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    Sam’s Kitchen

    4.9 (162 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Sam’s Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

    Sam’s Kitchen Photos

    SAM’S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam’s Kitchen

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    Menu
    Steven N.

    Carls Good Burrito - fat burrito - good guac Chips - a little stale - has some lime - salsa isn't too spicy

    El jefe (good size)
    Erick M.

    Unique spot with a lot of burrito options! I went with the Jefe Burrito with egg added on. The jefe has good quality rib eye steak! It was overall good, next time I'll need to ask for the meat to be cooked medium or medium rare, I think it'll conserve more flavor. But it was a good burrito!! They have a lot of different options it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for a good burrito! Service: they were friendly! Ambiance: casual spot and easy going Overall I would recommend!

    Menu
    Don B.

    Located off of El Camino Real in Carlsbad tucked in a office park is Sam's Kitchen, a convenient breakfast/lunch spot. The menu is mostly burritos ranging from breakfast and lunch. On this lunch visit I went with the Carls-good lunch burrito consisting of tri-tip steak, fries, cheddar cheese and guacamole. This is burrito has some weight to it and the portion was very filling. The meat was tender and flavorful, fries well cooked and cheesy. It is essentially a california style burrito. Overall it was very tasty and I would definitely order this again. There is plenty of seating both inside and outside and ample parking. If you are in the area and in need a quick bite, Sam's Kitchen is a great spot.

    The el jefe with egg. There was more rib eye but we ate most of it.
    Jennifer B.

    We came straight here from Santa Clarita and yelped breakfast burritos. Came across this place which is located in an industrial center and was greeted by a sweet young lady who told us we could order anything on the menu even if it was for lunch/dinner. (We arrived at 9am and my husband was wanting to try the El jefe which had rib eye.). We were able to order it and added eggs to make it more breakfast like. It was amazing! My kids and I ordered the Grand Slam and the Carls Good! All delicious!! The sweet lady also offered us fresh salsa and chips even though it was early in the morning. The chips were warm, dusted with tajin and the salsa super fresh. The rib eye in the burrito was great quality steak! And the prices were reasonable. Definitely coming back!

    The avocado sandwich  with extra veggies on sourdough
    Jeremy D.

    Asked for the avocado sandwich and cashier quite literally offered pretty much all the veggies. Swapped in sour dough and add mayo and I couldn't be more content. $8.50 for this magnificent veggie sandwich is so good!

    First time and last time. If you can't get my order correct on my 1st visit than than there's no good memory recall to visit again. I paid $2 xtra for potatoes and beans + $5 tip. Total spent here-$40 51 for two burritos and side of chips. There were no potatoes and beans added, making the burrito taste eggy and bland.

    Menu
    Cassidy S.

    Ordered the el gaucho burrito after seeing all the great reviews for this place. The burrito was good it definitely wasn't the best burrito that I have ever had but for the price it was a good choice. The service was quicker than a sit down restaurant but there was still a wait for the food, as you can see directly into the kitchen and know they are making your food fresh to order. The place is sparsely decorated and has a very utilitarian feel.

    Carls-good burrito with steak and fries. Very filling.
    Craig W.

    This little restaurant has been on my list to try forever. They are only open on weekdays so if you do most of your food exploring on weekends, like I do, you will miss out. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to swing by on a random weekday. It feels like a mom and pop shop. It's located in commercial center and it's no frills. But the food is really good. We tried the El Camino burrito (made with chicken and lots of lime) and the Carls-good burrito (made with steak and fries). Both orders came with a small bag of some of the freshest and most delicious chips I've ever had. They were heavily seasoned with salt and lime and they were terrific. I'm almost always on Team Steak but the El Camino chicken burrito had a lot more flavor than the Carls-good one. Both burritos were very hefty and filled with good ingredients and not filler. This place is popular so be prepared to wait a little bit while your food is cooked to order. They have plenty of seating inside to eat and they also do takeout. I'd score them a 4.5 but I'm rounding up because I respect small businesses and hard work.

    Tuna and seasoned tortilla chips
    Angelina S.

    Love this family owned business. Today I got the small Tuna and chips. The tortilla chips are seasoned and amazingly good. The tuna is also yummy. I usually come here for the burritos which are my favorite but I've been trying to be a little healthier with my choices haha. I'd recommend Sam's kitchen, they have excellent customer service and always have my food ready when I ordered a head.

    Chicken burrito

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    5 months ago

    Very humble looking but the food is on point. Great service and quick food. Had the bbq burrito and it and the free chips were delicious.

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    6 months ago

    I've scoured the earth for the best breakfast burrito, and this place is up there. Very friendly staff and the food is incredible.

