Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Carnitas California

    4.5 (100 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Carnitas California Takeout or Delivery

    Carnitas California Photos

    CARNITAS CALIFORNIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Carnitas California

    Recommended Reviews - Carnitas California

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Chorizo breakfast burrito. I had to supply my own coffee.
    Jon L.

    Best breakfast burrito in town. Large enough a couple of people but the chorizo has a nice level of heat and though it has potatoes they are finely grated so you're not chewing through big hunks. I don't understand the presence of potatoes in any burrito, but if you have to add them this is how. Gives the burrito a nice texture and combined with Carnitas Californias quality and thin tortilla it makes for a nicely chewy breakfast experience.

    Carnitas tacos and Adobada Tacos
    Arya S.

    Some of the best well priced Mexican food in Denver hands down! I loved this place and will definitely be coming back here as often as I can. I got a breakfast burrito ($6.50) almost as big as my forearm, 2 $2.50 tacos, and a horchata for 16 dollars. It was fantastic and I loved the value for the amount of food and it tasted amazing. The restaurant is a small hole in the wall and is relatively easy to miss. The staff was kind and helpful and they got the food out very fast. There's limited seating in the restaurant, but since the food is fast to get made a lot of people take the food to-go. I highly recommend you check this place out if you are in Denver and looking for authentic Mexican food.

    Menú 9/24/22
    Alexandra D.

    Noticed this place here for years and today was my first time trying it. It was love at first bite! Prices are not too bad considering the value you get. Aguas frescas are delicious and just how I like it-especially the horchata- not too sweet, just right and refreshing. The burrito was very filling; large size but very delicious. Rice, beans, carnitas and a mix of pico all wrapped in a flour tortilla. The salsas they offer, red and green; they are both very good and full of flavor. I will definitely love to try more of their dishes but until then, here's a glimpse of the menu and a mouthwatering photo of the burrito

    Counter where to order.
    Kyla B.

    This a go to for us locals for awesome, authentic Mexican food. Everything I have ever had is great. Breakfast burritos, the south Cali burrito, Fortas, tacos. You can't go wrong. Have always got it to go, but every time I haven been they cook to order and it's quick.

    So Cal Burrito. Water bottle for scale.
    Sara E.

    Stopped here randomly on the way home from a hike on 4th of July and it was great! Got a So Cal burrito and carnitas tacos. Both were delicious and hit the spot. Also got a bean and cheese burrito to go which was awesome. I get one at all Mexican places to guage how good they are and it didn't disappoint. Will definitely be back soon to try more!

    Fatty Carnitas post rendering and frying in my pan at home. Note the paper towels soaking up a lake of fat : /
    Mark H.

    I ate here about 5 years ago and came back when I was in the area. I remembered really enjoying the Carnitas and they were nice big chunks of slow cooked pork, then placed on a grill until the exterior was deliciously crispy. A 5 star experience. Today I ordered Carnitas with tortillas, rice and beans to go. When I got home 20 minutes later I saw it was Carnitas but they were very fatty and not made crisp on the griddle at all. Do you have to request that any Mexican restaurant does this with carnitas? It's always been automatic anywhere else, especially in California where I discovered Carnitas decades ago. Not much of my order was edible as is you with squares of non rendered pork fat bigger than the chunks of meat... Today their Carnitas earned only one star. Fortunately I have skills so I seasoned them up and fried them in a pan until they were crispy. I earned two of the 3 stars for them but I'll still give them 3 stars anyhow in hopes that just maybe it was an off day. Before I went in I almost placed my order online but they were closing soon so I opted to walk inside to place my order. While the price online was $11.25 (see photo) they charged me $15.12? It's possible their online pricing is out of date but it comes across as shady when there's inconsistent pricing.

    Carnitas Tacos

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Unfortunately, there was a hair in my food, which was really disappointing. Won't be ordering from this place again...

