Carnitas Snack Shack - Our Lunch part 2

Last week, KDB and I tried going here...every Urban Hipster's wet and soggy dream...

(some random guy in front of us)
but alas, it was closed the day before July 4th, so we went somewhere else for lunch instead (that post will be forthcoming). At the end of the same week, we three (CC/Bert/TC) gave this place a go...

Located on a somewhat dead'ish part of University, you cannot miss the building since there is an iron pig sculpture on top silently surveying his porky domain.

I'd heard about this place but wanted to wait til the hype died down.

It had all of the "buzzwords" that make all the so-called pretentious "foodie" freaks swoon like thirteen years olds at a One Direction concert and get wet and nasty in their drawers all at the same time. Those words are: farm, fresh, local, sustainable, and gluten free. And let's not forget 'artisanal'.

Don't get me wrong. I support eating local but sometimes wanting to know a pedigree for every bit of your meal is a bit much. Case in point, view an particular episode from Season 1 of "Portlandia" where Fred and Carrie ponder over ordering chicken at a restaurant. They end up getting the chicken's birth certificate and visiting the farm where the chicken was raised and end up getting kidnapped into a chicken farm cult. It's funnier than it sounds, trust me.

You know, if the food is good, that's all that matters. I don't really give a flying fk if it was from a farm in Escondido or  if the eggs were free-range or whatever.

While the dessert menu looked tempting, we opted to just order two items for our lunch...

So you order in front and then wait in a most likely to be long-ass line on the side. There is a really cool but small, covered patio area in the back. You get to gaze upon this cool mural on the fence featuring, of course, our porcine friends that we love to eat. I love this mural!

Awww, here's a little one...

Note to those who come during peak times, the numbering system they give you is a joke. We were #65. We were waiting for seats to free up, like normal polite citizens. Some asshole and his wife, #68 end up bogarting a table! I guess getting a table was going to have to be a damn free for all! It was irritating because that guy could clearly see other people holding their numbers and patiently waiting in line. Did he care? Oh no, the smug bastard felt entitled to just saunter up and get his seat before the people who were still at the table barely left the table.

Bert ended up sharking a table and we quickly took our spots after a few minutes. I was still irritated by #68 and was wishing that he would consume a piece of undercooked pork so he could suffer the nice results of pork trichinosis. Yeah, I'm mean like that. But oh well, since I was never going to see him again...

At last, our two entrees: the Shack Sandwich and the Shack Mac and Cheese.  Every item menu is prefaced with "Shack" except for Panzanella Salad and Beet Terrine. Heh.

TC's mac and cheese with crispy bacon on top and sliced green onions. No doubt from a local farm. Oooh, doesn't that make it better than knowing it comes from Ralph's.  But seriously, the mac and cheese was really good but a bit too cheesy for my tastes. I don't like gooey textures but TC really loved this. It was pretty sizable too. It sure beats Kraft in the blue box.

Bert and I shared the sandwich which featured pork three different ways - breaded pork schnitzel with bacon and pulled pork. Oh yeah, this was IT man.There was a pepperoncini and pickle relish and aioli in there as well. On the side was a creamy corn and jicama slaw which was refreshing. I was wishing we had more of that. The bacon was excellent. The pulled pork made it messy, and the breaded pork made this pork trifecta complete.

The bun (which I'm sure was "artisanal") was brioche and grilled quite nicely. I ended up deconstructing my sandwich after a few bites since it was a bit unwieldy trying to eat this without making a mess.

Thick cut bacon with a tiny bit of the pickle relish. Just look at those caramelized edges on that strip!

One last look at the mural...

Would we go here again?  Yes, but I would advise going right when they open so you won't have to wait as long and also so you can snag a seat and not be a total ass-wipe like #68. I'm interested in trying a few other items on their menu (like the BLT and the Pork Belly), all of which are under $10. The quality of the food is very good here. The wait to get it, not so much. Diverse crowd too. Very diverse. Old, young and most ethnic groups represented.

Who else ate at Carnitas Snack Shack?

Kirk of Mmm-Yoso went here back in December 2011
Darren of San Diego Food was also here recently, as well as two local bloggers that just came on my radar, LocalWally and KidsDineOut (Ooh, the second blog has bathroom reviews! Finally, someone else who shares my obsession with bathrooms and isn't afraid to take photos of toilets!)

See our lunch part 1 here @ Blitztorte Kalye Hits...

Reviews from:
yelp
"Feast" by SD Reader and another more recent review by Ian Pike

Carnitas Snack Shack
2632 University Ave
San Diego, CA
(619) 294-PORK

carnitassnackshack.com

More lunch adventures on the way...