This place must be a hit or miss based on the 1 and 5 star review distribution. Based on what I read here, they may have a consistency problem. It was a hit for me! **5/5 sauce** Red sauce (more of an orange) is almost exactly like Cotixan's in Encinitas which is my favorite. Actually, this one may even be a bit better! This might be my new favorite hot sauce from any taco shop Ive had in San Diego County! If you eat in, you can help yourself to as much as you need, which IMO, is way better than having to ask for more prepackaged tiny little wasteful plastic containers. Another dude there filled up a water cup with sauce LOL **4.5/5 Burrito** I ordered the sausage breakfast burrito with sour cream which was a fair $11.37 total. Burrito might have been the largest breakfast burrito I've ever eaten. If I had to ding them at all, maybe just a little less beans and more potato, but I don't feel strongly about this. Tortilla was perfectly cooked/flaky. Also very similar to Cotixan's super breakfast burrito **5/5 sour cream addition** This has been a sore spot for me at taco shops. Either it's too expensive (anything more than $1.50 is too much), not enough SC on the burrito, or they entirely forget to put it in, or a combo of those. The additional $1.15 for the SC is reasonable and definitely had enough on there. **5/5 restaurant** Food was made pretty fast, dining room seemed pretty clean, and I really like the plentiful outside seating. 24hr drive through is a good bonus for late nights or just to simply know you don't have to worry about them being closed when you get there (also a bit of a sore spot for me lately). read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Holy breakfast burritos, Yelpers! Vallarta Express (at least this one) has the best breakfast burrito I've been able to find anywhere so far. Aside from being absolutely huge, they are made to order, fresh, and tasty as can be. And the price is super reasonable! There are three options of burrito goodness - bacon, ham, or sausage. I've tried ham and bacon, and so far bacon is the best. The burrito will come with an orange spicy sauce and green salsa, both of which are good in their own way. This location is open 24/7 and so far all I've done is the drive-thru, which has been quick, efficient, and hassle-free. It is located about one block from the freeway so if you are on a trip somewhere this is an easy stop. Five stars. It's on my regular list as well as the breakfast burrito hall of fame. read more

Came at 2am for some late night Mexican food. Food was great , got a California burrito and it was well packed with plenty of meat and everything else that comes in it. Very big size too. read more

Got a Bacon breakfast burrito with no cheese Overall score: 7/10 (it was fine) No Paul Hollywood handshake :( Size- good size! Ate 1/2 didn't feel like shit so that's a good sign Tortilla-pretty good and good size, I like a lil crispy tortilla tho Ratio of ingredients- lots of eggs but needed more beans and fer sure smaller crispy potatoes, potatoes were too big and made it taste bland Flavor-lacking not really flavorful. The bacon tasted funny like microwaved turkey bacon but good red salsa! Distribution- kinda weird, all beans on one side and so many eggs which usually isn't a problem but in this case it was a lil too much compared to the other ingredients Establishment- too chain like, but good vibes in there. Super clean too. read more

Vallarta Express - Breakfast burrito with bacon and no cheese - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We ordered takeout from here after a long day at the beach and it was delicious! Our kiddos loved the bean and cheese burrito with fries (the portion was large). My husband and I both loved our burritos. The tortillas were amazing. Ohhh how I've missed California burritos from my college days at San Diego State! Their salsas were also fresh and delicious. I love that they have spicy carrots - yum! We highly recommend this spot for takeout in the Carlsbad area because let's be honest, who wants to cook after spending all day at the beach playing with kiddos?! Make it easy on yourself and go here. read more

I Found not one but two blonde or grey hairs in my California burrito not even half way into it like 1/4 into it bc I just cut a tiny bit off to eat tonight and save the rest for tomorrow now I'm so grossed out the meat was also really fatty I threw it away... I even added beans for like $5 extra I wasted my money and lost my appetite read more

Vallarta Express - Hair in my California burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

What to love: Great taste and flavor A lot of variety Solid salsa Open 24/7 Food always hot What not to love: Long drive thru lines But if there's a line then that means the food is good! Parking on the street would be encouraged so you don't get blocked in and walk and order Favorites: Fish burrito, Steak Fajita burrito, Fish tacos, and Surf and Turf burrito. P.S. Tip the staff too! Vallarta is the Mexican version of Chick-fil A and they work super hard at making everything fresh. read more

