Pavlos Tacos — Restaurant in Encinitas

What haven't I had here? Their salsa is so bomb! Has a very unique taste!! And everything else is tasty and hits the spot.

Rico's Taco shop is legendary. It's legacy is known for being the local, Greek family-owned Mexican fast food joint serving the Enci locals, especially local high schoolers, surfers, skaters, and families.

The Greek influence is easy to pick up on in their Carne asada, which is extremely flavorful and somewhat similar to the steak found in a Gyro.

The menu is impressive, offering many classical Mexican dishes, including burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and combo plates. The prices are super reasonable.

My favorite items on the menu are: their California burrito, the Justin burrito (when you're hungry), any of their breakfast burritos, and their rather new chicken salad. Even though it's fast food, the ingredients sometimes taste a little healthier here in comparison to your average Mexican restaurant. Their Carne Asada fries could be improved, but they make up for it with their Cali Burrito.

Rico's atmosphere is laid back and super casual. Mexican music plays in the background and the walls are decorated with a large, colorful Mexican mural. There is no outdoor seating, but there are more than a dozen tables inside. They offer takeout. Or you can order at the counter inside and then choose where to sit while you wait for your food.

At a little self-serve snack bar to the side of the counter, Rico's offers its customers carrots, olives, and other little treats for free with a delicious white dipping sauce. These little snacks you can enjoy as an appetizer or add them to your burrito, taco, torta, enchilada, or combo plate.

Occasionally, the self-serve snack bar also has free brownies to enjoy for dessert. My favorite thing about the snack bar, though, is the salsa dispenser, which, for me, is not something I see to often in Mexican restaurant and lets me enjoy all the delicious salsa I want and need in my burritos. Recently, they added a fantastic green salsa, too, which I recommend to try.

Rico's, thanks for serving me for 10+ years. Encinitas loves you and your...

I find a distinct difference between a taco shop and an ertos. Ertos are generic, with some cheesy yellow sign, maybe the name is in cursive. Roja, fresco and verde salsas with spicy carrots, a generic variety of sodas and more traditional drinks like horchata, Jamaica, etcetera. Taco shops on the other hand are more centered around the fresh factor be it shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes/fresco. The beef is generally freshly shredded and the carne is not that warmed grey meat you'll sometimes find at an Ertos. It's almost a shopped shredded and lightly fried steak rather than the longer chopped cut asada.

I started coming here back in 2000 just after the famed Justin burrito was created by a local. I never met the guy, but love the burrito he created. Double wrapped, beans, rice, sour cream, lettuce, fries. Basically everything except meat. Great if you're a vegetarian. I generally go 3 rolled's and a California if I'm hungry or either or if I'm not. The 3 rolled's can be pricey, but the guacamole is pretty fresh. I prefer the slightly more chunky kind. It's a bit of a small menu, but their combos use fresh beans and rice that definitely tastes home cooked. 1 refill and a good breakfast menu.

The sauce isn't like any hot sauce I've ever had anywhere. It's almost like a spicy, chunky marinara ragu. I'm pretty sure they use some sort of rendered meat in it and the spicy is all flavor, almost no heat with very low if any acidity. A sweet Italian styled ragu if you will. I may not have come here for a few years, but the place has not changed, except the laqour on the tables has...

I don’t say this lightly—this place is hands down one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve ever been to. The décor is colorful without being over-the-top, and the music added just the right energy to the dining experience.

Now, the food—absolutely incredible. We started with the super nachos, the guacamole inside was perfectly seasoned with just the right kick of lime and jalapeño. For the main course, I ordered the carne asada tacos, and they were out of this world. The meat was tender, juicy, and full of flavor, served on soft, handmade corn tortillas. My friend had the enchiladas verdes, and she couldn’t stop raving about the tangy green sauce and how everything was cooked to perfection.

What really stood out, though, was the attention to detail and authenticity. You can tell everything is made from scratch and with love. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive without being overbearing—our server even recommended a house-made horchata that turned out to be the best I’ve ever had.

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican cuisine that’s both comforting and flavorful, this spot is a must. I’ll definitely be coming back—and bringing more friends with...