Reviews La Carnita

I enjoyed every plate that we ordered at la carnita, will definitely visit again.
It has a unique menu and atmosphere.
Tacos are a bit pricey for the portion.

This trendy little place with industrial chic is easy to pass up on the exterior, but is a gem of a place on the inside where you are greeted by friendly and welcoming staff who clearly enjoy working there.

I opted for the brunch menu offering a choice of two tacos, a side and dessert for $14.99 which is great value. There are supplements for grilled fish or ceviche (both of which I chose, clearly). The food arrives impeccably presented with plenty of much needed napkins, although I would argue that the actual flavours don’t quite live up to the aesthetics. The barman was kind enough to create a mimosa for me as I wasn’t keen on the vast array of sangria they had on offer. The tangerine guava juice mixer was lovely although the bubbles were a little miserly in quantity. Dessert from ‘Sweet Jesus’ ice cream next door was a delightful treat to finish off the meal.

Overall, a good option for brunch or a meal with friends.

Super loud and busy, but the food is PHENOMENAL.  Street corn was a great option to see on the menu (and so tasty!).  The tacos were all delicious and the variety/flavour combinations were very creative.  The churros were a great way to round out the meal.

Well, because of its location, which is just next to my apt, I brought my friends with me here for lunch. The street corn, which was my favourite, tasted so juicy and crispy. The mango avocado salad was okay but I saw a lot of people were ordering this. The taco was in a quite small size for each which was great in that I can try more than one! The beef cheek one was my favourite and the yellowfin tuna one was the most creative one I have ever tried.

I came here on a Saturday evening. We were told the wait would be 20 mins but it ended up being like 5 mins which was great.

Not a fan of how noisy it is inside with the loud music and everyone having to literally yell and scream makes it even louder inside. Also it's really cold inside as well and we were upstairs not near any doors but lots of Windows. Service was lacking too and really slow but it was busy so it's excusable.

Luckily the food made up for it. I wasn't a fan of the Mexican corn but my boyfriend was. I find it was just drenched in a cream sauce that I wasn't to my liking. Chips and gauc were really good, I love the spice on the chips but wish they were warm :) I had the pork belly taco and the pollo frito and they were absolutely delicious! Full of flavour and love the sauce choices of them both.

I'm glad I tried it but I feel it's a bit overhyped.. I would probably pass up on it next time and go elsewhere.

First impression:
- super cool vibe
- music was TOO LOUD but awesome. I was so tired from straining my vocal chords to talk to my friend.

Must have:
- In Cod We Trust
- Beef Cheek
- Churro dessert (SAUCE WAS TOO GOOD)

Tips:
- reserve in advance!!!
- if you cant find a seat or the waitlist is too long, ask to sit at the bar by the stairs or at the actual bar.

Amazing experience

Had dinner here for a friends birthday and it was pretty good. We ordered the chips and three dip app (the bean dip was my favourite), Mexican corn, rock fish tacos, cod fish tacos and the ceviche tostada. I would definitely say the cod taco was better than the rock fish taco. It's a noisier spot so be prepared to be yell/talking to the people you go with.

Took me three tries to finally visit without a wait to get a table. La Carnita did not disappoint. The restaurant vibe was very urban, but eclectic. Unfortunately, staff kept changing music midway through the song and playing around with the volume.

As for the food, everything was well-seasoned and dishes were well-executed. However, I found the appetizers to be over priced. A plate of tortilla chips and one sauce cost $7.50, but for three sauces it was $14. Seems exorbitant when the number of chips even decreases when you order more sauces.

Also thought paying $8 for three small corn and rice fritters was a bit much. Could have had at least five to make it worth my while.

Value for cost aside, I would return and still recommend La Carnita. It's a hip joint with yummy dishes.

Went here for an impromptu dinner. Very cool atmosphere. Music is good (though this isn't the place to have a quiet evening). The staff are friendly and helpful. And the food is very very good. The corn on the cob is fantastic and a very good way to start the meal. The tacos are flavourful too. Definitely worth a visit if you're up for a casual taco dinner.

Loved the space! A lot bigger than their College st location.
While the tacos were awesome (In Cod We Trust never will disappoint) we were given a time limit on our seating. After paying our bill our server prompted us to leave. Understandably we were done and it was getting busy but I always hate being rushed through any dining experience!

I’ve had La Carnita on my list for a while but the dinner only hours and location has made it a bit difficult so I was happy to hear that a location opened at the more convenient intersection of King and John and that it was actually open for lunch. I made my way over shortly after not realizing it had just opened the Saturday before.

The layout is quite impressive. The two-floor trendy and nicely decorated interior offers a bar area on both levels and abundant seating. Unlike other snack bars, there is a good amount of breathing room so those with varied degrees of claustrophobia or agoraphobia can rest a little easier. I was quickly seated at the bar and handed a menu. Normally there is a good draft selection but since the place had just opened the taps were not working properly so I ordered the “Who shot ya?” cocktail instead. At this point I had no idea that this was the La Carnita signature cocktail which was developed by a bartender at the original location and has survived the test of time. A twist on a bourbon sour, it was a simple offering with great contrasting flavours including a stinging ginger and a sweet/sour pomegranate syrup.

The menu is taqueria style with a few apps thrown in. The also feature a special of the day which was a chorizo/kale empanada. I was all over it and I added a carnita and crispy cotija taco to the mix as well. From a visual, taste and texture perspective they were all brilliant. Punches of heat, sweet, crunchy and chewy were present in every bite and I was tempted to scoop up every morsel that fell into the tin tray. For example, the crispy cheese with the cauliflower and pinto beans garnished with a bit of pickled carrot was tastebud blowing and the pork confit in the carnita was melt in your mouth. Not quite satisfied, I had to try the special taco of the day;chicken fried steak. The thought of stuffing this ridiculous southern delicacy into a taco shell was very appealing to me and it paid off. The outside was crispy, and the inside was tender and still a bit pink. Once again, the accompaniments were a perfect balance of all things good…kind of like a good shot of Smurfberry juice while building a catapault. Other than forgetting the empananda the first time around, the rest of the food was served within what seemed seconds after I ordered.

Despite the one service hiccup and the volatile beer taps, La Carnita was a slam dunk. The days of the stagnancy of King street eateries may be coming to an end. No longer are the only choices those which require an invitation from a disgruntled maitre d’ standing on the sidewalk waving a 15 year old pre-theatre menu in your face. Instead, La Carnita offers a welcoming environment with great booze, a cool modern vibe and terrific food served fast and fresh.