PureTaco

Everything we are was delicious! My family of 4, two kids and two adults, ate here for lunch and nearly licked our plates clean. Baja fish taco, fresh fish taco, green curry shrimp taco, pastor taco, street corn bowl, poke nachos and avocado fries. Bartender wasn't so friendly though.

First day of our trip in Carlsbad and we scored BIG. RUN do not walk to this place if you want the BEST roasted corn of your life. I’m not joking. Also notably delightful was the veggie and grilled fish taco. We found the pulled chicken taco very bland - wouldn’t recommend it. You should grab a brookie - not too sweet, great textures of cookie and brownie balanced well. The Cali beach vibes in the natural wood tone decor were perfect. Pure Taco was pure yum!

The food was exquisite. It has an amazing atmosphere that adds to the succulent food. The fluffy tortillas, the delicious beef, every square inch of this place is amazing. Gluten free options are available though this place is a bit pricey. Anyone who loves tacos will love this place.

Upon entering with a friend we weren't greeted and saw the only cashier on the phone with a customer. Stood there awkwardly for a couple minutes. She then hung up and actually turned around and left without greeting us. Then finally another girl came out to take our order. I ordered 2 of the veggie tacos and added guac (something they should come with). The cashier quickly forgot to give me the drink I ordered as well and I had to remind her. Cashiers were very young and inexperienced. We sat at the bar because that was the only available seating area. The restaurant has an open bar Miami feel to it which was the best thing about the place. We didn't order margaritas as the tacos were expensive enough, 2 for $15 and they were the smallest tacos I've ever seen. The veggie tacos came with this huge flower thing on top which was edible to an extent but there was simply too much of it. The tacos were tiny and gone in 2 minutes. The service at the bar was better than the check-in experience by far. I had originally filled a water cup at the drink despenser but the bartender offered to fill up my water with that little hose thing they have which was a nice gesture. Conclusion: not worth the price for the small portions you get and the lack of seating. Nice idea but simply isn't worth it.

The global fusion makes the menu more fun than the average taco place. The dog friendly covered patio (which has heaters when it is chilly) has a great vibe. Proximity to the beach makes it perfect for pre or post beach grub. The Happy Hour is on point (may I suggest the Dole Whip Mai Tai - YUM).

Ok gluten-free tacos, semi-fresh ingredients, but not as fresh or flavorful as expected. Our vegetable taco was fresh, good fillers, but on the smaller portion size compared to the five meat tacos. The rest of our tacos had a meat that tasted like it was previously cooked, kept warm under a heat lamp and served as ordered, they were not cooked and served fresh when ordered. The same with the soft corn shells, they tasted like refrigerated day-old options that needed to be heated/cooked a bit longer. Each of the simple filler ingredients tasted fresh in the taco.

The tacos I used to get here were so delicious but The Baja fish tacos I got tonight were sooo not good , even with all the fixings and the delicious moist fresh corn tortilla,the fish on both tacos was very dry and chewy like they had been sitting out all day. And the chips tasted old and chewy too. The cilantro basmati rice is really good though . I DONT recommend the Baja fried fish tacos,grilled is the way to go!

Perfect place to grab a bite to eat! Carnitas bowl is amazing! Love the different flavors and the salsa verde is the best! Spicy, but too good to not want more 😉 I’ve ordered the carnitas fries previously, but the bowl is my new favorite. Plus, leftovers are still good the next day, too! 😀 such a cute little restaurant.

Steak tacos and the guacamole were phenomenal also have great gluten free tortillas and great customer service from the staff!

Great beer and such a nice ambiance. Bartender was super nice! Love their glassware and merch!

We arrived for happy hour on a Friday afternoon, and the vibe was amazing. The aesthetic is clean, modern, and welcoming. Their tequila selection is absolutely on point, and our bartender/server, Oceana, was outstanding. She went above and beyond and had an impressive knowledge of the tequilas they offer. I can honestly say it was one of the best margaritas I've ever had, and the Paloma was just as great. We ordered the happy hour nachos and loved the cheese sauce--so legit and incredibly good. We enjoyed it so much that we went back the very next day with friends after Strong Ale Fest. Overall, we had a fantastic experience and truly enjoyed the establishment. We will definitely be returning!

