Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Pure Taco

    4.2 (551 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Pure Taco Takeout or Delivery

    Pure Taco Photos

    Business Info

    PURE TACO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

    More like Pure Taco

    Recommended Reviews - Pure Taco

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Pulled Chicken Taco
    Nicole Erin B.

    Impressed by the portion sizes and relatively moderate prices of these tasty tacos. The corn tortillas tasted fresh but were a little undercooked which led to a soggy bottom from all the filling. The chicken and pork tacos were both tender and flavorful with generous portions of guacamole. A lot of the seating is indoor/outdoor style which is a great place to enjoy fresh air but also stay shaded. The menu is clearly labeled with allergens including gluten free and vegetarian. Definitely will return!

    2 fish tacos
    Ray L.

    I love that it's an affordable casual quick order place you go up to the register order. Find a cute seat. Seating is mostly outdoors and they bring the food to your table. They have a stellar deal of two fish tacos for five dollars every day and they are good sized! I would say this is a really affordable place for the area. You can tell the tortillas were freshly made. It seems like it's a California Mexican type place. I would definitely go there again for a quick bite! It looks like they also had a full bar.

    Skinny Margarita, $12 and Pure Marg, $12
    Elle C.

    While I'd been to a few other restaurants and coffee shops on this street and in this area, I'm only discovering Pure Taco now -- perhaps because we usually don't seek counter-service eateries; desiring a small, quick bite, we decided to stop in. We learned, however, seated at the bar top, it's full service... and while I didn't plan on a cocktail, my thoughts are it's wrong not to order a cocktail seated at the bar top! I don't like cocktail mixes; appreciatively, no mixes were used in my Skinny Margarita ($12), which was quite (almost too) tangy but thankfully, not sweet. Hubby enjoyed his Pure Marg ($12) -- both cocktails surprisingly (and deliciously) strong. We started with their Corn in a Cup ($6.95) -- with an option to be served with chips (which were enjoyably thick & crispy, and learned that the tortillas are made daily). In addition, they use fresh fish (never frozen). The Baja Fish Tacos (2/$5) and their Grilled Fish Taco ($5.75) consisted of generous planks of fish, served within thick corn tortillas. We had the pleasure of being served by Osheana, whose positive energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of their menu items made our first visit a fun and enjoyable one! I like the open-&-airy, indoor/outdoor, casual vibe and reasonable prices. We're now fans of Pure Taco.

    Zach H.

    Food is actually very good, even for SoCal Mexican food standards. But it is literally crazy that they don't have in house salsa. Asked for salsa and was given pico... won't be back but service and food was good. Need to have salsa made from scratch in SD.....

    Paloma Cocktail
    RJ S.

    It's a solid taco shop featuring a modern fusion of flavors! Pure's menu is a melting pot of various global cuisines, but delivered in classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, nachos and salads. The staff is great and the open air order-at-the-counter setup screams SoCal. I've a lot of menu items, but some of my favorites include the Baja Fish Taco, Korean Pork Bo Sam Taco, Salmon Bowl and Pure Greens Salad. If you're thirsty, they have a full bar, beer, wine and Dole Whip for those with a sweet tooth. Try their Pure Marg! It's made with an orange simple syrup that packs unique flavor. Don't miss out. Try it for yourself!

    Steak taco, and battered fish taco
    Jan H.

    Went to the Carlsbad street fair, and stopped off here to eat as they had open seats at the bar. If you sit at the bar it's full service, or if you are sitting at a table you must go up and order at the counter. It's not a huge place and most of the tables were for small parties. Thankfully it was just me so I had no problem finding a spot at the bar. It did take them a minute to take my order, but they were a bit busy. The server did offer to get my drink for me from the self-service station, which I really appreciated and took her up on. They have tacos, burritos, bowls, Etc. I ordered the battered fish tacos, and the steak taco, the cilantro lime rice, and the black beans. Both of the tacos were really good, but the rice was pretty bland. It didn't really taste like much, and seems more like a filler. The beans were black beans, they didn't have refried beans, but we're pretty good. They did kind of taste like they needed salt, but since you have to go get all of the condiments from a separate area I didn't want to leave my food unattended so I ate them as was. Honestly though they were fine even without the salt, I'm just a girl that likes a little salt and most of her food LOL. I would like to try one of their bowls, maybe the next time I'm in the area or at the street fair. I did notice they had a taco Tuesday, and a decent happy hour, which would be great if you live or work in the area. If you do I definitely say check them out.

