My favorite Mexican restaurant in Arcata, they had a really good hurarache, salsa. It was such a comfort and nostalgia thinking of this place. read more

Great lunch specials, plenty of parking and I love this place and everyone is really nice

I was visiting my 96-year-old dad in Myrtletown, and I decided to do a DoorDash, not realizing that this place is in Arcata. The food came relatively quick, but because it was coming so far, it was just warm by the time it got to me. That was not a problem, it reheated just fine in the microwave. There was a lot of food. It started out with an order of chips and salsa. The chips were thick. I normally like the thinner chips, but these were extremely good. They were not greasy at all. There was also a good portion. It came with a spicy salsa that was a little bit too spicy for me, and a mild salsa. My dad had the idea of mixing the two salsas together. Doing that, it was just right for me. It had just a little bit of heat. It was still a little bit too spicy for my dad. I also split the appetizer with my dad, Four shredded chicken, mini tacos. It also came with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole. We both liked it very much. The mini tacos, were a good size. The lettuce and tomato were fresh, the shredded chicken was tender and delicious, and we liked the sour cream and guac. An extremely good appetizer. Of course I forgot to get a picture. The main course was all mine. I had the Chile relleno and a shredded beef enchilada. Another home run. Both the chile relleno and the. Enchilada were good sized, they were both tender, and they were both delicious. The chile had a good flavor, and it was not spicy at all. It also came with rice and my choice of refried beans, pinto beans, or black beans. I had the black beans, just the right texture and they also had a very good flavor. The main dish had enough sauce, that I was able to put some of it onto the rice and beans. It just added to the great flavor. There was so much food, I ate about half of my main course, and a little bit of the rice and beans, and saved the rest for breakfast the next morning. It was just as good reheated the next morning. Even coming from DoorDash, the price for everything was very reasonable. We both enjoyed the food from here very much. We would definitely DoorDash from here again, and we would also like to go into the restaurant itself the next time we are in Arcata. Thanks for a great meal. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - The rice and beans were great. - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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Great salsa. Excellent chicken fajitas and chile verde! The pork is cooked perfect and the sauce has perfect heat.

Wonderful service! It is always a delight to see the owner working hard as an employee behind the scenes. I have seen her play various roles from being the cook, to the dish washer to a waiter. I have a soft spot for this location especially Doug the times they had live music, free sour cream, and yummy deserts. Now they offer a variety of deserts from flan to tres leches but let's be honest it is overpriced for the small portion. They say we went the restaurant has an empty feel to it with no one at the front. Eventually I headed to the restroom. I would rate this a decent to clean space. I left to find my partner seated at a booth. This is another thing I appreciated sitting in comfy couches rather than hard chairs. We order a mole burrito and tacos. Sadly lengua tacos were not available so we went for tacos de carne asada and tacos Al pastor. They were pretty yummy! I just wished I ordered more sour cream or added salsa since the tacos felt a bit on the dry side. read more

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Service was quick, the guy attending sat me down and took my order. I ordered the burrito supreme. A few mins later it comes out and it looks stunning. Got about 3/4 of the way until I got full. Good price as well. The music selection is very nice too. I do wish that they'd play some cumbia though. read more

Student currently at Cal Poly Humboldt I don't know what the reviews are on about, but I had about 4 Carne Asada Street Tacos, 2 fish tacos, and 2 shrimp tacos, and they were beyond what I expected. The Carne Asada was juicy, and was flavored well enough that it was neither too salty or not enough taste. I paired it with Lime Jarritos, but pairing it with beer would be a nice touch too. The tacos came out as if it was just done. Service was quick, was asked where I would like to be seated, and anything that required a can opener was opened. The ambiance can use a little help (when it comes to being able to see the bar behind the counter), but for the location, and what can be done with it. The music does fit the theme when it is on. Still REALLY good for the location... seeing as I come from a location that has dozens of Mexican restaurants (not large franchises.) Need some fulfilling food during the semester? They offer Taco Tuesdays! The street tacos doesn't have a one-sized fit all when it comes to toppings. The Carne Asada Street Tacos has other topics that pair well with it versus the Shrimp or Fish Street Taco that uses a different set of toppings. I would suggest to anyone to try the different street tacos. Quite a fulfilling meal on the dollar compared to other places. "Absorbed" the street tacos pretty quickly because they were just that good. And while one is waiting for the main food, they offer you a mild and spicy salsa for your tortilla chips. read more

Don't eat here last October I was eating with my family and bite into a piece of metal and broke my tooth in half ? Down to the nerve ! I was eating with my hole family while my father was in the hospital in critical condition, the owner were extremly judgmental and rude ? They also sighted a piece of paper stating what had happen and that they would take care of all dental cost ? Then when it came time to take care of the cost and or insurance info I was threatened and told other wise ? They charged my family for all five meals included the one with the foreign object ? The food is not even good nor is the service I mean look at my situation ? And think twice about eating at karmaelas?? I say stay a wya stay way???? read more

