San Carlos is a bit hit or miss. First, the hits: - It's open on a Tuesday, when many places on the island are closed. - Tons of indoor and outdoor seating, all comfy and welcoming. - The Tuesday $5 Margarita specials are not to be beat! Sure you can go across town and get yourself (likely) a better margarita for $18, but why?! San Carlos's were just fine, and you could have plenty! - Chips and salsa were a hit, as was their homemade guacamole. Our server, Molly, said that Bainbridge isn't really a "zesty demographic", but the salsa was a lot spicier than I expected. And she brought some habanero hot sauce for even more zing! - The veggie burrito my girlfriend ordered was really good. Well worth the $18. - The house made flan was excellent! Not to be missed! - Wait staff was friendly and attentive. Molly was a gas! Now, the misses: - I ordered the tostada. It was pretty simple: refried beans spread on a flat crispy tortilla, topped with tomatoes and lettuce. Nothing fancy, but perfectly edible. The Spanish rice that came with it was the saltiest rice I've ever had. Frankly, it was inedible. So, effectively, I paid $16 for a medium-sized tostada and nothing else! - Our orders got "misplaced" a couple of times (drinks and second chips), and in both cases when we enquired, Molly rushed our missed order through and got it to us pronto. That's certainly a hit, but the fact that the orders were missed in the first place.... I wouldn't call San Carlos the best Mexican on Bainbridge Island. But there are a lot of upsides, and I know we'll certainly be back. Especially on Tuesdays!! read more

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We had pre "Improv" dinner reservations; the restaurant being across the street from Bainbridge Performing Arts Center which deserves a 5 star review! Our table was in the bar as requested, we received a warm friendly greeting and were seated immediately. The bartender/server was attentive and as we were in no hurry. We had 4 different varieties of margaritas from the long list all of which met with our complete satisfaction. I personally liked the appearance of the restaurant from the street, it's an old house. You enter from the back door set in a wall covered in automobile license plates. Odd but in keeping with the Mexican roadhouse vibe. The bar was busy warm and cozy, not loud and obnoxious as sometimes accompanies television screens with sports shows. They aren't trying to be a sports bar which again is in keeping with the theme. Prices are what I would call "expected" and similar to other local Mexican food places mentioned by other reviews. Food quality and quality are likewise very similar to the offerings of their local competitors. read more

This place is wonderful! Low key, great food and service, a nice bar, indoor and patio seating, a medium walk from the Bainbridge ferry. It has become a regular dinner stop for me. AND, they are chronically under staffed, SO YOU COULD get a job there! read more

Disappointing experience for a first timer at San Carlos. Food was excellent but disappointingly my partner was served a margarita in a lipstick-stained glass. When we flagged it to our server, there were no apologies and her attitude turned cold. The Margarita was replaced and service perfunctory. Seemed at odds with the vibe and ambience of the restaurant. read more

The margaritas and Smoked Chicken Carnitas were flavorful and satisfying. My Mom and I split the Key Lime Pie which was the highlight of the meal. Our waitress (with curly white hair) made the pie that very day. She sent us home with meringue cookies! So very glad we dined at San Carlos. read more

Am a local. Used to love this place but after encountering a physical fight amongst cooks in the kitchen, apparently high turnover and outrageously proved drinks, I am out. $18 for a ranch water? If you know you know. They just don't get it -- how to endear locals or tourists. Moving on. read more

If you want good service and food, don't come here. We didn't even get our drinks until 45 minutes of ordering them. A bunch of teenage girls were just standing around with sticks up their butt. The restaurant itself was nice and it had a good vibe. Their service was horrendous, especially considering the place wasn't even busy. The portions were large and filling, but the price was kind of insane. Food was definition of mid. I would not recommend if you want good food and service. read more

Saw the reviews but wanted to try a different Mexican place on the island. Don't go here, go to the place in the strip mall next door or Isla Bonita. Price is high, food quality is very average, does not taste like authentic Mexican. You're better off going to Silverdale and hitting a food truck (which are really good). Their drinks are reasonably priced. The service is nothing special, I will say that the environment is very welcoming and chill. Sitting outdoor was nice. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Pork enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