    Mixed greens
    Nell C.

    Salads were overdressed and salty today. Mixed greens salad was hard to consume and wish that I got the dressing on the side. Salad leaves were fresh and topped with grated cheese.

    Nachos with beef
    Pamela R.

    2.5 stars... The hubs and I wanted Mexican food for lunch so we decided to try Pure Taco since we were in the area. The space is cute, mostly outside with inside bar seating. They have a full bar and a wide choice of tacos but its more like a fast food restaurant... Chips and salsa are not complementary, so we chose the nachos and added beef. We also ordered the avocado fries. To drink, we tried the Paloma and the Pure Marg. The service...our server/bartender seemed disinterested and preoccupied with finding the right channel on the TV. She only checked in with us after we were done eating. The food...everything looked/tasted like it came out of a can/bag/jar. Nothing was good. The drinks...also tasted like pre-made mixes and bottled juices...not good. Will not be returning and do not recommend.

    Chips and Chips, Salsa & Guacamole**
    Justin C.

    This is a solid spot for global tacos in the heart of Carlsbad. You order at the counter, self serve drinks, and they bring the tacos out to you. I liked in the indoor outdoor vibes - classic San Diego surfer Carlsbad. I wanted to try as many flavors as possible so I ordered the traditional 1/2 flight. I got four tacos: grilled steak, pulled chicken, pastor, citrus braised pork. I really enjoyed the grilled steak and citrus braised pork. Tortillas were a touch thick for me. Also ordered chips with guacamole and salsa and enjoyed them as an appetizer. My tacos came out pretty quickly. Next time, I'm looking forward to trying the global 1/2 flight.

    Halibut taco
    Billie B.

    The Caesar salad was enough for two or three and delicious. I had the halibut taco which was small but full of fish and very good. My husband had the California burrito but could only eat half. There is no table service. You order a they bring it to your table.

    Suzanne W.

    Nachos were good for a snack. Margarita was good. We liked the outdoor seating. Bartender was friendly. Will come back for the fish tacos. What a deal.

    Baja Fish Burrito
    Leanne D.

    We were spending the day in Carlsbad and wanted to grab a bite to eat. Walking down State Street Pure Taco caught our eye. At Pure Taco you place your order and pay at the register and then you seat yourself at a table and your order is delivered to your table. We opted to sit at the bar which is full service. We ordered the braised pork burrito and the Baja fish burrito. My fish burrito was more rice than fish but was still good but we did come pretty hungry. Adding some Tapatio to the burrito gave it more flavor as it was a bit bland for my liking. Based on our burritos the food was a 3-31/2 but the bartender's service and friendliness and ambiance bumped my rating to a 4. I would definitely try this place again but next time I would try their tacos since it seems to be their specialty given the place is called "pure taco".

    Pastor Taco &  BBQ Brisket taco
    Hanna S.

    Great prices here. I'm pretty picky with tacos so I wasn't too impressed - it felt more like texmex from the few tacos I tried, but they do an interesting BBQ taco and the beans were quite good. Overall, this is an ok spot for a quick bite.

    1/2 Global Flight tacos

    See all

    24 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elle C.
    91
    1011
    2324

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zach H.
    0
    41
    19

    2 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nell C.
    317
    811
    2138

    4 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Billie B.
    69
    44
    117

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Kris P.
    14
    96
    114

    12 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sheri S.
    162
    13
    1

    17 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Vin B.
    13
    45
    111

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rizl L.
    30
    26
    62

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Thanks for your review Shane. The pho taco is amazing.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Robert U.

    Robert U.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed M.
    0
    13
    0

    12 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    17 days ago

    Prices are reasonable and food is good. Service is attentive and you can listen to the band across the street

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 14

    Ask the Community - Pure Taco

    Is this place dog friendly?

