La Especial Norte

664 N Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, California

4.0

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Size: 154 x 38

Phone:

+1 760 942 1040

This restaurant may not appear inviting from the outside, but it is a long-standing favorite among ... more on Yahoo! Travel

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3 sources ×

37 reviews

4.0

User Rating

Our Take

Ratings & Reviews for La Especial Norte from Around the Web

Avg Rating

37 reviews

100% of guests recommend this place.

Top Reviews from Around the Web:

The staff is great (i think it's family owned) and every time we go to San Diego we make a side trip for lunch or dinner. more on Yahoo! Travel

If you want a good mexican dish, authentic, and more tasty than pretty, then come here! more on insiderpages.com

The Mexican soups are some of the best anywhere i.e. more on TripAdvisor

This place has the BEST Tortilla Soup this side of Mexico. more on Yahoo! Travel

The food is great and the waiters are HOT!! more on Yahoo! Travel

Avg Rating

20 reviews

Top Reviews From TripAdvisor

I love Tomatillo sauce, and theirs is wonderful...not too hot and with alot of vinegar in it. Just wonderful. more on TripAdvisor

Service is spotty. It's ok when they're not busy, but it can get really bad. I'mreviewing the last time I was there though, and the service was ok, soup was a+++ , the chicken burrito was ok, and ... more on TripAdvisor

Granted, my husband and I live only two or three minutes from this restaurant, and we are seemingly surrounded with surfer-style taco shops (Mex Food Heaven) but we always come back to La Especial Nor ... more on TripAdvisor

Soup is the specialty but this place delivers on all fronts. Definitely off the SD tourist path, but worth the detour ... more on TripAdvisor

We were a group of 9. Someone from our hotel recommended this place and it was within walking distance. We always love some Mexican food and eat out very often. We do a lot of traveling through work a ... more on TripAdvisor

Avg Rating

17 reviews

Top Reviews From Yahoo! Travel

I have eaten at La Especial Norte many many times. After the first time, I returned four times in the next ten days! About 50% of the time, the service is AWFUL. So why give it FIVE STARS? Because the food is worth it!!! The decor ... more on Yahoo! Travel

Great tortilla soup and shrimp and garlic dishes! more on Yahoo! Travel

This is the place. Great deals. Full bar. Friendly service. Standing the test of time, I have been going for 25 years. The soups are unreal, try the chicken soup, it will cure your ills. Authentic food, drink and service. A Leucadia ... more on Yahoo! Travel

The best Mexican food in town. If you're around, gotta check it out! more on Yahoo! Travel

The food in this place is incredible. The staff is great (i think it's family owned)and every time we go to San Diego we make a side trip for lunch or dinner. The tortilla soup is one of the best soups I have ever eaten, and I've ... more on Yahoo! Travel

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Top Reviews From insiderpages.com

If you want a good mexican dish, authentic, and more tasty than pretty, then come here! The restaurant has lots of parking, but sometimes it fills up on the weekends for ... more on insiderpages.com

From the outside, this place does not look like anything special. But watch the lines on the weekends and they tell the story of how good the food is. Authentic Mexican food that ... more on insiderpages.com

La Especial Norte is a fun and tasty Mexican restaraunt. They are right on Coast highway in Leucadia, and the food is authentic mexican, and they have a big menu with a lot of variety. Chips and Salsa are served complimentary with ... more on insiderpages.com

the food is only alright.. but the atmosphere is really comfortable and cozy. Plus. they have really good margaritas! you ... more on insiderpages.com

My family and I have been going here for years, and we always leave happy. The portions are generous, and the cabbage salad is great. ... more on insiderpages.com