La Carreta
La Carreta
By Winston and Martha Landymore
Click aqui para español->La Carreta
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant is truly a unique treat and a family-friendly Mexican restaurant that opened 7 months ago in the Lower Garden District. The owners, Saul and Leticia Rubio, opened their first restaurant nearly 20 years ago, and their other locations include Mandeville, Covington, Ponchatula, Lafayette and Houma.
Located at 1814 Magazine St near the corner of St. Mary, La Carreta serves traditional and Tex-Mex favorites. What immediately grabs your attention when you walk into La Carreta are the colorful murals, tapestries and pictures of Mexican art including a homage to the Luchadores, the great masked wrestlers of Mexico.
Of course, one cannot miss a fully customized early 1960’s Ford Econoline truck converted into a bar. Yes! They have a real full-size “Bar Truck” adorned with a mural of horn-playing Day of the Dead Mariachi musicians painted on the front of the iconic truck. The atmosphere is relaxed with a combination of families, hipsters and professionals all enjoying Latin music and Mexican cuisine.
The window tables provide an excellent view for people-watching on Magazine Street while downing ice cold cerveza or one of the best frozen margaritas in the city. I must confess, my wife is somewhat of a margarita connoisseur, and she ranks La Carreta’s frozen margaritas at the top of the list.
According to General Manager Luis Nava, the secret to their quality is the use of fresh ingredients, and the daily preparation using a special Don Saul Tequila made in Jalisco, Mexico. More importantly, the daily Happy Hour is from 3-7pm and the delicious margaritas are just $4!
There are certain signature dishes that resonate with great Mexican restaurants and here, I have to say, the Picadillo Nachos are uniquely incredible. Their picadillo (spicy ground beef) is seasoned to perfection and served with queso blanco, it becomes a nacho feast you just can’t stop eating. Other favorites are their steak chimichangas made with creamy queso infused steak, and a variety of traditional seafood dishes.
Taco Tuesday is a good excuse to try as many types of tacos as you dare without spending a fortune. La Carreta’s flan is incredible. I have never had a more incredibly rich, deep flavor-packed flan anywhere like this. Make sure to save room for it. You won’t be disappointed. La Carreta is a fun, laid-back restaurant with great food and drinks at fair prices all in a cool atmosphere where tequila is the “Soup of the Day”...Only in New Orleans!
