Sometimes the hardest part about going out for Mexican food isn’t deciding where to eat—it’s deciding what you’re hungry for.
Maybe you woke up craving chilaquiles. Someone else wants a burrito. The kids are asking for tacos. Another person wants a hot bowl of menudo, while somebody else has carne asada or chile rellenos on their mind.
That’s where having plenty of choices makes a difference.
Carnitas Don Cuco has been serving Mexican food in Pacoima for more than 13 years, with a menu that goes far beyond the carnitas in our name. Breakfast, caldos, traditional Mexican dishes, tacos, burritos, tortas and antojitos are all part of the menu.
So, what sounds good today?
Start the Morning with Mexican Breakfast
Some mornings call for more than coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Chilaquiles are one of those Mexican breakfast dishes that can turn breakfast into the meal you’ve been thinking about all morning. Carnitas Don Cuco serves traditional chilaquiles as well as chilaquiles con bistec, and for an even heartier appetite, there are chilaquiles with carnitas and bistec.
There are plenty of other breakfast choices, too.
Try huevos rancheros, huevos a la mexicana, huevos con nopal, chorizo con huevos, bacon and eggs, ham and eggs, or one of the restaurant’s breakfast burritos.
Whether you’re meeting someone for breakfast or picking something up on the way to work, there’s no reason every morning has to taste the same.
Craving Something Warm? Try a Caldo
There are days when a warm bowl of Mexican soup is exactly what sounds right.
The menu at Carnitas Don Cuco includes menudo, caldo de res, caldo de pollo and caldo de birria, giving you several options depending on what you’re craving.
Menudo has long been a favorite for a hearty Mexican breakfast or weekend meal. Caldo de res offers another traditional choice, while caldo de pollo gives chicken lovers something warm and satisfying. And if birria is what brought you in, you don’t have to limit yourself to tacos—the menu includes caldo de birria as well.
These are the kinds of dishes that make the menu useful when everyone at the table is in the mood for something different.
There’s a Lot More Than Tacos on the Menu
Tacos may get plenty of attention, but traditional Mexican food has a lot more to offer.
You might be in the mood for carne asada, or perhaps bistec ranchero or bistec encebollado sounds better. Other choices include chile rellenos, mole con pollo, enchiladas, chicharrón en salsa verde, costillas de puerco en salsa roja and costillas de puerco en salsa verde.
There are chicken and fish options as well, including milanesa de pollo and fish plates.
That variety is one of the advantages of visiting a Mexican restaurant with a broad menu. One person can order carnitas while somebody else has mole, birria, steak, enchiladas or chile rellenos.
Nobody has to agree on the same thing.
Maybe Today Is a Burrito Day
Then again, sometimes you just want a burrito.
And even that decision isn’t necessarily simple at Carnitas Don Cuco.
The burrito selection includes choices such as an all-meat carnitas burrito, steak and cheese burrito, bistec encebollado burrito, chile relleno burrito, bean and cheese burrito, rice and bean burrito, wet burrito, California burrito and chilaquiles-and-steak burritos.
Breakfast burritos give you another option earlier in the day.
So when somebody says, “I want a burrito,” the next question might be: which one?
Tacos, Tortas, Quesadillas—or Something Different?
Of course, there are tacos.
You can keep things simple with tacos or go for birria cheese tacos. If you’re feeding more than yourself, taco trays provide another option for sharing with a group.
But maybe you want something different.
Try a torta, grab a quesadilla, or switch things up with a mulita, gordita, huarache or sope. Those dishes give you another way to enjoy Mexican food without ordering the same tacos or burrito every visit.
And Yes, There Are Carnitas
We couldn’t talk about Carnitas Don Cuco without talking about carnitas.
Carnitas can be enjoyed as a plate, in tacos, in a burrito or ordered in larger quantities when you’re feeding the family or a group. The menu also includes additional pork choices such as buche and cuerito.
So whether you came specifically looking for carnitas or someone in your family simply refuses to leave without them, there are several ways to make them part of the meal.
Don’t Forget Something to Drink
All those choices can make you thirsty.
A refreshing agua fresca is an easy match for Mexican food, and Carnitas Don Cuco also offers natural orange juice and a selection of Mexican beverages.
One Restaurant, Plenty of Choices
That may be the best way to describe Carnitas Don Cuco.
You don’t have to come in knowing exactly what you want.
Breakfast can mean chilaquiles or huevos rancheros. Lunch might be a burrito, torta or carne asada. A cold day might have you thinking about menudo or caldo de res. Dinner could be chile rellenos, mole con pollo, birria, costillas or carnitas.
And when everyone wants something different, having all those choices in one place makes deciding where to eat a little easier.
Carnitas Don Cuco is located at 10979 Glenoaks Blvd in Pacoima, California, serving Pacoima and welcoming customers from nearby Arleta, San Fernando, Sylmar and surrounding San Fernando Valley communities.
Hungry yet? Take a look at the menu and order your favorite—or try something different this time.
