Carnitas’ Snack Shack

Can’t miss their hut with the pig on top. The line during lunch hour was long enough that we didn’t roll through until one late night after much drinking. Efficient staff doling out clutch snarfing options! Back patio was prettily adorned with lights, and you pick your food up from the back door even if it’s carryout. No chicharrons or Cali burrito at this location, but the secret menu offered a decadent option I (and apparently «Junk Food Flip») couldn’t resist: the Quadruple Bypass. The carnitas was moist, the bacon was crispy, the pork belly nicely rendered; didn’t care for the pork schnitzel, which ate very soft. Bun was grilled enough to avoid getting overly soggy. I’d hit their Del Mar location next time if I wasn’t willing to settle for a pork belly app and fried chicken sandwich.

Four stars for being open late, until midnight!
You order at the shack and then if you have a number, then you can sit in the patio area. There’s a sign that says that if you get a to-​go order, then you cannot sit in the patio.
The patio is nice, with nice trees in reclaimed wood planters. They had a high chair for my kid to sit on. Service was good, from both the guy that took the order and the busser. The busser asked if we’d been there before, and since we hadn’t he explained to us where to get plates and silverware, and I appreciated that.
I tried the steak sandwich, carnitas tacos, and fries.
The steak sandwich was great, peppery and cheesy, meat cooked to perfection, well seasoned and tender.
The carnitas tacos was actually a disappointment. While the meat itself was cooked well, the actual taco as a whole was soggy and bland. It’s great for kids because it’s so mild, but for grownups, I think it needs some salsa.
The fries were not that great.
So I will go there if I am having a craving for a sandwich, but if I want something spicy and savory, I will go elsewhere. Go here if you’re having an American food craving, but if you are craving Mexican food, go somewhere else.
The have microbrews here, but they were overpriced.
The burnt wood pig on top of the shack is a nice creative touch.

Free french fries with a check-​in on Unilocal?You got me from the get go.
Click the link for my video review of the food and whole experience I had at the restaurant:
This place is a definite recommendation if you’re visiting San Diego.
My group and I had their Chicharonnes, the Triple-​Threat sandwich, their carnitas taco, the beet salad, and their guacamole.
Chicharonnes — crispy and thick
Triple Threat Sandwich — Chicken cutlet, pulled pork, apple smoked wood bacon — There’s nothing not to love about this sandwich. Please try this.
Carnitas Taco — The tortilla is completely filled with their carnitas, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Each bite will leave you wanting more!
Guacamole — I swear they make this fresh every single day. I’ve never had guac that was so tasty. If you want an appetizer, this should be your choice.
I will keep coming back to this place to try all their food. TRUE FAN FO SHO!

Came at the insistent recommendations of Aleck L. and Rene P. Got the pork belly app and the Triple Threat. I found the latter on the dry side but that pork belly is no joke! The layers of fat cooked with a semi-​sweet glaze… heavenly. The dish was served with a salad made of endives, radish slices, and julienned apples. It went very well with the heavier, fatty pork and that glaze. Truly delicious. We got a free order of seasoned fries by checking in on Unilocal and we were very impressed by the flavor (there’s a kick to it) and their in-​house bacon ketchup. Normally this place gets crowded but we came around Sunday at noon and there was no wait and plenty of seating in the back. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back and trying their burgers and tacos!

So good that I came back as soon as I was back in San Diego!!!
First off, always check in on Unilocal for the FREE FRENCH FRIES! I love the seasoning and it comes with bacon ketchup that tastes even better than it sounds! Wish I could buy the bacon ketchup actually and eat it with everything… Im gonna ask next time! Also, I love soft fries and most of the fries comes out soft — so amazing! My only complaint is that today the fries came out really cold, like not even warm. But hey, still tasty.
Pork belly app: SOOO DELICIOUS! Get this dish!!! The pork belly is so tender and literally just melts in your mouth — you barely have to chew! The meat is cooked in like a sweet teriyaki kind of sauce. When I came here last time, the meat was swimming in the sauce and this time it wasn’t. Less sauce is better in my opinion because I don’t like dishes that taste too heavy and the sauce can be overbearing with too much. My boyfriend loves the sauce though tho! Also comes with a side of salad with apple slices in the salad! So refreshing and great to balance out the heaviness of the meat.
FRIDAY SPECIAL pork and potato taco: I got the carnitas tacos last time I was here and thought it was pretty good, so thought id try this special… Didn’t like it at all. Ended up being a super weird combo and the potatoes made it very heavy. There were wayyyy more potatoes than meat, so it was like a potato taco with guac and salad and was just really weird. Stay with the carnitas tacos if you’re feeling like tacos!
Overall, love this place and will continue to come back every time I come to SD! Great service, great hipster ambiance, and amazing food!