I've visited this location a few times and really enjoy both their breakfast burritos and fish burrito. The price is reasonable and the portions are massive. My personal fave is the fish burrito however I wish they put more cabbage and pico to balance out the ridiculously generation portion of fried fish. The reason for the 4 star is that the bacon breakfast burritos, however large they were had next to no bacon inside. They went heavy on the eggs, potatoes and beans but missed out on the meat, which my friends were hoping more of. The salsa is some of my favorite, the orange being the best. I love how much of a kick it has. The green one is great as well! read more

If you like Mexican Food, you'll have to give this place a Try. I had a Surf and Turf burrito and the serving size was huge. The staff in my experience was friendly and the order was made quickly. I'll definitely have to come back again next time I'm in the area. read more

Poorly managed and treat customers poorly. Bad service just watch 5 people order after me get all there food 30 min I waited asked for a refund all the sudden they are working on my food...watched 13 plus cars make it through drive threw. They should Be ashamed of themselves for what they said to me. read more

Most of the food here is pretty good.... but don't get a torta is was horrible. Carne asada was dry, no mayo, no cheese, very tiny amount of avocado and overall just lame. Cost $14 also don't waste your money it was a joke. read more

Absolutely terrible service. I spent $87 at this location, and the food was awful--specifically, the "Christian fries" were completely dried out, cold, and stiff. I was dining in and went back to the counter to politely ask for a side of cheese to help make the fries at least somewhat edible. I spoke to someone named Lucy, and her attitude was beyond unacceptable. She flat-out refused to give me a side of cheese, even after I explained the issue with the fries. She was incredibly rude, dismissive, and made zero effort to be accommodating. For someone working in customer service, she showed absolutely no professionalism or courtesy. It's shocking how someone with such a nasty attitude is allowed to interact with paying customers. I will never return to this location, and I suggest others think twice before spending their money here. Do better. read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Be wary if you're coming here in the evenings/late at night. The staff at those hours have stolen money from me on several occasions by short changing me & pocketing the rest of what I gave them. They will argue with you and lie to your face if you call them on it. While the food can be good, it is wildly inconsistent & they have just straight up given me the wrong order before & refused to do anything about it. Would recommend literally any other Mexican Food spot in the area... read more

I thought I ordered a shrimp burrito, not a sour cream burrito? This is a little annoying for what we paid for... read more

Vallarta Express - Way too much sour cream and filler for what we paid. Not cool. - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Terrible!! I got the worst food poisoning I've ever had in my life from this place. Ordered a sausage breakfast sandwich from them on Friday night and I'm still not feeling well. Stay away!!!! read more

Heard a lot of good things about this place but let me tell you I just bought four tacos, Buffalo Adobada, Asada, and Fish. The buffalo was a bunch of small fried chicken pieces... tasted old and as if they were kept in the fridge overnight, they weren't crispy or tasty or tender l mean just terrible. The fish was battered, but not crunchy. It was almost like it was the same thing kind of spongy and just low quality terrible. Asada was OK but lacked flavor and spices and just really missed the mark. And the Adobada, well it was was the best of all four but that's not saying much, somewhat tasty but again the seasoning and the set up was just not good at all... food was just bad. The prices are a little high and I'm telling you I was disappointed given I heard some good things about this place. That said, will never and I mean never go there again. I mean the chicken and the fish really tasted like they were three days old. Just horrible over all. Save your money and go to Grubby, or Los Tacos, or the place across the street in the Smart & Final parking lot. They set up outside Friday & Saturday nights and tacos are exceptional. Should have gone there... lesson learned. read more

I was borderline hangry so a friend drove me over here. I got two tacos which were huge and stuffed with goodness. The chicken taco was good, but the fish taco almost had me weeping it was so fantastic. The breading was crisped to perfection and the fish itself was tender and delicious. We did drive through so I can't really speak to ambience, but can say be super careful if you have a big vehicle cuz that wall is close. Service was competent and efficient which I appreciated because, as I mentioned before, I was borderline hangry. No pics due to tearing into that fish taco before we even hit the street. read more