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    8 months ago

    This restaurant has amazing food, cooked to order and nearby a busy industrial park, on El Camino Real near Palomar Airport Road.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Sam’s Kitchen

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    Miguel's Cocina

    Miguel's Cocina

    3.9
    (1.9k reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Wow, surprised the rating is currently 4 stars only! We made reservations a week or so in advance…read morefor a Sunday night around 730, and it did not seem very busy. Restaurant is very close to the 5 freeway as well as the Carlsbad Flower Fields and Legoland. I enjoyed the food and fancy-casual ambience. Seems like a fairly large stand-alone restaurant with it's own parking lot. Service was attentive and friendly. We came at the recommendation of a local and loved it! We chose this spot also for the queso that comes with the complimentary chips and salsa. So tasty and not too spicy--like a fresher/?healthier/whiter version of nacho cheese. Mango margarita 4.5/5 (with tajin rim) was enjoyable. Strawberry margarita (blended, virgin) 3/5 was good, but reminded me of candy, so probably just not for me. Trio burrito was outstanding. Loved the sourness of the green salsa over the carnitas, the carne asada with red salsa, and even the shrimp burrito (I don't usually love shrimp!). It tasted lighter than typical Mexican food. Portion was impressive, and it came with a side plate of rice and beans. Chile relleno was 3+/5 imo but my fiance enjoyed it as one of the better ones he has had. To me, it just paled in comparison to the burritos :)). Overall high quality, nice-ish (not too fancy) dinner spot for groups and more! Would recommend to others to add to their Carlsbad/SD area trip.

    We arrived and I parked in the first handicap open spot. I was thinking how lucky and next to the…read moredoor. Well, we walked in and it was the "to-go" entrance but we were able to walk to the front of the restaurant and get a seat. We were seated quickly and my picky mom was able to choose where she wanted to sit. It was a little cold for me, and since we opted to sit in the way back it was a little dim. We were seated and served chips, salsa, and queso blanco dip. The sip was a nice touch. The chips were warm. Of course we had a lot of questions about the menu and our server was very helpful in helping us decide. After eating so many chips and queso, I decided on an appetizer for my meal. I had the empanadas. Mom ordered a bowl of albondigas and a combo plate with cheese enchilada and a taco, with the taco on a separate plate. The albondigas came out first. They were not very hot. Maybe lukewarm. We asked for them to be heated. They did. They had a nice flavor. I think I enjoyed the broth the most. For me, it was missing potatoes and had too much tomato, just a preference, there is no wrong way to make albondigas. I asked for all the condiments in the side and they did put everything on the side. The empanadas were okay. Seemed like they were made ahead of time and then slightly warmed. Again, I was missing the potatoes in the picadillo. Mom said her tortilla from the taco was very tuff and hard to eat. It seemed pre fried and old. She opted to eat the inside of the taco with tortilla chips. She's picky about her enchiladas. The cheese in the enchilada was slightly melted. The enchilada looked freshly made which, for me, can be a bad thing because making it fresh and heating in the salamander versus in the oven doesn't allow the cheese to fully melt. Now, the enchilada sauce was good and the rice was very good. Mom did complain about the lack of fullness in her plate. I reminded her that her taco would have sat in that empty spot. . . lol. . . On our way out, we noticed they were making homemade tortillas and wondered why we didn't get any lol. . . I think if I was in the area again I would stop in, especially for the albondigas.

    Photos
    The bar
    The bar
    Sangria, Strawberry margarita, chips, queso and salsa
    Sangria, Strawberry margarita, chips, queso and salsa
    Happy hour all night!!!!

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    Happy hour all night!!!!
    Cancun Mexican & Seafood

    Cancun Mexican & Seafood

    4.3
    (554 reviews)
    4.5 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
    Alejandra's  Mexican  Cantina

    Alejandra's Mexican Cantina

    3.8
    (234 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$

    This place is where Crazy Burros uses to be and other restaurants can't seem to survive here. I…read moresure hope Alejandras does. They have fantastic service and delicious food. I'm a fan of their chicken and rice soup and I love their tacos. Especially smitten with their chili relleno tacos. They have a full bar and make a mean cocktail. I had a wonderful Expresso martini. They have a great ambiance and view. Also a front patio that would be great in the nicer weather. They also have I've music on some Saturdays on the patio. I hope they open earlier once summer starts. Right now they open at 5.

    This is one of the nicest restaurant settings around. The menu is more limited now but the food is…read moregood. The service has been extremely poor on each visit. Tonight we made a reservation. We were seated by the band, as asked. Then we waited... and waited. We went to the host counter and told them we hadn't been seen or ordered a drink in 31 minutes. We had their attention for a bit. Food was good, even though they got my order wrong. Then over an hour and nobody came back. I not the kind to walk out, but was tempted, but we went back to the host station and asked to pay. Timeline: 6:30 reservation, host station to say we had not been seen my a server 7:01pm. Appetizer ordered 7:04pm. Dinner ordered 7:15pm. All served quickly. Then at 9:25pm we walk in to pay. Luckily we were not rushed and we did enjoy the band (even though they kept popping breakers and loosing their mics and amps. I hope they resolve this because the location is premium but their is now way they can survive like this. This has happened to us on the last 3 visits prior to this, as well. On a prior visit my wife had a work party with over 15 people. Many of the group left without ordering as we were not getting attention. I want this place to thrive, I really do...

    Photos
    Ceviche Pescado
    Ceviche Pescado
    Seafood bar
    Seafood bar
    Camarones

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    Camarones

    Sam’s Kitchen - mexican - Updated June 2026

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