I saw Pure Taco when I was across the street at a coffee shop. So we decided to visit on a taco Tuesday. The specials were amazing--buy three get one free for tacos, discounted beers, AND free chips and salsa w every order. It was lit... Now you know I'm a self proclaimed taco expert, so I have high standards. I ordered two Baja fish tacos and the green curry shrimp taco (sounded interesting!). The service was great, and the guy that helped us was really nice and friendly! Now for the tacos...I give the fish taco a 6 out of 10. The main issue is that they were not hot. Actually, none of the tacos were hot. They were all lukewarm...which is unfortunate. The second issue was the amount of liquid running off the tacos. I guess the slaw was in liquid and it wasn't drained prior to putting it in the tacos. So this made what was supposed to be a crispy fish taco into a soggy, lukewarm situation of a taco. And lastly, the tortilla was a miss for me. It was house made corn tortilla but it was either too thick or not all the way cooked. It had a chewy texture to it. All that aside, the seasoning and flavor of the fish taco was great. For the shrimp curry taco, I'd give that a 4 out of ten. There's actually nothing wrong with the taco--I just did not enjoy the sweetness of it. The presentation was also not great. It looked like a blob of white sauce on a tortilla (see photos). Adding the lime helped somewhat and elevated the taco to a 6, but if it was hot, it could have been a 7. The chips, salsa and guacamole were excellent!

The food was ok, nothing special, the serving sizes were good but the flavor was a little off, and the tortilla they used for the taco was thicker, chewy and didn't hold the food together. The services could be improved; the girl (very petite) at the register seemed uninterested and we felt like we were bothering her. Not very warm and welcoming, we were looking at the menu and she was snarky "are you guys gonna order something or what?" Instead of asking if we needed help with the menu. The ambience? It was very relaxed and casual. I mean if the food is bleh, the service and staff could at least be better.

While I'd been to a few other restaurants and coffee shops on this street and in this area, I'm only discovering Pure Taco now -- perhaps because we usually don't seek counter-service eateries; desiring a small, quick bite, we decided to stop in. We learned, however, seated at the bar top, it's full service... and while I didn't plan on a cocktail, my thoughts are it's wrong not to order a cocktail seated at the bar top! I don't like cocktail mixes; appreciatively, no mixes were used in my Skinny Margarita ($12), which was quite (almost too) tangy but thankfully, not sweet. Hubby enjoyed his Pure Marg ($12) -- both cocktails surprisingly (and deliciously) strong. We started with their Corn in a Cup ($6.95) -- with an option to be served with chips (which were enjoyably thick & crispy, and learned that the tortillas are made daily). In addition, they use fresh fish (never frozen). The Baja Fish Tacos (2/$5) and their Grilled Fish Taco ($5.75) consisted of generous planks of fish, served within thick corn tortillas. We had the pleasure of being served by Osheana, whose positive energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of their menu items made our first visit a fun and enjoyable one! I like the open-&-airy, indoor/outdoor, casual vibe and reasonable prices. We're now fans of Pure Taco.

It's a solid taco shop featuring a modern fusion of flavors! Pure's menu is a melting pot of various global cuisines, but delivered in classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, nachos and salads. The staff is great and the open air order-at-the-counter setup screams SoCal. I've a lot of menu items, but some of my favorites include the Baja Fish Taco, Korean Pork Bo Sam Taco, Salmon Bowl and Pure Greens Salad. If you're thirsty, they have a full bar, beer, wine and Dole Whip for those with a sweet tooth. Try their Pure Marg! It's made with an orange simple syrup that packs unique flavor. Don't miss out. Try it for yourself!

