Las Carretas: Mexican Food Laser-Focused on a Good Time

The Birria Burrito - one of thirteen unique burrito options on the menu (Photo credit: Las Carretas)

May 30 • By Michael Brown

Whether you’re a food blogger, Michelin critic, or casual diner looking to just grab a good quality meal, everyone has their services/sites whose ratings they pay attention to.  Sometimes that means a touch of some international rating group, miscellaneous blogs or Yelp, however, the reigning populist pick is undoubtedly Google.  I don’t assume Google’s word is absolute, but when enough people give a spot 5-stars, it catches my attention.  With a 4.9 out of 3.5k reviews, Las Carretas found itself in my cross hairs.  

East Orlando and the Goldenrod area in specific are hardly provincial outposts in Central Florida, but people that live across town rarely make the trek.  That said, this spot seems to have inspired some cult-like following with the masses descending on its corner of the University Plaza strip mall.

Inside, Las Carretas looks like a typical Tex-Mex joint - aside from the crowds that most competitors could only dream of drawing outside of Cinco de Mayo.  I should note here, that the line moves quickly and your party will normally have a table within about twenty minutes.  But its only once seated that Las Carretas’ unique star-quality begins to truly shine through.

It’s usually a good rule of thumb to avoid the restaurant with the Cheesecake Factory-size menu.  Not here.  Despite a gargantuan menu covering any Tex-Mex combination you could imagine - with a few traditional Mexican plates thrown in for good measure - no quality of ingredients or attention to detail seems to be lost in the pages.  

Starting with the appetizers, I’ve yet to encounter an option that I would truly advise against.  The tamales are excellent and the guacamole is much more than a placeholder ticking off a box on the menu.  My only word of caution would be to take some of the larger appetizer options in stride if you intend to have an entree.  Plates like the Nachos Supremos or Las Carretas Sampler are great choices for happy hour or just grabbing a drink with friends, but they’re served in such large quantities that it’s probably best to hold off for some of the bolder flavors in the main courses.

And no that I’ve mentioned drinks, let’s recognize where a large menu can be an advantage.  Las Carretas’ beverage program tends to offer something for everyone.  With margaritas alone, you can try combinations with top shelf liquors or interesting juices - such as passion fruit, pomegranate, and peach - or stick to the classics and lose track after the second or third round.

Then come the main entrees.  With such an extensive menu, it takes many repeat visits to even scratch the surface of what they serve.  For tacos, I tend to break towards the more traditional Mexican options, particularly the fantastic al pastor and birria tacos - a relative rarity on menus in Central Florida.  Amongst the Platillos Tradicionales, I’ve also enjoyed the Pollo con Mole.  If you like mole, this is a great option; I just tend to break for some of the dishes that have more exotic types of protein or cuts of meat.  And all of their thirteen dinner burritos remain on my radar to try, but I can say from seeing them on other tables that the quantity is there.

Lastly, there’s the service.  For such a bustling operation, the servers will take the time to walk you through the menu if there are any questions,  managing to strike the fine balance between moving efficiently and still remaining courteous.  I’ve also found the owner to be incredibly attentive and had him stop by the table multiple times to ensure everything was up to par.  I think his presence has something to do with the sheer number of reviews on Google, but I respect the hustle.  He runs a very tight ship and the word should get out when him and his staff are putting in so much effort.

Las Carretas makes no attempts to pass as either a high-end reinvention of Mexican food or a super-local hole-in-the-wall spot.  Its focus is on churning out well-executed versions of Mexican classics for the masses.  For a group of friends or trying to please those picky eaters, Las Carretas is a great option.

Appetizers and most of the main entrees are below $20; steaks and some of the seafood dishes tend to fall between $20 and $30.  This spot is walk-in only, but the wait time moves fast.