Arguably best Mexican in Humboldt. Hands down best meat. Carnitas are crispy and juicy like it should be. Chicken taste fresh. The mole is incredible. Love the Gordita's. read more

Absolutely fabulous!!! Portions are big, and delicious. My husband has a taco and chili relleno, and I had a burrito Suprema. We also had 2 Cadillac Margaritas, made with Don Julio Silver, instead of the regular tequila. The Margarita was delicious, and a generous size; neither my husband nor I could finish. Our server was Mikayla, who was prompt, courteous, and did not rush us. 10 out of 10!! read more

Warm Chardonnay. I had to add ice, and the chips were very stale. I like the people that work there.

This place deserves more than 3 stars! Affordable Mexican food, wide range of options for vegetarians and meat loves but the best part is they make their tortillas homemade. Best flour tortillas I've ever had! I love the Plato del Pueblo. The dish is a fresh mixture of refried beans, queso fresco, jalapeños and avocado with warm homemade tortillas that are HUGE. Horchatas here are also delicious along with their fresh salsa and free side of (not too salty) chips. The servings here are massive and could feed a family so come hungry! read more

I came in for lunch and the service was better than it was last time. I was shocked when I was going through the menu how expensive things were. Not just the price, but what you get. All house specialties come a la carte. ONE tostada, by itself, was 11.99 One Huarache, 16.99 Fajitas, 29.99 Total bummer that it doesn't come with beans or rice or something else. Chips and salsa were yummy (made fresh) and for the main Dish, I got the huarache (recommended by a friend) and it was just ok. The Mazda was good and the flavor was tasty. The beans were cold and the Asada was dry/over cooked. Overall a much better experience but not very traditional. Service 4/5 Chips 5/5 Food 2/5 Please buyer beware when you're seeing the "great Mexican food" in a lot of these reviews. Consider the source. Lol. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Huarache - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

Love this restaurant! They have the best taco Tuesday in town & the servers are sweet and attentive. They also have a lunch menu during the week that's is reduced in price compared to the dinner prices. Highly recommend you check it out! read more

3:50pm-called in an order today: -Guacamole -2 mango margaritas -One burrito loco -#17 Combo (tamale and chile relleno) I specified both of the mains (burrito and combo) to have black beans. The person taking my order had me hang on while he changed that in the system and then confirmed it would be ready for pick-up in 30 minutes. 4:40pm, we had picked up the order to realize we had only gotten the burrito and the combo. The burrito also had pinto beans, contrary to the specification. Called back the restaurant, and initially there was zero responsibility taken for the incomplete order, but then she agreed we could come get the guac and margaritas. 5:10pm, we are back and there's both a line and another woman who had tacos missing from her order. The cashier told the woman she had to pay for sour cream if she wanted it with her tacos, and the woman had to repeat she already had already ordered the tacos with sour cream and paid for it-the restaurant just did not complete her order. As it became clear we were not the only ones returning for missing items, people began to check their order bags (which I should have done). The cashier yelled at everyone repeatedly that she already checked the orders and that everything was in there. We finally got our guacamole and margaritas, to realize there were zero chips in the bag and the margaritas were completely melted-clearly they had been sitting there. At that point, we had no desire to deal with the cashier again and sucked it up. 5:45pm-2 hours later, finally we eat! The food was okay. The burrito was huge, but the meat was tough however chewable. Tamale was dry and chile relleno tasted like string cheese. This is not the worst Mexican food I have had, but definitely not in the top 10. Guacamole and margaritas were fine. Couldnt tell if the margaritas were better because I added more tequila and ice and re-blended it. Wont be returning here, more for the experience than the food. Still feels like a waste of $45. Definitely wish i heeded the warnings of other reviewers saying the exact same things. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Melted margarita - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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The food was terrible...... 78 dollars for 8 tacos that were store bought premade crunchy Taco shells that were like eating year old tortilla chips.... The flan was instant jello flan mix 8 dollars each and two juarhitas sodas 4 dollars each. The host was nice but the food was terrible read more

Local Gem! Super fresh seafood and great value for the price. The fried snapper was Huge ($7.50US) and the Ceviche was simple and fresh. Fish, shrimp and crab tacos are finely prepared and are like a ($1.15US) each. Yum! This is where the locals go. Service is solid and honest. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Friendly Server and local Atmosphere. - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

Stopped in for some take-out pozole and rice and beans. Very friendly service and set me up with all I'd need for the soup .. lime wedges, onion, cilantro .. and a few extras. Super tasty! Just what I was hoping for! read more

