As vegetarians, my family usually struggles to find decent offerings at Mexican restaurants, usually settling for bland bean-and-rice burritos, cheese enchiladas that clearly were made haphazardly (if not out-right cooked from the freezer), or calorie-bombed nachos. This is not the case at Dos Carlitos in Santa Ines! Yes, my kids split the order of nachos, but the ratio of black beans, tomatoes, and guacamole to cheese made this mother happy. The vegetable tostada was loaded with grilled vegetables and the freshly-made tortillas were incredible! Finally, the cheese enchiladas (we're creatures of habit) were freshly cooked, with more of those in-house tortillas, and they were, according to my husband, some of the most delicious that he's had in a long time. Service was courteous and prompt, and we were greeted by the host in a very pleasant manner. I have to give a shout-out to our busboy, who was fantastic, ready with water or chip refills before we even thought to ask (whatever his name was, he was working Thursday, July 23 at noon). In short, Dos Carlitos is a first-rate Mexican restaurant! We love how it is not loud or overfilled with patrons. One might balk at some of the high prices, but in general I have to say it was overall worth it! read more

It's been years since I was last here. This visit, some friends were craving Mexican and I remembered coming here a few times. Like prior reviews, it's more Tex Mex for me. But food is still good. It's a nice little restaurant right in the heart of Santa Ynez. A cute little town with restaurant and some shops. Theres plenty of parking along the street as well as a small lot behind and to the side. You'll find parking somewhere. There's both inside and outside seating. I personally prefer outdoor as it can get stuffy inside. It's not that big inside and the seating area are over sizes chairs so it can feel stuffy. Just my opinion. Regardless, the menu does offer pretty much loads of dishes. The salsa and bean salad that's brought out with chips is always good. Don't fill up on it though. Drink wise, it's was quite strong this visit so worth the money. Also, the guacamole was good. Decent amount for sharing. A few dishes were had. The grilled chicken salad which was quite nice with the dressing. Then there was the shrimp tacos. The shrimps were pretty big which was nice. Two tacos with a small sides of beans, guacamole and salsa. Also the chicken enchiladas with both rice and beans. And the carnitas meal with rice and beans. Food is good and flavorful. It's alway busy so they're doing well. Each visit, it feels like it's more of the locals that visit versus tourists. Overall, the visit was nice. Chips with the salsa and bean salsa were good. The meal was enjoyed as well as the margaritas. A little pricey for Mexican food but with location, it works. More Tex Mex in my opinion but much appreciated and enjoyed. Friendly staff and good service. read more

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Stopped at Don Carlitos for lunch while visiting in the area. We had the chicken tacos and the guacamole. The tacos had flavorless, unseasoned chicken chunks, and the guacamole also didn't have much flavor. We left unsatisfied and hungry. The place was mostly empty when we were there, and our server was hard to track down. This is not a place I would return to given the other options in the area. read more

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Dos Carlitos brings fresh Mexican food to Los Olivos. I enjoy going and sitting outside on their patio.my favorite item on the menu is the steak tostada. It's fantastic! read more

Dos Carlitos - Steak tostada - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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The food was delicious along with the great friendly service. The pictures speak for themselves of the beautiful ambiance/decor. read more

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Figured we would stop in and try this place. Very happy we did. The people are very nice and the food was fresh and excellent. read more

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Figured we would stop in and try this place. Very happy we did. The people are very nice and the food was fresh and excellent.

Always 5 star. The food, the service, the ambiance!! One of the few STAND OUT places in the valley

Tucked away in Santa Ynez is this lovely restaurant that has both inside and outside dining. The entire staff is all male. We've been there over the years and there are no women serving, bussing or bartender. Not a problem as our waiter was prompt and kind. The food server and the man who bussed the table were efficient. We arrived at 6:30 ish. I ordered the combo a crispy chicken taco and a Chile relleno with black beans and rice. The relleno sauce on the side. Plenty of food but the entire meal was Luke warm. The relleno seemed to have been made prior as it did not just get cooked. I like my food served hot. I felt that the rice and black beans were scooped out of a warming tray and I wish that it felt like it was a meal made to order. My husband had his relleno and a chicken enchilada and he chose the Caesar salad option instead of rice and beans. We both had water. Call me thrifty but 15.00 for a marquarita or 9.00 for a bottle of beer plus tax and tip. I felt that was to much. We were hungry and the 4 star is for liquor pricing and the lack of freshness with my meal. Maybe we just arrived to late. We will try it again next trip. read more

