Carlsbad Tavern is not bad. It's not the greatest place for (New) Mexican Food..but, I've certainly had worse. It's a bit pricey and everything I've ordered has been "o.k."
Green Chile Cheese Crisp was fair. The Chips and Two Salsas was alright and the Homemade Guacamole wasn't much to write home about. Even less impressive was the Tequila Shrimp.
The ambiance is great, especially if it's cool enough to sit outside on the patio. The service has always been "meh." It always seems like the servers have more important things to do and they're not very attentive.
The best part of Carlsbad Tavern is the atmosphere..but, that's not enough to raise my review above 3 stars.