Carlito’s Chicken

Reviews

• Lisa T.

  star star star star star_border 12 June 2026

  So as I leave Oceanside after 15 years with sadness as I have to give the final shout out to Carlito's  chicken.
  I have read the many reviews And some are reasonable but others don't seem to understand the terrific satire that lies within Carlitos chicken it's more than just a chicken-shack!!
  
  Many people have made comments about the older lady with the shorthair but many of them don't know how interesting she really is. She has a very Fellini aura about her as she is a throwback from the 1950s and early 1860s when short Italian hair does and maybeline black eyeliner were the rave!!
  
  It is truly funny how she  works the 70's microphone. There is a huge microphone at the front of the counter and the man who is literally 3 feet behind her cooking chicken on the grill gets a loud blast from her microphone about what to cook. He is her brother in law, it's a family business!
  
  Some days she's very friendly and other days she's very distant her personality is somewhat unpredictable but the food is usually pretty predictable. You can get some pretty delicious chicken wings really good rice and amazing fresh salsa that beats EL Pollo Loco any day and it's relatively the same price.
  
  I keep coming back to the lady who work there because honestly she is the most interesting thing aside from the fact that Carlito's chicken has been 37 years. In talking to her before I left she told me how Oceanside was once all farms (1950's-1960's) and how beautiful it was. I told her sadly that I was happy to leave before it became unrecognizable to me and as I finished talking some homeless people wandered in disrupting that thought. She then told me, "they should just take all of them and put them on a farm somewhere and put them to work".
  I will miss Carlitos chicken as much as I miss so much of Oceanside, at least the way I once knew it.

• Jennifer W.

  star star star star star_border 11 June 2026

  TLDR: cheap food, friendly staff, great place for a party of 8 to play a board games while waiting for our go jump appointment.
  
  This was an easy 10 minute walk from GoJump Oceanside while waiting for our skydive (weather conditions caused delays). I ordered the chicken enchilada, no cheese with lettuce instead of beans. For a no cheese enchilada, holy chicken, it was delicious! Lactose intolerance aside, I have this faint suspicion that it's easy for restaurants to hide poorly prepared meats behind sauces and cheese. Needless to say, this enchilada pased the exam with flying colors.
  
  For ambiance, it's no date location, but with some selective options can definitely be a great cheap and even healthy meal option.

• Nollie J.

  star star star star star 6 June 2026

  Good little hole in the wall restaurant that's been here for years. The food is always good and the price is just as good. If you're in the mood for chicken, come give this place a try.

• Braulio S.

  star star star star star 5 June 2026

  I highly recommend the chicken here! Don't comment anything else here but the chicken is on point

• Luis S.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  Probably the worst eating experience that we have ever had. The cook in the back was really cool but, this older short haired woman that took our order was extremely rude calling me a girl after I put up my hair, as if men with long hair are uncommon.  Then to top it off she demanded me to wash my hands as if I was dirty making me feel uncomfortable. As she handed us our food, she touched my jalapeño poppers with her hands after she touched my money because the cook gave us an extra one. I usually never write bad reviews, but no one should go through this kind of experience especially when your paying.
  
  I have no idea who the management is but this woman was extremely overbearing and annoyed our experience even while we ate.
  
  We were not comfortable eating there and will never be back or recommend this place.
  
  The chicken was small and dry too.