Pure Taco is right in the heart of Carlsbad, just a block from the train station and an easy walk from everything happening downtown. The prices are fantastic, especially compared to typical CA pricing and the other Mexican restaurants in the area. We ordered the grilled and Baja fish tacos and the specialty lobster tacos. Both the grilled fish and Baja fish tacos had a really generous amount of actual fish, and the lobster tacos were made with real lobster. The tacos all had tasty sauces and crunchy toppings (mainly cabbage), that added a lot of flavor and texture. The basket of chips with salsa were covered in coarse salt - yum. There's a full-service bar inside, plus outdoor seating with both shaded and sunny options. While you order at the counter rather than having traditional table service, the staff still came around to check on everyone and were consistently friendly/welcoming. They also have some great Taco Tuesday specials, which makes the already reasonable prices even better. All around, this is a place we'd definitely recommend and would happily return to. Great food, great value, and a casual, welcoming atmosphere. read more

See all

Came here with a few friends after Yelp event over at Pure Project as we were all kind of hungry and found out this place had Taco Tuesday specials. In this dreadful economy, I've been mainly eating at places that have deals or else I can't justify coughing up a kidney to eat out. I'm a good cook so I can suffer through this economy but I do like to gather with friends and build community, so this place was great on the piggy bank but also got to connect with friends! They have 2 for $5 tacos so really hard to beat that and also have $5 nachos. They've got a pretty good Taco Tuesday menu so check it out. I had the $5 nachos and to be honest, can't get much for $5 these days so not gonna complain too much. They use like a nacho cheese sauce vs real cheese so reminded me of Taco Hell nachos lol. I am quite picky about my beans and had them put in on the side but I did eat most of it as I liked the black beans here. The rest of nachos were uneventful and I wish portion sizes were bigger. I also just had some water and always nice when seltzer is on the house and plopped in a fresh lemon! The bar space was super nice and can see myself coming back here to hang out at the bar. I also like their outside patio area, super chill. Bathrooms were clean, all the employees nice and helpful. I definitely will come back here again! I wanna support this place that provides deals for us, we gotta pull thru this bad economy together!! read more

Pure Taco - $5 nachos with nachos cheese vs real cheese - not bad at all!! What can you get for $5 these days?? - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I came by on a taco Tuesday after attending an event nearby. My plan was for tacos but I saw they had a nacho special on happy hour and that was right up my alley. The specials are located front and center out on the street so you don't have to guess. There's a lot of patio seating surrounding the (small) indoor area. The only inside seats were at the bar which had a great ambience at night. You order from inside then find a seat and bring the food to you. My nachos came out pretty quick and weren't bad, could've used some more cheese though. The fish tacos looked phenomenal and I had just a little fomo. I will definitely come back and try some of those. read more

See all

Ambiance - 5 stars Service - 5 stars Food- 3 stars (fish tacos) I came here once before and I don't remember what tacos I tried & I didn't leave a review. The restaurant itself is open & airy. The cashier was very friendly. On Tuesday they have a special buy 3 tacos and get 1 free. I went with 2 fish tacos for $5. I was really shocked at how affordable that was considering the area. Well the tortilla seemed homemade but also like one of those hybrid shells, it was thick and I didn't like it. The fish needed salt but it was very crispy and well fried but I tasted a lot of batter. Overall, I wasn't impressed. I think Rubio's does a better fish taco. I saw hot sauces but no salsa bar. They do offer free chips and salsa but I wasn't given it and didn't ask for it. They have some interesting flavored tacos but I didn't want to try a bunch of stuff to find what I liked. I'm not sure if this place will get another visit from me. I prefer the food at Mas Fina Cantina and I only came here because I wasn't full after my rolls. read more

See all

This place had a great location it's a very cute set up with the bar & the outdoor seating. I tried the pastor taco and the grilled fish taco both were just okay the tortilla was a different texture I've never had before haha a bit slimy not sure why but everyone else I was with seemed to like their tacos and we got the carnitas fries off the happy hour menu they were yummy! read more

Pure Taco - Entrance - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

The food was good, the tortillas for the fish tacos were tiny in comparison to the portions of fish, although it was tasty, you had to eat part of the fish before you could eat the rest as a taco. The service was really quick and friendly, the restaurant was clean and well maintained and was very open and enjoyable. read more

Pure Taco - Chips and salsa, free on Tuesday but you have to ask for them when you place your order. - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

2 fish tacos for $5 all the time? What a deal! Tried the lobster taco too, which was good, but I preferred the fish tacos. The lobster taco was not worth $8 in comparison. Would love to come back for happy hour! read more

