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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 :(
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.
El Charro keeping it humble and absolutely delivering. Not fancy (nothing in this town really is ) but daaaaauuum... that bean burrito was one of the best I've had in a long time. The burritos do run a little on the smaller side, but they're packed with flavor and definitely hit the spot. The salsa bar actually brings the heattttt spicy spicy, not just "I promise it's hot" spicy and the guac has legit flavor. Best part? You finish your meal and casually wander next door because it's connected to an ice cream and fruiteria situation. Dinner + dessert without even leaving the building. Say less. read more
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
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
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
2 months ago
9 months ago
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
2 months ago
2 months ago
Great Barbacoa! Fast service especially for the amount of people in the restaurant! Dining area was quiet and cool! read more
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
2 months ago
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
10 months ago
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
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
2 months ago
2 months ago
2 months ago
2 years ago
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
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
6 months ago
6 months ago
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
8 months ago
10 months ago
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
2 years ago
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
5 months ago
2 years ago
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
1 year ago
6 months ago
4 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
1 year ago
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
4 years ago
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
1 year ago
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
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
1 year ago
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
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1302 S Canal St
Carlsbad, NM 88220
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(575) 361-4724
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El Charro - mexican - Updated August 2026
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