Oxford, Miss. (TLV) – Tienda El Carreton, a taco shop with a café style dining room, is located on North Lamar, in an area of town that is experiencing a small business boom. The TLV staff had lunch there recently and the minute I stepped through the front door I experienced sensory overload of the best kind.
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he walls are painted day-glo orange and lime green. There are piñatas for sale hanging near the door that feature the Disney Princesses and SpongeBob SquarePants. The air is rich with the smell of savory spices, and the sound of rapid fire Española from a TV in the corner tuned to Telemundo is a nice change of pace from elevator music. An assortment of rosaries hang from a rack over glass counters containing toiletries and playing cards.
The taco shop doubles as a Mexican grocery, and they have a variety of foods, spices, and snacks for sale; ground chili, anise leaves, whole saffron, lemon grass, as well as tamarind, peanuts, fried chickpeas, and mango slices coated in chili. They also sell Mexican Coke, the kind made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, and fruity Jarritos drinks in frosty glass bottles. A small table near the restrooms is covered in flowers, candles, and Catholic statuary, if you find yourself needing to pray a novena. If you’ve misplaced your favorite mariachi CD, they sell those too, along with a variety of authentic western wear.
The food made on premises is delicious. The menu consists of a variety of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, as well as a Mexican stew. Nature was the only one brave enough to try a beef tongue taco, and she said the meat was “tender and flavorful.” Becky had a steak and chorizo quesadilla, and Newt opted for a burrito so huge he could only finish half.
Stop in and check out Tienda el Carreton on your lunch break soon, or take your family there for dinner. You won’t be disappointed.
This article was published in The Local Voice #158 (June 14-28, 2012)…Click here to download the PDF of issue #158.
