Las Carretas
Las Carretas may not have a swanky 32789 area code, but it does reside in the Eastern part of Winter Park. I’ve never spoken about a Mexican restaurant that boasts such positive reviews from, almost, 1,000 satisfied customers. With over 800 reviews, Las Carretas brags a whopping 4.9 out of a possible 5 stars on Google. I must say, their rating is VERY well deserved. Obviously, you don’t have to take my word for it but rather the words of 875 other customers, at the time of this review, who feel the same. I’m quite confident that you will too.
Las Carretas Is A Wormhole to Mexico
I, almost, don’t know where to begin. When you walk in, the music, smells from the kitchen, and sight of food and cocktails are all present and amplified. Las Carretas is packed with happy patrons grubbing down and enjoying GIANT margaritas. The décor reminds you of a Mexican restaurant immediately from the artwork and murals on the walls. It’s one of those places that you HAVE to go back to because there’s so many, delicious looking, items on their menu. It’s impossible to leave without having an idea what you’re going to order on your next visit. I was already planning my next visit before my entree came out. Las Carretas has an absurd amount of authentic Mexican dishes, beers, and other cocktails.
Local, Fresh, Mexican… Las Carretas
From their website, it’s very clear that Las Carretas is dedicated to high quality ingredients and only serves the best of the best ingredients in their dishes. They state “We are firm believers that the best food can only be made with the freshest ingredients. That’s why we only use the best of the best!” they also state that they are 100% Mexican with a quote ”Our dishes come from years and years of tradition and experience. Las Carretas is the combination of our love for food and our Mexico lindo y querido!” You can tell that both statements are true the first time that you take a bite from your plate.
Chimichangas For Life
If you’ve read any of my previous food reviews, you may remember that I am a fan of chimichangas. Of course, I love street tacos on corn tortillas, quesadillas, fajitas, torta’s, burritos and tortilla soup but chimichangas are my absolute favorite. My order consisted of a Modelo with lime, queso fundido, bean/salsa dip, and the beef chimichanga. Wow! I’ve never had bean dip as delicious as what I experienced from Las Carretas. It hit me as a bean dip mixed with salsa, I could be wrong but that’s what I got out of it. I had to go back for refills at their salsa bar a few times. I order queso fundido every chance I get, and I was not disappointed with what I was served. If you’re unaware, queso fundido is a queso dip with ground or chopped chorizo. It is phenomenal; who doesn’t love meat and cheese right?
The chimichanga was the star of the show. The ground beef was seasoned perfectly, there wasn’t so much as a dash of seasoning more than there should have been. It was lightly fried to the point that the flour tortilla was just crispy enough on the outside and then smothered in piping hot queso blanco. I’m telling you all, it’s awesome. THIS is the best chimichanga I’ve had in town. Hands down. The rice, the refried beans, everything was phenomenal. In fact, the only place on their menu that lists chimichangas is under a small portion titled “Favoritos”. I am not the only fan of their chimichangas by a long shot. I’m a positive guy when it comes to food, but Las Carretas truly lives up to the hype. This is one restaurant that you MUST try for yourselves. Please have a look at their menu here.
From The Bar
Las Carretas doesn’t have a shortage of alcohol. They have a pretty sweet happy hour that people seem to love. I’m a beer guy so they’re extensive list of import and domestic beers is a blessing. Also, they have giant margaritas. You can order your margaritas in a pitcher as well, which seem to be the popular opinion judging from scanning the room on my last visit. They’re definitely worth an order.
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