Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr is always a food pleaser, with everyone's favorite, Western Bacon Cheeseburger, with tasty fries. To wash it down with delicious Cherry Coke. Or a famous star fully loaded burger. The cashier Alex is very friendly and know what he's doing. He helped me with self check out machine, kind of new addition to the restaurant, to make every order a little faster. Alex is the employee to ask a question if you have one. Alex has a 5🌟 Star customer Service every time I go in there. Thank you Alex for thumbs up 👍 service.

Staff was, indeed, alert. They actually (barely) managed to not show their ever-flowing disinterest in the position and my 'need' for another breaded chicken carb combo. I applaud them, as their sister locations show no shame when flaunting it whilst operating in NPC mode. Show support to the troops out there fighting this never-ending restaurant/fast food war, we have them to thank for our and our children's god given right and freedom to gorge. In the trenches, with the hamburglar and wendy, fightin that good fight! 🫂🙏😊🦅 Thank you for your service.. worker

Hello, I do not treat myself out as often as I would like, but after taking care of some business, decided to stop on the way home at this location. They were very helpful with working with my food sensitives, and received my food in a good time. A burger with no tomato or onion, a order of fried zucchini and a large beverage.

This Carls Jr stands out and deserves a shout out because they take pride in their work. The food tastes great because they take pride in their work. Thank you for an excellently prepared meal.

Its a real great stablisment real great costumer service didnt even had to wait for my food and they also bring food to our table

Carl’s Jr. is my go-to spot when I’m craving a satisfying, no-nonsense burger that actually fills you up. Their menu hits all the right notes—juicy, charbroiled patties, fresh toppings, and a generous serving size that doesn’t leave you hungry an hour later. I usually go for the Western Bacon Cheeseburger or the Famous Star, and both are consistently great. The crinkle fries are always crispy, and the milkshakes are a guilty pleasure worth every calorie. What really sets Carl’s Jr. apart, though, is the speed and consistency. Even during lunch rushes, I’ve rarely waited more than a few minutes. The staff at this location are friendly and efficient, and the dining area is surprisingly clean for a fast food joint. It’s a reliable option whether I’m grabbing a quick bite solo or bringing food home for the family. They’ve also kept up with the times by offering Beyond Meat options for those who want something plant-based, which is a nice touch. All in all, Carl’s Jr. delivers what it promises: hearty fast food that hits the spot when you need it most. Highly recommend for a dependable burger fix.

This Carl's Jr. is here for you when you need it! It's like most of the other fast food establishments. This specific location has a ton of parking and a very wide drive-through. There is wheelchair accessible parking and entrances, a massive parking lot out front. It's super convenient if you have a large truck or an RV that you need to park while grabbing some food. The staff has always been friendly and gotten the order right. It's open pretty late too, which is great! They also offet wifi. If you show up with a group of people and one of them can't find something they want, there are also other quick option near by and a gas station. This location is very easy to get to right off the freeway. And also offers an easy way to get back on the freeway. Perfect road trip stop.

Accessibility: there is a Drive Thru as well as disabled parking and tons of other parking available. The parking lot is not crowded ever that I have seen. Very thankful for the drive thru! Experience: nice employees, fast service, great tasting food! I love the Beyond Famous Star burger and the fries. Delicious.

Jameson Haslam

Carl’s Jr. is my go-to spot when I’m craving a satisfying, no-nonsense burger that actually fills you up. Their menu hits all the right notes—juicy, charbroiled patties, fresh toppings, and a generous serving size that doesn’t leave you hungry an hour later. I usually go for the Western Bacon Cheeseburger or the Famous Star, and both are consistently great. The crinkle fries are always crispy, and the milkshakes are a guilty pleasure worth every calorie. What really sets Carl’s Jr. apart, though, is the speed and consistency. Even during lunch rushes, I’ve rarely waited more than a few minutes. The staff at this location are friendly and efficient, and the dining area is surprisingly clean for a fast food joint. It’s a reliable option whether I’m grabbing a quick bite solo or bringing food home for the family. They’ve also kept up with the times by offering Beyond Meat options for those who want something plant-based, which is a nice touch. All in all, Carl’s Jr. delivers what it promises: hearty fast food that hits the spot when you need it most. Highly recommend for a dependable burger fix.

Hans Foto

This Carl's Jr. is here for you when you need it! It's like most of the other fast food establishments. This specific location has a ton of parking and a very wide drive-through. There is wheelchair accessible parking and entrances, a massive parking lot out front. It's super convenient if you have a large truck or an RV that you need to park while grabbing some food. The staff has always been friendly and gotten the order right. It's open pretty late too, which is great! They also offet wifi. If you show up with a group of people and one of them can't find something they want, there are also other quick option near by and a gas station. This location is very easy to get to right off the freeway. And also offers an easy way to get back on the freeway. Perfect road trip stop.

Alex

Accessibility: there is a Drive Thru as well as disabled parking and tons of other parking available. The parking lot is not crowded ever that I have seen. Very thankful for the drive thru! Experience: nice employees, fast service, great tasting food! I love the Beyond Famous Star burger and the fries. Delicious.

Alfredo took my order today and was so amazing! He greeted me with a smile and made small conversation with me. He made sure my order was correct before paying. The order came out fast. 10/10 experience!!

