Filipino food spot in Encinitas. Cozy little place walking distance by the beach. Ordered salmon sisig, oxtail karekare, beef steak with onions, vegetable kare2, and halohalo. Everything we ate was delicious. The salmon was sizzling when it arrived and it was mixed with onions, spices and belle peppers. The karekare was creamy and had crushed peanuts on top. Oxtail was tender too. Loved the ice texture of the halo halo and their in house ube cream. It had jackfruit, leche flan and assorted mixed jellies with other sweet ingredients. Customer service was fine. We did have to wait a bit but it was understandable, as we had a big party. Overall, had a nice experience. The only thing that could probably improve was to add more vegetables to the "vegetable Kare Kare" . read more

See all

This place is such a HIDDEN GEM! The owners are so kind and welcoming and offered some great recommendations. I'm so excited to come back and try all of the other food (we had the curry, pork adobo, and kare kare SOOOO GOOD!). read more

The pork skin appetizer was still cackling when it arrived. Delicious. The Pork Sisig was so good. The oxtail curry was pretty good. Glad we went! Not to my taste: The halo halo. The sweet sugar drink. read more

Overall a good experience. I'm Filipino was born in the Philippines so growing up with this kind of food I'm definitely a harsh critic. Ulam (savory dishes) solid. My only complaint was the halo halo, definitely not enough toppings and the pinipig not freshly toasted lol I would still eat here though :) read more

See all

If you crave Filipino Food and are around the area? This is the Spot! The staff were courteous and service was great. We started off with the Classic Lumpia. It was perfectly filled. Crunchy and the complementing sauce made me superb. My wife had the Diniguan and I had the Oxtail Kare-Kare. Diniguan was very flavorful and full of meat. Then my Kare Kare? For it not needing their tasty Bagoong? Amazing! Then we finished the meal with ordering each flavor of the Sorbetes and Wow! Each flavor was excellent. I highly recommend this place and look forward to eating here if we are in the area. Maraming Salamat read more

See all

Pancit was salty had nothing in it, Liempo was sour with no sweetness to it Sisig was salty and burnt Gambas was good Chcharon bulaklak was good but slightly tough Halo halo is like shaved ice with ice cream and a jello with no taste. On top of that the bill was so expensive. Place was really nice tho. I really don't mind paying expensive food as long as it's good. Sorry kuya just being honest. read more

Used to frequent the other location before it unfortunately closed. I'm glad I rediscovered their food at their Encinitas Location! Excellent Filipino Food... Dining isn't difficult with the added patio option. Prices are reasonable and as always, food is prepared fresh! You can't go wrong with their lechon or sisig. Their pancit and halo halo were on point too! Archie and his team always come through with delicious food. The best part about being in Encinitas, you get to walk off your meal afterwards. My family and I will be back for sure. read more

See all

Just the comfort food we needed on this gloomy, rainy day in Encinitas. Surprised to see a Filipino flag while driving around & decided we needed to try this place. Support your own! We came in for a late lunch and were seated immediately. I love the open air seating. Windows were all open, they have plenty of extended patio seating. We ordered the lumpia shanghai (order comes with 4 pcs), the pork rib sinigang (hits the spot, just the right amount of sour & fall off the bone, tender, pork ribs - just wish they added a little more vegetables), the chicken BBQ inasal was okay (8 oz chicken breast w/ rice & soy sauce for $16 was a little too pricey for the serving size), the lechon kawali is one of my favorites, & we added garlic fried rice as well. Food came in a timely manner. Quite the menu, we will definitely have to come back and try the rest. Truly enjoyed our dining experience. Amazing service. read more

See all

First visit to Encinitas and stumbled on this lil filipino restaurant Service was great and food DELISH!! we ordered lunch specials pork and chicken adobo w/garlic rice. lumpia and chicArons. Your can dine in or on bistro style seating outside. Quaint and a must try.. We will definitely be back when visiting this area!! read more

