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Wherefore Carnitas Uruapan?

Wherefore Carnitas Uruapan?
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  • Wherefore Carnitas Uruapan?

    Post #1 - December 23rd, 2008, 5:25 pm
    Post #1 - December 23rd, 2008, 5:25 pm Post #1 - December 23rd, 2008, 5:25 pm
    I loved this place when I visited Chicago a few years ago, and recommended it to a friend who is now visiting Chicago. He reports he can see no evidence of its existence. Is Carnitas Uruapan gone? If so, are there any other worthy carnitas places that you could recommend? Big copper vats are a plus!

    Thanks.
  • Post #2 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm
    Post #2 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm Post #2 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm
    Dave,

    It's properly spelled Carnitas Uruapan* and last I heard was still going strong. If Carnitas Uruapan is out of business Don Pedro, Sabas Vega, Carnitas El Paisa or any number of Mexican groceries can provide your friend with his carnitas fix.

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    *I corrected the spelling of Carnitas Uruapan in both subject line and post for future searches

    Carnitas Uruapan
    1725 W 18th
    Chicago
    773-226-2654

    Don Pedro Carnitas
    1113 West 18th Street
    Chicago, IL 60608
    312-829-4757

    Sabas Vega Meat Market
    1808 S Ashland Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60608
    312-666-5180

    Carnitas El Paisa
    3529 W. Fullerton Ave
    Chicago, IL
    773-278-2062
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #3 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm
    Post #3 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm Post #3 - December 23rd, 2008, 6:45 pm
    Dave Feldman wrote:I loved this place when I visited Chicago a few years ago, and recommended it to a friend who is now visiting Chicago. He reports he can see no evidence of its existence. Is Carnitas Urupuan gone? If so, are there any other worthy carnitas places that you could recommend? Big copper vats are a plus!

    I think Carnitas Uruapan is open (not sure about holiday hours though). If it has closed that would be quite recent and a real shame. In any case there are two other carnitas specialists nearby in Pilsen: Don Pedro and Sabas Vega. I'd say all three are worth visiting but Uruapan is probably the best. There's a report on all three, including a great picture of Don Pedro's copper vats, here.

    Carnitas Uruapan, Last Summer
    Image

    Carnitas Uruapan
    1725 W 18th St
    Chicago
    312-226-2654
    [Note added: I believe the 312 area code, not 773 listed above, is correct.
    At least that's what it says on their awning and in the current phone book.]


    Carnitas Don Pedro
    1113 W 18th St
    Chicago
    312-829-4757

    Carnitas Sabas Vega
    1808 S Ashland Av (1600 W)
    Chicago
    312-666-5180
  • Post #4 - December 23rd, 2008, 10:34 pm
    Post #4 - December 23rd, 2008, 10:34 pm Post #4 - December 23rd, 2008, 10:34 pm
    Thank you VERY much -- I'll bet my typo is what stifled my friend. I'll send him the link to this thread and he, and I, appreciate your help tremendously.
  • Post #5 - December 24th, 2008, 8:42 am
    Post #5 - December 24th, 2008, 8:42 am Post #5 - December 24th, 2008, 8:42 am
    G Wiv wrote:*I corrected the spelling of Carnitas Uruapan in both subject line and post for future searches

    Think it might be good to leave at least one misspelling, especially if it's likely to be a common mistake, so that people who use it still get a search result?
    Joe G.

    "Whatever may be wrong with the world, at least it has some good things to eat." -- Cowboy Jack Clement
  • Post #6 - December 24th, 2008, 1:11 pm
    Post #6 - December 24th, 2008, 1:11 pm Post #6 - December 24th, 2008, 1:11 pm
    Carnitas Uruapan was open and busy when I drove by today at 12:30. I don't know about tomorrow -- they are normally closed Thursdays anyway.

    Dave, please also tell your friend to go there for lunch (or breakfast!), not dinner. Their usual hours are MTWF 8:30-5, Sat and Sun 7-6.

    felicidades a todos,
    Amata
  • Post #7 - April 27th, 2012, 5:47 pm
    Post #7 - April 27th, 2012, 5:47 pm Post #7 - April 27th, 2012, 5:47 pm
    Rene G wrote:Carnitas Uruapan, Last Summer
    Image


    Saw this sign this afternoon on a dusty street in Dos Santos, Baja California Sur. Note continuation of pig cannibalism iconography, which seems to be a recurring motif in carnitas marketing, Michoacan style.