2.5 stars... The hubs and I wanted Mexican food for lunch so we decided to try Pure Taco since we were in the area. The space is cute, mostly outside with inside bar seating. They have a full bar and a wide choice of tacos but its more like a fast food restaurant... Chips and salsa are not complementary, so we chose the nachos and added beef. We also ordered the avocado fries. To drink, we tried the Paloma and the Pure Marg. The service...our server/bartender seemed disinterested and preoccupied with finding the right channel on the TV. She only checked in with us after we were done eating. The food...everything looked/tasted like it came out of a can/bag/jar. Nothing was good. The drinks...also tasted like pre-made mixes and bottled juices...not good. Will not be returning and do not recommend.

Went to the Carlsbad street fair, and stopped off here to eat as they had open seats at the bar. If you sit at the bar it's full service, or if you are sitting at a table you must go up and order at the counter. It's not a huge place and most of the tables were for small parties. Thankfully it was just me so I had no problem finding a spot at the bar. It did take them a minute to take my order, but they were a bit busy. The server did offer to get my drink for me from the self-service station, which I really appreciated and took her up on. They have tacos, burritos, bowls, Etc. I ordered the battered fish tacos, and the steak taco, the cilantro lime rice, and the black beans. Both of the tacos were really good, but the rice was pretty bland. It didn't really taste like much, and seems more like a filler. The beans were black beans, they didn't have refried beans, but we're pretty good. They did kind of taste like they needed salt, but since you have to go get all of the condiments from a separate area I didn't want to leave my food unattended so I ate them as was. Honestly though they were fine even without the salt, I'm just a girl that likes a little salt and most of her food LOL. I would like to try one of their bowls, maybe the next time I'm in the area or at the street fair. I did notice they had a taco Tuesday, and a decent happy hour, which would be great if you live or work in the area. If you do I definitely say check them out.

This is a solid spot for global tacos in the heart of Carlsbad. You order at the counter, self serve drinks, and they bring the tacos out to you. I liked in the indoor outdoor vibes - classic San Diego surfer Carlsbad. I wanted to try as many flavors as possible so I ordered the traditional 1/2 flight. I got four tacos: grilled steak, pulled chicken, pastor, citrus braised pork. I really enjoyed the grilled steak and citrus braised pork. Tortillas were a touch thick for me. Also ordered chips with guacamole and salsa and enjoyed them as an appetizer. My tacos came out pretty quickly. Next time, I'm looking forward to trying the global 1/2 flight.

In all honestly, it depends what your looking for in Mexican Tacos. The place is very nice, can't go wrong in Carlsbad these days. But for Tacos, pricey. I had the grilled fish I enjoyed it! Margarita, ok even doing Happy Hour, small glass it was ok at best,The guacamole leaves little to be desired, No flavor, hell I would have been happy with A Little salt. But if your close & visiting try it, I'd like to hear your prospective. Oh yeah sorry service was very good!

Great prices here. I'm pretty picky with tacos so I wasn't too impressed - it felt more like texmex from the few tacos I tried, but they do an interesting BBQ taco and the beans were quite good. Overall, this is an ok spot for a quick bite.

Friendly staff!! Always willing to help answer questions w a smile! Service is walk up to the counter to order but food is delivered to your table. Great taste to everyone's order in a party of ten! It's almost like sitting outside when you're inside! Plenty of seats at the bar as well!

Went in around happy hour on a Thursday. It is seat yourself setting and order at the counter. The staff was friendly and helpful. Food came out quickly. Ordered the Full Taco Flight. Happy hour deals are drinks, fries, a nacho, or quesadilla. No tacos are part of the current happy hour.

Great Taco flights lalo tequila was amazing Serving was great Met a couple that bought us drinks friendly and fun place to hangout'

We were spending the day in Carlsbad and wanted to grab a bite to eat. Walking down State Street Pure Taco caught our eye. At Pure Taco you place your order and pay at the register and then you seat yourself at a table and your order is delivered to your table. We opted to sit at the bar which is full service. We ordered the braised pork burrito and the Baja fish burrito. My fish burrito was more rice than fish but was still good but we did come pretty hungry. Adding some Tapatio to the burrito gave it more flavor as it was a bit bland for my liking. Based on our burritos the food was a 3-31/2 but the bartender's service and friendliness and ambiance bumped my rating to a 4. I would definitely try this place again but next time I would try their tacos since it seems to be their specialty given the place is called "pure taco".