This place is the next best hangout with delicious food, friendly people and awesome garden beds! The hamburger is the bomb! My fav is the steak sandwich! The carnita sandwich is mediocre nothing to brag about!
Their French fries with their special sauce for dipping is to die for! Check in with your Unilocal to get an order of fries for FREE!
For drinks, the cider beer is my fav here!
This is my new go to place when I am searching for something to curb my cravings! YUM
Only con is the LONG line but it’s totally worth the wait.

FOod was good! Especially their pork belly!!! It melts in your mouth!!! It’s an outdoor restaurant, so bring a sweater if you come for dinner just in case it gets cold! The lights are not very bright, so it gets kinda dark! It’s a cute place for people to grab a bite and happy hour! ;) They bring the food to your table, but for the most part, you serve yourself water and your own utensils.

This looks like a little house or «shack» from the street, but there is a decent sized sitting area behind the building to enjoy your meal in the great San Diego weather.
Everything I tried here was good! The triple threat was rich and tasty. It tasted as good as it looked. The combo of fried chicken, bacon, and carnitas is delicious! Plus the toppings like the pickled ingredient adds some flavor contrast.
The shack fries came free with a Unilocal check in, and it was decent. The bacon ketchup was tasty and definitely elevated the fries. The carnitas tacos were pretty good with its ingredients.
The pork belly appetizer was dangerously delicious! The pork belly itself was amazing and well cooked. There was a little too much sauce so I moved the pork belly to a spot without sauce. Also, the sauce was a little salty but the greens provided helped with the salty taste of the sauce.

The name alone has two of my favorite all time eats: carnitas and snacks. I was sold. There was no line and the food came out very quickly. I really liked the vibe here at Carnitas. You order at the window and it is open seating in the back. The service was really really great and the food was delicious.
Seasoned fries– free with Unilocal check in, but nothing special
Pork belly app– unexpected sweet hoisin? glaze on the pork belly, it comes with a salad that’s a good balance with all the meat we had with the meal
Carnitas tacos– big tacos, definitely shareable between two people
The portions were a lot bigger than I expected. I liked everything we got and have no doubts that the whole menu is fantastic.

Triple threat pork sandwich
Pork belly hash tacos
2x fries for checking in
5x bacon ketchup
Chives aioli
Shack aioli
When you’re a sauce boss, you need to ask for every sauce on the menu. Whether the sauce is good on the food or not.
3 stars on the sauces. Bacon ketchup could be thicker.
5 stars on the Chives aioli. Thick and creamy just how I like it in my mouth ya feel?
Triple threat pork sandwich!!! Mehh, not really a threat, more of just a fun scare… This burger doesn’t come with he chives aioli so I highly suggest getting that on the side to slap it across each bite of the burger. Makes it much tastier. 4 stars!
The pork belly hash tacos were quite big. There are two lines given with it and the only spicy sauce with it is Tapitio which is a basic hot sauce. The juicy pork was what I felt made this taco decent. 3.5 stars.
Definitely check in to get the Friez! Fries were so so. They were on the house so okay okay
Overall, 4 stars!

Saw the 2,600 reviews of this place and had to make an attempt to try this on our weekend in San Diego, and it did not disappoint.
Let’s get it up front — 5 stars
We started with the pork belly app for $ 9, and it was the highlight of the meal. Served perfectly prepared with a fresh side salad with apples. The pork belly was soft, not seared like some others like to do and the flavor was wonderful. Nice large portion as well as we savored it in the teriyaki based sauce. Excellent.
Next came the carnitas tacos ($ 8) and they were wonderfully prepared with a nice flavor on the carnitas, with very large portion, not the tiny Mexico City style that you get all the time.
Last was the triple threat, highly stacked carnitas, pork schnitzel and bacon. Please see pic to believe this. It was wonderful as well.
Don’t forget that if you do a Unilocal check in, they give you a bag of freshly seasoned shake fries and sauce. Do not forget to do that! So worth it!
Seating is outside and there were several heat lamps, although those were not needed on this warm sunny San Diego afternoon. Service was friendly, efficient, and prompt.

