If you are looking for carnitas and great Mexican food then this is the place. Not only is the food amazing but it is reasonably priced. They specialize in carnitas which is a Mexican weekend staple and is pork cooked in its own fat (awesome). You can also get their Menudo, another mexican weekend special. Well, I'll stop typing now since I feel like going there now.
Review Source:I am mexican and I had never been to such a filty fonda in my life. People are insane talking about this place. The food was tasteless, sure cheap, but scary. Never in my life again! When I got there I should have followed my gut saying "get out of here". Â sick now and lesson learned.
Review Source:I will go back to Tampa dreaming of these carnitas. This is exactly what a taco should be. Tender, perfectly roasted pork that is neither salty nor over-seasoned. Corn tortillas (they don't make them fresh here, this place is all about the pork), carnitas, cilantro, onion, a touch of their house salsa. There could be a mugger right next to me putting a gun to my head and it wouldn't matter, because I would be eating pure heaven.
Review Source:There are some really friendly people at Carnitas Uruapan, probably because they've mastered cooking pork. Â I stopped in for a lunch break during my Sunday jog, and the guy working at the chopping block immediately handed me a free sampler bundle of pork to try out. Â Then I got two carnitas tacos for $2.50 each.
I've had this place on my to-do list for nearly a year and it lived up to my expectations. Â The decorations are a little unusual with cartoon murals of pigs cooking other pigs and some unsettling festival masks. Â It's supposedly the city's best carnitas place, and while they don't have much variety (it's all pork, as far as I could tell), they're the best at that one thing.
Authentic. Â Within minutes my table had two pounds of delicious "carnitas," onions, cilantro, two salsas, pickled jalapenos and tortillas. Â The meat is only $7 a pound and it is the best, most tender, delicious meat you can imagine. Amazing tacos if you are in the mood for something authentic. I can't wait to go back to try some of the more interesting meat options. A must-try.
Review Source:I discovered this place from an article in Gourmet (at least I think it was Gourmet) Magazine titled "Chicago Mexicano." Â I have been back about 30 times and am usually the only white dude in the joint....and this suits me just fine. Â I've taken many folks from out of town here just to experience what I consider to be one of Chicago's truly hidden gems. Â Â
The carnitas are off the hook and I have NEVER been disappointed. Â Make sure to ask for the smoky, chipotle salsa (red sauce). Â It is much better than their regular salsa. Â The prices are so cheap it is embarrasing. Â I even tip the guys cutting the meat. Â The fried pork rind, Chicharrones, (sic?) is the best I ever had. Â I love this place for the following reasons:
1. Â The food is excellent
2. Â The prices are beyond cheap
3. Â The owner and the people that work there are very nice folks
The one thing I hate about this place: they close at 5pm. Â If they stayed open until a decent hour, I am positive I would have been there over 100 times.
Go, you won't be disappointed.
yum o!
Step 1, grab a seat (if you can)
Step 2, order pounds of meat (i find one pound perfectly enough for 2 ppl), i like it with everything (stomach, ear, skin and tongue)
Step 3, proceed to make delicious tacos with tasty salsa and pickled jalapenos
Step 4, go home happy and content
Roast pork! Being a filipino, I know good pork when i find it. This place does not mess around. slow roast pork dripping with juicy fatty porky goodness. They don't waste any part of the pig, its all here. I only gave it 4 stars because its impossible to come here during the week if you work a 9-5 since the pork is gone by 4:30 usually. Such a tease...
Review Source:Great food, but recently I asked them to cater a party and they refused. Not even for an extra $200, they would not do it!
However, this is the best place to go when you want authentic carnitas by the city. You can bring it home, as I have done often, but if you have more than 10 people, then forget it because they won't accommodate that!
They also serve homemade refried beans that are delicious! Also it's extremely cheap and you are stuffed afterwards!
Although this place doesn't compare to the tacos they have back in LA, I still really like this place. Â This might be due to my month-long deprivation of proper Mexican food but after being slightly hungover from Thanksgiving and waking up at 5 to go Black Friday shopping with a friend, she suggested going to Pilsen to this place after hearing that I had been craving tacos and spicy food.
I was not disappointed. Â Especially with the price. Â Between the two of us, we devoured the 1 pound of carnitas that came with tortillas and three types of very spicy salsa and jalapeno peppers. Â Being the biggest spicy food enthusiast, I doused my carnitas in all that spicy goodness and I have to say that this place has captured my heart in terms of carnitas. Â I've never been a big fan of pork until this place. Â Although the meat is a little dryer than what I am used to, it does the job when you're craving carnitas or just tacos in general. Â The guys serving us were very nice and made sure we had enough salsa and tortillas. Â The owner is also very nice and would offer samples to his customers when they wait for a to-go order of carnitas. Â The menu is limited but it's a nice low-key place that gets the job done!
If you're looking for an upscale restaurant, this is not the place for you. Â The appearance might be off-putting for some people but for others looking for a simple and wholesome grub, this is it.
Just as I remembered, the very best. Â Carnitas are $6.50 a pound. Â I ordered a pound of mixtas and when I saw the massive plate of meat, I thought, "There is no way I can finish that." Â Ten minutes later, carnitas gone. Â A pound of carnitas and a Jarritos, $8. Â Best deal ever.
Excellent chipotle salsa.
They are closed one random day of the week, Thursday. Â A couple years ago, when I was living in San Francisco, a friend of mine tried to come here, drove by, and saw that it was shuttered. Â He told me the place had closed down, which made me very sad. Â He drove by on Thursday.
Carnitas, Carnitas, Carnitas. Â
Carnitas by the pound, fresh tortillas, salsa, chicharone by the pound, pretty much your standard.