We got back home from a long day at a car show and I wanted something warm and tasty! I only ate kettle corn and trail mix in the middle of breakfast and dinner. I was hungry! My potato taco combo hit the spot. The tacos were nice and crunchy. In case you've only been exposed to potato tacos at Taco Bell (RIP), these are NOT those! Tacos durados de papas is used with mashed potatoes. I finished it up and enjoyed it, BUT realized cotija was not used as advertised! They have a beautiful poster on potato tacos and instead I had shredded white cheese. Please bring back cotija! It's the best way to eat them! read more

Vallarta Express - Potato Taco combo - 2 tacos, rice, and beans - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

It's my go to for a long awaited breakfast burrito! It was up early and made the drive quickly to Carlsbad Village where this goodness was there to welcome in the year! Sausage no beans for me. Bacon with beans for the 20year old... ah to be 20! Sausage no potatoes for my wife. All orange sauce for me. The green is delicious just not for me. I pull up to the window after a simple order process and to my horror.... I discover I left my wallet at home. Seriously freaked out because I can smell my beloved burrito being cooked... My favorite server comes to the window and I explain the situation and she smiles snd asks for my phone and says "Apple Pay?" Yes please and I'm off. Nice to be home and full! Love this place! read more

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My first time coming here and it's the best breakfast burrito I have ever had. Came out extremely fast too!

First of all I paid $4.50 extra to have steak on the chilaquiles plate and there was not 1 piece of steak on the plate. Next if there was any cheese in the breakfast burrito, I didn't see it. This was all from the drive-through on August 11 at 10:30 AM. I didn't notice the steak or the cheese until we actually got home with the food. The chilaquiles "red" sauce was literally just their red salsa (not sure if it was salsa taquera or chile de arbol but it was orange in color) tossed with chips which was impossible to eat due to the spice level and I eat a lot of spicy things on a regular basis. I have great burritos from here in the past but this absolutely unacceptable. read more

Vallarta Express - Receipt of my order - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

because i use Yelp to screen dining choices, i rarely have hugely disappointing, eating-out experiences anymore. Vallarta Express was the proverbial exception. i continue (see my previous review) to NOT be impressed with this place. my fifteen-year-old son was craving fast-food Mexican after jujitsu and since a couple of his friends had said positive things (Wyatt needs friends with more discerning palates) and it's conviently close to our house, we hit the drive-thru on the way home. he didn't finish the rice and beans on his combo plate (FISH and CHICKEN TACOS). i ate the beans (which were pretty good) and had a spoon of the rice (which was barely okay) and the dogs got the rest. after a drive to Idelwilde to look at properties (thinking about buying a mountain cabin for weekend getaways), i was too tired to make dinner and needed to satisfy cravings of my own. i ordered enough food to feed a small army at the drive-thru. on a positive note, the service was exceptional, our order (which was quirky and detailed) came out correctly. that's a feat you shouldn't trivialize. these days with a chronic labor shortage in the fast-food industry and good help (in point of fact any help) is hard to find. the beans are still good. the only other nice thing i can think of (and i've given it some thought), is the guacamole, sour cream, and shredded lettuce topping on the CHICKEN ROLLED TACOS was generous. everything else was NO BUENO. nothing was warmer than room temperature. the tortillas on the ROLLED CHICKEN TACOS and hard-shell CHICKEN TACOS were not crispy and had a funny, almost cornbread, aftertaste, and the kitchen did a piss-poor job shredding the chicken. the CARNITAS BURRITO was a nasty mash-up with the appearance and mouth-feel of filling straight out of a can. all the flavors and textures (again, except for the beans) were off-putting. ps: the dogs seemed to still enjoy the rice ... pps: the experience was so awful (two stars was generous), i'm gonna go someplace for fast-food Mex (Juanitas in Encinitas or San Luis in Oceanside) just to get the taste outta my mouth. read more

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I think I cracked the secret to finding good restaurants in Carlsbad. Three stars on Yelp because I can't even begin to tell you how there are WAY too many places in this town that have 4 or 5 stars that have terrible or mediocre at best food. The food at Vallarta is delicious. It's simple yet authentic. Their green sauce on the enchiladas was the perfect amount of kick with tons of flavor. I can't wait to go back! read more

Open 24/7, I tend call in a burrito early morning before going out fishing. They never dissapoint and very filling. I usually get a veggie burrito no dairy add potatoes and guacamole or avocado. Thanks guys, I appreciate you! read more

"I didn't know they made tortillas that big." The veggie burrito was sooo good. That thing was STUFFED with rice, beans, cheese, and at least 4 types of veggies-- peppers, onions, corn, and peas! YUM! It's huge and for $11!??? So worth it. This place is epic. read more

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Service down the drain, including the food. Make sure your order is correct. Called since my order was wrong, came all the way back from west gate Oceanside to be told I was lying. Forsure not what it used be bunch of disrespectful rude employees read more

I've been here a few times. Yesterday I tried a potato taco and it was soooooo good I wished I'd gotten more. I'll be back for that!

