Carniceria San Juan de Los Lagos in Carlsbad, NM has to be some of the best Mexican food I've ever…read morehad! I usually have a rule when traveling that I don't visit the same restaurant more than once, but this place was the exception. I came back three times in two days. Yes, it was that good. Sadly, the third time I came back, they were closed. The food tasted very authentic and absolutely worth the visit. I noticed some reviews mentioned communication issues or that the staff may not speak much English. I had a little bit of that struggle too, but honestly, that's how you know you might be in the right place for truly authentic Mexican food. I also felt like it was partly my fault for not doing enough research before ordering. But we figured it out, and the food was more than worth it. One small suggestion: it would be helpful if the menu had a little more English explanation, pictures, or item numbers to make ordering easier for both customers and staff. Overall, this is the kind of true hidden gem you hope to find in a small town. I would definitely take a detour to come back here whenever I'm in the area again.

Carnicería San Juan de los Lagos - Worth the Detour, Even Years Later…read more Some places stay with you. So much so that five years later, on a completely different road trip, you find yourself checking the map and thinking... "we're kind of close." Back in 2021, while exploring nearby national parks, we stumbled across Carnicería San Juan de los Lagos and loved it. This time, on our way to White Sands National Park, we made a small detour to see if it still held up. First surprise... I barely recognized the area. What used to feel like the middle of nowhere has filled in. Suburban life has arrived. Growth happened. But the place? Still there. Still good. Inside, it keeps that same warm, easy charm. Cute wood, farm-style Mexican decor, nothing fancy, just welcoming. The space has grown too, now clearly divided into restaurant, carnicería, and panadería, which means more reasons to linger. And the smell when you walk in? That alone could convince you to stay. Service was just as we remembered, sweet, friendly, and genuine. The kind that makes you feel like a regular even if you've been gone for five years. We went with pozole and shrimp tacos, and both delivered. Flavorful, comforting, exactly what we were hoping for. It's always a bit of a gamble revisiting a place you loved years ago. This one paid off. Still a favorite. Still worth the stop.

I was recommended El Charro in Carlsbad, NM by some locals, and I'm so glad I listened…read more 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.

Ordered takeout and my husband said the whole experience went well…read more 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.

Delicious carne guisada and the best cheese enchiladas I've ever had. The green chile burrito is…read moreas big as your head. The restaurant is filled with locals, which gives it authenticity vibes. Service is friendly and fast. Definitely recommended! I'm giving 4 stars because it's not a fine dining establishment--but we'd definitely come back if we ever roll through Carlsbad again.

The food was absolutely delicious! Fresh and served promptly. The service was prompt and excellent!…read moreHighly recommended

Great service. We are from Dallas, so Tex-Mex runs in our veins. This food surpassed my…read moreexpectations for Jalisco style and for food in Carlsbad. Yum! The salsa was spicy and great. Really loved the cheese on my burrito and the taco meat was red colored and had a great flavor. The plate was oven hot, the server said so as she put it in front on me wearing oven mits, but I insisted on touching it and I wear this blister in memory of a wonderful meal!

I had the El Jimador Fajitas, which as steak, chicken, and shrimp. Simply delicious. The service…read morewas excellent as well.

We came here for early dinner while in town and the food was delicious. Service was a bit slow,…read morewith only 2 waitstaff. We ordered: 1) shrimp aguachile - this was refreshing and pretty good; shrimp did not taste bad either 2) molcajete - this was the highlight of the meal as I enjoyed everything they used inside including the meats and shrimp 3) seafood (octopus) pasta - husband ordered this and enjoyed it, especially the baby octopus Meal also comes up with free salsa + chips, along with some type of fish soup if you order entrees. We were pleasantly surprised by this place, and glad we found a place to dine that's close to the national park!

The food was good. The salsa was fresh. They give you complementary soup, which was delicious btw…read more I had the grilled shrimp tacos which were good. I've had better but these were still good.

So good!!! Service was fast and great. We had a burrito and it was huge!!! So good and fresh.read more

Excellent food and service. We ordered chicken tostadas, chicken burrito with enchilada (smothered…read morein both red and green sauces) and chicken fajitas. The chicken fajitas were very tasty. Whatever they do to the onions and peppers is amazing. Chicken Tostadas were delicious. The tortilla stayed crunchy. My husband preferred the green sauce on his burrito to the red but I liked the red better. Their horchata is fantastic. Not too sweet and perfect cinnamon flavor. The chips come with two salsas. A green creamy spicy salsa and a tomato based salsa with chopped avocado pieces. Very good. They have a kids menu with typical "kid safe" foods. We didn't order off this menu so I can't say how that food tastes. We came on a Friday for lunch (2 adults, 3 kids). The restaurant was quite busy with a mix of tourists and locals. I highly recommend this place!

*** outstanding tamales in Southeastern New Mexico ***…read more I popped into Fernando's Tamales in Carlsbad, NM hoping to take home at least two dozen in my cooler. Just before 11 AM I learned that they were completely out of red pork. I could have waited a half hour for a batch, but I didn't. I already had obligations to which I was en route. So I settled for a half dozen green chile cheese and a half dozen chicken with green chile ($26). They were delicious - even reheated! Make sure to get change if you pay cash. I handed a young lady $40 and she closed the drawer and started to walk off. Lol. RATING BREAKDOWN Food: 5 | Service: 3 | Ambiance: 4 | Price: 4

Nice spot for breakfast. Had horchata, hot chocolate and tamale. Come early because they run outread more

My husband and I shared: - Steak Quesadilla…read more- Chicharron en Verde Burrito - Barbacoa Torta - Carnitas Taco Plate My favorite thing was definitely the burrito. I also enjoyed the torta. I thought the tacos were a bit dry and the quesadilla was a bit plain, but it wasn't bad.

Food was super yummy. Great flavor. The staff was super nice. Also was very clean. We will be back…read moreagain for sure.

Was in town for a couple vacation days from Mississippi and the in-laws remembered this place from…read morewhen they lived here in the mid 80's and said try it. Wait was 5-10 mins even though we were the only ones standing there. One supposedly seating was the packing in the bar and said she would finish here story when she got done. Another domes minutes to get someone to get our drinks and chips to the table, another 5 to get the order. In all it was 30 for the sit to food showing up and like I said it wasn't that busy at all. Rice was bland with just a tomato paste taste, I love the standard 2.5 review number is right. Should have gone to the taco truck. I know it would have been better. Pass it up. It may have been good back then, it definitely sucks now

I haven't had a bad experience here yet! From their drinks to their appetizers to their main…read morecourses. I never leave room for dessert!! The food is amazing and the servings are huge! The service is top notch with every server that walks by checks up on you to ask if you're doing ok.