Carreta's is the closest thing I have to a "local"--the place where I go after my shift at the post…read moreoffice to drink watery, domestic beer and make slightly inappropriate remarks to the waitstaff. My parents eat there on the reg, though not so much the past couple of years, after they implemented their controversial policy of shrinking portion sizes and increasing prices at the same time. Uh, whose idea was that? I have an idea. Let's just say he's not very good at riding a bicycle. I've eaten there literally a million times since it opened up 10 or 15 years ago. Before that, we used to eat at the place in Olivette that was once a Ponderosa, El Paisano or whatever. I don't think they're related, but when that place closed, a handful of employees came over to Carreta's. That was years ago, and they're now long gone. Hopefully, they weren't shipped off to El Salvador. I hear it's not safe there. More recently, we've been eating at a place a bit further west on Olive that was once a Houlihan's. Noticing a trend? Carreta's must be feeling the effects, because they've remodeled and added a few new menu items, some of which will be familiar to Barrel House patrons. The remodel seems to mostly have been a matter of applying a fresh coat of paint and turning the dim switch up to its absolute brightest. It used to be dark in there, like at a fancy restaurant. Now it's like Kmart circa 1986. I didn't check to see if a blue light had been installed in the ceiling, nor did I make it back to near the restrooms to see if they've still got that influencer wall. The menu has been reprinted, and I'm sure they took advantage of the opportunity to jack up prices even further. Many of the old favorites remain, and I'm not sure what, if anything, they removed to make room for the small handful of new items. I saw that they still have the carnitas, my old go-to. It's the only pork item on the menu. If you're familiar with the area, you can probably do the math on that one. Most importantly, they've added Birria, only about 10 years after it became trendy. What's next, a smashburger? A pumpkin spice latte? I've had Birria at a number of places, here in the STL and elsewhere, and in a few different preparations, and it's never not been good. It kinda is the Mexican food equivalent of the smashburger, in that regard. An order of three will run you $16, and it doesn't come with anything other than the consommé and a ramekin of tomatillo salsa. Just the three tacos wasn't the most filling meal I've ever had, but it wasn't half bad, for there not being any sides or anything. They stuff those tacos full with mostly just meat (along with cheese, onions and cilantro), and I'd imagine it's roughly as caloric as eating half the produce aisle at the grocery store. It's so good. I figured it would be kinda mediocre but nevertheless enjoyable, because I thought I had this place pegged, but credit where credit is due. They've exceeded expectations. This was one of the best things I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant. If they don't let the quality slip or try to charge literally $1,000 for it, I could honestly see it becoming a huge hit. What do you know? This place might manage to stay in business just yet, despite the newer, fancier place down the street.

In my search for the best birria I stumbled upon Carrera's…read more Fried corn tortilla, juicy but can't say my #1 Very beautiful space in small shopping center off Olive. Could be hard to locate. Best for a quiet date night

This is our most favorite Mexican restaurant in St Louis! The weekend they have aguas frescas! Like…read moretoday we had horchata and fresa! The service is great especially when you get chips and salsa when you order! And there is plenty of seating and usually it's a seat your self setting. So come pick your favorite seat!

My sister and I had such a great time for Taco Tuesday. We both enjoyed a large Cadillac Margarita…read moreand the Birria Tacos and they were so good. I can't wait to visit again. Our waitress Angelica was delightful. The other guests were really nice and seem to be having a great time as well. The restaurant is a quaint place with a full bar.

Love this place for authentic food and drinks! They have so much to choose from. Plenty of indoor…read moreseating. Delicious food & fast service. They normally play music which is a vibe!

Casual taqueria on north Lindbergh near Whitehall Manor. I had Al pastor and asada tacos which…read morewere marinated to perfection, fresh, and brought out promptly and hot! Tequila focused bar at the front, and there was a DJ playing Mexicano music videos on the sound system. Will definitely be back to try some of the other offerings! Great service!

I should have stopped in this place long ago. And while I debated reviewing it cause they are…read moreplenty busy and I kind of want to keep it to myself I worry that someone out there like me needs this places as badly as I did. When I moved to STL well over a decade ago I bemoaned the lack of good Latin American food. I have since found a lot of good places that I love but I didn't realize til I was eating my lunch how big a gap was still there. I ordered tacos al pastor -- a favorite since I was in Sonora years ago and ate them multiple days in a row cause this street vendor was amazing. I order them a decent frequency but I now realize I haven't been truly satisfied til today. Seriously, I am wondering how quickly I will be back because these were incredible. Al pastor is a unique flavor profile and it goes in-depth, these folks GET IT! I took a bite and absolutely closed my eyes as I chewed because this was the al pastor I so often miss. I ordered two tacos al pastor and one asada. They came the Mexican way, simple onion and cilantro which I asked to clarify as recently I ordered street tacos and found them served with lettuce and cheese and was not happy. These were perfect. The steak was good but man I needed those al pastor tacos! Two would have been plenty and at $3 each what an inexpensive lunch! Other reviews mention lots of the other things that touch on the restaurant: - they have sections by country for Salvadoran, Honduran & Mexican foods - customers are mostly Central American, a combination of families and work crews - it is Spanish speaking by and large for staff and customers. - it's bare bones, simple tables and chairs, coolers with drinks and very few bottles behind the bar/register - chips were good (thick not too salty) with red and green sauces, the green was a bit hot for me but I mixed a bit into the red. I am so going back and hope to stay in the minority with English as my first language. They speak the language of slow cooked flavor!

