LAKEWOOD — La Carreta, a hole-in-the-wall taqueria across from Lakewood High School, began with a bang.
The family-run Mexican restaurant started out as a taco truck. Then, about three years ago, there was an accident while the propane was being filled. Well, out of the charred remains, the business rebuilt and moved into the corner of the Lakewood Station General Store.
This isn’t fine dining to be sure. It’s tacos, burritos and plates of rice and beans with a gooey layer of melted cheese on top.
A reader recommended we check it out, and I’m glad I did.
Compared to the Taco Bell that’s just up the street, La Carreta may as well be a five-star restaurant.
It’s inexpensive, tasty and offers authentic Mexican cuisine that can be hard to find.
The day I stopped in for lunch, the Mexican tacos included standard options — fish, chicken, pork and beef — plus fare that is standard South of the Border, but not typically found on American menus: adovada, a spicy, flavored pork; beef cheek; and lengua, or beef tongue.
The tacos ranged in price from $1.75 to $2.50 for prawns. Each comes with the promise of toppings such as onion, radish, fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.
There are five small tables, fluorescent overhead lights and the kind of ambience you’d expect to find a place that shares a parking lot with a gas station.
Although it’s technically “fast food,” don’t expect drive-through speeds. The lunch I ordered took about 10 minutes. It was freshly prepared and worth the short wait.
I ordered the daily special, an enchilada and tostada combo with rice and beans for $5.95. The enchilada came with a tangy red sauce and the tostada was topped with fresh lettuce.
My co-worker ordered a burrito stuffed with carnitas — or pork — and whole beans, also $5.95. She raved, calling it delicious and said, “It tasted like authentic Mexico to me.”
The lengthy menu offers a variety of burritos, including “wet burritos,” smothered with red sauce.
There are quesadillas, all sorts of combination plates and seven especialidades, or house specials. Most are Mexican treats, such as carne asada, grilled steak, or pollo con crema, bits of chicken simmered with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms in a rich, cream sauce.
Topping the menu’s price point, the chicken fajitas cost $10.25. Judging from the portions of the lunch we tried, this likely comes with enough food for two.
The next time you’re in Smokey Point and Lakewood, skip the chain restaurants and check out La Carreta. You’ll be saying, “Muchos gracias.”
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.
La Carreta
1401 172nd St. NE, Lakewood; 360-652-0984
Specialty: Mexican
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Vegetarian options: Rice and beans.
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