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Tex-Mex Fans Beware.... My family and I come from South Texas and we know that the food there doesn't compare to anything else in the world, especially our famous "queso". That being said, we have had some noteworthy "queso" experiences outside the Lone Star State however our latest encounter at San Carlos was severely disappointing. The yellow, grainy substance they brought to us was anything but queso, it not only lacked in flavor but it lacked in cheese. Quite honestly, I would've rather had Cheese Wiz, at least that would've tasted more like cheese than San Carlos's "Famous Queso" read more

San Carlos Restaurant - San Carlos's "Famous Queso" - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

Just dined in yesterday evening. I'm not usually one to complain about service but this was perhaps the worst I've ever experienced at a sit-down restaurant - orders were totally mixed up on the check, our table was ignored for periods of 30+ minutes, and food took almost an hour to come out despite the restaurant not being all that busy nor seeming particularly understaffed. We ended up just agreeing among ourselves to sort out the drink prices because we were so sick of waiting - we were there long enough to see a table of people arrive, order drinks, never get their order taken (or at least never get any food) then audibly say "f*** this" before leaving an hour later. Server pointlessly misgendered one of my friends as we left. The food itself is decent, but it didn't end up feeling worth the price. The crab chimichanga was especially underwhelming, definitely had a distinct crab/dill flavor in a decent chili/cream sauce, but the texture of the filling was a little sad. I would've liked to have more pieces of crab, especially since the serving sizes weren't particularly generous. Price is INCORRECTLY listed on their website as $21, when it's actually $26. Comparing the food to a place like Isla Bonita, most of San Carlos' dishes (that I tried) probably edge out a win in terms of consistency and flavor, but with such big price tags and comparatively modest portions, I didn't feel like I got a lot of bang for my buck - I'd rather eat at IB, or pretty much anywhere else on the island. Nitpicky to say but the plating was kinda weak too, for $22+ a plate. Drinks were pretty bad, save the "pink sapphire" - a grapefruit gin and tonic that tasted more like a grapefruit soda than anything. House margarita was awful, tasted like premade mix, mojito was mostly ice and not sweet at all. For a bar with only like, 3 types of drinks, you would hope they'd at least do one of them well. Strongest thing on the menu is definitely the grilled meats - chicken fajitas and steak burrito were tasty and the meats had a nice crispy char. I could eat here again, but definitely not on my own dime. Would probably get the chicken fajitas. Outdoor seating may give you worse odds of being paid literally any attention to. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - san carlos (signature combination plate) - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

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Laughably bad food with even worse service. Been coming here off and on for 10 years, always willing to give places second and third chance, but tonight was a joke. You always know it's going to be slow service...but they outdid themselves tonight with raw uncooked meat, soggy everything else, and absolute rudeness from the staff. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

Acknowledging its drawbacks, I love this place. You only need one great order option and a good drink to make a place great and I've got the order: large nachos with refried beans, add the smoked chicken. Thus huge order feeds at least two. Pair it with a great house margarita, special margarita or cold Mexican beer and find a favorite indoor or outdoor nook to call you own. The service is always friendly. Yes, it's amazingly slow, yes they now charge for chips while you wait for your food. It isn't cheap. It's slow enough I feel the need to mention it twice. Some of the menu items are subpar. If you are coming over from Seattle, yes there is better Mexican and TexMex in the city. And other faster spots on BI. But for one order, one pair of drinks, one cozy table, this is a recipe for a great evening. read more

Friendly service, good food and some wonderful peach margaritas! Good size portions and I love the salsa and chips!

Very cool , authentic restaurant! Seemed to be a little under-staffed (at least today) but they did an excellent job managing with what they had. Definitely would come back if I lived in the area! I'm from out of town and I certainly wasn't disappointed. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Margarita's Margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

One of my biggest pleasures as a Yelper is to revise up a previous review. Three years ago, I gave this place a one star review based on a lot of issues they had. Happily, I gave them another chance, and am very glad I did. THE ROSES: The salsa continues to be outstanding. They could sell this stuff by the gallon. We were all very pleased with what we ordered; very tasty stuff. The Carne Asada was done particularly well. Dining space is pleasant, with plenty of elbow room between tables. Staff is very pleasant. THE THORNS: Staffing seems to be an ongoing challenge for this restaurant. Understaffing led them to not fill tables they could fill (but on the positive side, this helped ensure that the diners who were there were served in a timely manner. THE VERDICT: Upgrade to 'recommend'. Please keep up the good work! read more

Nothing special here. Patio was nice. Music was terrible. Tea was good. Bacon wrapped prawns. 6 for 20. Below average fatty bacon deep fried. Service was fine. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Bacon wrapped prawns. - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

