Carnitas Las Michoacanas: Authentic Mexican Delights in Chula Vista

Great hidden gem located in Chula Vista ...don't find many carnitas only places in SD this is the best I have come across .. order the $20 one pound mixed plate...comes with all the accoutrement needed to make good size tacos ...easily can feed 3-4.. the mix of meats is both juicy and some portions have some crunch .. quick and friendly service..they are cash only ..dont hesitate to come here ! Recommend!

super recomendado. El servicio y la comida 10/10. Highly recommend; the service and food are top notch

Hands down the best carnitas in town ! The service is great. They have family packages or big orders. I love ordering here when I have family gathering. A must try !

Carnitas and buches are really good. I definitely recommend. An order comes with tortillas, beans and rice. Service is good, they normally give you a taco while you wait. Ambiance in the restaurant is good, have plenty of other dishes to try.

We drove over an hour to try these carnitas and they were so worth it. They were delicious, generous, and affordable. Service was quick and friendly. Wish we had one of these in Hawaii!

I swear someone's abuelita is slow cooking that pork in the back because it is soooooo good, tender, and juicy. I got to use the Spanish skills I know to order my food. Second time here and they do not disappoint. Don't forget to wash it down with a horchata or Cerveza. Service was ok. Ambiance cool

Carnitas are legit! Andrea is the best waitress. The chilaquiles are super tasty!! Parking is kinda congested but I find parking.

While in the South Bay area. I did a Yelp search for 'carnitas' which led me to the Castle Park Retail Center in Chula Vista. Carnitas Las Michoacanas was a Mexican joint in a small suite with a simple menu. You could call it a hole-in-the-wall and not be far from the truth. When you walked in, a glass display cabinet was at the service counter with all the meats wrapped in foil to preserve the heat and moisture. The seating capacity in the dining area was sufficient for a couple of dozen customers. I bought two carnitas tacos and one adobada taco for my meal. These were more than the ordinary street sized tacos as lots of meat was piled onto each tortilla. A plate of vegetable condiments and a rack containing three different salsas were brought out by the server. Less than five minutes later, the tacos followed. The carnitas was amazingly tender and moist. This was easily at a five-star level for quantity and quality. I tried one of the two tacos with the pork skin included, however it didn't make much of a difference. For the adobada, the pork style was different than what you get when the kitchen shaves the meat off a rotisserie. The pork was ground into tinier pieces whereas I prefer it to be in thin slices with a pineapple chunk added. You pay the cashier at the service counter after you finish your meal. There was a surcharge for the use of a credit card regardless of the size of the check. It wasn't busy during my visit, but I still had a four star experience at Carnitas Las Michoacanas because of its namesake meat.

Wish I had taken some better photos but this is one of my go to places when I want to host something with a few people. Their carnitas are delicious, one of the best in my opinion. The best deal on the menu is ordering the carnitas by the pound because they include all the fixings with it, including rice, beans, tortillas, cilantro, onions, limes, pickled carrots and two types of salsa. You get everything you need to host a gathering. Just like everywhere, the prices have gone up but it's still an excellent deal for an entire delicious meal. The only reason I didn't rate it at 5 stars is several of the employees working the front don't speak English, creating a language barrier and struggle to understand what I'm trying to order, although it hasn't taken away from good service. Aside from that, this will always be a go to for great quality food.

I met my sister for lunch at Carnitas Las Michoaca for the first time. I will be honest the restaurant isn't in the nicest strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside, but food and service is fantastic. Pros: lots of parking, affordable, authentic carnitas, air conditioning and clean bathroom Cons: Mall is old and rundown Our server didn't speak a lot of English, but was friendly and helpful. We ordered a lb of carnitas (mixta with meat and skin) with all the sides and a bowl of birria de chivo (goat stew/soup). Food was generous and flavorful. We had enough good left to take home for another meal.