CARiN de Ria is one of my favorite places to eat Filipino food in San Diego County! It's just steps away from the beach in Encinitas. My go to is the Kristy Pork Belly Kare Kare, which is a peanut butter stew with vegetables and krispy pork. You can never go wrong with Bistek (steak), chicken adobo, Sisig, and pork ribs. But my ultimate favorite is their Halo Halo! Instead of ice, they shave frozen evaporated milk and add a touch of condensed milk. It's topped with Ube ice cream and sprinkled with Pinipig (Filipino rice krispies) for a little crunch. Soooo good! For more photos/short video, check out our You Tube channel @ SweetLifeOfSisters22. https://youtube.com/shorts/QoNYVFAcbo4?si=lXiKSoFlLR6cCm4G read more

See all

Delicious and authentic. Enjoyed the pancit, sizzling salmon, chicken soup etc... Homestyle and made to order with attentive service. Our new go-to restaurant. read more

Cozy restaurant in downtown Encinitas. Street parking wasn't hard to find. The atmosphere upon entering is a laid back vibe where you you seat yourself. We didn't wait long for service. The young lady who helped us was friendly and attentive. The owner was cool. I noticed random people stopping in to chat with him. It gave the impression that this is a joint where locals are definitely regulars. The food we ordered: Pork adobo, pork sisig, classic lumpia, garlic fried rice, lechon kawali, and halo-halo. Yes, we ordered all pork dishes. We plan on coming back to try the other plates. The lechon was cooked perfectly (our favorite). The sisig was different, hadn't tried it with so many red, yellow and green bellpeppers before. This dish is more of a fusion for American palates. The pork adobo was tender but mild on the flavor, maybe a bit more soy sauce. Garlic fried rice was garlicky and good (second favorite). Classic lumpia was OK. It would've been better with a little more meat inside, but the wrapper was nice and crunchy. Lastly, the halo-halo was OK. It was another fusion dish for the American palate. It could've used more of the traditional ingredients which would've packed it with more flavor. This is a good restaurant for introduction to Filipino food. Overall, it's good and hubby and I will come by to try the other dishes. read more

See all

I'm Filipino and I find it extremely difficult to find a decent Filipino restaurant but this place, WOW! One word, incredible! I felt like I was eating my Lola's (grandma) food, everything was so amazing! We had a good assortment of food; we had pancit (noodles), crispy pata (fried pig), and beef oxtail kare kare (beef peanut butter stew) and it was all incredible. So authentic and delicious, I will definitely come back when I'm in the neighborhood. The service was top notch and very warming. They were hospitable and gave great recommendations. Lastly, this restaurant has a cute coastal vibe. I loved the big window which let in such an amazing breeze as you are. I keep using the word because it truly was an incredible experience. Don't question yourself about trying this place and do it. You won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Super cute and comfy place! I highly recommend for a date night or girls night! We came on a Saturday evening and there was no wait. It was easy to find street parking. We ordered the small family meal with pork adobo, garlic rice, and chicken BBQ plus a salmon sisig. It was all good and plenty of food! We were stuffed. At first, the pork adobo looked like a small portion but it all turned out well. My favorites were probably the lumpia, chicken BBQ, and pancit. The salmon sisig was very hot and sizzling and a bit too spicy for me actually. The service was super nice, and I believe the woman was also an owner and she was super stylish and cool and welcoming. My total was $27 (we split the bill evenly). I definitely want to come back and try more! read more

See all

Service was great! It was so nice to find Filipino cuisine nearby when we visited Carlsbad. The food was delicious and the halo halo was different but oh so good! read more

Archie the owner is usually there Service great Classic panset and lumpia great Lichon always a favorite Would like traditional chicken adobo I've been dining over a 2 dozen times read more

We went here for some quick snacks since it was so close to the beach after being introduced it by family. I was able to try the classic lumpia, halo halo, and turon and they were so good! The classic lumpia was nice and crispy and well put together. The turon was wrapped thinly, similarly to the lumpia which I wasn't used to but it still tasted great! I really enjoyed the coconut sherbet on the halo halo too, it was cold, flavorful, and refreshing. But, I think they could've been a bit more generous with the flan or ube for the price! Overall everyone here was warm and friendly and we really enjoyed our visit! It was a great place to get good Filipino food after a fun beach day. read more

