Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Carmela's Mexican Restaurant

    3.2 (193 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Carmela's Mexican Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Carmela's Mexican Restaurant Photos

    CARMELA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Carmela's Mexican Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Carmela's Mexican Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Surprise dinner after a long day ^_* and sides
    Jessica S.

    Wonderful service! It is always a delight to see the owner working hard as an employee behind the scenes. I have seen her play various roles from being the cook, to the dish washer to a waiter. I have a soft spot for this location especially Doug the times they had live music, free sour cream, and yummy deserts. Now they offer a variety of deserts from flan to tres leches but let's be honest it is overpriced for the small portion. They say we went the restaurant has an empty feel to it with no one at the front. Eventually I headed to the restroom. I would rate this a decent to clean space. I left to find my partner seated at a booth. This is another thing I appreciated sitting in comfy couches rather than hard chairs. We order a mole burrito and tacos. Sadly lengua tacos were not available so we went for tacos de carne asada and tacos Al pastor. They were pretty yummy! I just wished I ordered more sour cream or added salsa since the tacos felt a bit on the dry side.

    Huarache

    I came in for lunch and the service was better than it was last time. I was shocked when I was going through the menu how expensive things were. Not just the price, but what you get. All house specialties come a la carte. ONE tostada, by itself, was 11.99 One Huarache, 16.99 Fajitas, 29.99 Total bummer that it doesn't come with beans or rice or something else. Chips and salsa were yummy (made fresh) and for the main Dish, I got the huarache (recommended by a friend) and it was just ok. The Mazda was good and the flavor was tasty. The beans were cold and the Asada was dry/over cooked. Overall a much better experience but not very traditional. Service 4/5 Chips 5/5 Food 2/5 Please buyer beware when you're seeing the "great Mexican food" in a lot of these reviews. Consider the source. Lol.

    Melted margarita
    Taryn A.

    3:50pm-called in an order today: -Guacamole -2 mango margaritas -One burrito loco -#17 Combo (tamale and chile relleno) I specified both of the mains (burrito and combo) to have black beans. The person taking my order had me hang on while he changed that in the system and then confirmed it would be ready for pick-up in 30 minutes. 4:40pm, we had picked up the order to realize we had only gotten the burrito and the combo. The burrito also had pinto beans, contrary to the specification. Called back the restaurant, and initially there was zero responsibility taken for the incomplete order, but then she agreed we could come get the guac and margaritas. 5:10pm, we are back and there's both a line and another woman who had tacos missing from her order. The cashier told the woman she had to pay for sour cream if she wanted it with her tacos, and the woman had to repeat she already had already ordered the tacos with sour cream and paid for it-the restaurant just did not complete her order. As it became clear we were not the only ones returning for missing items, people began to check their order bags (which I should have done). The cashier yelled at everyone repeatedly that she already checked the orders and that everything was in there. We finally got our guacamole and margaritas, to realize there were zero chips in the bag and the margaritas were completely melted-clearly they had been sitting there. At that point, we had no desire to deal with the cashier again and sucked it up. 5:45pm-2 hours later, finally we eat! The food was okay. The burrito was huge, but the meat was tough however chewable. Tamale was dry and chile relleno tasted like string cheese. This is not the worst Mexican food I have had, but definitely not in the top 10. Guacamole and margaritas were fine. Couldnt tell if the margaritas were better because I added more tequila and ice and re-blended it. Wont be returning here, more for the experience than the food. Still feels like a waste of $45. Definitely wish i heeded the warnings of other reviewers saying the exact same things.

    Friendly Server and local Atmosphere.
    Haukalima K.

    Local Gem! Super fresh seafood and great value for the price. The fried snapper was Huge ($7.50US) and the Ceviche was simple and fresh. Fish, shrimp and crab tacos are finely prepared and are like a ($1.15US) each. Yum! This is where the locals go. Service is solid and honest.

    $1 tacos on Tuesday
    Luca T.

    Carmela's is about what you would expect from a Mexican restaurant this far north of the border with service that would use some work. Food - 4/5 After living in Texas for so long, I'm a little spoiled when it comes to Tex-Mex. The food is nothing to write home about, but it's a solid option in a small north Cali town. The chips are freshly made, and the spicy salsa packs a respectable punch. The tacos are especially delicious - I highly recommend the chorizo tacos. Service - 2/5 I really wanted to rate Carmela's higher, but the service is what held them back. It took several minutes for a waiter to bring our menus and significantly longer for our food to come out one we ordered. Chips and salsa refills were scarce, and my glass sat empty for far more time than it was full. Ambiance - 3/5 Pretty standard Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurant theme here, though it doesn't feel very clean or lively. The general colors of the place run a bit gray and drab. Value - 5/5 Taco Tuesdays are a fantastic bargain - $1 for a taco. The tacos are small by surface area, but they're heavily loaded with meat and fixings. 11 tacos filled me up to the point of virtually rolling out the restaurant, so I'm thankful for that.

    Flautas Combo

    See all

    26 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C M.
    0
    19
    0

    3 months ago

    Great salsa. Excellent chicken fajitas and chile verde! The pork is cooked perfect and the sauce has perfect heat.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul C.
    0
    104
    39

    3 years ago

    Warm Chardonnay. I had to add ice, and the chips were very stale. I like the people that work there.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jose V.
    73
    184
    32

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Taryn A.
    98
    27
    26

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of DR M.
    30
    130
    47

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pat L.
    123
    105
    178

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carol D.
    0
    158
    1050

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ivana L.
    136
    26
    2

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kate W.
    25
    55
    50

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Excellent flavors. Meat is always seasoned perfectly. Fair portion sizes and pricing. We love eating here!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nora B.
    0
    21
    27

    4 years ago

    Lunch was great. Salsa is good and hot, homemade tortillas . Portions very large. Enjoyed and will be back

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Carmela's Mexican Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Carmela's Mexican Restaurant

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 1,724 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Fiesta Grill & Cantina - Fajitas

    Fiesta Grill & Cantina

    3.9(144 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    this is our go to for sunday brunch when in town. there is just so many things that they do better…read morethan anyone else in their genre. Lwts start with their Menudo... served every day but i prefer mine on Sundays. Savory, hearty, and the very best in the region, i find it loaded with tripe, often too rich for a bowl, but perfect for a cup (which is above average size) And i cant go any further without mentioning the drinks. while the drink menu is huge, the margaritas are on point, and if you are unsure try the skinny. its a great margarita, lower on the shugar side leaning into the fresh orange and lime juices rather than the simple syrup. another regional best. they have a full bar and quick tip, the bloodys are fire... you wre welcome... thie decor is eye catching and festive, the service is great, and there is plenty of room even if it gets busy. its also conviently located just off the 101 freeway in arcata so its a great road stop. its leaps above the other road stops nearby. no comparrison. Chorizo and eggs, Chile Rellano plate with 2 eggs on the side, and fresh flour tortillas is our go to.. but honestly ive had other dishes and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Sunday brunch in a cool unassuming spot you never suspected to be so worth a repeat visit on your next trip through. cheers and well done! see you guys real soon!

    Was walking distance from the campground so that made it easy…read more Really nice inside and great staff. Pitcher of margaritas hit the spot. Great chips and salsa. My wife liked her beef taco and cheese enchilada combo. I really liked my 3 piece combo too.

    Photos
    Fiesta Grill & Cantina - Front bar...

    Front bar...

    Fiesta Grill & Cantina
    Fiesta Grill & Cantina

    See all

    Carmela's Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...