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    Don Carlos Restaurant

    3.8 (51 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Don Carlos Restaurant Photos

    DON CARLOS RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Don Carlos Restaurant

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    Tacos
    Chris O.

    Don Carlos provides fantastic service and mouthwatering food. The traditional setting brings back memories of my recent trip to Mexico. The lengua and al pastor tacos were especially delicious. Can't wait to return soon!

    Tacos
    Yesenia M.

    Visiting from out of town and I cannot believe I found this gem of a restaurant. I am Mexican and I'm always searching for a good authentic taco stand. This is a small taco restaurant that serves tacos like they do in Mexico (if you know you know.) I ordered 2 asada tacos and 1 carnitas. Service was fast and the tacos were 10/10. My favorite part of my tacos was the meat and the spicy red salsa cannot wait to come back already.

    Tripa tacos and a margarita
    Selena S.

    I absolutely love the tacos from here! Always delicious! Super authentic, however the margarita was very sour I was not a fan.

    2 Al Pastor (right) and 1 Asada (left)
    Eric N.

    Don Carlos recently re-opened after being closed. They have true Pastor from a vertical spit with a pineapple on top. Sweet and savory. I tried tacos Al pastor and asada. Both were great. The orange salsa is a great medium- not too spicy, not too mild. $3-4 per taco and great service from a waitress and friendly staff overall. They are located inside a covered patio next to a general store. Looks like the patio would be more open in the summer. Current hours: Sat-Sun only, 1030am - 8pm. Supposed to move to full hours in spring. I usually get tacos across the street from the restaurant connected to the grocery store but these were just as good if not better. They sell beers, unsure if they have liquor or margaritas. They said to spread the word they are back open, so here is the word: go give them a try!

    Margarita -Small
    Steven B.

    Been there and ate there, now I can mark Don Carlos Restaurant off my Cherokee Street Bucket List. Like Christian K. I am going to meet Don half way on a good rating. Rarely do I forget what I ate at a restaurant, but this visit I had to review my pictures to refresh my memory. So glad I am a true Yelper and photograph all the food I eat out. I remembered the Margarita, Chips & Salsa, Guacamole and Flan, but could not recall my entree. Guess I wasn't that impressed. We started out with regular Margarita's that did not skimp on the booze. I enjoyed the extremely coarse salt on the rim of my, "no salt" request. Seriously, I did like how they salted their rim. It was not the typical bar salt. The chips here are not impressive, but the two salsas they serve with them makes up their lackluster. I favored the Smokey Chipolte over the Chili Arbol Salsa. We also had a side order of Guacamole which was huge. It had a unusual flavor that I could not pinpoint, but I think that may have been its winning vice. The entree that I blocked out of my mind, was two tacos and a side of refried beans. I enjoyed a Chicken and Barbacoa Taco. Unlike George O., the Barbacoa did not blow my knickers off. It was good, but I favored my Chicken and wished I had tried the fish when I realized they grilled their fish. Grilled is so much better then fried. We shared a slice of Flan for dessert and it would have their Abuelita rolling over in her grave knowing how they butchered an old family recipe. The service was a tad on the slow side, but the Señorita was working the entire sidewalk cafe alone and was doing The Hustle the best she could. We shop at Carniceria Latinos Americana, so I know we'll be back to enjoy another Margarita and something else on their menu.

    Jackie W.

    Where do you go when America shuts down to remember its soldiers, past and present.. little Mexico of course! One of the few areas in town that restaurants (besides fast food) stay open on this day is Cherokee Street, and to celebrate I went there and ate tacos for America. We sat in the shade underneath that black awning covered patio, as there is little room to sit inside, and after peering in there I didn't get the sense I wanted to enter any way. Other people celebrating around us included a blond threesome of girls with giant margaritas for America, a couple eating Fajitas for America, and a table of thugs, just representin' for America. As is natural in little Mexico, the tacos were authentic. Just like I've had them when I lived in Chicago. It's a nice change of pace after sticking to Chimi's and the like for so long. Finally a real taco, right? The price was also right, only like $1.40 or something for a taco..cheap enough to tempt me into trying la lengua tacos..but I chickened out literally, and got two pollo tacos. The salsa was also nice and fresh, much better than at other places in town. My friend got the combination fajitas..with rice, beans and lettuce for something like 5 bucks. I don't know if I'd get the combo since some of the meat looked and tasted like it could be tripe or lengua, but maybe that was just my authentic mexican meat fear influencing me. The margaritas were also better tasting than Chimi's. These ritas had a little more lime taste to them, less sour mixer. If you ever find yourself searching for food on a random warm holiday, try Don Carlos for some real tacos for America. I can't say this is the best taco joint on Cherokee since it was my first one, but it didn't disappoint.

