Solid Mexican food spot located in a parking lot near a Target store! They have about 20 tables but it gets busy quickly. We were lucky to order and get seated right away, coz the line was soon out of the door! The service is friendly and courteous and the staff goes out of their way to ensure you're enjoying their food. These guys made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list in 2021 and 2025 and once you eat their food, you can see why. We got a steak burrito and a chorizo quesadilla which is more like a large taco. They have a bunch of dishes from Mexico City that you don't typically see in typical Mexican restaurants. The burrito was served with pickled vegetables and the quesadilla came with limes and cucumber slices on the side. They have two amazing salsas both of which are good. The salsa verde was my favorite - spicy, garlicky and on the money!! That itself should be bottled and sold! We will be back with friends! read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Interior - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

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Good and friendly customer service. 4/5 The cabeza taco was a little salty. Lengua is good along with the Al pastor. 3/5 However, nothing stands out compared to other taquerias. The gordita is a busted as the bread is q little thick and the flavor is bland. 2/5 They have a lot more other interesting dishes that I am willing to come back to try. Will revise rating next time. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

I was recently traveling in the bay and was craving Mexican food. My brothers live and work in the area and they recommended this place that they frequently go to. Los Carnalitos is in a huge shopping plaza, we went in circles looking for it. Not a typical place you would find a hole in the wall like this in LA. I was skeptical. BUT... boy they proved me wrong. The line was out the door! And I can see why now. They have a cashier at the front, taking your order before you sit down. That's probably why the line was out the door and it took a little longer to get in. We came for the huaraches and I was impressed, they ask if you want nopales (grilled cactus) and we said yes! With protein of choice, the base of the huaraches has so much flavor. It's served with beans on top and some cheese. They have a red and green salsa. They both were good! I really enjoyed the food and service! Ended with a chocoflan and that was yummy too! If you're in the area, give this spot a try! Very authentic Mexican food! read more

Another Friday, not feeling like cooking so thought I would give Los Carnalitos a try. The menu had so many items I personally never heard of but will come back to try. I got 2 super asada burritos to go and the wait was about 10 to 15 minutes. The size was average and the flavors were good. The steak tasted like it was grilled and there was a few pieces that were grisly. The beans and rice were good but the cheese could of been melted a little bit more. Their salsas were fresh and spicy! There is parking and the restaurant area is a little small. Great customer service! read more

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Super good Michelin Bib Gourmand recognized Mexican restaurant. Looked up what to get and people recommended their Azteca Quesadilla that has squash blossom and cactus, lots of fresh flavors and corn tortilla. We then got their Gringa, Choraqueso, and Suaqueso, along with an asada (beef) taco. This was for 2 people, and my friend also got a horchata. We shared all of this which was a lot which is why we didn't get any more tacos. But the meats were SO good!! Their asada (beef), suadero (beef), and pastor (pork). If I could order again I would definitely get the gringa which was their pastor, red onion, cheese, onion, cilantro, habanero, and avocado on a flour tortilla. I felt like mine also had pineapple but it was so good with a nice kick of spice!! I shared this with my friend so one full one would prob be more than enough and maybe just 1 taco, so much flavor in their meats. Their service is also so awesome. The workers were very patient and made their recommendations whenever people ordered and always checked in on us and everyone with how they were doing. You order at front and pay and then take a seat if you're dining in or you can wait for take out. It's located in the same shopping plaza as Target and we came in on a Saturday afternoon around 2 and there was a steady flow of people dining in and picking up. There's plenty of parking since it's within a plaza. Can't wait to come back when I'm in the area! read more

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This is one of those places, where I kept passing by and did not pay much attention to it. Wedge between a Panda Express and other local retailer, there's Los Carnalitos. It always excites me when I find a little gems in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, I was a bit late.. this little gem is now a polished diamond. Awarded as one of the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Los Carnalitos, offered the authentic street flavors. The place has very limited in seatings, i went there for the first time to pick up lunch, the lunch order lines goes all the way out the door. If you want to dine it, i highly recommend you to either be ahead of lunch time rush or wait till after the rush. But they offer the convenience of online ordering and pickup. If you do pickup during lunch hours, just politely informing people in line that you are here for pickup. So you don't get those angry side eyes do not think that you skip the line. Staff was super friendly and quick. I walked right in, and a lady help me to my order. Grab my food and rush home. I ordered a bunch of tacos (per request from the queen) and a Gringa. I wasn't sure what Gringa was but I would love to try it. And a side of nopales... Gringa: a dense, packed flour taco with crispy, savory pastor, cheese, cilantro, onion, red onion, and bits of pineapple on a flour tortilla. It was a flavor "bomb". The rest of the tacos ... Cochinita, carnitas, pastor and asada. Both the cochinita and carnitas were absolutely delicious. Pastor and asada are on the dry end. Maybe because it has been sitting in the box or overcooked. But I'm willing to try again via dine-in. Can't just judge a meal by a to-go order. Now that I found another taco option... My Taco Thursday lunch will be much fulfilled. What are you waiting for? Let's go... Chow time read more

