We were there two days ago for lunch we had the special quesadillas it tasted great beef was a bit chewy I am writing this hoping management is not cutting corners by skimping on the quality of the beef they use Bought two of their Tshirts they look awesome read more

Nice little place with good food, good service and local live music. It's a bit loud as it is a bar disguised as a restaurant. read more

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In town for the weekend and decided to stop by this lively joint! Staff kept getting more awesome as we met more of them. Regulars walking out with a parting "See ya in a bit". Something really nostalgic and special. THE MENU! It's huge and we had something different all 3 times we went. It was all good...so good I forgot some pics! Live music was a great addition as well. read more

Carlee's Place - The perfect BLT! And the fries were ! - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

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"I could live there" - my fiancé. Seriously, the food was very good. The dry rub on the chicken tenders was so good, and the tuna melt was a dark horse of deliciousness. Everything was hot and well seasoned. I would skip the margarita and get draft or bottle, but I was so glad we stepped into this oasis in the desert. We sat at the bar and were happy with the vibes and the service. read more

Carlee's Place - Front entrance - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

This place is a vibe. A true hidden gem, tucked right off the Main Street roundabout. After a long, hot day hiking in the state park, my boyfriend and I were exhausted, starving, and in desperate need of a cool spot to recharge. This place was exactly what we needed. As we walked in, a few musicians were setting up for live music, but the real show had already started- - locals at the bar were singing, laughing, and having the time of their lives over dinner. The energy was contagious. Our server was incredibly kind and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. My boyfriend went for the steak special with a Pepsi, and I got the Baja burger with fries and a Diet Dr. Pepper. The steak was cooked perfectly, and my burger was packed with flavor - every bite hit the spot. After a day of hiking, this meal brought us back to life. It's clear this place is a local favorite, and I can see why. Something about it reminded me of a classic Midwest diner - - warm, welcoming, and effortlessly fun. If I'm ever back in the area, I'd come here again in a heartbeat. read more

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I usually love this place, but had the Porobello Burger today, it' looked nothing like the picture they advertise, not on a chibatta bun, regular very small hamburger bun, didn't taste marinated, it sucked. Service was also very slow. read more

Love this place whenever I come to borrego springs. Now they have live music. Years ago I sang karaoke here. Food is always good and they are a good place to watch football too. They let us bring our dog in which was nice on a warm day. Technically dogs are supposed to be outside. She is enjoying the air conditioning. read more

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Really good food and a killer ambiance for what's probably the most popular place to eat/drink in the town. The staff are all friendly and very helpful, and are incredibly talkative with recommendations. Drinks are good, great place to have a beer (or apparently a martini since they have a big selection of cocktails). The food is very good and you'll find some surprisingly good options ranging from the prime rib on Saturdays (which the price is insanely low) to the sides like their rice pilaf (surprisingly good) to their incredibly fresh salads. Definitely worth checking out if you're in town. read more

Friendly little roadhouse with HUGE portions. My Seafood Gazpacho was so good I wish I had made that my lunch. The Tuna Salad was creamy and the mandarin oranges were a nice complement to it. Hubby thought the Patty Melt was just OK, but really liked the fries. Service was fast and super friendly. read more

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Every time I come to borrego springs I stop here. Really good food and good beer/cocktails. Fried chicken night is amazing

We were on a bachelorette trip and ended up here every single night! Great bar tender and great food! read more

Carlee's Place - Best bar tender ever! - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

Ordered steak to go tonight and per usual - everything was excellent. Thank you Johnny and Chino. read more

