Delicious carne guisada and the best cheese enchiladas I've ever had. The green chile burrito is…read moreas big as your head. The restaurant is filled with locals, which gives it authenticity vibes. Service is friendly and fast. Definitely recommended! I'm giving 4 stars because it's not a fine dining establishment--but we'd definitely come back if we ever roll through Carlsbad again.

The food was absolutely delicious! Fresh and served promptly. The service was prompt and excellent!…read moreHighly recommended

Carniceria San Juan de Los Lagos in Carlsbad, NM has to be some of the best Mexican food I've ever…read morehad! I usually have a rule when traveling that I don't visit the same restaurant more than once, but this place was the exception. I came back three times in two days. Yes, it was that good. Sadly, the third time I came back, they were closed. The food tasted very authentic and absolutely worth the visit. I noticed some reviews mentioned communication issues or that the staff may not speak much English. I had a little bit of that struggle too, but honestly, that's how you know you might be in the right place for truly authentic Mexican food. I also felt like it was partly my fault for not doing enough research before ordering. But we figured it out, and the food was more than worth it. One small suggestion: it would be helpful if the menu had a little more English explanation, pictures, or item numbers to make ordering easier for both customers and staff. Overall, this is the kind of true hidden gem you hope to find in a small town. I would definitely take a detour to come back here whenever I'm in the area again.

Carnicería San Juan de los Lagos - Worth the Detour, Even Years Later…read more Some places stay with you. So much so that five years later, on a completely different road trip, you find yourself checking the map and thinking... "we're kind of close." Back in 2021, while exploring nearby national parks, we stumbled across Carnicería San Juan de los Lagos and loved it. This time, on our way to White Sands National Park, we made a small detour to see if it still held up. First surprise... I barely recognized the area. What used to feel like the middle of nowhere has filled in. Suburban life has arrived. Growth happened. But the place? Still there. Still good. Inside, it keeps that same warm, easy charm. Cute wood, farm-style Mexican decor, nothing fancy, just welcoming. The space has grown too, now clearly divided into restaurant, carnicería, and panadería, which means more reasons to linger. And the smell when you walk in? That alone could convince you to stay. Service was just as we remembered, sweet, friendly, and genuine. The kind that makes you feel like a regular even if you've been gone for five years. We went with pozole and shrimp tacos, and both delivered. Flavorful, comforting, exactly what we were hoping for. It's always a bit of a gamble revisiting a place you loved years ago. This one paid off. Still a favorite. Still worth the stop.

So good!!! Service was fast and great. We had a burrito and it was huge!!! So good and fresh.read more

Love their food. Barbacoa is top notch. Service is friendly. Tacos al pastor and moreread more

I was recommended El Charro in Carlsbad, NM by some locals, and I'm so glad I listened…read more I'm a big fan of quesabirria and have been on a little quesabirria journey, and this has to be one of the top two best quesabirria tacos I've ever had. The taco was crispy and filled with delicious meat, and the consommé was rich and flavorful. If I hadn't been on the road, I probably would have ordered another one. The portion was generous, and the price was fair too. The service was quick, and the overall dining environment was bright and clean. Definitely a great local recommendation and a spot I'd happily come back to.

Ordered takeout and my husband said the whole experience went well…read more We ordered a few different tacos, but have a couple picky eaters, so they were able to separate the meats and toppings for us. We got carnitas, pastor, brisket, steak, and ground beef. (The pastor was my favorite! It came with pineapple. My husband's favorite was the carnitas.) Everything was hot and pretty tasty. The meal came with 4 sauces-- orange (spiciest), watery orange, watery green (my favorite), and the creamy green (least spicy.) After reading some reviews about slow service, I was a little apprehensive about ordering, but my husband went during lunch and said everything came out quickly, there was just a line to order. All in all, I'd definitely eat here again.

Great service! Even allowed our dog inside because it was so hot. NO outdoor seating, despite that…read morelisting on Yelp. Reasonable prices and good food.

Great service. We are from Dallas, so Tex-Mex runs in our veins. This food surpassed my…read moreexpectations for Jalisco style and for food in Carlsbad. Yum! The salsa was spicy and great. Really loved the cheese on my burrito and the taco meat was red colored and had a great flavor. The plate was oven hot, the server said so as she put it in front on me wearing oven mits, but I insisted on touching it and I wear this blister in memory of a wonderful meal!

We came here for early dinner while in town and the food was delicious. Service was a bit slow,…read morewith only 2 waitstaff. We ordered: 1) shrimp aguachile - this was refreshing and pretty good; shrimp did not taste bad either 2) molcajete - this was the highlight of the meal as I enjoyed everything they used inside including the meats and shrimp 3) seafood (octopus) pasta - husband ordered this and enjoyed it, especially the baby octopus Meal also comes up with free salsa + chips, along with some type of fish soup if you order entrees. We were pleasantly surprised by this place, and glad we found a place to dine that's close to the national park!

The food was good. The salsa was fresh. They give you complementary soup, which was delicious btw…read more I had the grilled shrimp tacos which were good. I've had better but these were still good.

Went to the new location, good service and came out kinda fast. It's pretty good for a small town…read moreplace

Birria tacos and Mexican Coke. Just do it…read more The birria tacos come 4 to an order and they are thick with layers of queso cheese melted in between then deep fried. Onion, cilantro, limes and hot sauce come on the side as does a cup of consommé for dipping. Round that out with a glass bottle of Mexican Coke and you've just tasted heaven one cheesy layer at a time. We enjoyed our tacos and Coke's outside. They have several tables and chairs under a large metal awning. As some of the other reviews mentioned the prices are a little high but the quality and quantity of food that you get makes it worth every penny. Now go and get you some!

Home away from home! Anything you order you'll be thinking of mom cooking her best…read more Quick and flavorful! They way you want to leave home full and loved Great service and the place is not a million dollar corporation but homie

Friendly service. Lots of locals. This usually means good food at a reasonable price and La Bodega…read moredelivers. At first, I thought they didn't have indoor dining but there's several tables. Even a couple for large groups.

Found this little gem tucked away in Lovington, Juan and I were quickly acquainted since we are…read moreboth from California if you want some good Mexican street tacos visit this truck a simple menu with a friendly greeting and great people.