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    Miguel's Cocina

    3.9 (1.9k reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Miguel's Cocina Photos

    Business Info

    MIGUEL'S COCINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Miguel's Cocina

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    Taco combo
    Patrick L.

    Amazing food and service. Our waiter was super attentive and the food was brought out promptly. Got got a free basket of chips with a spicy jalepeno type sauce in addition to the salsa. I normally don't like spicy dips but this one was addictive. Got we got the three taco combo, enchilada combo, and a kids quesadillas. The chicken mole taco was really good even though im not a big mole fan, the shrimp taco was the best one of the three, while the pork belly was somewhat tough but still good. Highly recommend this place for any gatherings or just a casual meal.

    Outside
    Brenda G.

    I usually stay away from Mexican restaurants that claim to be authentic, until a couple of years ago that I decided to try Miguel's Cocina. This establishment is the exception that has kept me coming back over the years. From the beautifully decorated hacienda style to the queso dip and endless menu options you are bound to keep coming back as well. The service is standard and rather quick, the food is ultimately what stands out. I can say that they truly do serve authentic dishes. If you do anything please pleaseeeee order extra queso, you will not regret it!

    Diana C.

    We loved coming here for Sunday Happy Hour. The hostess found us a high top table for 4 where we could all watch the game on their many screens. The drinks were good. We had mules, beer and well drinks. All were on the special Happy Hour Menu. We ordered food off the Happy Hour menu, too. Calamari, nachos, ceviche, and flatbread. When we go back we will order all of those minus the nachos. You already get chips, salsa and white cheese sauce when you sit down. Alex was a funny and attentive server who kept us aware of the Happy Hour time. The restaurant has a huge bar with many screens as well as other seating areas in the back. It's a good place from r families, too.

    Toby P.

    I met a friend here for happy hour. It was my choice to come back. I arrived early and was promptly greeted and seated. She asked if we were okay with high top seating and that was fine. I was immediately brought chips with salsa and queso whilst I looked over the happy hour menu and waited for my friend to arrive. I ordered an ultimate margarita. It was much better than the last time I was there. The staff checked in on me several times while I waited. As soon as my friend arrived, our server checked in to see what she wanted to drink. She ordered a glass of Pinot noir and he had it to her in lightning speed. Our order was taken and our requested waters were brought. We both got the albondigas soup, and shared guacamole. Everything tasted good. She liked her soup so much that she ordered one to go for lunch tomorrow. This experience was so much improved from my last. The staff was very friendly and attentive and everything tasted really good. It's a good happy hour deal and we will come back.

    Darci M.

    Loved celebrating my birthday here! Thank you so much! We sat at the bar and the lovely bartender was attentive, kind and helpful! Thanks To your email I saved a little on our bill and was offered a sweet treat at the end of our meal! Our drinks were made fresh and delicious- and we even enjoyed tacos, enchiladas and don't get me started on your fresh chips, salsa and the white cheese sauce!!! Omggg it's so good! Thank you feeling so happy

    Soup
    Jan H.

    This is the first time I have been to this location, and I came with a few family members. I love that they still do the free Queso and chips and everyone enjoyed that. Parking here was very plentiful which was great. The food here definitely isn't that authentic but is pretty solid for a chain. I ordered the surf and turf burrito which had a sauce over the top making it "wet" which I don't see often on menus, so try to order when I do. It was good but not the best I've had and wasn't that much of a fan of the sauce they used, as it tasted like something that could have come from a jar. Someone in our party ordered the chicken tortilla soup, and they said it had a lot of flavor and they enjoyed it. Another in our groups had the credit asada tacos which they said were good. We all enjoyed the beans as they had a lot of flavor in them. The rice was okay, pretty much standard of what she would get that most restaurants, not a lot of flavor, we add salsa to it to give it more flavor. Overall not the worst for a sit down chain restaurant. Id say with a try at least once if you are in the area.

    Best Carne Asada Fries Ever!!
    Kitty C.

    Gotta love their white queso dip! They still have a great happy hour menu! We ordered beef nachos, flautas, and sopes. The best was the beef nachos. Wasn't a huge fan of the sopes, and the flautas were okay. You can't beat $7 each though! The server was nice and came by many times to check on us. We were in the lounge area but I like that the lounge area is still considered bar area for the happy hour price. Great place for group setting and family dinner.

    Jose S.

    I want to thank Liv, Ashley, Jessica and Hannah for such a wonderful evening! These individuals made life so easy for me and my son who is on the spectrum. My son has a problem with going into restaurants, especially ones that have music playing in the background. It triggers him. But management allowed us to sit in an area that was much more quiet and my son was able to sit the whole time while we visited family from the area. I am so grateful to Miguel's cocina and staff for treating me and my family with such respect. As far as the food goes, it is nothing less than amazing! I ordered the Carne Asada dinner plate. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth. The beans- oh my gosh -they were so awesome! Not to mention the rice and the homemade corn tortillas! If you're ever in the area, you'd have to visit this place. The food is amazing and the staff is even more amazing!

