Carnitas Michoacan

There are many Carnitas Michoacán throughout LA. There was one in a little strip mall on the corner of Coldwater Canyon & Victory in North Hollywood back in the 1990’s which had fantastic Tacos al Pastor. But traveling along Lankershim in North Hollywood I spied the familiar name again which brought back memories of the exemplary Tacos al Pastor which I thought I would never ever get to eat again.
This Carnitas Michoacán has very limited parking that butts right up to the sidewalk w/​very little leeway to maneuver for an easy in or out. Conveniently it is adjacent to a liquor store so that a good Mexican beer like Bohemia, Negra Modelo, etc. can pair w/​the take out. Don’t bring the beer into CM since there is a sign in Spanish that says, «No alcoholic beverages allowed, no exceptions.»
Belly up to the counter & order by looking at the overhead menu. If you order Tacos, the meats you can order are listed under «Carnes/​meats». You can’t order the Machaca in a taco but only in a burrito, & you must order 2 tacos if you order the Pescado/​fish. As of ¹¹⁄₂₀₁₅ the price of each taco is $ 1.20.
1) Carnitas are chunks of pork usually cooked in its own fat much like a Confit in French cooking so that meat is soft, tender, yet has a slight dry chewiness. However, the Carnitas here seem braised in a meaty stock/​broth so the meat is moist throughout. The only negative was that the meat seemed a bit old tasting as though it were from a few days before.
2) Pollo seems like pieces of breast meat in a slightly thickened Tomatillo sauce that seems to have a bit of chicken stock w/​bits of ‘sweet’ green chiles & onions.
3) Carne Asada is roasted beef which, to me, was overcooked so the meat became hard, dry, dense. (typical Mexican style) But it was in almost a demi-​glacé style/​concentrated beef stock. There is a sprinkling of chopped onions to provide a more funky, sulfurous counterpoint to the heavier meat flavor & texture.
4) Taco al Pastor is pork meat traditionally on a vertical rotating spit w/​a pineapple on the top as a meat tenderizing agent as well as adding a bit of sweetness. There was no spit at CM, but this version was made more flavourful by the addition of what may be Worcheshire sauce to the meat stock which added a sweet-​sour fermented fruit taste. This may not be quite like the taco al pastor that I had eaten at the earlier Carnitas Michoacán, but came rather close.
Red chile salsa seems like a modified Chipotle which is dried smoked Jalapeño chile along w/​other pureed red chiles. It has a smoked ham Umami along w/​a bit of vinegary piquancy. This was excellent paired to the various tacos.
Green chile salsa is probably pureed Tomatillo along w/​a bit of cucumber. Again the meaty, full rich flavor w/​a more vegetal, fermented Umami of this salsa verde is excellent. This went particulary well w/​the Pollo/​chicken.
Sack of pickled jalapeño peppers, onions, cauliflower, carrots also has a nice vinegar based piquant, slightly oily yet sour Umami that goes well w/​the more meat intensive tacos.
This version of Carnitas Michoacán is the bare basics. It is down home to say the least. There is a dining area in a side room, but you don’t come here for the aesthetics nor the ambiance. It’s all about just plain good eating. I’m rather surprised that such an outwardly basic joint has the sophistication in cooking style to provide a different sauce for each meat where other taquerias use the same sauce on everything or use nothing at all. Just for the tasty tacos w/​nuanced sauces 4– Unilocal stars.

Me and my girl came for carne asada nachos. They got our order wrong and gave us carne asada FRIES instead. Guy at register gave us a hard time to correct the order. Bad business practice.

Used to eat here sometimes. Always good!

As an al pastor connoisseur, fairly or unfairly, that’s how I judge most places that sell it. And the al pastor here is FANTASTIC. You CANNOT GO WRONG if you order it.
The service was good, the people very nice. It would have been an even better experience if I read enough Spanish to understand more of the menu, but that’s my fault, not theirs (and honestly, «it would be a better experience if I spoke Spanish» is true of life in Los Angeles in general. Okay, that’s it, I’m signing up for a course). I was sort of hoping they would have some kind of cool, local Michoacán specialities, but — sadly — I wasn’t able to tell.
Absolutely worth a stop, if you’re cruising for a solid, cheap local meal. They deserve your business!

Chile verde is great. Cheap, good, friendly owner. This is a local fave. and if you want you can walk across the street to another killer taco joint, and a few steps further East on Sherman Way is Salsa Y Beer. Great food their, too!

not much to look at, but easy on the pockets– cool little joint with good food and nice staff…
we had bites of everything and we liked everything we got:
–fresh guacamole– simple y bueno (could use a little lime)
–shrimp ceviche n avocado– pretty standard
–tacos– WHY ARE U SO GOOD? i tried my girl’s chicken taco– perfect shell, and i usually only like soft tacos… so good shit :)
–carne asada burrito– HUGE and pretty f*ckin spicy… in other words «perfecto»
12 pack of Corona+ Carnitas take out + OGK= best taco tuesday ever.

On the west side of Lankershim, in a strip mall with plentiful free parking, sits this great hole-​in-​the-​wall Mexican restaurant. Sandwiched between useful enterprises like a Laundromat, a market and more.
Good food. Great service. The interior is a little worn. My sister and I were given a very warm welcome by the beautiful proprietor, who prior to our entry, was enjoying the fruits of her labor at a table herself. (never trust a chef who doesn’t eat their own cooking)
Order at the menu/​register where English, Spanish and pictures will help you make your decision and have a seat. My sister ordered the quesadilla combination plate and I ordered the birria. (stewed goat)
My sister and I came here to do what many-​a-​sister have done before us. –Drown in comfort food to undo certain sorrows associated with any big break up. For some of us this means milkshakes and donuts, for others, it is melted cheese.
To our good fortune, we were given homemade warm corn chips topped with savory stewed pinto beans on the house. (five stars)
The birria. I LOVE birria. But I didn’t love this one. It was served on a plate instead of a bowl, alongside beans rice and corn tortillas. What I love about my favorite style of birria de chivo, is the deep red rich broth that the goat is stewed in. I also prefer it on the bone. (insert funny joke) This birria was shredded, the flavor was very good, but it was dry. (3 stars) The sides were good, not great. (four stars)
Here, the restroom is located in the nearby Laundromat. This restaurant will provide you with a coin or token to use for entry. This restroom is not for the faint of heart. Prima Donnas: Avoid.
The reason that this restaurant earns four stars instead of three is in part the service, (Which is definitely five stars) but mostly because my sister said exactly what I wanted to hear her say: «This is the best quesadilla that I have ever had in my whole life!» And really? That is exactly what we came for. (one million stars)
I would not order the birria again, but I would return to try something different. To be doted on and complimented by the charming owner who told me I was «muy bonita» Thanks! And to see my sister smile.
To her ex: Thanks for helping us find this cool spot, the first of many on the path to forgetting you. And. You are never going to find a girl like her! Not ever!;-)

I’m only speaking for the tacos, but this is a nice little spot to stop and get your carnitas on, post Home Depot run. The tortillas are smokin’ hot off the grill (which was especially noticable today because it was like 110 degrees out), the meat was good, not too fatty, and plentiful, and topped with some fresh pico de gallo. I wouldn’t say there was anything too special about it, but it was good, the tacos were $ 1.25, and next time I want to try the lengua and the asada.