I am local and wanted to try a new place for Mexican food. I could swear they used thick sliced large pieces of smoked chicken deli meat in my chimichanga; I needed a knife to cut - Ugh!! Dinner came with rice & black beans. Rice tasted old and warmed up. I ate in the bar. I had to get up and walk to the bar to order my beverage, waitress was completely preoccupied. Waitress was more interested in cleaning up & doing chores than in helping customers. Had to get up again to ask for the bill to check out. Place smells horribly musty - Ugh! On top of that, food & drinks are overpriced and food is not good. Stay away from this place, it's not a good choice. No, no, no! Casa Rojas & Isla Bonita on Bainbridge or Mezcalitos in Poulsbo are the best for Mexican food near Bainbridge, but still very average and not consistently good; they are hit and miss. Miguelitos Mexican restaurant at Lynwood Center on Bainbridge is also ok, but way overpriced for food & drinks and is inconveniently located. I love great Mexican food; I've tried them all on or near Bainbridge and I wish we had better choices for consistently great Mexican food on the Island!! read more

We had a reservation at 6 o'clock and got our food at 7:30. The waiter advised we eat fast or box our food. Thanks guy! Lol. The guy asked if we wanted to pay. "Um We haven't got our food. Yet!" They presented boxes before we got food, which was strange. No apologies from management. Missed our ferry. With out of town guests WITH KIDS. Had a wonderful time all day, then experienced, "The San Carlos". It's a gamble, read other reviews if you want any warning. This place has the worst staff. The worst is the manager did not even apologize, the waiter had to. That speaks loudly. We only ordered 3 items. It took one hour and a half. I went there years ago it was ok. Never going back. The ferry crossing time is 35 min, it took three times the time to get 3 dishes. Pathetic. "Sorry we are slammed". As I see nobody in the same dining room. If they are slammed, they should let patrons know it will be a long wait like that up front, like other good restaurants do. Honesty, owning up to mistakes will go far. The few bites of the smoked chicken enchiladas were tasty, but it wasn't worth the hassles. See photo for number of items, order time and when they ran the card (which we had not received our food yet). Their ploy early was to also ask if we wanted another round of drinks. Then put those 'on the house'. I would have been fine if the manager just came out and explained the delay. Or comped what we were waiting for. The food! read more

San Carlos Restaurant - the receipt for the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

One of the best places on the island to get Mexican food. Food is amazing and the drinks are stellar! Lots of variety to choose from. Some people complained about the prices, but I feel, for the amount and all the fresh ingredients that goes into the food, I think their pricing is right on. read more

I wish I would have know of this place sooner! I was on Bainbridge with coworkers for a team meeting, and we decided to eat and San Carlos. I had never been here so I wasn't sure what to expect. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating which I loved! We chose indoor, and had a table of 7. They happily accommodated us, and we even were sat in a small room with just our party. The restaurant was colorful, and clean, and the staff was all very pleasant. We started off with the chips and salsa. I loved the salsa it was fresh but had really good flavor and the chips were crunchy and lightly salted. Our group ordered various dishes, including the mahi tacos, steak burritos, enchiladas, etc. I ordered the Cabo San Lucas. Which is a roast pork enchilada with creamy green sauce and two steak tacos. It came to the table, and I will tell you I devoured it within minutes! My steak tacos were cooked perfectly, and had so much flavor. You could tell they were grilled and they had nice char on some of the corners. The pork enchiladas were so mildly delicious but packed with flavor. EVERYTHING we ordered was so delicious, some of us tried each other's dishes, and everything we ordered was so tasty and fresh! I also love how they serve black beans instead of refried beans. I am so excited I was introduced to San Carlos, and I can't wait to come back. I just wish I lived closer then 20 min read more