Nice little walk up place with a hidden gem of a patio to sit under nice lights and hear warmers during the evening time.
I like it because they are pretty much the only food place where you can sit down and eat passed 11pm in Northpark. So if your looking for some beer to go with a midnight snack type of thing this is your place !!
What seems to be popular is the burger that’s called the triple threat
I was feeling for something not As filling so I went with the carnitas tacos which isn’t like an authentic Mexican taco shop so don’t except that. BUT DOESN’T MEAN IT ISN’T BOMB! The guacamole and the flavor of the carnitas are on piiiiiiiizoint! Comes with a teeeny side of corn mixed with sour cream I’m assuming? I thought it was delicious. Price wise is pretty average. And don’t forget to order their fries for free with your first check in on Unilocal!!!

really liked this cute place with the backyard patio. We went on mother’s day so the line wasn’t long at all. Got the special sandwich of the day which was pork belly/​BLT with an over easy egg on top. The bread they used was phenomenal and the portion size was huge. Also ordered the famous pork belly. Wasn’t as fattening as I expected which was a good thing. The sauce they spread on top was delicious. It tasted like a mixture of Hoison and vingear and honey mixed together. Of course got the Carnitas tacos too. Super meaty. everything was great about this place :)

OKAY… WTF? How have I not been here before?!
I heard about Carnitas’ from friends and on Unilocal so I made the effort to come out here last night… WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?
My baby daddy was telling me to get the PORK BELLY APP $ 9 so that’s what I ordered and OMFG! DEATH! IT’S SO EFFIN GOOD! I DIED! WHAT EVEN?! They serve you the pork belly kind of like a steak-​like slab with a salad. The pork belly juices and sauce were just overwhelmingly wonderful… IT WAS TRIUMPHANT! Thank you baby for the recommendation! MWAH!
ALSO!!! Make sure to check in on Unilocal when you come here you get Shack Fries for $Free.99!!!
They have ample seating in the back with heat lamps. They also have self-​serve beverages.
I just love everything about this place! I’m definitely coming back for more PORK BELLY! YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! ;P

***Remember to check-​in for a free order of Shack Fries!***
Omg, where have I been… I now see the light.
Carnitas Snack Shack had always been on the back of my mind during the time I lived in SD. I’ve always heard about it but didn’t know too much about it. I finally looked it up on Unilocal this past weekend and immediately facepalmed at all my missed opportunities to go! Thought I’d go make it up to myself and grab some lunch there.
I ordered the Carnitas Tacos and redeemed my Unilocal check-​in offer for a free order of fries. The fries came out first and it was a HUGE order. Did not expect that from a Unilocal check-​in offer. Best offer ever. Great seasoning and interesting bacon ketchup. I preferred the fries on their own. The tacos were equally as huge. For two tacos at $ 8 I would definitely expect this size and quality. It was greeaaaatttt. Bunch of carnitas with a giant glob of guac on top — PLUS a little cup of corn on the side. There were so many toppings that my tortilla couldn’t hold it all, but it was awesome. Seriously… where have I been… The Pork Belly App looked interesting and everyone’s raving about it on here — perhaps next time — seems more like a shared dish. Great taplist here too.
I walked out with a full belly. Couldn’t even finish my fries, which I was really sad about. :(I ended up not taking them with me since it was so little. Service was quick. Still unsure if you are supposed to bus your own table. I saw some of the servers take some plates but also saw some customers do it as well. I ended up just doing it myself since I didn’t have very much.
Still smacking myself over the head for not coming here earlier. Glad I finally did. Can’t wait to be in SD again just to come back to CSS! Feel like crying just thinking about the yummy fries. ;_​_​;

It’s official, I love this place! After telling my mom about how much I loved the carnitas tacos, she wanted to come and try right away. Only a few days after my first visit, I was back with my mom.
She also ordered the carnitas tacos, but unlike mine which only has the carnitas, she had everything. We both also got free fries for checking in! It’s seriously such a great deal and I hope they never get rid of it!
In my last review I had stated that I wanted to come here at night and that’s exactly what we did. It was super nice! The string lights were such a cute and I was thankful that the heaters were on. There are some areas that don’t get much light. Even a couple lanterns would help!
My food was DELICIOUS! I got a ton of carnitas. Not as much as my last visit, but still a generous amount. My mom’s tacos were something else. She was in love with them! Our fries were perfect too!
If I could I’d give Carnitas Snack Shack 10 stars! The food is great, staff is great, the aura is great. This place is GREAT!