This Carl’s Jr. went above and beyond today! I had placed an order through the app thinking I placed it at this Knoll road location. I went in to pick up my order but I discovered I placed my order in Lake Elsinore. I heard Alfredo the cashier mention this to his coworkers while I called the other Carl’s. As soon as I got off the phone to cancel the order, Patricia, which I believe is one of the managers, wanted to know what I ordered so she could get the order transferred. I showed them the order on my phone and they got the order promptly made. I offered to pay because I was told I would be receiving a refund but Patricia and refused and said it is ok, don’t worry about it. As I finished up my meal, the employee from the Lake Elsinore called me back to reassure me that I would receive a refund in 1-3 business days. I waved Patricia to inform that I just got confirmation of the refund and that I insisted on paying for the meal. She still refused and said it is ok. The only thing she asked of me was to leave a Google Review so here I am. Thank you team Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos at the Knoll road location and a special big Thank You to Patricia and Alfredo!

I was having a low blood sugar episode and needed to eat something, and fast. So I went through the drive-thru in a hurry to park and ride out the shakes and jitters, but with four to reduce it and balance me out. I mentioned it up the guy in the intercom and by the time I drove around to the window, I only had to wait a minute. He helped get me what I needed immediately. I paid, drove into the vast parking lot, parked and ate that burger. The best damn Western Bacon Cheeseburger I gave had in four decades! Thank you for your quick service and excellent food. I’ll definitely be back, as your location right off the 78 is very convenient.

Ashley Acosta

Alfredo took my order today and was so amazing! He greeted me with a smile and made small conversation with me. He made sure my order was correct before paying. The order came out fast. 10/10 experience!!

DH

This Carl’s Jr. went above and beyond today! I had placed an order through the app thinking I placed it at this Knoll road location. I went in to pick up my order but I discovered I placed my order in Lake Elsinore. I heard Alfredo the cashier mention this to his coworkers while I called the other Carl’s. As soon as I got off the phone to cancel the order, Patricia, which I believe is one of the managers, wanted to know what I ordered so she could get the order transferred. I showed them the order on my phone and they got the order promptly made. I offered to pay because I was told I would be receiving a refund but Patricia and refused and said it is ok, don’t worry about it. As I finished up my meal, the employee from the Lake Elsinore called me back to reassure me that I would receive a refund in 1-3 business days. I waved Patricia to inform that I just got confirmation of the refund and that I insisted on paying for the meal. She still refused and said it is ok. The only thing she asked of me was to leave a Google Review so here I am. Thank you team Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos at the Knoll road location and a special big Thank You to Patricia and Alfredo!

TC Freebird

I was having a low blood sugar episode and needed to eat something, and fast. So I went through the drive-thru in a hurry to park and ride out the shakes and jitters, but with four to reduce it and balance me out. I mentioned it up the guy in the intercom and by the time I drove around to the window, I only had to wait a minute. He helped get me what I needed immediately. I paid, drove into the vast parking lot, parked and ate that burger. The best damn Western Bacon Cheeseburger I gave had in four decades! Thank you for your quick service and excellent food. I’ll definitely be back, as your location right off the 78 is very convenient.

I miss the teriyaki burger, it's not in the menu anymore. I ate the original angus beef burger that came with fries and a drink. Burger was half soggy half dry. Okay place.

Just got out of surgery and had the hots for chicken fingers. So stopped at Carl's and it's the only thing I could remember of the whole day. If I want flavor, I go to Carl's.

I like this place be ause twice now my burger has been hot for my lunch. Heck I can't even get a hot burger at mcd's or J.i.box for that matter... If it don't get all over your face, you don't belong in that place!!

Great tasting fast food at competitive prices. The drive thru at this location is always fast and accurate. Most of the staff is friendly and accommodating with a little room for improvement.

Hot food fresh no.like mc d heated in microwave.

I like Carl's Jr, the food is good, it hasn't been shrink-filated too much. The prices for two Western Bacon Cheese Burger combos came out to around $25. I know the prices for everything are high nowadays. I don't stop there as much as I used to, it's more of a treat now. I like the onion rings. The shakes are great.

Food is what you expect at a burger chain, employees don't seem like they hate their jobs, my only issue is every now and then I order a double and get a single

Food was fresh and great onion rings! Place not overly crowded due to location which I like. Staff friendly and liked that they brought food to the table Update 4/22/22... For 2 Carl's famous star basic burgers and onion rings and 2 small drinks which were just 2 meals, our total came to $23.00 plus change. We had not been back since they reopened after covid and the general manager was very very nice and extremely helpful on the menu. We were the only ones in there and their drive-thru was crazy busy so it took a little while for us to get our meals but no big deal. They brought us our meals in bags which didn't specify whose meal was what but we really miss having the trays. The burger was great for both of us and the onion rings weren't as good as they used to be and the coating wasn't crispy but soft and very dry. I'm not saying that it should be greasy or oily but both of us only ate about a quarter of our onion rings. I don't know if they've changed recipes or what but the onion rings definitely won't make us come back. Price will be the main reason that we don't come back because it's just too expensive for fast food. We got unlimited drinks which was great and we really like this location because it's quiet to sit inside and not noisy which is how it is at so many other places. Love Carl's Jr and they have plenty of selection but the prices are just too high anymore. I do want to say one thing that we both liked is that it was nice not to have to wait for an employee to let us into a bathroom or give us a code. We both understand why other places do that but it's taking employees away from their jobs by either going in letting us into a bathroom, like at Taco Bell or having to buzz us in, like a Jack In The box. Keep up the good work Carl's Jr, especially your staff because they are working really hard and deserve the praise but you'll have to give us some kind of deals on food for us to come back on a more regular basis or at all. Glad to see that the drive-thru is busy because inside we were the only ones that were there for lunch time.

