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    McAlister's Deli

    2.4 (155 reviews)
    InexpensiveSalad, Delis, Sandwiches
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

    McAlister's Deli Photos

    MCALISTER'S DELI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Turkey avocado
    Iman Z.

    Ordered a meal togo and the service was friendly and pretty quick for how busy it was. The sandwich was delicious and had a good amount of avocado and turkey although I wish the bread was toasted. It also came with a pickle spear. I got a side of fruit which was not very good. A couple pieces of cantaloupe and melon. Would recommend opting for another side.

    John P.

    I decided to try this restaurant in Carlsbad since I use to have good experiences with the one in Hobbs, but I should have looked at the reviews first. I got there before the crowd did so my order came our quickly. I was disappointed in the portion size. The soup cup was smaller than I previously recalled and it barely half full. The wrap was also not very filling. If they put it on a smaller plate, it might not appear as to be so little.

    Menu
    Magda G.

    When in Carlsbad there is limited options for vegetarian/ vegan food; I think there are 3 options so McAlister Deli we went. Ordered the the veggie sandwich which came w lots of yummy veggies; side pickle & chips - omitted the herb mayo. The sandwich was fresh & delicious. The staff was fantastic & so sweet. They checked in on us twice & refilled our unsweetened ice tea twice. Excellent service all around. CC accepted.

    Chicken Caesar wrap
    Mark A.

    I stopped in here for something to eat. I got a wrap and ordered a croissant sandwich for my wife. I was happy with my wrap, but the croissant sandwich was squished and looked pretty sad. I also got a big cup of strawberry lemonade, which was good. They got my food pretty fast, and I was happy with the overall experience. I would get from here again.

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    If zero was an option it would be it. The wait time is unbelievable. 30-45 minutes is crazy.

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Waited 20 minutes in the drive through for anyone to even open the window. Had to call them. The worst and slowest service ever.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I never seem to get an au ju with my French dip, and the wait times are always very slow.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Food was great service was good ordered to go girl at the window was friendly will be returning love there salads

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    2 years ago

    The customer service here sucks. Nine people working and not busy and not one of them could acknowledge me.

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - McAlister's Deli

    Review Highlights - McAlister's Deli

    Bobby (the manager) took it into his own hands and hooked us up with a decent meal on the house.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Carniceria San Juan De Los Lagos - Carnitas Tacos ($8)

    Carniceria San Juan De Los Lagos

    4.4(449 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Carniceria San Juan De Los Lagos - Inside, part meat market, bakery, and food spot

    Inside, part meat market, bakery, and food spot

    Carniceria San Juan De Los Lagos - Carne Asada Enchiladas

    Carne Asada Enchiladas

    Carniceria San Juan De Los Lagos - Chiles Toreados

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    Chiles Toreados

    Blue House Bakery & Cafe - Breakfast burrito

    Blue House Bakery & Cafe

    4.6(330 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $

    Nice little small town breakfast spot. Its a convenient stop along the way to Carlsbad Caverns with…read moreeasy parking, hot food, and coffee. There is spacious outdoor seating and a small amount of indoor seating. You order right through the front door where friendly staff handed us menus so we could choose what we wanted before going to the front. Breakfast Burrito: I loved the size of this, it wasn't too big and the ingredients were well spaced and proportioned. Sausage, egg, potato, and pico with a slice of orange for plating. Coffees: Normal drip coffee that comes burning hot, kept the lid off and it stayed hot for a very long time. Breakfast Bagel: Also a good size. Same ingredients as the burrito and tasted OK. They have a counter up front with backed good, we tried a chocolate chip cookie and it was also OK, tasted better with coffee.

    *** solid Saturday breakfast destination with indoor & outdoor seating ***…read more Blue House Bakery & Cafe in Carlsbad, NM, had free street parking all around. Just be careful as this is not what I would refer to as a pedestrian-friendly town. This place gets packed inside... A bit claustrophobic at the register. Order and pay right away inside the cafe up the stairs to the large porch. Sorry, I didn't check for a ramp or how mobile-friendly the place is, but inside it was rather crammed with minimal seats and tables. We sat outside under the large canopy. After about 5 minutes, our food was brought out to us. My youngest daughter wolfed down her relatively large bacon/cheese/egg burrito. A small iced mocha latte made her happy. My oldest girl ordered an egg bowl. She was not happy that the green chile was on the hot side. Her sister and I sometimes wonder if she's really related to us. Lol. Small hot chocolate. I opted for the special: biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were large and fluffy with really fantastic cream gravy with spicy sausage. I was in Heaven. Especially since I didn't have to clean the kitchen. My medium vanilla latte was alright. Altogether our meals came out to $43.60 with a tip included on 10.4.2025. RATING BREAKDOWN Food: 4 | Service: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Price: 4

    Photos
    Blue House Bakery & Cafe - Inside, bathroom straight down and to the left

    Inside, bathroom straight down and to the left

    Blue House Bakery & Cafe - Chocolate chip cookie, a bit dry but ok with coffee

    Chocolate chip cookie, a bit dry but ok with coffee

    Blue House Bakery & Cafe - 10.4.2025

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    10.4.2025

    Yellow Brix Restaurant - Berries and cream crepe

    Yellow Brix Restaurant

    3.8(832 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    While visiting Carlsbad Caverns we stayed in town for a couple days and had dinner here our first…read morenight. The waitress who served us was wonderful, friendly, attentive, and incredibly kind to our dog. Prices were very reasonable and the portions were generous. The only negative part of the evening had nothing to do with the restaurant. A man seated next to us spent much of dinner being rude and entitled, repeatedly questioning how the salmon was prepared, criticizing the wine list, and generally acting unpleasant toward the staff. The blonde waitress with glasses handled the situation with impressive patience and professionalism. Honestly, it took restraint not to say something myself. She did a fantastic job dealing with a very difficult customer and deserves recognition for it.

    Came here because locals swore this place was "so good." Absolutely not…read more The outside gives you hope, but don't be fooled. They marched us straight to some random back room that looked filthy and forgotten. Dirty walls, dead flies sitting on the window sills, dusty air vents directly over our table, worn-out floors and furniture... the whole place felt grimy. On the way to our table we were also walked past a nasty smelling dishwashing area, which really set the tone for the experience. Now the food. The kids got chicken fettuccine Alfredo, and somehow it managed to be both lava hot and completely flavorless at the same time. The chicken tasted like it lost a fight with the microwave. The meatloaf? I genuinely have no idea what they served me. It looked like cafeteria mystery meat drowned in tomato puree. Honestly offensive. I ordered the green chile cheeseburger with fries thinking maybe they'd at least get that right. Nope. The green chile had zero spice, zero flavor, zero reason to exist. The burger itself was forgettable at best. And the best part? The bill was nearly $100. For dirty vents, dead flies, bland food, and mystery meat. Would I come back? Not even if someone else was paying.

    Photos
    Yellow Brix Restaurant
    Yellow Brix Restaurant - Avocado toast with eggs over easy paired with breakfast potatoes.

    Avocado toast with eggs over easy paired with breakfast potatoes.

    Yellow Brix Restaurant - Entrance

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    Entrance

    McAlister's Deli - salad - Updated June 2026

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