- Fish burrito absolutely hit the spot. - Very reasonable prices while many other similar spots are now much more expensive. - Very clean restroom available to use even in the wee hours of the morning. read more

Bacon breakfast burrito was fire. Bathroom was coin operated which was weird, food was great though. read more

Vallarta Express - Coin operated bathroom lock - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The only thing that did not go well was at the ordering station. The kitchen fans made it very difficult to hear for both me and the cashier who takes the orders. The food was very, very good. The green salsa was very, very good. They added baby limas and corn to their rice which made it quite good --a step above other Mexican restaurants. The potato tacos with hard shells were very good. Next time I'll ask for half the amount of sour cream that they put on them. The beans were creamy with melted cheese on top --delicious. read more

Had a unpleasant experience at Vallarta last night 2/6/25 . Ordered Philly quesadilla and fajitas burritos with chicken. Gave them 27$ for the order . I get my food and the quesadillas dripping with grease , disgusting. And my burrito was filled with more grease or oil than any burrito I've ever seen . This burrito was edible but no way healthy for family to have . I ended up throwing the burrito away since it was already half eaten by the time we decided no more . And we returned the quesadillas and got our money back .. I don't know what happened to vallarta I don't remember them being so sloppy and disgusting. Very disappointing for me and my family last night . We ended up just going across the street to jack in the box and it felt so much healthier than what we would have ate . Aloha Shane read more

We have not had any problem with the food or service here, but they keep charging me $.50 more than what my cc receipt shows. Most recently on 7/23. My receipt shows $26.30, my cc statement shows $26.80. This is not the first time. read more

We were rushed though ordering in the drive through, it ended up being Big portions of mediocre food. The "Super Fries" were $18 and although a lot of food, it was fatty and the meat dried out. The guacamole is just a bright green paste. An order of Chips & Salsa was a box full of burnt chips with a bunch of packets of salsa thrown in. I was not impressed and won't be back. read more

yummmy & huge burritos. i remember when they were less than $10 but still love the flavor & the size makes the price worth it. you can get 2 meals out of it lol i got a chorizo burrito add potatoes! so yummy and perfect about of egg/chorizo ratio. read more

Vallarta Express - chorizo burrito add potatoes - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Oh man, what a bummer. Ordered food for the family thinking drive through, quick and easy. Well it was quick and easy, got home with the food about 5 minutes after getting it, unfortunately everything was cold. Cold as if it was sitting out all day and then scooped up and made into food. It was seriously gross. The entire family couldn't eat much of it and everyone got heartburn afterwards. I believe they served is old meat that was cooked and left out, not even heated. I will never trust these guys with my food again, it really felt like a violation of trust because they had to have known they were giving me cold and old food. read more

On a drive through kick (nap trapped in car) and was blown away by the excellent burritos at Vallarta Express. The huevos rancheros burrito was TOP TIER, truly one of the best breakfast burritos I've had. The Philly steak burrito was also very flavorful and filling. We will be back frequently. read more

guy working behind the counter in the evenings/night is a thief. he has repeatedly gave me incorrect change & then argued with me about what bill i gave him when i went to the atm earlier that day. scummy behavior when i am a local patron of this establishment read more

They used to make THE BEST burritos and now it's dry old meat crap. I gave it another chance so I bought a california burrito. They only put one teaspoon of sour cream on one end and one teaspoon of guacamole on the other end. The driest burrito ever! I should've went to Deibertos read more

Driving by and was craving a breakfast burrito. For $10 you'll get a huge burrito. Burrito 9.2 out of 10zz will definitely come back againn

The California burritos with the orange salsa is great. I always get it with a horchata, but the horchata tastes very generic. read more

Vallarta Express - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Carlsbad, California