commissioned for Centerstage, publishing date TBA
According to restaurant owner Atendidos por Barbarita, Carnitas El Paisa roughly translates to “meats, my friend,” which is essentially what you get at this authentic Mexican eatery — lots of it. And by “authentic,” we’re not talking about your run-of-the-mill taqueria. Carnitas El Paisa does offer a small selection of your average tacos, tortas and burritos, but patrons know to come in for the carnitas, chicharron and barbacoa. Unfortunately, Barbarita says most people who are not Mexican have no idea what the items are.
For the authentic Mexican food novice, here’s what to expect: most noticeably are the massive crispy pieces of deep-fried pork belly, which great customers as they walk in called chicharron. Then there are the carnitas, which are juicy pieces of pork that have been marinated for several hours, and barbacoa, which is steamed beef or goat. All dishes are available as entrees with rice, beans and tortillas for $9-$9.50, or sold by the pound. Unsurprisingly, vegetarians are looking at yet another rice-‘n’-beans or cactus salad night.
With only six or seven items featured, Carnitas El Paisa is deceptively simple. Barbarita says she will put in about seven hours of prep work on Friday and Saturday mornings as early as 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and sometimes more depending on special orders. Despite a spacious and charming dining room, the restaurant is often quieter than one might expect. The reason being that business thrives on carry-out as opposed to dine-in, which is mainly how the restaurant manages to close as early as 6 p.m. on weeknights and 8 p.m. on the weekend. Although not nearly as popular as lunch or dinner, early risers can also stop in Carnitas El Paisa for breakfast — authentic Mexican, of course. “We serve breakfast,” Barbarita says. “But no pancakes.”
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; closed Tuesday