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Chuleta al Pastor  - Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina, Carlsbad, CA
Aguachile - Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina, Carlsbad, CA
Crudo de Atun Rojo - Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina, Carlsbad, CA
Guacamole - Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina, Carlsbad, CA
Oysters "Oaxacafeller" - Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina, Carlsbad, CA

Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina

3.9
3.9
121 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican
Experience the vibrant flavors of Mexico at Alejandra's Fine Mexican Food and Cantina in Carlsbad. Our family-owned restaurant brings you the authentic taste of traditional Mexican cuisine, prepared with love and passion. From sizzling fajitas to mouthwatering enchiladas, our extensive menu offers a wide variety of delectable dishes crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere of our cantina, where you can savor handcrafted margaritas and enjoy live music. With our warm hospitality and dedication to exceptional service, we strive to create memorable dining experiences for our valued guests. Join us today and let us take you on a culinary journey through Mexico's rich culinary heritage. Voted Carlsbad's favorite Mexican restaurant, we guarantee a fiesta for your taste buds!

Make a reservation

2 people

10:00 PM


Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Unspecified, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (858) 500-5150
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Rincon
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wine

Experiences

  • Brunch

    Multiple dates available
    Join us at Alejandra’s Mexican Cantina Saturdays and Sundays at 10am for an extraordinary brunch experience!

Offers

  • Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Mon - Fri - 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    Come and join us for Happy Hour in our bar Monday - Friday from 3PM - 5PM! We look forward to seeing you!

    Happy Hour Photo

What 121 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.9
3.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • North San Diego

    Healthy

121 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was great, just freezing where we were sitting at the tables along the window.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall2food3service1ambience2
    Service needs to be better. Very slow. A few tables were frustrated with table service tonight. Maybe sitting in the bar would have been better.

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  3. MitchC

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We loved it. The restaurant is beautiful. The food was great. The staff were very friendly. We will be back soon.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I was so impressed! Really a lovely restaurant! The ambiance is wonderful the food delicious the service attentive and kind! They really did a beautiful job renovating the whole restaurant! Love love! I hope word gets out and they get back what they have put in!

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience5
    The ambiance of this place exceeded my expectations. The decor has a very cool vibe. The food was meh. However that said the place still has potential and I’ll definitely be going back to see if it was a fluke with what we ordered. The meh dishes in our party were steak fajitas, shrimp fajitas and the tuna crudo appetizer. These plates lacked flavor especially given the price of these dishes. The crispy beef taquitos, and beans were good however my daughters kids quesadilla order with fries was the winner of the night. As with many Mexican restaurants “the margaritas were great”. I ordered the Alejandro margarita with the house made hibiscus syrup. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not overly sweet and just plain delicious. The margarita will have me coming back. I’ll try happy hour next time. Once I go back and if I order something better tasting I’d improve the stars rating. This place has all the style… less substance… but definitely has potential to be great if they can just get better tasting dishes. I encourage you to try this restaurant as I will still be giving it another chance.

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  6. JoanB

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    This is a high end Mexican restaurant with food that isn't prepared like other usual Mexican restaurants. Good just different. A look at the menu and the descriptions of the items would describe the items correctly. Other reviews said food was very spicy...I didn't find food too spicy.

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  7. LizD

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We loved the kind attention given to us by Lindsay the manager and Rachel our waitress.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 25, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    The service was impeccable- they went above and beyond. There was live music which was nice too!

    Is this helpful?

  9. StephanieW

    Columbus

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on August 21, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience3
    Thank you for being open during Hurricane Hillary!!

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  10. TeresaB

    Denver

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 20, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience2
    Would not recommend. Hostess was very rude to couple checking in behind us with 2 children. Clearly not family friendly. Chef told server he would not cook our fajitas without peppers and only wanted onions so we had to get the manager involved. Food was expensive and mediocre at best. For that money you can do better with food and service.

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  11. ChristieM

    Phoenix

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had fantastic service and dinner!! Can’t wait to go back!

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  12. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 18, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience3
    We arrived and the order was taken with the drinks. We ordered BACARDI and Coke. They did not know what Bacardi rum was??? This is a high end Mexican restaurant and there are no known rum brands. Okay do you have Corona beer???? No….. what??? The food was not what I expected. The aguachile is supposed to be slivered raw shrimp cooked in lime juice. I got cooked shrimp not well slivered and had to cut every piece of shrimp. It was chewy. Not to talk about the octopus cocktail. Hardly any octopus and full of grape tomatoes. For the portion it was very overpriced and super spicy. Sorry, not good!

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  13. MKMN

    San Diego

    62 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    62 reviews

    Dined on August 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The food was very good. Alejandra's menu is far more extensive than the traditional Mexican dishes, and we found the carnitas particularly tasty. It was topped off with excellent service from Phil and a very friendly staff.

