This restaurant is located in Old Town Camarillo, which is worth a visit on its own if you haven't…read morebeen there. There is limited parking in front of the restaurant, right off Ventura Boulevard, and I believe there is additional parking in the back.
This was my second visit to Olas De Carlos Surf Grill. My team was getting tired of pizza, and I wanted to treat everyone to a special lunch without breaking the budget. I remembered from my previous visit that the restaurant offered delicious, unique, and affordable meals, so I decided to order takeout for 13 people.
I called the day before and was greeted by Carlos, the owner. He started asking which meats people wanted and whether they preferred crispy tacos or other options. I quickly realized that ordering from a full-service restaurant requires a little more preparation than ordering pizza. I went back to my team, collected everyone's preferences, and called Carlos again.
I'm glad I ordered a day ahead because putting together 13 individual orders of wet burritos, fish tacos, enchiladas, chicken flautas, and other combinations took some time. Carlos patiently worked through the entire order with me.
The next day, I arrived a few minutes early. Carlos and his wife were still assembling and labeling our lunch bags. While I waited, I looked around the restaurant, which is decorated with surfboards, with a surfing video playing silently on a TV. By the time my order was ready, I was significantly more interested in surfing than ever before.
The food was still hot when I arrived at the office at noon. The team went quiet for the first 10-15 minutes, absorbed in the smells and tastes of their meals. Almost everything was clearly labeled with the team member's name, so despite the size and complexity of the order, there was very little confusion.
The portions were generous, and everyone agreed that this was a big step up from another pizza lunch.
The food reviews varied somewhat. The fish in my fish tacos was too dry. One team member gave his wet burrito 3/5, saying it wasn't very authentic, while another gave his chicken burrito 5/5. The shrimp enchiladas also received a 5/5.
Overall, we had a very good experience and enjoyed our lunch. Carlos handled a large and complicated order well, the portions were generous, and most of the food received very positive reviews. For large group orders, a simplified catering menu with a few popular combinations would make the ordering process even easier. I would definitely consider Olas De Carlos again when I want to give the team something more interesting than pizza without spending a fortune.