PureTaco

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).

2 for 5 bucks Baja fish tacos, hard to beat. They weren't the best but at that price they were. Both salsa and cream were good too but also could have had more flavor and/or heat. Still fully enjoyed and would have liked to try a few of their other fusion tacos remember sounded real good

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.

Delicious food and drinks. Friendly staff and fun clean decor. I had the Veggie taco- they must’ve improved the recipe since the previous post. The Squash blossom was a tasty accent and didn’t take over the flavor. The Mocktails were good. Actually the queso was the better than others I’ve had in California so far. Note to Restauranteurs- Queso is more than just melted cheese in a cup

Updated review now that they've been open 6+mo: Food is still really good and service is still good but for some reason they can't get food out hot. We've been now problem 6+ times and it's the same issue literally every time. Food is not even warm when it hits the table. Even burritos which should be the easiest food to serve hot. I am guessing it's because they try to time in so a tables order is all server at once which is nice but I think most people would prefer staggered service times if the food is hot. ........…. Really good new restaurant! We've been 3 times since it's opened and have had a chance to try most of the menu and just about everything we've had has been great. All food we've had has been well seasoned, especially the Korean pork and citrus pork. The margarita's were good, a little on the weaker side but solid over all. Service has been friendly every time, and for a new restaurants they're doing pretty good. I've had food come out cold once, and they should really offer more salsa when food is served. And for the prices, they should include free chips and salsa (especially if cocktails are ordered). Prices are the main issue, they really need to provide more value for the cost. For example, the California burrito was super tasty, but small compared to other offerings and at $11 it's $3-5 more than anywhere else. For that price it needs to include a side or be larger. Overall a great new spot with a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out.

Horrible tortilla soup!!! Tasted like can. Two tiny pieces of chicken and hardly any veggies! Was not worth $8.95 for bowl. Asked if I could buy chicken to put in. No apologies. I just left. Have gone there often. Never again!

Food: Tacos are bland AF. Drinks are decent. We ordered the taco flight (yes a taco flight which is why we came here because that sounded unique!) plus brisket taco & the Philly taco. When the older gentleman brought our food out, he made an unnecessary comment about all of the tacos we were having … Anyway, most of the tacos for the flight were pork based. The shrimp taco was good & so was the fish taco. Carne asada taco was eaten last since we knew it would be decent (it was). The chicken taco was very dry & also bland. Al pastor taco tasted too artificial. Hard to explain but definitely did not taste authentic and they added what seemed to be diced canned pineapple... Yes pineapple pairs with Pastor but for the prices they charge, they can afford fresh fruit not canned. The tacos sadly had little to no flavor. We had to ask for salt and some hot sauce, but they only had Tapatio (?). If you’re Hispanic, you know only offering Tapatio at a taco spot is a huge miss. And yes, all other patrons were white. Not a single Hispanic person dining there. They must’ve been 2 doors down at the other Mexican food place. They put slaw on mostly every taco. Please stop doing this. Lol it’s ruining the taco. Just keep it simple with known ingredients. The brisket taco had BBQ sauce AND slaw on it with crema. 100% ruined the taco. We only ate half of it and trashed the rest. The tortillas were really good, except they were drenched in oil :( see pics attached. The flour tortillas were good and homemade which is a plus! We also ordered the avocado fries. $10 for 6 small pieces of fried avocado. It’s less than half an avocado in pieces which is such a rip off.. Not worth it. Ambience is nice: heated outside dining & they offer thin throw blankets to keep you (your legs) warm. The service is good. The young man with a curly fro taking orders was nice. If you sit at the bar, you get full service otherwise it’s self-serve after you order. Full bar. Dole whip was good. The pineapple one is a classic, the raspberry is good and tastes like a daiquiri. Parking is not great. Good luck.

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!

So delicious! We've brought friends and family and they love it to! Baja fish tacos are a must try. Clean environment and happy people.

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

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.

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.

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

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".

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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!!

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 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.

