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    El Nopalito Restaurant

    3.6 (68 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

    El Nopalito Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL NOPALITO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Nopalito Restaurant

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    Pork tamale and Carne Asada taco served with tortilla chips and tortillas
    Marcie L.

    I was excited to check out this spot, known for its authentic Mexican food at great prices. Tacos are $4, tamales $3.75, and burritos around $11. There's a salsa bar, and tortilla chips are complimentary with your meal. I arrived just before the line grew, with at least 10 people waiting to order shortly after. Once I placed my order, it took less than five minutes to get my food. I went with the Carne Asada taco and a pork tamale, as that was the only tamale option available. While the food was good, it was served cold and didn't quite deliver the "wow" factor I had anticipated. Parking was a breeze, with plenty of spots available thanks to the many stores in the complex.

    Carnitas Torta
    Tyson C.

    I really like this place. The food is always very good and it's not over priced. So many taco shops in Encinitas, Cardiff and Leucadia charge outrageous prices for average quality food. El Nopalito has great tasting food at a great price. The salsa bar has a great line up of salsa's and the carrots are super good. They do have a bathroom in the back, but you must have the front end employee hit a magic bottom to unlock the door to go to the back. If will be back and I'm bringing friends.

    Hot carrots for your eat in and to-go orders
    Julia S.

    I have tried Nopalito products such as chips or salsa from the grocery store or even the carne asada from the Nopalito market but the restaurant was delicious and well-priced! Questionably the best carne asada tacos I have ever had, along with the best machaca burrito ever! The tacos are huge, double wrapped in delicious fresh warm corn tortillas smothered in salsa fresca with a generous amount of guacamole on the top. They even add a handful of chips with every order. The machaca burrito is also quite large. Both were $11! I can't wait to try more off their menu!

    Vicki C.

    I tried to check into El Nopaloto restaurant and realized that it was not listed. There are two El Nopalitos in the same parking lot so it is kind of confusing. You can usually tell a good restaurant by the crowds, and that is the case here! You may have to wait 5 minutes to place an order, it is totally worth it. The traditional Mexican offerings are quality delicious treats. The salsa bar is a nice way to test out some different varieties of salsas. I am a fan of the roasted pepper and tomato but they have a nice variety including fresca, verde, chipotle and of course guacamole. They also will sell you all kinds of Mole, tamales and enchilada sauces here. On weekdays they offer beef and chicken soup and on weekends they change that to consome, menudo and Pozole. I usually order some shrimp in a ranchero sauce. Their shrimp cocktails was the best one that I have ever eaten. It was slightly sweet yet balanced with a touch of heat and a whole lot of flavor. I don't know if I will ever be able to eat here without picking some up. Whatever you end up with will be a treat. yum.

    Carne asada fries
    Breanna R.

    Went in here because my mom loves their salsa and fresh tortillas, so I ordered some carne asada fries, but beware everyone: they have beans and nacho cheese on them, plus jalapeños on top. Not my favorite carne asada fries which is a shame because the actual meat is so good. Next time I'm getting the carne asada tacos, hope they don't come with beans!

    Canre Burrito

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    Reasonably priced, good salsa, carrots, roasted jalapeños, specialities, good quality and quantity

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    Los Tacos

    Los Tacos

    4.5
    (481 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    If you haven't tried the spicy surf and turf burrito here, you're missing out. It's the perfect…read morebalance of heat and flavor. Since the location is in a small plaza, parking is definitely a challenge when it's busy. I highly recommend placing a mobile/phone order ahead of time so you can just grab and go. Highly recommend!

    I decided to stop by Los Tacos in Encinitas after reading all the great reviews about this specific…read morelocation! The parking lot has plentiful parking but was completely full as I was leaving around 12pm. There were tons of order pick-up spots and 20-minute max parking spots that help with the flow. The restaurant was impeccably clean with a growing line of lunch-goers. The workers were very efficient and the line moved quickly. I also noticed the apparent owner/manager talking to regulars and greeting customers as they walked in, which I really liked to see! I was served my order to-go in less than 10 minutes and ended up unexpectedly using the other 10 minutes after taking my first bite--after that it was hard to stop. The burrito was the perfect size (not too large and not too small). My original breakfast burrito was wrapped in a fresh hand-made tortilla filled with fluffy eggs, the perfect amount of bacon, cheese, soft fresh potatoes, topped with the avocado salsa verde which went perfectly with everything. I even ended up sipping the salsa (it was that good) between bites of the burrito. I was also blown away by the clean and fully stocked salsa bar. So many options (including non-spicy ones for those with gastric limitations too!) and they even offered radishes, carrots, and pickled onions individually wrapped with care. Everything tasted fresh and home-made. After 7 years being away from San Diego, Los Tacos delivered exactly what I had been missing. This location really blew me away and I will definitely be back to see what else it has to offer.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa
    Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa
    3 taco combo (mixed between garlic shrimp, baja style fish and carne asada)

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    3 taco combo (mixed between garlic shrimp, baja style fish and carne asada)
    Cancun Mexican & Seafood

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood

    4.3
    (554 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $

    Talk about a HIDDEN JEM. Right next to a gas station isn't usually someplace you find AWESOME food…read morebut this is one of those exceptions. Having set my Apple Maps before reading the description of the restaurant, my wife and I set our course on the way back from the San Diego Zoo. I didn't want to get home too late and the parking situation for the better restaurants near the zoo didn't look promising so we decided to go further away from San Diego to find a place on the way home near the 5 freeway. Cancun may not look like much but the food is pretty freaking amazing. My surf and turf burrito filled with generous amounts of shrimp and carne asada was incredible. Adding sour cream and guacamole just put it on another level. No burritos like this near my home. My wife's shrimp plate was also a winner. Lots of shrimp. My wife's only gripe was not enough rice and beans. Even the side of corn tortillas was moist and tasty. I'm not sure if they make their own tortillas but it seemed like it. Even the french fries are incredible. Nice and crispy but not dry. I thought I'd still be hungry after just the burrito but I had no idea what a monster it is. Even after eating 3/4 of it, the remainder was still heavy. The older lady working the register is so sweet. A little hard to understand since she has a thick accent but very nice and helpful. The cook was cool too. Very happy when I stopped before leaving to tell them the food was "delicioso". Don't let the gas station scare you away. The food is jammin'! I plan on stopping by again when I attend Comic-con next year.

    You can tell the owner really cares about this place! Every dish is made with love. We always get…read morethe #17 fried shrimp and a crispy beef taco.

    Photos
    Awesome food quality service
    Awesome food quality service
    Crispy chicken tacos. Great price!
    Crispy chicken tacos. Great price!
    Carna asada burrito. Soooo goooood

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    Carna asada burrito. Soooo goooood

    El Nopalito Restaurant - mexican - Updated June 2026

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