CASA DE BANDINI AT THE FORUM, Carlsbad - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews

Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?

Yes

No

Unsure

Details

Women-owned

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About

Indulge in mouthwatering homemade tortillas and authentic recipes from Casa de Bandini! Immerse yourself in a vibrant, festive ambiance with lively Mariachis strolling around in Carlsbad, CA! And don't miss out on our fantastic margaritas!

CUISINES

Mexican, Latin

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

606 reviews

Excellent

343

Very good

178

Average

57

Poor

15

Terrible

13

Patty8888

Encinitas961 contributions

Casa de Big Noise

Feb 2020 • couples

We liked everything about this place except the noise which was oppressive. But, if you could get past this, which my dining partner could not, the food was delicious, the menu was extensive, the portions generous, serving staff dressed in traditional Mexican outfits provided efficient service and the ambiance was very attractive. Plus the prices are reasonable. There were even mariachi musicians, which are always fun . But, oh, the noise!!

Written February 20, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

xsteves

378 contributions

They do a great job on takeout

Nov 2020 • none

We have taken out several times recently. It is always ready on time and they pack in a whole dinner, including a bag of tortilla chips and several salsas. We have ordered the Tres Amigos (chicken, carnitas and carne asada tacos with rice and beans) and the order is large enough for two of us.

Written November 29, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DSieckman

Lincoln72 contributions

Love, Love, Love Casa de Bandini!

Oct 2021 • friends

We LOVE Casa de Bandini! We’ve been coming here for years (when they were in Old Town) and are so happy with this North County location! We all have our menus favorites. I adore green chiles and adore the Quesadilla de Bandini, which is a green Chile quesadilla. The tostadas are excellent; they serve a trio with one chicken, one beef and one carnitas smaller tostadas on one plate. My friend adores their carnitas and gets the carnitas plate every time. All their margaritas are first class but they also have a full bar with any kind of mojito you could think of. Outside dining by the fountain is beautiful. It’s a very, very popular place so unless you come early for dinner you will probably have to wait.

Written October 3, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dianne J

Lawrenceville2 contributions

Being Generous with Three Stars.

Mar 2022 • couples

We had dined at this restaurant during our last visit to the area five years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so we decided to return. We arrived at 8:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. Our server was clearly tired, and she leaned against the wall while taking our order. We ordered their basic margarita, which was lacking in both tequila and flavor. We ordered the queso dip with chorizo as an appetizer. The dominant flavor in the dip was flour, not cheese or chorizo. I mentioned to our server that the queso was very "floury," and her only response was, "Is it?" as she walked away. The salsa was bland and watery. Our entrees were just okay, nothing special. Our server returned while we were still eating what was edible and asked if we were ready for some fried ice cream. We can't believe this place is still rated the top Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad. Sad.

Written April 1, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GaryJ4853

4 contributions

Three Hours To Get Served

Sep 2021 • none

It took three hours to get my meal. First, even though the room was half full, it took over an hour to get our orders placed for three people. During this time I had to leave our booth to find a waiter, just this took fifteen minutes. Then an hour later, we received our orders. Mine was cold. After another ten minutes, the waiter finally showed up to ask us how our meals were and I told him mine was cold, obviously sitting for some time while the other two meals were cooking. The waiter took it back and thirty minutes later I received the same dish and it was hot as it should be. The meal was good, but it was hard to enjoy it after the endless frustration of being avoided by the waiters and the agonizing time period between being seated and being served.

Written September 12, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EnjoyingTheWorld7

Iowa City246 contributions

Bland but filling food

Feb 2020 • family

The food here was bland. I had a vegetarian burrito. While filling, it was only ok. Added salsa, which was very good, to add some flavor. There was a big group there. It seemed the staff was attentive to them. Maybe because everyone else couldn’t hear the people they were with. Our waiter was good but I’m guessing because of the party he had a lot going on so service was slow.

Written February 12, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nostalgiyeah

Bothell2075 contributions

A lively restaurant serving good food

Aug 2022 • none

The moment we stepped in, I really liked the decor and vibe of the place. They interiors had vivid colors and there were a number of TVs tuned to different sport channels. Before we placed the order, the server dropped off a bowl of fresh chips and salsa at our table. The salsa was a little bland, in my opinion. We ended up ordering a Mole Poblano traditional plate and an Enchiladas Espinacas. The food tasted really good, and the quantity was huge! The Mole Poblano came with tortillas on the side, it was well flavored and the salsa verde on the enchilada was very tasty as well! Both the dishes were served very hot. There was hardly any wait when we went in on a weekday night, but I'm guessing it would be a different game on the weekends.