Tacos didn't look like what I imagined they would or how they were described, but there was no dairy(deathly allergic) and the meat tasted like it was high quality. They might have adjusted my order for no dairy which I appreciate, but let me know if you did. Also liked the packaging so the tacos didn't fall apart. Grilled Steak Taco, Korean Pork Bo Ssam taco, and pulled chicken taco kinda all tasted the same. The steak was a $1.25 more, but not really worth it unless you're SUPER into steak. I would definitely try Pure Taco again!

Nice indoor and outdoor taco shop. You order at the register and take your number to a table of your choosing. They bring you your order when it's ready. I ordered the tortilla chip soup, cup of corn, and a grilled steak taco. The soup was a little too salty for me but it had a good flavor. I loved the corn. I was full so I took the steak taco home to my husband and he enjoyed it. I would go back just for the cup of corn.

Service and atmosphere was great. Was a little disappointed with my chicken burrito. It should be called a rice burrito with a little chicken. Next time I'll be sure to try their tacos.

I guess this place has a social media buzz about it and after having gone there on a whim by myself, I can see why! The tortillas are fresh, handmade and so delicious. The flavors of the taco meats are amazing. The bar has a fun vibe and the food came quickly with friendly service. You order at the counter and they bring your food to your table so it's definitely a fast casual type place. But very cool ambiance (mostly covered outdoor space) and I thought the prices weren't too bad for a trendy place in Carlsbad. Not cheap (this is not Roberto's) but good value for the money. Try it out!

Absolutely loved Pure Taco! The flight interactional was super tasty. Loved the flavors. Pretty messy so don't go on a 1st date there. Haha! The service was fast...similarl concept to Panera where you order at the counter and they give you a number and they bring the food to you. I cannot wait to go back!!

Perfect semi-regular, low key dining spot when out with my coworker in the Carlsbad area. (Excellent fast casual taco action, with full service at the bar). Busier than usual on this visit, as the bar and patio were packed. Sumer was pleasant and professional serving us at the bar. We each had a trio of individual tacos (fish, Philly, and Korean for me) and shared chips, queso, with the corn in the cup. A good option for casual tacos on State Street.

Another yummy lunch here. This is an easy choice for me for lunch. The patio is always nice and food comes out quick. I got a grilled fish taco and a shrimp taco as usual, and my partner got the pork shoulder bowl. Tacos were great (loved the fish portion) and bowl was good, just a little small on the portion size. Until next time!

YUMMY!!!!! This is a very dog friendly, casual spot with plenty of outdoor tables. You order at the counter and take a number. I got the pork bowl and hubby got the caeser salad with chicken. My pork bowl normally comes with rice but i requested shredded romaine instead. This was one of the best pork bowls i've had in a while. The salsa verde that came with it was also quite tasty. Hubby salad was good but a tad underdressed. Prices here are very reasonable! We will definitely be back!!

We stopped here for a taco and drink' their spicy marg was delicious. The beer selection is good and they also offer a few great non alcoholic beers. Fresh drinks all around. Have a short simple menu. Some good toco specials - 2/$5 fish tacos and other to choose from! Order chips and guacamole/ salsa and sit and enjoy your visit

Great food and quick service. The atmosphere is great to come after work and grab a bite to eat. You order first, find a table and they bring it out to you. Taco Tuesday specials $1 off and a full bar w great drinks. I especially love the veggie tacos, highly recommend.

Great spot in Carlsbad. Super clean and friendly staff order at the bar or a walk up. Good flavor in the tacos and burritos. Also recommend them for any catering events! Very easy to work with.

