Oaxaca Fresh — Restaurant in Carpinteria

We came here today as we were very hungry and this was the first place we came up on. We walked in and no one greeted us but there were people in the restaurant so we just seated ourselves. We ordered our drinks a few minutes after we sat down. The gentleman brought us chips and salsa. The chips tasted stale and the salsa was pretty bland. My husband got his beer before I got my diet coke. I didn't get my drink until almost 10 minutes later. We were able to order maybe 10 minutes after that. My husband got a burrito and I got enchiladas. His burrito was bland as well. My tortilla and cheese for the enchilada was good but the red sauce was a bit thick and bland as well. There was no spice to it at all. It was sweet too which was weird. The rice was mushy but the beans were great, I wish the whole meal was like that. The gentleman assisting us I believe was the owner. He did not come to check on us. He seemed to be more involved with the soccer game and looking at his phone. The service was subpar to say the least. The lady working there was...

The food is easily the best Mexican food in Carpinteria. I’ve lived here my whole life and this is such a great place to get reasonably priced and authentic Mexican food, especially from the Oaxaca region. It is family owned. I know the restaurant usually doesn’t look very busy but don’t be fooled.. the food is great. I recommend trying the Monte Alban dish with seafood. It’s delicious and you can’t get it anywhere else. The wife of the family also makes a great flan. Other recommendations: Chile relleno enchiladas, pollo estofado with mole, wet burrito with red sauce, and their pico de Gallo...

I feel terrible leaving bad reviews, but if I can save just one person from eating here, it's worth it. I cannot understand the 5 star reviews for this restaurant. I didn't know that food, especially Mexican food, could have so little flavor. They didn't bring us chips and salsa until we asked, the water tasted like it was out of the tap and served in poorly washed glasses. Everything we ate needed salt, nachos were soggy and cold. Service was extremely slow. This place is a dive, so I expected some excellent food, but was sorely...