Dos Carlitos - Chile relleno with a crispy chicken taco. red broth sauce on the side. With black beans and rice. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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A nice little find from taking the wrong way ;-) Great service !! Food and drinks were very good. Big servings for sure. I forgot to take pictures of the shrimp empanada... HUGE AND YUMMY...we did ask for the spicy salsa, so glad we did!! Eri was excellent and always smiling. read more

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Ambiance matches the menu. A bit pricey but definitely worth it. I had the Salmon, my daughter had shrimp dish, and my husband had al pastor tacos. We were very satisfied with meals and attentive servers. Table guacamole was just as delicious as our entrees. read more

Short and sweet review. Food was amazing. Had the carne asada tacos and sopes. Tortillas and sopes were handmade. Outdoor area great if you have your pet. Server Claudio was awesome! He made sure to give our pup some water on this hot day! Will definitely be back. read more

Dos Carlitos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Dos Carlitos has a very lively and inviting vibe with great service. We absolutely loved their chips and dips (yes, two kinds!) Everyone in my party was thrilled with their dish. I ordered chicken mole pablano. The chicken was tender and the mole flavorful . The fresh corn tortilla was warm and delightfully soft and chewy. My partner had a combo plate of beef enchilada and chile relleno. I can't comment on the taste because he finished every bite. Not a morsel of food was left on the everyone's plate. We shall be back. My party is already talking about going back tonight! read more

The food was excellent. Especially the black bean and corn dip! It's to die for! We bought a quart to bring home. The Chicken taco was the best I've ever had! The shell of the taco was so crisp yet light. Good Magaritas too! My husband's Carnitas burrito was so flavorful. The servers were very nice and very attentive. The inside of the restaurant had tasteful decor. Leather and bent wood chairs, lofty ceiling with open beams. Attractive paintings and porcelain pieces hung on the walls. Very Mediterranean ambiance. There is outside seating but it was too hot for that, inside was pleasantly cool. read more

Dos Carlitos is such a gem in the SYV! I've been coming here for ~8 years and the quality has stayed superb. I actually prefer this location to the SB original Carlitos for a few reasons. The service is always great with friendly staff and accommodating chefs. You start out with the signature salsas and chips, the black bean/corn salsa is one that I have yet to see at other restaurants and I think it adds a really unique touch. I always order the guacamole which is fresh and comes in the traditional molcajete. I love the chicken enchiladas, they have so much flavor and the portion is huge! The best beans and rice I've had locally as well. All of the ingredients are fresh and amazing quality. The steak burrito is another favorite, so juicy and flavorful. I love the interior vibes of this place, it's rustic and classy at the same time. All of the drinks are phenomenal but I always opt for a classic dos carlitos marg. So refreshing! This has been a go to place for celebrations in my life like graduations and birthdays, and I will definitely keep coming back and recommending it to family/friends when they are in town! read more

Dos Carlitos - Chicken enchiladas, steak burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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Service was great Cameron was a blast! He was very personable and attentive. Shrimp empanadas were delicious and they did not skimp of the shrimp! It came with chopped papayas and some green leaf lettuce and together the bite with some spicy salsa *chef's kiss* perfect bite of sweet gooey, savory and spicy (this is coming from someone who does not like papaya). Margaritas packed a punch and were nice and citrusy! Rice was very flavorful and the taco was nice and crunchy and the beef nice and tender. The relleno was - mehhh, pretty bland, but the rest of the meal made up for it. read more

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The food was by far some of the best Mexican I've had. Extremely healthy servings and the service absolutely fabulous. In door or out door the atmosphere is adorable. My only complaint is the price points. Extremely overpriced for Mexican food. Nothing reasonably priced. read more

Dos Carlitos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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Fantastic Mexican food right in wine country. It was recommended to us by a local winery employee, who raved about the Quesadillas. We had a great table outside and honestly the food was wonderful. Really big portions and we should have shared ! The guacamole is served in a molcahete and is great for sharing. Also for appetizers we had the empanadas which are HUGE and packed with the filling you choose, easily a meal. Our 5 party members had Posole (red/pork) BIG bowl! Shrimp, Caesar salad with Salmon for protien choice, combo plate and the chicken quesadilla.. they also serve a mango iced tea that is refreshing. We left with to go boxes and full bellies! Service was timely and refills for tea, water came without having to ask. The food was not overly spicy for our friends who are spice adverse. The shrimp were large and plump and did have a lil kick to them but she said they were so delicious she pushed through and kept eating. See pics to appreciate the size of plates you will get! As we got our food those pesky meat hornets began to show up and that is a draw back when dining outside in warmer climates. Those pests aside Dos Carlitos does it right and you should definitely drop by , try the quesadilla!! read more