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Great carnitas and Buche. Not a huge fan of their menudo. Pozole is good there. I would highly recommend.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Had a barbacoa torta and asked if they could add beans to it. Best torta and barbacoa I had in a really long time. Everyone was really nice.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    This place is so slow. Went in for two burritos to go and it took almost half an hour. They weren't that great either.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark H.
    6
    126
    25

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    The chorizo breakfast burrito was so juicy. The best I've ever had. Staff was friendly and service was fast.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Las mejores carnitas en Denver, a mi y a mi familia nos encanta ir a esas carnitas son las mejores y otros platillos

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Heath J.
    26
    153
    8

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jezel L.
    201
    30
    68

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    A great value for the price of the breakfast burritos. Tasted great! Will be back for sure!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel F.
    109
    68
    26

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Carnitas California Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Carnitas California

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 54,179 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Taqueria La Familia - Taco Plate Carne Asada

    Taqueria La Familia

    4.7(525 reviews)
    5.2 miHighland, Northwest
    $$

    Menu as of 12/7/2025 We went out on a whim after returning…read moreour rental car and driving back into town. My husband and I were super hungry. Looking at taco places, I went with something close by to our location and found this hidden gem. Nestled away on a small street corner of Clay Street and 32nd Ave. parking can be scarce, but I'm sure with the right time and a little bit of walking you will find and manage your way here. Outside the restaurant, they have a small seating area which now is winter too cold to enjoy, but I'm sure in the spring and summer and fall time is super enjoyable. The inside, though a little bit tiny and no cozier than going to your mom's house and expecting a family Filled living room/Kitchen. We went down and greeted by three smiling faces. We already looked at the photos online and knew we want tacos so opted with the chicken tacos and Carne Asada taco plates. The tacos place option came with 5 tacos with up to 2 choices of meats the ratio would be 2:3 .. freshly mashed guacamole made in front of you or freshly sliced avocado.. In the pictures I listed you will find each chicken and Carne Asada options. Both slow pictures missing two tacos because we devoured them as soon as we got into the truck. Their street tacos are heavenly! Chicken option was all chicken breast super juicy grilled to perfection five tacos on a plate another two tacos missing because my husband and I devoured it. This plate came we asked it with the guacamole option instead of fresh avocado. The carne asada was just FULL of flavor and the fresh avocado slices with green tomatillo salsa SLAPPED.. the tortillas are super soft and tears from how fresh the flour tortillas were!! Definitely a place to sit and eat there to enjoy the hot food. I'm originally from SoCal and a heavily populated Latinos with amazing tacos and food.. Taqueria La Familia passed the bar high!! We can't wait to come back and try other options and will update pictures and review then!

    Smothered breakfast burrito with chorizo was so good! Fast and friendly service. Beautiful day to…read moresit outside. Inexpensive and so tasty. We would all come back.

    Photos
    Taqueria La Familia
    Taqueria La Familia
    Taqueria La Familia

    See all

    Pancho Poncho - Bar Area

    Pancho Poncho

    4.6(83 reviews)
    2.7 miCapitol Hill, Southwest

    Went in with very mid expectations after being disappointed by other trendy Mexican places (looking…read moreat you, Senor Bear) and were actually blown away. Service was excellent, and the food was lowkey incredible. We shared the small elote dip (elote is always a hit) + ribeye + marisco molcajete, and downed almost the entire basket of chips + salsa (husband even needed some of that green sauce to go and they delivered). We ended up also ordering churros to go (easily reheated in the microwave, who knew) and this was like, the first time I've ever *truly* raved about churros (I think because this time they were really dense, which I loved). We alsooo didn't realize that Sunday was all-day happy hour, so some cheap (and very strong) margs didn't hurt either. Will absolutely be back!

    Great place to meet up with friends, bring out of towners or even take the edge off at the end of…read morethe day. Weekends (including Fridays) get busy so I would recommend reservations. Service is top notch and our Friday night here was met with explanations of menu items, drink recommendations and even food recommendations. Our waitress kept an eye on our table even when the happy hour and evening crew started filling the place. My ground beef enchiladas were really good but the leftovers really shined! The flavors set in nicely and reminded me of the wonderful time the previous night. I would certainly return!

    Photos
    Pancho Poncho - Elote skillet

    Elote skillet

    Pancho Poncho - Shrimp tacos - the rice is super yummy too! Not a soggy after thought

    Shrimp tacos - the rice is super yummy too! Not a soggy after thought

    Pancho Poncho - Dining room

    See all

    Dining room

    Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina - Enchiladas

    Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina

    4.2(1.1k reviews)
    0.4 miSouthwest
    $$

    A friend recommended this spot, and I'm so glad! We went on…read moretaco Tuesday and had no problem getting bar seating (or there were a few tables available) around 5pm but I noticed after 6pm people were waiting for seating. The food was delicious! We got $2 chips and salsa off the happy hour menu and the queso con soyrizo (not on HH menu) which was served with warm tortillas. Honestly we probably didn't need all that because the tacos were so good I could've just filled up on more of the tacos, but still was a great meal! I ordered the lengua, pastor, and taco special (breaded shrimp). They were all so good. Think taco quality of a good street taco spot but with the ambiance of a cute tex mex bar. The bartender was great and made a solid marg ($8 on happy hour). You get a great deal on taco Tuesday but I'm sure you'd get great service and quality any day of the week!