Carl’s Jr. is one of the few fast food places that I will eat at. I try to bring my lunch every day, but today I didn’t have time and stopped by Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos. My go to order is always the chicken Santa Fe sandwich. I have my daily ice water with me so I never get the combo. I always feel like fast food places gouge you for getting the sandwich only, but it’s better for my health, so I do it anyways. The sandwich I ordered today was pretty good. It was fresh and hot. I miss the whole wheat bun though. And they never put enough of the Santa Fe sauce, I thought their food was supposed to get all over the place lol. My biggest complaint today, and why I rated the food three stars, is that the Ortega chili was a joke. Come on Carl’s, you gotta do better than that if you want me to keep paying $10 for a small chx sandwich.

We used the drive thru on a Sunday evening. We were the only car, and we got our three burgers and chicken sandwich in no time. The two guys that helped us were very friendly. All of the food was as expected. Everything was very good except for the onion rings, which weren’t as crispy as usual.

Consistent product. Prices a little high but good quality. Check you order before leaving the drive-thru. Here’s my steak and egg burrito from today ordered without salsa.

Ryan Colgan

Carl’s Jr. is one of the few fast food places that I will eat at. I try to bring my lunch every day, but today I didn’t have time and stopped by Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos. My go to order is always the chicken Santa Fe sandwich. I have my daily ice water with me so I never get the combo. I always feel like fast food places gouge you for getting the sandwich only, but it’s better for my health, so I do it anyways. The sandwich I ordered today was pretty good. It was fresh and hot. I miss the whole wheat bun though. And they never put enough of the Santa Fe sauce, I thought their food was supposed to get all over the place lol. My biggest complaint today, and why I rated the food three stars, is that the Ortega chili was a joke. Come on Carl’s, you gotta do better than that if you want me to keep paying $10 for a small chx sandwich.

Mark Burns

We used the drive thru on a Sunday evening. We were the only car, and we got our three burgers and chicken sandwich in no time. The two guys that helped us were very friendly. All of the food was as expected. Everything was very good except for the onion rings, which weren’t as crispy as usual.

Jon C Dixon

Consistent product. Prices a little high but good quality. Check you order before leaving the drive-thru. Here’s my steak and egg burrito from today ordered without salsa.

Very tasty food, mostly clean tables inside. Friendly staff, reasonably fast service.

Breakfast bacon burritos are good. The burgers are also good when made fresh .

Leti Cruz

Breakfast bacon burritos are good. The burgers are also good when made fresh .

Nicholas “Guide_Nico”

Very tasty food, mostly clean tables inside. Friendly staff, reasonably fast service.

Food is good. But cant hear anything when you order thru drive -thru. You have to yell at each other because its facing traffic. Also they charge 35 cents to use debit or credit not good!

Carl's is an all around around fast food spot and I like coming here . I get a western craving. Thickburger!!! I got "flat food" it was a let down . Its was unpleasant to eat felt sabotaged. Through most away even fries DOA. I will be back but give it a couple weeks

Tried the new plant based lettuce wrapped burger tonight.. difficult to say whether it was good or bad, it seemed to satisfy my appetite... and didn't taste bad, however believing they are still prepared next to or along side meat based patties may prevent others from trying these...

It's one of the very few fast foods in the shopping center to eat. Plenty of parking. Located right next to Bank Of America.The wait takes long. Even if it's a few cars. People are polite. Food is fresh!

The vibe I get here is I'm an inconvenience and should be grateful if I get anything. Let's be honest, this isn't gourmet food and don't expect a stellar experience from the staff or food quality. Carl's Jr. is a budget fast food chain looking to cut corners wherever they can.

We usually order our burgers protein style, and Carls wraps them better than anybody. This one time though, the meat was overcooked and on the verge of burnt. Oh well...

Food is always good and served fast. My only complaint is they act as is ketchup is endangered.. Lol really they give like 2 packets i asked for 4 girl gives me 2 or maybe she can't count...lol just saying. Also today's burger was not at all how they usually serve bread was old stale fries where delicious as usual. Been here plenty of times this the only time a burger disappointed me.

I feel so bad for the staff working at this location the evening I visited. There was ONE person there, and a line full of cars. The employee was very nice and friendly, and gave it her best. Food was good, but fries were very cold. Hard to be upset with them since there was only one person trying her best.

The last time I went here was the first time in a long, long time that the food was mostly good. Got the Western Bacon Cheeseburger and it actually looked and tasted fresh for once except for the onion rings in the sandwich. So hard was scared of breaking a tooth. Like hard-hard and flat.

Just left this place after trying to order using the app and the the older lady who appears like the Mgr was rude and kept saying read the instructions on the app while refusing to help. I had to remind her I have advanced degree. A Jr staff stepped in to help. Rude rude service 😒

Terrible. I ordered the breaded tenders.The French fries were hot, but the tenders was over cooked and dry. A couple of pieces were hard as rock. Somebody needs to retrain the cook on how to make chicken tenders.

Drive thru attendant sucks. She couldn't hear a thing and had attitude with us for no reason. One thing I can not stand at a drive thru. Is if you dont like your job. Dont do it. Then you'll just end up losing it

Despite I like the sandwiches there. The employees in this store seemed in bad mood all tbe time I visit the lication. They don't smile or greet you with eye contact and when you ask a moment to think what you want to get, they give you a bad look with impatience. Excepted for a younger guy all other employees make me avoid that location. You can loose your appetite with that attitude. What wrong with this people? They are not get paid well or what? Maybe its management problem. If its the case , change the manager.