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The food was superb, we brought my daughter to dinner for her bday. This was her 1st time here. She was impressed with the restaurant. The service was fantastic, our waiter kept checking on us making sure our glasses were filled, and our experience was going good. He recommended the margaritas . He was spit on with the flavors he suggested for us. The ambiance in the restaurant was so inviting and gave the vibe of Mexican dining on the Patio while eating inside, while it was raining outside. We enjoyed our bday celebration, and recommended if your in the area, enjoy yourself at this great restaurant and the food and margaritas as well. You won't be disappointed. read more

Dos Carlitos - Enjoying some time at dinner with family - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

My new favorite Mexican restaurant. Over 2 visits with friends, we have tried the fish ceviche (fresh and tasty), chicken quesadillas tasty and large) and plain no salt margarita on rocks (great). Today, we went again and we split a 2 soft taco combo plate. Carne Asada taco was perfectly grilled medium and large portion meat with perfect toppings. Greens avocado salsa on the side added great flavor. The rice was special and I loved it. The black bean were creamed with cheese. Also excellent. The other taco was a beef Al pastor style and my wife loved the pineapple pieces and flavor. I too thought it was great. Lastly, 3 type of salsa with the chips. All excellent and unique as one was tomato based medium heat, then a nice spicy dark salsa, and 3rd was a corn and Black Bean mixture which we devoured. read more

Nice place good food and service. Here at lunch. Portions are large. They give two salsas either chips. Nice atmosphere typical of the region with of horse pictures read more

Dos Carlitos - Chicken verde enchiladas plate - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

Highly recommend this fine establishment! One of our favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara county. Not only is the food outstanding but it's consistently great! As well as the service being top notch. Saturday we stopped in family of 6 adults and 2 kids and as is customary for a group that size they added in the tip, what is not customary or have never seen before is they wrote on the tip line that it was already added in! Class Act for sure other restaurants can learn from this. We have double tipped before as we didn't notice a restaurant added it in. This is just another reason amongst many that you should eat here! read more

We stopped here on a recent vacation. The location and patio are very nice. The prices are a bit high $26 for a combo plate but I think it's worth it given the atmosphere and there are not many other choices for Mexican in the area. I had the combo plate with chicken enchilada and chicken taco. Both were good, the taco had a nice crispy shell without being oily. My wife got the beef tostada which was a fail. I think of a tostado as a crisp tortilla with a pile of shredded lettuce. This came in one of those tortilla bowls. There was large amount of big chucks of meat that was somewhat tough, a good amount of guacamole. There was not much lettuce and it was cut in large chucks and overwhelmed by the meat and guacamole. Would not order this again. read more

Visiting Solvang and asked our hotel front desk for a Mexican food recommendation. Try Dos Carlitos about 3 miles up the road in Santa Ynez. We're glad we did. Great Mexican food. Awesome Margaritas. I got the Al pastor street tacos. My dining partner got the combo plate and chose an enchilada and chili releno. My dining partner grades Mexican places on their chili relenos, this one was definitely top 3. The restaurant evokes a late 1800's California ranch house. Very pleasant. Some very good Mexican here. Try it, you'll like it. read more

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The food is delicious, but I wish the enchiladas had more sauce. Excellent guacamole and a nice variety of dishes.

My wife and her family are from Mexico so whenever we travel some place, we always like to try Mexican restaurants to see how "authentic" and tasty their food is. On the way back home to San Diego (12/23), my wife happened to come across Dos Carlitos on Yelp and we thought that we would try them out. I am so glad we did! When we walked in, we were told to pick the table and after we did that, they brought out some fresh tortilla chips and salsa that was definitely home made. In fact, the salsa was so good that we ended up purchasing and taking two large cups of it home with us. When we served the salsa on Christmas Eve with my in-laws tamales, everyone loved it! My wife and I loved our lunches and each of us took half of it home with us because it was so much food. You will not leave here hungry! My wife and I are planning a trip to the area next year and will make it a point to stop by for dinner and drinks. Thanks team for a job well done! We look forward to returning. read more

Dos Carlitos - Tacos! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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I was here at Dos Carlitos over the weekend coming from Los Angeles for a family trip and we decided to stop here we ordered chicken nachos and found a bug in our nachos!!! The workers at the restaurant said it is shredded beef but it looks like a whole animal!!! WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE SO F DISGUSTING!! Does this look like shredded beef to you guys?? read more