See all

Great service. Food took a little long, but it could be because of what I ordered. The Crispy Pork Kare Kare was sooooo delicious and don't forget the shrimp paste! Just add a little bit of the shrimp paste along with your bite of meat and rice. Amazing. This is a MUST order. The spicy adobo could've used much more spice and maybe a little more reduction on the sauce. Other than that it was really good. I'm Filipino and I approve of this restaurant read more

See all

So nice to enjoy a Filipino meal in Encinitas!!! We got the small family feast for 2 people. Sinigang was healing :) Even though we didn't finish all of the food, I was excited to bring back leftovers! Everything was delicious and super cool they have one of the draft beers "serbesa" brewed by Belching Beaver! Can't wait to come back. read more

Such a cute family restaurant, amazing customer service. You can tell how fresh and delicious the food is when it's brought to your table. The decor is not your typical fancy plates but very authentic to the filipino culture. We usually order, 2 orders of lumpia, pancit, salmon sisig, whole milkfish, oxtail kare kare or the crispy kare kare. You can not go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

See all

Was really craving Filipino food and I came upon this gem in a Thrillist article of "13 Essential Filipino Restaurants You Need to Know in San Diego" and am SO thrilled I tried it. First of all, I'm going to need this restaurant PACKED! It is SO GOOD!!! And while I totally understand that so many are wary of Covid or may be sick at home, it was an especially eerie quiet Friday night in Encinitas, so not many people milling around. Our server was very friendly and welcoming, helped us with the menu and answered all our questions. He also was wearing a mask the entire time. We really appreciated that! They also have the option to eat inside or outside so everyone can feel comfortable dining. We didn't have to wait very long for our food after ordering which was perfect because we were starving! read more

See all

Visited my son in Encinitas and he said he was craving for pinoy food so we look for one, and we found CARin de Ria. It's pricey $$. We ordered a Combination package. Our dish was pancit bihon, beef kaldereta, beef filipino bsteak, BBQFilipino chicken, chicken curry, and garlic rice. I know what kaldereta looks like, but this one, ohh boy the gravy was thin and runny, don't even taste as kaldereta, we didn't even eat it, the pancit bihon we ask to put chicken instead of pork, the chicken you can taste that the meat is old or been on the freezer for a while. The beef bistik was not enough lemon so it turns out to be salty. The garlic rice was ok, chicken curry and the chicken bbq was ok. read more

Upon completing a couple of morning activities up in North County, I made a stop at Carin de Ria to get some lunch to-go. There are no Filipino cuisine eateries in the Encinitas area so they have the local neighborhood to themselves. Curbside parking along I St was plentiful so that was a bonus. The dining area wasn't too large but was clean, and there was one large flat screen TV above the service counter showing sports programming. After scanning the two-page menu, I selected an order of classic lumpia which came as four pieces and the braised beef stew (caldereta) with white rice. On the drive back, I noshed on the lumpia and finished all the pieces before arriving home. They were tasty but not some of the best I have tried. The serving size of the caldereta was very disappointing for the price. Both the stew and rice fit into a container that was as large as one which can hold a fast food hamburger. I had expected more, and it seems that other reviewers had also noticed the food portion as an issue. read more

See all

One of the few Filipino restaurants in North County. They offer real Filipino goodness made to order. So glad they were able to pull through and survive through the pandemic. I've stopped in here a few times over the years. It's been a while since the last visit so wanted to get back to it. Ordered the pork sinigang, garlic fried rice, grilled salmon and gambas. Topped off the meal with chicharon! Heart attack waiting to happen, but so tasty! Everything had great flavor. When I finished, I wanted more! Can't wait to go again! Keep on Yelp'n! read more

See all

CARiN de RiA is an interesting place with a somewhat funky ambiance but really delicious food. I always end up grabbing tacos when I am in the area, but decided to try something different last week. Very glad I did! It's surprisingly hard to find Filipino food in San Diego County. CARiN de RiA is one of those rare gems that is true to the course, offering a wide variety of simple but mostly traditional dishes. I ordered the Sizzling Salmon Sisig, which is something I had not tried before. It was delicious (see pictures) and I cleaned the plate wanting more! Mel ordered the Pancit with chicken. This is the familiar dish most of us think of when we think Filipino food. Its a wonderful noodle dish if you like noodles. I will definitely return to CARiN de RiA next time I am in the area. Wonderful food, attentive staff, and a nice experience. Highly recommended! read more