CITYBEAT BURGER WEEK #7
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«Well we’d have to be talkin’ about one charming motherfuckin’ pig. I mean he’d have to be ten times more charmin’ than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I’m sayin’?» — Jules
The $ 5 Extortion Burger: Fresh ground pork shoulder — pork belly /​smoked onion-​mushroom confit /​house made pimento cheese… GOOD! Some very interesting non-​cow flavors going. I’m not sure how much this costs full price, but its not as good as their Triple Threat Pork Burger, which is AMAZING!

03/​09/​2016 — San Diego Burger Week continues (but sadly ends ⁰³⁄₁₂) and we ended up checking out Carnitas’ Snack Shack (CSS). They were offering their Pork Belly Burger (with smoked mushroom onion confit and house made pimento cheese) for $ 5 or combo for $ 10 (add fries and a fountain drink).
Place was easy enough to find… right on University Avenue in North Park a few blocks down from Texas Street. I found parking on the street right in front of CSS.
The guy that took our order was super friendly, personable, and answered any questions we had. We decided on three burger combos. We also ordered some desserts: Bacon Whiskey Truffles and a Birthday Cheesecake «Wow» Bar. They ended up throwing in a Berry Cobbler Bar and a Coconut Macaroo Bar also because they ran out of the Salted Toffee Brownie we wanted to try. Very impressed with their service.
It’s way bigger than it looks… TWSS. From the front it looks like a small place, but once you walk into the back patio area you realize there’s a lot of room for dining. They have heat lamps, normal height tables with chairs, benches, pub style tables with stools, and even have a large flat screen television in the back. Love the clean modern minimalist style this place has.
Food came out and tasted great. The burgers were delicious. The burger patty was tasty, tender, and we loved the mushroom, onions, and sauce. The fries were hot, crispy, and well seasoned.
3.5 — 4.0 /​5.0: The burger — this is what my group rated it.
⁴⁄₅: The fries — we all enjoyed the fries.
²⁄₅: The quesadilla — I’ve had better. It was meh.
Now onto the desserts.
³⁄₅: Bacon Whiskey Truffles — you get two pieces for $ 6. It had a crunchy chocolate shell with creamy buttery chocolate inside and bacon. The chocolate overpowered the bacon flavor, so you couldn’t really get the full taste only a hint of bacon.
³⁄₅: The Birthday Cheesecake «Wow» bar — it definitely didn’t wow. Think frozen cheesecake filling with a hard chocolate ice cream bar shell. We weren’t really wowed by it.
³⁄₅ — Berry Cobbler Bar — moist with decent berry flavor. Not bad or good, just okay.
²⁄₅ — Coconut Macaroo Bar — no one in my group is a fan of coconut, so none of us really liked it.
Overall, good experience here. I look forward to trying out more items from their menu.
⁴⁄₅ — Food
³⁄₅ — Dessert
⁴⁄₅ — Atmosphere /​Cleanliness
⁵⁄₅ — Service
⁴⁄₅ — Overall

Hola. It’s very rare I find a place over 4 stars on Unilocal not be 4 stars in my book. Sadly, it breaks my heart to give this review but I must prevail for all the carnitas lovers and non lovers out there. For years, I’ve been dying to try it and then the time came! This location is beautiful with plenty of parking and inside /​patio seating.
I ordered the popular carnitas tacos which came with two tacos and a side of corn (with some sort of dressing). The carnitas came on corn tortillas and salsa fresca and guac brilliantly and beautifully laid on top. This was $ 8.50 + tax. Mind you, I know two carnitas tacos at the taco shop would have been under $ 5 at the taco shop but I’m all about quality.
I wasn’t very impressed. It wasn’t that the meal was bad, it’s just for the price the meal lacked that wow factor for me. Although the meat was piled high and could have been easily 4 mini tacos, there was nothing special about the meat extra. The corn on the side didn’t complement the tacos well either in my opinion. The corn dressing had some sort of mayo chipotle dressing which was a bit heavy.
The service was great though, and the ambiance was modern and laid back.

