Street tacos with an upscale flare! Stopped in for a quick bite to eat, while walking around Carlsbad village. Walked right in and sat at the bar. Bar tender was friendly and before we knew it we were eating delicious tacos. I had the pho taco and Philly cheese taco, both were delicious! The misses had adobada tacos. All were really good. They are street taco size so order enough lol read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The food was ok, nothing special, the serving sizes were good but the flavor was a little off, and the tortilla they used for the taco was thicker, chewy and didn't hold the food together. The services could be improved; the girl (very petite) at the register seemed uninterested and we felt like we were bothering her. Not very warm and welcoming, we were looking at the menu and she was snarky "are you guys gonna order something or what?" Instead of asking if we needed help with the menu. The ambience? It was very relaxed and casual. I mean if the food is bleh, the service and staff could at least be better. read more

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Perfect semi-regular, low key dining spot when out with my coworker in the Carlsbad area. (Excellent fast casual taco action, with full service at the bar). Busier than usual on this visit, as the bar and patio were packed. Sumer was pleasant and professional serving us at the bar. We each had a trio of individual tacos (fish, Philly, and Korean for me) and shared chips, queso, with the corn in the cup. A good option for casual tacos on State Street. read more

YUMMY!!!!! This is a very dog friendly, casual spot with plenty of outdoor tables. You order at the counter and take a number. I got the pork bowl and hubby got the caeser salad with chicken. My pork bowl normally comes with rice but i requested shredded romaine instead. This was one of the best pork bowls i've had in a while. The salsa verde that came with it was also quite tasty. Hubby salad was good but a tad underdressed. Prices here are very reasonable! We will definitely be back!! read more

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Another yummy lunch here. This is an easy choice for me for lunch. The patio is always nice and food comes out quick. I got a grilled fish taco and a shrimp taco as usual, and my partner got the pork shoulder bowl. Tacos were great (loved the fish portion) and bowl was good, just a little small on the portion size. Until next time! read more

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Every time I come home to San Diego from the Midwest, I head straight to Carlsbad and Pure Taco. The fish tacos are so good, and such a great price! We love sitting outside under the umbrellas and watching Carlsbad State Street traffic calamity. The owner and staff got a great thing going. One daughter loves the Pho tacos and the other loves the chicken. There is something delicious for everyone! read more

We stopped here for a taco and drink' their spicy marg was delicious. The beer selection is good and they also offer a few great non alcoholic beers. Fresh drinks all around. Have a short simple menu. Some good toco specials - 2/$5 fish tacos and other to choose from! Order chips and guacamole/ salsa and sit and enjoy your visit read more

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Great food and quick service. The atmosphere is great to come after work and grab a bite to eat. You order first, find a table and they bring it out to you. Taco Tuesday specials $1 off and a full bar w great drinks. I especially love the veggie tacos, highly recommend. read more

Pure Taco - Cocktail menu - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Love this place! Our go-to is either the philly, baja fish or my personal favorite is the pho beef. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for an elevated and unique taco experience! Always have great service too! read more

We arrived for happy hour on a Friday afternoon, and the vibe was amazing. The aesthetic is clean, modern, and welcoming. Their tequila selection is absolutely on point, and our bartender/server, Oceana, was outstanding. She went above and beyond and had an impressive knowledge of the tequilas they offer. I can honestly say it was one of the best margaritas I've ever had, and the Paloma was just as great. We ordered the happy hour nachos and loved the cheese sauce--so legit and incredibly good. We enjoyed it so much that we went back the very next day with friends after Strong Ale Fest. Overall, we had a fantastic experience and truly enjoyed the establishment. We will definitely be returning! read more

While I am all for warm weather, the tortilla soup makes fall's arrival a little more welcome. Served with fresh avocado, this hearty soup hit the spot. The staff was friendly as usual, and brought my food out in no time. Bonus points for the open air bar seating. I had never noticed the plugs under the bar before, but now I know that right next to the purse hooks are some plugs, so I might need to come do some remote office work here. read more

