We had driven by this place several times while in Playa, and finally decided to stop in for lunch one day. It is located on the west side of 30th Ave, between 24th and 26th streets. Here is a picture of the exterior:
Here is a picture of my very patient wife sitting in front of the meat case:
We started off with ordering some tacos macisa (pork loin), falda and costilla (ribs). All the tacos were juicy and delicious. They all had a slightly smoky flavor, with good seasoning. The meat was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy. The macisa was slightly leaner, and the falda and costilla were a bit fattier and juicy. I’m not sure what "falda" tacos are (but I’m sure someone will let me know!) but they were very good. Actually, I could not tell the difference between the falda and the costilla. These were great tacos, served with several salsas and warm fresh tortillas. Minor complaint about the falda and costilla were that small bits of soft cartilage were sometimes chopped into the meat (I had run into this before, so its not unusual.) Nothing that would crunch a tooth, but a bit distracting if you’re not used to it. Unfortunately, we were so hungry, we forgot to take pictures until we were almost done with the tacos! Here is "evidence" of how delicious these tacos were:
As we were eating, I couldn’t help but notice this little fellow looking over at me from the meat case:
I asked the girl behind the counter how it was eaten, and she pointed to the cheeks and said "cachete." I ordered one (much to Kelli’s chagrin) and it actually turned out to be the best taco of the lot! It was similar in taste and texture to the ribs, but a bit juicer and more tender. REALLY great taco, and I’m looking forward to having it again!
Here’s a pic (AFTER the meat is plucked from the skull, of course!):
All in all, in my opinion, El Duro is a good solid choice for carnitas if you are in the neighborhood. I would suggest a try to this place, maybe after you’re finished shopping for your natural organic health food down the street at DAC!
