Carnitas Michoacan — Restaurant in San Jose

Carnitas Done Right — Great Flavor by the Pound

So here’s the move: skip the individual tacos and go straight for the carnitas by the pound. That’s exactly what we did when we stopped by Carnitas Michoacan on Monterey Road, and I’m glad we trusted the instinct. I saw the price at $5 per taco and thought, “Wait, we can stretch this way further.” So we grabbed a pound of carnitas to go, added some of their salsas, and made it a full DIY taco night at home. Totally worth it.

The carnitas? Legit. Super flavorful, tender, juicy, with crispy edges—everything you want in a proper carnitas cut. Once you hit it with a squeeze of lime, it really unlocks the flavor and brings the whole thing together. Pro tip: grab both their green salsa (salsa verde) and the other mixed red salsa they have. That combo is 🔥. The verde especially has that tangy heat that balances the richness of the pork.

We heated up some tortillas at home, threw together a quick spread with chopped onions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Boom—restaurant-quality tacos without the high per-taco price. I also like to grab a bag of Tostitos or some tortilla chips on the side, and dip those in the green salsa while I’m building the tacos. That little crunch plus the salsa kicks off the meal right.

Overall, this place is 100% about the meat. If you’re the type who likes building your own plate and maximizing value and flavor, grab it by the pound and make a meal out of it. Only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is just the price on the individual tacos—it’s steep, and unless you’re eating solo and need a quick bite, you’re better off buying in bulk and getting more for your money.

Definitely a solid local carnitas spot. I’ll be back for more...

Came here on a Friday night for dinner before going on a road trip. The restaurant is very spacious. There is a space for children to play as well which was interesting. It was nearly empty when our group of six came in. We were greeted immediately when we walked in.

We got a plate of salsas and chips. The salsas could be spicy! The chips were fresh and crispy.

I ordered a tamarindo Jarritos (the best flavor) and a dos tacos plate. I had to clarify with our server that it was a plate I wanted, not just two tacos. Prices are a bit steep for Mexican food. For my meat, I got carnitas but there was an option where it was mixed with innards. We went along with that and it was really good! The texture was a bit soft and it stood out from the other typical meat options.

The burritos that my cousins ordered were massive. They were the size of their forearms! They could easily be two meals, but they decided to chug through it and finished the whole thing. That's a recipe for a food coma.

We all wanted ranch style beans but unfortunately, they were out. We did not know until the food came to our table though.

Overall this is a clean, spacious place to eat with good service and tasty food. I'd...

I was there for Carnitas, and they didn't have Carnitas! We had to wait for about half an hour. They have most likely not gotten the hang of production and demand, so this won't stop me from giving them a second chance in a couple months.

Carnitas (the meat) was fine, but there are other important pieces that make true "Carnitas Michoacanas". The most important complement for Carnitas Michoacanas is the sauces, and the sauces they had were not very flavorful and too salty (again, they are just getting started), they are also missing important sauces, they don't have the traditional diced manzano pepper sauce, nor picked jalapeños.

The meat was on pint, but the owners or managers should take a field trip to Quiroga Michoacán and take note of the non-meat components that make the dishes tastier.

I do not recommend the Chicharrón at all, what we got was very hard to chew and burned up...