Great food staff and location!! I've been eating here for a few years now. I think of it as gourmet Mexican food.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is a walk up and order place. They do bring the food to you. All the tables are open air. They do have heaters hanging from the ceiling. My wife and I ordered burritos and I ordered a side beef street taco. We had an appetizer also. The food was average, but the prices were a little high for what we got. It just didn't impress us.

So glad we tried this place. Had the ahi poke nachos which were sooo good! The nachos are fried flour tortillas so it's more like a crisp. But it's the sauce that was so good. We ended up dipping everything else into it. Had some fish tacos and a Caesar salad. Services was great. They understood that I was sharing with my daughter and so they brought the salads and tacos already split. This place is also across the street from the New Village Arts Theater, which makes it very convenient if you want to grab a bite before seeing a show there.

Ambience was nice, and so were the servers/staff. I was very disappointed in the fish tacos here. My friend and I each got 4, and two of mine had the tiniest pieces of fish, it was half the size of my friend's fish. Also, the fish lacked flavor, salsas weren't spicy at all, and it came out pretty cold (it was very slow when we went). I will say their tortillas were good.

WOW!! WOW!!!WOW!! What a hidden gem!! I was down for a quick getaway weekend and found this great place from their good reviews on Yelp. I wanted a taco but tried the Californian burrito. The service was great and fast!! Impressed from the exterior and interior. The green salsa was to die for! I only live alittle over an hour away, but can't stop thinking about my burrito. I fell in love with this place on vacation and will be back very soon!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Very good tacos I just wish they were bigger The service was good The ambiance casual It would be nice if they had additional bathrooms, it is only one and people wait in line

The steak tacos were so tasty, the corn tortilla so fresh, and the Cobb salad was so delicious! We loved everything! 5+ stars!!!

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.

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.

Wanted to go in the middle and give. 2.5 Been a local for quite sometime and have been waiting for a while to try this new spot out. Not thrilled but not completely disappointed either. I love the taco flight idea. Very cool. We got the full flight because why not? You can tell the "global" tacos were packed with flavor and super yummy. The basic chicken, steak etc tacos were very bland and for being the basic taco I feel it should have had more flavor. Self serve isn't my favorite but wanted to give it a chance. Staff were very friendly. However tables were dirty and most of them wobbled. Because it is an open concept our tacos were cold towards the end. Wish there was more of a way to keep some more heat in so our food would stay warm. I would Deff say this is more of a tourist spot. I may come back to try the bar area because this is full service and more enclosed.

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!

Great Tacos and Great Service. We love coming here with or Labradors. It's dog friendly and a great restaurant to sit back and enjoy some great food.

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.

It's a fast food restaurant kind of feel. It's free seating Beach type of vibe, I feel. Wooden benches and metal chairs. Some are mismatched. And there are also high seats available. Plenty of seating available Basically, you walk up order and find yourself a seat. There were a lot of seats. And they were pretty empty. We sat next to a couple who said they had really good fish tacos for 1.99. So we were pretty confident the food was going to be good. My hubby was sitting on the bench facing the restaurant. He noticed how the seats were not properly cleaned. There were food bits between the benches. We ordered two house margaritas. Pure margaritas sounded good. My husband ordered a steak taco, and I ordered a pork shoulder rice bowl. My hubby also ordered salsa and chips to share. Drinks came pretty quickly. The margarita tasted more like orange juice with a little tequila added to it. It's not as balanced as I would like it. The food came. We got our chips and salsa first. The salsa appeared a little watery and bland - it wasn't the kind of salsa i liked. It wasn't very crispy. My hubby's tacos looked very pitiful. He ordered a steak taco. And it looked greasy - it had steak and a huge dollop of guacamole on top with some chopped onions with two slices of lime. When he bit into it, I could see the grease drip down from his taco. My pork shoulder rice bowl had well seasoned pulled pork,and it was very tender and delicious, but apart from that, the rice appears to be very bland. Almost like they forgot to season it. There were bits of jalapeno, carrots, peas, and corn bits, together with thinly sliced radishes and purple onions. It appeared that they had forgotten to put my salsa on it. Luckily, my pulled pork saved the day. I'm just wondering if maybe the regular chef was out sick. The comments from others appear to be really good We will probably not be back any time soon. I was a little disappointed about the food. I was really looking forward to some good mexican food.

