El Faro Meat Market

Been coming here for years and it’s absolutely worth the drive.
El Faro has the best tasting prepared meats (carne asada and pollo are highly recommended)
Prices are comparable to other carnicerias in OC but El Faro beats them all with selection and taste.

This review is only for the butcher section of this market.
The market itself is quite small, and the produce is not up to par. If you want good produce, cheap, Northgate is still the place to go. There is a standard selection of beer and soda, plus canned goods and chips.
But you come to El Faro for one thing. Meat.
The marinated carne asada is off-​the-​hook. Grill it a couple of minutes on each side, put some in a nice, hot, fresh tortilla, add some salsa and enjoy. Repeat as necessary. The meat is super tender. You don’t need a knife to cut it. Pull it apart with your fingers, Mexican-​style. Just don’t over-​cook it. They use Omaha beef, and cut it in a way that makes it extra tender.
The carne asada is not cheap. This last time it was $ 9.39/lb. But it’s so worth it.
The marinated chicken is also good. There are lots of other cuts of meat, none of which I’ve tried, but I wouldn’t be afraid to try them.
But I go here for the carne asada. Give it a try if you are close (it’s a couple of blocks west of Fairview in a tiny, tiny shopping center).

great place to buy meat for BarBQ Grilling! Love the pastor

The meat here is delicious, the beef jerky is second to none. Some of their prices are a little inflated, and the service is a little slow, but still a great store.

If you are looking for a place to buy the best, the BEST, carne asada… you need to look no further. El Faro should be a protected landmark in Santa Ana. I’ve been coming to this place since before I could walk, when my mom would push us around in those cheap strollers that break easily (you know which ones, the kind that you see all over the swapmeet).
Carne Asada, you have to buy ‘preparada’. It’s pricey, but damn its good. Just make sure not to grill this without adequate lighting. Since it’s red in coloring because of the marinade, a rookie can make the mistake of over cooking and drying the hell out of the meat. A little pink in meat never hurt anyone. You’re not a beef person you say? No problem, grab some chicken, it’s off the hook too!
This is the perfect place to get that last minute carne asada going for that tio that always shows up unexpectedly and hungry… and thirsty as well (you know you have one of those uncles too).
Cold beers, sodas, chips, salsas, tortillas, cebollitas, rabanos, Tylenol, Mazapanes, everything you need is in this store.
Parking can be tricky, so make sure to beat the hung over crowd on Sunday mornings.

My mexican homie has been talking about this place for weeks now. I needed good carne asada and I needed it NOW. This place is the real deal. I got a few pounds of two different types of carne asada and a few pound of ribs which I had them slice into strips. I bought a little cooler there and the man behind the counter gave me a bunch of ice to keep things cool on the trip home. We threw it on the grill Friday night… great flavor!

small reliable place to get meat quick and helpfull service.

Always the best freshest cuts of meat for the Mexican style carne asadas! Easy quick checkout compared to the big markets… Highly recommend this little meat market…