Such great service and the portions are plentiful and delicious! My husband and I love stopping by here on Sundays because it's less busy and our food and drinks came out super fast. Delicious across the board! I always get the #13 because you'll have leftovers for DAYS. We love the ambiance of this location too, we got to sit in the nice quiet bar area which was great, and omg the bathrooms are amazing too. Those spigots are a neat touch. read more

So we came here for my sister-in-laws bday. We had a decent size party. They were able to accommodate us without any problems. I got the Pollo Fundito and my wife got the Flaunta Plate! Whoa! First of all, they should Flaunt their Flauntas! My wife had me take a bite right away and they were so good. I had the Pollo Fundito and I think it might be better. This place is legit and the wait staff was fantastic! We live in the East East Valley so it's about an hour for us to get here. We are already finding an excuse to come back! Love this place. read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Good for groups!!! - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The best most amazing!!! Margs are 2.99 happy hour. Food is ON POINT. Old school AZ Sonora-style! I love it! read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - OMG the best AZ Somoran Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Terrible food on a recent visit. They did take it off the bill though. The first taco salad lunch special was served with cold chicken and both the first and second taco shells wete stale. read more

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We got here at 11 am. We were quickly seated and served. There wasn't a lot of people in at this time. Food was great! I want to try something different next time. read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Lunch A - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great place for Mexican food , been here tons of times never had a bad experience or meal! The staff are always nice service if quick and the price is great. read more

We are always around this complex but never knew there was a Mexican restaurant here. Tried their spinach enchilada dinner. It was creamy and heavy. Taste is decent but nothing special. Portion size was good and also got complimentary nachos and salsa. They were ok too. Overall it's good for the price and location. Service was good and nice ambiance. read more

Back again- today 2/21/25 for lunch. This time it's lunch for three and nice break from our Mayo visit. Menu My Wife and I both departed from our go-to dishes. She chose the Beef Fajitas and I selected the Pollo Fundido. They were both great! It pays to stray from your normal go-to's occasionally to deepen your bench! (Sorry for the Sports analogy). Our friend chose the Beef taco dish and enjoyed hers too. Beautiful Restaurant, excellent service, great food! read more

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I received an order tonight from Door Dash. I ordered a green corn enchilada meal as I am a vegetarian. The meal that arrived had meat in it, so it was inedible. (The meat was also coming out & touching the rice & beans, so I couldn't eat those either). I also ordered a side order of guacamole which was completely black on the top and seen easily through the sides of the container as black throughout. Who sends out food like this? Disgusting. The salsa also tasted bad as though it was fermented. This used to be my favorite restaurant. The last 3 orders I had were wrong or bad. My Carlos O'Briens days are over. read more

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Food took FOREVER and when it did come to us it was cold. Worst experience ever. Used to live this place

I always have a good meal and a good time here. The staff is super friendly. The food comes quick and hot. You can order healthy or cheese it up! It's family friendly and the prices are good. My only critique is that it's saltier than I care for. Thanks Carlos O'Brien's We can always count on you! read more

If you are looking for bland mediocre Mexican food, your at the right place. Salsa is similar to Pace Picante, the guacamole tastes like store bought no flavor, bland. They did try by adding tomatoes and onions. Ordered a cheese crisp, there was nothing crisp about it. Cheese enchiladas rice and beans all bland. There are so many better options in the area, Carlos Obrien's needs to step up their game. read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - No crisp cheese crisp - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The enchiladas were delicious and soooo cheesey (perfect). Service was amazing and a great ambience. Not too loud read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Started going to Carlos O'Brien's about 20 years ago, because all three styles of their beans are vegetarian, and the chili relleno is top notch. Chips are thin, fresh and crisp. They make a "Mexican pizza" on toasted (not deep- fried or greasy in any way) flour tortillas that we drive 40 minutes each way for. Would love it if the Mexican rice was vegetarian, but it has chicken broth in it. The service has always been very good for us, but Sean L., in particular, could be used as a benchmark for outstanding customer care. He's upbeat and friendly, has perfect timing, is knowledgeable about the food, and he treats everyone equally well regardless of the size of the order being placed. He's gold! read more

