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

The first thing you notice when you walk into Arzola's is how welcoming and upbeat the staff is - I…read morehad always felt it at Benton Park but was delighted to find that same energy is in St. Charles (shout out to the general manager Selina for transferring the good vibes)! Best fajitas in town! Both the steak and chicken are succulent - they melt in your mouth. Charro beans and queso are delicious. The chips are light and crisp, and the salsas are fresh and flavorful. The ambience is fabulous at both locations and you can even bring your pup to dine with you on the patio. Such a fantastic spot!

We still love this place! I'm not sure how many times we've been here over the past few years, but…read morewe've never had a negative experience here. My husband and I have been here a number of times, we've brought our (adult) daughters and their partners, out of town visitors, and we've recommended it to friends. Some of our friends went on our recommendation and enjoyed it. Again, I have to say that we love the vibe, the staff, and the food - probably equally! We sat out on the covered patio last night. It was pretty hot out, but the cover and the fans made it feel okay out there. We ran into neighbors as we were leaving. It's about 35 minutes from our house and we have never seen anyone we know there. They were enjoying it as well! The only negative I can think of is the restroom situation. There is one restroom with one toilet - plan ahead! There's usually a line. We'll definitely be back!

First visit, wow!!! how did I not know about this place. Incredible food, incredible atmosphere and…read moreincredible service. We made reservations since it was Father's Day. Seated upon arrival. Finally, a restaurant that doesn't try to shove 5 people at a table for 4, they put 2 tables together. We so appreciated that. Waited on immediately. Love the atmosphere of this restaurant, beautiful, quiet, and very colourful design style. The food is another level. Chips warm and tasty, 2 salsas both flavourful and with a kick! Everyone ordered something different. 3 of us took food home the portions are so large. Every plate was beautiful in preparation and as we sampled each other's we discovered amazing and unique flavours. I can't wait to return here, this is an absolute dining pleasure.

I have been to this restaurant at least ten times. Today, I invited two people to celebrate a…read morebirthday. We sat outside on the patio. The patio was filled with flies and bees. A second waitress that we spoke to told us that there were a lots of flies and bees at this time, and a lot of customers that did not like to sit outside because of this. I wish that we had been forewarned. We spent our entire meal swatting flies and bees away. We ordered a $35 pitcher of Skinny Margaritas and a fly landed in it and contaminated it. I brought it inside thinking they would exchange it for another. The waitress brought out a cloudy pitcher with the exact same amount of margaritas. We all concluded that she fished out the fly and brought it back to us. It was a disgusting and unacceptable move. The pitcher was not crisp and clean, so it was obvious this was not a " new" pitcher with the exact same amount of margarita. I spent over $100 and I was truly disappointed and embarrassed this time because I had bragged so highly about the restaurant. Also, the waitress was inattentive and we had to go inside three different times to ask for things. In summation, it is generally a good restaurant , but we had a very bad experience because of this waitress.

I like this place a lot! I hope it finds success here. We were sat very quickly, they have indoor…read moreand outdoor seating. The staff was very kind and attentive. The menu was vast and they had a large drink menu and full bar. We got a margarita pitcher, peach flavored, which was very good. We got tacos, a chicken quesadilla, and fajitas. All were excellent, we will definitely be coming back!

I have been here twice but this is about my most recent visit (08/2026). I am not the margarita…read moreimbibing guy I used to be, so I'm not the best authority on that part. My friend and I stopped here for a last minute drinks and dinner. We each had the house special, I think it was called the Cadillac margarita with salted rim, iced not frozen, and we got the jumbo. OMG I couldn't even finish the jumbo. It was very strong and big, had to take it home to try and finish it. A wait staff dropped off chips and salsa and the chips were just not that good. I asked my friend what she thought and she said the same thing I did. The salsa did help but if I opened my own Mexican place I would serve the best chips I could find. I know they're free but many places offer some kind of free snack (Helen's has popcorn, some places still offer salted peanuts...) and I think it should make one think the chips are good the food will be better. As I was drinking I wanted some food and we got two chicken burritos, they were large and very good!! They were 2 for $14 if that gives an idea on cost. While I live just a few minutes from here, I haven't seen enough in 2 visits to say I'll keep coming here for Mexican, there are many other places in South St Louis to try. Oh and I swear the bar "stools" are big enough for two people. I probably look comical on one as my friend and I may have been able to fit into one stool.