    Carne asada tacos substituted lettuce for pickled red onions
    Jennifer B.

    My family and I came here from out of town. I ordered the carne asada tacos and substituted the lettuce for pickled red onions. My mother got a burrito and my father got the carne asada fajitas. My food, the tacos, were honestly the worst tacos I've had yet. Very very greasy, pickled red onions were old, and had such a weird sweet taste to them? I couldn't eat the second one. I started to feel sick. I'm not sure how they cooked it, almost like it was cooked in a crock pot and sat overnight. My mother said her burrito was the same way with her steak in her burrito. She was severely disappointed. My father was the only one who got good food. Carne asada tasted great to him. If you're looking for a restaurant based on ambiance and service, then go here. If you want AUTHENTIC Mexican food then go to a typical hole in the wall.

    Shrimp Burrito
    Ace D.

    Miguel's Cocina in Carlsbad is a lively spot with a fun, welcoming atmosphere and plenty of space to dine comfortably. One of the highlights is the complimentary chips with their creamy jalapeño cheese dip and salsa definitely a must try. We had the tostadas, which were really good, and the shrimp burrito, which was super flavorful and satisfying. Our server checked on us frequently and made sure everything was taken care of, which made the experience even better. Overall, a great place for tasty Mexican food, attentive service, and a vibrant dining vibe.

    Beautifully decorated  & nice venue.
    Bridgette B.

    Thursday Date night dinner was the husbands' choice...Not a bad idea. Since I wanted to fuel up on some protein anyhow. Mainly n preparation for me going to donate some blood tomorrow and I was for sure hungry after working out at the gym! We were greeted with smiles and kindness by everyone we encountered. We were seated quickly in a booth near the hosts station. Much more comfortable of an experience when it isn't the hustle bustle of the weekend. Tonight I decided to switch up my regular routine order. I got the cup, instead of the bowl, of Albondigas soup and ordered the Mexican Chopped Salad for the first time. It comes with a choice of chicken or steak. I opted for the steak. Pre-dressed. Maybe next time I'll get the dressing on the side just in case I don't finish all the greens. Salad just isn't the same as leftovers anyway. I did share too. So it's a generous portion. Appreciated that. Fatima was our lovely server for the evening and she was wonderful to us. She checked on us in perfect harmony to our meal & even brought us refills when our drinks were dwindling. I enjoyed my Lemonade very much. We left very satisfied and this visit everything went smoothly. I highly recommend coming on a less busy weekday! They had fun Mexican music playing and with my happy tummy & mood of the music I was doing a little wiggle wiggle in my seat.

    Ensenada-Style Shrimp Tacos
    Shauna W.

    Stopped by here on a Saturday night and it was pretty busy but there was no wait time . I wish I could have remembered our waiters name but he was great , very attentive. They had a margarita that sounded so good but I don't drink so I got the virgin version . It was the mango chamoy margarita and it was pretty darn good . My wife had the spicy margarita and she loved it . The food was great , starting with the free queso that comes with chips and salsa . I got the Ensenada shrimp tacos and they were amazing ! I might get that again but ask for grilled shrimp instead of fried, but it was top notch . My daughter got the carne asada tacos and said they are new favorite tacos . This was our 1st visit at this location since moving to the area , but this might be our new fav local spot for Mexican food !

    Chicken Miguels Nachos
    Lissa M.

    Tried this place on a high recommendation from the concierge at the Marbrisa. Didn't receive my discount as they are on the list of recommended restaurants but it's ok. To the food, tried the nachos (up charge for just white meat) they seemed like microwaved nachos with the ingredients just in the center plenty of chips naked. Didn't really have much flavor the guacamole was decent. The salsa I wasn't a fan or that queso was bland. Figured I'd go with nachos as a first try but I was disappointed, safe to say I probably won't try anything else. Service was friendly so that's why it's gets a 3 star.

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    13 days ago

    Delicious. Yummy food and drinks. Never been before but will def come back. Service is great. Connor and Hailey T are great.

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    Miguel's Cocina Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Miguel's Cocina

    Do you show UFC fights?

    Hello Adrian, unfortunately, we do not show UFC fights.

    Do they take reservations? By phone?

    We take reservations by phone for parties of 6 or more.

    Do the have gluten free options? What about the chips?

    Hi KL, yes we do have gluten free options. Unfortunately the chips share a fryer that cooks items that contain gluten so there is cross-contamination. Please advise your server you would like gluten free options.… Read more

    Happy hournon sunday at 3 pm?

    Happy Hour is 3-6pm on Sundays.

    What is in your rice?

    Do they have Music?

    Is there an updated brunch menu? Do they have bottomless mimosas?

    A sampling of our current brunch menu is on our website www.miguels-cocina.com. Each location is a little different. We do not have bottomless mimosas. We do offer bottles of sparkling wine for $20 during brunch.

    Do they have Happy Hour?

    Yes! From 4 to 6 with really good margaritas!!!

    Do they have any outside seating?

    No, no outside seating at their Carlsbad location.

