We went here last night and had a delicious dinner , it was nice and cozy atmosphere ..the table…read moreguacamole is a must. It was so fresh and delicious...my husband had the steak fajitas and loved it, our daughter had the burrito grande with chicken. She said it was very tasty except they put too much cheese on top of everything. The drinks were delicious and the service was quick and Hot , I would definitely recommend this place

La Carreta Mexican Restaurant is a very good restaurant for Mexican food and drink…read more Very good experience overall all. Wait staff was quick to seat us even though the restaurant was busy. The cleaned and prep tables quickly after previous people left and they had the table / booth ready in a short time. They quickly got drinks and took orders as we were ready. They followed up for refills and the food came out quick. Food was hot when it arrived our table and portions were good. Their Texas Trio Fajitas platter was good and their individual soft steak taco "street" style were excellent. Place was clean. It was too noisy for me at the bar and tables in that area. Inside the restaurant section, still loud, but not as bad as the bar area. Prices are fair. Drinks are well poured and tasted good. Overall, La Carreta is a strong recommendation and we'll be back to this location. We tried other locations and this one is the best.

Stopped in to this Mexican restaurant for dinner with my family plus the extended family (10…read moretotal). The parking lot was busy due to three restaurants in the same area but there was plenty of parking, despite some persons parking in completely ridiculous locations (like the fire lane). Upon entering, the hostess seated us at a large wooden table large enough for all of us. Our service was a team effort but all staff members were attentive and pleasant. Drinks remained full and due to the time it took to get our food (slow for a Mexican place) we ate way too many chips and salsa bc they kept bringing them. The business was busy but there was still room for persons walking in. They have both table and booth seating with Hispanic music playing overhead at a pleasant level. Our group ordered a wide array of food from quesadillas (shrimp and chicken), kids meals with soft tacos, nachos supreme, bowls, and tacos. I opted for the Patron taco special - 4 tacos with rice and beans (asada, Al pastor, carnitas and chicken). The portions were large and filling. A great meal for a group at a fair price.

On a long drive and cruised by Lynchburg VA and stopped in Mi Patron. Coming from So Cal, Mexican…read morefood is beyond prevalent. I felt I can make a good pick. The place had good reviews so with my tongue-in-cheek, I went in and ordered. Great food!! Very, very tasty; very professionally arranged menu. I opted for the Chef's Special paired with a margarita-Muy delicioso! Very, very good food. The local Virginians don't know how good they have it. Go in-you will come out very satisfied and figuring when you can return.

Absolutely amazing!…read more Recommended by a local and we loved it! Upon arriving we noticed the beautifully designed exterior and interior as well. This place is full of details. After being seated we began to look over the menu and immediately noticed that prices. Being from out of town we were surprised to see the food reasonably priced. We even made the joke that back at home the prices would be double. Waiter was kind and attentive to our table. We ordered and food didn't take long to arrive. Another surprising thing were the food portions! They definitely know how to serve a meal. Everything was delicious! We left satisfied and wish we lived closer to come more often, but we definitely will be back when in town again. If you're in the area I highly recommend you give this place a try!

A place that comes recommended and stays this busy sets a certain expectation. Not perfection, but…read moreat least a level of care that shows up on the plate. Walking in, it felt like that expectation might be met. The room was full, the space was well put together, and the staff was handling the pace without any issues. The food didn't land there. **FOOD** We had a mix across the table. One of my kids ordered a taco salad with ground beef. Another went with the nachos. I had the chicken chimichanga with rice and beans, and my wife ordered the birria quesatacos. The taco salad showed the first problem. The ground beef came out loose and wet, almost soupy, and it never recovered from that. It threw off the entire dish and made it hard to get through. The chimichanga followed the same pattern. It looked right, but there was no real flavor behind it. It ate heavy without any balance. The rice didn't add anything, and the beans stood out for the wrong reasons. Very dark, pasty, and carrying a harsh flavor that lingered. That's a basic side, and it shouldn't be that far off. The nachos came out already soft. Not slightly softened from toppings, but fully soggy. That's something that should never make it to the table that way. The birria quesatacos were the only thing that came close to landing. They were passable, but not something you'd come back for, and not close to the best version of that dish. Across the table, three out of four dishes missed, and the fourth didn't do enough to carry anything. Nothing felt deliberate. It all came across like it was rushed out without much attention to how it actually eats. **SERVICE** Service held steady, especially with how busy the restaurant was. The staff stayed attentive, drinks were handled quickly, and everything came out in a reasonable time. No issues there. **AMBIANCE** The space is well done. It's inviting, comfortable, and built to handle a full room without feeling chaotic. It gives the impression of a place that should be more dialed in than what showed up on the table. **CLOSING** This is a frustrating one. Everything around the food points in the right direction. The problem is the one thing that matters most doesn't follow through. When most of the table struggles to get through their food, that usually tells you everything you need to know. **RATINGS** Food: * Service: **** Ambiance: **** Overall: **/*** Personal Disclaimer: I value small, independent restaurants and want them to succeed. This review reflects a single visit and may not represent every experience. EVERY RESTAURANT IS WORTH TRYING FOR YOURSELF. Go, see what you get, and be honest in how you evaluate it. I've worked as an executive chef, restaurant manager, and owner. I tend to hold places to a higher standard. Execution matters. Freshness matters. Effort shows. Cutting corners usually does too.