Dos Carlitos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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Cute establishment, ambiance is lively. Servers were super nice and attentive. The food was good, and presented well. I liked that they had the option for black or brown beans, you don't see that often. Overall would recommend to check it out. read more

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I've been to Dos Carlitos twice now -- once in 2021 with restricted dining during COVID-19 restrictions so we got take out, and then again this week. My husband and I dined in the evening and sat outside on the patio facing the street. It was a quiet evening, with nice air temp and it was a lovely experience. Both times, the food was excellent. I recall having ordered the Pasilla Chile Relleno last time and then yesterday I ordered the Pozole. Both were excellent! The Pozole was such a large serving that I took half home for lunch the next day. The broth was flavorful and rich and the side platter with all the ad-ins was perfect. My husband ordered the Huarache with Grilled Steak and enjoyed his meal immediately. We don't get drinks, so just had glasses of water with our meal. The waitress provided friendly, consistent service, checking in with us numerous times to make sure all was well. I would dine here again on future visits to the Solvang area if I were wanting Mexican food. read more

We really had a great lunch today at Dos Carlitos! The chips and salsa were great and we loved the black bean and corn salsa! We had the chili verde and taquitos- both were delicious, and I have to say that the chili verde is one of the best in So.Cal! We always stop by this restaurant when we are in the SYV, and this visit was amazing! Thank you! read more

Finally a Mexican restaurant will delicious food! The enchiladas mariscos were wonderful! I wish they had blended margaritas though.

Great handmade tortillas. Had the Al carbon shrimp tacos and they were large shrimp and deveined. Good tasting guac. Good table salsa and great service. read more

We've been coming here for about five years now, haven't had a bad meal. We enjoy sitting out on the patio and taking in the great small town atmosphere. Today's lunch included carnitas tacos for my wife and a combo meal with a chili relleno and a crispy chicken taco for me. The tacos come with homemade tortillas and a healthy portion of the selected filling. They are always delicious and you have to be really hungry to finish both. My combo was possibly the best meal I've ever had at this restaurant. The crispy taco was great and the chili relleno was definitely next level. Absolutely delicious with a little heat from a fantastic sauce. The service is always friendly and attentive. Just a great place for lunch or dinner. read more

Dos Carlitos - Crispy taco and chili relleno - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ynez, California

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We have been coming down to Solvang and Santa Ynez area for years. About 5 years ago we have discovered Dos Carlitos, and now it has become as much of a food staple for every trip as some of the classic area favorites. The place has great selection of taquilas and if that is your spirit of choice, than you will not be dissappointed with your "spiritual" experience! I would highly reccomend a steak quessadilla as an appetizer, however it is large enough to be a full meal. Generally speaking all portions are enough for two people... and if you are on a diet... for three... Overall it is a great place to refuel yourself after a day of quality drinking in the nearby wineries... read more

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This place is pretty dirty if you really look the ACs have inches of dust on top of the ductwork. Unfortunately my chicken smells like dog food and it's not even shredded chicken pretty gross. Places overpriced. The seats inside are pretty dirty and sticky I bet they never get a wipe down they're pretty worn out with all the money they charge for meals they should invest in some really nice seating. And on top of that there's server was rude ! read more

food was not good. xusfomer seevice no good. you have to go in the counter for water. they don't even asked if you need water or something. will never comeback. read more

Wow! In point! Steak Burrito amazing!!! Chile relleno with cheese enchilada off the hook! All salsas and guacamole to die for!!! Excellent service... tequilas omg excellent. Please you hot yo check it out read more

Was in town recently on business and had the chance to grab some lunch out on the patio on a sunny afternoon. I was seated promptly upon entry and my server followed shortly with a menu and some fresh chips, red salsa and a little corn bean salad. After I looked over the menu a minute or two my server returned, I went for the Fajitas Pollo, the fajitas appeared a sizzling skillet with grilled chicken with green peppers, onions and tomato. A combination of beans rice and sour cream on the side plate also came out with my meal. Along with some very nice corn house made tortillas. The fajitas were good, the grilled chicken very flavorful and juicy, the assorted sides worked well enough to get the job done. A nice lunch in a chill spot on the patio on a sunny afternoon, not bad. 4 Stars professional staff, good food and a comfortable environment, worth a visit 00871 read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in town!!! Love the service and the food!! My favorite is their Chile Rellanos Or their shrimp taco plate!!!! read more

Could be the worst sit down Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. The food was bland and tasteless and the service was so slow. read more