Shopping center Mexican hub has tacos, Macho Burritos, margaritas, Sunday brunch & hacienda decor.
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 31441 Santa Margarita Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: (949) 709-7600
Website: https://www.carmelitaskitchen.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Shawn Sheng
Absolute S tier Mexican restaurant that family owned and operated. The chips and salsa are made in house, and the bean dip is absolutely amazing. The Carmelita combination is the best value, and allows you to try so many different items which are all delicious. The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere is amazing overseeing the lake.
… moreN D
areille what a sweet welcoming professional with genuine love and smile!
Thank you for being such a soft sweet wonderful person
She cared about my birthday more than I do ,, I appreciate the service the food and my special day here at Carmelitas
And at the End Belle , Thank you for your amazing service ❤️
… moreThank you for being such a soft sweet wonderful person
She cared about my birthday more than I do ,, I appreciate the service the food and my special day here at Carmelitas
And at the End Belle , Thank you for your amazing service ❤️
JING WANG
The food is packed with flavor and super creative.
The stars of the night were definitely the Shrimp Taquitos and the Pork & Pineapple Tacos. The taquitos came with shrimp wrapped in this crispy spring-roll-like shell (so fun and different!), and the pork with pineapple was an absolute flavor bomb. Didn’t expect it to be THAT good, but wow.
Oh, and don’t skip the drinks! Sitting by the lake, with the warm lights, sipping on a cocktail—it was the perfect vibe to just chill and enjoy the night.
… moreThe stars of the night were definitely the Shrimp Taquitos and the Pork & Pineapple Tacos. The taquitos came with shrimp wrapped in this crispy spring-roll-like shell (so fun and different!), and the pork with pineapple was an absolute flavor bomb. Didn’t expect it to be THAT good, but wow.
Oh, and don’t skip the drinks! Sitting by the lake, with the warm lights, sipping on a cocktail—it was the perfect vibe to just chill and enjoy the night.
KHAIE
This restaurant is only a 5-minute walk from my house, but I rarely come here probably because I usually prefer heading to Calo’s (lol). I was told the owners of this place and Calo’s are brothers, which makes sense because there are definitely some similarities.
The setting is great: cozy indoor seating and a patio overlooking the beautiful RSM lake. Perfect for a casual dinner with a view. Staff is friendly, though they tend to disappear at times since they’re stretched pretty thin covering too many tables.
The menu has a few things that feel very Calo’s-inspired, most notably the chips, salsa, and the black bean dip. I tried the Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita, but unfortunately it missed the mark, it was overly sweet with almost no jalapeño flavor. For food, I had the Queso Fundido and Spinach Enchilada, while my friend went with the Carmelita’s Combination (I think). Everything was just okay nothing really stood out, and my friend barely touched her plate.
I’ll admit I’m a tough crowd when it comes to Mexican food, but side-by-side, I can clearly tell which brother is winning the restaurant game. Even the Laguna Beach location left me underwhelmed. Carmelita’s definitely wins on location the lakeside patio is gorgeous, no question about it but at the end of the day, you can’t eat the view.
… moreThe setting is great: cozy indoor seating and a patio overlooking the beautiful RSM lake. Perfect for a casual dinner with a view. Staff is friendly, though they tend to disappear at times since they’re stretched pretty thin covering too many tables.
The menu has a few things that feel very Calo’s-inspired, most notably the chips, salsa, and the black bean dip. I tried the Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita, but unfortunately it missed the mark, it was overly sweet with almost no jalapeño flavor. For food, I had the Queso Fundido and Spinach Enchilada, while my friend went with the Carmelita’s Combination (I think). Everything was just okay nothing really stood out, and my friend barely touched her plate.
I’ll admit I’m a tough crowd when it comes to Mexican food, but side-by-side, I can clearly tell which brother is winning the restaurant game. Even the Laguna Beach location left me underwhelmed. Carmelita’s definitely wins on location the lakeside patio is gorgeous, no question about it but at the end of the day, you can’t eat the view.
Daan Pape
We had a wonderful dining experience with great service and fantastic food. The restaurant has an authentic feel and the heating patio with lake view is absolutely wonderful.
… moreMichael Nilsson
This is a great lunch place, especially on a sunny day. Eating on the patio with a view of the lake and a cocktail in hand makes the experience entirely worthwhile. The food is typical Mexican fare and the dishes are a good size – perhaps a bit too much on the carb side, but certainly tasty. The service is polite and professional, but if the place is busy you may wait a while for food and drink.
… moreNanette Hall
Kelly and Christina did a terrific job as our servers. This was the first time we have been to Carmelita’s and will definitely be going back. We sat out on the patio and the patio cover helped keep it very pleasant. We had tacos and enchiladas. I also had the cilantro and cucumber margarita—excellent! I also highly recommend the street corn cut off the cob. Don’t miss Carmelita’s!
… moreLynn Straight
This was a fantastic dinner to end our California vacation with. My strawberry jalapeño margarita was fantastic and my fajita avocado salad with grilled chicken was superb. My husband enjoyed his chimichanga and he is hard to impress. Thank you to my brother and sister – in – law for taking us out for this delicious meal! I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.
… moreChris George
Amazing food!! We came here yesterday for Valentine’s Day with my wife’s parents and all of us enjoyed the ambiance and most importantly the food, wish the service could’ve been a little bit better. Besides that it’s totally recommended.
… moreAdriana Pina
I love the atmosphere, food and drinks here. I have been here several times and always been happy with the food and service. It is a very popular place, so we went for an early dinner on Wednesday and my husband’s order was made with the wrong sauce. Normally we would just share a meal and eat it anyway, but I can’t eat shrimp so he mentioned to our server Chris that we received the wrong sauce. They handled it very well and were very apologetic, remade the meal and went above and beyond what they needed to do. The manager also came by our table and apologized. Everyone was so polite and attentive.
… more