Pure Taco | Big Flavor, Fresh Ingredients, and a Modern Taco Shop in Carlsbad Village
“Sometimes the simplest foods tell the biggest stories—and few foods tell the story of California better than the taco.”
In Southern California, tacos are more than something we eat.
They’re part of our culture.
They bring together Mexican culinary traditions, California agriculture, coastal living, family gatherings, and generations of entrepreneurs who have built businesses around one of the world’s most beloved foods.
Located in Carlsbad Village, Pure Taco brings its own modern perspective to that tradition.
Created by local restaurateurs Clayton Wheeler, Craig Applegate, and John Zagara, Pure Taco combines fresh ingredients, creative recipes, and the relaxed hospitality that defines Southern California dining.
It’s casual enough for lunch after the beach.
Fun enough for Taco Tuesday with friends.
And creative enough to remind us that the humble taco can become a canvas for flavors inspired by cuisines from around the world.
Pure Taco has also become part of the Carlsbad Food Tours story through our Taco Tuesday Tour, giving guests another opportunity to experience the people, flavors, and businesses shaping Carlsbad’s evolving culinary community.
Meet the Owners
Clayton Wheeler, Craig Applegate & John Zagara
Behind Pure Taco are three Southern California restaurateurs with experience building successful restaurant concepts.
Clayton Wheeler and Craig Applegate are co-founders of Casero Taqueria, a North County restaurant inspired by Mexican food, hospitality, and the tradition of gathering around the table.
Their experience developing a modern taqueria concept helped shape the foundation for Pure Taco.
Joining them is John Zagara, co-founder of Urban Plates, a restaurant concept built around fresh ingredients and approachable dining.
Together, the three restaurateurs created Pure Taco around a shared idea:
Take one of Southern California’s most familiar foods and give chefs the freedom to explore.
Respect the taco.
Start with quality ingredients.
Create unexpected combinations.
Keep the experience casual.
And make people want to come back.
The result is a modern taco shop that reflects both Southern California’s deep connection to Mexican cuisine and the creativity of Carlsbad’s growing restaurant community.
The Pure Taco Story
A Taco Shop Without Borders
Traditional tacos tell powerful stories about place.
Different regions of Mexico have their own ingredients, cooking methods, salsas, and traditions.
Pure Taco respects that history while taking a more contemporary approach.
The concept allows culinary influences from around the world to meet inside one of the world’s most versatile foods.
Mexican flavors.
California ingredients.
Asian influences.
Mediterranean spices.
Fresh seafood.
Slow-cooked meats.
Creative vegetables.
All served in the familiar form of a taco.
It’s a concept that reflects Southern California itself—a region shaped by cultures, ingredients, and people from around the world.
The Food
Familiar Favorites & Unexpected Flavors
The menu at Pure Taco is designed around exploration.
Guests can choose familiar taco combinations or try something unexpected.
Depending on the current menu and seasonal offerings, guests may discover tacos featuring:
- Fresh fish and seafood
- Slow-cooked meats
- Grilled chicken
- Creative vegetarian ingredients
- Globally inspired sauces and seasonings
- House-made salsas
- Seasonal specialties
- Classic Mexican flavors
The variety makes Pure Taco especially enjoyable for groups.
Everyone can order something different.
Share.
Compare.
Discover a favorite.
Order another taco.
That’s part of the fun.
Behind the Scenes
Why Tacos Bring People Together
Few foods are as approachable as the taco.
You don’t need formal silverware.
You don’t need a dress code.
You don’t need to understand complicated culinary terminology.
You simply pick it up.
Take a bite.
And enjoy.
But behind that simplicity is an incredible culinary tradition.
The tortilla.
The filling.
The salsa.
The garnish.
The balance of texture, heat, acidity, richness, and freshness.
Every element matters.
A great taco may only take a few bites to eat.
But creating one requires thoughtful ingredients and careful execution.
Pure Taco & Carlsbad Food Tours
A Taco Tuesday Experience
Pure Taco has become part of the culinary experiences we share through Carlsbad Food Tours, including our Taco Tuesday Tour.
Carlsbad’s taco scene gives us another opportunity to introduce guests to the diversity of our culinary community.
Every taco stop offers something different.
A different owner.
A different story.
A different cooking style.
A different interpretation of one of Southern California’s favorite foods.
At Pure Taco, guests experience a modern approach to the taqueria—creative, casual, and designed around discovery.
It’s exactly the kind of place that makes a progressive culinary experience fun.
Taste something.
Walk through the Village.
Hear a story.
Meet new people.
Then eat another taco.
A true Party on the Move.
Why We Love Them
One of the things I love most about Pure Taco is the variety.
Food tours are about discovery.
Our guests don’t want to eat the same thing at every stop.
They want to be surprised.
Pure Taco gives us an opportunity to talk about how food traditions evolve.
The taco has deep roots in Mexican culinary culture.
But food never stays frozen in time.
Recipes travel.
Chefs experiment.
Cultures influence one another.
New ingredients become available.
And new generations of restaurateurs create their own interpretations.
Pure Taco is part of that continuing story.
Carlsbad’s Taco Culture
Tacos feel perfectly at home in Carlsbad.
We’re close to the Mexican border.
We’re surrounded by incredible California agriculture.
Fresh seafood arrives from the Pacific.
Avocados grow throughout Southern California.
Citrus thrives in our climate.
