is affordable and reasonable. The restaurant offers dining in and outdoor dining. Their 2 dollars fish taco are pretty good, so try it!

Good crunchy tacos, great salsa. Rice was great but cold. Beans were good but the cheese could have been melted. Both came in small portions so that was not great for me. My girlfriend's torta was good but she preferred to have had lettuce and tomato instead of guacamole which wasn't good. She'd prefer fresh avocado instead.

Ok, but not worth going out of your way. Best deal is 2 tacos for $10. I think I ate $10 of carrots from their salsa bar. I ordered: 1. Adobada taco: decent- better with salsa and carrots 2. Fish taco: meh- it tasted like a version of Thousand Island dressing on fried fish chunks. Would not order this again. Supposedly this is their best seller 3. Margarita with mezcal: yes it was tasty and yes it was smoky and yes it was cheap at $8 but it was also puny- mostly ice, very little alcohol and just not enough to quench my thirst. You have to demand service, because this is basically like a taco stand - you are instructed by signs to place your order yourself at Tesla-style tablets which don't allow you to enter your order number- good luck with that! Then you have to go pay at the cashier anyway. The food comes out quickly, but there is no one to bring you water or anything else you may need. There are no napkins that you can grab yourself, so you have to ask the cashier. Everyone is very helpful and quick, but the fact that I have to ask for help repeatedly throughout my meal by getting up and going to the counter is very inconvenient and disruptive. I will definitely not be coming back.

I'm a regular customer here, but on Saturday July 26th around 7 I put my order in with Chris and he forgot my order for a whole entire hour. The people next to me got their food when they came way after me. When I spoke to him about it, he just lied and tried to show me someone else's order from 6:45 to prove he didnt forget‍. What an idiot ‍He told me "what do you want me to do about it?" He was so unprofessional and rude. That's not how you talk to regular customers, coming from myself, a business owner! I wouldn't recommend at all, not worth your money or time.

(1 star) First and last time eating here. I stopped by El Pueblo Mexican Food & Bar in San Diego for the first time after work, on my way home to San Jacinto. I ordered two chicken tacos and two fish tacos. The food itself was decent, but the customer service completely ruined the experience. After eating the chicken tacos, I went to the counter to ask for a small amount of the chipotle sauce they used on the fish tacos. I had one of the small containers (like the ones used for green salsa at the bar) and asked politely if I could get just a little bit to go. The man in the black shirt, I'm not sure if he was the manager or staff, but he acted like he was in charge, responded very rudely. He cut me off and yelled that they only sell the sauce in 4-ounce portions, and that I had to pay for that or nothing. I even offered to pay for the small amount, but he kept repeating in an aggressive tone: "We don't sell those! You pay for 4 ounces and go!" It was completely unnecessary and disrespectful, especially over such a small, reasonable request. As someone who came in to support this business and spend my hard-earned money, I didn't expect to be treated so poorly. This was my first time here, and definitely my last. I'll never come back and I don't recommend it to anyone who values decent customer service.

What a great find...my new SD quick fish taco fix! Next time...Need to try their Breakfast burritos! Full bar with great cocktail options and specials!

I love this place, great service, amazing food and the atmosphere it's awesome... Nony made my friend's birthday more special.

$1.25 fish taco (and it's delicious) $7.50 extra anejo (tequila Tuesday) $13 double shot margarita (all day) UNBELIEVABLE!!! Service is great, quality is crazy freaking good. I literally could not be more impressed. Nothing is as sexy as good food for a good price and drinks that don't require a second mortgage.

Great service from Owen! Best Mexican food! Highly recommend for Taco Tuesday. Check it out!

I came to El Pueblo for breakfast today. The location is great, and the atmosphere inside is relaxing. I was served by Kevin at the counter who was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. He suggested the super breakfast burrito which was outstanding. Kevin was a great spokesperson for the restaurant, so much so, he talked us into returning for lunch the same day for fish tacos. The fish tacos were only $1.39 each which is unheard of and were delicious. We were served by Pablo, who was extremely friendly and attentive. Thank you Kevin and Pablo for the excellent customer service!

Great place for happy hour and mexican food we tried their chicken/fish burritos and tacos it was always good. They have good bar with lots of different varieties of drinks. The ambiance is wonderful, the service was very quick. They have lots of outdoor seating, this bar/restaurant is very close if you live in carmel valley. Whenever we went it was very busy but Sunday's it felt little quieter. Since we live close by always love to go there.