Food very good, plenty of gluten free, I've never had a reaction as a Celiac diva. The service was…read morefabulous, prompt, and friendly. 10/10 will continue to go again and again. Pancakes are banging. Brunch very good. beautiful surroundings, beautiful plants, lovely patio. Shout out to Michael. King

Sooooo I could probably indulge in this happy hour every single day after work if I had zero self…read morecontrol. Do yourself a favor and check out this HH soon if you never have! The online ordering on the patio couldnt have been quicker/easier. The giant basket of chips & tray of dips was around $7 and the margaritas were $4.50. These are great margs - not overly sweet with cheap sweet & sour. And you can add a tajin rim! I couldn't decide which dip was my favorite...probably need to go back again soon to reassess... ;)

The food was good. The margarita was very good. Customer service was on point and the dining room…read morewas clean. I'll visit again!

Mariachis is a great place if you want to get some good Mexican food with some friends or a loved…read moreone. First off the waiters were nice, great and always making sure we were doing well, and helping us with our refills. Very super nice, they made the experience well worth. For the food, the appetizers were very good, especially the Fiesta Platter. The chicken wings served was well seasoned and the quesadillas were a standout for me. Definitely a must if you have a crowd of 2-4 people who are hungry! The Carne Asada they gave out was HUGE. We loved it, and it was seasoned well, would definitely order that again whenever I visit. The Fajita Burrito was huge as well, stuffed with steak, rice and more cheese, it was a delicious and flavorful fight to go against when taking that burrito on. The fajitas sizzling at the bottom was really good too, great to get the vegetables in! As for the area, the place looked nice, giving a traditional late night vibe that makes you feel welcomed when entering in. Would come back! Loved everything about it.

I was in town with friends and this restaurant did not disappoint. The food was so amazing I had…read morethe quesadillas. The chicken flavor was delicious, the chips were good and fresh when they came out, the salsa was good a little spicy but as we know salsa at any restaurant is hit or miss on spice but my other friends thought it wasn't. The drinks did not disappoint had a watermelon mixed w/pineapple margarita. Perry, was very nice and attentive to our table and his other tables while I observed. This is a small restaurant but they check all the marks we were greeted when we arrived at the door with smiles and kindness which is always a great start so I didn't expect anything less. Five stars lol no, 10 is appropriate EAT HERE DO NOT PASS THEM BY! *Perry was an awesome waitress* Thank you for taking care of us!!

Very good visit that was highlighted by our server, Maricela. She was so friendly and knowledgeable…read moreof the menu. My vegetarian wife had the Bean Tostada and I had the Chicken Fajitas. My wife loved her tostada and my fajitas were good...not great. The chicken seemed to not have a lot of flavor. The Margarita's on the ricks were good...again, not great. What is odd it that I was charged for Vegetarian Fajitas as well. I did not look at my receipt until I was 2,000 miles away. The Manager of Chavas credited my Visa was he informed of the issue. Again, Maricela was key in rectifying the issue. Chavas was very good and we would return if in the area.

Great authentic Mexican food!!! We went on Cinco de Mayo and it was of course packed, but we were…read moreable to get in and the food was fabulous! Highly recommended! And the margaritas are STRONG....

