La Carreta — Restaurant in Lafayette

My friend and I ate here at 5.45pm on Friday, 7 June 2024 based on the recommendation of an art dealer in the Downtown area.

We ordered a Street Corn (Elote) starter between us. The 3 mini corns came on sticks smothered in what our waitress said was Mexican Cotija cheese. They were not as spicy as you might get on a street in Mexico but they were nonetheless enjoyable.

My friend's barbacoa and chicken tacos were perfectly acceptable, albeit she felt that the chicken was tough and dry.

I enjoyed my crispy chicken flautas but had the same comment about the chicken.

Overall we were quite happy about the food and service.

The only issue we had was when the bill came with an added "Dual Price" service charge which worked out at 3.65% of the food and drinks. I refused to pay the fee because it was not disclosed before the transaction was completed. There was no signage at the entrance, on the menu, or at the point of sale indicating the surcharge. It's also a breach Visa and Mastercard rules about surcharges which require that surcharges are clearly disclosed.

I offered to pay by credit card, debit card or cheque. The waitress said that they would charge the same amount for using a debit card and the manager said that they don't accept checks; but he agreed to remove the charge (see copy bill as proof).

This is a very bad policy because the fees that banks charge restaurants for processing debit card transactions are typically lower than those for credit card transactions. These fees can vary based on several factors, including the type of debit card used, the payment network, and the specific agreement between the restaurant and the payment processor:

Interchange Fees: These are fees paid by the restaurant's bank (the acquiring bank) to the cardholder's bank (the issuing bank). For debit card transactions, interchange fees are generally lower than for credit cards. They usually consist of a small percentage of the transaction amount plus a flat fee. For example:Visa and Mastercard debit card transactions often have interchange fees ranging from 0.5% to 0.8% of the transaction amount plus a flat fee of $0.15 to $0.22 per transaction.For regulated debit cards (issued by banks with over $10 billion in assets), the fees are capped by the Durbin Amendment in the Dodd-Frank Act at around 0.05% plus $0.21 per transaction, with an additional $0.01 for fraud prevention.

Payment Processor Fees: These are additional fees charged by the payment processor for handling the transaction. They can vary widely but are typically a small percentage of the transaction plus a flat fee. For example, a processor might charge 0.2% to 0.5% plus $0.10 per transaction.

Assessment Fees: These are fees charged by the card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) for using their networks. For debit card transactions, assessment fees are usually a small fraction of the transaction amount, such as 0.11% for Visa.

Total Cost: When combined, these fees typically result in an effective rate of around 0.5% to 1.5% of the transaction amount for debit card transactions. The total cost can be lower for regulated debit cards and slightly higher for unregulated or premium debit cards.

For a $50 debit card transaction:

Interchange fee (regulated debit card): $0.05 + $0.21 = $0.26.

Payment processor fee: 0.3% + $0.10 = $0.25

Assessment fee: 0.11% of $50 = $0.055. Total fee: $0.26 (interchange) + $0.25 (processor) + $0.055 (assessment) = $0.565. So, for a $50 transaction, the restaurant might pay around $0.565 in total fees, which is approximately 1.13% of the transaction amount.

So they're is no justifification for the restaurant to charge the same fee for a debit card transaction and the manager should have accepted my offer to pay by...

4.75 ⭐️ ¡Me encanta un poco de comida mexicana!

(We decided to try La Carreta, which means "The Road" in English. This place is nice and comfy. I was excited about the outside/inside patio area when entering. I did not go past the doors into the main entrance. I noticed the calming music, not too loud nor rowdy. The music gave me the feeling that the station was in English. I assumed the genre would have been Soft Rock. I appreciate a great waiter/waitress. One who is well-groomed with visibly clean hands and uniforms, confident when approaching our table, and has a genuine smile. A great service is set apart by being knowledgeable about the menu items and offering suggestions to help make the best choices. A server who upsells understands how to increase revenue. A great server allows time to decide and checks with us frequently; nevertheless, the server should not forget about her tables, nor should one be nagging and lingering. We were fortunate to have immediately encountered this type of service from a young lady who fits the profile aforementioned. I am sorry to have forgotten her name. I will always remember her beautiful smile coupled with the confidence she wore. ¡Excelente servicio, La Carreta La Carreta! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Would you go out for Mexican and not order a margarita? I surely would not! Besides, YES, YOU DO WANT A MARGARITA from here! They were not too strong but not cheap tasting! I only enjoyed one because it was lunchtime. Next time I will make it my business to return during dinner time to be able to indulge in 𝙳𝙾𝚂 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙶𝙰𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙰𝚂- 𝙻𝙾𝙻👌🍸 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝘀(𝘀𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀). "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗶𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!" 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘀, 𝗟𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀! 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗱. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Brochettes- Stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon. Served with queso, fresh hand-cut veggies, and rice.

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘀, 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗼, 𝗼𝗿 as you'd say: Bacon wrapped shrimp. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗟𝗔 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗔 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧!!! 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱! 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁! 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘇𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀; 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗜'𝗠 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗭𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗜!! 😔 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗧𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗔 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱. 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼...

The food was great .but the service was horrible. We got there and was seated .it took seventeen minutes to a drink ,it took another 20 minutes to order our appetizers and entre. It took another 20 to 25 min. For our appetizers to come out ,which our entre came along with it .I was being as patient as can be since they said they were short handed. The resturant was steady but not over busy. When my fiestas came out the pan wasn't steaming and I had a soup as my app, so I push the soup aside to eat my meal.my boyfriend didn't get his appertizer the waitress gave it to the other table that came after us. Three tables came after us ,couples of two and one child they got their drinks ,chips and orders,in like 15 to 20 min. The waitress we had was so focus on a big table on the side of us to were our food got cold because she started to take their order I was upset them I got the bus boy to bring me a glass of water. When she finally came around ,I told her I was upset because I watched her take the table of ten order, ours had been placed .take to other table orders and the got their food drinks and ticket before we did. I didn't even eat it all I boxes it up by asking a male waiter to get 2 boxes. She came and we ask for out ticket ,never came back .so we ask the man for our ticket. I eat out a lot and this was the most unacceptable service i ever had .My boyfriend wrote in the ticket ,service was bad. We should have just got up and left. But the food was a 5 star but because of the way we were served on I will never go back and I told a few friends about our exprenice. And I'm not the one to down a resturant the I just have. The sad thing they said it had to be bad because you never talk or rarly talk bad about a resturant ....