I was recommended El Charro in Carlsbad, NM by some locals, and I'm so glad I listened. I'm a big fan of quesabirria and have been on a little quesabirria journey, and this has to be one of the top two best quesabirria tacos I've ever had. The taco was crispy and filled with delicious meat, and the consommé was rich and flavorful. If I hadn't been on the road, I probably would have ordered another one. The portion was generous, and the price was fair too. The service was quick, and the overall dining environment was bright and clean. Definitely a great local recommendation and a spot I'd happily come back to. read more

El Charro - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Ordered takeout and my husband said the whole experience went well. We ordered a few different tacos, but have a couple picky eaters, so they were able to separate the meats and toppings for us. We got carnitas, pastor, brisket, steak, and ground beef. (The pastor was my favorite! It came with pineapple. My husband's favorite was the carnitas.) Everything was hot and pretty tasty. The meal came with 4 sauces-- orange (spiciest), watery orange, watery green (my favorite), and the creamy green (least spicy.) After reading some reviews about slow service, I was a little apprehensive about ordering, but my husband went during lunch and said everything came out quickly, there was just a line to order. All in all, I'd definitely eat here again. read more

El Charro - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Came here after visiting Carlsbad Caverns and from fellow yelpers awesome reviews. I will admit i have mixed reviews on this. Being for the region and flavors of the area for Mexican food it is a good 4 stars. Although in comparison with Los Angeles flavors, this is very different and not what I'm used to and would give it a 3-stars for fellow SoCal peeps. Pro: - Place was clean and spacious - Employees were nice and patient with our long order - Food was still yummy especially their quesobirria! Con: - as another yelper did warn us, DO expect a long wait for your food! We also waited about a good 30-min like the other yelper shared that it took to get your food - Rice were mushy (overcooked or too much broth making it) - The Champurrado was meh. Watered down with way too much burned/scald pieces leftovers in it. - The red enchilada sauce was not as authentic to what i am accustomed to in SoCal. Consistency was not like heavy cream but a thick tomato sauce that resembled straight tomato paste. Taste just like plain tomato paste also and not the earthy with any dried chili flavors I'm used to. Perhaps its how they eat it here, so wont judge on that but giving yelpers a non bias thought of what i tasted, really. All in all, the queso birria was the highlight of the meal here and a must try in my opinion. Everything else, its ok. read more

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We are visiting here from Dallas Tx for a few days and had a great lunch experience here. Once you order from the counter, they'll call your name to pick it up. Got my chili rellano burrito, smothered Christmas style. The green sauce was my favorite of the two. It was a little sour and had a great silky texture. The red sauce was good, however read more like an Italian gravy. Had a very mild red tomato flavor with what tasted like Italian spices. The texture was slightly chunky. The meal proportions were good, enough for leftovers. We enjoyed the chips and salsa. The rice wasn't my favorite. It was too mushy for my liking amd tasted like stovetop stuffing. I LOVE me some stovetop, just not in my mexican food. read more

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Best Mexican food in Carlsbad. Very reasonably priced with huge portions. The chicken quesadilla could feed a family. The brisket burrito is a steal. You order at the counter and find your own seat. The place is packed every meal. read more

El Charro - Brisket burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Stopped by El Charro for lunch while passing through Carlsbad. Being from Central California, where Mexican food is abundant and diverse, I've noticed regional differences in flavors as I travel. This was my first time here, and overall, the experience was okay but not particularly memorable. The food itself was decent but not as flavorful as I had hoped. I ordered a few tacos and a rice, bean, and cheese burrito--nothing complicated--but we still ended up waiting over 30 minutes. For a restaurant where you order at the counter and they bring the food to your table, that felt like an excessive wait time, especially considering how simple our order was. The restaurant seemed clean, which is always a plus, but the staff didn't greet us when we walked in, which made the experience feel a bit impersonal. Service wasn't bad, just not particularly welcoming. All in all, it wasn't a bad meal, just not one that stood out. Since I'm just visiting, I'll probably try a different spot next time to explore what else the area has to offer. read more