It's a sad place. No care. Just food being served. Here's your food, bye. No smile. No grin. That's the impression that I get from this location. The food was ok as expected from almost all fast food restaurants but care truly sets apart the experience and a returning customer to me. Money is also time and it's going to be a good while before I spend either at this location.

Carls Jr. (Not just this location) has gone down hill over the years. The food always tastes like it is from the day before, the service is mediocre, and i feel gross after eating a few bites of food. I eat fast food maybe 2-3 times a month and probably going to take Carls off my list of fast food places to eat.

I just ordered a Western Cheeseburger from the Carl's Jr on Knoll Rd and it was very undercooked where I was able to separate the mushy meat with my finger. I called to complain and tell them I'll be going back in the AM for a refund but lady was not very caring. It was disgusting. I wish I can upload a photo.

My special order was not so special, they got it wrong after repeating it 3x's. I was expecting the dining room to be open it was not! They should have told me they didn't want my business at the door. I would have gladly made another burger choice! Do better Carl.

2nd time here, food was cold each time. Dining in is closed. drive thru is kind of tight, so not recommended for modified SUVs. Right next to o a Chevron and Starbucks, so a great stop if you are traveling or waiting for someone

just used the drive thru. ordered one thing Large fries. when i got to the window it was not in the usual container, they said they ran out of large sizes. well ok, but my fries were not hot so i asked for Fresh ones. made me pull to the side and waited, once i got the Fresh Large Fries, they were less fries than before! ugh i just spend $3.22 on fries that were probably an amount of a SMALL ! Ridiculous, i couldn't wait any longer nor waste my time going inside. first time at this location . horrible experience i should have gone to the usual spot, mc donald's across the street.

130pm on a busy Saturday afternoon. The drive through is empty, no dining in avail. Should have knows there was a problem. Tried the drive through anyway..... yup cold fries, like haven't seen a fryer in over an hour cold, and old sandwiches. But the order was correct. I will save my 25 buck next time.

Employees were fine no complaints but their food keeps making me throw up so I’m done with Carl’s for the time being idk why they make it like that but don’t get their onion rings

Today, I stoped by to get something to eat on my way to work. I asked for my burger with NO special sauce, NO mayo, NO ketchup and NO ONIONS (I'm allergic to onions). I was driving to work, unwrapped my sandwich and it had every single ingredient when I had asked to NOT put any of them. Worse day ever!!!!

Zero customer service. One person working drive through and inside store. Dined in and employee delivered food with a sour look. Dining area is empty . I said the " hi how are you today" black mold al around the I've dispensers.

On November 28, 2016 we at at this restaurant at about 12:30PM; the restaurant was not too busy. My wife had to use the restroom but it wasn't until we had already ordered, paid, and sat down that my wife informed me that the restrooms were filthy and disgusting. At our table there were no napkins in the dispenser so I got up to change the empty dispenser with another dispenser at another table but multiple tables had empty napkin dispensers. As a former restaurant manager I know that if the employees cannot keep their bathrooms clean then they most likely won't be clean when it comes to preparing the food in their kitchen and most likely that kitchen is a reflection of the condition of their restrooms, dirty and disgusting and probably a health concern.. Ultimately, the responsibility rests on the owner of the franchise for not getting rid of any employee who doesn't perform his or her job in such a way that creates an atmosphere where people who visit this restaurant will want to return again because of the cleanliness of the bathrooms and the seating area of the restaurant, the cleanliness of the kitchen area and the attention given to customers by the employees.. And with that being said, the manager represents the franchise owner and should be immediately terminated for dereliction of duty as overseer of the restaurant in the absence of the franchise owners presence, and if the franchise owner is generally at the restaurant on a daily basis then shame on the owner. We are recommending to all of our friends and neighbors not to patronize this establishment for the health of our friends and neighbors, our health and the health of our children and our family. I would have given this restaurant ½ star but there wasn't that option. The buying public needs to be informed; maybe if their revenues dwindle away the owner will make some badly needed changes.

Not open 24 hours I’ve tried to come by after 1 am several times in the last two months (mostly m-th) and they are definitely closed after midnight. That’s a shame but I guess they’re cool with giving McDonald’s across the street all their late night business.

Closed at 445pm on a Thursday. Staff sitting in the dining room with the doors locked and caution signs closing the drive thru lane. McDs In n Out BK and Habit all open.

This location charges a fee for use of a credit card, which is illegal. And, because they seem to be so hard up for money here, that if you want to substitute onion rings for the fries, they still charge you full price for the onion rings! Unfriendly management and cheap bastatds! :( [California Civil Code Section 1748.1(a) prohibits retailers from imposing a surcharge on customers who pay with a credit card, but allows them to offer discounts for cash or check.]

Shift leader Lori, would not come out to acknowledge an issue with a customer at the counter. Rather she had the cashier deal with it. Food was cold.

Horrible service, I order food to order in, ate then I ordered to go. I waited for a while and my food was not ready, I went up to see what was going on and the cashier told me: "unfortunately, drive thru take priority" so, I had to wait. I don't think that should be the case.

The breakfast biscuits are under cooked, mushy and pasty. Not flaky light and buttery. And they don't offer Carl's jr signature "Biscuits and gravy"

A western burger is not a bacon burger. How do Carl’s Jr. keep confusing the two burgers???? Didn’t even put the ketchup in the bag as requested. I was going to San Marcos because Vista is so bad but San Marcos location is just as incompetent

Went inside to order and they had fries already queued up. So who knows how long they were there. The guy in the back picks them up and throws them out shuffles them up and puts them right back in the same holder and drives to serve then to me. No thank you!

