Great local place. Carne Asada burrito was great! The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Best for takeout.

I feel like Yelp steered me wrong on this one. Based on the high ratings, I decided to give this place a try and ordered a carnitas burrito. The price was reasonable--about $10, with an additional charge for toppings such as tomato, cilantro, onions, sour cream, and guacamole. Before ordering, I asked which meats were fresh, and I was told that all of the meats had been prepared that day. I took my burrito to a nearby park and was disappointed from the first bite. The carnitas were very dry and seemed to have little flavor beyond salt. The meat also had a slightly gray appearance and did not taste like freshly cooked pork. It seemed as though it had been reheated, which only made it drier. There were also a couple of small burnt bits in the burrito. The burrito itself was mostly refried beans, with a small amount of rice. For roughly the first three-quarters of the burrito, I barely noticed any of the extra toppings I had paid for. When I finally reached the center, there was a very small amount of guacamole, even less sour cream, and a little tomato, onion, and cilantro. The cilantro was actually the highlight of the burrito--it tasted fresh and added some flavor--but there wasn't enough of it to make much difference overall. Unfortunately, this meal did not live up to the reviews or my expectations. While the price was fair, the quality and flavor were disappointing, and I would not order the carnitas burrito again. I ended up throwing away 1/2 of the burrito. As far as ambiance, it is just a tiny place geared toward takeout with some outside seating right along the road. read more

I just had the Kathy's little kitchen chicks tacos and after eating the breakfast burrito earlier today... and friends having chicken burritos... I'm honestly not that impressed, and similarly neither were my friends - for them it was their first time. I feel like they've gone downhill I don't know what's going on. Maybe Kathy's cutting costs or they got a new chef? Hope hope they're able to fix this because historically their burritos have been packed with flavor and taste and deliciousness and lots of gooey cheese and goodness where is now I think they've removed a lot of of the ingredients probably to cut cost and it really tastes like it too it feels that way The ambience is always quaint and intimate. Still waiting for her ice cream shop next-door to open. Kathy or the owner is really sweet but she looks a little more stressed more recently so I'm guessing that's why the food is lacking nowadays. Hopefully it changes back to the old ways. read more

Had a great lunch here. The adobada meat is really flavorful and juicy. Great price point and friendly staff. Lots of tables outside too. read more

Kathy's Little Kitchen - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Tasty food at an affordable price. You order at the counter. It's very casual. I didn't see a restroom. Staff is friendly. Service is quick. I had three taxis. They are small with the double shell. Topped with onion, Guac and tomatoes. I preferred the carnitas over the carne asada. Bottled drinks for sale. read more

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Awesome carne asada tacos! Super nice folks, very friendly and helpful. The flour tortilla chips are cooked to order! Soooo good! There are a couple tables inside this little restaurant and a row of tables on the outside patio. There's parking along the street. Seems to be a favorite place for the locals to eat. Reasonable prices. Drinks are bottled. read more

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One evening in April 2025, we had dinner in Kathy's Little Kitchen when we visited Carmel Valley. We used the outside seating even though it was a little chilly. We ordered several dishes. The prices were amazingly cheap, especially considering the area. The food was tasty and plentiful. We were quite happy with our experience. We will definitely go back there if we get another chance. read more

Kathy's Little Kitchen - Some of the food - Mexican Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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Basic as can be. The potatoes were cut and thrown into some oil with no seasonings. They could seriously improve upon their flavors. There are two tables to sit inside and a few outside. It really is little but clean and the staff were friendly. read more

Kathy's Little Kitchen - Country Style Breakfast - Mexican Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Great find on drive through Carmel Valley. Small restaurant with outdoor deck. Large menu, great selection of items. Delicious Mexican food! We had carnitas, fish and shrimp tacos all done perfectly. Prices very reasonable as well. read more

