Downtown Reading does not get enough credit for the excellent dining options it has. Sure, places like Judy’s, the Peanut Bar, and the Ugly Oyster have built reputations for themselves over the years. But downtown Reading is so much more than the lower blocks in and around Penn Street.
One of the places we have been enjoying recently is Taqueria el Carreton.Â
The Mexican spot is located along Oley Street in the former Outlet District, taking up a pair of storefronts in a strip mall across the former Reading Outlet Center. (The off-street parking is a big plus).
Our church, Renewed Spirit, holds services not far from the taqueria. We had their food brought in for events, but earlier this year we decided to take our congregation to them as a group of more than 20 descended upon the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon after worship.
The dining area of the restaurant was more than large enough to accommodate us along with the other couples, families and groups that were dining that day. The decor is reminiscent of a Mexican courtyard with faux stone arches and a clay tiled veranda.
With a party our size, and everyone ordering off the menu, it wasn’t fast food. It took some time to get everyone’s order down as our server worked her way around our table, doing her best to answer the barrage of questions about the menu items.
But there were plenty of chips and salsa to keep us going while we waited. There were two levels of salsa: a mild red that still had some heat on the back end and the hot, but flavorful, green salsa that I enjoyed (albeit in moderation). We also had some guac delivered to the table – fresh and flavorful, it was a nice way to cool down after the infusion of heat.
Everything is made to order so there was going to be a wait no matter what – and the restaurant was doing their best to not hold up the other customers dining in and taking out. So we were more than ready for lunch by the time our meals arrived.
I ordered the chilaquiles. Chilaquiles, from what I have read, is traditionally a breakfast dish. It consists of tortilla chips that are sauteed in enchilada sauce. Those are topped with cheese and choice of meat – chicken for me.
(The breakfast recipes I’ve seen generally have eggs on top).
This was my first time having the dish (and the first time I can recall seeing it on a menu). I was thoroughly impressed. The tortilla chips were softened by the cooking process. The whole dish felt smooth to the palate. There was a little heat in the sauce, but not much, and it was countered by the creaminess of the cheese. The chicken was well-spiced and was the right choice for a topping.
And Taqueria el Carreton doesn’t skimp on portions. I ate about half the plate and happily heated up the rest for lunch the following day.
Julie got the flautas – three deep fried chicken enchiladas topped with shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream. As high as the lettuce was piled, it almost ate like a taco salad. It was just a matter of getting to the flautas underneath to find the savory chicken.
Jakob got a pair of tacos, pork with cilantro on top (he asked for no onions). He squeezed on a little of the lime juice and had the tacos done in short order.
We paid as a group, but our meals (along with my Jarritos) would have come out to about $40.
Everything we tried – and from the sounds of it, everything that our group tried – was very good. Not only would we go back, but we ordered catering from them about a month later where we enjoyed DIY tacos and enchiladas.
But we’re also excited to try even more of what the neighborhood has to offer. Across the street from el Carreton is Taqueria Jimenez. And closer to our church is Ave Maria Taqueria.
There’s more beyond that, too – Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Colombian, Haitian, and more. And I look forward to continued explorations of all of them.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $$
Taqueria el Carreton
817 Oley Street
Reading, PA 19604