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Solid spot for a variety of meats and such. Went with for tacos and a bev, ran me about $18. All of them were good but in order of which I liked best I'd go 1) Carne 2) Carnitas 3) Lengua 4) Suadero. Definitely worth checking out this Michelin guide spot in Hayward. 8.5/10 read more

Huaraches Pastor + Aqua Fresca is the play. Team is very friendly and on top of things. Family vibes. read more

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We had a lovely experience as first timers at this place which was on the way back home! We tried so many tacos, carne asada al pastor, lengua,cabeza,chorizo,cochinita etc all tacos were amazing! Our 7.5 year old enjoyed as well. Ordering after the first order was a mistake because it took forever to come :( so if you go order once! The 2nd mistake was to order churros. They were sadly miserable. I asked the staff if they were homemade or just bought frozen once and they were frozen so that was sad. I wouldn't order that again and honestly they shouldn't have it on the menu. I would come back to try other things on the menu! read more

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I can't tell you how many times I've been here...the limit does not exist lol Food 5/5: FIRE. Dare i say the best tacos in the bay? Chili verde sauce is cr*ck. lol. I get extras bc it's that freakin good. Carnitas tacos are always juicy, tender and perfect. Service 5/5: Staff is always super friendly, quick and efficient. Ambiance 5/5: More of a hole in the wall spot, no frills place but gets the job done and I love coming here. You won't regret coming here!!! The food always smacks. I moved farther away sadly and still make the drive bc I miss Carnalitos. Haha. read more

Pro Tip: If you are in any rush or under time constraints, please consider ordering to-go, the food is just as bomb and fresh as if you dined in. We came at 11:30 AM and waited probably 40 minutes for food to come out because they were so backed up with doordash orders. That's not to say the staff wasn't working hard, everyone including the waitresses/hostess was hustling non stop--it was just the byproduct of a really good restaurant with really good food. When we finally got our food, it was well worth the wait. Everything was piping hot and I had to wait for my Al Pastor tacos to cool before devouring them. Our whole dining experience lasted an hour total plus the wait because we scarfed down this delicious food. Now let's talk about the food. The Al Pastor is perfectly smoked and garnished with a sweet slice of pineapple. I can easily smash four of these and highly recommend them. I also had a bite of the Carne Asada Burrito my girlfriend had and the Carne there also was smokey and seasoned perfectly. There were no bad options. I can see why Los Carnalitos is Michelin guided and you can tell how good it is by the amount of Spanish speakers who choose to dine in. All the signs of an authentic and delicious experience. This is now hands down my number one Mexican restaurant in the entire East Bay. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Al Pastor Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

Most of their meats are good but the pollo asada was dry. The beans were not great either, more on the dry side. They were not willing to substitute upon request (I wanted lettuce instead of rice and beans on my plate). The plantains were good. They seem to have a lot of returning customers. I'd come back for more unique Mexican dishes that you can't get at other taquerias. read more

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I loved the vibe of this place. You order first and then have a seat then they bring your food. They cook the food fresh right there and bring it straight to your table. We all ordered drinks but I had to get cafe de olla. They had guayaba Agua Fresca I've never seen before and my sister liked it. We got our food next but still I hadn't got my coffee. Because I'm Mexican I am very picky with Mexican food. I was not a big fan of the carne asada quesadilla. The home made tortilla saved it. My siblings also thought their food was just okay. With the Michelin recommendation I expected a little more especially for the price but it's just your average Mexican restaurant. I would definitely give this place another try and get what they're know for the huaraches. read more

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Tried the haurache con carne asada y nopales today. Corn tortilla stuffed with black beans and topped with meat of your choice and cactus. I love nopales so I thought the flavors were a perfect symphony. Slightly charred asada, tangy nopales, slight sweetness from onions and earthiness from the corn tortilla and beans. Amazing. Would definitely get it again and I honestly think it could be split between two people. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Huarache Con Carne y Nopales below and Quesadilla de Chicharron above that. - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

