Carnitas El Momo is a laid-back taco haven where tender, slow-cooked pork meets warm tortillas, all served in hefty portions and bursting with flavor.
"Mixta torta If you love tender, slow-cooked carnitas as much as we do, then there’s a good chance you’ll agree that no one does it better than Carnitas El Momo. Pork belly, pork shoulder, and pork skin are all on the menu, but the move is to order all three (the “mixta”) in the form of a torta. The gelatinous, chewy skin plays perfectly with the shoulder and fatty belly that come dripping in juices. All of it goes into a soft bolillo roll with onions, cilantro, a dash of salsa roja, and plenty of that brown cauldron sauce." - the infatuation los angeles crew
"If you love juicy, fat-simmered carnitas as much as we do, there’s a good chance you’ll agree that no one does pork better than Carnitas El Momo. This Boyle Heights curbside operation has expanded to Monterey Park with a full counter-service restaurant (complete with a giant pig mural). At both spots, you'll be greeted by the same incredible porky aroma. Though you can order tortas and quesadillas stuffed with their caramelized Michoacan-style carnitas, the standard tacos shine the brightest on the menu. They're so obscenely rich they require little embellishment beyond a dab of salsa verde and some pickled jalapeños. Pick your cut (shoulder, belly, skin, burnt ends, or, our favorite, the mixed “Aporkalypse'' style) and watch the people cooking heap melting bits of meat onto warm tortillas, then do your best to not drip any of those precious pig juices on your shirt. " - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, brant cox, nikko duren
"When you’re craving something greasy, crispy, and crunchy all at the same time, head to Carnitas El Momo to witness the “Aporkalypse”. That sounds like a lot for a midday sandwich, but wait until you catch a glimpse of this thing. Chopped pork shoulder, belly, and burnt ends are stuffed into a soft bolillo roll with onions, cilantro, a dash of salsa roja, and just the right amount of glorious carnitas fat. It’s those caramelized drippings that tie the flavors together and make this a torta we crave whenever we’re recovering from an eventful weekend." - sylvio martins
"The best way to have carnitas at Romulo Acosta’s shrine to Mexican confit-style pork cuts is to skip the onions and cilantro, and squeeze in some juices from a pickled jalapeño, chasing each bite of moist pork with some of the chile. That’s the way it’s done in Salamanca, Guanajuato. For more than half a century, “Momo” has been making artisanal carnitas, a trade he’s passed onto his children, ensuring the best carnitas in the U.S. are here to stay." - Bill Esparza
"Carnitas El Momo is making a return to Monterey Park on March 9 after announcing it would no longer be affiliated with the location in a November 2023 Instagram post. The Monterey Park restaurant opened in 2022 and was Carnitas El Momo’s first permanent location. The original set-up in Boyle Heights consists of a trailer and a pop-up covering. Carnitas El Momo has become known for its eponymous carnitas, which are available in tacos, quesadillas, mulitas, or family-style by the pound." - Rebecca Roland