On vacation from L.A. Pure Taco has the most delicious Mexican cuisine, exceptionally friendly service and a great atmosphere. It is a MUST if you are anywhere near Carlsbad, CA. wish we had one up near L.A.

Visited pure taco while on a day trip to Carlsbad to cool down from the heatwave. I got the fully loaded nachos and added pastor. The portion was huge and definitely worth it for the price. My sister got the carnitas fries and said she liked my nachos better. Our family ended up getting 3 orders of the nachos because they were that good. We also bought our dog and they had plenty of outside seating. Service was really fast and you didn't even need to get up to order more food because there's a QR code on your table for online ordering.

Stopped in based on the Yelp reviews. I was not disappointed. Tacos, chips and guac were amazing. Tacos came out super-fast and hot. I think I liked the tortillas on the tacos the most. Tasted homemade. I had the al pastor -- delicious. Great little place. I highly recommend it.

Authentic Mexican food, coming from a Mexicana this gem is great for quick & good food, with Great customer service!! Once we discovered it, it's been a new go to!! they have a variety of hand made tortillas that get paired really well with depending on your order!! This place is also really clean with heaters outside! I appreciate how well thought out this place is!

I've been living in Carlsbad for years and have tried every Mexican place here. Pure Taco is by far the best burrito you'll find in Carlsbad. The owner is very hard working and I appreciate what he's doing. Love me a California Burrito from Pure Taco.

Our absolute fave place to have lunch or dinner. The shrimp curry taco is the best. We love everyone who works there. They treat us like family. Highly recommend.

I wasn't wowed at all by their tacos. There was no line when we were there on a weekend. You order at the counter but the lady serving us wasn't that friendly. I asked about the taco flights as I was thinking of the global flight but she said the traditional is more popular. It was mediocre only, meat was dry. My friend tried the Baja tacos as they were 2 for $5! You can't beat that deal. But I guess you get what you pay for. She said it was a lot of batter and not much fish. I might give it another try and just order other tacos next time. It's got a nice vibe though.

Oh my! Corn in a bowl--out of this world. Homemade tortillas, soooooo good! Fish tacos were my fav--except for the corn in the bowl.

This place is always an excellent stop. Their two dollar fish tacos are excellent and they make the tortillas fresh every day. They make a mean margarita as well and there are a variety to choose from. It's a very casual set up. You order at the bar and then sit down with a number, but it's a great place to meet friends and it's a really easy place to do a little bit more upscale dinner if you want to drink and such. Great date night spot too!

Came to Pure Taco last year and loved it (was served by one of the friendliest and most helpful bartenders ever, who made great suggestions!), so was excited to try it again. Tacos and Margaritas after a beach walk hit the spot! You have two options for ordering: 1) sit at the bar for full service or 2) order and pay at the counter, find a table, and they bring your food to you. You can order additional food via a QR code. Unfortunately this visit wasn't as good as my last. The main reasons included the girl taking our order wasn't helpful, our food arrived cold, and our Margarita tasted like sour juice without alcohol. Previously the nachos were delicious. This time they were cold with very little cheese. Our favorite tacos were the Green Curry Shrimp, the Pho Beef, the Philly, and the Pastor. The bar area has seating both inside and outside. There are several other tables outside. There is one bathroom.

Pure taco is a staple of mine. They have a great selection of tacos but more importantly they have a 2 for $5 fish taco deal! They have a great indoor/outdoor vibe. Their bar lets you sit inside or outside and ha seats that face a couple TVs. You get your food pretty quick!

The tacos here are great. The pho taco is a highlight as something you won't find anywhere else. The citrus braised pork and pulled chicken are also standbys, and the new BBQ Brisket was great--hope it stays on the menu. We also used them to cater an event. They were super easy to work with and very reasonably priced. Highly recommend!