This place is as good as people say it is! There was a line out the door but the staff took orders quickly. You find seating after ordering. The food came in a short amount of time. I ordered the beef quesadilla, carne asada taco, churro and the mango maracuja agua fresca. The shape of the quesadilla was very interesting. It was cheesy and delicious! The taco was very flavorful and the meat was tender but the salsa was a little too spicy for me. The churro came in the form of Jenga. There was way more churro than expected! I like the taste but it was a little harder in texture than I'd like. I loved the mango passionfruit drink! It was perfect for quenching my thirst and cooling down the spice lol 10/10 recommend! If you are a fan of tacos, you'll have to try their authentic tacos. They have a wide variety of meats. Oh and don't forget to get their agua fresca! read more

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Remembering how good the food was when I ate in the restaurant with my daughter I ordered a meal through DoorDash. I got a grilled chicken super burrito, side of beans and rice and some homemade corn tortillas. The food was fresh hot and delicious. Give them a try you will be glad you did. Bon appetit. read more

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Gracious hosts, came to drop off my plates seeing that I was on crutches. Top that off with delicious food that was some of the best vegetarian taco Ive had, ever. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Taco was delicious. We preferred a meat-less version. - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

This had been on my list for over a year and we tried it out post swim workout. I ordered a huarache with al pastor and cactus while my partner got a lengua quesadilla. My partner also got a coffee to try which he says is pretty good. My only complaint is that the worker didn't make it mild! we had asked for mild and the food was so spicy that it was harder to enjoy. The ingredients were fresh and well made~ Prices are quite reasonable so the bib gourmand recognition is well deserved~ We area ready to try the rest of the menu. read more

This place got Michelin recommended once again 2025! Ive been here a couple of times beforehand and got their tacos and they were good! But this time I went here with my boyfriend (yes chat he asked me out and were in love lol) I got their quesadilla! And it was good! Pretty chill vibe, some co workers having lunch and a bunch of Bros munching on some burritos! Will come back! read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Carne Asada quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

I had to write another review, my husband and I have tried to find excuses to come to Hayward so we can come here. This time we got 4 tacos, Gordita de chicharrón and gringa, as well as some burritos for later. Everything was again AMAZING! The carne asada and carnitas were as flavorful as I remembered them to be, the Gordita and gringa were different than what I feel I can get at some taquerias, truly special! Next time I want to try their panuchos and maybe another torta, they are so big. I'm an Oakland native and this still might be one of my top 5 favorite taquerias I've tried in the Bay. One note, ordering food on a Saturday night took over 40 minutes for a take out order, so plan accordingly. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - TACOS: From the top: chorizo, carne asada, carnitas, cochinita pibil - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

I took my boys here for lunch as they wanted some tacos. It is my first time here while the boys' second time. They enjoyed the tacos. Everything was delicious. There's plenty of tables to sit. Service was fine. A cute and cozy Mexican restaurant. Whenever I am in town and want some tacos, this is the place to come. You can go shop at Target afterwards . read more

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My go to spot for Mexican. Their Gordita and Tripas Tacos are amazing. They really set themselves apart from every other mexican place in the east bay Highly recommended read more

Came for a quick dinner on a Saturday. Space looks like an authentic taqueria with no frills. They proudly proclaim that they make handmade big corn tortillas. I've heard it received a Michelin nod with a bib gourmand, so I had some higher expectations of the food. I got the quesadilla with tinga de res (stewed beef). The handmade corn tortilla was very good, even with how large and oblong it had to be for the quesadilla. I'd say in all honesty that the filling was nothing unique. I was surprised the "quesadilla" only had a little bit of queso fresco inside, and no melting cheese. It's a bit of a soggy mess to consume as well. Service was a little on the slow side, but they were slammed at prime dinner hours. Perhaps I didn't get the right thing, but my experience was that it was just ok. If I happen to be back here I'd try something else! read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Quesadilla Tinga de Res - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

The food was delish! I got the steak taco (my favorite) and a steak tortas. My husband got the pork tacos, he said it was good too! The staff was friendly too. read more

Order at the door and take a seat. It is a wait. The restaurant is VERY busy with a line out the door so prepare for that. 40 minutes after ordering food starting coming in parts, not all Together. But the food is Delicious!!!!! I came for the chocoflan, left a cochinita pibil fan! I highly recommend it. Minus one star for slow service. They have a Michelin plate award for a reason. Worth the wait. read more