And generations of Mexican and Mexican American families have shaped the food culture of San Diego County.
Today, Carlsbad’s taco scene includes traditional taquerias, neighborhood restaurants, modern Mexican kitchens, and creative concepts like Pure Taco.
Together, they demonstrate how one simple food can tell many different stories.
If These Tables Could Talk…
“I’ve welcomed surfers after the beach, families sharing lunch, visitors discovering Carlsbad, friends comparing tacos, and guests who promised they were only ordering one more. I’ve heard debates about favorite salsas, celebrations over margaritas, and conversations between strangers who became friends somewhere between the first taco and the last.”
Cherimarie’s Reflection
One of the things I love about tacos is that they make people happy.
They’re casual.
They’re social.
And they’re meant to be enjoyed.
When we bring guests to places like Pure Taco, we aren’t simply giving them something to eat.
We’re giving them an opportunity to experience another part of Southern California’s culinary culture.
They taste the food.
They hear the story.
They walk through Carlsbad Village.
They meet other people.
And by the end of the experience, they’ve discovered something new.
That’s what food tours are all about.
Then & Now
Then
For generations, tacos evolved throughout the different regions of Mexico, shaped by local ingredients, Indigenous food traditions, Spanish influences, agriculture, and family recipes.
As Mexican communities grew throughout Southern California, tacos became an essential part of the region’s culinary identity.
Now
Restaurants like Pure Taco continue that evolution.
By combining Mexican culinary traditions with California ingredients and global flavors, Pure Taco demonstrates how the taco remains one of the world’s most adaptable and creative foods.
The traditions remain important.
But the story continues to evolve.
Did You Know?
- Pure Taco is located in Carlsbad, California.
- The restaurant is owned by local restaurateurs Clayton Wheeler, Craig Applegate, and John Zagara.
- Clayton Wheeler and Craig Applegate are co-founders of Casero Taqueria.
- John Zagara is a co-founder of Urban Plates.
- Pure Taco combines Mexican culinary traditions with modern and globally inspired flavors.
- The restaurant offers a casual dining experience suited to locals, visitors, families, and groups exploring Carlsbad.
- Pure Taco has been part of Carlsbad Food Tours’ Taco Tuesday culinary experiences.
- The Carlsbad restaurant is separate from the East Coast PURE Taqueria restaurant group in Georgia, owned by Chris and Michele Sedgwick.
Restaurant Quick Facts
Business: Pure Taco
Owners: Clayton Wheeler, Craig Applegate & John Zagara
Related Restaurant Experience: Casero Taqueria & Urban Plates
Category: Modern Taco Shop & Casual Dining
Location: Carlsbad
Known For: Creative tacos, globally inspired flavors, fresh ingredients, casual hospitality, and a modern approach to the taqueria experience
Carlsbad Food Tours Partner: ✔ Taco Tuesday Culinary Experiences
Perfect For: Taco lovers, families, couples, groups, visitors, casual dining, and guests exploring Carlsbad’s culinary scene
A Seat at the Table
If you could create one taco inspired by your own family, travels, or favorite food memories, what would you put inside it—and what story would it tell?
Every recipe begins somewhere.
Sometimes the best way to preserve a memory is to put it on the table and share it with someone else.
Our Legacy
Pure Taco represents the continuing evolution of Southern California’s taco culture.
Through the combined restaurant experience of Clayton Wheeler, Craig Applegate, and John Zagara, the restaurant brings together Mexican culinary traditions, California ingredients, global influences, and modern hospitality.
Its story also reflects the changing culinary identity of Carlsbad.
Our community can support traditional family-owned restaurants.
International cuisines.
Fine dining.
Craft breweries.
Wine bars.
And creative modern taco shops.
Each adds something different.
Each tells another story.
And together, they create the diverse culinary community we share with guests through Carlsbad Food Tours.
Because sometimes one of the best ways to understand a place is simple.
Walk its streets.
Meet its people.
Hear their stories.
And eat a few tacos along the way.
Story Connections
This story connects with Señor Grubby’s, Fresco Cocina, Park 101, Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad Food Tours, Taco Tuesday Tour, Mexican Culinary Heritage in Southern California, Carlsbad’s Agricultural Heritage, and The History of Carlsbad Food Tours.
Explore More Carlsbad Stories
Continue exploring Carlsbad’s culinary community through the Señor Grubby’s, Fresco Cocina, Park 101, Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad’s Agricultural Heritage, and Carlsbad Food Tours stories.
Discover Carlsbad with Carlsbad Food Tours
The best way to understand a community is to meet its people, hear their stories, and taste the flavors that make it unique.
Join Carlsbad Food Tours for a guided culinary walking experience through Carlsbad Village, where locally owned restaurants, tacos, California wine, craft beverages, history, art, architecture, and community stories come together.
Our Taco Tuesday experiences celebrate one of Southern California’s favorite foods while introducing guests to the restaurants, entrepreneurs, and cultures shaping Carlsbad’s culinary community.
Taste the Food. Hear the Stories. Live the Local Experience.
Leave every guest loving Carlsbad a little more than when they arrived.
Collection
Restaurant Storybook – Restaurants, Chefs & Culinary Entrepreneurs
Reading Time
7 minutes
Story Themes
Tacos • Mexican Culinary Traditions • California Cuisine • Global Flavors • Entrepreneurship • Community • Carlsbad Village