Rudy's Taco Shop — Restaurant in Carlsbad

We have been loyal customers of Rudy's mexican restaurant in La Costa for years, but the owner made a huge mistake a few weeks ago by instructing his cooks to downsize the food portions. We typically order every Friday the exact same items. Two weeks ago Friday we ordered our typical burritos and 6-rolled chicken tacos (taquitos). When we opened up the burritos and the rolled taco's we were stunned to see how much smaller they were.

This past Friday I called in our order and before I placed it I explained the above to guy on the phone. He told me the owner had told the cooks to downsize the food portions. I told him that we are regular customers, but if the food is downsized we will stop supporting their restaurant. They are many options when it comes to Mexican restaurants in the area.

When I went to pick up the food the guy told me that the owner told the cooks they must downsize the food portions. I told him the bean & cheese burrito was the size of something you can get at Del Taco for one-third the cost. I wasn't sure if they had made our food with sizes and ingredients back to the normal volume, but hoped they had. Unfortunately when we got home the food sizes were still small. See the photos of the lack of guacamole and cheese and Fresca on the rolled Taco.

This is a very tough time with COVID-19 hammering local restaurants. We have been loyal supporters of Rudy's for years and during this point in time the only restaurant we have been ordering from.

On the other hand, the owner, who I am sure is hurting financially has made the choice to lower the quality of his product and also raise the prices.

That is his choice and business strategy, but it seems rather short-sided as he is driving his most loyal customers elsewhere. This Friday we will be ordering at one of the other great Mexican food options...

Rudy’s Taco Shop has two locations, one in Solana Beach and the other in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad location is tucked into a large plaza, occupying a small corner with two outdoor tables for dining. The indoor seating area is also modest, and the walls reveal the shop's long-standing history. The restaurant is especially popular during their Happy Hour, offered Monday through Thursday afternoons.

I tried their $2 Baja Fish Taco, which featured a small piece of fried fish paired with plenty of cabbage, tomato slices, and mayo sauce. While the fish portion wasn’t large, the freshness and balance of ingredients made it a satisfying bite.

The $8 Mini Tacos Combo was the highlight. Despite being called "mini," these tacos were quite generous in size.

The Al Pastor was grilled to perfection, though the pineapple chunks were a bit too small to balance the flavor fully.

The Carne Asada was well-marinated and flavorful.

The Carnitas had a wonderfully tender and juicy texture.

The Lengua (beef tongue) was especially impressive, with large, satisfying chunks that were tender and rich.

The Quesabirria Taco is another highlight in the happy hour menu, in which the cheese taco is well with the plenty of chopped beef with a side of the birria and a small portion of marinated onion.

Unfortunately, the salsa bar was out of order during my visit, but the staff was generous and provided pre-packaged salsa in three flavors, ensuring I could enjoy my tacos with the full experience.

They have redesigned the area in some dining hall details with the re-opening of the salsa bar as well as the showing of merchants at the area .

Rudy’s combines a nostalgic, homey vibe with delicious, well-prepared tacos, making it a fantastic spot for a casual meal—especially...

Used to eat at this place all the time - have even catered food for my own parties. Since ownership changed it has gone down hill and it's hit a new low point. The "salsa" bar is not even close to being salsa. It is now so watered down it's just hot sauce. To make matters worse, it's just a filthy hot sauce bar and rarely is wiped clean. The containers for the salsa are a joke and the lids are a total pain to put on - it's like the owner bought "rejects" at a discount. Nine times out of 10 the customers need to tell the staff that they are out of limes. The food has taken a dive also. If you don't go during a busy time like lunch, your meat will be dried out and not edible. I've mentioned this several times to staff but it's clearly done nothing as it's always still a problem. Every once in a while the prices go up - not a big deal if the quality of food was at least the same - but that is just not the case. I can't ell you how many times I've ordered burritos and the tortillas were damaged and food was leaking from the burrito - making my food....well....not a burrito any more. The women cashiers are usually rude and un-engaged, often times looking at their cell phones. I hate having to ask to get their attention. Their used to be napkins at every table, which should be an obvious pre-requisite to a Mexican food restaurant b.c you eat so many foods with your hands, but I suspect this got too expensive also. When you order food to-go don't expect a napkin or two in your bag. I have given this place literally dozens of chances to get their act together - but they haven't. I'm gone forever. Miss...