28 Best Mexican Restaurants in Encinitas

“The pizza Birria was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten and the one of a kind Michelada’s are truly phenomenal and unique. The Latin American amalgamation with contemporary atmosphere has a perfect balance of an open, tasteful, yet festive experience. I will 100% be going back.“

“We love this place! The food is fresh, delicious, and very well priced! The restaurant is always clean and the staff makes you feel like they're glad you stopped in to eat! We have ordered a variety of different items from the menu and it's all been amazing - including the salsa bar! Their carne asada, shrimp, and mahi mahi are definitely standouts. The carne asada is flavorful and not greasy like some Mexican food restaurants. I also recommend giving the breakfast burritos a try. This is definitely a great place to grab some excellent Mexican food!“

“We got the quesadilla and fish tacos. Both were fresh and delicious. The order at the counter service was quick and easy, our food was out in 10 minutes.
Loved the mango on the fish tacos and the fish was perfectly seasoned.
Also has large drink selection and majority of seating is outdoor.
Highly recommend. Great for casual and large group setting.“

“the birria tacos are good I recomend them“

“From the moment we walked into the door to meet our friends, until the time we left feeling pretty good about our Friday night, Cocina de Barrio aced all of our expectations and more. The hosts were just so welcoming and made our out of town guests feel right at home. It was Happy Hour and the bartender grinded out some of THE BEST Cadillac Margaritas in town...and our party of 5 enjoyed many of them. It was obvious that the folks that work at this restaurant aren't lazy, forgetful, or lacked knowledge of their food, OH NO. These folks gloriously worked the entire restaurant as a team, and boy was it fabulous. Delicious fish tacos, grilled shrimp tacos and fresh ceviche, along with delectable braised ribs in mole sauce were served up with perfect timing, and as we enjoyed our dishes and drinks, our server Manuel, was like a Ninja - appearing only when we we appeared to be getting low on something, and quick to replenish or take more of our orders very quickly. Amazing. Our table made a promise to one another that we'll definitely come back to Cocina de Barrio for more great nights of fun and feast, and to make sure we don't wait too long to do it! Ole!“

“Carne Asada burrito and 3 rolled tacos with guacamole. 'Nuff said!“

“Awesome food prepared very well worth the wait! Delicious surf and turf! I was looking for the corn on the cob and churros but they ran! Super popular!“

“Es un lugar verdaderamente recomendable, extremadamente limpio, pero sobre todo, delicioso! La comida es buenísima, gran sabor y los platos muy bien servidos. El servicio es rápido y amable 👌👌👌 sin duda una muy buena opción“

“You gotta try the taquito burrito!“

“Their food is yummy, well and clean prepared!!!“

“The food was so good here that after we finished we went and got seconds the cashier was very kind and helpful and made sure that we got what we ordered and that it was good which it was and the atmosphere was great because all the other places were super packed and this one was super chill and laid-back and the chicken soup was probably the best I’ve ever had. It had avocado in it. Thank you so much.“

“A group of 6 of us went there for ther first time. Ordered menudo, machaca, carnitas, breakfast burrito, among other items. All was fresh, tasty and generously portioned. The salsa bar had a great selection of mild to spicy salsas, condiments as well and pickled carrots and onions.Not a fancy restaurant, but clean and comfortable.Most of us had leftovers to take home!“

“I have loved Wahoos since they opened one of the first ones in Huntington Beach in the nineties! it's always fresh and clean with a great vibe. It's the easiest and safest place for me to go during the pandemic. The food is very consistent across all the stores I've been too. I highly recommend it. it's a great tasty healthy alternative to fast food!“

“Tostada and Chimichanga are fire! They went above and beyond to accommodate a small mistake that was made on a previous visit. Really appreciate that! Classy joint.“

“Tostada and Chimichanga are fire! They went above and beyond to accommodate a small mistake that was made on a previous visit. Really appreciate that! Classy joint.“

“We had never eaten here before today. The food was incredible. My husband ordered a beef burrito and I got the carne asada tacos. Warning! The burritos are HUGE. We loved our stay here!“