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Los Carnalitos in Hayward does not miss. We ordered carne asada tacos, adobo tacos, pollo asado tacos, a quesadilla, and a michelada, and everything was on point. The meats were flavorful, tender, and cooked just right. The carne asada had that perfect char, the adobo was rich and packed with flavor, and the pollo asado was juicy and well seasoned. Fresh cilantro, onions, and that green salsa tied everything together. The quesadilla was loaded and satisfying, not skimpy at all. And the michelada? Ice cold with a solid tajín rim and great balance. Exactly what you want with tacos. Service was friendly and quick, and the portions were generous. If you're in Hayward and want legit Mexican food that hits every time, this is the spot. Definitely coming back. Its a small little spot that fills up on Fridays read more

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Got the suaqueso, cabeza + lengua tacos & the gringa. Personally liked the suaqueso the best had nice melted cheese and tasty flavors. Cucumbers were nice n fresh. Wait was a tad long though would come back try the other foods. The meats of the tacos were nice and tender read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Saw - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

I came here with my gf for a quick snack. I got a carne asada taco. It was good. The tortillas were great. The customer service was excellent and so kind and helpful. The inside of the place is plain looking, but plenty of space to sit and talk. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Asada taco - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

The lady was so friendly and gave me huarache as a recommendation. It was my first time trying cactus and it tasted like a combination of a pepper and a jalapeño which I love. The Guava drink was so fresh and it was such a great pairing I downed it so fast. Perfect summer drink. The service was great as well, she checked in a few times with us to see if the food was great and it was! Would come back as well to get the quesadilla as it was another one of her recommendations. read more

I'd like to think that I know good Mexican food when I eat it. I pride myself in trying to find the best Mexican food in the US. My great friend invited me to eat at los carnalitos and I of course was excited. (I always want Mexican) but I was more excited about that michilin recognition on the wall. So I got to the register to order and my eyes were dancing all over the place because wow they had a little bit of everything but what I loved was that if you order specific items you can't switch out the meat and that's when I knew this was going to be something special. I ordered a Gordita immediately because no where in Sacramento do we have a place making them. Then I got a huarache con nopales, a tinga tostada, some tacos and so much more. I'm a tiny girl but that that menu asked for it. Staff was super sweet and I think they liked my energy bc I was vibrating from looking at the menu items being shown on the tv lol We got our food and it was completely silent my best friend and I were incomplete shock. I have never experienced Mexican food this way and when I mean, this way, I mean every single piece of ingredient I could taste in my mouth. It was fresh. It was hot. It was delicious. I looked at my friend and I literally told her this restaurant is the best Mexican food I have ever had in that includes all of California and all of Mexico. I know I can't believe it either. Do yourself a favor and make your way over to Los Carnalitos so you will not regret it. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

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Whelp was out again looking for something to eat. Seen this spot before so I decided to step in and give it a run. I must say, I wasn't disappointed at all. From the service to the food everything was grade A. The food in my opinion was cooked well. Definitely a 5/5 on the food. The juice that I had was super good. I think it was guava & mango. A definite return to spot. read more

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It's not your usual mexican style restaurant, meaning there are three tv monitors - their menu. As you enter be ready to place your order. Find a table and host will place a random "Loteria" card...I like that. I had the huarache with pastor and cactus along with a cochinita pibil (my favorite) next I'll order two or three, the mini looking tostada is filled with some tasty black beans, I recommend you try this. The huarache itself was tough, could of used a steak knife to cut into it, the toppings were delicious! read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Huarache con pastor and cactus - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

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Carne asada is the best I've ever tasted this side of the border. Staff is awesome and love the ambiance of this place. My new spot in Hayward. read more

My new favorite taco spot. I love this place. Flavors are robust and authentic. Lengua tacos are perfect here. The aguas frescas and café de holla make beautiful pairings to the tasty bites. Service is friendly and efficient. So deserving of the Michelin recognition! All at very reasonable pricing. read more

Great tacos ! But definitely preferred The gordita de chicharrón They are $8 each Great service, and they bring your food out quick . Staff are very polite. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Gordita de chicharrón - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