See all

So I followed the yelp reviews and found CARiN de RiA and I ordered food to go since we were meeting up with friends at a local park. The lumpia was classic and crunchy. However, there were only 4 or 5 small rolls for $4 then tax so it's like $1 per lumpia. Was it worth it? Yes and maybe...? I would say yes if you don't want to travel a bit for food. I've been to Mira Mesa and there is a reason why they have the nickname as Manilla Mesa. I also ordered the sizzling lechon sisig which came hot and with bell peppers and onions. This was $16 and I would say was all right and worth trying. There were just way too many bell peppers and onions for my liking and I wish the sisig came a bit more fried. I was surprised that a scoop of rice did not come with the dish so I paid extra for that. Overall I would give the extra star for the service which was kind and welcoming. The food was ok and I would say there is not many options in north county San Diego if you are looking for filipino food, I'll look around when I'm up there again but I'll leave my ratings below: Food 3/5 Price 4/5 average for that area. Service 5/5 Decor and cleanliness 5/5 read more

This place was AMAZING. The food is so authentic. We had Kare-Kare, sizzling salmon sisig, garlic rice & chicken bbq. Everything tasted delicious l. You can tell they use super fresh ingredients. I was surprised that they service alcohol. I tried the Lychee Beer and it did not disappoint. It was so refreshing. This is definitely my new go to place. Service was amazing! read more

See all

Was in Carlsbad for the weekend and wanted to get together for dinner with our kids and grandkids who live in San Diego. Found CARiN de Ria in Yelp. Our group of 10 was going to sit outside, however they were able to move us inside. We ordered the Large Family meal that came with lumpia Shanghai, rice, Chicken BBQ and 3 choices of dishes. We picked Pork Adobo, Beef Caldereta, and Chicken Curry. We also ordered more lumpia, Pork Sinigang, and sizzling lechon sisig The food was delicious. It was like going to one of our relatives' home for a party. Service was good. Proud to support Filipino American restaurants! read more

CARiN de RiA - Sizzling lechon sisig - Filipino Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

I found this place when I was driving around Encinitas. I got the pork adobo, garlic fried rice, sisig, and pancit. The food was not bad, but I did have an issue with some of the food. The fried rice and pancit were good. The pork adobo was dry to my liking, and the sisig is different from what I am used to. I'm used to having sisig with the lechon crispy and having less vegetables. Maybe it's just a personal preference. I would come back and try what other foods they have. read more

See all

LOVE THIS PLACE!! i'm so glad to have a filipino place up in north county. i always crave some good filipino comfort food when im sick, and boy do they deliver. i wouldn't be surprised if i found MY OWN lola back in the kitchen. im pretty sure this is a mom and pop which im so happy to support! the food is GREAT! and the serving sizes are pretty fair for the price! i just kinda wish they had like combination plates but i do like having the leftovers! 10/10 read more

What a great find for a cozy meal! I stopped by yesterday during their lunch hour with a friend and ordered the Tapa with Garlic Fried Rice and it did not disappoint! The service was also great! We were greeted as soon as we entered and got to choose where to sit. I definitely want to come back again soon to try the oxtail kare kare and their pancit. Thank you! read more

CARiN de RiA - Tapa with Fried Garlic Rice - Filipino Near Me - Encinitas, California

Oh my tastebuds! I love a good Filipino food in San Diego. I brought my Boston friends here and they absolutely loved the food. We probably ordered like 10-12 dishes and it was gone in a matter of minutes. I don't think any of the dishes we ordered were a miss. The owner was super friendly and it felt cozy like home. Omg the reason I give this place 5 stars is for their halo halo. That thing is out of this world good. It had the flan - it had the crispy rice - we even order more on top of what we had :). read more

Food was awesome and was def so satisfying and felt like soul food. The kare kare was honestly a perfect seasoning for me but the adobo was slightly salty for my taste. The pork in the adobo was great though. And the lumpia is to die for :). read more