I really wanted to like this place, and was impressed that it had 4.6 stars. The staff was pleasant, but I don't think they really care about the food or the customers. What should have been a quick delicious bite took forever, and was so off that I didn't eat more than a third of it.. I was the only person ordering, and there were only two other parties that already had their food at their tables. I asked the gentleman behind the counter what he recommended, and ordered the burrito that he said was best, plus chips and a large Jamaica. 10 minutes later I had finished the Jamaica and the chips finally came out. They were tasty because they had been freshly fried from tortillas that he had just chopped up, but the tortillas were still all clumped together so half of the chips were not cooked and not chips. Another 10 minutes after that, when I had eaten all the edible chips, I popped my head inside to ask if my burrito was still coming... 25 minutes after I placed the only order they needed to cook, it was finally ready. The burrito came wrapped in paper rather than foil, making it hard to eat. I plowed my way through copious amounts of refried beans and Spanish rice, looking for the meat which was somewhere in the middle, very fatty and oily and fried with onions. Unfortunately, despite being very hungry, I decided to cut my losses and dodge a bellyache, so I paid, left them a tip, and went to find some better food up in Santa Cruz. read more

Quaint place in Carmel Valley serves great tacos with many meat choices.They also serve breakfast, burgers, and other Mexican food. Only two inside tables and a few outside. We noticed a lot of locals stopped by for a quick lunch to go. We enjoyed the food so much we went back a second time in a week on our vacation. Would hihghly recommend. read more

Family owned. Everything is made from scratch and super tasty. Super small but cozy and so much charm. The views of the Santa Lucia mountains are epic. We will be back !! read more

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While visiting in the Carmel Valley area, we decided to pick up some tacos and burritos - sooo glad we did! The food was fresh, hot, and oh so delicious! They had several customers on site and lots of folks picking up food. Highly recommend! read more

You can't beat the delicious food and prices here. Great customer service, always friendly. Outdoor seating with umbrellas over the table, nice view of the mountains. Ordered a simple plate of chicken and beans, chili relleno, and carne asada. All great dishes. read more

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This is a great little find in Carmel Valley Village. There are only three tables for dine-ins so it's really more of a to-go joint. I've only been for breakfast burritos but Kathy's Little Kitchen has tacos and plate meals too. I like chorizo or bacon. It comes filled with egg, cheese and potatoes with a hot grilled tortilla on the outside. read more

Kathy's Little Kitchen - Order at the counter - Mexican Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

Get in here!!! Came for breakfast and chose the breakfast burrito with beans as the optional filling. SO good - massive portion, fresh ingredients and fantastic house-made hot sauce. Simple surroundings with a few tables inside and more outdoor seating. Friendly and efficient service. Would love to come back when I find myself down the way again! read more

Don't get the breakfast burrito unless you only want potatoes and tortilla. If that's the case really great stuff.

Nice enough place. Two tables inside and sidewalk dining for outdoor. Good pricing considering it's in Carmel valley. Nice staff. read more

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My husband and I eat here frequently and we have never been disappointed. Service is good, food is delicious. This place is nothing fancy, you can sit inside as there are a few tables or you can sit outside along Carmel Valley Road and watch the traffic. It's just simple good Mexican food. Prices are very reasonable. You don't have to spend a fortune to have a good time in Carmel Valley. read more

Best burritos and Mexican food n Carmel valley village. Service is quick and friendly. Outdoor seating is Available, give 300 days of sunshine. The have beers for a nice cold one! read more

Fantastic hole-in-the-wall spot, great food for a great price! My boyfriend and I ordered to-go before our friends' wedding, we picked it up and headed back to our airbnb to eat before we got ready for the wedding. This was a place listed on their recommended list for places to go, and it was one of their favorite spots to eat at! I can definitely see why: Customer service: pretty great, very kind! We only did pick-up so our interaction was brief. Food: fantastic! I got the asada plate with tortillas, which came on the side. The meat was delicious and aromatic, I loved the caramelize onions, it was delicious! The rice and beans were great as well, I would just say that I wish the rice were a tad bit more moist but overall, it was really good. I had many tortillas and the meal was perfect and filling. My boyfriend got the chicken salad, and it was good too. I love how much avocado they gave him and it was a perfect portion, the chicken was cooked very well, it was really juicy and all together, it made a fantastic salad. Definitely would recommend! read more

Kathy's Little Kitchen - Chicken salad - Mexican Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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Visited Carmel Valley this past weekend and had breakfast at our favorite spot! This place does not disappoint. Great service and excellent food! Can't wait to go back! read more

Best shrimp tacos in CA and the prices are crazy for the quality and quantity of food.

