Don Juan Birria y Carnitas

This place was amazing when I had it a few weeks ago before I actually traveled to Mexico. Sadly, yesterday afternoon, I drove past it and realized it was closing down. :0(

Took s chance and so glad we did– excellent food, service, and prices. Don’t be deterred by the emptiness — those who know good food won’t pass it up!

Because your ego can’t pay your LG&E bill, nearly every restaurant is forced to compromised to make concessions to the broader palette. Being passionate about your cuisine is great, but having people in the seats, giving you money for what you are selling to them is ultimately the goal. Having worked in restaurants for a while, I respect the owners of this restaurant on a very fundamental level– pick a couple of things that you can do REALLY well and go with it. This is not your standard, ubiquitous, gringo Mexican restaurant. Their name says it all: goat and pork. The menu has four entrees and having eaten my way through all four (with help from a friend) they are all beautifully executed, flavorful, and almost ridiculously well priced. They make the best carnitas it’s been my pleasure to consume, a flavorful but not gamey roasted goat, a soup that (thanks to it’s spice and depth of flavor) could cure both a cold and a hangover, and a platter of chicharrones that balance the unctuousness of slow cooked rind with the flavor of tender meat beautifully. Tortillas are made to order right in the front of the restaurant. Have you ever been to a Mexican restaurant, eaten the yellowish rice that you find on every platter of food, and thought, «damn, that is some delicious rice!» Yeah, me neither. My first thought in trying their rice was exactly, «damn, that is some delicious rice!»
Their bar program consists of beer, micheladas, and completely fresh margaritas. Again, simplicity in order to provide the best quality.
I’ve never been to Jalisco and I think that the term «authentic» is profoundly limiting. However, these folks are making food that give credit to the beautiful depths of flavor to be found in Mexican cuisine that are often masked in the US by our love for cheese dip, quesadillas, and other such Tex-​Mex offerings. If this is what food is like in Jalisco, I need to start planning my vacation there right now.
The original structure of Michelin stars meant that 3 stars was a culinary destination that was worth the drive to get there (they were, after all, a tire company to start). Regardless of where you live in the city, Don Juans is well worth the drive out to the intersection of Outer Loop and Shepardsville Rd.

Great food, great service. Surprised to see I was the only person there. I had the birria tacos along with the jicama pico. Delicious. Displayed beautifully and tasted just as good. Would like to see this place stay open. so please try it out. It is a true Mexico version of Mexican food. And, Mexican food is not Tex-​Mex. Try a taco, see what you think. You will go back for more. I know I will.

not your typical mexican place. No burritos, no chimichangas, nothing «american.» That’s actually what makes this place so unique.
The margaritas are made with fresh squeezed citrus, and everything is very fresh and made in house, including the tortillas. A gem in south louisville that is definitely worth traveling for.

Friendly service and excellent carnitas! Refried beans with chips are served with the salsa and it tasted homemade, loved it. Will be returning for the birria. My son got the margarita. He says it’s delicious. I realized after we paid for dinner, I didn’t get the guacamole I wanted. The waiter gave us the guac for free to go! So nice! I was too full for the choco flan but I’ll be back to try it soon!

First time here. Just arrived in KY and haven’t been able to find a good Mexican place. This is for sure my favorite spot! Wish this place was back in CA. Tacos Chicarron! Delicious! I’m coming back for sure. The staff is super friendly and they serve alcohol! Loved the margaritas!

Excellent, Excellent!, EXCELLENT! Love the fresh hand-​made guacamole, authentic Birria and Carnitas. I love the crispy tacos that appear on the «specials» board periodically. Paulina (server) makes sure you are comfortable and feel at home.
Great lunch spot!

This is authentic Jalisco food. Hands down the best of any Mexican restaurant in Louisville. The goat is succulent, tender and delicious. Margaritas are fantastic and true Jalisco style as well. I recommend trying the hibiscus margarita; wonderful flavor without being overly sweet. Please venture out of the typical Q-​doba comfort zone and help this place succeed. If you can’t fly to Puerto Vallarta any time soon but want truly amazing Jalisco Mexican food, drive to this gem.

I was in town for a tradeshow and stumbled onto this place. What a great find! I had the carnitias and a special margartia they were promoting. No cheese covered food here. the real deal. The waitress brought a small glass of orchata to try and it was delicious as well. Next time I’m in town I’ll have to go back.

Wow this place is Great! Great food, Excellent service! All food created on site including the tortillas! I didn’t have a mixed drink, but my wife did and said it was very good. Small, great menu, just the way I like it.

Did you know that just 7 miles from the Highlands is a little part of authentic Mexico? Truly the best tortillas, carnitas, and birrias I have ever had. I traveled to Jalisco while dining at Don Juan’s. «This is the real deal» the owner informed us with a complementary sample of carnitas, birria, and guisado de chicharron. My taste buds wanted to cry with nostalgia and profound melancholy as I savored the shredded pork as well as the goat married with mole inside their freshly made, warm tortillas, tokens of hospitality and authenticity. After all, their state motto is «Jalisco is Mexico.» Don Juan’s is truly the cream of the crop.
Everything except for the kids chicken strips and fries are made in house. Even the Hibiscus tea is squeezed from the actual flower. For the first time, I had a margarita and didn’t feel heavy in my gut due to the fact that they use quality tequila (even better than Patron) that has a smooth finish when consumed neat. No sugary mix is added to any adult beverage here.
At one point my solemn expression, which was simply an indication that I was experiencing complete and utter food euphoria, confused the bartender. He ventured over to our table to make sure everything was okay. All I could say was, «These tortillas are like sweet, warm pancakes. Delicious!» He chuckled. Clearly all the waitstaff is eager for Unilocalers alike to spread the word about this new gem in town. «Go tell your friends!» they told us, so here you go.
The heart of Mexico has arrived in Louisville, yal! Come and get it!

Do yourself a favor and check this place out. It’s new and they’re eager for your business. House made tortillas and non mix margaritas. Everyone was super friendly. These are genuine family recipes. Make this place happen Louisville!

Very fresh pork carnitas with pickled veggies and very flavorful beans. Amazingly fresh, right off the grill tortillas and really good spicy green salsa. Would absolutely come back, plan on trying the crackling pork next time. Small menu, but very fresh options, great big portions. Expect to leave with a very full, happy belly.

A friend recommended this restaurant and I’m so glad we made the trip out there this week! The service was outstanding — they went over the menu with us when we sat down since it’s not what you would see on just any Mexican restaurant menu. The biggest difference is the close attention to quality. Everything is handmade, including the tortillas. The margaritas are made with fresh squeezed juice, and they were hands-​down the best I’ve ever had. Next time we will make sure to save room for dessert as well!

Simple, straightforward menu from the Jalisco region. Wonderful food, all handmade and fresh ingredients. Weill definitely be returning!

This place is yummy! They have a simple menu with all FRESH made in-​house stuff! Margarita mixes, salsas, fresh corn tortillas, ect… all made fresh and in-​house! The service was friendly and prompt also.

On an afternoon where I was simply going to settle for some Americanized Chinese for lunch, I am happy to say I did not opt for the mundane.
Another spot on this little traversed section of the Outer Loop north of J-​Mall, sits Don Juan, and it is excellent. They’ve only been open a short time but it is readily apparent that the owners have put a lot of love and thought into this restaurant and it is well worth the visit.
First off, upon entering, the restaurant is open and inviting, with a nice bar area and a couple TVs, with seating in a couple sections. They should easily be able to dine 50. Secondly, the service in my opinion is spot on. Having been my first visit, the owner’s wife, Rosa, was happy to go over the menu and each item that appeared. She gave the history of her family’s carnitas recipe and their signature birria (shredded goat) and it was easy to tell how much she really loved what she’s doing. Over to my right, a lady worked at making fresh tortillas, while on the other side of the bar, Rosa’s husband worked at mixing fresh drinks. I believe another family member did all the cooking of their grandfather’s signature recipes.
As to the food, I tried one each of the carnitas taco, birria taco and a pork belly taco. All were excellent. The pico de gallo and the tomatillo salsas provided for extra toppings were wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the tomatillo salsa, which was both nicely tart and slightly sweet, with just a touch of spice.
The menu is simple and not overblown, they cook what they love and they do it very well. They don’t serve queso or salsa with their chips, just guacamole or bean dip as that’s how they would eat. They use premium tequila for their margueritas and no pre-​mixes. I promised Rosa I will be back for more, as I fully intend to make my way through the entire menu. Everyone is welcome to come join me.