La Carnita
106 John St, Toronto, ON, M5H 1X9
Call for reservations: 647-348-1166
La Carnita, known for their artful, street food inspired tacos, has opened their third location moments away from King Street. Public transit options include walking or wheeling 4 blocks from the accessible St. Andrew Station, or parking at the various parking lots surrounding the Theatre district. Yes, parking will not be cheap!
La Carnita’s main entrance is located on John Street and around the corner from it you will find the accessible entrance shared with Sweet Jesus bakery. This entrance has an automatic opener, though the outdoor button was not working at the time of this review. The doorway has a 1.5” threshold, and measures 37” wide.
To avoid stairs when accessing the dining area use of a lift is required. The door to the lift measures 35” and is certified for one wheelchair and one additional person. All but the biggest mobility devices should fit. Staff were quick to assist with lift operation.
Most of the tables measure 28.5” except for a few high-top options. Any of these tables can be arranged for use by removing chairs. This includes the tables with bench seating, which the manager said they would be happy to remove and put into their storage area if needed. The layout offered wide aisles and most tables were easy to get to. During lunch the space was well lit when seated by the windows and the music was at a volume that allowed us to converse at a comfortable level. All the better to discuss the beautifully presented and delicious tacos!
The washroom is located just inside the restaurant entrance to the right and has a 35” door to enter. The door does not have automatic features but had a lever handle and swung inwards. The washroom is single access and had two grab bars, an L shaped bar to the right of the toilet, and one behind the toilet, both of which measure 30” from the floor. The sink measured 29” high but lowered to 27” towards the wall. Although there were no automatic features on the toilet, sink, or soap, the taps were lever style, and there was an automatic hand dryer located next to the sink.
This location of La Carnita typically takes reservations for groups of 8 or more though guests could call ahead if they required seating accommodations. They were very happy to accommodate us without any notice of our arrival, and set up the lift and a main floor table quickly. Staff were always friendly and helpful. Given the age of the buildings in the area, finding this accessible location of La Carnita is quite a pleasant surprise!
Picture of the review team: Jenna Gourdeau & Michael Dytyniak