As a San Diego native, one of the things I look forward to the most when I visit my hometown is eating my way through my favorite taco shops and Mexican restaurants. As a North County girl who spent much of her time living in the beach town of Encinitas, hitting up a local taco shop is pretty much always the first thing I do when I get into town.
From the chile relleno burrito at Pavlos Tacos (formerly Rico’s) to the freshly-made tortillas and salsas at El Nopalito and the happy hour margaritas and tacos at Las Olas, I absolutely love eating my way through Encinitas – Mexican style!
If you’re planning a visit and wondering where to find the best Mexican food in town, I’ve put together a list of my absolute favorite taco shops and Mexican restaurants in Encinitas. From fish tacos to California burritos and carne asada fries, be prepared to have some of the best Mexican eats of your life in Encinitas!
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A Local’s Favorite Mexican Restaurants in Encinitas, California
Juanitas Taco Shop
Juanitas Taco Shop is one of those places that my dad took me to all the time as a little girl in the ’80s. It’s a longstanding institution and though it may not look like much from the outside, they serve up some of the best Mexican food in Encinitas.
From chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and breakfast burritos for breakfast to California burritos, carnitas tacos, and everything in between, you’ll have a tough time choosing what to eat at Juanitas!
Pavlos Tacos (Formerly Rico’s Taco Shop)
Rico’s, or shall I say Pavlos Tacos, has been my go-to Encinitas taco shop since my high school days. And whenever I’m craving a burrito, their chile relleno burrito is what I dream of – I order it every single time I come into town.
Now Rico’s was long helmed by a man named Pavlos, who has now taken over ownership. But despite the change in name, not much has changed. This local favorite still serves up delicious (and affordable) burritos, tacos, quesadillas, tortas, and more.
If you want to go big, order the famous Justin Burrito with beans, cheese, rice, french fries, lettuce, and guacamole – all double-wrapped in two tortillas!
The Taco Stand
If you’re wondering where to get good tacos in Encinitas, The Taco Stand might just be the most popular place in town – so much so that you’ll likely have to wait in line.
This is a small chain with five locations around San Diego. One of the things that makes this place stand out from the rest is that their corn tortillas are all made by hand and all of their meats and veggies are as fresh as can be.
Carnivores will love digging into the carne asada, al pastor, and spicy shrimp tacos and burritos. But vegetarians have plenty to choose from, too, including the mushroom burrito, the nopal (cactus) taco, and the always-delicious bean and cheese burrito.
Be sure to order their freshly made churros!
La Especial Norte
I’m not sure why it took me so long to go to La Especial Norte. After all, this place has been around since the 1970s! This place dishes out plate after plate of authentic Mexican food, and it’s a great option if you’re looking for a sit-down restaurant versus more of a taco shop situation.
This is also a great option for seafood lovers because the menu here features a selection of seafood soups, as well as dishes like huachinango ranchero (ranchero-style fresh red snapper), fish taco platter, and camarones a la diabla (spicy sauteed shrimp in red sauce).
But don’t worry if seafood’s not your thing. From the tortilla soup and albondigas soup to the carnitas plate and veggie fajitas, the menu at La Especial Norte is huge!
El Pueblo
Located in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, El Pueblo is always my first stop if I arrive back in town late at night. This place is open 24/7, so I can get my burrito fix any time of day!
Don’t let its location next to a gas station put you off. This no-frills place is a local favorite. I tend to keep it simple here with a bean, cheese, and guacamole burrito topped off with salsas from their glorious salsa bar. But their breakfast burritos, taquitos, flautas, and nachos are all delicious.
I always order my food to-go here, but there’s a small space for outdoor dining if you can’t wait to dig in.
El Nopalito
If salsa is just as important to you as your burrito, you’ll want to stop by El Nopalito. This place has been serving the Encinitas community for over 35 years, and everything from the corn tortillas to the tortilla chips, guacamole, and the five different salsas is made fresh in-house each day.
The restaurant cooks up authentic dishes like pollo en mole, barbacoa, pozole, menudo, and chicharrónes, as well as a variety of tortas, burritos, and tacos. There’s also a store where you can buy their fresh tortillas, chips, salsa, guacamole, and masa to make your own Mexican food at home!
Las Olas Restaurant
If you’re looking for Mexican restaurants in Encinitas for a nice sit-down meal, head to Las Olas. Set right off the 101 in Cardiff, this place has been a local favorite since the early ’80s.
This is a super popular spot for happy hour margaritas and beers (from 4 pm to 6 pm on weekdays and 4 pm to close on Tuesdays). From carne asada quesadillas and Baja-style fish burritos to cheese enchiladas and chile rellenos with muenster cheese, this place serves up hefty portions of all your favorites.
Haggo’s Organic Taco
If you’re on the prowl for some tacos, give Haggo’s Organic Taco in Leucadia a try. This place was even featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives!”
Be sure to try their famous Cousteau Fish Taco, made from the wild catch of the day, cabbage slaw, crema, salsa cruda, mango, and cilantro. With ingredients like grass-fed beef, organic veggies, whole wheat tortillas, and organic chicken, everything here is made with love and care.
Plus, with options like vegan crema and cheese, there’s a lot for vegans on the menu, too.
Roberto’s Mexican Food
With two locations in Encinitas and one in Leucadia, Roberto’s is an institution in North County San Diego. This place is famous for being the home of the “Original Carne Asada Burrito,” so you can’t go wrong with that if you’re a meat eater.
If you want to order as the locals do, pick something off of the “Local Favorites” section, which features items like their carne asada fries smothered in cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa fresca. But if you ask me, the rolled tacos with guacamole and bean and cheese burritos are always the best here!
Agave Birria
Agave Birria is the new kid on the block when it comes to Mexican restaurants in Encinitas. But if you’re obsessed with all things birria, this is the place for you, and you’ll definitely want to order up the birria tacos, queso birria, birria fries, or the caldo de birria!
But this menu is huge and features 20 different burritos, eight different breakfast burritos, and tons of tacos and tortas. There’s a “Meatless Options” section on the menu, too, with plenty of vegetarian options.
Raul’s Shack
One of the most low-key Mexican restaurants in Encinitas, Raul’s Shack is perfect if you’re hungry for some cheap eats after a day at the beach. One of the best things about this small shack is that the huge breakfast burritos and breakfast plates are served all day.
The rest of the menu is huge, though, so it may be tough to decide. You can choose from all the usual suspects, like the street tacos, flautas, and enchiladas, but one of the best things about the menu at Raul’s is all of the different types of rolled taquitos – from beans and potatoes to beef and chicken.
They also have really good taquito burritos for something totally unique!