HORRIBLE! Corporate needs to read their reviews! Horrible experiences 3 different times! Got the order wrong at drive thru, had to go inside to fix it, ordered zucchini instead of fries, employee was rude and kept me waiting forever, finally he asks about them in the back and they hadn’t even dropped them yet ... just a horrible experience from this location .. very sad noone takes pride in their job anymore ...

The lady who took my order was RUDE! Her badge says her name is Patricia but the receipt says her name is Maribel. The chicken wasn't completely cooked!! Beware of the Carl's jr in San Marcos!! Bad customer service and it may make you sick.

Horrible service this evening 4/12/18. The shift manager took my order and I asked to up grade both regular fries to crisscut fries. When I got my order, I looked at it and complained it was wrong. I order 2 criss cut fries. She said well I didn't charge you for it and reached into my bag and took out the large fries. She said you have to pay .69 cents more if you want criss cut. Mind you I already paid .99 cents extra to upgrade to a large fry and drink combo. FYI if you upgrade to a large combo, you still pay another .69 cents and get a small criss cut fry. Because they "only have one size." Not worth it! To make it worse, the cashier was rude and I will never go back.

I agree with some of the sentiments of earlier reviews. It seemed as if I were more of an inconvenience to the workers here. I got an extremely dour vibe after ordering a breakfast meal. I understand it’s the morning, but I’m also spending money here and there wasn’t a big a rush so perhaps they should be more pleasant in the future.

Besides getting the order wrong and missing items. A person working the drive thru stuck his head out of the drive thru window and asked me to not move forward. So we waited a little and then moved forward to the window. Then another worker asked me to move back 12 feet. And then no one would explain why I needed to do this. Very weird.

Took forever to get our promo burger and refused to give us the second burger when we used the app the second time.

Only way to get food was thru self check out machine. I don't appreciate Carl's Jr wants me work for them. Manager told me only way I could get my food was using the ordering kiosk.

sooo, they no longer sell the "meatless" burger option, but they do offer the same thing for 3xs the price. they were 1.99 for a superstar without the patty, now 5.99 just for the same sandwich minus the meat. to me that does not make sense to pull a "off menu" item because people were not ordering it just to replace it with the same option just more expensive... Claudia Cruz (shift lead on duty without a name tag or title) claimed she can not do anything about it and that i must address the GM Pascual Ruiz when he is there during the week tuesday-friday 8-4pm. im told he takes his lunch there like im hoping to do 5 days out of the week because i too work right next to this location. please contact me soon or else im going to blow up social media with this, pretty lame to take advantage of consumers who love food just choose not to eat meat

Worst Carl's Junior Experience EVER. First thing I noticed was the TVs way too loud, blasting garbage commercials in my face from several directions (as they have about 4 large-screen TVs around). Then I was ignored for about 5 minutes as the kid who's supposed to be at the cashier plays around with his cellphone -- most insensitive service I've ever seen. Then I had to wait WAY longer than most fast-food places for the order to come up -- while the TVs now start displaying motorcycles revving, blasting at top volume, as they're stuck on a channel featuring motorcycle racing. I ask if they can turn it down, and the kid says "no, we don't control it." Great, just what I want -- motorcycles revving in my face while I'm stuck waiting for my food. I changed my order "to go" at that point, much rather eating in my car than enduring the godawful racket in that place. Then the food arrives not hot or even warm, but barely at room temperature. But worst of all, the chicken sandwich had obviously been sitting out for a while, not just lukewarm but stale. Gross. NEVER EATING AT A CARL'S JUNIOR AGAIN!

Most appalling experience ever. When I placed our to go order inside the restaurant I paid to upgrade the fries from a small to a large. When they put our order on the counter I realized they had given us the small fry instead. I brought it to the ladies attention, so she had a large fry made. She proceeded to take the bag from me putting her hand inside to take out the small fry. We all know there is no way to get the fries out without touching the fries. Since I watched her myself placing her thumb on the inside of the bag and her index finger on the outside to pinch the bag. She then proceeded to place it back with all of the other fries ready to put in orders to serve to someone else. They were going to give another customer the fries they took out of our bag. While putting our large fries in the bag they dropped half on the floor. So the lady decides she is going to dump the original small fry that she is touching with her fingers again into the large fry box. Until I spoke up and said can you please get us a new fry that you haven't touched. At that point a gentleman behind the counter as well said that's fine. Again I was so appalled!!! After they gave me my correct complete order I asked to speak to the manager and she told me the gentlemen is the manager. I waited for him to be available, I asked if he was the manager he explained he was the lead for the shift. I said I think you should throw the small fries away since the lady touched them with her fingers while removing them from our bag. Immediately he was defensive and stated no they didn't they take it out by the side. I said so you are calling me a liar when I saw it happen with my own 2 eyes. He continued to disregard my concern. I asked for the corporate # he said it's outside on the window. He said they will watch the video. I told him he had terrible customer service. I run a business and at no time would I allow an employee to speak that way to any customer. He was so RUDE don't know who in their right mind would have ever promote an employee like him to the lead. I asked his name and he pulled his shirt where his name tag would be to only realize he wasn't wearing it! "CHRISTIAN...the lead shift supervisor...WOW" run as fast as you can out the door if he is working. If he allows that during his shift what else do you think they get away with. BEWARE absolutely disgusting. We eat here often but I have never seen these 3 employees. The staff that usually work are great, friendly and know what customer service means. Christian should be demoted if not fired. If I ever return and he happens to be there I will leave. I will be reporting this to the corporate office tomorrow when they reopen.

