Carlota’s

We moved into this area and found not too many Mexican places. The albondiga (meatball) soup was very tasty. Prices are good. Restaurant needs some updating but the service was very nice.

Oh my goodness, you MUST have the Michelada! The best happy hour drink. We were questioning the place at first cuz the décor is iffy but it was Excellent. Shared the fajitas with the husband and the we’re great. To top it off we were stuffed on good food and drinks and was less than $ 40!

Not good service or food

It was just OK. Food was decent, nothing to get too excited over. Service was good, but slow.

Took our kids there for lunch on a very slow Saturday. We switch table because our had ants all over it. They were out of the soda we requested, out of kid menus and out of mild salsa (reason was they were out of tomatoes even though they are in the same shopping center as a main grocery store). We had to ask for sliver wear, refills and the check. We won’t be back for awhile, which is sad because the food was good and I do want to support the local business in our town.

Our Dining Trio (mom, Gary and I) revisited Carlota’s in Oro Valley last night. We had a very positive dining experience, from friendly servers to two terrific entrees. And why do I say TWO since we were THREE diners? Because Gary and I ordered the «Big Fat Mexican.» (I think I got that name right). It’s $ 22 but worth it! Gary and I had MORE THAN ENOUGH, sharing it. Look at my photo – A HUGE rolled tortilla, full of chicken, carne asada, and more, topped with two eggs and guacamole, and slathered in a delicious, thick red enchilada sauce. My mother had chicken fajitas.
Both meals were vibrant and delicious. The «Fat» dish was huge, definitely lived up to its name and longer than a foot. I got the dairy on the side (sour cream and shredded cheese), and it was still huge. We totally enjoyed eating this big ol «roll» of food, and I suspect the chef had fun making it, too. Mom loved her fajitas, complete with sour cream and guacamole, along with the usual other sides that accompany fajitas.
They make a hot and mild salsa. Mom and I found their mild salsa really, really good, one of the better ones. Most other mild salsas are generally an insulting, tasteless blend of canned tomatoes, sauce and salt – but not at Carlota’s!
SPECIAL NOTE: at the time of this writing, this Carlota’s menu listing for this dish offers a contest. If you (ONE person) can eat that huge «Fat» dish in 15 minutes or less, it’s free. MY SAGE TIP: don’t do it! It’s REALLY big! Like party-​size big. If you doubt my words: Our left-​overs after two of us eating on that dish must’ve weighed two-​three pounds!

Was very pleased with this place last night. Wasn’t crowded and order came fast. Except that when I ordered the chicken enchilada they gave me the ala carte size when I wanted the dinner size with rice and beans, that was their mistake which was corrected afterwords. Other than that, this place was great! Would love to come again when I am in Tucson again.

First off, the table was very wobbly. The chairs were very wobbly. The waiter had the personality of a rock. The salsa taste of garlic and onion. Very overpowering. Then the food came. Disgusting. No flavor or overpowered by garlic. Bad service. It was a waste of time and money. Never again. There was a reason it didn’t cut it at the Foothills Mall. Bad décor, bad service and bad food.

Salsa is fresh and chunky ver good. I had the green chili dinner which was a large portion with a nice fresh tortilla rice and good beans. My wife had the carnitas which she loved. Portions are large and price is moderate at just under 10 bucks. Thanks

Lazy, slow service. Charging for extra orders is chips and or ssalad when the food takes almost 45 min. to come out and when the food did comes out it was cold and either over or under done.

Loved this place! What a nice surprise for a Mexican restaurant in Oro Valley. Yummy Michelada’s and some of the best shredded chicken I’ve had!

Boy where to start this is the worst food I’ve had in tucson !! I dont think my dog would eat it and he eats everything! Food has no taste and appears old and cheap quality. All i can can say is dont go! not even worth the one star! I went because the one that use to be at the foothills mall use to be good before they went out of business not sure if these r the same folks or family?

After eating 4 dinners and a lunch here we are still very pleased with Carlota’s. The service has been fast, friendly and wonderful. Having tried several things on the menu we have not found anything bad so far. This should be a solid 4 stars or better place. I could become addicted to the chips and salsa. Love the dollar taco Tuesday and dollar long neck Wednesday deals.

We got seated right away and the Waiter was friendly, funny. We got our drink right away and he was very polite. We got our chips that were fresh and some spicy salsa. As soon as our chips were empty he asked if we wanted more. We had a child with us and he suggested us ordering off the kid’s menu but my son wanted a bigger quesadilla, but I appreciated him trying to save us money. The refried beans were outstanding and my husband really love their rice. I had the enchilada and that was good and my husband had the tamales. Over all this is a clean, friendly, good service, good food place

Boy, were they off their game last night. My husband and I always order the fajitas. Mine (chicken) were dry and the vegetables unevenly cooked. No sign of any marination of the chicken. Then they piled the dish high using chopped flavorless tomatoes. The staff was pleasant and helpful but seemed distracted. We asked for napkins and silverware 3 times. Their fajitas used to be awesome, now they are disappointing.