After a few hours of walking, we worked up an appetite for a «snack.» Lo and behold, we chose to take a stop at Carnita’s Snack Shack. I didn’t expect the place to actually be a shack! We drove by and saw roughly 15 – 20 people in line at 2:00pm. After ordering, there is an entrance on the left side of the shack for sit down tables with a very hipster vibe — love it! Order and receive a number, find a table, grab your own water/​utensils, wait for food.
Triple Threat Sandwich ($ 9.50): Deep fried pork loin, pulled pork, and bacon smothered with aioli and relish between a perfectly crisp bun. Yes Yes and more yes.
Fries with bacon ketchup ($ 3.00?): The bacon ketchup sounds a lot better than it actually tastes. The ketchup is pretty thin and doesn’t stick to the fries well. You can tell they used fresh grind tomatoes to make the ketchup which is pretty neat but not my cup of tea.
There was a mix up with our order which took the fries extremely long to come out after our burger. Not sure what was going on.
We easily found a few empty street parking slots during the off-​time we went. By the time we left around 3:00pm, there was no longer a line to order!

If I could rate this 15 stars, trust me I would.
This the CAPTAIN AMAZE BALLS of places to eat in San Diego.
I am a San Diego girl at heart, but every time I have the chance to go down for a visit you know where I have to start and/​or end my trips– it’s here, at Carnitas’ Snack Shack.
My favorite thing is that it is literally a shack upon arrival. You waiting in line to only be greeted by an awesome staff at the tiny window. You place you order, get your number and walk around the corner to only be surprised by the most «SoCal» «San Diego-​vibe» atmosphere. Communal seating, smiles & laughter, beer glasses clanking and the most relaxed wait for food ever.
The down side is the smell… AND HOW FREAKIN’ DELICIOUS IT IS!
The smell is mouth watering and drool inducing. It teases you while you wait for your food.
THE FOOD= BEYOND AMAZING.
Anything. Literally, anything you get will be delicious. I PROMISE.
But if you must know my faves…
Pork Belly App
BLT
SnackShack Steak Sandwich
Snack Shack Burger (OH THAT BACON JAM!!!)
Chicharrons!!! (delicious!)
ALWAYS get seasoned fries with bacon ketchup (you’ll thank me later)
When your food arrives. You can thank me later. And know that you can now die happy.

Love this spot
Staff is great
Owners super nice and food is amazing
Love the bar in back… there’s always a line but that’s cause it’s awesome

Great burger, great tacos! Great atmosphere! Walking distance from my house so I don’t have to deal with the poor parking situation! You get what you pay for. Produce is fresh!!!
There’s something about the burger… it’s addicting.

Cant say enough good things about this place. From the outside it looks… well. questionable. You order through a window?! like WTH?! and then you walk to the back and OMG! its so pretty! twinkle lights and outside seating with lots of different tables and a bar.
The pork belly app is life changing! no joke I order one for myself and another one for my guests cause i have no intentions of sharing such deliciousness!
Come and try this place out its super cute for a date BTW or just to hang out with friends! Its pet friendly (plus, plus, plus!) and the staff is always super chill.

Yumm. Came here because a friend found this place a while back. I was happy that there was a Check In Promotion on Unilocal.We walked up to the shack, I ordered the Carnitas Tacos and some fries. Then I took my number to a table.
The place is pretty clean for outdoor seating. Was thinking there would be too much «nature» on everything, but they put in a lot of effort to keep it clean.
The tacos were amazing. You get 2 tacos for each order. The fries were also really good but I didn’t need them because the tacos were really good. Deffinetly a place I will look for in the future.