So I come here once in awhile to get lunch. Won't be coming back here . I asked to use the Restroom the girl said I had to purchase something before I could use the Restroom. I didn't know that any large franchise did this . First time it has ever happened. Thursday August 10th at 2:45 . It was the young girl working drive thru.

Sorry but it was not a good experience. They had a serious problem taking our oder. Then they put whipped cream on the milkshake when we asked for no whip and the manager scraped it off instead of making a new one, when we pointed it out she gave us a dirty look. Then they started handing us food that was for the car behind us. SMH just a bad day for Carl's Jr.

Horrible experience! Ordered 5 simple combos and of course they failed. I was really upset the way the shift leader handled the situation. She said "I think your just trying to get a free burger." So to prove to her that she really got the order wrong i had to bring in the burger to actually show how bad they messed up. Long story short, she decides to refund me for a combo. She rang up that she refunded me $10.32 but only handed me $7.18. I figured she doesnt know how to do math or is just stealing money from the register. Then to add to it,one of her co-workers starts to say "hope you can make a good complaint cuase aint no one going to fire me." I felt bad for her being the way she presented herself. Of course when she hands me the money the strong odor of marijuana came from her nasty breath. I know its recreational in this state but i deffinetly dont think employees should be doped up during work hours.

Again, going through the drive through with no one behind me, ordering a single burger and a drink. Guy asks me to go park. I refused. Got my burger and drink with no straw or napkins. Manager needs to do their job and improve the customer experience!

One star rating for the food quality. I ordered The BiG CARL. It was tasteless no flavor. The coke machine was another problem. It dispensed only the syrup and no fizz. I should have for the same price gone down the street to In-n-Out. Better quality there. However I will give 5 stars to the friendly staff and the clean spotless restrooms.

First time and last time at this location because I felt I was not treated with respect as a customer. Cashier name was Patricia very rude and passive aggressive. When she asked me if I was ready to order I said give me a minute I’m still deciding 10 seconds later she approached me again. When I was ready to order she saw me and aggressively shouted at another employee in Spanish “go take his order” I looked at her and said I’m ready to order and it was very apparent she didn’t want to assist me. She asked “for here or to go” before I finished ordering and after I ordered she told me “you can grab your own receipt because I’m not handing it to you. I would avoid this place since there’s so many places and choices to eat elsewhere, don’t waste your time at this particular location. Bad customer service and Patricia needs to be trained in customer service as soon as possible.

They don't care about customer service... my sandwich was made sloppy. Drive through for one order was 10 mins & I was the only one in line. I asked to cancel my drink before my card was charged, the girl ran it for the same amount and was not going to give me the drink. I said if she charged me I would take it. Stated she couldn't modify my order, no such thing. It sucks their managers don't take pride in teaching them to be customer service focused.

No manager on duty at night. Ever, according to crew. If the workers overcharge you, they expect you to return for a refund/replacement. They tell you your receipt will be kept on the wall indefinitely. We rarely come here, I said. Don't worry, it'll be here. Just over a month later, it wasn't there. Still no M.O.D. They expect me to alter my schedule to come there before 5pm. Worst customer service ever. I worked retail and fast food for many years. We would have NEVER left employees without the authority/ability to adjust an error in charging the costumer. Ludicrous way to operate a franchise. No wonder there's never a long line here even though it takes a while to get your food. People have just gotten fed up of poor service and stopped coming. We will never return to this location.

We went at 10:20… they close at 11:00… the girl working turned the lights off about 1 minute into us sitting in front of the menu in the drive thru (oh yea the screen was still on and suddenly shut off). I don’t expect much for a fast food place but on a Saturday night after a long days work just wanted some food. The girl working clearly didn’t want to be there. Hence why she turned the lights on while we were in the drive thru with 3 cars behind us (check your camera’s if you think I’m lying (01-08-21). I don’t leave reviews ever. But I made an exception for this. Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos is ridiculous and whoever was working should not work there anymore…FACTS. We pulled up to the window as she reluctantly came to the window, opened it and said we’re closed. Tried to ask well it says your open but she had already re-shut the window. So a round of applause to Carl’s Jr. in San Marcos. The fact that I chose to take time out of my day to review a fast food restaurant should speak volumes about the quality of service CARLS JR in SAN MARCOS has…

Took 10 minutes in the drive through. No one in front of me and all I ordered was a chicken sandwich and a drink. They also need to learn how to not only understand but speak ENGLISH!! That would be nice. Oh and also the amount on my receipt was less than what they took from my bank account for the food. BEWARE of this place...

I’m not someone who’s afraid of germs, but when I see someone handling my food I hope they do it with caution. The cook in back was touching every machine in the back while also making my sandwiches with no gloves on. They were even reluctant to give me a refund for the food I did not want. I wish there was someone to speak to about this. If you eat here just be careful.