Pure Taco - Taco 1/2 Flight - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This was our first time here and I liked that they have a lot of open seating and outdoor space. We came at 5pm on a Saturday and it was not too busy then but was pretty full by 6pm. I had the grilled steak and shrimp curry taco. The shrimp curry taco was definitely interesting, really good Thai flavors. The grilled steak was served on a really good house made corn tortilla with guacamole. They have a kids meal with a few different options as well. There is also a full bar and a few different featured margaritas that they offer. The food came out really quickly like less than 10 mins so that was definitely helpful with the kids. My husband had the marinated pork burrito and did not really like it, he said too much rice and fatty meat. read more

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What a great Mother's Day present Thank you for the beverage ! Love your tacos , guacamole, and burritos! I always use the blankets, it's such a great touch. read more

This taco restaurant has lots of Al fresco dining with a large patio area and open air style seats in the restaurant. It's a very nice atmosphere. The 4 taco flights are a great way to try multiple gourmet tacos for a reasonable price. The traditional and global taco flights were cooked perfectly. Adventurous eaters should go the international route for flights. Their Margarita was ok. It had lots of orange juice in it so it tasted more like a tequila sunrise. But still tasty. Service is friendly and fast. You order at a counter and they deliver the food at the table. read more

Pure Taco - 16oz Pure Marg - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Food was good.Service was not.The talk dude behind the reg has no personality whatsoever! It was our first/last time there...Ambiance was cool enough.great location. read more

Excellent little taco spot. Lots of delicious flavors & full bar. This place is super casual, but clean & great tacos read more

I went there because I had to and I got the California burrito with chicken instead of beaf and I added fries to it and it was one of the most yummy things I ever had.The service there was also very good I ordered the burrito and it was ready in less than 7 minutes and they never got ANYTHING WRONG and the vibes there are like a karaoke party. read more

This place is pretty stable, not perfect, but consistent at least. They tend to be one of the less crowded spots on state street and it's a bit in the casual side compared to Nicks, JeJ etc.. The food is fast casual and I love the freshness tied to the burritos and salad. The service is also extremely prompt. This bar tends to have open seats, so it's a perfect spot to pregame. read more

Pure Taco - Shrimp Burrito - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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As a Southern Californian elote is a staple... So I was concerned when theirs was called corn in a bowl... . But I was hungry and it was within my budget. As a side note I've never had two elote dishes prepared the same. With some reserve I got the "corn in a bowl." Delicious!!! I'm not sure if the name is to placate the gringos but it was still amazing. The customer service was great. I loved how much open air seating was available and the restaurant ambulance was lovely. I can't wait to try some other dishes at this place... Judging by the name I think I'll need to try some tacos next time. read more

Pure Taco - Corn in a bowl (elote, dang it) - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Such good food, great drinks and great people. Had a fish and a shrimp taco. Delicious. Be sure to try the rice and beans too. Love this spot. O'sheana is awesome! read more

Great food and service. We ordered: Baja fish Pulled chicken Pastor Citrus braised pork Chips and guacamole Everything was so reasonably priced. The food was amazing and so fresh. Loved the corn tortillas. Best tacos I've had in a long time. Bartender was super friendly and service was quick, if you haven't been you need to check this place out. We are definitely coming back!!!!!! read more

Pure Taco - Menu - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Ordered brisket, shrimp curry, fish and the pho tacos! All were soooo delicious and full savory! Great customer service and they even have taco Tuesdays! Definitely will return! read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Tried this place for the first time and was very impressed! Loved the heated patio. The walk up ordering was great for a quick bite. I got the curry shrimp taco: surprisingly delicious, savory, not spicy, loved the addition of zucchini. Traditional shrimp taco: well filled, lots of sauce, crunchy slaw. Both shrimp tacos were cooked to just the right tenderness. I also tried the Korean pork which was good, the size of the pork was great, and the taste was juicy and flavorful! But I would have liked a tad less meat and more crunchy topping besides radish. Chips and salsa were large enough to share, hot chips and fresh salsa - yum. Not spicy. Love the non traditional taco choices, and the menu seemed to have something for everyone. Service was friendly and fast. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We've ordered tacos and burritos several times before and always enjoyed the food, but order today was a great disappointment. Beef pho taco was super tough, other items on order were pretty light on key ingredients. Wondered if maybe there was a change in management? read more

