Carnitas Ramirez
Taco restaurant · Alden Bridge ·
Specializing in authentic carnitas, barbacoa, and friendly service
Specializing in authentic carnitas, barbacoa, and friendly service
"A follow-up to Taqueria Ramirez that centers entirely on carnitas, offering tacos stuffed with cuts like oreja (ear), buche (stomach), and matriz (uterus)." - Eater Staff
"Located at 210 E. Third Street, near Avenue B, Carnitas Ramirez — the owners' second restaurant opened with partners Yvon de Tassigny and Kari Boden — is described as another language lesson, with names of pork cuts listed above the register and a diagram on the wall translating oreja (ear), buche (stomach), and matriz (uterus). On opening weekend there were close to a dozen types of carnitas ($5 each), and tasting several on one plate highlights their differences: cabeza is rich with collagen, chamorro has crunchy, fried skin, seso is ground into a ricotta-like paste, and the surtida combines cartilage, fat, and skin. Cervantes, who traveled to Michoacán to learn the craft, developed a simple recipe of salt, garlic, and lard and oversees a morning process that starts around 7 a.m., frying ears and ribs in a stainless-steel cazo before moving them to a second pot to simmer for hours — a method that, he says, “relies on mastery” and yields what he calls “perfectionist carnitas.” Carnitas Ramirez is open Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m." - Luke Fortney
"Prepare to have a greasy phone screen after eating at Carnitas Ramirez, the East Village sequel to Taqueria Ramirez (one of the city's top taquerias). This spot specializes in rich, golden-brown carnitas, and you can order individual parts, like tongue or snout, on each $5 taco. But on your first visit, order a couple of surtida tacos, topped with meat from the entire pig—a mix of sweet costillas, fatty belly, savory organ meat, and everything in between. It's hard to believe one animal contains so many different, delicious porky flavors and textures. A chef cleavers the carnitas on a big wooden board, but you finish up the tacos yourself at the salsa station. Don’t skimp on the salsa verde with chunks of avocado, or pickled onions with an extreme amount of fresh oregano. Park yourself on a paint bucket near the open window, and contemplate ordering a kilo of carnitas ($60) for later. The store is currently open on weekends. photo credit: Will Hartman" - Will Hartman
Joel S.
Bills S.
Rudy H.
Enrique R.
Claudia G.
Vanessa R.
Mason L.
sam C.
Kimberly H.