I used to love Carl’s Jr., I used to eat there all the time, but as time went by they just went downhill. I’m usually disappointed when I go into this Carl’s Jr., I don’t know why I go back but I just think of those flame broiled cheeseburgers and keep hoping it’ll be better. Had a horrible experience tonight. Went there and ordered two zucchini burgers, zucchini stars to be exact I thought it was a Carl’s famous star with zucchini on top. When I got home and found out it was just zucchini instead of a hamburger patty, for about the same price as Carl’s famous star, I was shocked.. So I took them back and I asked for a Carl’s famous star with cheese and a hamburger patty on the side. I got home and I got a Carl’s famous star with no patty and a patty on the side. How much more, could they screw up? I guess I should’ve checked the bag before I left the place. So I’m, not having any dinner tonite, actually I hadn’t eaten anything all day and I was starving. Looking forward to that burger but instead, I go to bed hungry with pains in my stomach . I called them and the are supposed to fix it in the morning, we will see. I will review again

I specifically ordered a meal and was charged separately for my burger and drink (didn’t get my fries). When I went back into the restaurant I spoke to the cashier that took my order who stated that he only heard me ask for the burger and drink. The manager was absolutely NO help. Working previously in the food industry, these are employees I would not want working for me. 1. You chose not to verify my order (assumed I only wanted a drink and a sandwich) 2. Being rude when I’m driving back because I THOUGHT I asked for a meal by stating the drink I wanted with my burger. I’m sure the franchise owner would not expect their staff to not “up sell” and offer what’s best for the customer (A MEAL)

Worst carls jr I've ever been to, I used the app so you would think it would fast and easy but they just didn't understand and refused to help me out so I could get food, basically told me I didn't do right so they didn't have to there jobs. They app even gave me a qr code and they refused to scan it. I don't know what's wrong with manager there. Good thing there was a mcdonalds across the street, there app works fine and there workers help you out if your confused on how the app works.

Went into this heck hole today. Stood there for 5 minutes and the employees refused me service. Tried getting me to order on a touch screen. And that is no way to run a business. I walked out and will never spend a dime at another Carls Jr. Luckily there are plenty of options.

Was served a semi raw chicken club sandwich through the drive thru. Went inside to voice my disappointment. The manager picked apart the sandwich and begins to argue that it wasn’t. But then begins to tell me it happened to her once before. Just bad management overall. Will not eat here again.

New to California and wanted to try Carl's Jr. I will never return. Ordered fries and a single burger. Got home took two bites and literally threw everything in the trash. So $11 for Carl's Jr nothing for me. Fries were literally cold, burger was barely warm and to add insult one of those terrible employees that just throws 20 ounces of ketchup and Mayo on the burger. Literally repulsive.

Terrible customer service. There was a women in her 40s not wearing uniform acting like she owned the place spit in my shake and shamed me and my gf about using EBT what joke never going here again

S Y

New to California and wanted to try Carl's Jr. I will never return. Ordered fries and a single burger. Got home took two bites and literally threw everything in the trash. So $11 for Carl's Jr nothing for me. Fries were literally cold, burger was barely warm and to add insult one of those terrible employees that just throws 20 ounces of ketchup and Mayo on the burger. Literally repulsive.

Satya

Terrible customer service. There was a women in her 40s not wearing uniform acting like she owned the place spit in my shake and shamed me and my gf about using EBT what joke never going here again

Order big carl combo Always trusted this place and I got home, no fries Just burger and drink. I don't live close enough to just go back and now I don't trust this location to go back again cause I'll just get ripped off again

The food was good, as expected. The service was horrible. I had breakfast here this morning. It was a planned, and looked forward to, cheat day from how i normally eat. So the lack of meeting even a modest expectation of good service, ruined my entire trip and my rewarding myself for months of being "good" about my eating habits. The young person who took my order (Ale*****r) could bother greeting me, just said "for here or to go?". I said good morning, with no reply from him and just staring back. I placed my order, and specified a small hash brown, and replied yes to his query if i wanted catsup. The order was delivered by a friendly young man, but without my hash browns nor catsup. He promptly apologized and moved to correct the issue. I then looked at my receipt and saw that the other guy charged me for fries, wwhich are a higher price. I told the 2nd (helpful) guy about the lack of service from the first guy and that he had zero customer service skills, had overcharged me, but to forget the overcharge as it was only $0.10 higher. Then the Hispanic Female Manager aggressively inserted herself into the situation. I knew immediately i didn't want to interact with her based on her demeanor. And i immediately dropped my complaint based on her aggressive tone. Mind you, i wasn't being rude, nor raising my voice. I complimented the 2nd young man for his help, and walked away. I have worked in customer support roles for longer than i should have. I walked away thinking to myself that this manager is the reason that the first employee feels free to provide horrible service. I hope the 2nd young man gets what he needs out of this job and moves on to a company that cares, and where he can flourish. And I read another review that likely was about this manager before posting this one. At least i hope the owner doesn't have more than one of these no service employees running their business. But it also makes me question why she is still working there and hurting your business after the negative post I read from a few months back? Be better.

I give one star because they don’t get your order right and it take forever to severe your food even when they are no people or less

The manager Patricia (lady w the glasses) is RUDE and unprofessional please ask your staff how she treats them and if there’s any issues. If she treats customers like this, I can only imagine how she treats the staff!! PLEASE READ YOUR REVIEWS ON YELP AS WELL !!!

Worst place to buy Carls Jr the employees are rude. Very unprofessional and act like they don’t hear you. The manager refuses to give her name today is 08/22/25 at 1834 please look into the supervisor name and investigate this matter.