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This is a must stop We got the Birria tacos... they were to die for. The service is quick and the place was busy. It's a walk up and order style joint. Just swing through for some good food. Get the tacos... you won't regret it. read more

Was quick meal at 6 pm. Shared a steak quesadilla that was delicious and enough for the two of us. It was nice to have choices of toppings that looked fresh on the topping station. read more

Casual dining experience. Tacos were great, beans great. The rice was okay. Loved the variety of self serve condiments. Bathrooms clean. Authentic Mexican tacos here. Extra parking in the back. They also have a drive through window for to go orders. I highly recommend and would go back if I was ever in the area. Order at the counter and they can your name to pick up, don't expect table side service. Tres leches cake was good too. read more

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This place was seriously so good. My tacos were amazing and so flavorful. I got the platter of 4 and got 2 steak and 2 pastor, and the rice on the side was so flavorful as well. The food paired with the complimentary salsa bar and the friendly, fast service make this place a must stop! read more

El Charro - Taco platter: steak tacos and pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

The food here is fire. The place is kept clean but they aren't actively cleaning it up. Of their meats, we'd go carnitas, brisket, al pastor, asada, chorizo in that order. The orange sauce is super hot. Like 2/3 habanero hot. The brown sauce is 1/2 jalapeno hot. The cream jalapeno is just that. Creamy and hot too hot. The horchata is nice, extremely cinnamon forward. Tacos better than Torta better than Lunch burrito. Their refried beans are actually kind of fire. The rice is great too. They've got like 10 people working here just pumping food out. Oh yeah, there's even a drive through! If you're in the area you owe it to yourself to stop by and eat here. read more

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4 tacos for $13 is not too bad! It even comes with rice and beans. We ordered our food to go and it took a long time because I think they forgot to punch in our order :( read more

El Charro - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Came on a weekday day and it wasn't busy. Ordered 3 things First was the birria quesadilla and it was too dry. I dipped it inside the soup and it didn't help that much. The meat was just overcooked. I got a steak burrito that also had the same issue. Was too dry. The chicken tacos weren't as dry but it was just grilled chicken so nothing special. read more

El Charro - Birria Quesdilla - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Food quality/quantity and price were excellent! The only reason this place does not get 5 stars from me is because of the wait time. We got 2 orders of the quesabirria tacos with arroz y frijoles. While it was relatively busy due to it being near lunch time, the wait was nearly 40 minutes. It could have just been the day we went, and it seems like not everyone has this problem. Would definitely try it out again when I'm in the area. read more

Long wait times and rude employees for food that is mediocre compared to other options in the area.

This is a walk up and order place then they call your name. Had the white fish tacos. Unfortunately they were breaded, however I just pulled off the breading and had the most delicious tacos I've had in a long time. You get four full size tacos when you order fish or shrimp. My husband had the taco plate with tree tacos, rice and beans. We also had guacamole and chips. Everything was wonderful and we had leftovers for lunch the next day. Clean place with a connecting ice cream shop. read more

The food was okay. But one thing I liked was it tasted like home cooked foot. The fried egg had bad oil smell that turned me off.

Definite QuesaBirria fan here! Tasty, Crunchy and oh so good. Love the Sauce Bar too. Easy Dinner for those hotel bound! read more

This place is awesome - you order at the counter and then sit down. The best part is the salsa bar where you can grab a multitude of different salsas for your tacos. We tried the steak, brisket, and chorizo tacos and they were great with the cilantro and onion! Food came out pretty fast! read more

El Charro - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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tender meat. very delicious. lots of seating available though they get busy. nice servers too read more

El Charro - tacos with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Staff is great here!! Food was good. I ate light because the flight here was turbulent and I don't have an appetite .. The restaurant runs hot so if you are looking for a cold place because its super hot out, this might not be comfy for you. There's an icecream shop next door!! read more

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The food here is amazing the service is great and fast and ambiance is well ,clean,but you can't beat the food and prices!