Service is excellent. Every one from the cashier to the bartenders were so nice. The place seemed like a fun place to watch a sports game since they have an entire bar and happy hour deals that seem pretty decent(especially for the area). They had a promo going on if you buy a shot and shoot a paper ball into the basket and make it, you get a free shot. I thought the food was just average. We had some fish tacos since the Tuesday deal is such a steal and our kids had the carne asada fries. The tacos lacked flavor. The fries were plain. I think they could improve on their hot sauces. Overall, I'd come again for value and convenience. It's close to home!

$1.39 fish tacos were an amazing deal! Great portion and quality for the price. Service was good too

Just had 12 fish tacos with three friends for $1.29 each, like what? Such an amazing deal and so delicious and fresh. The salsa bar provides you with many options for spicing up your tacos and the chips are excellent. We sat outside with the heat lamps and were nice and toasty. Special shoutout to Guillermo who served us and made sure we were warm. Highly recommend!

The staff is friendly and the portion sizes are big, but the entire process of finding a seat and ordering your food is really annoying. Not a relaxing and easy experience to come here with kids under the age of 18. It seems really popular and they definitely have a following, but I won't be returning or recommending this place to families with smaller kids. It takes a long time to get your food and it's pretty average at best, the taste isn't worth the wait.

Probably the best affordable happy hour deals in the area. Plus $1.19 fish tacos everyday, when you on a budget, hungry and want a drink this'll place will do. The carne asada chips hit the spot, $8 during happy hour. Heavy on the guacamole and sour cream, enough meat for the price. Big enough serving to share or have as a meal and then some. We got the patron margarita tower, 4 margs for $40. You can choose your own flavor (cucumber, spicy, pina, mango, etc). Margs aren't bad. Beer on tap. Miches come with candy. Would definitely come back to try more food and other cocktails!

Eek! I'm not sure if we just visited on an off night or what but this was not a good experience. There were multiple issues over the course of the night and it just kept going from bad to worse. We arrived around 6 pm to enjoy the happy hour specials before they ended at 7. I ordered at the bar because I wanted to try a margarita and the bartender was the best part of the night. He was friendly and helpful in making modifications to my order of carne asada fries and a fish taco with pico on the side (tomatoes good, onions bad) and swapping the cabbage for lettuce. Unfortunately, the night went downhill from there. My friends had ordered at least 15 minutes before me and yet my food arrived before theirs. Then, my carne asada fries weren't even lukewarm. I could tell right away there was going to be an issue because the cheese wasn't even a little melted. Cold fries are not appetizing and even if I were to take them home and reheat them they wouldn't turn out well. I let the waitress know right away and I thought she talked to who I assume is the manager but no one ever came back to address the matter. Another 10 minutes go by and I finally got the manager's attention when he dropped off one of the other orders at our table. He didn't seem like he cared that the food was served cold and acted annoyed when I asked for a hot order of fries. I'm not someone who complains about food hardly ever so it has to be a big deal for me to say something and cold carne asada fries are just unacceptable. When the new order of fries arrived, they were warm but definitely not hot still. I'm not sure what the problem with serving hot food is here. He also set them on the table without hardly acknowledging us and acted like we were an inconvenience. As all of this is going on, they managed to lose not one but two of the orders at our table. Both people waited for over 30 minute for their food and required multiple notifications to the wait staff that they were still waiting. My fish taco was good, especially for the $1.19 price, which is hard to beat. It wasn't super hot either but at least hotter than the fries. Margarita was good and strong too. It's a bummer that the service and food quality were so terrible because I could've seen myself coming back. The vibe is cool but the service will keep me from coming back.

First time to this restaurant, and I will definitely be coming back! I had some special requests, and Serena was really great helping me out & accommodating! Great customer service, highly recommend!

The food was OK, but fish tacos for $1.19 is a definite WIN! I ordered 2 fish tacos and 1 carne asada, and they were decently good. For $1.19 fish taco, i thought the portion would be small, but the size was very generous. I also ordered a carne asada quesadilla and it was decent too. Overall, good experience, and will be back! The pineapple wheat beer was good too!

Everyone at this location is fantastic! I love the food. It's so fresh? Serena was very accommodating - 10 stars!

We went for dinner and the place was pretty busy but there was almost no line to order at the kiosks. Their fish tacos are a really good deal for less than $2 each and are a pretty decent size.