MMMMMMMMMYGAAAAAAWD. If you are ever in San Diego, you must come to try this place. Everything I tried was so flavorful and delicious. It’s a good thing I don’t live nearby otherwise my wallet would be crying.
My girlfriend and I were staying in San Diego for the a few days and we saw on Unilocal that this place was around a 6−7min walk from where we were staying. Also as a bonus, if we checked in, we could get a free order of fries. So we decided to go try it out. We were blown away.
I ordered the pork belly app and checked in for an order of fries. My girlfriend got the tacos and checked in for fries as well but the cashier said instead of fries, we could also get chicharones. So she opted for that. At first glance, we thought it was a bit pricey since each item was 8 dollars but after we tried it; it was definitely worth it.
The pork belly app was the most tender and flavorful pork belly I’ve ever eaten. I could cut it with a spoon since it was so soft. The sauce had a very nice sweetness to it that came with a slight kick beneath it. There was also a bit of tang to it as well. The fattiness of the pork and sweetness of the sauce was cut through by the acidity and freshness of the salad that came with it. It was amazing.
The carnitas taco was also very delicious according to my girlfriend. They were also a lot bigger than we expected. They definitely aren’t your normal sized tacos. The carnitas had a crunch to it but were also very tender. It was topped with fresh pico de gallo and guacamole. There was also a small creamy corn salad that came with it on the side. It was very refreshing; I wish it came with more.
The fries and chicharones were both hot and very crispy when they came out. You could tell they were made to order. The fries came with a bacon ketchup which was very yummy. The ketchup didn’t have bacon in it but it had the flavor of it. It was smoky and fatty; very addicting. I don’t normally eat ketchup but I had to ask for more this time since I couldn’t stop myself from dipping the fries into them. The chicharones came with a side of a spicy tomato avocado salsa that was also very yummy. It was very refreshing and had a nice strong kick to it. There was a good amount of avocado chunks so we definitely weren’t skimped out.
Seating is mainly outdoor which was really nice. It had a very backyard family gathering feel to it. The air was crisp and it was a very beautiful day when we went so it increased the pleasantness of our trip. Since we walked, we didn’t have to struggle with finding parking. Parking seemed to mainly be street parking so I could see it being a hassle if it was all filled up.
TLDR; YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS PLACE IF YOU’RE IN SAN DIEGO. I definitely recommend everything we got. It was all so delicious and flavorful.

Wow is this place bomb. The place your order at is at a tiny shack outside and the seating is outside as well. There is a good amount of space for people to sit and some shelter to cover from the rain. But note this place is outside so you wouldn’t want to be sitting there when there’s a tornado going on. I ordered the pork belly app that was $ 9 and also the fries that came free when checking into Unilocal.The pork belly looked magnificent and seemed like it came from a fancy restaurant. However it wasn’t as filling as I thought it’d be but it was good nonetheless. The fries were pretty good as well, especially since it came free. This place is a little pricey but it is worth for the quality of food you’re getting.

Came to California from Columbus, Ohio for NAMM. Taco trucks have been charging $ 10 for two tiny tacos with catalina sauce…
Not at Carnitas Snack Shack! This place is game changing. 2 quarter pound tacos for just 8 bucks. #Winning
Cool garden in the back. Everything looks and tastes fresh!

Best. Carnitas. Tacos. Ever.
Get their carnitas tacos… easily the best thing on the menu. Comes with two for $ 8 I believe. I’ve never had tacos with such juicy and flavorful meat before. The triple threat was a little dry in my opinion, but if you’re a meat lover then it’s worth a try. Tortas are also an excellent choice. Fries are nothing special, but they’re cheap. If you’re looking for a side to go with your meal and don’t want to spend $ 8 on the chips and guacamole then fries are your go-​to! Very friendly staff and a spacious outdoor seating area, but beware of the flies when it’s hot out!

Filipinos love pork, so I’ve been eating pork belly long before it got popular and I can honestly say that Carnitas Snack Shack makes one of the best pork belly dishes I’ve had! Their Pork Belly App is so tender that you don’t need a knife to cut it!
I took my wife and kids and they all loved what they ordered (Triple Threat Burger and Carnitas Tacos) and that’s a big deal because they don’t really like pork.
It’s easy to mess up a pork dish by overcooking it, which dries out the pork, but Carnitas Snack Shack knows how to cook pork perfectly… moist and tender.
So for all of you pork lovers, you have to come! And for you non-​pork lovers, you have to come too because Carnitas Snack Shack will make you love it!
Tip: They only have an outdoor dining area, so if you come at night during the colder months bring a sweater because there are some seats that don’t have an outdoor heater near by.

What a little place to pack such a big punch! (Not just to my arteries. Cough cough.)
I’m guessing Carnita’s Snack Shack took over a little Mexican food hole in the wall that one would hit up for a late night snack after Rich’s or Lei Lounge during college (who, me?!). Specializing in carni-​tified (yup, making up words here) pork in many different preparations, they are absolutely nailing it coming from a glorified walk-​up taco counter.
To make room for the crowds the entire back area was redone and beautifully created into the wonderful outdoor living/​eating area that San Diego does so well. We went on a very, very rainy evening and it was just the trick to beat the crowds! The service was extremely accommodating and turned on every heat lamp they have (little did they know we are from Seattle and thought it was a pretty tame sprinkle going on admist a lovely warm night…).
I had the BLT, between thick pieces of bread and an extra added layer of grilled pork. My more adventurous half had a sandwich filled with as many different kinds of pork preparations as you can think of– it was filling and tasty. To reduce the effects of a potential gut-​bomb dinner, I ordered the beet tartine– absolutely fresh and fabulous, accompanied by a really terrific frisee and radish salad.
Featured in Sunset magazine, adored by Hillcresters and NPers alike, perfect for a rainy day. Did I mention they offered bacon truffles?