Really delicious food at a very reasonable price. We are in town to visit the national parks. Found this online and it's not disappointing. You can see a lot of tourists come here. read more

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I love this place so much. staff is amazing and food is sooo good. i always tacos and they're fresh and taste amazing. eating area is nice with good places to sit and everyone who works here and comes in is always so nice. read more

Got the QuesaBirria and it did not disappoint! Comes with 4 tacos ($13) and there's an option to add rice and beans. The tacos and consome were so delicious. They accept credit cards here, slightly higher price if you use a credit card. read more

El Charro - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Food/Taste/Flavor: 5/5 - street tacos: 2 crispy and 2 soft tripas. The soft intestines were a bit grainy but had a decent flavor. The crispy had a nice crunch and was fried well. Must try the different sauces as it ranges frm light and creamy to an acidic kick. The Brisket Burrito with potatoes, green chili, and cheese was presented as shredded beef in a thicker, toasted and almost bread like tortilla. A very clean and lean burrito with mild flavor but delicious as well. Ambience: 5/5 - very well lit with lots of tables and seating. Salsa bar available with 3 different sauces and other items. Busy open kitchen serving tons of customer and a huge drive through line. Multiple speaker but the music seems to be coming from one side of the store only Service: 5/5 - cashier was friendly but seemed to be on the newer side as he was slower on taking orders and had difficulties when the card machine ran out of paper. Some internet issue causing difficulties with the card payment Value for price: 5/5 - close to a 20 minute wait on a Friday night around 5 PM. Reasonable wait time, yummy food, nice atmosphere. Both items were on the smaller portion size but seemed reasonable for the price. Would want to try something different next time though! read more

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We came from Waco, Tx to pick up our daughter from fam, this place was amazing!! Street tacos so good I didn't even get a pic! I also had a bowl of fresh pineapple with Taheen and Chamoy sauce! Service was great! The place was clean. Only downside is the a/c was out and the two portable a/c's were barely keeping up. I didn't care thought after one bite of food! It was on! lol I will have to visit more often! Worth the 13 hr round trip! Ha ha! read more

El Charro - Pineapple with Taheen and Chamoy sauce - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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My wife and I, along with our three children (5yo, 3yo, 5mo) visited this restaurant for an early dinner on a Friday during spring break. The setup is seat yourself with counter service. When we arrived, the place was PACKED and there were 8-10 parties in line to make their order. There were a couple tables open and wife and kids found a place to land. The order line moved really quick (maybe 10-15 min). We ordered the quesa-birria, a steak burrito, and a cheese quesadilla. We added refried beans and Spanish rice to the quesa-birria and the quesadilla (I didn't understand this was an additional $3 per plate...I wasn't mad about it, but just be aware) The food took a little bit to come out (it was a perfectly acceptable amount of time considering how busy they were). In the meantime, we visited the salsa bar (we loved the unlimited raw cucumbers, pico, and spicy carrot)...none of the salsas were my favorite, but they had a red and a green (both were pretty watery for my taste) and they had an extra fire hot that certainly had to have had habanero in it. The food was served in to-go boxes (even for dine in). The portions were HUGE. The quesa-birria was a new thing for us (tortilla dipped in some sort of juicy meat sauce then fried on the flat top and filled with meat and cheese) which was served with a cup of dipping sauce. They were delicious. The burrito was big, plenty of steak and flavorful enough without salsa. The quesadilla was plenty for our two older kids to share. The refried beans were unsalted (again, not mad, just be aware) and probably the thing I enjoyed least. The three items (plus beans and rice x 2) and 4 water cups (no tip was asked for or given) was $37.32. FYI - they charge 50 cents per cup of water...which would NORMALLY be super annoying. However, after I received (and tasted) the food, I realized the value was so great here and I found the charge just fine to cover their material costs. A must visit when in Carlsbad! read more

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This place is INCREDIBLE. I hate fussy food. This place is not fancy. Relaxed place but busy. The kitchen staff deserves recognition. They are honed. I need the recipes for their sauces and that CONSOMMÉ. Dang. I ordered the birria. I can't resist. Go there. read more