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A grasshopper and a scorpion walk into a bar Somewhere just northeast of San Diego, lost amongst desert willows and dead palm trees, there is a small, semi-arid town called Borrego Springs. Monday afternoon we were drug into this fever dream of a town by a long stretch of road encased by flat, dry land as far as the eye could see. As our prius pounded against the heat-stricken pavement, I gazed out the passenger's side window to find magnificent metal sculptures and massive mountains caressing the still earth like a tank that had been drained of its water. As the sun finally broke and the moon reclaimed the sky, we shared a bottle of wine and got to know the stars far more intimately than either of us had ever before. As an international dark sky community, Borrego Springs moonlights as a celestial canopy and stellar silver star realm. It wasn't until the following day that tragedy struck. My honey and I are from Los Angeles, therefore we are acutely vegan. We knew traveling to a middle of nowhere town wouldn't be a fruitful culinary excursion for us nettlesome plant-folk, but what we didn't expect was a dive bar anti-hero to rise above and save our people from certain starvation. Nestled within the pocket-sized single strip of downtown in Borrego Springs resides a dark horse of a dive bar. An eccentric watering hole you may think is a mirage at first glance, but blink hard. The bright blue lights are a sign you've survived the unforgiving desert and have indeed arrived! Carlee's is the photo held in a heart-shaped emblem clasped around my neck. With blasting classic rock and bustling pool tables, we had reached what I can only assume to be ecstasy on earth. Carlee's is a class-act with entertaining staff and an expansive menu. Close to kicking the bucket, with our bones rattling, Carlee's offered us a vegan caprese salad with tantalizing tomatoes and mouthwatering grilled tofu. As we regained our strength, we quenched our desert-dried thirst with two truly wild cocktails and watched the local townies dance and be merry. Late into the evening, our minds melted and reimagined us as majestic metal sculptures. He a dapper grasshopper, and I a solicitous scorpion. Carlee's is a magical and mysterious gem glittering in the blazing sun - If you ever find yourself lost within the Anza-Borrego desert, allow Carlee's to be your oasis. read more

Carlee's Place - A grasshopper and a scorpion walk into a bar. - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

Great food and at a great price. Server and staff were super nice. Very convenient location right outside of Borrego Springs Campground, and in the heart of Anza Borrego. read more

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Nice ambiance and friendly service. We went for lunch ơn ạ Thursday and unfortunately missed all the specials that we were interested in (Catfish ơn Friday and Prime Rib Saturday) read more

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We ordered pizza to go and it was excellent. However the attitude of the staff upon delivery was very unfriendly and the bar itself made me apprehensive. Getting food to go was the correct thing to do. Had we planned to stay, we would have walked in and moved on to another place. read more

Worst meal of my life. First off they charge $.75 per item for takeout. Yep, per ITEM. I know plastic cartons do not cost that much. The food itself was incredibly disappointing, for how utterly expensive it was it was quite honestly some of the worst food we have ever had. The prices online did not match what we were charged and even if the food was half as cheap as it was it still would have been a bad deal. I'm sure drunk people find this food acceptable but be warned, this is not a good place to eat. read more

Carlee's is the perfect place to stop for a cold drink and an appetizer or a tasty meal any time you're in Borrego! They have a large outdoor patio where you can bring your pooch, or plenty of comfy seating inside. This time, we opted for some beers and the spinach dip. Always a great time! read more

Carlee's Place - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

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It's off season in Borrego Springs. Not many businesses are open, and it's very, very hot there. So we planned on visiting Carlee's Place as it is one of the few restaurants that still operates in the summer. There were three of us plus one small dog. We checked out the outdoor space. Don't let the photos fool you. It's a packed dirt area with some tables, surrounded by a tall fence. No ambiance at all, no misters or fans. It was like an oven and no way anyone could sit and eat there. As we came around to the front a women and small dog were leaving, having just come out of the restaurant. I walked in holding my dog and was greeted with a man, assuming a bartender? who sneered at me and said, "NO DOGS." I had not said a single word before or after. Just turned around and walked out. I heard the food was great. Service, not so much. read more

As we walked it it was a little loud. We got a booth in the corner and shortly after that it quieted down a lot. The service was ok. Nothing to write home about. I got the avocado burger and it was a lot of food. I snuck a couple of chips off my husband's plate. I wish I had ordered the chips. I liked them better than my fries. My burger was way too big. I only ate 1/2 of it, but I ate all the avocado. It's an ok place. The bathrooms and the way to them do need some updating read more

Ordered pizza for take out. (It was ok. Let's say, better than frozen). We arrived 30 minutes later, as they advised us. We waited another half hour inside. They obviously hadn't put the order in until we arrived. This happens, I get it, but it's good to inform the customer there was a mess up. We got no statement its going to be longer than stated. No apology. Strange. We've previously had decent service there by the servers. If you're going to take pick up orders, and you're going to have staff handle these orders, seems like you'd want to train for a modicum of customer communication. read more

Nice dog-friendly side area, no pretentions - this is a desert bar serving a damn fine sandwich and cold beer. Get the house chips.

