La Especial Norte

Good food. The beef enchiladas were good. The rice was good. Their guacamole is good because it's simple and I like their salsa with it. Definitely try another dish next time. Can't wait to try it again sometime. It gets super busy and one area for the dining room and a little small, but it's good. They do have a bar and outside patio seating. Their crispy tacos are good too. My husband and I definitely like this spot.

We've been living in Encinitas for 3 years and have wanted to eat here and I'm sad that we waited this long! We arrived on a Thursday night at 530pm and were seated inside right away (plenty of seating outside on their patio too) in a booth. Within an hour the place filled up with locals. Fast and friendly service. The drinks, chips, and salsa were great. Really appreciate the kids menu. My wife and I both ordered enchiladas which were solid - the red mole was a bit strong for my wife (but to each their own). I'm so glad that I ordered the chicken soup because it was AMAZING. A friend had recommended trying one of their many authentic soups and I will definitely be back just for the soup alone!

We were recommended to La Especial Norte by a friend and I'm glad that we went. There was a little wait. The staff was very nice and the food was excellent! Very authentic. I had a bloody Mary to drink a little different from what I'm used to but very tasty. The prices were very reasonable. You can dine in or outside.

Overall good, but a few things let us with a desire for it to be better. One was the guacamole, which was very bland. Same for the famous Chicken Tortilla Soup, it looked so good but had not much flavor. Ingredients were all great just a very bland soup. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. The combination plates were much better. Prices good as well as the service staff

The chicken soup is as good as it gets from a restaurant. I always add a bowl of the salsa to mix in with the soup and crush up the tortilla chips which really adds whatever you could say it lacks. The carne asada burrito is also delicious. As much as I love enchiladas, their green sauce is not very good. Service is excellent always!