    Is there a happy hour? And what times?

    Yes a good one.

    Is there a place for parties? We want to invite 30 people...

    Yes! They have a large room that you can call ahead and reserve. We have done that like 3 times. They have enough room in there for more than 30. Explain how you would like to be seated. I.e. 1 long table with 15/15 or separately. I think with 30,… Read more

    Do they have taco Tuesday specials?

    Yeah they have deals on fish tacos ($2.50 or so) and a few other items as well.

    Do you have Curbside service?

    No they do not have curbside service but you can order to-go.

    View All 13 Questions

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    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - 4 street tacos, good

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum

    4.0(2.3k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    This is one fun place! You feel the vibe as soon as you walk in the door and the hostess greets…read moreyou, they have a sense of humor and a big smile and you know this is gonna be a fun lunch. It's located in a beautiful shopping plaza called the forum so a great place to shop and then eat, or eat and then shop.. Now enter Jasmine, who just took care of everything with again a huge smile and what can I do for you? We started with skinny margaritas, perfect and delicious with chips and salsa. My wife had the chicken tostada, which was huge and delicious. I went on Jasmine's recommendation, chicken flautas, and they were great. But what made it fun was that everyone else was having fun a great vibe plus outdoor seating if you want it and easy parking.

    We came here on a random Tuesday night. Checked in via yelp ahead of arrival and were told 20-25…read moreminutes for a table. Perfect! Got to the restaurant and the hosts were too busy messing around to properly greet us. Once I got their attention I let them know we were there and they said they'd have us seated shortly. A LITERAL HOUR later we got a table. Seeing that it took so long to be sat (well past our expected duration) you'd think service would be fast! Nope. Our server didn't check in with us for over 10 minutes. Next (finally) came the chips. We put in our entire order as soon as we could (as it was now almost 1.5 hours past when we thought we would be eating). Drinks came in random shifts, waters were NOT refilled. Now, to be 100% honest, the food was GREAT! Fantastic quality, great selection, even our pickiest kid was happy with her meal. So I do give credit where credit is due. The food was fantastic. But the customer service was incredibly lacking. Visit at your own risk!

    Photos
    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Back dining room. At Christmas time. Wonderful decor during and outside of the holidays.

    Back dining room. At Christmas time. Wonderful decor during and outside of the holidays.

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Tostada no meat....$18!!!

    Tostada no meat....$18!!!

    Casa De Bandini at The Forum - Patio decor

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    Patio decor

    Tortilla Mia

    Tortilla Mia

    4.0(344 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Walked right in on a sunny afternoon and got a table with friends right away. The servers were…read morereally polite the whole meal. I like the indoor/outdoor vibe the restaurant has. It was definitely good chill place to grab some food. I got a carajillo to start and a carnitas burrito. The carajillo was just ok. It honestly did not taste like a carajillo and it tasted like an espresso martini because I didn't taste any licor 43. I think they just mixed up my drink but it was ok. The carnitas burrito was delicious and was the perfect portion size for me to be able to finish but also large enough for me to feel very full and satisfied. I do wish they gave more pico and maybe some salsa with it. Overall a nice meal in the village.

    I decided to close out the year by coming back to 1 of my regular chill spot. Carlsbad Inn…read more For dinner, the location of my resort made this very easy because there are quite of a bit of option in walking distance. I was feeling for some Mexican food and then i spotted Tortilla Mia. Me and my mother had a great dining experience. Our waitor was fast and attentive. Our food was spot. I had my favorite. Steak fajitas and my mom had a birria ramen. What amazed me was that we got there as the 3rd last table and we only had about 30 mins before closing. Our waitor provided great service til the very end. Thank you.

    Photos
    Tortilla Mia - 32 oz To Go Margaritas!

    32 oz To Go Margaritas!

    Tortilla Mia - Churros made from scratch in house daily!

    Churros made from scratch in house daily!

    Tortilla Mia - Tortilla Mia. Flour & Corn Tortillas made in house daily!

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    Tortilla Mia. Flour & Corn Tortillas made in house daily!

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood - One giant delicious carnitas burrito!!!!

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood

    4.3(552 reviews)
    3.2 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.

    Big time hidden gem. Fried sea bass is the only way I want seabaas from now on. Solid beans and…read morerice. I might prefer flour tortillas. Also fairly big shrimp. That pineapple yellow sauce is really good. Nice and spicy green sauce top

    Photos
    Cancun Mexican & Seafood - Awesome food quality service

    Awesome food quality service

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood - Crispy chicken tacos. Great price!

    Crispy chicken tacos. Great price!

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood - Carna asada burrito. Soooo goooood

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    Carna asada burrito. Soooo goooood

    Los Tacos  - Baja Fish Taco (6)

    Los Tacos

    4.5(481 reviews)
    6.5 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
    Los Tacos  - Inside

    Inside

    Los Tacos  - Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa

    Original Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Salsa

    Los Tacos  - 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)

    Miguel's Cocina - mexican - Updated May 2026

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