Carlotta’s is shockingly good for a Mexican restaurant that is located in Oro Valley. Both visits here left me happily surprised. My last visit was with a group, and we ordered a bit of everything. I ate the shrimp fajitas, a gigantic plate with green and red bell peppers, onions, seven medium/​large shrimp, and mountains of flavor. Beans and rice, along with tortillas, guacamole, and sour cream are served on the side. The beans were rich and creamy, they arrived at the table bubbling and fragrant. The rice is standard, not over cooked, and full of flavor. My only beef with the meal was that it came with two measly corn tortillas.
My husband ordered the Cochinita Pibil. The pork tastes rich and juicy, though it’s not as saucy as my previous experiences with the dish. The additional diners ordered Carlotta’s Salad, and Albondigas. The salad contained a diced chicken breast covered in the same seasoning as my shrimp, it was spicy and flavorful. The serving size overwhelmed us, and we took half the salad home along with half the fajitas. Our friend who ate the albondigas loved them, although I cannot personally speak for the dish. I’d also like to add that the salsa was fresh and delicious, but the stale tortillas chips left much to be desired.
Although the service left a bit to be desired, our waiter was nice and boxed our food for himself after a busboy just left the to-​go boxes on our table. But we had to ask for every refill, and several times for the check. There were fewer than ten people in the restaurant, and at least 4 waiters. The staff seemed to talk to themselves often and mill around, though I did see our waiter carrying around a rag, so I imagine there was some cleaning occurring in the empty back room. Although their customer service could be improved, the food and prices were good enough to warrant a four star review.

What is with all of the hate reviews? My wife and I have eaten here two times within two weeks and each time it was delicious. My wife and I can both agree that this is now our very favorite Mexican restaurant in Tucson. The salsa was fresh and spicy and the chips were crisp and warm. The food was of amble portions, served hot and tasty. Also, the waitress was prompt, attentive and very friendly.
I did not give this restaurant five stars because that would indicate that one couldn’t find better Mexican food than this anywhere. I have eaten better Mexican food, but it wasn’t in Tucson. I am a world traveler and a real «foodie», so if I give Carlota’s four stars it should be seen as a real complement.
So, if you are avoiding this restaurant because of some of the negative reviews, please reconsider. Unilocal shows this place as being a $ restaurant but it is much closer to $$.
UPDATE: I am taking one star away from Carlota’s because of inconsistency. One day they’ll serve up some great fare and the next day they forget how to cook. Also, because they served me one of the crappiest Margaritas I have ever had (cheap mix) for the same price as a good one somewhere else.
Sorry Carlotta. You need to seriously step up your game.

Straight up horrible.
Extremely dry carne asada meat, juiceless lime, freezing cold tacos shells, stale guacamole, and terrible, terrible lunch service.
Seriously, what’s the attraction with this place?
On top of that, my take-​out order was 15 minutes late. Unless you have time for lunch during the workday, this place isn’t suitable for a grab and go lunch.
I’ll pass…

Stopped in for lunch while vacationing with the kids. We just toured the biosphere and was looking for something close before heading back to our hotel in Phoenix. I Unilocaled the area and Carlota’s popped up with good reviews.
Being from L.A., I’m pretty particular about Mexican food. There’s no shortage of great places to choose from back home. I am happy to say that Carlota’s delivers and stands up to many of the places I frequent.
On another happy note, the Sonora Dog was excellent. I really wanted to try El Guero Canelo after seeing it on DDD, but it was 25 more miles out of the way. Hence, I settled for the offering at Carlota’s and it did not disappoint.
The service is excellent here, albeit, it was a slow weekday lunch hour. The prices are cheap, at least compared to Los Angeles. I believe the lunch specials were $ 6.99 and the hot dog was $ 2.50.
If I ever happen to be in Tucson again, I’ll be back.

A good tip off as to the quality/​authenticity of the Mexican food is always the salsa. The salsa they served is fresh with a great building heat behind it. I went to Carlota’s recently in search of great Mexican food and a good Margarita and I was not disappointed. We walked in on a Friday afternoon and were promptly greeted and sat. I had the house margarita which is just what it promised to be– apparently it comes in two sizes normal and GIGANTIC. We had the normal but people one table over had the gigantic and I was impressed that they could even pick it up.
For dinner I ordered the Chicken Fajitas. They were served piping hot on a cast iron pan and were seasoned spectacularly. The Fajitas were simple but delicious, green and red bell pepper, white onion, and marinated chicken. Fajitas come with your choice of corn or flour tortillas. I was amazed by how much food was served on the pan and just how good it was. Side note: they had live mariachis on the Friday night we went there, I don’t know if that’s their usual night but who doesn’t love a great mariachi band?
I really can say with much certainty we will be back!