It's a fast food restaurant kind of feel. It's free seating Beach type of vibe, I feel. Wooden benches and metal chairs. Some are mismatched. And there are also high seats available. Plenty of seating available Basically, you walk up order and find yourself a seat. There were a lot of seats. And they were pretty empty. We sat next to a couple who said they had really good fish tacos for 1.99. So we were pretty confident the food was going to be good. My hubby was sitting on the bench facing the restaurant. He noticed how the seats were not properly cleaned. There were food bits between the benches. We ordered two house margaritas. Pure margaritas sounded good. My husband ordered a steak taco, and I ordered a pork shoulder rice bowl. My hubby also ordered salsa and chips to share. Drinks came pretty quickly. The margarita tasted more like orange juice with a little tequila added to it. It's not as balanced as I would like it. The food came. We got our chips and salsa first. The salsa appeared a little watery and bland - it wasn't the kind of salsa i liked. It wasn't very crispy. My hubby's tacos looked very pitiful. He ordered a steak taco. And it looked greasy - it had steak and a huge dollop of guacamole on top with some chopped onions with two slices of lime. When he bit into it, I could see the grease drip down from his taco. My pork shoulder rice bowl had well seasoned pulled pork,and it was very tender and delicious, but apart from that, the rice appears to be very bland. Almost like they forgot to season it. There were bits of jalapeno, carrots, peas, and corn bits, together with thinly sliced radishes and purple onions. It appeared that they had forgotten to put my salsa on it. Luckily, my pulled pork saved the day. I'm just wondering if maybe the regular chef was out sick. The comments from others appear to be really good We will probably not be back any time soon. I was a little disappointed about the food. I was really looking forward to some good mexican food. read more

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Not great food quality. chips and salsa are good and the nachos but the tacos were way below average... not sure how it's so highly reviewed here. good customer service and kind staff read more

I guess this place has a social media buzz about it and after having gone there on a whim by myself, I can see why! The tortillas are fresh, handmade and so delicious. The flavors of the taco meats are amazing. The bar has a fun vibe and the food came quickly with friendly service. You order at the counter and they bring your food to your table so it's definitely a fast casual type place. But very cool ambiance (mostly covered outdoor space) and I thought the prices weren't too bad for a trendy place in Carlsbad. Not cheap (this is not Roberto's) but good value for the money. Try it out! read more

Honestly the best place ive ever eaten at. So cheap and amazing. Our food came out so quick and our drinks were so perfect read more

Pure Taco - Baja Fish Taco and tiki drink - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Ordered 3 pulled Shredded/Pulled Chicken Tacos for lunch To-Go.Service was rather quick! So I'm guessing it was already all cooked. However Opened the box when I got to my destination. And wow. 2 tacos looked good but that last taco looked so so disappointing. I hate when places don't care to put together a plate for someone To-Go because they won't see it til later, like what is up with that last taco? Tacos with filling were rather good though. But be consistent with To-Go orders! Do I need to explain more? Customer service was mediocre and I got passed off to when I didn't know what I wanted, never having been to this restaurant before. I probably won't come back. I don't need to say anything else, you can see the quality of the last tacos from the photo. read more

This place is always an excellent stop. Their two dollar fish tacos are excellent and they make the tortillas fresh every day. They make a mean margarita as well and there are a variety to choose from. It's a very casual set up. You order at the bar and then sit down with a number, but it's a great place to meet friends and it's a really easy place to do a little bit more upscale dinner if you want to drink and such. Great date night spot too! read more

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Was just nearby and decided to get the traditional taco flight - the pork and chicken tacos were not anything special and lacked flavor, but I liked the steak and Al pastor tacos better. An ok spot if you're nearby! read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Simple place you order at the door and grab any table to seat but the food is outstanding. These were the best GRILLED FISH TACOS e ever eaten! Juice inside, the cabbage is seasoned and crunchy at the same time. read more

Pure Taco - Margaritas - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Good location and quality food. 2 for $5 Baja fish tacos is a great deal. The standouts were the brisket tacos and corn in a cup. Tortillas were very good too. We didn't care for the queso, as it lacked heat and real big flavor. Would pass in the future, or at least ask for jalapeños. read more