    Yes we are!!

    Do they accept Apple Pay?

    Yes I believe they do, but best to call the location.

    Do you serve fry bread?

    No - not to my knowledge but they have delicious food.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Los Tacos  - Baja Fish Taco (6)

    Los Tacos

    4.5(480 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $$

    If you haven't tried the spicy surf and turf burrito here, you're missing out. It's the perfect…read morebalance of heat and flavor. Since the location is in a small plaza, parking is definitely a challenge when it's busy. I highly recommend placing a mobile/phone order ahead of time so you can just grab and go. Highly recommend!

    I decided to stop by Los Tacos in Encinitas after reading all the great reviews about this specific…read morelocation! The parking lot has plentiful parking but was completely full as I was leaving around 12pm. There were tons of order pick-up spots and 20-minute max parking spots that help with the flow. The restaurant was impeccably clean with a growing line of lunch-goers. The workers were very efficient and the line moved quickly. I also noticed the apparent owner/manager talking to regulars and greeting customers as they walked in, which I really liked to see! I was served my order to-go in less than 10 minutes and ended up unexpectedly using the other 10 minutes after taking my first bite--after that it was hard to stop. The burrito was the perfect size (not too large and not too small). My original breakfast burrito was wrapped in a fresh hand-made tortilla filled with fluffy eggs, the perfect amount of bacon, cheese, soft fresh potatoes, topped with the avocado salsa verde which went perfectly with everything. I even ended up sipping the salsa (it was that good) between bites of the burrito. I was also blown away by the clean and fully stocked salsa bar. So many options (including non-spicy ones for those with gastric limitations too!) and they even offered radishes, carrots, and pickled onions individually wrapped with care. Everything tasted fresh and home-made. After 7 years being away from San Diego, Los Tacos delivered exactly what I had been missing. This location really blew me away and I will definitely be back to see what else it has to offer.

    Photos
    Los Tacos  - Inside

    Inside

    Los Tacos  - Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa

    Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa

    Los Tacos  - 3 taco combo (mixed between garlic shrimp, baja style fish and carne asada)

    See all

    3 taco combo (mixed between garlic shrimp, baja style fish and carne asada)

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - 4 street tacos, good

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum

    4.0(2.3k reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    This is one fun place! You feel the vibe as soon as you walk in the door and the hostess greets…read moreyou, they have a sense of humor and a big smile and you know this is gonna be a fun lunch. It's located in a beautiful shopping plaza called the forum so a great place to shop and then eat, or eat and then shop.. Now enter Jasmine, who just took care of everything with again a huge smile and what can I do for you? We started with skinny margaritas, perfect and delicious with chips and salsa. My wife had the chicken tostada, which was huge and delicious. I went on Jasmine's recommendation, chicken flautas, and they were great. But what made it fun was that everyone else was having fun a great vibe plus outdoor seating if you want it and easy parking.

    We came here on a random Tuesday night. Checked in via yelp ahead of arrival and were told 20-25…read moreminutes for a table. Perfect! Got to the restaurant and the hosts were too busy messing around to properly greet us. Once I got their attention I let them know we were there and they said they'd have us seated shortly. A LITERAL HOUR later we got a table. Seeing that it took so long to be sat (well past our expected duration) you'd think service would be fast! Nope. Our server didn't check in with us for over 10 minutes. Next (finally) came the chips. We put in our entire order as soon as we could (as it was now almost 1.5 hours past when we thought we would be eating). Drinks came in random shifts, waters were NOT refilled. Now, to be 100% honest, the food was GREAT! Fantastic quality, great selection, even our pickiest kid was happy with her meal. So I do give credit where credit is due. The food was fantastic. But the customer service was incredibly lacking. Visit at your own risk!

    Photos
    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Back dining room. At Christmas time. Wonderful decor during and outside of the holidays.

    Back dining room. At Christmas time. Wonderful decor during and outside of the holidays.

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Tostada no meat....$18!!!

    Tostada no meat....$18!!!

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Patio decor

    See all

    Patio decor

    Pure Taco - tacos - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...