    Chips and salsa!
    Christian K.

    I'm going to meet this place half way to a good rating. I hate to admit this, but I don't like Cherokee Street. I know what some of you might be thinking, but it's just not my cup of tea. Send me your hate mail. Drop me as a Facebook/Yelp friend, but I just can't spend more than a little while wandering this street. Last night was our first time trying out some Mexican food on Cherokee Street. My pop gave me a gift certificate for Don Carlos, and we didn't waste any time using it. My wife loves Mexican, but I'm just not a beans and rice kind of guy. We were both pretty weak on our orders: a couple of Modelos and three soft tacos each. For me, the true measure of a Mexican restaurant is how they prepare the meat. The ground beef and chicken definitely had some quality flavor, well seasoned, and the pork and onions were super spicey, so much so that I couldn't finish it. I can be a little light on the spicey side. Still they had me pretty satisfied. Therefore, the food is not the problem. And the price for that matter. Also, up until the end, we dug the patio. However, about halfway through our meal, a truck with three shirtless Hispanic guys pulled up just on the other side of the gating, blasting their music for several minutes before getting out. Then they put on some wifebeaters and sat at the table next to us and continued to play their music loudly on a cellphone. The waitress said nothing, and we were left in silence for the great remainder of our meal. I'm all about a little culture and experiencing new things, but more than anything, I just want to relax when I'm having a few drinks and a good meal. Is that too much to ask?

    Christopher Z.

    It was nice out but rain was in the forecast... so we decided to grab a bit under the covered patio at Don Carlos. We ordered the Molcajete... a huge bowl of grilled meats, shrimp, and cactus. Super fragrant and good. I also tried a tripe and legua taco. Both tacos were just ok. But both had a wierd mineral taste. Ok... the bad. Our server sucked. She was nice when around, but was forgetful and gone for extended periods. And then the rain came. We thought we picked a good option, being fully covered by the safety of a covered patio. But I don't know what material was used... because it was raining just as hard inside as outside. And right into the food. We immediatly asked for boxes... but it took a while before she was back. Our food was ruined & my clothes wet. Not a fun experience.

    Fajitas Don Carlos!
    Kenny R.

    Update July 2014: I'm taking away a star Don Carlos for service...this is twice in a row my party's order was flawed. You're slipping lately... Original reiew:It's ALL good! If you like great mex food, go here. If you like americanized mex food...stay away. This is a great spot.

    Roasted Chiles

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    1 month ago

    Great patio, great tacos! Heated during the winter. Great to go option for street tacos and kind employees. Priced very reasonably!

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    6 months ago

    Great food at affordable prices. Simple menu but the flavor is great! It has a great patio for warmer weather but is insulated when colder.

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    5 years ago

    Staff was very kind. Offered me hot sauce and a bag. And the hot sauce and food was phenomenal.

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    Mezcaleria Las Chupacabras - Exterior

    Mezcaleria Las Chupacabras

    3.4(193 reviews)
    6.8 mi
    $$

    From the inside and out, every inch of this place was covered in vibrant, bold, colors. The mexican…read morePapel Picado decorations and designs created such a festive, lively, celebratory feel. The music in the background and terracotta designs highlighted the threads of Mexican culture but made the Homer statue appear to be a little out of place! Definitely a fun dining experience. The outdoor seating felt super spacious. It was a beautiful day and temperate weather to be able eat outside. It did have numerous umbrellas and a covered portion which kept most of the seating shaded. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was good. I was a little disappointed with the bread used for the Torta. I was expecting a bolillo type bread where it the outside is a crisp crust but the inside is airy, chewy and sweet. Instead it was a Telera Bread that was like a very crumbly messy french roll. The pieces of chicken were very thin and cut into strips instead of one patty. It was very dry and not much flavor. The fries were potato-y but not seasoned or salty. Very bland. The aroma of all the food was phenomenal. But tasting the flavors and eating the dishes didn't quite live up to the hype of my super smeller.

    I came here for a late dinner after a play and I was happy their hrs kept them open late on a…read moreSunday evening. Parking garage available . Upon walking in, well lit , spacious and plenty of colors . Very cosmic theme and alot of conversation pieces . I really enjoyed browsing around and taking in the designs. Kudos to my friend for recommending this hidden gem . Seating was plentiful. Staff were friendly and service was speedy and hot. I ordered a banana /papaya margarita on the rocks. Strong and delicious! I ordered the arroz con with shrimp. My mom ordered the parilada and my sister a steak fajita. All dishes were hot , plentiful and fulfilling. Prices were reasonable.

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    Don Carlos Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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