Great food, get the soup.Margaritas are just so so. Service was good. And place was really clean.read more

It's been a few weeks since I had any pocket cash to go out to eat... so I decided to pick a food…read moresource at random for a Saturday afternoon, and I'm SO GLAD I did... You know how they say one of the best things about Mexico is the food? I have to admit, I would honestly wouldn't know and just have to trust the stories I've heard, as I've never been lucky enough to go to Mexico.... But all my life I've heard stories about people who go and basically remind you.. NEVER hit a restaurant for _authentic_ Mexican food. You want to hit the street vendors. Well, St. Louis has a fantastic surprise.. Now you can do that right here in the city! Part of a three-restaurant set up, Amigo Sole is the "street vendor" restaurant that's not on the street. (And having met the owner of the full set-up, I'm REALLY hoping i get invited to the grand opening of Jekyll & Hyde) As it was middle of the day Saturday, I didn't ask for anything alcoholic (so i don't know if the reviewer that asked for alcoholic beverages and was told they didn't have any was just unlucky or if it was true.) But I'll take a Mexican Coke over American Coke any day of the week (NO, get your minds out of the gutter.. not that powdered one!). Anyway, I went simple for a quick stop, and went with the Chicken Bomb. at the recommendation of the cashier and he was quick to name this one off.. (and always remember cashiers, have a favorite READY, so thumbs up to the cashier on this one!) . And then to my amazement.. no more than 5 minutes later, HOT, tasty, cheesy, chicken quesadilla style BOMB-diggity! (Ironically this one is not listed on the website menu, only the instore menu? Come on Sole, online is everything today :) ) Absolutely delicious food.. and absolutely messy too, as it literally would fall apart in my hands.. (HEY, that's a good thing!) As for the decor.. 100% true, as Amigo Sole definitely has SOUL! (and lots of soles!). Again Amigo Sole isn't designed to be a 'great sit down' restaurant, it's designed to be street-vendor FUN!!!! and with what decoration they have, it pulls it off fantastically in my opinion. So just based on my meal, what the owner told me about the Amigo Sole, you're getting EXACTLY what you're promised a Mexican street vendor serving fantastic Mexican street vendor food, only with a roof over your head the entire time. During the meal, met again (Who i believe to be) the owner of the store and talked with him about Amigo Sole and how amazing it was to me... and he told me about the three-restaurant combination. (And I apologize sir, but I completely forgot your name when we talked!). even mentioning they share three kitchens when it gets busy (so I was kinda lucky as i think the rain scared everyone out for the day), but I'm still hoping for the Jeckyll & Hyde invitation! (I'll even pretend to find a date if I have to for the upscale part!)

Wow! Definitely what we were looking for and hoping it would be! You know how you see a dish and…read morethen go try it out and it is nothing like what you thought it would be??? NOT HERE!! Everything was hot, fresh, cheesy, spicy! Not one disappointing experience. Service was quick. We dined in, its small but big enough and Soo cute with a fun laid back vibe. Can't wait til return!

This was the most mid Mexican food I have ever had. The dining room didn't have air conditioning on…read morewhen we first came in on a Sunday afternoon, but I guess they decided to switch it on while there were people pulling out hand held fans and wiping their sweat off. I am assuming the heat inside was why there were grease/sweat patches on the edge of the table I was seated on. The birria tacos were very average, the rice that came with it was absolutely bland and the pastor enchiladas were alright but the meat was mostly charred. The horchata was so dilute, I couldn't taste anything. The only saving grace were the chips and salsa - especially the salsa. Overall, this is a pretty overpriced place for below average food.

This is probably the best Mexican food I've ever had. The serving sizes were HUGE and the food was…read moreabsolutely delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. I wasn't a huge fan of the salsa but it filled me up and was tasty enough. The ambiance is absolutely beautiful! You can see there is so much culture in this place and the staff was super friendly. I saw some other people having issues with staff but that wasn't my experience. DOWNSIDE they don't currently have their liquor license . I don't know what the issue is and quite frankly it was a bummer. That's the only reason I gave them a 4 . The food was so good I honestly didn't mind too much though. Had an amazing time. 100% recommend.