Ate at Carlee's today (Saturday) for lunch. Started with mimosa's while awaiting our food. Ordered Mushroom Burger with fries and Shrimp Basket with fries. Both were excellent, burger done to perfection and delicious. The shrimp basket probably had two dozen shrimp and fries, more than filling, brought some home. All the employees we had contact with were friendly and helpful. Must recommend Carlee's, don't think you can go wrong. read more

Extremely disappointed in the food. The smoked Cuban sounded like it would be good with ham and pulled pork but as you can see from the photo there was only one slice of ham and the thinnest spread of pulled pork. We also got the patty melt cooked medium. The patty was super charred on the outside making it taste burnt. For the price, I'd expect for there to be a sauce. Service was fine, but would not return for the food. Super overpriced for poor quality. read more

Carlee's Place - Smoked Cuban sandwich - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

They say hunger is the best seasoning, but my fries were pretty amazing. Although to be fair, I was really damn hungry lol. I sat on the patio because news flash: COVID-19 hasn't gone away yall! The service was amazing. So friendly, attentive, consistent. Salvador especially took excellent care of me! I also appreciated that they had a regular veggie burger because I don't care for the fake blood and gore stuff. They have a ton of other vegetarian options as well. The cheesecake was just meh, but everything else more than made up for it. read more

I've loved Carlee's for years, but it's time for an update. As summer arrives in the Anza Borrego Desert, things slow down a bit. But not so much at Carlee's! All summer long there will be car clubs, bikers and nature lovers hanging out in the cold a/c at Carlee's, swapping stories and eating some great food! The seafood gazpacho is legendary for good reason because it's unique and delicious. But this Southern gal needs to give some attention to the fried chicken, it's the BEST And it's the Sunday special this summer: 4 pieces of chicken, handmade mashed potatoes and gravy fresh vegetables AND your choice of salad or soup (that gazpacho!) It's enough food for 2 meals really. Owners Andy and Polly Macuga are community leaders, fun lovers and the best hosts for your desert refreshment stop this summer read more

Carlee's Place - Summer Specials! - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

One of the worst restaurant experiences we've had. It took them more than 1 hour to prepare 3 standard dishes - a pizza, a sandwich and a burger. Pizza was cold, sandwich was all burnt and burger was well done whereas we asked for medium rare. It wasn't much busy on a Sunday evening so they don't even have that excuse for giving us the worst restaurant service. Our server couldn't care less and wasn't even an bit apologetic about the whole incident. This was the only bad part of an otherwise great trip to Borrego Springs. There are lot of other good options in this small town so stay as far from this place as possible. read more

Carlee's Place - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

There isn't a lot of restaurants to choose from around here, so I was glad I ended up somewhere with decent food and friendly staff. The menu offers a large variety of food. Some of the other guests informed me the best things are the pizza and the burgers/sammiches. I decided to try their BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with a side of homemade potato chips. This was actually a really great burger! The bacon definitely could have been crispier, but they gave a very generous amount. The patty itself was perfectly cooked and juicy. The chips were insanely crunchy and I loved them. I was full, but had to continue eating them because they were too good to let go to waste. Don't know when I'll ever be in the area again, but I would stop here again whenever I am. read more

Carlee's Place - BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

Food is as described, but tastes are fantastic...venue is casual but the food itself exceeded our expectations!