Written August 25, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TIM La Costa CA

6 contributions

Bandini is friendly

Dec 2019 • none

We go here about 4 times a year, the service is always friendly and on the spot. The food makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Try the Taco sampler with carne asada and carnitas street size tacos. My wife and I split the plate and it is plenty !

Written January 4, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sladphie

Macomb599 contributions

Great food, fun atmosphere

Apr 2023 • none

We stopped here after spending the day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We were quoted a wait time of an hour, so we started to wander around the mall, but were seated in less than 15 minutes. Our server was fantastic, very helpful and attentive. We ordered the Enchiladas Populares, Pollo Fundido, Chicken Fajitas, and the Especial de Flautas; everything was excellent. Our only regret is that we visited on our last day of vacation, so we could not take any leftovers home (the portions are very large). For dessert, we shared the mango cake, tres leches cake, and the chocolate lava cake. Throughout the meal, there are also friendly musicians who stroll around playing for birthdays, anniversaries, or just any requests. A very fun atmosphere, combined with the great food, and I can see why it is such a popular place. Highly recommended, we'd definitely eat here again.

Written April 20, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JeepMom05

Solana Beach358 contributions

New chef?

Apr 2023 • family

This is one of our favorite restaurants. Is there a new chef? The salsa was spicier than usual, and the guacamole dip, which is usually perfection, was so spicy my family and I couldn’t eat it all - and we love guacamole! The food seemed a bit saltier than usual too. PLEASE go back to your original recipes! We can add our own salt, and ask for some spicier salsa if desired, but just serve the basic delicious recipes! Thank you!

Written April 6, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kim F

3 contributions

Cold food water for a margarita

Feb 2023 • friends

We are new to Carlsbad and we Googled to fine Mexican cuisine with great margaritas and this restaurant came up. Quickly this is a hard STOP 🛑. My friend ordered our food once I left the table to wash my hands. I was back in maybe 4 minutes and the food came out while I was sitting down. It was awful. It must have been sitting on the plate waiting for room in the microwave. Cold and hard. Margarita. If it had tequila in it, well… it didn’t. Water down terrible. 80.00 for terrible food and water for a margarita. To end I just want to say I can’t remember the last time I wrote a bad review but there was nothing good about this place. Also my friend ordered mine without cheese on top and it was smothered with cheese. Pass this place by.

Written February 12, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frequent Traveler

9 contributions

Really Good

Feb 2024 • couples

Really good. In fact we came back a second time. It's a busy place, you can check the wait time on their website and get on the wait list from there if you wish. In our case we had a 20 minute drive and the wait list said 30-35 minutes so we put our names on it. Got there in 25 minutes and were seated right away, the hostess was very friendly. We were immediately served warm chips and salsa (very good), server came right over to take our drink order (Margaritas of course). They were really good. The first night I had the Burrito Carne Asada de la Casa, my girlfriend had the Especial de Flautas, both delicious. The second time I had the Tacos de Carne Asada and she had Fajitas. The server was great both times. They have a "tortilla bar". You can eat there and watch them make tortillas fresh. I believer there were 6-8 seats.

Written March 3, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lori985

Cary41 contributions

Awesome food and service!

Mar 2023 • none

We have been here a few times and it never disappoints. We were quoted a 30-minute wait but saw a table open in the bar area and asked if we could sit there. We started off with queso (the cheese did harden as it sat). Our food and drinks came quickly. I got the Cheese crisp special which was so good but couldn't finish it. My husband got seafood enchiladas, which were also very good! We will be back!

Written March 10, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

luvlifeandtravel

Colorado Springs745 contributions

Wonderful food and ambience, service was lacking this time!

Jun 2021 • family

We LOVE this place!! The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that we ended up with a really bad waiter this time. He couldn’t keep our waters filled, barely checked on us and left the receipt without asking if we needed anything else. Food was AMAZING as always!! Chicken fajitas, Mexican chopped chicken salad, and the salmon dinner—-all super tasty! Homemade tortillas are the BEST!!

Written June 9, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JeepMom05

Solana Beach358 contributions

Take out treats

Jul 2020 • none

Enjoyed a guacamole dip & chips, and the big Macho Sampler, which has a taco, Chile relleno, enchilada, tamale, rice & beans. The guac seemed a bit thin, but tasted good. The chips were very fresh & crisp. The sampler was as yummy as pre-Covid. My husband & I will get two meals from it! It was hard to get through to the take out order person. Called once & left a message, but no return call. Got thru a bit later and was able to order in time for a 7PM pickup. Wish they had a direct order & payment online so one doesn’t have to pay when picking up their order. SO wish Diane Powers’ Del Mar Casa Sol Y Mar had not closed, as it’s much closer to us. We would have ordered frequently, whereas this is first time to the Carlsbad location in 5 mos.

Written July 26, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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