Great food and good service on a night when they were slammed. We still got a table with minimum…read morewait and fresh food delivered quick considering how packed they were.

Ordered from this location tonight (6-5-2025) for the first time and it will definitely be the…read morelast. I got the street taco with carnitas and when it arrived at my house, i opened it up and instead of cilantro and diced onion, there was just one huge piece of onion. The pork inside was so dry i could not chew it AT ALL. It was hard as a rock and seemed like it was scraps that stuck to the bottom of the pan that had been sitting all day. I took the onion off of it and gave it to my dog. She wouldnt eat it. I dont know whats up with this location tonight but that was literally the worst taco i have ever had in my life and whoever made it KNOWS it was not something that shouldve been served but he or she simply gave zero cares about it and sent it out anyway. LAZY.

It's what every traditional american/mexican restaurant appears to be. The service is adequate…read morealthough sometimes I feel as if they're hard of hearing, It can be a little hard to get their attention but the prices are phenomenal for lunch and the food comes out in a timely manner. The burrito fajita is great and I love this place's cheese sauce. If you want a quick lunch bite to eat, it's exactly what you would expect. I'll be back!

Cinco de Mayo is the worst day to give a review. I've been a hostess and waitress in the past so I…read moretry to give a little bit of reprieve. BUT first impressions are everything especially on a holiday when you should be prepared for high volume foot traffic. We came in and there was no one at the stand. So we patiently waited and then a woman comes forward but only to ring guests out. Totally understandable and then shortly after a gentleman seats us without menus, water, and chips/salsa. We sit for nearly 15 minutes when we lost our patience as NO ONE came to our table. We waved down a waitress to ask and she told us that she had no idea who was supposed to be waiting on our table. Coming from the restaurant industry, tables are in sections and everyone is designated to a section. It was a lame response. After another nearly 10 minutes a young man finally approaches to get our drink order. Once he came back with our drinks we were able to order our food. Food was delivered by a food runner which was fine and the food was delicious. However we did not see the waiter ever during our meal; we never got water, we didn't have a chance to order another drink and didn't have a chance to order dessert. We had to flag someone down just to get our check which would've been a lot higher had we actually had better service. The man would've also received a better tip as well. Food: 4/5 Service: 1/5 Do better and plan accordingly ESPECIALLY on holidays.

We went here for dinner with good friends and the service was very nice. The ambiance inside was…read morenice, we could hear each other speak. And the food was fine. Nothing spectacular but fine. It seems to be an ok spot for Mexican food if you're in the mood for it.

Another great meal. Enjoyed the fajitas and took some home. Staff is very considerate and…read moreefficient. Mario it was a great meal. Keep up the good work.

Wrong to go order AGAIN. Don't waste your time or money going there. They're awful…read more Couldn't even make a margarita. Had to tell the server how to make one last time I ate thete

We made our way to El Mariachi for an early dinner. My squad and I had been hiking all day and had…read morea king's thirst. Luckily the big beers were flowing and that turned out to be the exact remedy we needed. The chips and salsa were superb and it was clear the salsa was freshly made. Our meals were delivered all at once which is always convenient. There is really nothing like that fajita sizzle sound getting closer and closer to your table then placed right before you. Personally I opted for the fajita quesadillas, which I found to be a tasty blend of all the good things I love about fajitas placed in a crispy tortilla. The portions were generous and we were able to replace those calories we burned on the hike in a most delicious way. Don't sleep on the gift shop section of the restaurant either, we found some very interesting items including a sweet blue alpaca cardigan that was very well made. We will be back.

Father's Day treat! First time here, definitely not the last. Small, quaint, Mexican cuisine…read more Friendly staff, just the right amount of selections. Party of 6, opened up the place. Very welcoming, suggestions offered. My wife had the quesadilla with birria beef meat and melted cheese inside. Very nice portion, tasty with a side of dipping sauce. I had the El Gordo burrito with fries and beef inside. Nice green spicy dipping sauce, good size. Would definitely order again. Our son and his wife had tacos that were also very tasty. Worth stopping by and trying them.

Finally made it over to El Gordo's for lunch. I had tried their food truck several times and this…read morewas my first visit to their brick and mortar location in Forest, VA. Started off with the loaded queso dip and it was a great way to start off lunch. It's a cup of their queso dip topped with chorizo, peppers, and pico. For my meal I got the Quesabarria tacos. They were crispy and cheesy and definitely a great choice. Service was fast and friendly and I'll definitely be back again for more.