This place was probably here way long before the kool kids found it. I’m not really sure since even after going college in San Diego, I never heard of this place. Thankfully, I got some foodie familia that knew the spots to hit. This little shack was one of them. Carnitas’ Snack Shack is a book you shouldn’t judge by its cover. The storefront literally portrays a shack with a single ordering window. It’s pushed right up on the sidewalk so there’s often a queue that lines the sidewalk. Take it around the back though, then we have a different story.
-=-Back Patio-​=- The eating area here is pretty glorious. Given that it’s a bright sunny day or a warm night, this area is strategically hidden from view from the front. The patio houses a small bar, tons of tables, tons of tables, and… cornhole.
-=-Pork Belly App-​=- This is the winner here. Huge slab of meat dunked on your plate. No filler. It’s juicy to bite into and super soft. They caramelize a crispy layer on there and drench it in sauce. It comes with a forgetable slaw, but when the slaw soaks up the pork juice, that’s good eatin. It’s called an appetizer, but I’m just gonna make a meal out of this. Hell, I’d buy 2 and call myself stuffed. It doesn’t get more tender than this.

I popped in here for lunch a few weeks ago and I’m definitely a fan. Carnitas tacos were packed full of flavorful pork, I couldn’t even finish. The fries were tasty and well-​cooked and pork belly… seriously. Get out of here with that awesomeness. So, so good.
The atmosphere is really relaxed and I love being outside. Craft sodas are always delicious, especially the Shirley Temple, even if it does make me lovingly roll my eyes a little and mutter something about hipsters.

Holy OMG that was good!!!
I had the steak sandwich and the free fries from the Unilocal checkin.
So damn good.

Carnitas’ Snack Shack was on a list of must-​eats given to us by our San Diegan (San Diego-​ian?) friend. It’s east to miss if you’re zooming down the street; just look for the giant pig on top of a window in a wall.
We were initially going to eat a full meal here, but our plans took us elsewhere for dinner. But we had to try it, we said. It was on the must-​eat list, we said. And so, we decided to have a post-​dinner snack. You know how you usually have dessert after a meal? We didn’t have dessert; we just had some meat.
The one thing recommended to us was the Pork Belly App, so my boyfriend and I got one to share. We each took one bite and immediately regretted going on a mostly-​full stomach. The pork belly was so tender and melted in my mouth. It was slathered in a sweet sauce that had a slight kick to it. Of course, there’s also a salad on the side when the carnivore in you has been satiated. I had to put my fork down halfway through but only because my stomach was at full capacity; I’d definitely go back and order another.
There is also an amazing seating area behind the shack, complete with Christmas lights, wooden benches, and plenty of tables and chairs. Totally awesome place to hang out at night with some friends and good Mexican food.
Bonus — check in on Unilocal and get a free order of fries to satisfy your munchies cravings!

Came here and overshot the store. It’s definitely a shack looking storefront, but don’t let the cover judge the book. There’s a nice outdoor eating area in the back.
Got two popular items — triple threat pork sandwich and the carnitas tacos.
Pork sandwich comes with bacon, pulled pork, and pork loin schnitzel with relish. Tons. Of. Pork. Juicy pulled pork, nice thick cutbacon, and the pork loin was fried. Definitely for meatlovers.
The carnitas were equally juicy. It came with avocado, limes, and pico. Good portion of meat for the two tacos. Would’ve liked some other extras like cilantro and onions.
Checked in here and got the seasoned fries with bacon ketchup. Seasoned with old bay type flavoring and was nice, hot and crispy.
Would check this place out again!

Why 5 stars? Because this was a top 10 meal of my entire life.
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Oh I am so eternally grateful that I visited CSS. If this was in my own city, I’d absolutely be the duke on Unilocal.Good Lord, it’s like a custom-​designed shop of all my fantasies.
I ordered the Snack Shack Steak Sandwich, which has all of my favorite things in this world: sliced ribeye, pepper jack cheese and chipotle aioli, on some high quality toasted bread. It was perfect. All of it was perfect.
I enjoyed sitting on the patio, eating this work of art in the San Diego weather that the rest of the country wishes it had. I went straight here from the airport, and it really started my trip off right. The next time I visit SD, this will again be the first place I go. Just thinking about it now is almost painful because I live nowhere near.
And it really worked out that this was milestone review #1200, because this was a memorable one!

