Pilsen's Reference Carnitas
Carnitas Uruapan on 18th Street has been serving Michoacán-style carnitas in Pilsen since 1975. The format is the proper carnitas specialist: pork shoulder slow-cooked in copper cazos in the manner of the Uruapan region, served by weight, eaten by hand on warm tortillas.
The cooking is uncompromising regional Mexican. The carnitas are made the same way they have been made in Uruapan for centuries; the salsas are considered; the prices have somehow held against three decades of city inflation.
What to Order
Carnitas by weight — order a quarter pound or half pound, served with warm tortillas, salsas, and chopped onions and cilantro. Chicharrón en salsa verde as a counterpoint. The horchata is house-made.
The Format
The room is unfussy and busy. The format moves diners through quickly. The crowd is overwhelmingly local; weekends bring serious queues. There is no scene to navigate.
Best Occasion: Solo Dining
Carnitas Uruapan is one of Chicago's best solo-dining rooms. The format requires nothing of the diner; the food is among the city's best inexpensive meals; a solo diner can eat exceptionally well for under fifteen dollars and leave inside half an hour.