Back in August 2022, I reported on a food cart pod that was in development on the former site of the La Carreta Mexican Restaurant. Turns out, it’s happening! They have named it Brooklyn Caretta and the plan is to open the pod in the first quarter of 2025.
Progress on Brooklyn Carreta
I reached out to Garner Moody at Lloyd Development, which owns and is developing the property, and he updated me on the project. First, he confirmed that this is indeed the same pod I covered in 2022. “Since then, we’ve made significant progress,” he explained. “We’re now 60% through construction and aiming for a grand opening in February.”
Their vision is to establish Brooklyn Carreta as the premier food cart pod in Portland. “While many pods excel in food quality, they often fall short on amenities,” he remarked, “leaving customers wanting more. We’re changing that.”
Changes include:
- 18 top-tier food cart vendors.
- 26 parking stalls with two mobile delivery spots.
- Spacious interiors with high ceilings—5,442 sq ft of dining space.
- Courtyard dining with heaters.
- A full bar.
- A pinball room.
- Murals.
- Four indoor restrooms.
- Ample parking.
- Year-round events.
Here are some additional ideas of the interior and exterior seating areas.
Capacity
“Our venue can host up to 200 guests and features a modern architectural design,” Galen said. “Additionally, our food cart operators will benefit from dedicated storage and a pot washing station.” Also specific amenities for vendors are security cameras and fencing and a manager on site.
“The key to our project’s success lies in its prime location along McLoughlin Boulevard,” he remarked, “where it enjoys visibility to 65,000 vehicles daily.” The location is near the Ross Island Bridge and the SE 17th Ave & Holgate Blvd MAX Station (Orange line), too.
I hope to stop by next month to check out the site and will look forward to bringing that to you. In the meantime, here is an aerial view of the construction site, courtesy of Lloyd Development (click to enlarge).
Brooklyn Carreta [projected opening February 2025]
4534 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Portland
Brooklyn Carreta website
Updated September 26, 2024.
Meg Cotner
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*former site of the La Carreta Mexican restaurant
Folks who miss the old La Carreta can find the same menu at the Gresham location.
Cheers to the new cart pod. Happy snacking.
I’m curious if the old “La Carreta “ sign will be renewed and reinstalled? It was such a great piece of Portland’s neon sign history.