La Carreta Mexican Restaurant

I came in and stood there for 8 minutes. Waitresses were passing by but nobody offered me a table. I was alone. They only gave me a table after some family walked in.

Ok, I don’t know what happened to this place but I will not be coming back as my boyfriend and I stopped in for a burrito and ended up in fear of our safety.
We showed up and no one came to wait on us for a significant amount of time when there was only 1 occupied table in the restaurant and we could see workers doing stuff, not a big deal but just odd, almost seemed like they weren’t open but their posted hours said they were open 2 more hours and the open sign was on.
Our waitress did not speak English very well, which would be fine except that she didn’t really seem too friendly either. My boyfriend was pointing the items on the menu for her but she seemed to have difficulty reading them and it didn’t seem like she knew the menu either. She seemed irritated that I wouldn’t point out which type of soda I was trying to order on the menu but the menu just says «fountain sodas» so idk what I could have done at that point. But anyway we got our order in but it just was uncomfortable that she seemed irritated.
Then this girl came in strung out on some kind of upper and asking for their bathroom to get water allegedly for an overheated car. She came out drinking the water and yelled «SUCK D*CKS» upon exiting. Then she came back in again for more water.
Then after that, this giant dude walks in appearing strung out on drugs asking for a table for one. A worker told him no and said he was calling the police upon which the guy got mad, pulls out an American flag and starts waving it while shouting «You see this? I’m an American!!» My boyfriend had his back to him so he couldn’t see what the guy was pulling out– we were both kind of wary of a gun coming out at this point the way things were escalating. The guy then slams both the front doors closed loudly and repeatly and the entire front house staff and a patron go running after him, leaving the phone off the hook. I wasn’t super comfortable at this point with having my car in that parking lot with these drug addicts apparently roaming out there.
Then almost immediately a fight breaks out in the bar area and chaos erupts, lots of yelling and some women pushing a guy who comes out to pay in the dining area being kind of glib to the staff about their crazy patron instigating fights (I think it was his own girlfriend?) He was also wearing a gross tshirt with a sexually explicit print on it.
At this point my bf and I are just trying to leave, the drunk people are now carrying their argument into the parking lot and getting into their cars, so we get to drive into traffic with a bunch of drunk and drugged people.
Felt bad for the staff but not coming back again.

The atmosphere here is nice. The prices are reasonable, however be prepared to wait a long time before anyone waits on you after being seated and the place is usually pretty empty. The food is good and arrives pretty quickly once you order and tastes decent. The menu had a wide variety.

Very good food staff is very nice and margaritas are absolutely killer. Try the Cadillac mango margarita.

Walked into the restaurant and was ignored the first 15 minutes… finally seated and was served stale store bought tortilla chips and tasteless salsa. The whole place had a very bad funky smell and it’s filthy dirty. I can’t figure out why this place is so popular! I ordered the carne asada burrito and the meat tasted like it was rotten! I hope that I don’t get sick from this horrible dinner! There are so many other good Mexican restaurants in Portland so do yourself a favor and keep driving! At least the ice cream was decent that’s why I gave it 2 stars!

With all of the good food in Portland, how does a place like this live on? First thing: we walked in and got hit with one of the worst smells I have ever smelled. I’m afraid to think about what might have been causing that smell. It was a combination of something dead, something rotten, and something maybe in a diaper. UGH. But hey, we like to be adventurous, so we decided to stay!
Let’s just say that the rest of the experience was equally unimpressive. We stood awkwardly inside the doorway for quite a while before anyone noticed we were there. The service was incredibly slow. The prices were extremely high. The food was forgettably mediocre.
I’ll give this place two stars for a couple of reasons:
1. The service, although slow, was very friendly. Our servers were so sweet that I feel bad giving this place a bad review!
2. In spite of the «oh god what IS that smell» odor throughout the restaurant, we did not get food poisoning. That’s worth noting. :/

My husband and I absolutely love this place. It’s never crowded and the staff is very friendly. The music is like a fiesta or Mexican wedding. When they see you they bring you a basket full of authentic tortilla chips and salsa. They pour strong drinks. The bar can be popular with the younger crowd. The food is absolutely delicious. It’s exactly what you expect from an authentic Mexican restaurant. Very affordable prices. My husband and I had a 2 enchilada and chili Riano platter, a taco salad and an enchilada +2 alcoholic beverages in the entire thing was $ 34. The portion sizes were very plentiful neither of us finished our meals. Much better than the appearance from the outside. :-)

We had originally gone to the Original Taco House, and their menu was subpar and we noticed tons of packaged foods being used. So we decided to go to our usual Mexican spot, and we were definitely glad we did.
Their tortilla soup is to die for.
We just noticed that can add a side of soup to a combination meal for $ 0.99!
Definitely a killer deal.
Service is always prompt, food is always fresh and hot.

