Places to eat in Carlsbad

Lobster for $15.99 is a great deal anywhere in California! This come-as-you-are restaurant is the perfect place to stop for lobster after a morning of sunbathing! It is located on the beach and it is reminiscent of the Beach Blanket Bingo days where prices were lower and the beach culture ruled supreme.

Favorite Dish: $15.99 Local Lobster!

LJ wanted to celebrate her first Cinco de Mayo in the U.S., so we took the advice of one of her piano students and went to Fidel's for Happy Hour. As you can guess, it was very crowded, but we were able to find a "secluded" table on the back patio protected from the wind.

Favorite Dish: Your waiter brings you a basket of fresh, hot and very tasty tortillas (with salsa). We orderd the house margaritas and they did have a nice kick to them. For our appetizers (dinner) we ordered the Nachitos (a smaller version of the big plate which came with beans, guacamole,sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, onions chips and cheese) and the La Pachanga/Plato Grande (which is a combo platter of flautas, chimichangas, mini-tacos, quesadillas, beans, guacamole and salsa fresca).

Lola's Market and Deli is practically Barrio Carlsbad royalty. The market was established in 1943 (Lola was the founding matriarch and the business is still kept in the family) and continues on to this day as a community landmark and point of pride. Run by sisters Connie Trejo and Ofelia Escobedo, Lola's has changed with the times to be not just a neighborhood market, not just an authentic Mexican mercado, but a "deli" that turns out the best (really) tamales and carne asada burritos in North County. There's no Taco Bell kitsch here -- Lola's is the real deal. Recipes are based on recipes from the sisters' grandmother, who learned how to craft simple but wonderful food growing up in Jalisco.

Lola's has just a few tables to accommodate diners -- this is part of the charm of the place. Breakfast (served all day long, bless these folks!) hosts a steady stream of ravenous early birds lining up for their daily huevos rancheros fix. At lunchtime (after 11am), it's not unusual to see engineers from the Carlsbad Business Park curbside, leaned up against their shiny Lexuses with ties tossed over their shoulders, chowing down on tacos or shoveling chile rellenos while enjoying the sunshine. Dinner offers more of the same great food.
Lola's serves as a neighborhood gathering place for the Barrio Carlsbad community as well as the Carlsbad Village in general. This is the perfect place to check the pulse of local politics, cultural happenings and Latino resources … and, of course, eat.

Favorite Dish: On Saturdays, carnitas and menudo are featured -- both can be had for under $5, which is some kind of urban dining miracle, making Saturdays a special day indeed.

Great Greek food served in a classy restaurant.

Favorite Dish: The first time I was there, I had the gyro and it was fantastic (huge with lots of lamb, cucumber sauce, onions tomatoes, and of course the pita). The second time I ate there, I had the souvlaki (same as a gyro but with beef instead of lamb) and again it was delicious.

One of the classiest buffets and settings is offered at Souplantation where parents can guide children through the extensive salad bar. The salad bar features won ton chicken salad, caesar salad, cobb salad, fixings for build your own salads, and a slew of prepared salads made with everything from pasta to couscous. Tarragon-accented tuna/pasta salad is an adult favorite along the salad bar line.

Favorite Dish: The ability to create your own salad is what makes this restaurant lots of fun. You can have as much (or as little) as you want, add soups, pasta and dessert (along with a drink) and get out of there without spending a fortune.

A duplicate of the Gaslamp Quarter's lively Cafe Sevilla in terms of menu offerings, Carlsbad's first and only Spanish restaurant specializes in tapas, paella and sangria. The atmosphere is pleasant, with lots of wood, leaded glass and Iberian-themed murals. Live flamenco guitar is performed most nights in the upstairs tapas bar.

Favorite Dish: Try the Bistec a la Parrilla (grilled new york steak) served with a red wine Spanish onion-sauce with roasted Manchego mashed potatoes, and a Catalan tomato.

Family run restaurant serving good oriental food. The lunch price is $5.45 and the dinner price is $6.45 (tax and drink are extra). Attentive service but not intrusive.

Favorite Dish: The buffet of course...meals are served hot and are very tasty, from the soups, to the entrees, to the desserts.

The award-winning menu features popular American Grill cuisine at affordable prices, with specialty beers brewed on the premises from the private recipes of Master Brewer Karl Strauss. The resort setting of this location promotes a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for both business and pleasure dining at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Favorite Dish: Start off with the Chicken Lettuce Wraps (it's diced boneless chicken, water chestnuts and celery stir fried in a delicious spicy red chili sauce served with lettuce cups and cucumber relish to wrap your own). For dinner, try the Argentinean Top Sirloin which is U.S.D.A. choice top sirloin flame grilled to perfection and served with basmati rice, black beans, fresh tortillas and chimichurri sauce. To wash it down, try the Apricot Amber Lager which has a smooth, rich lager with a hint of apricot essence.