Definitely a fan of this place. Head up to the counter, order a bunch of tacos, and be happy. There is an area to get all types of toppings and salsas for your tacos which I appreciate. I split an order of the birria cheese tacos, and tried the al pastor and carne asada tacos. All were fantastic. The birria tacos were stuffed with plenty of cheese - delicious with or without the consommé. The carne asada was also delish but my fave of all was the al pastor. So happy we stopped by and got a coke in a bottle with real sugar too. Recommended. read more

El Charro - Steak and el pastor taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Went for a torta but they don't have them anymore! Got this sandwich. I hope it's tasty. Update: I was worried, but y'all this is still one of the best meals you can have at a restaurant in Carlsbad. The sandwich is tasty and I would order again. The fries were pretty sad and soggy but I don't care because I didn't know the fries were going to be there. Next time I will tell them to leave them off. The salsa bar more than made up for it. Yum!!! read more

El Charro - Went for a torta but they don't have them anymore! Got this sandwich. I hope it's tasty. - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Excellent quesabirria. The best. We were passing through, overnight in Carlsbad. Locals at a brewery recommended El Charro. Glad we gave them a try. read more

Plain and simple interior but great food and fast service. You order at cashier and your name is called when ready. There is no wait staff .A meal for a family only took 10 minutes to prep. The beef tacos I got were very tasty without needing anything from the condiment bar. Didn't mind such simplicity as the place was tidy and people friendly. Highly recommend this place . read more

El Charro - Soft tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

I wasn't expecting much since there aren't many great food options in Carlsbad (I stayed here a couple nights and got to try other places), but was pleasantly surprised by the Asado plate. HUGE portion...my to go plate felt like it weighed 2 lbs. It could be for 2-3 ppl to share. Flavor of the pork asado was on point, although it was pretty greasy. I have a sensitive stomach so hopefully the grease doesn't cause issues, but if it does, I won't even be upset haha. Rice is perfectly cooked and seasoned. Beans tastes fresh and homemade, not the canned crap a bunch of places serve. Hands down the best food I tried in this little town. read more

El Charro - Asado plate - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Good food in the middle of nowhere. The quesabirria tacos were good. Plenty of food and could've fed two of us. Plenty of meat and not the fatty nasty kind... it was meat! We took the food to-go because the indoor area was extremely hot. Just waiting for the food was miserable but it was the wait. read more

The coveted 5 stars for a Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad NM?? Yes indeed. And not for the food, but for the ice-cream shop next door. They serve hand packed, fresh Italian ice cream that would rival the best ice-cream in Florence all for a few bucks a scoop. They don't speak a word of English, but they know what they have and they know that you want. No, correction need it! Have the Dolce Delcie in a waffle cone, it will change you life. read more

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The whole restaurant got there food before I did. My entire family got their food and finished and still don't have my food 30 min even after. Poor service and they didn't seem to care. I don't recommend. Food looked just okay. read more

Food was good, traditional. The food seems under seasoned until you realize the reason you are there is the sauces! The food is seasoned perfectly to let the various salsas shine. Try them all. No ambiance, think bright cafeteria, but you don't need it. The staff is friendly and moving quickly and the meal is great. read more

Decided to visit for dinner last night after going to carlsbad caverns. We got the quesabirria and the brisket burrito. Good prices, the burrito was in between the size of a burrito and soft taco, and flavor was decent but not great. The beans should be skipped and probably the brisket burrito too. Not a bad place to go but not 5 stars in my book. read more

I was so surprised that this business does not have their own yelp page! The people here are the best and they serve the best ice cream ever in different variations! I was basic and got the banana split but it was so good! Imagine all this food for just 6 dollars! The place itself was very cute and such a fun vibe! They also have a lot of grocerries with Mexican brands which I love as I love their snacks and it's all so accessible in one place! It is however, kind of connected to El charro bt is a separate entity! read more

El Charro - Banana Split - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico