Carnitas Michoacan

Went there last night because family came into town, it was definitely authentic Mexican food. Service was OK. Staff was not too friendly. Food took a while even though a part of four, us, were the only ones in there. The place was neat and tidy.

Don’t waste your time. The food is just okay. they take to long to give you your food after the microwave it! Yes, I did say microwave it. Awful.

My co-​workers Atiyah T, Kara K, and I were in the mood for an adventure so we escaped to Plaza Fiesta during lunch to check out their food court (and the mall). After walking around, we ended up at Carnitas Michoacan (located next to the middle entrance). Plenty of seating, looked clean, and pretty extensive menu posted on the wall — almost everything in Spanish.
I ended up getting the $ 8.99 special which included 3 cheese enchiladas, carne asada (tough and salty), fries cut from red potatoes (fish flavor … probably fried in the same vat as my co-worker’s tilapia)), and salad (covered with cheese, sour cream dressing, and the only saving grace — sliced avocados). I wouldn’t get it again. I did enjoy my $ 2 horchata (who wouldn’t?).
I did get a bite of my co-worker’s whole fried tilapia — generous size (she couldn’t finish), and the fish was surprisingly meaty tasting for tilapia. The $ 12 special also came with rice & beans. She enjoyed her dish very much, and I enjoyed my sample bite enough to get it next time I visit.
My other co-​worker got the chicken enchiladas which also included a beverage ($ 5.95), and she said she liked her dish.
Make sure you visit the condiment bar — it has the salsa verde (probably the highlight of my meal — loved the flavor), red salsa, chopped onions, cilantro, and peppers.
If I were to visit again, I’d probably get the carnitas since after all, it’s the restaurant namesake.

Stopped in for a quick bite on Thu., Sep. 6^th…
Aptly named Carnitas Michoacan, this restaurant specializes in… yup… Carnitas (braised pork), which itself is a specialty of the Michoacan State of Mexico, located in west-​central Mexico.
Food:
I wanted just a quick bite, so I ordered two carnitas tacos. The tacos are served plain-​jane (pork inside a corn tortilla), and there is a self-​serve condiments bar where you can dress up the tacos to your liking. For mine, I added just a bit of salsa roja (red salsa).
The pork tacos were very tasty, filled with moist, flavorful, but not overly spiced or salted pork… amongst the best I’ve had… I can see why the restaurant uses «Carnitas» in its name… it’s what they’re known for.
A couple of quibbles: 1) The selection of meats available — when I ordered, I attempted to get al pastor (shepherd’s mix) and cabeza (beef-​cheek) tacos as well, but was told there was no al pastor available that day & that the only other options for the tacos was pork and chicken… and… 2) The self-​serve salsa bar had only 2 salsa offerings — a red and a green (both of which tasted like generic jarred salsas!), pickled whole jalapenos, and cilantro. Pretty spartan…
Service:
Order at the counter & they bring it out to you…
Atmosphere:
A fairly large dining room, accentuated by leather western-​style chairs…
Overall:
Well, based on the tacos I had, 3 to 3 ½ stars, primarily because of the tastiness of the pork! I will return to do a more comprehensive follow up in the near future…

It is a challenge to write a review when nothing stands out and nothing is wrong. This place is OK. The guacamole with chips was OK. The beef taco was OK. The chicken enchiladas … you got it, they were OK. Nothing with really good or great. «Would I go back?» Nah. Not when a lunch tab for two without drinks was $ 22+. Expensive for Mexican food and what you get. There are better Mexican restaurants on Buford Hwy.

Coming from Colorado and being Chicana I’ve had a steady diet of carnitas and frijoles for most of my life. Being away from the southwest it has been challenging finding good Mexican food. To be honest can you really find «authentic» Mexican food on Unilocal… perhaps not but we decided to give it a go anyway. And thank goodness for Tulie’s review. Everything Tulie described as being poor about Carnitas is exactly why we tried it. And this little restaurant lived up to our expectations.
Bottom line the food was the bomb. Let me give folks some tips:
1) Do not order burritos… they’re largely an American dish… order a plate of meat like the carne asada or chicken mole instead. Both come with beans, rice and corn tortillas you can make your own «burritos» at your table and it is super delicious.
2) Try the salsa bar… it has onions, cilantro etc. that you can add to any dish.
3) If you’re looking for ambiance don’t go here. This is a real Mexican joint. Like in Mexico. Low budget for décor, big budget for delicious food.
Finally, in Mexico lunch is the biggest meal so for the best experience (the food will be the freshest and hottest between 12−4pm) go for lunch.
Enjoy, we sure did.

I was very much craving some menuedo, sadly they only serve this on a weekend. I ordered the beef burrito and an order of tongue (lingua) taco on a corn tortilla. The burrito was pretty small, and unfulfilling. The Tongue Taco was not cooked in any special sauce, but rathered boil til tender, no cilantro or onions, I guess you were suppose to top off yourself. The overall restaurant should be appealing to many, since it’s large and clean, but the main cashier did not speak English, and most of the menu was written in Spanish. My friend ordered the bean/​cheese burrito and his was small too. If you are expecting a family portion here, you will be sadly disappointed. The overall quality the burrito is a little better then taco bell, same size just better meat. I give them a total of 2 stars because they had the beef tongue taco, and the place was clean, but to be honest if you want great Mexican Authentic Food, I’d rather make a trip to Mi Barrio on Memorial.

Whoa doggie! Dust off your Spanish dictionary and get ready for a wonderful experience at Carnitas Michoacan. This restaurant is an ideal meal destination for anyone who has either lived in Latin America, or wants to get a true taste of Latin American fare (pun semi-​intended). Adventuresome readers, consider yourselves warned: you will find NO tex-​mex here.
Located in Plaza Fiesta on Buford HIghway, Carnitas Michoacan provides a great blend of authentic Mexican food (pozole soup, flautas, etc.) mixed with more common americanized offerings (burritos). The main menu is all in Spanish, but look carefully and you’ll spot a smaller English menu to the left of the prominent menu. Despite the restaurant’s name (carnitas = pork), you can substitute chicken in any order, and possibly steak as well (I didn’t ask).
I highly encourage readers to try something they may have never had at a Mexican restaurant. Having lived in both Mexico and Costa Rica, I can tell you that pozole soup is the best comfort food I ever had while living abroad. The soup is broth-​based with corn and meat, and is beyond tasty. Authentic soft tacos are a great option for those looking for something smaller.
Also, make sure to check out the day’s drinks. One of the best parts of any authentic Mexican meal are the drinks. Horchata, papaya, melon, and carrot juices are amongst the most popular. I highly recommend Carnitas’ horchata, which is chilled milk with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg — mmm, mmm good!
Carnitas is a clean, safe, family-​friendly environment, with plenty of booth seating, and Spanish-​pop music videos blaring on their multiple tvs. Be prepared to pay in cash, as their credit card reading system was down when I ate there.