Carmela's is about what you would expect from a Mexican restaurant this far north of the border with service that would use some work. Food - 4/5 After living in Texas for so long, I'm a little spoiled when it comes to Tex-Mex. The food is nothing to write home about, but it's a solid option in a small north Cali town. The chips are freshly made, and the spicy salsa packs a respectable punch. The tacos are especially delicious - I highly recommend the chorizo tacos. Service - 2/5 I really wanted to rate Carmela's higher, but the service is what held them back. It took several minutes for a waiter to bring our menus and significantly longer for our food to come out one we ordered. Chips and salsa refills were scarce, and my glass sat empty for far more time than it was full. Ambiance - 3/5 Pretty standard Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurant theme here, though it doesn't feel very clean or lively. The general colors of the place run a bit gray and drab. Value - 5/5 Taco Tuesdays are a fantastic bargain - $1 for a taco. The tacos are small by surface area, but they're heavily loaded with meat and fixings. 11 tacos filled me up to the point of virtually rolling out the restaurant, so I'm thankful for that. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - $1 tacos on Tuesday - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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My friend and I ordered two VIRGIN blackberry margaritas. We are both lightweights and both have to drive. The older waitress brought our drinks out and because I'm a little paranoid, I said "these are virgin, right?" Queue drama-fest. "She never said virgin. Are you two underage?" "No, we just don't drink." "Well she never said anything about virgin. She's going to have to drink them both." She chewed the younger girl out right next to our table before stomping off and offering the drinks to another table so they wouldn't go to waste. When she returned with our VIRGIN margaritas, we said thank you and she huffed and walked away. We were hungry and wouldn't have made it to Rita's in time to order and eat before closing time, so we stayed. I ordered a small super nacho, my friend ordered the flautas combo. The food is the only reason they get an extra star. The servings were massive and everything was DELICIOUS. Fire the crabby old lady and this place might be a winner. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Flautas Combo - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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Really mad that I ordered a meat and cheese quesadilla, and it came with onions and tomato on it without being in their DoorDash, or website description. Have had many issues like this and other consistently problems recently. Get your act together... read more

Carmela's was a good meal for lunch but not gourmet. They offered limited indoor and outdoor seating. We ordered tacos (2 chicken and 2 pork), chicken quesadillas, and carnitas sopas with rice and beans. Our food were delicious. I wish the portions were a bit bigger, overall the food was tasty. The salsa's that complimented the chips were spicy red sauce and a mild pico de gallo. The chips were good and not too salty. The servers wore masks and gloves and the restaurant followed COVID health regulations on social distancing. They offered hand sanitizers at the entrance to the restaurant. I would go back to Carmela's the next time I'm in Arcata. read more

I have no idea what was going on at this place two years ago when all the bad reviews were written, but when I ate there in 2024, it was great. Service was very friendly and quick and my huarache with potatoes was absolutely amazing. I've lived for years in the Bay Area and more recently Central Valley where there's a lot of food Mexican food to be had, and at least for what I ordered (admittedly vegetarian) it was up there with the best places I've been further South. read more

Good place for lunch. I enjoy the combo plates and huevos rancheros. During the Pandemic, seating is outside and masks are required, except when you are seated at your table eating. Service is also very good. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Outside dining - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

Terrible service. I was the only one in the restaraunt, waitress brought out the menu and I waited for her to come back around for 20 minutes before I just left. Multiple tables around me were covered in dirty dishes from customers that were there earlier in the day. Honestly wouldn't recommend this place at all, don't waste your time. read more

Comparing Carmela's to a Southern CA Mexican eatery is how I measure its "competency". After seeing the movie, "Glass", we got hungry and decided to have Mexican food. It was another rainy evening so I was craving for some Margarita. Our server made me the best Margarita I've had in awhile (not that I am a regular or even qualify as an incidental drinker). It was "on the rocks". I guess that is how I want it from here on out. Carmela's does follow the "ask for a straw" rule. I found that out when I got frustrated sipping the salt off the rim of the huge glass and asked for a straw. Good for you, Carmela's! That's a "green" compliment! I ordered a chicken enchilada combo with fish taco, refried beans, and Spanish rice. The sauce, beans, rice, and enchilada were delicious. However, the fish in the taco was so-so. It was very bland and maybe it was because it wasn't breaded fish. It tasted like sole. Because the taco was small anyway, it didn't distract from the taste of the rest of the meal. The fish taco brought down this review to a 3; otherwise, it would've been a 4 out of 5. Service was excellent. He was very friendly, attentive, and accommodating. I do recommend this place if you are looking for pretty authentic-tasting Mexican food. Pricing is appropriate also. Ambiance is casual but can qualify for intimate depending on who you're with. read more