Street tacos with an upscale flare! Stopped in for a quick bite to eat, while walking around Carlsbad village. Walked right in and sat at the bar. Bar tender was friendly and before we knew it we were eating delicious tacos. I had the pho taco and Philly cheese taco, both were delicious! The misses had adobada tacos. All were really good. They are street taco size so order enough lol

Excellent little taco spot. Lots of delicious flavors & full bar. This place is super casual, but clean & great tacos

This was our first time here and I liked that they have a lot of open seating and outdoor space. We came at 5pm on a Saturday and it was not too busy then but was pretty full by 6pm. I had the grilled steak and shrimp curry taco. The shrimp curry taco was definitely interesting, really good Thai flavors. The grilled steak was served on a really good house made corn tortilla with guacamole. They have a kids meal with a few different options as well. There is also a full bar and a few different featured margaritas that they offer. The food came out really quickly like less than 10 mins so that was definitely helpful with the kids. My husband had the marinated pork burrito and did not really like it, he said too much rice and fatty meat.

While I am all for warm weather, the tortilla soup makes fall's arrival a little more welcome. Served with fresh avocado, this hearty soup hit the spot. The staff was friendly as usual, and brought my food out in no time. Bonus points for the open air bar seating. I had never noticed the plugs under the bar before, but now I know that right next to the purse hooks are some plugs, so I might need to come do some remote office work here.

Just went to pure taco for the first time. Jose, our waiter/cashier was so awesome and helpful. The ambience is warm and friendly and the food is absolutely top notch fresh and delicious!! I will be going back soon for sure! I rate Pure Taco 20 out of 10!!

Ordered brisket, shrimp curry, fish and the pho tacos! All were soooo delicious and full savory! Great customer service and they even have taco Tuesdays! Definitely will return!

As a Southern Californian elote is a staple... So I was concerned when theirs was called corn in a bowl... . But I was hungry and it was within my budget. As a side note I've never had two elote dishes prepared the same. With some reserve I got the "corn in a bowl." Delicious!!! I'm not sure if the name is to placate the gringos but it was still amazing. The customer service was great. I loved how much open air seating was available and the restaurant ambulance was lovely. I can't wait to try some other dishes at this place... Judging by the name I think I'll need to try some tacos next time.

Tried this place for the first time and was very impressed! Loved the heated patio. The walk up ordering was great for a quick bite. I got the curry shrimp taco: surprisingly delicious, savory, not spicy, loved the addition of zucchini. Traditional shrimp taco: well filled, lots of sauce, crunchy slaw. Both shrimp tacos were cooked to just the right tenderness. I also tried the Korean pork which was good, the size of the pork was great, and the taste was juicy and flavorful! But I would have liked a tad less meat and more crunchy topping besides radish. Chips and salsa were large enough to share, hot chips and fresh salsa - yum. Not spicy. Love the non traditional taco choices, and the menu seemed to have something for everyone. Service was friendly and fast. Will definitely be coming back!

This taco restaurant has lots of Al fresco dining with a large patio area and open air style seats in the restaurant. It's a very nice atmosphere. The 4 taco flights are a great way to try multiple gourmet tacos for a reasonable price. The traditional and global taco flights were cooked perfectly. Adventurous eaters should go the international route for flights. Their Margarita was ok. It had lots of orange juice in it so it tasted more like a tequila sunrise. But still tasty. Service is friendly and fast. You order at a counter and they deliver the food at the table.

Wow, above level food, weirdly low prices for the area, also had a great service experience. Btw they have dole whip! Iykyk... highly recommend

This place is pretty stable, not perfect, but consistent at least. They tend to be one of the less crowded spots on state street and it's a bit in the casual side compared to Nicks, JeJ etc.. The food is fast casual and I love the freshness tied to the burritos and salad. The service is also extremely prompt. This bar tends to have open seats, so it's a perfect spot to pregame.

We did a carryout. They were very helpful taking our order as we were first time users/visitors so the ordering process was good. The food was delivered quickly with utensils and any additional items we might've needed. We went on taco Tuesday got a screaming deal on tacos and we were very happy with Our experience. The place was very clean both in the restaurant and the restrooms. Job well done.

