I used to love this spot solely for happy hour margaritas and their salsa. I wouldn't recommend their food as it lack flavor. There are so many other spots for amazing Mexican dining and this just doesn't hit the spot.Ever since Covid, this restaurant went even more downhill. You need to order at a counter and they shout your number. What used to be a nice restaurant with a fun atmosphere turned into an In-N-Out for tacos.Time to raise your standards Norte! You aren't fooling the locals - just the tourists
The food was super fresh and the portions were huge. Service was very friendly. The food is not spicy at all, so it is great for anyone. If you prefer extra flavor and spice, be sure to order the chips and salsa.
Long time favorite spot for quick and yummy Mexican food in Carlsbad village. However, the self serve /take out only thing was really disappointing. We went in for a birthday dinner, not knowing they haven't gone back to normal yet, staff was less than sympathetic, very robotic. I'm glad they survived the pandemic and hope to hear they're a service restaurant again soon.PS, killer chicken and rice soup!!
We've been going here for years... great location in Carlsbad Village. The bar is nice, the outdoor patio tables are great (cool ocean breezes and overlooks Carlsbad Inn, no real ocean view, but maybe a few tables outside can get a glimpse of it, but very limited). The food is good. Unfortunately, one caveat, since the pandemic, there is NO table service... you seat your self, you must go up to the bar to order drinks or food, when the food is ready they call your name and give you food in a paper bag like take out then you can take it back to your table, you are your own waiter food and drinks... I am not sure when or if they are going back to a full service restaurant (this is as of April 2022)... for that reason I recommend BUT 4 out of 5 Stars only. Also like most beach destinations the parking is limited, but I have always been able to find parking within a block and in a few minutes.
Norte is located on the beach in Carlsbad. It is a cute location. You order your food at the counter and they use a load speaker to call you when it is ready. There are places to sit. The speaker is hard to hear outdoors, so if you grab a table there you may want to have someone inside waiting for your name to be called. They need to work on this.This place is really between and 3 and a 4 rating, but with the nice service and the location, I felt they deserved the benefit of the 4.Their food is good, not great. They do have very good tacos and I would stay with that if I were you. We found their meat burritos to be just average with a sauce that I scrapped off. Their chips are very good and they have great rice.If I am in town again, I may give them another try. Have fun.
Came for dinner on the patio. There is no waitstaff here, and food quality is average (not bad, but does anyone in the area make a decent enchilada?). Prices were high for what it is. You order at the bar, wait for food to be brought out from the kitchen in to-go packaging with plastic utensils, then go find a table. I wasn't expecting that, so a bit disappointed, but understanding that businesses are still struggling. Will probably be back after they regain their footing and offer a normal restaurant experience again.
Wow! This place has really gone down hill. My mom and I went there today for lunch. There are no servers anymore. We had to go to the bar to order our drinks. I asked the bar tender for the drink menu and she said they didn’t have one. She pointed to a margarita menu taped to the other side of the bar (ghetto). We ordered margaritas that basically tasted like plain margarita mix. If I am paying 15 bucks for one drink, I would like alcohol in it. We ordered nachos and were given cold nachos with stale chips and hard cheese. I couldn’t believe it. We will absolutely never step foot in the place again.
We’ve been going here for three years and today I was pretty disappointed. They no longer have servers and you have to go order at the bar, and then pick up your food. It comes out in to-go boxes. Basically this restaurant has turned into a fancier fast food place rather than a sit-down restaurant. I understand it’s due to some of their policy changes because of COVID, but just know that your experience won’t be what it used to be if you’ve been here prior to March 2020.The women’s bathrooms stunk so bad. Both of my small children commented, and my daughter wouldn’t stop holding her nose. It smelled like musty rotten eggs, and visibly looked dirty.Also, for those who like queso dip, beware that their appetizer “queso funidto,” is not the kind of queso that you can easily dip into. By the time we picked up our order, it had already hardened and was essentially a block of cheese.On a positive, their chicken tortilla soup is fantastic, as is their salsa. The salsa is pretty spicy too… if that’s what you like.
Great place for lunch and a Patron margarita. You can eat inside or outside or just do take-out, your choice. Explore Carlsbad Village and/or stroll on the beach afterwards. Either way, good times.
Best food we had in San Diego area! The outdoor patio was wonderful but the food made the night. The guacamole and bean dip appetizers could have fed us all! But we are pigs and had fajitas, too, which were seasoned perfectly and loved the grilled green onions. They closed at 9pm which seems a bit early but definitely eat here if close!