Two words to consider when looking for old school Phoenix Mexican food, Pollo Fundido. Come on! Shredded chicken rolled into a flour tortilla, deep fried until golden and crisp. Then, it's slathered with jalapeño cream cheese and covered with cheddar, placed under a broiled until the whole operation is melty served with rice and beans. Enjoy it when you can because this is a Phoenix thing. Move away and you crave that gooey cheesy melt combined with crispy tortilla and juicy seasoned chicken. Trust me, I've been trying to find a place in San Diego (home) where I can have this again. Nope, only in Phoenix. Let's also not forget about Cheese Crisp's. A Phoenix thing and cannot be found elsewhere. And NO! A quesadilla is not the same thing so don't even try to correct me because you are wrong. O'brien's, Garcia's, TeePee, etc etc all serve Cheese Crisp's. Paired with house salsa and a sprinkling of fresh chopped lettuce and tomato is equal to heaven. Service here was efficient and friendly. Drinks, salsa bowls and chips were always full and plenty. Food come out fast so be sure to "course" out your meal as you see fit. Inside booths and tables were comfortable and not too close to your neighbors. Until my next trip to Cheese Crisp homeland... "I don't care if my lettuce has DDT on it, just as long as it's crisp." -Jorma Kaukonen read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Pollo Fundido - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Generally I would give this 4 stars, but my takeout order from yesterday dropped it down. I had two tacos dining in then takeout ordered 2 orders of beef mini-chimis with sour cream not cream cheese and a lunch special A, plus two pints of salsa. I planned on breaking the special A and mini chimis into multiple dinners for freezing. I gave the waitress a large tip because she was very nice. When I got home (about 12 miles away past lots of construction), I found out that there was cream cheese and no sour cream. Okay, not happy but I can live with it. Then I heated up one of the mini beef chimis: it was CHICKEN, not beef. At $5/gallon and road construction I'm not taking them back. Very, very disappointing. PEOPLE: Get the orders right. It matters. read more

Really good lunch specials! Taco and enchiladas were bomb! Waitress was really nice too! Prices were fair!

A very well known family owned Mexican food restaurant with great food and variety along with a comfortable and spacious interior seating area! read more

Our favorite Mexican food restaurant! Great food, great service, consistently friendly atmosphere! Love their green chile burros and cheese enchiladas! read more

We had a wonderful meal tonight with the chicken fajitas and the carnitas plate. The portions were HUGE but hot and tasty. We took enough home for at least 4 more portions! The atmosphere is great with high ceilings (building was built as a Black Angus), lots of tables and booths, a large bar, TV screens everywhere, and inviting outside area on the east of the building in the shade. We will be back again soon. read more

The parents and I were at the Mayo for a procedure, and after 10 days, my dad was really tired of cafeteria food. During my trip to visit and help, I introduced him to Uber, and his request was tacos. This place popped up as close with good reviews, so we stopped in here for lunch. It's big inside, so we had no issues getting a nice booth to sit in. Our server was helpful, and the menu labeled for gluten-free. I had tacos with sides, two flavored margaritas, and the papa had a chili relleno and taco. We also ordered fajitas to go for the sick mama. Everything came out hot and gooey and was delicious. My dad was super happy to get something other than hospital food. The margaritas were great, and I also enjoyed the chips and salsa. It's definitely a good spot for the Americanized Mexican food we know and love. read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Menu with gf labels - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Old time favorite Carlos O Brien's has always been a stand-by favorite. The food is always tasty, the staff are always friendly, and the prices are wallet friendly. Today, my lunch companion and I decided to feast from the lunch menu. My lunch companion went with rhe taco and enchilada and I went with the Pollo Fundido. The Pollo Fundido was spot on. Who doesn't like shredded chicken, rolled into a flour tortilla, deep fried, golden and crispy. Topped with flaorful jalapeño cream cheese and covered with melted cheddar, served with rice and beans. Such a large serving, you will have leftovers. If you're looking for great service and tasty food, stop in you won't read more

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Somebody must've been sick making my food because after that, I had diarrhea stomach ache headache sore throat. It's disgusting. I'll never go there again. read more

Terrible customer service. Wait for an incredible long wait to be acknowledged after being seated. Don't count on getting water or beverages at any point prior to your order. Such a disappointment. read more

Second time here and it was the same exceptional service . The enchiladas especially beef here are real as it gets , the rice as well authentic . Chips and salsa were uniquely good and very fresh . The Mexican chicken entree is great for those who love sauces of old style Mexico , great for bringing friends for a good evening read more

I have been coming to Carlos O'brien's for over 40 years. It is just the best Mexican food in the Phoenix metro area. No matter what you eat there you will get very large proportion and every is made with love. My son's all love the food here as well. Tonight was our Anniversary and it was so nice to see Kenny the owner and our server was Hannah. The staff is always fantastic right down to the Chip servers. The restaurant also has exceptional restrooms. read more