I was quite hesitant in coming to this restaurant the family wanted to try. I have had Filipino food before and it didn't suit my taste. Everything I tried I really liked. The vegetarian egg rolls are very tasty. They are super hot when they come out so let them cool if you don't want to burn your mouth. The chicaron were so light and crunchy. We polished off that dish. We had the glass noodles with vegetables. That was delicious! We had the twice cooked pork belly that was excellent!! We had to reorder that one again. We also had the pork belly saisig that was good too. The chicken curry was delicious. The oxtail was tasty. My son in law polished that off. I think we have found a new favorite restaurant to come to when we visit Encinitas. read more

Cute Filipino restaurant in Encinitas. Stopped in for a quick meal after reading some reviews and I'm v glad I did. Our server was v cute and nice :) Street parking was easy during the week too. Caldereta - braised beef in a hearty, savory stew. The potatoes and carrots were cooked very well and infused with flavor. Beef was nice and tender also. Such a comfort food eaten warm. Pancit (veg) - I prefer a drier pancit, but this was still good. They added a good amount of veggies since we didn't order additional protein. Portion size is also quite large. Can't go wrong w the classic Tofu and Bean Sprouts - on the saltier side, but since we had rice with the caldereta it was perfect. Tofu was deep fried well and still soft enough to chew easily. Portion was slightly smaller (we were told it was appetizer-like). I really don't have anything bad to say about the experience. Regrettably, I was too full to order halo halo, so the next time I'm here, I have to. Would return with a group! read more

We happened upon this place while we were in Encinitas and decided to give it a try. Happy we did. Everything we ordered was delicious. We started with the pre-requisite lumpia. Delightful little bites with a nice light sauce. We then ordered pancit, the glass noodles with vegetables, sizzling salmon sisig, sautéed green beans and finished off with flan. We will definitely be back to dig deeper into this menu. And make sure you meet Archie the owner. He is worth coming in for! read more

See all

BEST FILIPINO FOOD IN SAN DIEGO. Run, don't walk down here. Highly recommend their lumpia, sizzling pork sisig, cardeleta and flan. We're so happy to find a good restaurant that serves filipino food, we've been all over and have been underwhelmed with the quality of options as they tend to favor quantity over flavor. You're probably wondering well what does she know? I lived in Mira Mesa aka Manila Mesa for 10+ years so I've had great homecooked filipino food from moms of friends. And I know Mira Mesa and National City is the mecca of filipino food but they have nothing on this. Don't be off put by the "hipster"ness of this place, its authentic and fairly priced for the quality. If more Carins opened up, I'm sure filipino food will finally gain traction and spotlight similar to other asian cuisines. Wow, this place changed our life. We were this close to giving up and just saying its impossible to find a good filipino restaurant in america but thank goodness for Carin! read more

See all

Every time I come here the everything is so delicious! We make the 1 1/2 drive just to eat here. The owner is friendly and always welcoming. Everything is so fresh. The inside is small and clean with seating outside on nice days. I recommend this place for delicious Filipino food. We ordered Pancit, classic lumpia, sautéed green beans, leachon kawali, beef salpicao, chicken tinola soup, garlic fried rice, banana turon, and chicharon. EVERY single thing was delicious. read more

CARiN de RiA - Pancit, sautéed green beans, leachon kawali, beef salpicao, chicken tinola soup, garlic fried rice. - Filipino Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Very impressed. Authentic, tasty with some unique surprises. The kare kare soup was thick and flavorful and the meat plentiful and tender. Wonderful vegetables of string beans, eggplant and bokchoy. First time I've had crunchy peanut butter as the thickener and its great! Kare kare for the hard core Pinoy is complimented with bagoong, a salty shrimp paste used sparingly. Very very high quality bagoong. The plain white rice was perfectly cooked. The server, Hannah, was kind, friendly and attentive. Archie came out to say Hi and asked what I thought. Definitely two thumbs up. Congratulations for a gem in North Coastal San Diego. Can't wait to order a whole lechon this summer! read more

CARiN de RiA - Oxtail kare kare with bagoong. - Filipino Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Only ordered the oxtail kare kare to go but wished we got to dine in and order more items to try. The kare kare had plenty of veggies and the meat was tender & cooked to perfection...just as good as my moms :) Will definitely be back with the family next time we're in the area! read more

See all