Female Hispanic manager did not have her name tag on and refused to give me her name. We ordered thru the drive thru, they asked us to park on the side of the restaurant because it would be a few more minutes until our order was ready, the woman manager came out and gave us our food with no sauces, as well as a milk for our kids meal. We asked for sauces and to change the milk for another drink option because our daughter is lactose intolerant. She proceeded to say that it would be an 80 cents additional charge and said that the kids meal always comes automatically with a milk unless the customer requests otherwise, we then gave her our debit card from our car window still parked in the parking spot we where told to move to at the drive thru window. She said we will have to come inside to get our card after she charges us the 80 cents because she will not bring our card back to the car. She then handed us an orange juice and our sauces and walked away with our card to go charge it inside. Once again they did not ask what kind of drink we would like for a child’s kids meal, and assumed the alternative beverage to be an orange juice. I went inside to take back the orange juice and pick up my debit card and spoke with the manager woman that had no name tag on and refused to give me her name. I addressed the unprofessionalism and bad customer service on her end and she proceeded to escalate her voice and became very argumentative with me, they never asked what kind of drink we would like for our kids meal and just gave us milk without asking. The manager walked around the cash register to approach me closer and proceeded to escalate her voice, stating that she is not going to let me disrespect her, I then reminded her of customer service and professionalism as all that I was asking for was for my child to get the drink she wants which was a Powerade. She then placed a cup on the counter in a very rude manner and pointed to the soda fountain machine.

Erik Lopez

Order big carl combo Always trusted this place and I got home, no fries Just burger and drink. I don't live close enough to just go back and now I don't trust this location to go back again cause I'll just get ripped off again

Alina Guillen

I give one star because they don’t get your order right and it take forever to severe your food even when they are no people or less

T

The manager Patricia (lady w the glasses) is RUDE and unprofessional please ask your staff how she treats them and if there’s any issues. If she treats customers like this, I can only imagine how she treats the staff!! PLEASE READ YOUR REVIEWS ON YELP AS WELL !!!

Kesha Straker

Worst place to buy Carls Jr the employees are rude. Very unprofessional and act like they don’t hear you. The manager refuses to give her name today is 08/22/25 at 1834 please look into the supervisor name and investigate this matter.

James Smith

The food was good, as expected. The service was horrible. I had breakfast here this morning. It was a planned, and looked forward to, cheat day from how i normally eat. So the lack of meeting even a modest expectation of good service, ruined my entire trip and my rewarding myself for months of being "good" about my eating habits. The young person who took my order (Ale*****r) could bother greeting me, just said "for here or to go?". I said good morning, with no reply from him and just staring back. I placed my order, and specified a small hash brown, and replied yes to his query if i wanted catsup. The order was delivered by a friendly young man, but without my hash browns nor catsup. He promptly apologized and moved to correct the issue. I then looked at my receipt and saw that the other guy charged me for fries, wwhich are a higher price. I told the 2nd (helpful) guy about the lack of service from the first guy and that he had zero customer service skills, had overcharged me, but to forget the overcharge as it was only $0.10 higher. Then the Hispanic Female Manager aggressively inserted herself into the situation. I knew immediately i didn't want to interact with her based on her demeanor. And i immediately dropped my complaint based on her aggressive tone. Mind you, i wasn't being rude, nor raising my voice. I complimented the 2nd young man for his help, and walked away. I have worked in customer support roles for longer than i should have. I walked away thinking to myself that this manager is the reason that the first employee feels free to provide horrible service. I hope the 2nd young man gets what he needs out of this job and moves on to a company that cares, and where he can flourish. And I read another review that likely was about this manager before posting this one. At least i hope the owner doesn't have more than one of these no service employees running their business. But it also makes me question why she is still working there and hurting your business after the negative post I read from a few months back? Be better.

Mayra Romero

Female Hispanic manager did not have her name tag on and refused to give me her name. We ordered thru the drive thru, they asked us to park on the side of the restaurant because it would be a few more minutes until our order was ready, the woman manager came out and gave us our food with no sauces, as well as a milk for our kids meal. We asked for sauces and to change the milk for another drink option because our daughter is lactose intolerant. She proceeded to say that it would be an 80 cents additional charge and said that the kids meal always comes automatically with a milk unless the customer requests otherwise, we then gave her our debit card from our car window still parked in the parking spot we where told to move to at the drive thru window. She said we will have to come inside to get our card after she charges us the 80 cents because she will not bring our card back to the car. She then handed us an orange juice and our sauces and walked away with our card to go charge it inside. Once again they did not ask what kind of drink we would like for a child’s kids meal, and assumed the alternative beverage to be an orange juice. I went inside to take back the orange juice and pick up my debit card and spoke with the manager woman that had no name tag on and refused to give me her name. I addressed the unprofessionalism and bad customer service on her end and she proceeded to escalate her voice and became very argumentative with me, they never asked what kind of drink we would like for our kids meal and just gave us milk without asking. The manager walked around the cash register to approach me closer and proceeded to escalate her voice, stating that she is not going to let me disrespect her, I then reminded her of customer service and professionalism as all that I was asking for was for my child to get the drink she wants which was a Powerade. She then placed a cup on the counter in a very rude manner and pointed to the soda fountain machine.

nina santell

I used to love Carl’s Jr., I used to eat there all the time, but as time went by they just went downhill. I’m usually disappointed when I go into this Carl’s Jr., I don’t know why I go back but I just think of those flame broiled cheeseburgers and keep hoping it’ll be better. Had a horrible experience tonight. Went there and ordered two zucchini burgers, zucchini stars to be exact I thought it was a Carl’s famous star with zucchini on top. When I got home and found out it was just zucchini instead of a hamburger patty, for about the same price as Carl’s famous star, I was shocked.. So I took them back and I asked for a Carl’s famous star with cheese and a hamburger patty on the side. I got home and I got a Carl’s famous star with no patty and a patty on the side. How much more, could they screw up? I guess I should’ve checked the bag before I left the place. So I’m, not having any dinner tonite, actually I hadn’t eaten anything all day and I was starving. Looking forward to that burger but instead, I go to bed hungry with pains in my stomach . I called them and the are supposed to fix it in the morning, we will see. I will review again