I love this place still and the outdoors setup, but my most recent experience was a bummer. Used a check in promo to get an order of fries, but sadly they seemed a little old. Perhaps it’s because I stopped by later in the day. I also ordered the fried chicken sandwich and although the presentation was nice, the chicken was dry. I still love this place but the chicken sandwich was not wassup. I would stick to the pork belly app or the carnitas tacos (although my friends tacos were slightly lacking in toppings… Usually they’re generous with the meats and toppings but one of his tacos looked like they had scraped the last of their guacamole onto the taco which barely amounted to half a spoonful with a sprinkle of pico de Gallo.)
The beer selection is great as always. The lady bussing tables and cleaning was very sweet and attentive. This place is still great but this most recent experience was very different from my past ones.

Read about all the hype about Carnitas on Unilocal and the tacos were definitely everything that people made them out to be.
My girlfriend and I visited in the late afternoon on a Sunday prior to leaving San Diego because we needed a quick, good snack before we left for the airport and we were definitely glad we found Carnitas. At first, we missed Carnitas, but we drove back around and saw its small storefront.
The menu was pretty simple and straightforward as there are a limited number of items to select. You either want a burger, BLT, tacos, sandwiches plus fries. For us, we went with what they were most known for, the tacos! After we ordered, we went straight to the Pig Pen/​Eating area in the back. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a turnoff to eat here because of all the flies whizzing around. It was quite bothersome and was definitely a problem as we kept swatting our hands like 2 crazy folks.
Anyhow, I ordered the traditional Carnitas tacos with pico and guac. My girlfriend ordered the special Birria tacos with braised beef, cilantro mixed with onions and green salsa. They both came with a small side of corn. Both tacos were excellent! The corn tortillas were fresh and so were the carnitas and braised beef. They were seasoned perfectly. The addition of the guac, pico and also the cilantro/​onion mix were very refreshing. The downside was that we only got 2 tacos in an order and were still hungry! We also ordered a side of fries. There was nothing spectacular about those, but they were good and tasted like they were from Wendy’s?
The tacos were a bit pricier than I was used to at $ 8.50, but I couldn’t complain with the good quality of them. I do wish they would’ve served 3 per order instead of 2 for that price. And I hope they fix that fly problem soon!

I’ve been hearing so much about this place that I just had to try it out. However, not being in the area regularly, timing had to be right. The day had come when I’d be in nearby. Had to stop to see what all the fuss was about.
From the street, all you can really see is the store front which isn’t very impressive. Blink and you will miss it entirely since the façade is a bit dark and there is another business with bright lights nearby. (yes this was an evening visit). The menu is listed on a chalkboard next to the ordering window so it can be easily changed with the availability of menu items. They use locally sourced ranches, farms and bakeries. Very cool and appreciated.
I was in a bit of a rush and glanced very briefly at the menu before asking about popular items. First thing he mentioned was the carnitas, hence the name «Carnitas Snack Shack». He then mentioned a couple other items and steak sandwich stood out as it would be easily consumed while driving, or so I thought. So after I ordered and paid, the gentleman in the window gives me a number and says, have a seat around the back and we’ll bring it out to you.
What? Around the back? As I mentioned it’s hard to notice from passing by along the front. So I went to the side of the shack and found a comfortable seating area with plenty of chairs, tables and barstools to accommodate a small army. They had string lights all around and music playing at a bit higher than average volume. Soon after a gal brought out my bag and I opened it up to take a glance at the goodness. It was a pretty good sized sandwich which seemed a bit wet from the a jus from the steak. So I decided to sit and eat so I didn’t make a mess while driving.
The steak sandwich has a healthy portion of sliced rib eye, melted peperjack cheese, tomato, pickled serrano chilies and a chipotle aioli that really enhances the flavors. All is served on jalep bread. Don’t ask to explain, its just really good… The meat was flavorful and tender. Not overly fatty. The serrano peppers added a nice spicy bite to each morsel.
I’m so glad I took the time to check this place out. Will be back!
Keep on Unilocal’n!