Pure Taco - Lobster Taco and 2 Baja Fish Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great ambiance at bar seating, standard service, and a tasty Hazy before heading out for an event. Did not try the food as we just got off dinner, what's not to love? read more

Pure Taco - Hazy IPA - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Love the open air seating definitely creates a nice outdoor vibe and love happy hour from 3 - 6 PM prices were great! Fish tacos were YUM as was the corn in a cup!!! Love the freshly made tacos and fresh guacamole. Chips weren't my favorite. It wasn't super clear but for anyone reading order at the bar. Would definitely come back! read more

See all

The Bartender Oceana is the KEY to why we go weekly for tacos. 2 fish tacos for $5 in downtown Carlsbad is a little secret for the locals. Taco Tuesday is even BETTER! Big Fan! read more

We loved Pure Taco so much we came back two days in a row!! The service was amazing, all credit goes to Oceania who took care of us both days. She was so sweet and did such a great job making us feel welcomed. The mahi mahi tacos are out of this world. Those are the main reason we had to go back again. I'm not sure if it was the sauce they paired it with or maybe the slaw on top, it was one of the best tacos I've ever had!! We also really enjoyed the tortilla soup. It was hearty and had really amazing flavors too. I loved that they had a fair amount of mocktail options! They have an outside bar area for seating, which is perfect because California weather is to die for!! Can't wait to visit again next year!! read more

See all

While I'd been to a few other restaurants and coffee shops on this street and in this area, I'm only discovering Pure Taco now -- perhaps because we usually don't seek counter-service eateries; desiring a small, quick bite, we decided to stop in. We learned, however, seated at the bar top, it's full service... and while I didn't plan on a cocktail, my thoughts are it's wrong not to order a cocktail seated at the bar top! I don't like cocktail mixes; appreciatively, no mixes were used in my Skinny Margarita ($12), which was quite (almost too) tangy but thankfully, not sweet. Hubby enjoyed his Pure Marg ($12) -- both cocktails surprisingly (and deliciously) strong. We started with their Corn in a Cup ($6.95) -- with an option to be served with chips (which were enjoyably thick & crispy, and learned that the tortillas are made daily). In addition, they use fresh fish (never frozen). The Baja Fish Tacos (2/$5) and their Grilled Fish Taco ($5.75) consisted of generous planks of fish, served within thick corn tortillas. We had the pleasure of being served by Osheana, whose positive energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of their menu items made our first visit a fun and enjoyable one! I like the open-&-airy, indoor/outdoor, casual vibe and reasonable prices. We're now fans of Pure Taco. read more

See all

This restaurant speaks volumes of management service, not only did Robert welcome us with open arms, he was so accommodating with our large party for our bachelorette extravaganza! The food was delicious! Our favorite was the Passion Fruit Drink, the Poke Nachos, the ceviche, and the Loaded Steak Nachos! Service was impeccable and our food came our food really fast! read more

Pure Taco - Passion Drink, Baja Fish tacos, Lobster Taco, and St Al Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Went in around happy hour on a Thursday. It is seat yourself setting and order at the counter. The staff was friendly and helpful. Food came out quickly. Ordered the Full Taco Flight. Happy hour deals are drinks, fries, a nacho, or quesadilla. No tacos are part of the current happy hour. read more

See all

I saw Pure Taco when I was across the street at a coffee shop. So we decided to visit on a taco Tuesday. The specials were amazing--buy three get one free for tacos, discounted beers, AND free chips and salsa w every order. It was lit... Now you know I'm a self proclaimed taco expert, so I have high standards. I ordered two Baja fish tacos and the green curry shrimp taco (sounded interesting!). The service was great, and the guy that helped us was really nice and friendly! Now for the tacos...I give the fish taco a 6 out of 10. The main issue is that they were not hot. Actually, none of the tacos were hot. They were all lukewarm...which is unfortunate. The second issue was the amount of liquid running off the tacos. I guess the slaw was in liquid and it wasn't drained prior to putting it in the tacos. So this made what was supposed to be a crispy fish taco into a soggy, lukewarm situation of a taco. And lastly, the tortilla was a miss for me. It was house made corn tortilla but it was either too thick or not all the way cooked. It had a chewy texture to it. All that aside, the seasoning and flavor of the fish taco was great. For the shrimp curry taco, I'd give that a 4 out of ten. There's actually nothing wrong with the taco--I just did not enjoy the sweetness of it. The presentation was also not great. It looked like a blob of white sauce on a tortilla (see photos). Adding the lime helped somewhat and elevated the taco to a 6, but if it was hot, it could have been a 7. The chips, salsa and guacamole were excellent! read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Impressed by the portion sizes and relatively moderate prices of these tasty tacos. The corn tortillas tasted fresh but were a little undercooked which led to a soggy bottom from all the filling. The chicken and pork tacos were both tender and flavorful with generous portions of guacamole. A lot of the seating is indoor/outdoor style which is a great place to enjoy fresh air but also stay shaded. The menu is clearly labeled with allergens including gluten free and vegetarian. Definitely will return! read more