Sit down and stay awhile or just line up and make your way up to the front of the line for takeout where you have a guy cutting whatever part of the pig you need in the front window. Try some skin and tounge, I think they have brain. He'll give you some meat to snack on while you wait and ask him any questions you have.
Shout out to Pilsen for this great spot. Wish it was closer to home or someone would just open a spot with this much flavor closer to home. But at least you can take the highway to 18th and drive West just past Ashland Ave and you're there.
Sundays get a little crazy here so make sure you have some extra time.
I am a big fan of Carnitas. I love that fatty and juicy pork meat. I foud out about this place here. (thanks to YELP!) It is low key and cheap.
ORDER BY THE POUND, and then the server will put all the condiments you want. Don't forget to try their "menudo" if you're a fan. It is pretty yummy too!
Here's the deal.
No matter where you are in Chicago- this is well worth the trip to go here.
It's very tasty and authentic. You are greeted with a smile and a good dose of Spanish the second you walk in. The man cutting the carnitas behind the counter will serve you a nice sample of the meat.
Take a seat and the servers bring you the carnival along with pipen hot tortillas. They also provide two kinds of salsa and pickled whole jalapenos.
It runs about $12 for two people.
It is such a great and pleasing experience.
You've just been yelped in.
Carnitas Uruapan was good, but not the type of thing I am used to.  They don't give you a menu b/c I think Carnitas is their only dish!  They just ask you how many pounds you want.  The newness of the dish to me probably prevents me from fully appreciating what they do.  The meats is served with two types of salsa, corn tortillas, and the meat.  Service is friendly.  The pork is juicy and  similar to what you would find if having a Chinese or Hawaiian roasted pig.
The other reviews give some details on how to order and I am glad I read those reviews before arriving. Â Not sure if I ended up getting one pound or two pounds of pork....whatever I ordered was enough to feed the three of us. Â The pork plus 3 Jarritos costed us $15. Â Definitely a good value for the qty of food.
They do one dish here, and they do that dish well. Â I just wish I could get some other reference points to compare their version to.
A tip o' the cap to Carolynne R. for already explaining the process of making carnitas in her review. I've just now uploaded a photo of Carnitas Uruapan's kitchen, so that you see her description in slow-simmering action.
Being from Mexico City, my dad is hesitant to jump on any "we're heading our for excellent carnitas" bandwagons. But, after a trip to Carnitas Uruapan, he'll be happy to jump on anything that gets him there again. And that... is as good a review as it can get.
Some notes:
- One orders carnitas by the pound whether dining-in or taking-out, for about $7 per pound.
- They'll ask you if you want your carnitas "mixta," which means "with meat, skin and ear"... so just say no if you want all meat.
- If you're dining in, know that Carnitas Uruapan doesn't serve alcohol and has no sodas which begin with the word "Diet."
- Oh, and those empanadas-looking items they also offer? They're stuffed with cesos. Cesos are beef brains, so know what you're ordering.
For those who aren't familiar, carnitas, which literally translates to "little meats," is a very well known and beloved pork dish in Mexico. Basically it is marinated pork simmered in pots until tender and crisp, then served in chunks with tortillas, onion and cilantro salsa, a spicy red sauce, and marinated jalapeno peppers. Â
I love this place. Â It is so cheap, the people working are so nice and the pork is succulent and incredibly delicious. Â We paid $12 for a pound of carnitas & 3 bottles of Jarritos which is enough for two people to eat until you almost burst. Â
There is supposedly a cactus salad that is offered, but I have never had it, nor have I ever had the chicharron. Â But based on the reviews posted it seems like these other offerings are going to rock as well.
The best carnitas in the world! They are perfectly cooked, seasoned, and always fresh out of the cazo.
I've been going to this place practically since I was born. My family lived in Pilsen in the 80's and we've been going there since I can remember. Never have I been disappointed by Uruapan's food. Not only are the carnitas delcious, but also their chicharron, beans, fried tacos, and nopales salad are yummy!
Like other reviewers mentioned, you order the carnitas by the pound and you can choose if you want them mixed, just maciza (leaner meat), boronas (bits and small chunks that are very well done), cuerito (fatty pork skin-must try!), etc. I always order boronas because they're packed with flavor. Their salsa is good, not very spicy. Drinks consist of bottled or canned pop, coffee, or water.
I definitely think that this place is a must for anyone in Chicago!
Sad to see only 2 Reviews for this place. I think it was written up in Time Out awhile back, prompting us to go. I've been about 8 times now.
Being from Southern Califormia, I've had my share of carnitas, and know what it should be like. This place does it the best in the city, albeit I haven't conquered all of Pilsen yet.
It's family owned, and all they do is pork- carnitas and chicharones. Operates like a taqueria, so service isn't even an issue. I dined in on a weekend once, and there was literally a steady stream of 6-10 locals grabbing it to go for the entire 30 minutes I was there.
I hop the blue line from work downtown (its right off the 18th st stop), order 1-2 pounds with some buddies, and they bring out tortillas, salsa, and the meat. Its like $7 a pound. We usually get one pound mixed (Mitze?) which includes very fatty parts and other parts that some people might not wish to try. 1 pound feeds two dudes.
I'll often order a pound on the way out to take home (keep in mind, good carnitas is pretty greasy).
It's not the best carnitas I've ever had, but its very well done. Excellent even. Definitely worth the trip down there, and easy to get to driving or El.
We had the chicharones here. Despite some massive miscommunications, the fried pork skin was ultratasty. Unfortunately, we were roped into buying an entire pound.
We prompty lost a bet intentionally where the stakes was the giant chicharon (minus two bite sized chunks). Of course, I didn't know that Skeletor was He-man's nemesis.;)
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