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Worst mexican restaurant ever, I am currently sitting in a cold empty restaurant where it takes them 20 minutes for the employees that are drinking in the back to give us water. The waitress was not welcoming at all it seemed like we were interfering with her fun night of drinking on the clock. I am a local who has gone to several mexican restaurants and never in my life have I witnessed so many mistakes within the kitchen and the wait staff. I ordered the steak gorditas it usually comes with sala which was never to be seen, the menudo that my friend ordered was missing the sides. Overall I do not recommend I will never be coming back. The only good thing this place has is a great music taste. read more

It's a no from me dawg. Maybe I'm biased, I'm a Southern California transplant to the 707 and I have been repeatedly disappointed in this place. The food is always hot and fresh, but it just isn't Mexican food. The spices are off and so are the prices. The servers are always exceptionally nice though and the spice dilemma is not at all their fault. Cilantro, chili powder, paprika, clove, oregano. SOMETHING! It's not bad food my any stretch of The Imagination , just simply not Mexican food read more

This is a great place. Overall the atmosphere is positive and the food is great. Their prices are a little high but the portions are huge especially the big burritos. The big burritos can be shared with two people and it's around $16 so that's not horrible. The service is okay some days are better than others. My latest visit the service was fast and friendly. read more

Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

OUTSTANDING! Food and service were great! I am a fan of Chile Rellenos, and this one was literally the best one I ever had! Do not let the decor turn you around, yes the booths' fabric all needs to be replaced... trust me, sit down. They are concentrating on the food & you will too :) read more

I love Carmela's, they have the best tortillas in town. The huaraches are out of this world, they were the first restaurant in town that had them. And you can't beat the taco Tuesday deal. Yummy!! read more

Was there a family emergency today? Or are they permanently closed? I'm not sure what was happening here today. Yelp said they were open today, as did their web site - no indication that they would be closed. I called this morning to make a reservation - no answer. I used their web site to request a reservation - no response. We arrived for lunch at noon, and waited for a friend to arrive to join us. The sign in the window said CLOSED. I walked around to the front door. No posted hours. No sign explaining why they were closed today. Only a sign to request that DoorDash drivers use a window on the side of the restaurant. We ate here the last time we visited town, and it was very good. So what happened today? If they just had to close for the day, and it wasn't an emergency, they really should have left a sign on the door to that effect. I hope that everything is ok. read more

VEGAN paradise! I can not stress enough how delicious the vegan black beans and rice are here people! Not to mention delicious fresh chips, salsa, and guacamole!!! I've tried 3 different entrees including the burrito with tofu covered in red sauce, vegan red sauce enchiladas one with tofu and one with potato, and the potato flautas on the lunch menu all come with a side of rice and beans. I highly reccomemd all three! Just ask for the vegetarian items to be vegan no cheese or sour cream and you can choose from grilled veggies, spinach, potatoes(slightly spicy but perfectly cooked), or locally sourced tofu! The service is fast, kind, and very helpful with vegans navigating the large menu. The view and location are beautiful I love the music and decorations in the building. My favorite place to eat in the area HANDS DOWN! read more

My first time visiting from Long Beach I stop at camelas and got that sexy Thorta no lie it was toasted the meat was cook to perfection honestly I know the cooks take pride into there craft of work made me feel as though I was living the high life spicy jalapeño I give this authentic Spanish restaurant a 10 star read more

i'm from socal so i've had good mexican food and this place holds up to my standards. the food is always flavorful. i love that they have lunch specials along with ready to go burritos for $5 it's only beans, cheese and asada but still enough to satisfy my hunger. read more

Excellent flavors. Meat is always seasoned perfectly. Fair portion sizes and pricing. We love eating here!

A shattered taco Laying broken on my plate I'll call it nachos. Service is hit and miss. This time it was a hit. The nachos were not anything to write home about but were haiku worthy. read more

4/5 because it's not great Mexican food, but it's norcal so... adjust expectations. It is the best entree Mexican food around. read more

I wish this property excited me more. The menu talks good game... And its in a decent location... But I've come in on two occasions this year (2015) and found myself waiting over 15 minutes to be visited by ANY staff. My last visit here was 12/16/15. I was having lunch with the mom, and she wanted a fish taco. This was her choice... So I forgot a few previous bad experiences here and we seated ourselves. There were 2 others eating in the restaurant when we arrived. Five minutes after arriving and sitting, another group of two arrived. Five or more minutes later, another group of two. The last group that came in was the first visited by the elusive 'host'. The group that arrived after me caught his attention and said, 'those guys over there were here when we got here. Go get their order!' The guy straight up said, 'no they weren't.' So that group left. Eventually, we got some food. Third time's a charm. Probably won't be back. read more

Need a good Mexican fix? This is the place. Their chips and salsa are great and everything else just complements it. Be sure to bring an appetite because the portions are very generous, and the drinks well lets just say you don't want to text an ex. I recommend the carnita tacos or the potato burrito with salsa verde!! Just writing about this place makes me hungry read more