Carlee's — Restaurant in San Diego Country Estates

The beating heart of this sleepy, desert town has some legit good food. We spent a weekend in the small Town of Borrego Springs. Aiming to have quiet, relaxing weekend at our Airbnb with a pool and some hot weather, we quickly realized that this town is anything but dead. We kept running in to nice locals and had some great meals in town and when it came to dinner, we consistently were recommended one place. Carlee's. We phoned in an order on a Saturday night and picked it up about 7:30. First thing I noticed about this place was how BUSY it was. For sleepy little desert town, this restaurant/bar was wide awake. There may have been one or two empty seats in the whole place and while we waited for them to finish the food, at least 3 other food orders were picked up and taken out. Staff was nice, friendly and we're hustling to take care of everyone. I love to see when places like this have staff that really care and hustle to take care of their guests. We got our food and went back to the house. I was impressed by almost all the food. The chili was delicious and seasoned well, the tequila chicken pasta was loaded with chicken and yellow bell peppers and had a freshness too it I wasn't expecting. The chili cheese fries were solid and always go great with their homemade ranch and the philly cheese steak was legit. Something I loved, but nobody else in my family liked, was the cowboy bites. Corn, cheese and bacon rolled into a bite sized fritter and deep fried. Crazy good! The food here tastes homemade and isn't as greasy and heavy as what you would normally get from a place like this. Even the chicken tenders tasted homemade and we're pretty impressive. We loved our time in Borrego Springs and really enjoyed the local sculptures, sunsets and restaurants. If your looking for the beating heart of this town on the weekend, even in the summer for what is called their "off season", Carlee's must be the place to go. I would've really loved to dine in at this place as it seemed so lively and fun, but that'll be something we do the next time we come visit. Until next time...

Like many, I’m sure, my wife and I were tourists in Borrego Springs, and had vaguely remembered we thought we’d eaten here last time we were in town. It was a busy weekend (aren’t they all?) and a bit crowded, but we were seated pretty quickly, although not acknowledged very quickly at all. So we left. But while we were standing outside, one of the staff, I think the hostess who’d seated us, asked why we left, we told her, and she completely turned the experience around, convinced us to go back in and we had an absolute blast.

This is clearly a local hangout - for good reason - but we were treated very well from that point forward. I’ll say more about the service in a minute but let’s start with the food, because it is more than just solid, it’s excellent. The steak bites appetizer is absolutely delicious. I mean DELICIOUS! Wasn’t expecting that much flavor. And there are a TON of appetizers to select. In fact, the menu offers quite a wide selection, and we tried several dishes, because we ate here both days we visited. I mean, baked grinders, pizzas, great looking salads, quesadillas, fish and chips, it goes on and on. Nothing we had wasn’t excellent. Okay we didn’t have ALL those things but we did have delicious stuffed mushrooms, steak bites, chilled shrimp, it was all excellent.

First day we sat at a table but second day we sat at the bar and had a great time there. Again, not regulars but treated as if we were. Really appreciated that. Bartenders attentive and friendly. Ambiance is fun - if you’re into sports, you’ve got sports on several TVs. Billiards? Yep, there’s a table. And the dining room was really interesting. Tables, the bar, and even interesting raised back seats. Hard to describe but behind the tables on the floor are a series of raised sort of open booths. I liked it.

I see no reason not to eat here any time you’re in Borrego Springs. And not just because the options are somewhat limited. Because Carlee’s place stands on its own as a place with excellent food, friendly service, and great...

My husband and I were there on hot July afternoon when it was 117° outside. The place was empty except for a few bar patrons. We were the only ones dining. I am not sure that this is a fair evaluation of what it is usually like, but here goes. Wow! It was a very extensive menu that was pages long. They claim that everything is fresh and homemade. Usually, when trying a new place, my husband and I will get different things and then share 1/2 with each other. He got the Carlee burger (1/2 lb of meat) ordered cooked medium with the beer battered fries as his side. I got the reuben ordered with the sauerkraut on the side and a house salad with Bleu cheese dressing on the side. On the plus side: The food was delivered by Angela in a reasonable amount of time at an appropriate temperature. The portions were generous. The salad was a combination of fresh leafy greens, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, and croutons. The dressing was definitely Bleu cheese and very tasty. The corned beef was tender and very tasty served on marbled rye bread. The beer battered fries were hot and crisp. The hamburger was huge as expected, with lots of toppings. Angela did check back with us to see if we needed anything and refilled our water glasses promptly when asked. On the negative side: The sandwich could have used a little more corned beef as sometimes the only thing I could taste was the rye bread. The burger was overcooked and dry. Whatever juice it had soaked the bottom bun. The salad dressy was very watery (but still tasty). I would suggest automatically giving an extra napkin when serving burgers, sandwiches, and things eaten with your hands as they tend to be messier. Extra points for having a hook in the bathroom to hang my purse. We liked the atmosphere and the music. The place was welcoming and very clean. The bar was the center of attention, and I could tell it was a popular place in cooler times. We would be willing to...