Honestly the best place ive ever eaten at. So cheap and amazing. Our food came out so quick and our drinks were so perfect

Ordered 3 pulled Shredded/Pulled Chicken Tacos for lunch To-Go.Service was rather quick! So I'm guessing it was already all cooked. However Opened the box when I got to my destination. And wow. 2 tacos looked good but that last taco looked so so disappointing. I hate when places don't care to put together a plate for someone To-Go because they won't see it til later, like what is up with that last taco? Tacos with filling were rather good though. But be consistent with To-Go orders! Do I need to explain more? Customer service was mediocre and I got passed off to when I didn't know what I wanted, never having been to this restaurant before. I probably won't come back. I don't need to say anything else, you can see the quality of the last tacos from the photo.

Was just nearby and decided to get the traditional taco flight - the pork and chicken tacos were not anything special and lacked flavor, but I liked the steak and Al pastor tacos better. An ok spot if you're nearby!

Awesome food! Great great service!!! Definitely a tight spot to hang out. Very laid back with its elegant panache. Tacos are bomb!!! Missed SoCal and its flavorful hospitality. Cheers Pure Taco! See you Manana.

Simple place you order at the door and grab any table to seat but the food is outstanding. These were the best GRILLED FISH TACOS e ever eaten! Juice inside, the cabbage is seasoned and crunchy at the same time.

Good location and quality food. 2 for $5 Baja fish tacos is a great deal. The standouts were the brisket tacos and corn in a cup. Tortillas were very good too. We didn't care for the queso, as it lacked heat and real big flavor. Would pass in the future, or at least ask for jalapeños.

Just stopped by on the way to the Creed concert. Great spot to have some tacos and drinks before hopping on the coaster. Osheanna was our bartender and she made us the best margaritas we've had in years. Thank you for a great time!

Great food and service. We ordered: Baja fish Pulled chicken Pastor Citrus braised pork Chips and guacamole Everything was so reasonably priced. The food was amazing and so fresh. Loved the corn tortillas. Best tacos I've had in a long time. Bartender was super friendly and service was quick, if you haven't been you need to check this place out. We are definitely coming back!!!!!!

TL;DR: Pure Taco continues to offer a creative mix of taco offerings with varying degrees of success. Some items like the carnitas fries hit the spot, while others like the pastor fall a little short. 3.5/5 Your Thoughts? 1/2 The carnitas fries are enjoyable, complemented by crispy French fries, Mexican cheeses, homemade salsa fresca, organic pickled onions, guacamole, and chipotle aioli. I'd reorder these. Avocado Fries were underwhelming due to unseasoned breading. Simply Grilled Shrimp Tacos are good here. With modifications like substituting rice for fries and adding chipotle, the California burrito is decent and flavorful but not compelling enough for me to reorder. Baja Fish Tacos are the best bang for your back though not the most flavorful choice. Decent with the right sauce. Philly Tacos used tender steak but lacked flavor. Veggie Taco was surprisingly tasty but not something I'd reorder personally. Prefer the shrimp. The pastor taco came with meat that was dry and flavorless, heavily reliant on its accompaniments for taste. Expenses: 1/1 Prices feel a bit steep for certain items for the quality, but fairer for others. The Baja tacos are the best value at 2 for $5. Other tacos are priced around $5 each, and the Avocado Fries are around $9. Carnitas fries and California burrito cost about $12 each. Payments can be made via debit and Apple Pay. Location: 1/1 The restaurant is set in a nice area with both indoor and outdoor seating and a vibrant atmosphere. It is staffed by friendly personnel, and there is free street parking nearby. Parking availability can vary depending on the time and day, but generally, it is manageable. Possibility of a Future Visit & Recommendation: .5/1 I'd come back every once in a while but would prefer to find a different go-to spot for cheap fish tacos. A special personal memory associated with this location also adds a sentimental reason for my return visits.

Came down to Carlsbad to thrift shop and found this gem of a taco shop! The atmosphere was great with an outdoor feel and cool bar. The staff was attentive and in good spirits and the food was divine! The fish taco was a must have.