    Image
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #8 - July 8th, 2015, 1:52 pm
    Post #8 - July 8th, 2015, 1:52 pm Post #8 - July 8th, 2015, 1:52 pm
    I grabbed lunch with a friend at Carnitas Uruapan today. We usually split a pound (had to be at least 1.5 or more on today's visit) of the carnitas. The pork was fantastic; crispy, juicy, salty and moist at the same time. I think we each had about 5 or 6 tacos from the plate. There were two salsas, one a little reddish green and one chipotle based that was a little bit oilier along with cilantro, onions and limes. Really friendly service, and we got to speak with the owner, Marcos, a little on the way out. Perfect lunch (if I didn't have to be sitting at my desk at work right now), great niche restaurant and a tremendous value at roughly $8.60 per pound of meat.
  • Post #9 - August 16th, 2015, 11:39 am
    Post #9 - August 16th, 2015, 11:39 am Post #9 - August 16th, 2015, 11:39 am
    And I finally made it back last week and it was as good as ever. What a treasure!
  • Post #10 - August 17th, 2015, 7:37 am
    Post #10 - August 17th, 2015, 7:37 am Post #10 - August 17th, 2015, 7:37 am
    Went here for the first time a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about how great those carnitas were. Really a gem, and crazy cheap.
  • Post #11 - May 15th, 2019, 2:18 pm
    Post #11 - May 15th, 2019, 2:18 pm Post #11 - May 15th, 2019, 2:18 pm
    I went here for lunch earlier this week. I don't think much has changed, in a good way. It's still pretty tight in the restaurant with some old school 70s era molded cafeteria tables (maybe tables from a mall Orange Julius). The food was excellent. My friend ordered all the parts so we got some Buche and, I think, ear. He also got some deep fried potato tacos. Tortillas and salsas were fresh and tasty. For the three of us (maybe 8 taco's total plus the potato tacos) it cost $25 including tip and pop. Seriously great bargain, not even considering the quality of the food.
  • Post #12 - April 12th, 2020, 1:06 pm
    Post #12 - April 12th, 2020, 1:06 pm Post #12 - April 12th, 2020, 1:06 pm
    rsz_uruapan.jpg
    Carnitas Uruapan is open during the quarantine and anyone who has avoided a visit because of the lines would be wise to make their way to Pilsen pronto. Yesterday, at lunch time on a gorgeous warm sunny Saturday, there were just two customers.

    Would be great to get this place some more LTH love so it can get the GNR it deserves. The restaurant doesn't need the award, but the GNR list needs the restaurant.
  • Post #13 - August 11th, 2021, 9:30 am
    Post #13 - August 11th, 2021, 9:30 am Post #13 - August 11th, 2021, 9:30 am
    Pilsen-based Carnitas Uruapan is in the early stages of opening its third restaurant, this one inside the vacant building that once housed La Concordia restaurant in Little Village. With help from a city grant, the beloved Pilsen restaurant known for its authentic carnitas will rehab the building at 3801 W. 26th St., said owner Marcos Carbajal.

    https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/08/10 ... -location/
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #14 - April 3rd, 2023, 3:43 pm
    Post #14 - April 3rd, 2023, 3:43 pm Post #14 - April 3rd, 2023, 3:43 pm
    anyone know what the situation is with the LV expansion? coming up on 2 years since the original announcement with no movement. theyve gotten nearly 1.5M in city funding, so id have to imagine they need to use it or lose it. this article states they were supposed to open by end of '22, but have yet to see any signs of construction

    https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/05/04 ... ity-grant/
  • Post #15 - September 18th, 2023, 9:22 am
    Post #15 - September 18th, 2023, 9:22 am Post #15 - September 18th, 2023, 9:22 am
    Went to the 55th Street location for lunch on Saturday. I was worried it would be packed due to Mexican Independence Day, but they had us seated within 10 minutes and the food came out very quickly.

    We had 1 lbs of carnitas (all meat because I was with less adventerous guests), botanas, guacamole and refried beans. Everything was excellent, as always. The pork was a little dry compared to prior visits, but this was probably our fault for ordering all meat. It was nothing a generous application of their delicious salsa verde could not remedy. I also really like that they give you plenty of tortillas here without having to ask for extras. So many places skimp on the tortillas! Service was efficient and very friendly.

    We are blessed with a super-abundance of great Mexican food in Chicago, but don't let this place fall off your radar. It is worth a return visit if you have not been lately.
  • Post #16 - September 18th, 2023, 9:37 am
    Post #16 - September 18th, 2023, 9:37 am Post #16 - September 18th, 2023, 9:37 am
    DJH wrote:. . . We are blessed with a super-abundance of great Mexican food in Chicago, but don't let this place fall off your radar. It is worth a return visit if you have not been lately.

    Thanks for the update. Glad to know it's still humming. It's been way too long.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #17 - September 18th, 2023, 12:09 pm
    Post #17 - September 18th, 2023, 12:09 pm Post #17 - September 18th, 2023, 12:09 pm
    I work near the 55th street location and go periodically (when I don't mind being sleepy the rest of the day). It's generally as good as the 18th street location, but the biggest problem is it's next to Gordo's Tamales (good Oaxacan tamales if they're in stock) and Mezquite Pollo Express (also about as good as the 18th st location). It's tough to choose sometimes.
  • Post #18 - September 19th, 2023, 10:24 am
    Post #18 - September 19th, 2023, 10:24 am Post #18 - September 19th, 2023, 10:24 am
    Completely agree on Mezquite Pollo Express (one of my favorite places in the city), but they are closed on Saturdays now for some reason. So that made the choice much easier.

    Have not tried Gordo's yet but will keep it in mind.
  • Post #19 - April 13th, 2024, 6:26 am
    Post #19 - April 13th, 2024, 6:26 am Post #19 - April 13th, 2024, 6:26 am
    Carnitas Uruapan Will Expand With a Third Location in Little Village

    https://whatnowchicago.com/carnitas-uru ... e-village/
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #20 - January 28th, 2025, 6:05 am
    Post #20 - January 28th, 2025, 6:05 am Post #20 - January 28th, 2025, 6:05 am
    The Carbajals’ third location, 3801 W. 26th Street, also features something their other two restaurants lack: cocktails and beer. The new space, the former La Concordia restaurant, opened on Monday, January 27.

    https://chicago.eater.com/2025/1/27/243 ... tos-images
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard

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