Great food, ample serving sizes, reliably good service. We love to eat at the bar and watch Chino in action. This is always a happening place! read more

Came here for dinner tonight with a large group. It was one of the best experiences we ever had. The food was amazing the ambience is amazing! Food was hot and service team was so kind. The only bad thing is, we sat next to this rude large group! Not surprised they left a bad review because their kids were out of control and we complained about them. I advise everybody to come here and experience the cocktails and the food. Everything was perfect. We will be back. Thank you Carlee's for a great time! read more

AVOID THIS PLACE- it is an absolute s*** show! Rude employees. Terrible food. We came and waited over thirty minutes for drink orders. Then we waited over an hour and a half for our order- only for it to arrive at room temperature! I'm sorry- but you cannot expect people to eat a $20 burger cold! Then when I went to speak with the employees the waitress said that there is a draft by where the food sits. Wasn't apologetic- could truly careless and thought I was absurd for not wanting to eat cold food. Truly a dump. So disappointing. Go to Carmelita's- kind service, good food, good prices. Carlee's needs an overhaul of employees, kindness, courtesy and basic understanding of running a restaurant! read more

Carlee's Place - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

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Friendly staff. The salmon salad was nice. The fish was cooked right with a tasty dressing.

We got Andy's Quesadilla, according to the menu it is one of the favorite dishes of the owner. The dish was extremely greasy and the meat was extremely chewy. The service was subpar as well. We had to wait for a good amount of time before they took our order, we were on the verge of getting up and leaving. We asked our waiter for a straw, never got it. We asked him for cutlery, never got it. The greasy dish didn't even come with napkins to wipe our hands, had to ask twice to get some. We obviously did not finish our dish, when our waiter asked us if we wanted a box as a lot was left, I informed him that we did not because we did not enjoy the dish. He did not even care to inquire why we didn't like the dish, seems like kitchen doesn't get any feedback, no wonder they're serving a greasy chewy mess. read more

We were looking for a place to dine and check out the local fare. This place is quite the vibes. A little dive bar, jukebox, classic diner spot . service was great and we sat in a little cute 2 top booth. We ordered the ribeye and blacken shrimp pasta... honestly it was just ok but we will for sure be back again. read more

Carlee's Place - Blackened shrimp fettuccine - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

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always great food...always great service Although your initial impression may be that Carlee's is a locals hangout, folks here try to make everyone feel welcome...all the time. Great ribs...great burgers...great homemade chips and fries....and the fajitas are excellent....so is the club sandwich...and the pizzas...icy cold beer on tap and a full pour...very friendly service...what's not to like? read more

You are in Borrego in the desert and this place has really good food and service and we are frequent fliers when here. Not much else to chose from honestly. Burgers are great. Good onion rings but the fries are way better! That's pretty much what we order and we're usually ending up at the bar because it really gets crowded around 7. Live music later in the night and parking of course is easy. This is one of our go to places because in Borrego we are not expecting fine dining but carlees has really good food and entertainment and great servers so that's the best! read more

I got a tuna melt on sour dough, which was really good. The waitress said she'd be back in a minute, but didn't come back probably about 20. She also took a long time with getting our check as well. The food also took a while to come out when all it was was a salad and a sandwich. We were there much longer than we anticipated because of this. There also was lettuce and a tomato for the sandwich included but was under the French fries so I didn't realize it was there until it was kind of soggy, same with my pickle. Would have been better for it to have been on the side of the plate instead of under the fries as I had to eat a bunch before seeing it. read more

Carlee's Place - Tuna melt on sour dough - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California

Tasty food and locals' hangout in Borrego Springs. Portions are generous and the food is fresh, tasty, and well-prepared. Service is just fine, too. Small wine list but large selection of specialty cocktails. The place has more of a bar than restaurant vibe and there's a pool table on the other side of the dining room as well. Been coming here for years when I visit Borrego Springs and have never been disappointed. read more

Decided to try the Friday night special, Fried Catfish. It came with their "can't stop eating" French fries and a delicious mayo based cole slaw. There were 2 hand sized? breaded filets, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Very filling! read more

Carlee's Place - Catfish Friday special, fries and slaw underneath. - American Near Me - Borrego Springs, California