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  14. CesarG

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was great. The drinks were good. The chef came out to make sure we were enjoying our meal which was super awesome. Coming back to this place just for chef Jacob!

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  15. Pasmal

    San Francisco

    21 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on August 14, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience5
    New and needed in neighborhood. Staff is friendly, knowledgeable and responsive. Not your average Mexican food menu but you will find enough to eat if that’s what you want; chips and salsa are better than most typical restaurants! .Portions are good, bartenders are friendly and hostess staff is welcoming. Will return.

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  16. SAYTravels

    San Diego

    18 reviews

    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on August 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We have been going to this location since it was the Crazy Burro (and other restaurants) many years ago. When we saw that it has been transformed into a new restaurant, we decided to give it a try. So glad we did! Great ambiance. Beautiful decor. Swift service. A wonderful menu and great food. And live music. It was a perfect evening! Well done, Alejandro’s!

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  17. NancyAZ

    Denver

    15 reviews

    2.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on July 31, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience3
    Ordered two margaritas. One came as a rum drink. The margaritas were pretty mediocre for a Mexican restaurant.

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  18. MJSmitty

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 16, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    Wanted to like this restaurant, but unfortunately it was a HUGE disappointment. My husband had the steak fajitas and I had the chicken fajitas. Our friends had enchiladas Rojas and a house salad with grilled chicken added. The meals were all bland and very small for the price. Hardly any meat in the fajitas. The rice was plain white rice. The beans tasters like puréed baby food. The chips and salsa were good. My husband and our friend had the $16 margaritas which they didn’t like at all. Waitress was nice, maybe overly attentive. Can’t recommend it unless they change the menu and get a new chef.

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  19. JohnW

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience5
    Super nice people I felt it was overpriced Tab was $129 before tip for two people

    1 person found this helpful

  20. OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    18 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on July 9, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience5
    This was our first time visiting this restaurant. The guests next to us had had a bad experience and were complaining to the server. They didn’t touch their food that they said was prepared wrong. The server offered to remove one of their entrees… this was the start of our experience. We ordered cocktails and dinner and my cocktail was superb. I ordered the “Alejandra’s Margarita” which was so good. All of our food was great aside from my husbands MOLE which he said was not great. He always gets a MOLE dinner when we try Mexican cuisine. Guess you can say he is a mole snob. We then saw Miss Lindsey who was serving another table fresh pressed coffee which we love. She was absolutely amazing and had such great energy. She offered to make us some with a Spanish twist which included a shot of a chocolate liqueur. Absolutely amazing and delicious! She was the highlight of our dinner. There was also live music which was great! This was happening in their cantina which was so beautiful and inviting. Overall we had a good experience.

    Is this helpful?

  21. ashleym

    Las Vegas

    17 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on July 1, 2023

    overall1food2service2ambience4
    We were so excited to give this new spot a try ! We walked in and loved the inside - very fun vibe . It was nice out so we decided to sit outside on the patio . Unfortunately after ordering a glass of wine and a tequila , we waited for 20 minutes before being told they were out of what we ordered . We then ordered different drinks and it took another 20 minutes to get them - that’s 40 minutes just to receive our drinks . We both have worked in the service industry in the past and are always very sensitive and understanding , knowing it’s not always the servers fault . We then placed our food order letting the server know we didn’t have time to order two entrees because we had somewhere to be . The food came out within 20 minutes and it was just mediocre, if I am being honest . We then asked for our check and after giving our credit card , the waitress then returned our bill with someone else’s credit card , so that was shocking considering someone could easily take someone else’s card if that happens . We let her know and she quickly reran the bill on our card and we left . Overall, a very disappointing experiencing ! The ambiance is great and with their prices at the price point they’re at , I was expecting a bit more out of the food . We won’t be returning .

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  22. jayk

    San Diego

    14 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on July 1, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience4
    Great venue for a drink and some guacamole, food and service is entirely so-so. Waited 25 minutes for a martini. Have been there 4 times- we SO wanted it to be great. Cerviche sent back, smelled fishy. Carnitas enchiladas were dry and ‘warm’. Too many choices for great Mexican food in the area. Probably won’t be back. We SO wanted it to be good……

    Is this helpful?

  23. Foodiemom

    San Diego

    34 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on June 30, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience5
    New restaurants are always hard to review because you have to consider that they always have issues starting up especially with how much staff to hire. In this case, there are clearly not enough and my guess is they need to pay more to get experienced help. But first the food. The queso was genius, rich and creamy and the chips crispy and delicious. My husband and I both had the Aguachile which was marinated shrimp with avocado and lime. It was bright and fresh...absolutely fabulous. I had the special margarita which was served with some burnt rosemary and he had a Paloma which was bright and fruity. Both highly recommended. The salsa however was too spicy and watery which was confusing as everything else was on point. Service was slow although it wasn't crowded and the host was not only hosting but picking up the slack of servers by waiting tables, bringing checks...he was sweet and tried to make the experience as good as possible but when our aguachile came our server asked is we wanted tostadas with it and we said yes...we never saw her again. Before we went I saw the reviews on google rated it a 3.9 and then I read them and the complaints were all about service. This is fixable but it better be soon because people like me will be back but if the service is still poor, it'll be the last time.