Pure Taco - Pulled Chicken Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Went to the Carlsbad street fair, and stopped off here to eat as they had open seats at the bar. If you sit at the bar it's full service, or if you are sitting at a table you must go up and order at the counter. It's not a huge place and most of the tables were for small parties. Thankfully it was just me so I had no problem finding a spot at the bar. It did take them a minute to take my order, but they were a bit busy. The server did offer to get my drink for me from the self-service station, which I really appreciated and took her up on. They have tacos, burritos, bowls, Etc. I ordered the battered fish tacos, and the steak taco, the cilantro lime rice, and the black beans. Both of the tacos were really good, but the rice was pretty bland. It didn't really taste like much, and seems more like a filler. The beans were black beans, they didn't have refried beans, but we're pretty good. They did kind of taste like they needed salt, but since you have to go get all of the condiments from a separate area I didn't want to leave my food unattended so I ate them as was. Honestly though they were fine even without the salt, I'm just a girl that likes a little salt and most of her food LOL. I would like to try one of their bowls, maybe the next time I'm in the area or at the street fair. I did notice they had a taco Tuesday, and a decent happy hour, which would be great if you live or work in the area. If you do I definitely say check them out. read more

See all

It's a solid taco shop featuring a modern fusion of flavors! Pure's menu is a melting pot of various global cuisines, but delivered in classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, nachos and salads. The staff is great and the open air order-at-the-counter setup screams SoCal. I've a lot of menu items, but some of my favorites include the Baja Fish Taco, Korean Pork Bo Sam Taco, Salmon Bowl and Pure Greens Salad. If you're thirsty, they have a full bar, beer, wine and Dole Whip for those with a sweet tooth. Try their Pure Marg! It's made with an orange simple syrup that packs unique flavor. Don't miss out. Try it for yourself! read more

See all

2.5 stars... The hubs and I wanted Mexican food for lunch so we decided to try Pure Taco since we were in the area. The space is cute, mostly outside with inside bar seating. They have a full bar and a wide choice of tacos but its more like a fast food restaurant... Chips and salsa are not complementary, so we chose the nachos and added beef. We also ordered the avocado fries. To drink, we tried the Paloma and the Pure Marg. The service...our server/bartender seemed disinterested and preoccupied with finding the right channel on the TV. She only checked in with us after we were done eating. The food...everything looked/tasted like it came out of a can/bag/jar. Nothing was good. The drinks...also tasted like pre-made mixes and bottled juices...not good. Will not be returning and do not recommend. read more

Pure Taco - Nachos with beef - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

This is a solid spot for global tacos in the heart of Carlsbad. You order at the counter, self serve drinks, and they bring the tacos out to you. I liked in the indoor outdoor vibes - classic San Diego surfer Carlsbad. I wanted to try as many flavors as possible so I ordered the traditional 1/2 flight. I got four tacos: grilled steak, pulled chicken, pastor, citrus braised pork. I really enjoyed the grilled steak and citrus braised pork. Tortillas were a touch thick for me. Also ordered chips with guacamole and salsa and enjoyed them as an appetizer. My tacos came out pretty quickly. Next time, I'm looking forward to trying the global 1/2 flight. read more

Pure Taco - Chips and Chips, Salsa & Guacamole** - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Our tacos were disgusting. The tortillas were so soggy and wet they didn't hold the filling. The pulled chicken tasted like it came out of a can and the citrus braised pork was dry and hard to swallow. Wish I could say this was a one off but unfortunately this is second time we've regretted walking in the door. Not going back! read more

Best fish tacos!!! Light batter great freshness! Chips and salsa didn't disappoint either. Wait staff is so nice as well. Sat outside, awesome lunch! read more

Oceana was excellent from start to finish. The service was amazing -- everyone was polite, friendly, and on it without hovering. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere felt good the whole time, and my cocktail tasted incredible. Will definitely be back. read more

I love that it's an affordable casual quick order place you go up to the register order. Find a cute seat. Seating is mostly outdoors and they bring the food to your table. They have a stellar deal of two fish tacos for five dollars every day and they are good sized! I would say this is a really affordable place for the area. You can tell the tortillas were freshly made. It seems like it's a California Mexican type place. I would definitely go there again for a quick bite! It looks like they also had a full bar. read more