My husband and I just moved here from LA, and we've been searching for some authentic Salvi-Mex…read morefood that reminds us of home. So far, this has been the best we've found in the area! The tacos and pupusas were SO good, and the servers were very kind and attentive. We got the asada and pastor tacos, pupusas revueltas, torta especial and horchatas! First off, it's so hard to find a place that makes their tortillas in-house, so that was already a huge plus! The curtido and salsa for the pupusas were also really good. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. I also saw some reviews complaining that some of the servers only speak Spanish, but honestly, that's part of why I'm writing this review. This place is AUTHENTIC -- authentic food and an authentic experience. As Salvadoran and Mexican people ourselves, this is exactly the kind of place we've been looking for. If a language barrier makes you uncomfortable, there are plenty of more Americanized/gentrified Latin food places around. But if you want the actual good, authentic food, this is the place! We'll definitely be coming back!

the food was so good I almost forgot to take any photos. both salsas fresh and fantastic. the spice…read morein the green one has my mouth still watering. the slaw that came with the pupusas is to die for. the fish tacos are perfect. the thick hot fish paris nicely with the juicy fresh slaw. the best part of the entire meal was the rice. it's so fluffy and delicious. I could live off that alone for a good month and be satisfied

Friendly, small, casual business. Everything was tasty flavorful. Server checked in often and was…read morepolite and nice. Small dining room but it works. No complaints.

Such a fun atmosphere, great food, and a great patio spot when the weather is nice…read more Leah was our server and she was very knowledgeable and make great recommendations! S

This was a cool place and I can see what all the buzz is about. The host greeted us promptly and…read morethere was a little wait since it's trending right now. Multiple people have told me about Tonas so I was interested to see why. The food was amazing and the cocktails were perfection. Right balance of everything in our Cadillac margaritas. This made girls night even better and I would highly recommend due to food, service and drinks.

The tacos look fresh and full of flavor! I love places that offer creative dishes with a casual and…read morewelcoming atmosphere. This looks like a fun spot to try.

Taco Buddha is one of those spots that just makes sense. Fresh tacos? Yes. Fresh margaritas? Also…read moreyes. Put them together & there's really not much left to discuss. Tacos were fresh, full of flavor & there's enough variety that the whole family can find something. Ordering through the QR menu was quick and easy, and the patio is definitely a plus -- especially since it's dog friendly. Parking is street parking along Pershing/nearby, so you may have to walk a little when it's busy. Good food, fresh margaritas, casual atmosphere + you can bring the dog?! Easy addition to your lunch, brunch, or dinner rotation.

One of our favorite Mexican spots. Great food and margaritas. Staff is very welcoming.read more

We order take out from here and love it! We love their cheese sauce, beef tacos , beef nachos and…read morechicken fingers and fries. This is family friendly and delicious. of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the area.

Excellent tacos, friendly service, and outstanding quality…read more The tacos were fresh, authentic, and great. The salsa was absolutely spectacular and made completely from scratch. Bottom line: Great food, great people, and a place I'll gladly return to. Highly recommended! I showed our age when I asked if this place had been a Pizza Hut in years past. On hampton ave building is funky. Owner was very nice and asked if we'd ever been before. Canned etc soda. Habanero salsa was amazing.

Food is always delicious. Love the tacos. Always consistent. I can lie though the price is just…read morewhat brings it down. I understand that meats can be expensive but honestly $6 for the alambre taco each. And keep in mind these are small. There is no way meat is this expensive for it to equal $6 a taco. Just for there to not even be a lot of meat. I like coming here I just don't really come because I can go to a taco stand or truck to get bigger tacos with more meat. Honestly though I would say it is worth a visit coming. But also charging for water (not in bottle) is a little crazy. Please make that on the house.

The Ambiance is really well done, the service is always great, the food is really excellent. It's…read moreour go-to place right nearby. Excellent!

We came here for lunch and I ordered the flautas and I got 2 with beef and 2 with chicken. The beef…read moreflautas were my favorite. I dipped the flautas in the sour cream and guacamole. Great flavors. The chicken flautas had shredded chicken and some of the chicken was a little chewy. I think they need to chop the shredded chicken and it would have made it a lot more enjoyable. We received very friendly and prompt service. It was my friend's birthday so they brought him a good size bowl of ice cream with honey and whipped cream. It was very good. This restaurant has a friendly vibe.