I have been coming to this place for 25 years. The food is very consistent, as well as many of the staff who I have known for a long time. I do have to say though that the restaurant could be improved a tad, and the facility could use an update.
It his highly out dated, and the carpet looks disgusting. They also use some really horrible deodorizers which reminds me of the smell of urinal cakes.
The ground beef recipe has changed recently and I find is now gross, so I have switched to chicken.
They have a Mariachi band on Friday and Saturday nights. Some great deals in the bar, and I enjoy their happy hour.

If I had ordered their actual Mexican food, I would have been sad. But I was smart. I ordered the burger. I tried a bite of two other people’s dishes, and they were terrible. Sloppy. Room temp. No one likes their food. Also, the prices are high. Even à la cartel prices were high. For example, $ 3.50 for rice; $ 13.95 for a plate of enchiladas. The service took forever. We waited over an hour for the food. I think the place is busy because of its location – definitely not because of the food.

I was hesitant about this place after reading the reviews online. I should have listened. The wait was long, the food was worse than mediocre, and the cost was high. Service was pleasant, mostly because we were as pleasant as possible. They were not engaging or attentive. They got our check wrong as well and over charged us. No reason to come back.
However, the portions were enormous so if that matters they do deliver.

this place is gross.
why wouldn’t you just drive 10 more minutes and eat at los
gorditos, por que no or the matador?

My husband and I agree that this is the best Mexican food that we have found since moving to the Pacific Northwest! The rice is moist but not sticky. I had the Chile Verde and it was fabulous! My husband had the fajitas which came with a fried jalapeño (that I stole from him) & he really enjoyed it his dinner. We’d been driving by for years but never came in because of the mixed reviews… I’m happy to say we took a chance!

Conzualas conzualas conzualas ! ! !
I’m surprised I haven’t reviewed this place before. Let me tell you they have the best conzualas and good Mexican food. Always friendly, roomy and fun to get shit faced at! Thank god for this place.

The outside of this place is not so inviting. It is a bit old and dingy but come inside and you will enter into a Mexican themed wonderland. This place is full of color. Paintings on the wall and fun colored booth seating bring on the ambiance of this place to life. The staff here is full of smiles.
The food here is actually really good. I would say it is fairly authentic except for maybe the cheese that they use. The combo plates are awesome and fairly priced. Tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chile rellanos. They have it all. I had a combo with two options. You can also get one with three. I had a chicken enchilada and a chicken taco with beans and rice. Runny refried beans were great! The taco and enchilada were good. Something about this food hit home. Cheap and good. Ice cream is included with the meal! We decided to pass but for future visits it was a nice addition.
If you have a birthday here you get an awesome sombrero and they sing for you!

Loved it. Great service — our little waiter served with a smile. Good drinks. And the 3 piece serenading Mexican band walking around to the tables was actually pretty good
We’ve been searching for REAL Tex-​mex cuisine here in Pdx with no luck. Sure there’s good Mexican new cuisine all over but we wanted the type of enchiladas swimming in red sauce and gooey cheese. This is the place! I had the chicken enchilada and chile relleno combo. $ 9.95 complete with rice and beans and Cole slaw. Free jalapeños. Free chips and salsa. Guacamole for only $ 3.00. The chicken in the enchilada was delish! Real stewed shredded chicken breast! Everything was perfect!
If you’re looking for this type of Mexican food — this is the place !