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  24. MadisonH

    San Diego

    5 reviews

    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on June 27, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience5
    We went for my husband’s birthday. Our service was awful - everything took so long and the restaurant was absolutely dead. My husband didn’t mention it during the dinner, as he didn’t want to gross anyone out… but his chicken was raw on the inside. Not both pieces, but one big chunk was completely pink. I was super excited to try this as I live in the area and wanted a new spot. I will not be back unfortunately

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  25. KarenE

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We had a wonderful dinner! The mussels appetizer was terrific, as was the steak special with potatoes and broccolini. The service was excellent. We'll be back!

    Is this helpful?

  26. TanyaB

    San Diego

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had Chile Relleno with rice & beans, chips, salsa, guacamole, and spicy margaritas. All was fantastic!

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  27. Laurie

    San Diego

    9 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2023

    overall2food2service5ambience5
    This was our first time at Alejandra’s and decided to sit in dining room vs bar and have dinner. Yes, we normally like to sit in bar and try a bunch of apps. Very friendly staff, great ambience (had live music) and great service. We had chips, salsa and guacamole which tasted good. Menu selection wasn’t that large, we had carnitas, chicken rojas enchiladas and carnitas verdes enchiladas and it was just ok. Presentation was nice but not as tasty as we expected. We had churros for dessert. We’ll try the bar and apps next time and see if that’s better.

    Is this helpful?

  28. BrianC

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Love the vibe here, food is unique, and we have had a great service experience 2 of the 3 times we have been here

    Is this helpful?

  29. hungry314

    San Diego

    40 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    40 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Nicely done from a decor and ambiance standpoint and the food was delicious. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and presented and the carnitas were yummy. Chips seemed sort of generic but the salsa was great. Service was good, albeit a bit slow and confused - super nice and trying hard, just not as effective as perhaps they could have been, but still very nice. Pricing was high but portion size good. Would recommend - staff were all friendly, the environment was great, they had live music which was at the perfect volume. Too pricey to be a regular go-to type of place, but will go back sometime and will tell others to go.

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  30. OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience5
    Service was inexperienced but kind, drinks were good and interesting. Guacamole was pretty but bland and strangely too generous a portion. My date had a Chile relleno and enchilada he said were pretty good. My whole bream was great but the sides were just okay. Beautiful building and views.

    Is this helpful?

  31. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 11, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Service was horrible there was no one there and we still waited to be served. Drinks were horrible and food came out cold even though there was no one there will not be going back

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  32. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience4
    Main course flavors were good, but food was served warm-ish, and beans were very salty and nothing special. I expected elevated sides and better tortillas for the price and hype.

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  33. Donna

    Phoenix

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 11, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Excellent service for our party of 6. Appetizers and entrees were very good!

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  34. OpenTable Diner

    Phoenix

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on June 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had a wonderful dinner! The food, drinks, ambiance and wait staff were ask very impressive. We had the mussels with chorizo to start and they were amazing. For our entrees e chose the tomahawk pork chop as well as the chile relleno and added a shrimp enchilada. The Chile relleno was one of the best we’ve ever had. I highly recommend this restaurant, we we’ll be back without a doubt!

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  35. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Great service and excellent food. The Chuleta Al Pastor was fabulous. Lily, our wait person, was wonderful.

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  36. SenorRoberto

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 5, 2023

    overall3food4service4ambience3
    I'm not sure I've had a great margarita at Alejandra's yet. Good, but not great. VERY limited on Mexican beers... strange. Food is good, but menu is a tad more limited than we prefer. We want you to be successful! Thanks for asking for our feedback.

    1 person found this helpful

  37. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    vip
    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 3, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    The margaritas were watered down and tasteless. Food was excellent.

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  38. AlanS

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    The duck carnitas were disappointing. The rest of the meat was very good. It is very expensive. If one wants high end Mexican food, there are better places in San Diego. But I will go back because of the location.

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  39. RICHARDW

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The loud island music did not fit the venue. Staff was excellent and subdued the music for us. All of the food was excellent. The Ceviche was beyond excellent!

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  40. MKMN

    San Diego

    62 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    62 reviews

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Our first experience at Alejandra's and it was very good. The entire staff was very cordial; Monica (our waitress) was helpful and friendly; and we enjoyed the menu alternatives. I recommend the rojo enchilladas entree. My only recommendation would be for more wine alternatives.

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina using the Order Online button. Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (858) 500-5150.

Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina is rated 3.9 stars by 121 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

10:00 PM


Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Alejandra’s Fine Mexican Food & Cantina

6996 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92009-4107

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Rincon
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Unspecified, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wine
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