Pure Taco - 2 fish tacos - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Salads were overdressed and salty today. Mixed greens salad was hard to consume and wish that I got the dressing on the side. Salad leaves were fresh and topped with grated cheese. read more

See all

We were spending the day in Carlsbad and wanted to grab a bite to eat. Walking down State Street Pure Taco caught our eye. At Pure Taco you place your order and pay at the register and then you seat yourself at a table and your order is delivered to your table. We opted to sit at the bar which is full service. We ordered the braised pork burrito and the Baja fish burrito. My fish burrito was more rice than fish but was still good but we did come pretty hungry. Adding some Tapatio to the burrito gave it more flavor as it was a bit bland for my liking. Based on our burritos the food was a 3-31/2 but the bartender's service and friendliness and ambiance bumped my rating to a 4. I would definitely try this place again but next time I would try their tacos since it seems to be their specialty given the place is called "pure taco". read more

Pure Taco - Baja Fish Burrito - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Delicious I love it here!!! Best taco Tuesday in town!! The drinks are great, food is amazing everyone is so kind that works here too!

Fresh tacos in a light, casual atmosphere. Two fish taco's is an incredible deal. If I lived in Carlsbad - I'd be there several times a week! read more

In all honestly, it depends what your looking for in Mexican Tacos. The place is very nice, can't go wrong in Carlsbad these days. But for Tacos, pricey. I had the grilled fish I enjoyed it! Margarita, ok even doing Happy Hour, small glass it was ok at best,The guacamole leaves little to be desired, No flavor, hell I would have been happy with A Little salt. But if your close & visiting try it, I'd like to hear your prospective. Oh yeah sorry service was very good! read more

Great prices here. I'm pretty picky with tacos so I wasn't too impressed - it felt more like texmex from the few tacos I tried, but they do an interesting BBQ taco and the beans were quite good. Overall, this is an ok spot for a quick bite. read more

Pure Taco - Pastor Taco & BBQ Brisket taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Absolutely loved Pure Taco! The flight interactional was super tasty. Loved the flavors. Pretty messy so don't go on a 1st date there. Haha! The service was fast...similarl concept to Panera where you order at the counter and they give you a number and they bring the food to you. I cannot wait to go back!! read more

Pure Taco - 1/2 Global Flight tacos - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Friendly staff!! Always willing to help answer questions w a smile! Service is walk up to the counter to order but food is delivered to your table. Great taste to everyone's order in a party of ten! It's almost like sitting outside when you're inside! Plenty of seats at the bar as well! read more

Nice indoor and outdoor taco shop. You order at the register and take your number to a table of your choosing. They bring you your order when it's ready. I ordered the tortilla chip soup, cup of corn, and a grilled steak taco. The soup was a little too salty for me but it had a good flavor. I loved the corn. I was full so I took the steak taco home to my husband and he enjoyed it. I would go back just for the cup of corn. read more

Pure Taco - Grilled Steak Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Excellent price point that is hard to beat! 2 fish tacos for $5 is insane, and they are pretty big too! Fish was crispy and yummy, the tortilla itself is tasty and fluffy and chewy, with a healthy dose of lettuce and tomatoes. A little on the bland side but you could spice it up. I didn't think paying $2 extra for two thin slices of avocado was worth it. The atmosphere is fast casual chic, nice clean and chill inside. Love this concept and how filling the food is for so little money! read more

Wow great service! Delicious food! Clean restaurant! You won't be disappointed! Shrimp tacos were amazing! read more

The Caesar salad was enough for two or three and delicious. I had the halibut taco which was small but full of fish and very good. My husband had the California burrito but could only eat half. There is no table service. You order a they bring it to your table. read more

Pure Taco - Halibut taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Tacos didn't look like what I imagined they would or how they were described, but there was no dairy(deathly allergic) and the meat tasted like it was high quality. They might have adjusted my order for no dairy which I appreciate, but let me know if you did. Also liked the packaging so the tacos didn't fall apart. Grilled Steak Taco, Korean Pork Bo Ssam taco, and pulled chicken taco kinda all tasted the same. The steak was a $1.25 more, but not really worth it unless you're SUPER into steak. I would definitely try Pure Taco again! read more

Pure Taco - Chicken taco, Korean Pork Bo Ssam Taco, and Grilled Steak Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great Taco flights lalo tequila was amazing Serving was great Met a couple that bought us drinks friendly and fun place to hangout' read more

See all

The poke nachos were disappointing. 5 celery slices, 5 radish slices, green onions, and tuna. A little bit of sauce.

Nachos were good for a snack. Margarita was good. We liked the outdoor seating. Bartender was friendly. Will come back for the fish tacos. What a deal. read more

Pure Taco - Tacos Near Me - Carlsbad, California