    Good meal but a lot of work and hassle!…read more Very limited parking. Left side of the building are a few parking spots shared by several businesses. Good luck getting a spot. Then you are driving the neighborhood hoping to find a spot. Finally parked and walked to the restaurant. Host told me it would be 30 minutes but the actual wait was 50 minutes. Spend so much time parking and then waiting, at what point do you give up and leave empty handed? Restaurant is VERY LOUD. Finally got a table and ordered OFF MENU. Server agreed to substitute shrimp for my enchiladas and they were good! Fresh corn tortillas were the highlight. Ordered tres leches cake and enjoyed it too. Was a nice meal but just not worth all the hassle.

    Photos
    Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina - Inside

    Inside

    Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina - Tres Leches Cake

    Tres Leches Cake

    Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina - Outside

    See all

    Outside

    Ni Tuyo - Street corn

    Ni Tuyo

    4.6(189 reviews)
    2.0 miSoutheast
    $$

    Not your generic Mexican restaurant. Ni tuyo is special. The space, the food, and the staff. Owner…read moreis frequently there, and the passion is so obvious. Inside it feels like community. Ni tuyo means not yours. Experience ni tuyo. Pork belly tacos were insanely good. Also the rib molcajete. Those two items stood out. They feature original cocktails, thoughtfully invented. Some of them blow my mind, some of them I didn't think worked very well for my preference, but all of them were unique. I value this uniqueness. Don't get for about mezcal Wednesdays. A great way to leave your comfort zone and try whatever they are featuring for a reduced price. Their variety of curated mezcal is a great way to start and make progress on your mezcal journey. There is such a variety of mezcal that I believe there is something for almost everyone. Put your trust in their bartenders to guide you on the different styles and flavors. And finally, they are a huge part of the Colorado agave collective. Monthly agave tasting. The best way to learn and appreciate.

    Went here for my birthday and had a good time!…read more The prickly pear margarita was really good! We enjoyed the elote and guacamole. For the price, we didn't get very much guacamole but it was good, as was the elote! The pork belly tacos were very good but the tortillas were too small for the amount of filling. The molcajete was good but I'm not sure we would get it again. Overall, a solid spot for a nice dinner.

    Photos
    Ni Tuyo - Sitting area

    Sitting area

    Ni Tuyo - Pollo mains

    Pollo mains

    Ni Tuyo - Molcajete

    See all

    Molcajete

    Tamayo - Tamayo dining room

    Tamayo

    3.8(1.4k reviews)
    4.0 miLodo, Northwest
    $$$

    My colleague and I attended a private work event at this restaurant and were rather impressed with…read morethe service and food. There was a build your own taco buffet, mocktails, and churros and sweet empanadas for dessert. The food and bar was in one private section and we were seated in another private room that was connected. The layout was very nice and spacious. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you're planning to host a private event, or simply stop by for lunch or dinner. You won't be disappointed!

    My friend and I were walking around Larmier Square on a Saturday looking for a brunch spot and came…read moreacross Tamayo. We walked in to find it pretty well occupied around noon, but still with some empty tables. We were seated right away. The decor was lovely. It was primarily natural, earthy tones, with succulents, and a big pop of color with bright murals above the bar, creating a warm glow. I was vaguely familiar with Chef Richard Sandoval due to his brief appearance on Top Chef, but didn't know too much about his cuisine. The brunch has a really fun and original idea in that you can order bottomless small plates for $42 per person or bottomless food and drinks for $59 in person, with a two-hour limit. I would have loved to try that, but we had a lot of plans that day so opted for the à la carte menu. I chose a mimosa and my friend chose a michelada. for our drinks We shared the ceviche. I ordered the chicken tinga enchiladas, while my friend ordered the fish tacos. We shared all of the food. The ceviche was excellent, flavorful and fresh. I enjoyed the enchiladas. The portion was generous. I wasn't too fond of the tacos. There was nothing wrong with them, aside from the fact that I don't like breaded fish, but they just didn't have a ton of flavor. I will say service started strong, but then fell off a bit. Our server and food runner were friendly, but it was hard to get extra utensils when we needed them. All in all, it was a great brunch spot. If I were in town again, I would definitely be tempted to try the bottomless brunch.

    Photos
    Tamayo
    Tamayo
    Tamayo

    See all

    Carnitas California - mexican - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...