Slow service, meh food, high prices. Had eaten here years ago and had better memories of the place, but was very disappointed. Got there at 5pm on a Friday evening. Wasn't at all busy yet. But somehow took 45 minutes from sitting down (and ordering pretty rapidly) to getting our food. The kids and I went through two baskets of chips, our drinks and were still twiddling our thumbs for quite a while. No one checked in on us or let us know how things were going when we were clearly sitting idle. I had to ask the owner eventually what was up. And most of the order was do it yourself taco plates for the kids. I had a crab chimichanga which I'd expect to take a little longer, but still... Might have been "worth it" if the food was good, but it wasn't. Taco plates were uninspiring, meat was fine but bland, basic pile of American style toppings and the corn tortillas weren't very good (dried out and tasteless) -- we get better corn tortillas from the grocery store and warm them up in a microwave for better. My crab chimichanga wasn't "bad", but seemed undercooked on the outside. I usually expect chimichangas to be a lot crispier. Maybe they took it out early when I started asking questions about where our food was? But if their oil was hot, one should be able to cook that sucker in just a handful of minutes in the first place. And then for what we got, and that slow a service it felt quite over priced. $20 for a taco plate that you assemble yourself. Again, could have been worth it if there was something special about the seasonings or toppings, but you'd you'd have better food, much faster, at a fraction of the cost at the taco-time drive through in Poulsbo. Not giving it 1 star because the staff weren't rude (just not super aware/responsive) and the food wasn't horrible or anything. It was just under-performing in every way. I want this local restaurant to do better, but alas I won't be back. read more

Stopped in for dinner and it became so much more! The wait staff were wonderful... So attentive, great food, fresh, hot, and delicious! They smoke their Chicken every day on the premises for the dishes. I usually am not a fan of black beans , but theirs were cooked well and the rice was fluffy and well adorned with just the correct ingredients. Kara the bartender/manager was a delight.. ( the pandemic is just lifting, so give the restaurants on the Island a break. You might have to wait a little longer for your meal or for seating. Be patient. We'll all get through it together). We had a great experience and dinner at San Carlos! See you all there!!! P.S. The Peach Margaritas in the Summer months are to die for!!! read more

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It seems many sub-par reviews are from years ago... Everyone should give this place another look... Food and atmosphere has improved greatly over the last year... I hope the menu continues to evolve, meaning fewer items but all consistent and cooked fresh... this place has incredible potential, and it feels like they are beginning to grow into it... I hope they stick to a dynamic, all fresh menu. Kara, the bartender and manager, is outstanding, not only in the bar, but running the place... (and the bar has a nice selection of tequila and mezcal), and Dean (one of the owners) has thrown himself into kitchen excellence... The pork carnitas are incredible; the outside deck is now beautiful, front and back; they are doing things right... Check them out! read more

Reallly great chips and salsa!! Peach Margarita is absolutely AMAZING! Only thing lacking is how fast food comes out. We ordered nachos to share and a kids taco plate and it took well into an hour for it to be served. Also, $11 for kids chicken taco plate say whattttt. It was just two tortillas, chicken breast, and shredded cheese. Yes read more

Love this place! We also love Greg! The bacon wrapped shrimp was just right. Cocktails were perfect and not too sweet! Thanks for the amazing food and service! read more

I always rate a Mexican Restaurant by their salsa. The salsa was freshly made and oh so delicious. Smoked chipotle's and not spicy at all. Their special was an open chicken enchiladas with a green sauce. Wow! So good. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The margaritas were so good too. We stumbled on this place on a Monday night after several other places were closed. We won! This one did not disappoint. read more

Horrible, ate there 2 nights ago, a fajita burrito...meat was burnt, pile of onions in bubbling grease...inedible. If the restaurant business wasn't so tough I'd have asked for my money back. I like the location but wish that they'd either get kitchen help or sell the place. read more

We visited this place last week and it was so disappointing. The Spanish rice served was soggy and mushy and felt like it was reheated from before. The guacamole has so much lemon and a serious spike. I didn't mind the spike but it doesn't don't taste at all like it should. The portion sizes were good like any other place but the quality of food was bad. Never to visit again. read more

We were hungry and randomly chose this restaurant. We were told to wait to see if they could seat us at all outside. After a few minutes, they told us our table was ready. Our table had no place settings, and finally waitress came and took our order. We asked for chips and told it was extra. We asked them to switch TV to Baseball which they did. But the worst part is we waited close to an hour for our food. I had Taco Salad with pulled chicken. They forgot the chicken which I complained about and they said the chef didn't see it written down. It was ok, my friend had House tacos which were as good as Taco Bell. I pointed out the very long wait to some staff on the way out, asked where we were sitting, and just said Sorry. I would not recommend this place among all the options near the Ferry. read more