Came here for dinner to catch up with a friend. None of us have been here before but heard about it through word of mouth. Los Carnalitos is located in the same plaza as Target off Whipple. There's enough parking but I can imagine it getting difficult during meal times and at times when target itself is busy. Once you enter, you order up front, pay, then they will bring your food to your table. We ended up getting quite a few things: asada tacos, gringa, choriqueso, and quesadillas de carne. The tacos, gringa, torta (I don't recall which one), and choriqueso were all great! The quesadillas de carne which I was most excited about was good, but nothing exciting. Just a heads up to people who can't handle spice, the gringa is pretty spicy. The cost is great for the location, especially for the quality of food that you're getting. There were plenty of tables but they filled up pretty quickly during dinner. The nice thing though is that most people leave pretty quickly. My one complaint and it's silly is that none of the lime had juice at all. We'll definitely be back to try out other things on the menu. read more

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Hubby ordered the popular huarache with carne asada and nopales. While I opted for the sope - not one, but two. Omg they were very delicious! I especially loved the chicken sope. But next time, I think I'll just get one. I was stuffed and couldn't finish the second one. It's definitely worth coming back again. The staff were quick and friendly. The music, however, could be changed to something more traditional. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Sope with carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California

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My daughter and I walked in one day and waited over an hour and twenty minutes for a couple burritos. It was also inconvenient to wait... its boring to walk outside on the sidewalk and its quite dull sitting indoors seeing the same content on their screens on repeat. For whatever reason we were just unlucky because plenty of people ahead of us were getting helped. I came because my previous experience was only waiting 15 minutes and the burrito was fantastic. I am not expecting special treatment but it would be nice to know if the expected wait will be 90 minutes. I will try them again another day and I will be more patient and try to pre-order... I will update my review based on next visit. read more

GENERAL VS REGIONAL I found this place by accident as I drove to eat at another eatery close by. After my meal at the other eatery I wanted to come to Los Carnalitos to give this place a try. When I entered Los Carnalitos I noticed the items on the menu were different from any Mexican eatery I ate before (later I discovered the food specializes in cuisine of Mexico City). What kind of items should I order? I came with intent to order items that did not have picture on the menu for delivery. I wanted to try something new. The first time I came here was the last Saturday of March. I ordered the gorditas that had a picture on the menu. Also I ordered the quesadilla de azteca, which didn't have a picture on the delivery menu. When you don't have a picture in mind what an item looks you don't have a premonition what the item will taste like. The gordita was tasty, but the quesadilla de azteca was better of the two dishes. My experiences with quesadillas are they have grilled marks with melted cheese. The quesadilla de azteca was the first time I ate this style as the cheese were crumbled. The second time I ate tostadas de pata and huarache con costilla. These items had no pictures from the delivery that's why ordered them. I like the tostada. The pata (beef tendons) had that slimy texture, but I never found it offputting as the lettuce and cheese contrasted that texture. By far the haurach con constilla was the tastiest of the two dishes. The beef short ribs on the haurache con constilla rivals with other beef short ribs I ate at a Korean or Hawaiian eatery. The third time I came here I ordered the tostada tinga de res and pambazo de chicharrón. The beef on the tostada was ok. The pambazo is like torta except the bread is marinated. Even though the bread was marinated it was crispy. That was an unexpected texture. The pambazo I ate at Los Carnalitos is better than any tortas I ate. The next time I came here I ordered the torta because I heard this place is known for their tortas. I ordered the salchica torta as I never expected turkey sausage was part of Mexican cuisine. The torta is tasty, but it pales in comparison to the pombazo because the marinated, grilled bread is more flavorful than a regular grilled bread. One other item I ordered was the churros. I've had churros at stadiums or other eateries where the quality of the churros was stale. The churros at Los Carnalitos are probably the best I've had at a restaurant. The portion is big while the churros are crunchy and moist. The drizzle of the sweet, condensed milk brings additional flavor to the churros The last time I came here I ordered two items I had in the past I liked: pombazo and churros. The pombazo I ordered this time was the traditional, which included chorizos. Overall Los Carnalitos Restaurant opened my palette to Mexican cuisine. Los Carnalitos Restaurant specializes food from the Mexico City. Most of the Mexican restaurants I ate at didn't focus on a regional cuisine but a general food of Mexico. Trying something new doesn't have to be adventurous but have an open mind. The best items I ate at Los Carnalitos were the quesadilla de azteca, haurache con constilla, pambozo, and churros. If I crave for a regional cuisine of Mexican food I would go back to Los Carnalitos Restaurant. read more

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This place is always top notch! It has spice. Don't sleep on it. 100% authentic Central America food. Fresh ingredients and a great price. I ate a whole Huarache and I definitely could have shared it. The service is great. Love the people there. Always trying to make your experience better. Inside has cool Hispanic motifs. read more

Los Carnalitos Restaurant - Huarache con Carne - Mexican Near Me - Hayward, California