Huevos Rancheros: Classic Mexican Breakfast in Carlsbad

Lightly fried eggs on a bed of crispy corn tortillas, bathed in salsa española and crowned with melted cheese. Traditional Mexican rice and refried beans on the side, and hot, fresh tortillas to finish. Our Huevos Rancheros is the classic Mexican breakfast, served the traditional way on our Desayunos menu at Casa de Bandini in Carlsbad.

Casa de Bandini began with Diane Powers. A San Diego State design graduate, she traveled through Mexico, staying in homes along the way, and came back wanting to share what she found there: the color, the warmth, the craft and the home cooking.

In 1971 she turned a dormant Old Town motel into Bazaar del Mundo. In 1980 she opened Casa de Bandini inside the 1829 adobe of Juan Bandini, around a patio and a fountain built over the old cistern. For 25 years it was one of the best-loved tables in Old Town.

The Old Town restaurant closed in 2005. On June 30, 2009, Casa de Bandini reopened in a space in The Forum in Carlsbad, and the kitchen brought its recipes along. Most come from the original restaurant and Diane's own collection, and our chefs have added more since. Traditional Mexican breakfasts like this one are part of that story.

Huevos rancheros means ranch-style eggs, and it's one of the best-known Mexican breakfasts there is. Ours is the traditional version: eggs, crispy corn tortillas, salsa and cheese, with rice, beans and tortillas alongside. Our menu calls it the authentic charm of Mexican mornings and a true homage to the heart of Mexico.

It sits on our Desayunos menu, the breakfast side of our homemade Mexican kitchen, next to dishes like Chilequilles Divorciados, Machaca and the Avocado Omlette Espanola. If you want to start the day the traditional way, this is the plate.

Straight from the Casa de Bandini menu card, nothing added:

• Lightly fried eggs
• A bed of crispy corn tortillas
• Salsa española
• A generous layer of melted cheese
• Traditional Mexican rice
• Refried beans
• Hot, fresh tortillas

The crispy corn tortillas give the plate its crunch and hold everything up. The eggs are lightly fried, so the yolks run into the salsa. Our menu says the salsa española lends a vibrant tang, and the melted cheese adds a creamy richness. Rice and refried beans make it a hearty start to the day, and the menu calls the fresh tortillas a soft, warm hug.

It starts with the tortillas. A bed of corn tortillas goes down crispy, ready to hold the eggs.

The eggs are lightly fried and set on top. Then comes the salsa española, poured over so the eggs are bathed in it, and a generous layer of cheese that melts over everything. Traditional Mexican rice and refried beans go on the side.

It follows Diane's rule for the kitchen: fresh vegetables, a good assortment of spices, and everything made fresh daily, including more than 14 salsas and sauces.

The hot, fresh tortillas that come with the plate are made on site at our open tortilla station, framed in hand-painted Talavera tile from Puebla. You can watch the corn and flour tortillas come off the comal while you wait.

Some mornings call for something new. Others call for the dish you already know is right. Traditional huevos rancheros is that dish: simple, filling and full of flavor, the way a Mexican breakfast has been made for generations.

It's a natural for a slow weekend morning or a family brunch. Take a table under the hand-wrought iron chandeliers and the stained glass that came with us from Old Town, or out in the courtyard by the Cantera stone fountain. Later in the week there's live music from Tinku Duet, a trio playing Mexican ballads, Thursday through Saturday 5 to 8 PM and Sunday 1 to 4 PM.

See our lush patio in this Instagram video or on Facebook. For the tortilla station, day and night, see this post on Instagram or on Facebook.

Frequently asked questions

What are huevos rancheros? Ranch-style eggs: lightly fried eggs on crispy corn tortillas with salsa española and melted cheese.

What comes with the Huevos Rancheros? Traditional Mexican rice, refried beans and hot, fresh tortillas.

What sauce is on it? Salsa española.

Are the tortillas made in-house? Our corn and flour tortillas are made on site at our open tortilla station.

Love fresh tortillas? Read about our homemade flour tortillas, and see the rest of our breakfast plates on the Desayunos menu.

Then come see us at 1901 Calle Barcelona in The Forum, Carlsbad. We're open 11 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.