Went to this place on a Sunday night and was pleasantly surprised with $.99 margaritas — the happy hour special on Sundays — which, by the way, are pretty popular based on the number of people seated in the bar area on this night. They have different drink specials each night of the week and I will say that I was expecting my margarita to be a little light on the booze for the price but it definitely wasn’t:)
My boyfriend and I were both very happy with the service and the food. I have not been to the La Carreta in Gresham so I cannot compare the two, but this one on McLoughlin had friendly waitresses, awesome salsa, and a pretty short wait from ordering and being brought to the table. I ordered chicken fajitas which came with loooooads of peppers and onions and my boyfriend had the beef burrito which was also pretty decent in size and taste.
I love Mexican food so it’s hard for me to find too many Mexican places that I don’t like, but if you’re in the area and you want authentic tasting Mexican cuisine that does not start with «Taco» and end with «Bell» you should check this place out!

It’s Just…
This is an odd duck on McLoughlin. It’s got this wonderful charm as an old timey Mexican cantina. One of those places you went growing up with your parents and when you return as an adult you kind of go… um, hmmmmm.
Went here on request from an old friend who was back in town to visit. We got the old group of friends together and met up here. Wait staff is very friendly, and works hard to make you feel welcome. It’s pretty clean inside, and the bathrooms are decent, which I always take into account.
The food is the big sink hole here. $ 10 – 12 bucks gets you a well rounded plate, usually a combo platter of classic Mexican specials, i.e., the burrito, taco, enchilada etc. There’s a big variety and a rather large menu, but everything all tastes the same, and unfortunately, tastes like it came right out of the can, and a lot of things are re-​heated after being frozen. You can just tell nothing is fresh. So frustrating, because for the same money you can get so much better elsewhere. I had the veggie enchilada combo platter with beans and rice. Just over heated, sloppy, and the canned sauces were just a salty glue to the whole plate. Not inedible, but not too great.
The fresh made chips and salsa were the only real highlight for me here. If they would take the same approach with their entrees I think this place can be revitalized. It’s still a great place for kids, and especially good for big groups, as they have a banquet room and a lot of seating. However, like a lot of «used-​to be’s» on McLoughlin, I’m afraid La Carreta is on it’s way to being that brightly painted empty building you tell the kids, «Hey, that’s where Dad celebrated his 10^th Birthday»…and that’s about all. Sad.

I’ve been driving by this restaurant for years and I finally decided to stop this time. The parking lot always seems to be packed in the evening so I figured something good must be going on inside. I went for an early dinner to miss the crowd.
From the outside place could use some paint and clean up. When I opened the door to go inside I was hit with the heavy smell of carpet fresh. Ugh! Not good!
I was immediately seated by a waitress in a booth. The interior here was dated as well. Stucco finish walls with Spanish murals and lots of green white and red. Because when I entered it smelled like carpet fresh, of course my eyes went to the carpet. The carpet was extremely dated and was in need of a good cleaning.
I was brought chips and salsa by the chips and salsa person. The chips were warm and kind of thick, I prefer thin chips. The salsa was too liquidy for my liking and was definitely not spicy enough.
Since it was early and I still have things to do I ordered a soda and it came in a giant 24+ ounce size. Like a big gulp!
The menu was very extensive. My waiter came and I ordered the Carne Asada a la Mexicana which was one of their house specialties. It consisted of charcoal broiled skirt steak served with warm tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo and I chose to have double rice instead of rice and beans.
I receive my order within 12 minutes it was warm, fresh and delicious. The skirt steak was very good and cooked perfectly. The Mexican rice could of used a bit more flavor.
Every staff member that walked by or waited on my table had a smile on their face and was very pleasant.
2015 – 47

I really loved the feel of this restaurant. I have been driving by it for years on my way to Portland. The outside of the building looks like a tent at the circus, but the reviews were good and it is well established. We stopped by on a whim on our way back home from Portland. The environment reminded me of all of the family friendly Mexican restaurants I went to as a kid in Sacramento, California. It was a very fun and festive place.
We enjoyed some chilled Patron in the bar while several family’s in the restaurant seemed to be having a great time. The food that we tried was good. The beans tasted homemade, and the rice was nice and fluffy. My quesadilla had whole poblano peppers inside, which I loved. They did not taste roasted, and may have come from a can, but I enjoyed it anyway. The tacos were pretty good, street style, well seasoned, and had all of the fixings. The meat was slightly tough for the cut, and we only had one tortilla per taco. This tortilla fell apart and we had to ask for a few more to double up the tacos so that they could be held.
It was not a bad experience at all. Very family friendly.