4/5. Ordered Pollo Fundido to go. Added jalapeños. Flavors were wild. Chicken (pollo) was a little too chunky and not much flavor for my liking. But the other ingredients were great. Service was pleasant and quick. Pretty sure I will be back again. Good job read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Pollo Fundido. 4/5. Pretty solid. Added jalapeños. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

They have absolutely the best peach margaritas that are frozen and they have quesadillas that are delicious and a chicken taco salad with sour cream and I would usually get the gringo chicken chimichanga with just sour cream that I would use with the rice and no sauce just the sour cream was perfect read more

Manager rude regarding me being on a phone call which was no louder than normal conversation but they guy next to us could be on speaker phone. Never returning and this was our first experience. Plus chicken wings were barely edible and quesadilla came with no toppings. read more

My fiancé and I came to Carlos o'Brien's at an off time - around 3:45 PM on a Monday and we're seated almost immediately. We were brought complimentary chips and salsa quickly even before we ordered! Since it was happy hour (every day from 3-6), my fiancé ordered a strawberry margarita (only 5 dollars). I did try a sip and it was pretty good. I wasn't too hungry so I ordered the chicken taco salad which comes in a huge taco shell and is topped with cheese, guac, and typically sour cream but I asked for it without. The chicken itself wasn't super flavorful but the salsa and guacamole gave the salad enough flavor. My fiancé ordered the chicken chimichanga which he enjoyed. He finished the whole thing and even ate most of the beans and rice. The food here is decent but not outstanding but the service was amazing! read more

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Food was fantastic! Service was spot on, never an empty glass. Quite enough to be able to talk and hear each other. We love this place. Keep up the great work. read more

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I have been enjoying meals at Carlos O'Briens since they opened their first restaurant...so, a big fan over the years.The food and service has noticeably deteriorated since around the Covid pandemic. Lunch in the bar yesterday was grim...stale, no- flavor chips, mediocre service . I ordered my all time favorite from the quick bites menu : green corn tamale with tomatillo & cheese sauce , and, another favorite, flan for dessert. The tamale was flavorless and mushy- fell apart at the first bite... inedible, disgusting, tamale mush soup.The flan: instead of a silken custard , it was mealy . Instead of the traditional, fine baked-in carmel sauce , a thick ,gooey carmel ice cream topping was dumped all over the flan. Yuck! I have finally learned my lesson: Carlos O'Briens, I'm breaking up with you for good this time. I won't ever be back. Ajo Al's has the excellent quality and consistency that you have lost over the years. I'll miss you. read more

Went here for lunch this afternoon. Always a goto when I'm craving a Chimichanga. Arrived around 11:30am and was seated promptly. Ordered a couple drinks along with a Shredded Beef Chimichanga topped with Fundido Sauce and a side of rice & beans. Just as good as always. There were about 8-9 other tables of diners as we arrived before the lunch rush. The meal was proceeded by chips and salsa as is expected at any Mexican Restaurant. Overall a pretty good dining experience and I will be back read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Shredded Beef Chimichanga topped w Fundido Sauce. With a side of Rice & Beans - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I went on Mother's Day and maybe because it was busy but the service was extremely slow. Probably the slowest I've ever experienced. We waited sooo long for our food. The food was decent but it wasn't anything spectacular. I definitely won't be back. read more

Food and service good. Ambiance good. We haven't been in a while so not sure if still good.

Everything was great! It was a Sunday night, got seated right away, the service and food was spot on. read more

Carlos O'Brien's Mexican Restaurant - Combo plate 13. A Little Bit of Everything In Miniature - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

we had the best meal and best service today. our waiter , the one and only Juan was so attentive so special taking care of us. His attention to detail and his great attitude, made us really enjoy our lunch. if you go to Carlos O'Brien on happy valley In Phoenix,,be sure to ask for him. he will make your day read more

My family has been coming here for yearsss. Never fails, super consistent great food and service. Whenever family is in town, this is the gathering place. Their cheese enchiladas can never go wrong! Great endless chips and salsa. Service is always pleasant and accommodating. read more

Usually, I love this place on happy valley. So decided to try this location. We sat in the bar and as a host came over to drop menus..... After a short while no one has come over. I can see the bartender but we were not sitting directly at it. Now, more time has passed I stop the guy that dropped our menus off to ask if we had a server? He said oh yeah let me tell her. So five morr mintures go by and she comes over. Well considering we been waiting for over 20 mins. We decided to order just a Margarita as we werent sure how long it would take to get one. Short staffed this place just needs help. I will stick to the one on happy valley. Everything is fast. Including the food! read more

This Carlos O'Brien's location is even better than most. The food was very satisfying, as usual, but the service was the best we've ever seen at any Mexican restaurant! We'll definitely return! read more