We are long time locals, have always found San Carlos to be a staple in the past but the last few years especially with the new ownership we've declined to go there due to very rude manager Kim and Kara who would be drinking on shift and sloppy. It's a lot. We decided to order out as we hadn't had it in a long time. I got the Carne Asada, asked for the steak to be medium well due to being pregnant and my husband came home for us only to find it completely blue rare. He drove back to San Carlos, Kim the manager took the box without any indication of what's next, and 10 minutes later brought it back out. We found that they had put the steak we had tasted and cut up back on their grill and give it back to us, the steak was medium rare now and charred in places aren't tasty. They forgot chips, guacamole, salsa, barely any fries for the kids chicken tenders. For how much they charge it's not worth it on any level. Only thing good is their cold beer and if you want an overpour tequila margarita. We received a $30 gift card but have no plans on returning to this establishment until new staff and standards are known. read more

This place is extremely overpriced. The food isn't great, service is slow, and somehow, 2 entrees and 1 drink costs (no appetisers, no desserts) ended up about $80 after adding 20% tip?! That is completely absurd for what this place is. Food is seriously better at most Mexican restaurants, about 50-60% less expensive, all else being basically the same except the Mexican restaurants are faster at getting your food out to you. read more

My favorite Mexican place on Bainbridge. Cool atmosphere and delicious food. Love sitting outside on their patio in the summer

Just had lunch at San Carlos. Sat on the deck, which was nice. My friend had the Crab Chimichanga and I had 2 fish tacos. Water only to drink. $45. Seems like a lot to me. Fish tacos were good, once I pulled out the lettuce which was slimy and gritty. Same for the caesar side salad, I couldn't eat it. For the price, I won't be back. read more

If you are looking for a romantic, cozy restaurant and southwestern cuisine, San Carlos is just right. I say "crab chimichanga" to my sweetheart, and his eyes roll back in his head. One of his favorite dishes on the island. For me, it is always hard to decide, so many wonderful choices. Enchiladas, BBQ ribs (with southwestern flare), fajitas, everything is delicious and the portions plentiful. I enjoyed a peach margarita tonight, and keep hoping they will bring back the prickly pear cactus one. My all time favorite, even tho the peach was phenomenal. I see a few negative reviews on Yelp for San Carlos, and suppose if people try, they might have the off experience. I guess we've been lucky. It's always been a wonderful place for us to dine. read more

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hi, ive never written a review before, but i figured this deserved my first one .. I've been going here for over 11 years now, w my husband for date night. we just want to knowledge how amazing it is, the service is incredible. you can tell the staff enjoys what they do and they make it feel like such a family environment. we recently had a baby and they all went out of their way to make sure she was taken care of and enjoying her first experience! don't even start about their food.. it's phenomenal. I've have NEVER had a bad or even "okay" experience here. they are like family and we will continue to eat there. with love in our hearts read more

I'm not a resident of Baingridge Island so I can't rate the food as compared to other restaurants on the island, but as far as everything the the seattle area this place seemed average. Food: - Ok. I ordered a Chili Relleno and it should have been called a cheese relleno because it was swimming in cheese. It was good but I couldn't eat the whole thing because of a cheese overload Service: - Great and friendly Ambiance: - Ok. It fit the build but wasn't anything to write home about. Overall this place was about twice as expensive as an equivalent Mexican restaurant in the Seattle area but I get the feeling that is the cost of being on an island. read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Chili relleno - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

This has to be my favorite enchilada dinner I ever had and I'm from Texas!! I was hesitant to order this as I visited this new place in an unlikely place to enjoy Mexican cuisine in my opinion ! But the service was amazing ! Dean and Arees really delivered exceptional service!' So if you come here order The smoked chicken and sour cream enchiladas with the Santa Fe margarita!!! read more

San Carlos Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

Going through my old reviews and spotted this one. In the years since, management has changed and I've become a regular. San Carlos is my favorite place to eat on the island. The margaritas are the best you'll get anywhere and the food is outstanding. All of the sauces on their entrees are flavorful and are what elevates their food over the standard Mexican/Tex-Mex fare. The smoked chicken sour cream enchiladas are delicious, especially when you add goat cheese. Yes, it's expensive, but it's totally worth it for consistent, tasty Southwestern food. read more

We absolutely love this restaurant. The food, service and friendly atmosphere make this a regular go to for us. The Carne Asada simply is the best. read more

Cool atmosphere, but that's where it ends. Overpriced food and bad, slow service. I guess they're just a tourist trap.