Come in a slow Monday afternoon and sat at the bar. Our Bartender Josh made our visit worth it and even made us stay for an extra drink. He is a gem! The tacos are wonderful. The Vegi taco is the best vegi taco around! read more

Great spot in Carlsbad. Super clean and friendly staff order at the bar or a walk up. Good flavor in the tacos and burritos. Also recommend them for any catering events! Very easy to work with. read more

TL;DR: Pure Taco continues to offer a creative mix of taco offerings with varying degrees of success. Some items like the carnitas fries hit the spot, while others like the pastor fall a little short. 3.5/5 Your Thoughts? 1/2 The carnitas fries are enjoyable, complemented by crispy French fries, Mexican cheeses, homemade salsa fresca, organic pickled onions, guacamole, and chipotle aioli. I'd reorder these. Avocado Fries were underwhelming due to unseasoned breading. Simply Grilled Shrimp Tacos are good here. With modifications like substituting rice for fries and adding chipotle, the California burrito is decent and flavorful but not compelling enough for me to reorder. Baja Fish Tacos are the best bang for your back though not the most flavorful choice. Decent with the right sauce. Philly Tacos used tender steak but lacked flavor. Veggie Taco was surprisingly tasty but not something I'd reorder personally. Prefer the shrimp. The pastor taco came with meat that was dry and flavorless, heavily reliant on its accompaniments for taste. Expenses: 1/1 Prices feel a bit steep for certain items for the quality, but fairer for others. The Baja tacos are the best value at 2 for $5. Other tacos are priced around $5 each, and the Avocado Fries are around $9. Carnitas fries and California burrito cost about $12 each. Payments can be made via debit and Apple Pay. Location: 1/1 The restaurant is set in a nice area with both indoor and outdoor seating and a vibrant atmosphere. It is staffed by friendly personnel, and there is free street parking nearby. Parking availability can vary depending on the time and day, but generally, it is manageable. Possibility of a Future Visit & Recommendation: .5/1 I'd come back every once in a while but would prefer to find a different go-to spot for cheap fish tacos. A special personal memory associated with this location also adds a sentimental reason for my return visits. read more

So glad we tried this place. Had the ahi poke nachos which were sooo good! The nachos are fried flour tortillas so it's more like a crisp. But it's the sauce that was so good. We ended up dipping everything else into it. Had some fish tacos and a Caesar salad. Services was great. They understood that I was sharing with my daughter and so they brought the salads and tacos already split. This place is also across the street from the New Village Arts Theater, which makes it very convenient if you want to grab a bite before seeing a show there. read more

Just stopped by on the way to the Creed concert. Great spot to have some tacos and drinks before hopping on the coaster. Osheanna was our bartender and she made us the best margaritas we've had in years. Thank you for a great time! read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Bartender was completely rude and disrespectful to me last night for no reason. She was unnecessarily annoyed about how I ordered the soda (they do fountain drinks so she expressed how upset she was I ordered them by name, Sprite and Coke, because she was just going to give me cups) and really combative about an ID for a non alcoholic beer that, mind you, we gave no resistance when asked to grab our 3rd adult/ID when she said we needed it. By the point she asked I was already upset with how she was treating us but absolutely 0 resistance was given, my brother very kindly grabbed his wife who was sitting 3 steps away. It all started because we were standing at the bar instead of the ordering stand which was our bad and we apologized multiple times for at first before being met with the worst attitude. Ended up watching the same bartender almost serve alcoholic drinks to the wrong table just a little bit later, too, and was able to see she understands mistakes happen when they happen to her, just not others apparently. I also noticed she gave us some really light pours on our beers versus other people, which seemed intentional, but that part is only speculation. This used to be a spot my wife and I would come for drinks and a meal when in the village but this one bartender took it out of the rotation for us. I understand busy nights and trying to manage your bar well, I wouldn't think twice about someone who just seemed tired or overwhelmed, but what I experienced was complete disrespect. read more

Came down to Carlsbad to thrift shop and found this gem of a taco shop! The atmosphere was great with an outdoor feel and cool bar. The staff was attentive and in good spirits and the food was divine! The fish taco was a must have. read more

Pure Taco - Pastor Taco and Grilled Fish Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California