Great food,tortas,hamburgers,burritos are all really good Friendly staff fast service A local favorite read more

Took a chance and detoured out of the way on my drive back from Big Sur to the Bay Area to stop here. Chips warm and fresh, terrific salsa, and killer shrimp tacos with an avocado salsa. Might just do it for a day trip coming back for a hike. Really good food! read more

Affordable food which is much needed after eating at many of the other options in town and nearby. This is a great place to grab a breakfast burrito before heading off to Big Sur or hiking! Order inside and find yourself a seat outside. I personally recommend the avocado bacon burrito. Really comfortable place. Definitely a good spot to go to! read more

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Working in the area someone recommended this spot. I'm glad I came here the spot is the real deal. The breakfast chorizo burrito was the best I've had ever. read more

Love their food! Love their prices! When ever I get to work in Carmel Valley I make it a point to stop there. Silvia is always very friendly! read more

As a lover of Mexican food, I knew this had to be a stop during our stay here at Carmel Valley. This is located at the end of a strip. We stopped by full of wine from wine tasting and empty stomach. I knew I picked the right spot when lengua was on the menu. There were so many items I wanted to try, but I settled for a few tacos. I got Chile relleno, Chile verde and of course lengua. We couldn't wait to taste all the food when it came out. My tacos were in lovely corn tortilla and they were all filled with lots of filling. My favorite was Chile Verde (pork?). The other two didn't disappoint either. I was not a big fan of the salsa they had, but the tacos itself have enough flavor and I didn't need any extra. The shrimp diablo is a large plate of shrimp swimming in a red sauce along with beans and rice and some lettuce. It came with some tortilla on the side. It is spicy! But it was excellent. We left there with full bellies. I would make another trip there next time I'm in the are read more

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Kathy's Little Kitchen is a diamond in the rough. Small restaurant located on corner of street (walk in or sit down). Authentic Mexican food made with love. The breakfast burrito was fantastic! The green tomatillo salsa was the bomb!! Love the authentic vibe. Definitely will return! So much more I want to try! read more

Carmel Valley on a budget? Eat here!!! This is an interesting Mexican American small venue. It has a couple of indoor tables and 4-5 outdoor tables so more of a take out place. It is dog friendly. I really liked this place. It's not much to look at but the counter order person is really nice. Very personable. I had the taquitos and they were good. Nothing mind bending but very satisfying. I would eat here again for sure. Check it out. read more

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Super hungry after a glorious hike at Jack's Peak, we were thrilled to find Kathy's still open for lunch at 3:30. Everyone loved their meals, but my #8 Chile Rellenos were one of the best versions of my favorite dish that I've ever eaten. Lightly battered chiles, chock full of cheese and smothered in super delicious red sauce with just the perfect amount of heat. The side of beans was cheesy and every bit as flavorful as the main. Guac was delicious, but not as chunky as I prefer. The Pineapple Agua Fresca was perfectly balanced and just as refreshing as the very reasonable bill. Wonderful and friendly staff, too. Love this place!!! read more

The food was excellent! I got the beef tongue super burrito, and it was one of the best I've ever had. Service is quick and the place has plenty of seating. It is a super cozy restaurant with lots of seating outside. read more

Love their breakfast burritos and their bean and cheese burrito is my son's absolute favorite! Always kind and quick.

This little place is dependable authentic delicious food. The staff are very friendly and willing to please. Very yummy food for the burritos and nachos all the way to a burger if you want! Delicious read more

Casual, great food. Locals come by in droves to get food to take home, or eat in the 2 indoor and one outdoor eating areas. Super prices, friendly staff. We eat here, at least once, every time we come to Carmel Valley read more

Good Food and great service. Inconvenient location . Mexican and fresh food. Friendly and family environment. read more

I have been going here for many years. In fact I think I started coming here in the 90's. I used to drive over from Salinas just to have a great breakfast. It was always delicious. The eggs were great. Especially the omlettes. And the country fries really made the breakfast special. But don't go just for breakfast. They have really great lunch items too. A really great place to eat. read more

Great service. Food is amazing love the tacos. Very nice people. Always there working hard

Fantastic hole in the wall Mexican food!! We bought food and brought over to wine tasting!! Shrimp tacos were very tasty!! Their homemade chips were awesome. Bean and cheese burrito was great. Highly recommended!! I will be back soon!!! read more

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