“This is outside, next to a Valero gas station. Not a place for a first date meant to impress. But…. They’re open 24 hours! Have great fish tacos! Clean bathroom! ? Great service. We were there around 11pm, a little chilly, but the heaters worked just fine!
Thanks El Pueblo!“

“I’ve been dining at Le Papagayo’s for 20+ years. I love the atmosphere, ambience, live music, and fabulous food. It’s a down to Earth place and you can come casual or dressed up! This place will not disappoint.“

“Great food and fast service“

“I enjoy eating at El Pollo Loco! I came here late at night and order a family meal and the chicken was juicy and delicious. I would recommend coming here again. Also, their burritos are delicious I tried the chicken avocado and it delicious and big.

Kid-friendliness: They are friendly with everyone not just kids!“

“Perfect location, lots of parking, friendly employees I was taken care quick and my food did not took more than 5 minutes.It was tasty. I do recommend that the green salsa is the best. The red is little spicy with no flavor.I will come back you should stop and get de Carne Asada Burro.“

“Best tacos in the area. Awesome portions. The boyfriend usually gets 3-4 tacos at most places. 2 are enough here and they’re bomb! Bring napkins! Birria is amazing!! Drive through 24/7 so it’s a great spot after night beach excursions! Free refills on drinks if you go inside and they have the Coke machines with all the flavors which I love!“

“Good food and consistent with other Rubio's. The staff was kind but this is the slowest Rubio's I've been to. Perhaps they were jammed with online orders because the dining room was not packed by any means. The fish was a little on the smaller side but tasted very fresh.“

“I’ve been coming to this spot for over 20 years—back when it was Rico’s—and it’s still just as good. The Justin Burrito remains my go-to, and it never disappoints. I recently had a family get-together here and the staff was so kind and accommodating—we pushed a few tables together and they didn’t blink, just made it happen quickly and with a smile. The food came out fast and was absolutely delicious. Service was excellent, and parking is always easy. I live in Escondido now, but it’s still worth the drive whenever I’m craving really solid, satisfying tacos and burritos. A long-time favorite that keeps living up to the memories.“

“At Roberto’s Taco Shop in Encinitas (471 Encinitas Blvd), the Classic Chicken Burrito is priced at around $12 to $13 depending on where you look online . It features shredded chicken sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, wrapped in a large flour tortilla alongside rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, and queso enchilado (depending on customization) .“

“I've waited 15 years to try this place .. because I'm always rushing. Well, today I finally went in and had a meal. There is some front street parking, side parking and rear parking. There's also a bus stop less (101) than a block away but I walked to it from a nearby hotel. The notion of authentic food is obvious by the cashier's and cooks I had the opportunity to thank for such a delicious meal. I was fortunate enough to have my lunch to myself because no one was eating inside during my brief 1 hour there.. however there were non-stop to-go orders the whole time. I ordered my usual test food of Carne Asada Nachos and a Coke. The coke tasted like a coke should. It wasn't flat. The carne asada nachos were made with the exact amount of chips and fixings and meat. There was no chip eaten without something on it which is rare. Usually most places put too much chips. There was a good serving of guacamole, sour cream, unmelted cheese, pico de gallo and meat. It could easily feed 2 but I only ate 1x in the morning so this was my lunch and dinner. I opted for both red and green salsa .. which were both delicious. The red was slightly spicier but not too much. I have 1 before and 1 mid photos so you can see the balanced portions. In my opinion the cooks were nice and know how to cook in my humble opinion. The food was delicious and I'm definitely coming back tomorrow to test their breakfast burrito. I highly recommend coming in and trying their food. There's plenty to do in the area to walk off your meal afterwards. All in all .. definitely a monthly meal for me worth the extra 5 min drive from my office.“

“best fish tacos I've ever had. every time I'm in town I make it a point to go there at least once.“

“My experience was good, June 2025. I ordered on the app, about 7 minutes after I ordered the food was already ready. The dinning area was immaculate and an employee was wiping down tables at the time I was there. The food was great compared to other locations. I normally get 3 pieces of diced tomato on my Supreme items, but they had plenty on my items.“