We arrived and there was only a few people in line at the window. Here is the menu for that evening...
When deciding what I should order, I had an inner debate with myself
whether to order the pork belly app again (because it's SO delicious),
trying something on their regular menu, OR trying one of their menu
specials (something they do not serve every day). I ordered my dinner with a bottled soda.
Carnitas Snack Shack does not have fountain sodas; instead they carry cool bottles of soda, like the Sprecher Gourmet Soda I ordered (root beer), Coca-Cola bottles, and bottled beers. They do offer fresh brewed iced tea (you can see one in the background) and complimentary water in the seating area. I have loved root beer every since I can remember. The taste was bold, frosty and sweet. I loved every sip of it.
I ordered one of the menu specials.... BBQ brisket sandwich ($8.00). Here are my reasons: #1) I love BBQ brisket and since I don't see it in enough menus here in San Diego, I order it. #2) I love beef. The hubby doesn't eat beef anymore so we don't have it at home... so, beef is pretty much what I order at restaurants. And, lastly... #3) it's a menu special. I can come back to Carnitas and try their pork sandwich anytime but it may be rare to see their brisket on the menu again.
The brisket was moist and amazing. It had enough spice but it was not "spicy". The brioche bun was nice and soft, and it still held the sandwich very well. The coleslaw was primary made up of shredded carrots, but I loved the crunch and how the slaw toned down the overall robust flavor of the meat.
["Eat that corn!" - quote from J]
Every dish comes with their corn relish. It was creamy, crunchy and delicious. J and J gave me theirs so I had three to eat. I only made through two of them. I am guessing that extra crunch is diced jicama they put in the corn salad. Does anyone know?
Both J and J ordered the Snack Shack BLT ($8.00). What can I say? Bacon, bacon, BACON. They gave me some of their bacon. J told me, "You're never going back to turkey bacon after eating this." I could have eaten a basket of that bacon.
We split two orders of the seasoned fries ($2.50). The fries were really seasoned well. The homemade ketchup was sweet and good.
For dessert, we shared the caramel chocolate cupcakes (2 for $5.00). They were tiny in size but they satisfied the palate after a savory dinner. The cake was chocolately and moist, surprisingly not too sweet. The sweetness, of course, came from the gooey caramel and the vanilla frosting.
The Carnitas' Snack Shack experience definitely lives up to the hype. Their food is delicious and the menu is small and simple. I saw on Instagram that the Travel Channel was there with Troy Johnson recently. I predict longer lines in the future!
2632 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
6 comments:
Geez! You're the third person I heard that went to Carnitas Snack Shack this weekend. Popular spot. I'm seeing a Father's Day visit coming up. Yum!
OMG, that bacon crunch bar looks so good! I want that NOW, ha ha!
We went there sometime last year and really liked what we had (Triple pork sandwich, mac 'n cheese and some other type of pork sandwich).
if you like brisket, I recommend that you try the brisket at Coop's West Texas BBQ (either at their Lemon Grove or Chula Vista location). They serve chicken and pork there (since your husband doesn't eat beef) too.
Mmm I love this place. Only been here once though - this reminds me, I should visit again! Looks like they added some stuff to their menu :D That brisket looks awesome!
Lorena: Hey HG! You really should take the hubby there; I mean... Chicagoeans love meat, right? ;)
CC: Hey CC! The bacon crunch bar was so freaking good. I want it for breakfast. Haha. Ohhh, thanks for telling me about Coop's. I saw that Kirbie wrote about Coop's and everything looked sooo good! Yay, a new BBQ place for me to explore!
Jinxi: Hi Jinxi! Thanks for the visit! :) I know, I wish I could eat their pork belly every day. Haha
I thought I commented on this post but maybe I didn't...
I'm so obsessed w/ that bacon bar dessert. I rarely eat any dessert w/ bacon in it (b/c it was kinda hard to find) so this bar looks amazing.
Do you think it's priced ok?
Haha, Faye, I swear I didn't deny your comment! ;)
Yes, the bacon bar dessert was pretty darn delicious. At $5.00 each, it is a bit pricey, but I justified the amount as being a "one of a kind dessert experience" - haha. My friends and I split it after dinner, and I gave the rest to my hubby. Talking about high prices, I thought that the cupcakes were priced way too high more than the bacon bar! They were super tiny.
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